Day 8

It was very dark by the time they pulled off the A1. They didn't have a plan. Go to the hospital first? Go to the bungalow? Go to the police? Go home? Go to bed?

Pat hadn't really been thinking about what she would do when she got here. Julie was happy just watching the scenery go by and the lights come on. She had long given up trying to engage with Pat somewhere outside of Peterborough. It was obvious her attempts at conversation were going way past Pat's head into the atmosphere.

"What now?" she asked Pat, as they sat in a dimly light road leading to the general direction of Doncaster.
"Well, actually I'm quite tired. So maybe just book in a Travel Lodge and then decide what to do tomorrow - maybe hit the hospital first?"
"OK. I don't want to say 'I told you we should set off in the morning' but ... 'I told you so."

They both laughed and Pat nodded. "Let's book in somewhere and get something to eat, get some sleep and then we'll make a fresh start tomorrow. I think there's somewhere we can stay just back there. There used to be a service station and rooms."

So, fifteen minutes later they were tucking into good old service station sausage rolls and coffee. Pat acknowledged that the 'spur of a moment thing' might not have been the best strategy - but here they were. As she looked around she saw a picture of five people staring out from the walls. She knew one of them.