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Was he going in the shop?She waved, but he didn’t see her. She blinked, and then he was gone. Perhaps he’d nipped into the shop to buy something?
Thea walked at a pace and arrived at the Co-op, expecting to see Winston sitting outside the shop with his lead tied to the doggy post.He wouldn’t take him inside the shop, surely?she thought.
Thea turned full circle, her eyes alighting on the narrow lane that led to Cobblers Yard.Of course, thought Thea. Katie had said that she wanted to buy flowers. She imagined that he’d gone in there to see if they were still in The Potting Shed.
Thea stepped forward and almost collided with two old ladies emerging from the lane. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ said Thea.
‘No harm done,’ one of them replied.
‘I don’t suppose you passed a teenager with a dog in Cobblers Yard?’
‘Yes, we did. We’ve seen him before, haven’t we, Mabel?’
‘Oh yes, he often goes into the antique shop.’
Thea nodded. She recalled that Katie had said something about Toby being strange – he liked old things, and often hung around the antique shop.
‘We work in the little charity shop down there. We’ve just closed, but we’re open tomorrow.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Thea had never visited a charity shop before. Maybe she would pop in and say hello to the two helpful old ladies, and buy something, even if she didn’t need it. At least she’d be donating some money for a good cause.
Thea caught one of the old ladies, the rather plump one, staring at her. Thea said, ‘Well, er … thank you. I must go and find my nephew.’
As she turned down the lane, she overheard an exchange between the two ladies.
‘Why were you staring at her, Marjorie?’
‘She just reminded me of someone, but I can’t think who.’
Thea hurried down the lane and into Cobblers Yard. She walked up to The Potting Shedand looked in the window. It was a small shop, and she couldn’t see Toby inside. She turned around and cast a glance about her. There was no sign of Winston waiting outside one of the shops. She thought of what the two old ladies had told her. He had definitely been there.
She made a beeline for the antique shop on the other side of Cobblers Yard. In the window, she could see necklaces and bracelets, recalling what Katie had said about the amber jewellery she and her friend had bought in this shop. The door was open. Thea stepped inside.
‘Can I help you?’
Thea looked around the shop. There was no sign of Toby or the dog. Had he left already, passing her by – maybe while she’d had her back to him when she was looking through The Potting Shed window? It was possible. But he would have spotted her. Why hadn’t he come over?
Her gaze settled on a young woman sitting on a stool by the counter. She guessed this was Hannah, the lady whose name was stencilled on the outside of the shop –Hannah & Maisie’s Art and Antique Emporium. ‘I’m looking for my nephew. Can you tell me when a teenage boy with a golden retriever left your shop?’
The young woman frowned. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t had a teenage boy or a golden retriever in my shop today.’
Thea blinked. That can’t be right. She peered at the young woman. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Positive.’
‘Oh, well … I’d better get going.’
‘Can I interest you in anything?’
Something crossed Thea’s mind – the shop sign did sayArt and Antique Emporium. Was this where her sister might have found a rare book that, unbeknown to the proprietor, was worth a lot of money? Thea asked, ‘Do you sell old books?’
The young lady immediately shook her head. ‘No, I’m afraid not. But if you’re looking for a gift for somebody ...’
Thea thought that wasn’t a bad idea. ‘My sister.’
‘We make and sell some lovely amber jewellery …’
Thea walked out of the shop with a pretty necklace, matching earrings and a bracelet, all encrusted with delicate orange and yellow amber gemstones. Hannah had even wrapped them in pretty gift paper.
