With the dusty, barren road stretching emptily out before her, Mum started jogging, scanning the ditches either side, even though she knew he wouldnt be in them. Ben was too timid to have tackled their intimidating wild weeds certainly not without making a noisy fuss. As she reached the sharp bend in the lane, Mum eased her speed. Shed already covered more ground than she imagined Ben could have travelled in such a short space of time. The second she turned the corner she was confident her grandson would be in sight. He wasnt. Mum stared again at the sheer unbroken nothingness of the unmade lane. There wasnt an animal, a vehicle or a person to be seen. And definitely no sign of a little boy. Ben was only twenty-one months. It was inconceivable he could have made it that far, let alone gone any further. And if he had, he would have answered her shouts. She trudged back round to the house and waited for the others to return. They all shook their heads. How could a toddler just disappear? There was only one other explanation. Stephen must have taken him. I can hear my dads voice now: The stupid little idiot. Fancy not telling us he was taking Ben for a ride.
