Sandra: Ending (with guest appearance of apple).

Sarah turned sharply into the gravel drive of Oakdene residential home and looked for a space to park.  There were several cars parked in the parking area - including two police cars but thank goodness, there were a few empty spaces this afternoon.
She had been in the middle of composing a complicated report when her phone rang.  Sarah glanced at the phone annoyed at the interuption, she had asked her secretary to field off all calls.
"Sorry to intrude Sarah", her secretary Jane said apologetically "But the lady said she needs to speak to you urgently its Claire Dewbery and its regarding your grandmother."
"Put her through, Jane"  Sarah replied.
Claire Dewbery was the manager of Oakdene, where Sarah's grandmother had lived for the last year  after
Sarah had decided that it was no longer safe for May to stay by herself in her cottage. May had become very
forgetful and confused.Though she was still remarkably mobile for her ninety one years, Sarah was worried that she would leave the oven or the taps on and had found a place for May at the prestigous Oakdene.  Sarah wondered what the problem was, May had seemed fine when Sarah saw her at the weekend.
" I am sorry to trouble you Sarah but I am afraid I have to advise you that your Grandmother is missing!"
"Missing", Sarah repeated back to her incredulously. "What do you mean, missing?"
Claire hesitated " Well, she asked for breakfast in her room this morning and seemed well and happy.  The carer went up to her room to collect her breakfast things and her breakfast was untouched.  May was not
in her room but we were not unduly concerned as she often goes for a stroll in the garden in the morning.
It was not till lunchtime that we started to get a bit concerned and it then transpired that no-one  had seen her since early morning.  We searched the house and the grounds but there was no sign of her , so I am afraid I have had to call the police. I have two officers here with me now, who would like to speak to you as soon as possible are you able to come here now?"
"Yes,yes of course. I am on my way". Sarah replied, trying to collate all this information in her head.
Sarah grabbed her coat and picked up the apple she had bought in for her lunch but had been too busy to eat and ran out of the office to her car.
Sarah drove as quicly as she dared and all the while her eyes were scanning the passing landscapes looking
for some sign of her grandmother. 'Where was she? Had she fallen? Was she hurt? God forbid, was she already dead?'
As Sarah ran up to the heavy front door it clicked openn and Claire beckoned her into the office where two police officers were waiting.
"This is May's grandaughter Sarah Hewitt". Claire introduced her.  One of the officers got up from the chair
where he was sitting and offered Sarah his seat.
The officers tried to reassure Sarah that everything possible was being done to find May. A full search had been organized and police dogs would be arriving soon to start tracking the area. "Do you have any idea where she might have gone?. One of them asked< any favourite place where she liked to go?".
Sarah shook her head, she was baffled. May had never wandered off before.  She had seemed happy in the home.  Try as she might Sarah could not think where May might have gone.

========================================================================

May looked at the calender and wondered why she had drawn a circle in red pen around the date 'February 16th'. She shook her head several times trying to shake the fog that clouded her thoughts.
'I know, she thought. It's  my Freds birthday and I haven't got him a present.  May fumbled in her underwear drawer scattering  bras, knickers and stockings over the floor till she found her purse; which she had carefully hidden at the back of the drawer.  She opened the purse £1.52 and a book of six postage stamps.
May thought she should leave anote for Sarah, if she got home from school before May got back she would worry.
With a shaky hand, but perfect copperplate handwriting May wrote on the back of a brown envelope which was all she could find.
'Dear Sarah,
I have gone to buy a birthday present for your Grandad. We will have sauusages for tea, you know how Fred loves his sausages. Be a dear and peel the potatos for me.
Love Gran xx'. 
May then put the envelope in the back of the drawer and piled her underwear back in front of it, picked up her purse and shutting her room door softly walked out through the dining room and conservatory into the back garden.
She shivered as she closed the door behind her. She had forgotten her coat. May walked across the lawn to the yew hedge. The grass was wet and soon soaked through her pink slippers.  May looked with disgust at the wet stain creeping across the top of her slippers. 'I shall have to dry these in front of the fire', she thought.
May pushed her way through the gap in the hedge into the ploughed field. Now the wet clay soil clung to her slippers and each step was harder and harder.
May did not know how she came to be laying on the ground. She made one attempt to get up, but it was futile.Her hands grabbed at the soil and she held it close to her nose. She knew that smell of earth it reminded her of her garden. Full of lupins and roses, clumps of fragrant herbs scattered amongst the flowers.  May could hear the birds singing and then from behind the clouds the wintery February sun shone down on her briefly  and May was truly happy.
But why was she here? She had something important to do but what?
She managed to lift her head and there he was, her Fred, in his best suit smiling at her. 'Happy Birthday, my love' she whispered, 'Sausages for tea, tonight' and then May laid down and slept.