Page 23 of The Missing Sister

‘Yup. And the guys doing the pulling out are in the annexe. I’m perfectly safe.’

‘Okay, well, don’t go letting any more strangers into the house, will you?’

‘You and Dad always did,’ I countered.

‘I know, but you’re all alone there, sweetheart. It’s different. Are you sure you don’t want to fly out and join me in Toronto?’

‘Where’s all this come from, Mum? You and Dad always said the Valley was the safest place on earth! You’re freaking me out!’

‘Sorry, I’m sorry. I just don’t like to think of my little girl all on her own. Keep in touch, won’t you?’

‘’Course. Oh, also...’ – I swallowed hard because I really needed to be sure – ‘just before you go, can I check that I was adopted locally?’

‘Yes, you were. It was an agency in Christchurch. Green and something.’

‘Okay, thanks, Mum. Well, I’m gonna head for bed. Love you.’

‘Love you too, darling, and take care, please.’

‘I will. Bye.’

I put the phone back on the hook and sat down heavily on the sofa. Mum had sounded so strange and tense, not like herself at all. Even if she said she didn’t mind about a link to my possible birth family turning up, she almost certainly did.

We’d speak when she got home, she’d said...

‘But when is that going to be?’ I said aloud to the empty room. Given all the countries she wanted to visit, it could be months before we could have a real conversation, and now that the spark had been ignited, I had a burning need for answers. I’d also give CeCe a call tomorrow to say Mum was at the Radisson – if that ring could be identified, it might identifyme, and I needed to know, even if it wasn’t what Mum wanted.

Coming to a decision, I got up and turned on the old computer on the table. My foot tapping impatiently as it loaded, I opened the web browser and went to Google.

Green and... adoption agency Christchurch New Zealand, I typed into the search bar.

Then I held my breath and hitEnter.

‘I never thought I’d say this but, wow, sleeping is great,’ Ally announced as she joined Maia in the kitchen for a late breakfast the next morning. ‘You’re as white as a sheet again. I’m presuming you didn’t get much yourself?’

‘No. I just can’t seem to shake the jet lag,’ Maia shrugged.

‘You should have done by now; you’ve been back four days. Are you sure you’re okay? How’s the tummy?’

‘Not great, but I’ll be fine.’

‘Maybe you should go to Dr Krause in Geneva and get checked over.’

‘I will if I’m not feeling better in the next couple of days. Anyway, I’m gladyouslept, Ally. You look like a different person.’

‘I feel it. Where is His Majesty, by the way?’

‘Ma took him out for a walk around the garden. You remember how obsessed she was with all of us kids being outside?’

‘I do. And how much I hated walking that great big Silver Cross pram around and around the garden, trying to get Electra or Tiggy off to sleep!’

‘Talking of Tiggy, I haven’t heard back from her or Star since you sent the email about the missing sister,’ said Maia. ‘Have you?’

‘No, although CeCe said she’d mention it to Star, and you know what communications are like where Tiggy lives. She may not even have got the email yet. I just don’t understand how people can live so cut off from the rest of the world.’

‘You were when you were sailing, though, weren’t you?’

‘I suppose so, but there have been very few times when I’ve spent more than a couple of days away from any contact. There’s normally a handy port where I can catch up on texts and emails.’