Page 19 of The Missing Sister

‘Let me get a pad and a pen so we can write down what she said.’ Ally darted back into the kitchen and returned with what she needed. She began to write.

‘Number one: we have a young woman called Mary-Kate McDougal who is twenty-two. Number two: we’ve identified that the emerald ring might be the one originally owned by her mum. She was given it on her twenty-first birthday.’

‘Number three, and probably most importantly: we know Mary-Kate was adopted,’ cut in Maia.

‘Number four: her mum is also called Mary, commonly known as “Merry”,’ said Ally. ‘Number five: Merry currently has the emerald ring which we need to see if we’re to confirm that Mary-Kate is our missing sister.’

‘And CeCe said there’s a brother, remember...’

Ally wrote that down too, chewed her pen and then wroteToronto.

‘So, if we find out where she’s staying, who should we send to Toronto?’ asked Ally.

‘You think it’s worth pursuing?’

‘Don’t you?’

Maia’s eyes travelled to the path which led to Pa Salt’s garden.

‘Merope’s name was engraved on one band of the armillary sphere along with ours,’ said Maia. ‘Pa wouldn’t have had it included unless she existed, surely?’

‘Unless it was wishful thinking. But more importantly, Georg really believes this is her. He said that the information came from Pa just before he died. The proof was that her name is Mary McDougal, who lives at The Vinery in New Zealand, which we now know is true.Andshe owns an unusual emerald ring. Which Mary-Kate thought she recognised from the picture, but...’

‘Maybe Georg has more information. Let’s give him a call, shall we?’ Maia suggested.

Ally went into the kitchen and dialled the number to Georg’s office. After a few seconds, she was greeted by the light voice of his secretary.

‘Hello, Giselle, it’s Ally D’Aplièse here. Is Georg in?’

‘Désolée, Mademoiselle D’Aplièse, Monsieur Hoffman has been called away.’

‘Oh, I see. When will he be back?’

‘I am afraid I do not know, but he wanted me to reassure your family that he would return in time for the boat trip later this month,’ said Giselle.

‘Can you pass on a message to him, please?’ Ally asked. ‘It’s urgent.’

‘I am so sorry, Mademoiselle D’Aplièse, but I am not able to contact him until he returns. I will make sure he calls you when he is back.Au revoir.’

Before Ally could respond, Giselle hung up the phone. Ally returned to the terrace, shaking her head in confusion.

‘Maia, Georg’s gone.’

‘What do you mean “gone”?’

‘His secretary says he’s been called away and can’t be contacted. Apparently he won’t be back until the boat trip.’

‘He’s a busy man; Pa can’t have been his only client.’

‘Of course, but he probably has the information we need,’ said Ally, ‘and he left in such a rush when he was last here. All we have is a name and a picture of a ring. Well, I suppose we’ll just have to continue without him.’

‘So we should try and track down Mary-Kate’s mum in Canada?’

‘Surely we have to at least try? What do we have to lose?’ said Ally.

‘Nothing, I suppose,’ Maia agreed. ‘But who do we send to Toronto?’

‘Well, our nearest sister is Electra, but I’d have to see how far Toronto is from New York,’ Ally replied.