Hawke's Tor by E. V. Thompson Page B

walk in one day, but I’ve been backwards and forwards across the moor in the last few days and haven’t seen any gypsy wagons … not actually on the moor, anyway.’
    â€˜My grandmother doesn’t live in a wagon caravan. She’s a gorgio , like my dai – my mother. My Dado was working on their farm when they met and they were married in a proper church. His family never forgave him, but my mother’s family welcomed him – well, most of them – and he’s very fond of my grandmother.
She’s not too well right now and I thought he might have gone there to see how she was, but she hasn’t seen him.’
    â€˜Are you saying he’s gone missing?’
    â€˜I wish I knew. But he hasn’t been home for a couple of days and although he often disappears for a day or two he always tells me when he’s going to be away. This time he didn’t.’
    Something in what the girl had said struck a chord in Tom’s mind and, recalling what Bessie Harris had mentioned when he and Amos visited her, he said, ‘That must be a worry for you … but we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Tom … and you?’
    â€˜Zillah … Zillah Smith.’
    â€˜Zillah is a very unusual name … but a pretty one. Is your wagon actually in North Hill village, Zillah?’
    â€˜No, it’s actually at Slippery Hill, on the Launceston road.’
    Now Tom knew his surmise had been right. He was giving a ride to the daughter of Jed Smith, the gypsy who dealt in unwanted babies. ‘That’s a couple of miles beyond North Hill, I’ll take you there then come back to North Hill.’
    He felt her draw back from him and she demanded, ‘Why would you do that, what do you expect from me in return?’
    â€˜Only your company. Besides, after what happened at Trelyn on Tuesday night I’d like to make certain you get home safely.’
    â€˜What happened on Tuesday night?’
    The question surprised Tom, then he realized that if Zillah had been alone in her wagon home since the murder she could have spoken to no one who knew what had happened to Kerensa Morgan and her baby. It was also highly unlikely the news would have reached her grandmother at her remote farmhouse on the moor.
    â€˜There was a particularly nasty murder up here, at Hawk’s Tor. The wife of the estate steward at Trelyn Hall was found battered
to death and her baby who was with her at the time is missing.’
    Zillah was behind him so Tom was unable to see her face but he sensed she was startled.
    â€˜You mean … Kerensa Morgan?’
    â€˜Yes, did you know her?’
    â€˜I met her once or twice when we had our wagon on Sharptor, but my Dado didn’t like me talking to her. She did have me make a shawl for her when she was expecting, but he said she wasn’t a nice girl for me to know.’
    â€˜From all I’ve heard about her your father’s opinion was probably right.’
    â€˜ What have you heard about her, you’re not from these parts or I would have seen you before – and you don’t talk like a Cornishman? Where did you hear about Kerensa’s murder and how do you know what sort of girl she was?’
    Tom hesitated before replying. The chances were that if he told her the truth she would want nothing more to do with him. The duties of a policemen were seen as including moving on gypsies. To the establishment they were perceived as invariably dishonest and classed as vagrants. As a result, a mutual antipathy had developed between gypsies and those whose duty it was to uphold the law.
    Nevertheless, Tom knew that if he lied to Zillah now he would never have her trust in the future … and it was something he might need, especially as there now appeared to be a mystery concerning her father’s whereabouts. Tom felt strongly that the gypsy’s disappearance was somehow connected with Kerensa’s death and the