CHAPTER TWO

The ambulance crew wouldn't let me ride with Viv to the hospital, partly because I wasn't family (despite her having no family nearby) but mostly because of Lily.

I didn't want to leave the dog in the house by herself. As far as I knew she and Viv had never been apart for any length of time, and no matter their age Jack Russells are prone to destruction when bored. Leave her alone for too long and there might barely be a house worth returning to. That left the neighbours, all at least a quarter of a mile away. So I bundled Lily into my rusty old Volvo and tried to find someone who'd look after her.

'I'm off to work, no dogs allowed-'

'You're joking, I've already got three kids-'

'I don't even know who that is, we only moved here in the summer-'

'You've already got hold of it, why can't you look after it?'

So much for Yorkshire hospitality.

These summary dismissals left me in a pickle. By now it was gone eight, and I was supposed to be in hair and make-up by eight-thirty. If I set off now at top speed I could probably make it. But what about Lily? What about Viv, for that matter?

The voicemail had been from the ambulance medic, informing me that Viv had fallen in the kitchen. A nasty bump on the head and a suspected broken hip, which at her age is never good news. Fortunately, it hadn't completely incapacitated her, and while Viv was stubborn, she wasn't stupid. The moment she'd found herself on the floor she'd pressed the alarm pendant she wore about the house.

But I knew how these things went, having accompanied my father on many emergency hospital visits of his own. The immediate focus would be on getting the patient stable and in a bed, followed by finding a relative or neighbour to bring her a bag of fresh clothes, medication, reading glasses and so on. Given their attitude to Lily I didn't trust any of them to handle that, so I said to hell with it and called Steven McDonald, the film's producer. I could have called the director, but she might have actually picked up and I didn't have time for that. Steven never answered calls.

'It's Gwinny,' I said after the voicemail beep. 'I'm going to be late to set today. My friend has been rushed to hospital, and I need to check on her. I'll be in by noon.'

I ended the call, then immediately silenced my phone so he couldn't call me back and deliver a stream of invective. I was confident it would be fine, anyway. My first scene was due to start at eleven, but we'd been shooting here for almost a week already and every single day had been delayed thanks to our capricious star.

I fed Lily some kibble, and while she scoffed it I packed a bag of clothes for Viv. Her phone was still charging on her bedside table, so I packed that and the cable too. Then I loaded the bag in the car, with Lily following. She sniffed the air and wagged her tail.

'Don't worry, you're coming too,' I reassured her.

What choice did I have? There was no chance Viv would return home today or possibly even this week. I could have looked up a local kennel, but they weren't cheap, and I didn't yet know how long it would be required. At least Lily knew me, and the shoot was here in Yorkshire for at least another five days. After that, I'd think of something.

The terrier continued to follow as I collected a dog bed, more food and bowls, a couple of toys and her favourite sofa cushion, which Viv had pointed out to me. Lily was already in her coat, as I'd put it on this morning to go out in the cold, misty weather and hadn't yet had a chance to remove it.

'Up,' I commanded, holding the boot open. Lily could still just about manage that height, and dutifully jumped inside. I clipped her in safely, collected Viv's keys, locked up the house and set off for the hospital.

Lily wasn't permitted inside, even though I tried to explain she was in fact Viv's dog and would be valuable as emotional support. So, I had to take her back to the car and leave her in the boot, on top of her favourite cushion and under a blanket. I cracked open a rear window, mostly for air as there was little chance of overheating on this grey day, then hurried back inside the hospital to where Viv lay in a bed. She looked worryingly frail and thin in her nightgown.

'What a nuisance,' she said, typically stoic. 'Slipped on a wet kitchen tile, and now here I am. Good thing I'm retired. If I was doing that film with you, some jumped-up pretty young thing would already be lobbying for my part.'

'Less of the young and pretty if they wanted to replace either of us,' I joked.

Viv grinned, then winced. 'Don't make me laugh, it hurts.'

'Sorry. How long will you be in here for?'

'No idea. Not sure if anything's actually broken, yet.'

'You mean they haven't X-rayed you?' I said, horrified. 'Let me find a doctor. It's outrageous, people our age should take priority, you might have multiple fractures or-'

'Guinevere Tuffel, hush and sit down,' Viv said, sounding uncannily like my mother. 'There's a queue for the machine, and I'm not going anywhere. I won't keel over if they don't see me in the next five minutes.'

'No, you already did that,' I grumbled, and held up the bag I'd packed. 'I assume you'll be here overnight, so I brought you this.'

'Thank you.' She smiled, then hesitated. 'Where did . I mean, did you ask any of the neighbours about .?'

I shook my head. 'Lily can stay with me for a while. We've got another week of shooting here, and you should be back home by then.' Unless she really had broken her hip, but I didn't want to make that concern real by voicing it. If she was still in hospital by the time we finished filming in Hendale, Lily might have to go into kennels after all.

'Let's hope. Thank you, Gwinny. You'll be fine with Lily; she's a good judge of character.'

'How so?'

'She hates the neighbours for a start. But she likes you. What more proof do you need?'

I laughed. 'That might explain why they weren't exactly falling over themselves to look after her. I'd have had more luck flogging double glazing. But don't worry, Lily will be fine with me at Hendale Hall.'

She shivered. 'Horrible place. I don't know why you can't do it all on a sound stage.'

'I've told you, it's for publicity. The producer's convinced that filming Draculania at the home of the Hendale Vampire is grist for the marketing mill. It had better be, considering how much they must be paying for the location.'

'But what about the Hendale curse? Do you know the legend?'

'The Viscount mentioned it when he gave us a tour. Something to do with India?' I stopped Viv before she could launch into a recap of the story. 'I'm sure they'll give us a proper brief on it before we do any interviews. You relax and let the doctors sort you out, while I get Lily settled in at the Hall.'

'Do they have their own dogs?' Viv asked. 'She gets on all right with big breeds, but you'll want to keep her away from other terriers.'

I thought for a moment. 'Now you mention it, I haven't seen any. I'll have to ask the Viscount. He might be able to help walk Lily, too.' I sighed quietly.

Viv, sharp despite her pain, picked up on it. 'Be easier if your fancy fella was here, wouldn't it? The ex-copper, I mean. He could walk her for you.'

'Birch,' I laughed. 'Alan Birch. He's anything but fancy, and I wouldn't call him "mine" either. At least, not yet. We're getting there.'

'What do you mean, "getting there"?'

'Well, you know. Holding hands, cuddles in front of the telly.'

Viv winced again, chuckling. 'Ow. I told you not to make me laugh. "Holding hands"? What are you waiting for, an arrest warrant? Oh, or is he into that sort of thing?' She smiled wickedly. 'Does he still have the handcuffs?'

'You're insufferable,' I said, but appreciated that she was still able to make jokes from a hospital bed.

'Seriously, Gwinny, don't hang about. Your father may have lived to a good age, but most of them don't. Believe me, I know.' She did; Viv's husband passed away less than two years after they moved to the Dales.

'Don't worry,' I reassured her. 'Birch is as fit as a fiddle, and we're making...