Page 33

CHAPTER 33

SALLY – D AY T HREE

Sally’s shaking as she puts down the phone. She had been standing when Matt phoned from the police station but she finds her legs are suddenly unstable. She goes to sit. Instead collapses on the sofa, just staring ahead of herself.

‘What is it?’ Carol is immediately alongside her, watched by Molly, the family liaison officer, who checks her own phone across the kitchen, imagining a key update. Bad news?

‘Is it a breakthrough?’ Carol’s voice again.

‘No.’ Sally doesn’t know how to say it. Absorb it. Process it. ‘Not really. I don’t know.’

‘So, what, darling?’ Carol strokes her hair.

‘It’s something I don’t understand.’ Sally narrows her eyes, trying to picture it. ‘It’s just they think Amelie was wearing something different when she disappeared. A green dress. Not her pink hoodie and jeans.’ Sally breaks off, sobs suddenly choking her as Carol sits closer, pulling her into a hug.

‘You want me to stay a bit longer? It’s no problem.’ Molly had been just about to leave, a late end to her shift, but places her coat which was over her arm on to a chair.

‘No. It’s fine,’ Sally says, fumbling for a tissue from her pocket. Trying to compose herself. She’s very conscious that Molly is a mother too. Has her own family. ‘I have Carol. We can manage. You go.’

‘You sure?’ Molly looks uncertain what to do.

‘Really. It’s OK. We’ll see you tomorrow. I’ve got this,’ Carol adds.

Sally keeps her eyes closed as they exchange goodbyes and she hears Molly picking up all her things, her footsteps to the door and then the click of it closing.

Only after Molly is gone do the tears come fully. A horrible wave of sobbing. Carol says nothing for a time, just sits alongside her.

‘You tell me when you’re ready. I’m here. No pressure,’ Carol says finally. ‘You want a drink?’

Sally shakes her head. So tired of cups of tea. She reaches into her pocket, looking for a new tissue but can’t find one. Carol immediately rescues her by darting across to the kitchen counter to grab a tissue box which she then moves to the coffee table in front of Sally. She blows her nose, firing the tissue into the bin in the corner. Missing. Then grabbing yet another fresh tissue to pat her eyes.

‘I should have let her buy the dress.’ Sally turns to look directly at Carol. ‘Why the bloody hell, didn’t I do that?’

‘Hey. Hey. Now then, none of this happened because you didn’t let her buy the dress. You know that.’

‘Do I? If she was wearing the green dress, she must have gone back inside while I was on the phone because she was cross with me. Do you have any idea what this means? Oh Jeez.’ She bows her head. Closes her eyes. ‘This means she was cross with me. That this happened because I—’

‘Now then. I’m going to be really straight with you. You can’t let yourself do this. Amelie wouldn’t want this. Everyone gets busy and everyone has to say no to some things when they’re in a hurry. You had a birthday party to get to, you told me.’

‘Yeah, but I took the phone call, didn’t I? They say I was on the phone to Laura much longer than I realised.’

Sally keeps very still, fighting tears. Carol tries to squeeze her shoulder but this time Sally wriggles free. Puts up her hand. Needs not to be touched. It doesn’t help. Makes it worse. In her head Sally is picturing Amelie in the changing room of Freda’s Fashions. Then for some reason heading through the rear door near the canal.

Why would Amelie do that? What made her do that?

And why, oh why, didn’t I just buy her the sodding green dress?