Free Constable Evans 02: Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen

interfered again.
    Evan sighed and walked on. It was times like this that made him regret dropping out of detective training.
    “Yoo-hoo! Evan!” He looked up as he heard his name being called and saw that Annie Pigeon was hurrying down the street toward him, dragging a reluctant Jenny beside her.
    “Lovely morning, isn’t it?” she asked as she stopped beside him. “Are you going walking?”
    “I was thinking about it.”
    “I thought we might go for a little walk ourselves,” Annie said cautiously. “Although I’m a bit nervous about going up to the hills by myself.”
    “Oh, it’s quite safe,” Evan said. “I wouldn’t worry.”
    “That wasn’t what I meant.” Annie’s voice had just a tinge of sharpness. “I meant about getting lost and falling down old mines. I’ve never lived in a place like this before. I don’t know a thing—which paths are safe, which plants are safe, whether sheep attack you…”
    She gazed up hopefully at Evan. “What I really need is a guide who knows the place. You wouldn’t like to have us tag along would you—just this first time, so that we get the hang of it?”
    He wouldn’t get much of a hike with the pair of them tagging along, Evan thought. Then he decided he was being selfish. Of course she needed someone to show her which paths were easy and which were dangerous.
    “I’d be glad to,” he said gallantly. “Are you ready to go now?”
    “Why not? Don’t you think we’re dressed right?”
    She was wearing a shiny red track suit which somehow didn’t clash with her red hair. Jenny was all girl today, dressed in a pretty cotton dress with big puffed sleeves and a pink ribbon in her hair. Evan looked at their clean white shoes.
    “Normally I wouldn’t go up there without a rainproof jacket, but it’s not going to rain for a while and I don’t imagine we’ll be going too far with the littl’un along.”
    “Oh, she might look frail, but she’s tough like her mum, aren’t you, Jenny?” When Jenny said nothing, she jerked her arm. “Go on, say hello to the nice policeman.”
    Jenny looked down and studied her white shoes.
    “You daft thing,” Annie said. “You were so excited when I said we were going to see him, weren’t you? She does nothing but talk about you at home. She tells me over and over how you saved her. She thinks you’re a proper hero. I think so too. And I don’t think I ever thanked you properly, did I?”
    “I was only doing my job.” Evan gave her an embarrassed grin.
    “You saved my kid’s life and that’s all that matters to me,” Annie said. “She means the world to me, you know. She’s everything.”
    Evan held out a hand to help her over the stile that straddled a dry stone wall. She took his hand daintily and Evan noticed her beautifully manicured red nails. Definitely a city girl. Again he was curious about what had made her think of a spot like Llanfair. She was just stepping down the other side of the stile, still clutching onto Evan’s hand, when someone came down the street toward them, walking quickly. Evan looked up and saw that it was Bronwen.

Chapter 7
    “I went to your house but there was no one there,” Bronwen said as she approached. She sounded calm enough but her cheeks were pink. “I thought we might take that hike over to Llyn Ogwen that we’ve been talking about, but I see you’re busy.”
    She wasn’t wearing her usual long flowing skirts and ethnic blouses but instead well-cut twills and a cornflower-blue shirt that exactly matched her eyes. Evan swallowed hard. “I—that is Annie asked me to show her around a little.” He paused, looking from Annie, whose hand was still gripping his, to Bronwen, who was standing there with her hands on her hips.
    “I don’t think you’ve had a chance to meet Annie Pigeon yet, have you, Bron?” he asked. “She’s just moved here.”
    “Is that right?” Evan knew that she was deliberately not making it easy for him.
    “Annie, this is Bronwen