No Ordinary Romance (BOOK 1)

Chapter 11

A few days after the party Phoebe paid a visit to the Turner household. The next week and a half would be busy and with preparations for the wedding.

"Have you received any more news from Emilia?" Phoebe asked Samuel as they walked arm in arm in the gardens.

"I'm afraid not, and I'm afraid that we won't be for a while." Samuel replied. Though he was looking forward to the wedding he knew it would be dampened by the absence of his sister. "I'm sure that South has something to do with all this," he said and Phoebe swallowed. They had been careful not to bring up the subject of South and there was a tense silence for a few moments after.

"You have notified the police about this I trust." She said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, but I doubt they can do anything about it. I remember when we were younger, Emilia only eight, I was eleven, we played a game of hide-and-come-seek-me. I was 'it' and she ran off to hide. She had hid down in the kitchens, something I had not expected. I couldn't find her and I yelled that I gave up, but she didn't come out. It took us two hours to find her. When we did, she was asleep against the bags of flour. Another time when she was thirteen she got mad at my father. She ran off and hid. We couldn't find her for the whole day. In the evening she came out of the garden shed. After seven hours of sitting there. If she doesn't want to be found, she isn't."

"And you have no idea where she might be?"

"None," he sighed.

"I can't believe such an evil thing would happen to such a sweet girl," Phoebe said.

"It's my fault," Samuel said.

"It cannot be. Don't say anything of the kind," Phoebe said sharply.

"It is. All I had to do was give South two thousand pounds.

"That is a vast sum of money," she gasped.

"I'd do anything for my sister." He said.

"You really do love her," she smiled.

"Next to you, I love her the most." He smiled and Phoebe laughed.

"That is a great compliment. Please forgive me though, I have a dress fitting and I must take my leave," she said and left.

***

Samuel was sitting the library reading when Simpkins entered the room.

"Inspector Dylan to see you Sir," the butler said.

"Send him in," Samuel said and rose. A short stocky man with a pockmarked face and a large nose walked into the room.

"You are Samuel Turner?" He wheezed.

"Yes, you are Inspector Dylan I presume."

"I am."

"May I offer you some tea?"

"No thank you," Inspector Dylan said.

"Please have a seat," Samuel said amiably, pointing at the chair. They both sat and the officer said:

"I have two pieces of news for you. The body you found belonged to a Mr. Thomas Cohen," he said. Samuel looked up. The name 'Cohen' sounded familiar. If only he could place it. "Does that name sound familiar?"

"Cohen does," Samuel said. He had no idea from where, but it was familiar.

"The second piece of news is that a young blonde woman was spotted in Scotland on her own. She was not a native there and was English, they think it may your sister."

"When was she spotted?" Samuel asked.

"On Monday they saw her."

"I see." Samuel sighed, he doubted it was his sister but he said nothing.