Free Forgotten Child by Kitty Neale

going? Are you mad, woman?’
    ‘Stop it! Please stop shouting,’ Delia begged.
    ‘Have you told the police? Have you reported her missing?’
    ‘What would be the point of that? She’s sixteen and free to leave home if she wants to.’
    ‘She’s a child! You…you…’ he ground out, so furious that he could have throttled her. ‘I’ll never forgive you for this!’
    ‘Dad, stop it. None of this is Mummy’s fault. Jenny’s behaviour over the years had been abominable, and just lately she almost caused Mummy to have a nervous breakdown.’
    ‘Don’t talk rubbish!’
    ‘See, Robin, I told you,’ Delia cried. ‘I said your father would blame me.’
    ‘Leave this to me,’ soothed Robin. ‘Take one ofyour pills. I know they make you feel groggy but it’ll calm you.’
    As Robin walked towards him, Edward noticed for the first time that his son no longer looked like a boy. He looked like a young man and a determined one at that.
    ‘Dad, come on,’ he said, grasping his arm. ‘Mother really is ill and we need to talk.’
    ‘Ill my foot,’ Edward snapped, convinced that Delia was hiding behind her so-called nerves as usual. He’d get nothing out of her, but at least his son might be able to shed some light on the matter, a clue as to where Jenny had gone. If Robin could suggest somewhere, as a starting point, it would be something. He had to find Jenny. He just had to.
    Robin was relieved when his father agreed to accompany him to the drawing room. His mother had tried to stop Jenny from leaving – they had both tried. There had been a tug of war when he tried to grab her rucksack, but Jenny had fought like a tiger, verbally attacking both him and his mother.
    She had fled then, leaving his mother sobbing and in such a state that he’d had to call the doctor. She was now on medication, which was helping, but would it be enough to shield her from his father’s anger?
    ‘I need a drink,’ his dad said, taking a decanter and pouring a large measure of whisky.
    Robin waited until he had gulped it down, andthen said, ‘There are things you should know about Jenny.’
    ‘Don’t bother. I know my daughter.’
    ‘No, Dad, you don’t. Mother told me that Jenny has made her life a misery for years, but I didn’t believe her until I saw it with my own eyes,’ Robin told him, going on to tell his father all that had happened since he was last here.
    ‘That doesn’t sound like Jenny,’ Edward said. ‘But if what you say is true, your mother must have driven her to behave like that.’
    ‘She did not!’ Robin insisted. ‘If you had been here you’d have seen that for yourself, but of course you’re always away. Not only that, if you hadn’t put your work first, you’d have been here for Jenny’s birthday and perhaps able to stop her from leaving. We certainly couldn’t.’
    ‘What are you talking about? I was driving home when my car broke down. I rang your mother to tell her why I couldn’t make it and asked her to explain things to Jenny. Didn’t she pass on my message?’
    Robin could remember the phone call and frowned. His mother hadn’t said anything about the car. Confused, he was about to tell his father that, but then bit back the words. It would anger him again, cause another confrontation, and his mother was upset enough as it was.
    ‘Yes, of…of course she did,’ he stuttered, hating having to lie. He knew that there had to be anexplanation for his mother’s behaviour but now, recalling how upset Jenny had been when Delia told her that dad’s work came first, doubts crossed his mind. What else had his mother lied about?
    ‘I had to find a garage, sort out repairs, but forget that for now. Jenny is my main concern and I need to find her. Where do I start? Have you got any idea?’
    ‘I’ve been looking, asked around, and found out that her best friend left home at the same time. I think that means they’re together, but as Jenny starts work at the local library on Monday,