Page 84 of A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea

‘With what?’

‘The search for Buster, who’s gone missing.’

‘Is Buster a child? I’m not sure I—’

‘He’s a dog,’ interrupted Claude.

‘A dog,’ repeated Simon, raising an eyebrow.

‘Yeah, my dog, and he’s run off.’

‘I’m not sure I’ve got time to look for lost dogs.’ He gave a brief laugh that carried across the quay.

‘That’s a shame. I’ll be asking lots of locals to lend a hand, and a few outsiders, including Lettie Starcross if she’s around,’ said Belinda, giving Simon a sideways glance.

‘Well, I could maybe help out once my meetings are over,’ said Simon, loosening his collar which was fully buttoned up, even though he wasn’t wearing a tie.

Fashion, thought Claude, trying desperately not to think of Buster, alone somewhere and terrified.

He stumbled to his feet. ‘Thanks for any help you can give.’

Belinda started fussing again. ‘You look exhausted. Go on in and have a cup of tea and a rest. We’ll start the search. I know what poor Buster looks like.’

He was too tired and downhearted to disobey.

‘Poor man,’ he heard Belinda say as he walked to his front door. ‘Such a sad and lonely character. He lives for that dog.’

Stepping into his cottage and shutting the door behind him, Claude stood for a moment before sinking to the floor. He sat with his back to the door, staring at Buster’s water bowl on the flagstones in the passageway. Everything in the cottage was so quiet, he could hear the steady tick of his mother’s clock on the mantelpiece, close to Esther’s photograph.

Esther wanted nothing to do with him. Claude’s chin dropped to his chest. Lettie had been kind when she’d told him, and he could understand why Esther had come to that decision. She’d moved on with her life and didn’t want to rake up the past. It made sense, even though it hurt. But at least he knew that she was well and back living somewhere in Devon. And he still had her photo to talk to.

Was this how it would be from now on, if Buster was never found? Just him and his memories until the end? Pushing his fist against his mouth, to muffle the noise, Claude began to cry.