‘Yes,’ said Bertie, running up to him. ‘Can I sit in the front?’
‘As long as your mum doesn’t mind?’
‘No, that’s fine.’
Seb opened the door and lifted Bertie into the passenger seat.
‘Do none of you have your own cars?’ I asked, climbing up onto the back bench seats.
‘No, there’s no need. Between this and the quad, we’re covered for any trips we need to make. We all contribute to fuel costs and any maintenance needed.’
‘It’s such a good system. I’m amazed how smoothly things run here.’
Seb switched on the engine, shouting over its noisy growl. ‘It doesn’t always. Not everyone who comes here fits in. If someone’s too individualistic or has a big ego, they don’t last long. Likewise, people looking for a free ride. It’s why Harryintroduced the recommendation system. When she first started up, she’d take in anyone who showed up at her door. That led to a few tricky situations and a couple of scary ones.’
‘I can imagine.’
‘Do we fit in?’ asked Bertie.
‘You do. That’s why you’re still here. All the help you give Harry with the animals and your mum gives me with the lake project, well, that shows the kind of people you are. You’re happy to muck in. That’s what you have to be like to live here.’
‘Why did you come here?’ asked Bertie.
Seb didn’t reply. I looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror. His eyes were fixed on the road, the muscles straining in his face as he held them taut. ‘It shouldn’t take long to reach Liskeard,’ he said, ignoring Bertie’s question. ‘The roads are nice and quiet at this time of year.’
As the Land Rover picked up speed, the engine grew louder, making conversation impossible. We pulled out of a junction and joined the dual carriageway, smoke spewing out of the Land Rover’s exhaust. Seb clicked the indicator, and we joined a smaller road, until we found ourselves in a residential area on the outskirts of town.
‘I’ll park at the station,’ he shouted. ‘Are you OK to explore for a bit while I run some errands? I need to go to the bank and pick up a few things from the hardware shop.’
‘Of course,’ I shouted back.
At the car park, we parted ways, agreeing to meet again in an hour. All Bertie wanted to do was go to the park and join in a game of football a group of boys were playing. I insisted on at least getting a glimpse of the town, leading him past a series of independent shops and cafes. But after fifteen minutes of exploring, his pestering became too much, and I relented and took him to the park, where the local boys welcomed an extra player.
While Bertie played football, I pulled out my phone and made the call I’d been putting off all week.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, Marion, it’s Liv.’
‘Olivia? Is this about Rob?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, I assumed he’d have been in touch by now.’
‘No, he hasn’t, and I still don’t know where he is.’
‘Right, well, if you must know, he’s staying with us at the minute.’
‘Since when?’
‘Since two weeks ago.’
‘And none of you thought it might be a good idea to tell me? That, oh, I don’t know, maybe he’d like to get in contact with his son?’
Marion let out a long sigh. ‘There’s no need to be so dramatic. Poor Robert has been through a lot.’
I tried to splutter out a reply, but couldn’t squeeze the words past my anger.
