Everyone welcomes her warmly. Deniro moves his seat to make room for her.
Shirley hands her own teacup to Philomena.
When I turn to find Hagrid, he’s gone. “Who was that man?”
Deniro glances towards the door. “Do you mean Raff?”
“Does he work here?”
“He’s a handyman and sometimes helps out.”
“Raff’s alright,” someone else adds
But I’m still watching the door, expecting him to come back.
“What’s the matter?” Granddad Bill asks.
I turn back to them. “I don’t know. I met him when I first arrived and he seemed nice, helped me find Kendric House.”
He must hear the unfinished thought and prompts, “But…?”
I twist the hem of my jumper, unsure how to explain my worries. “Yesterday, I overheard the manager tell him to keep the terrace doors locked for safety. He did lock them while she was there, but later, I saw him again and he had the door open.”
“Oh, Cynthia is a killjoy. Some of us like stepping out on the terrace.”
Deniro is watching me. “You don’t trust him?”
“I’m probably being silly. All that hair makes him a little scary.” I laugh to diffuse the little tension that still clenches my shoulder blades together. It’s not easy to explain why he seems to prey on my mind so much.
The others find it funny and keep questioning me. I can’t help feeling they’re not taking this seriously at all. Yet, without any evidence one way or the other, I can’t make them see it my way. An hour later, when I say goodbye, Deniro jokes, “Mind you don’t run into that hairy Raff on the way.”
Philomena holds my hand and mumbles, “Thank you, dear. You’re very sweet.” Her eyes shine with tears.
She reminds me of a physics teacher at my school, unpopular not only because everyone hated physics, but because she was a bit clumsy and tended to knock into things. People ridiculed her. Teenagers can be so cruel, and bullies pick on the weak especially if undefended.
In no time, that poor teacher became everyone’s favourite target. My friend and I once walked in on a girl in year six shouting, actually shouting at her, threatening to report her. When the girl saw us, she stopped and eventually walked away. The expression in the teacher’s eyes was very similar to Philomena’s.
Welsh Hagrid, Raff, making trolley lady walk away was a little like that bully schoolgirl walking away when she saw we had turned up.
I hope they won’t come back later when Philomena is alone.
Even worse, now Raff knows I’m Bill’s granddaughter and Jenkins is angry about me buying biscuits, they might be unpleasant to him. That’s the thing I was worried about before when Haneen suggested I complain to the manager. Sticking my oar in might cause more trouble than help.
Chapter Twelve
Wed 14th November, 3pm. The Glyn Care Home
“Where’s Bill?” I look around the games lounge when I arrive. They’re all there. Deniro reading a newspaper. Gethin laughing at something with Shirley. Various others. No Bill.
“Bill?” Deniro looks around.
“He’s gone to find Philomena.” Gethin checks his wristwatch. “But they’ve been gone a long time.”
Suddenly everyone falls silent and there are worried glances.
“What?” I ask
“Philomena needed something fetching from a high shelf in her room,” Gethin finally says. “She couldn’t reach, so Raff went with her. Half an hour ago. Bill went to look for her quarter of an hour later but he too has vanished. That’s three people if you count Raff.”
