The boy took his thumb out of his mouth.
‘Dada,’ he said.
‘Well, that’s a start,’ said Pearl. ‘What’s your name, sweetie? We’ll get you back to your daddy soon.’
‘DADA,’ said the little boy, louder.
‘He’s the Christkind,’ said Mrs Hanowitz, who had followed them back into the shop even though they weren’t officially open and was looking openly at the boy’s untouched gingerbread.
‘I really don’t think he is the Christkind,’ said Issy. She took the phone from its cradle. ‘Do you think this is a 999 situation? It’s not, is it? Or is it? What’s the one for things that aren’t quite as important as 999? 888?’
‘One oh one’ reeled off Pearl at once. ‘What?’ she said, seeing Issy’s surprised face. ‘Oh, well done for you. You live somewhere where you’re unlikely to be a frequent victim of crime.’
Just as Issy started to dial, she saw someone tentatively enter the alleyway and look around. It was a young, confused-looking woman, not dressed warmly enough for the weather. Issy put down the phone and went to the door and stuck her head out.
‘Excuse me,’ she said. ‘Are you looking for a child?’
The young girl turned, looking relatively unconcerned.
‘Oh, do you have him?’
Issy looked at her for a moment. She couldn’t just have heard that.
‘Are. You. Looking. For. A. Child?’ she repeated in case the girl couldn’t hear her.
The girl sauntered over. ‘Have you got him?’ She was chewing gum and her eyes looked tired and a little blank.
‘Um, yes,’ said Issy. She wondered for a tiny second if she was being a bit of a nosy old busybody – was it perfectly normal for small children to go wandering about in their pyjamas in snowstorms? Was it none of their business? Then she turned and saw the tiny thing sitting on Pearl’s lap and realised it wasn’t.
The girl walked into the shop.
‘Oh, there you are,’ she said resignedly. ‘Come on then.’
The boy made no move to go. Pearl looked at the girl.
‘What are you talking about?’ she said. ‘Did you let this little boy walk out in the snow on his own?’
‘Durr, nooo,’ said the girl. ‘He wandered off. Come on, Donald.’
‘Dada no,’ said the boy.
‘Well, that explains that,’ said Pearl. ‘Is your name Donald?’
‘Dada,’ confirmed the boy, then stuck his thumb back in his mouth.
Pearl looked at the girl again. She didn’t look old enough to be his mother. Plus, one would imagine his mother would probably be a bit more pleased to see him. Especially a mother who bought fire engine pyjamas.
‘Right, I take him,’ said the girl, looking bored.
‘Have you got socks for him? A coat?’
The girl shrugged. ‘It not far.’
‘Hang on,’ said Caroline suddenly. ‘Is this Donald? Donald Gough-Williams?’
The boy’s eyes lit up at the mention of his name.
‘Yeah,’ said the girl unwillingly.
‘You know this child?’ said Pearl. ‘Why didn’t you say?’
‘Oh, they all look the same to me,’ said Caroline.
‘This is Kate’s baby. Are you the new Gough-Williams nanny?’
The girl shrugged reluctantly.
‘There are the twins too,’ said Caroline. ‘Where are Seraphina and Jane?’
The girl turned on her with exhausted eyes.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘The twins.’
‘Who’s looking after the twins now?’ said Issy suddenly.
‘CBeebies,’ said the girl. ‘Come on, Donald, let’s go.’
Pearl stood up and handed over Donald, complete with the blanket.
‘Bring this back later,’ she said. ‘Don’t let him catch his death.’
‘Yes, I say OK,’ said the girl. Slinging Donald over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, she turned and left the Cupcake Café.
Caroline stared after them. ‘I wonder what’s up with Kate?’ she said.
‘She hasn’t been in here for ages,’ said Issy. ‘I think it was just after the baby.’
‘No, she’s gone completely off radar,’ said Caroline. ‘I just assumed she was in rehab.’
Caroline, Pearl and Issy looked at one another.
‘Would you mind terribly …’ said Mrs Hanowitz.
‘Take it,’ said Issy, without a glance. Mrs Hanowitz started to eat Donald’s unwanted gingerbread. Issy knew it was difficult for the old lady to heat and eat on her state pension.
‘Now, I don’t have children …’ started Issy.
‘I’ll have to have a word,’ said Caroline, shaking her head. ‘That nanny is just awful. There’s obviously some very juicy gossip going on.’
‘That girl looked about sixteen,’ observed Pearl. ‘What’s she doing looking after three children? How old are the twins?’
‘Six,’ said Caroline. ‘Little girls. One thinks she’s a boy. Adorable, mostly.’
‘They are,’ said Issy, remembering. Kate was always trying to separate them, but they insisted on doing everything together. ‘I wonder what’s happened?’
Caroline had already taken out her phone.
‘Ooh, I wonder if it will ring in the Priory. Hello? Hello, Kate darling … Where? Oh, Switzerland?’
Caroline’s voice dropped noticeably, but she pulled it back.
‘How GORGEOUS! Got lots of the fluffy stuff? Oh DELIGHTS, darling. Say hello to Tonks for me … and Roofs … Oh, are Bert and Glan there too? Oh really, all of you … Sounds very jolly … No no, you know me, working girl these days, no room for that kind of stuff, just busy busy busy … Oh yes, Richard’s coming down, is he?’
Her voice turned to steel.
‘Well, that’s great news. You and Richard and all our friends. I’m so glad to hear it. I do hope you all have a wonderful time. Oh, they’re both … No, no, of course I don’t mind. Why would I? He’s nothing to me. He’d just better not be spending the children’s fucking school fees, that’s all I can say …’
There was a pause.
‘Now, listen. We just had your Donald in the shop. He’d got out of the house. I think you need a new nanny … Yes, again. Well, you know, they don’t know how to work, these girls. I agree, totally lazy. New Labour. Issy was on the point of calling the police.’