Page 49 of Don't Believe A Word

‘Actually, it’s Sadie, so bye, Jodi,’ and leaving Connor to end the call with his wife she clicked on before Sadie could ring off. ‘Hi, how are you?’ she asked.

There was a moment before Sadie appeared fully in focus on the screen.Eva Marie Saint, Cristy immediately thought, and, yes, she could see it.

‘I’m daring to hope you found out something helpful today,’ Sadie said, raising a hand to show crossed fingers.

‘Well, here’s one thing I think you’ll like,’ Cristy smiled. ‘Your mother’s name is Janina.’

Sadie’s eyes glistened as she pressed a hand to her mouth. ‘Janina,’ she whispered. ‘It’s so pretty.’

‘Isn’t it?’ Cristy agreed.

‘Do you know anything else about her?’

‘Some, but it’s probably best that you listen to the interviews, then you’ll hear it for yourself. It won’t be long before we’re back at the office, I can sort it out then.’

Still close to tears, Sadie said, ‘I know it might sound silly, but just knowing her name … I can’t describe how it feels …’ Then, ‘I expect you’d like me to try, for a recording?’

‘When you’re ready.’

Sobbing a laugh, Sadie said, ‘Thank you. This means so much.’

‘There’s still a way to go,’ Cristy reminded her gently, ‘but we’ll get there, I’m sure of it.’

Sadie nodded, showing how keen she was to believe that.

‘Tell me about Mia,’ Cristy said. ‘Is she ready to commit to an interview yet?’

‘She’s still saying she is, she just won’t give me a time, but I’ll keep on it. Anyway, the other reason I’m ringing is that I’ve found more of Lottie’s story, and it’s … pretty explosive.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lottie truly didn’t believe Mia had the courage to do it.

Mia wasn’t so sure either.

However, when it came right down to it, all things considered and all responsibilities weighed, they’d lost their hearts to Sadie so the next steps had to be taken. The child had brought them more joy than they could ever have imagined a few short weeks ago, had opened up all kinds of possibilities that Lottie had hardly even dared consider before, and had given Mia in particular a sense of purpose that she hadn’t even realized had been missing until now. They’d also been trusted with her safekeeping until her mother could return. Presuming it was her mother who’d left her. If not, it was surely someone who cared for her considering what had been in the envelope that had arrived a few days ago.

At first it had shocked and even scared them. They simply hadn’t been able to work out what it meant. Why would someone hand-deliver a set of photographs featuring a young man and a young woman with a little girl who was clearly Sadie?

‘It must be her parents,’ Mia had whispered as they’d stared down at the clear, colourful images that must have been taken fairly recently given Sadie’s age.

The first was of Sadie and the young woman lying on some grass, holding hands and gazing up at the sky. Then there was Sadie and the young woman making funny faces at the camera. One of Sadie asleep in a man’s arms. Another of her hoisted onto the young man’s shoulders looking on top of the world. His face was shadowed by a hat, but it was clear he was laughing and so was she.

‘She looks happy,’ Lottie murmured, worried and jealous and glad to think their sweet little girl hadn’t been badly treated before coming here. At least not during these moments anyway.

‘I don’t understand what’s happening,’ Mia said wretchedly. ‘What are we supposed to do with them?’

Lottie had no idea. There was no note to explain them, nothing to tell them anything at all. Their names weren’t even on the front of the envelope, although they could hardly have been for anyone else given they’d come through their door.

Should they show them to Sadie? How upsetting was it going to be for her to see her parents – presuming it was her parents – after being apart from them for over three weeks? She’d want to see them, naturally. And what were they going to say then? They had no idea who these people were, much less where they could be found. And Sadie was settling in so well; she seemed to be flourishing at the centre of their world. All these photographs would do was confuse and distress her.

‘What if they’re some sort of message?’ Lottie said quietly.

Mia’s eyes showed confusion as she turned to her sister. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

Lottie didn’t know exactly, not yet, anyway.

Steeling herself for an answer she didn’t want, Mia said, ‘Do you think we should go to the authorities?’