Page 4 of The Missing Sister

‘Ally! Maia! Georg is here,’ Ma shouted up the main staircase at noon.

A muffled ‘Coming!’ emanated from the top floor.

‘Do you remember when Pa Salt bought you an old brass megaphone for Christmas?’

Georg smiled as he followed Ma into the kitchen and out onto the sun-filled terrace. He looked much more collected than he had the previous night, his steel-grey hair neatly brushed back and his pinstriped suit impeccable, accessorised tastefully with a small pocket square.

‘I do,’ Ma said, indicating for Georg to sit down under the parasol. ‘Of course, it made no difference, because the girls all had their music on full blast, or were playing instruments, or arguing with each other. It was like the Tower of Babel on the attic floor. And I adored every moment of it. Now, I have Claudia’s elderflower cordial, or a chilled bottle of your favourite Provençal rosé. Which is it to be?’

‘As it is such a beautiful day, and I am yet to have my first glass of summer rosé, I will choose that. Thank you, Marina. May I do the honours for both of us?’

‘Oh no, I shouldn’t. I have work to do this afternoon and—’

‘Come now, you’re French! Surely a glass of rosé will not affect you adversely. In fact, I insist,’ said Georg, as Maia and Ally walked out onto the terrace to join them. ‘Hello, girls.’ Georg stood up. ‘May I offer you both a glass of rosé?’

‘I’ll have a small glass, thank you, Georg,’ said Ally, sitting down. ‘Maybe it will help Bear sleep tonight,’ she chuckled.

‘None for me, thanks,’ said Maia. ‘You know, I’d almost forgotten how beautiful it is at Atlantis. In Brazil, everything is so...big: the noisy people, the vibrant colours of nature and the strong heat. Everything here feels comparatively soft and gentle.’

‘It’s certainly very peaceful,’ said Ma. ‘We are blessed to live in all the beauty that nature can provide.’

‘How I’ve missed the winter snow,’ murmured Maia.

‘You should come to Norway for a winter; that will cure you,’ smiled Ally. ‘Or even worse, you’ll get constant rain. Bergen gets far more of that than it does snow. Now, Georg, have you had any thoughts on what you told us last night?’

‘Other than discussing where we go from here, no. One of us must visit the address I have, to verify if this woman is the missing sister.’

‘If we do, how will we know whether she is or isn’t?’ asked Maia. ‘Is there anything that we can identify her by?’

‘I was handed a drawing of a... certain piece of jewellery, a ring that was apparently given to her. It is very unusual. If she has it, we will know without a doubt it is her. I have brought the drawing with me.’ Georg reached into his slim leather briefcase to pull out a sheet of paper. He placed it on the table for them all to see.

Ally inspected it closely, with Maia looking over her shoulder.

‘It is drawn from memory,’ Georg explained. ‘The gems in the setting are emeralds. The central stone is a diamond.’

‘It’s beautiful,’ said Ally. ‘Look, Maia, it’s arranged in a star shape, with’ – she paused to count – ‘seven points.’

‘Georg, do you know who originally made it?’ Maia chimed in. ‘It’s a very unusual design.’

‘I am afraid I do not,’ Georg replied.

‘Did Pa draw this?’ Maia asked.

‘He did, yes.’

‘Seven points of a star for seven sisters...’ Ally murmured.

‘Georg, you said last night that her name was Mary,’ said Maia.

‘Yes.’

‘Did Pa Salt find her, want to adopt her and then something happened and he lost her?’

‘All I can say is that just before he... passed away, he was given some new information, which he asked me to follow up. Having discovered where she was born, it has taken me and others almost a year to trace where I believe she is now. Over the years I have taken many a false turn, and it has led to nothing. However, this time, your father was adamant his source was reliable.’

‘Who was his source?’ Maia asked.

‘He did not say,’ Georg replied.