Finding Grace(44)

‘Lots of people know us around here because of my job.’ Blake nods. ‘Who is it?’

DS Paige consults his notebook. ‘It’s… a Mrs Barbara Charterhouse.’

‘Jesus.’ Blake sits down heavily and covers his face with his hands.

‘What is it, sir?’ DI Pearlman is immediately on alert.

‘Do you know of this woman?’ Nadine says fearfully.

‘You could say that,’ Blake groans.

I look down into my lap, remember the soggy, sour smell of the tomato juice soaking through my clothes. The way it reminded me of what happened when I was younger.

Blake quickly recounts this morning’s altercation. It sounds less dramatic than it actually was.

‘She’s an unpleasant woman, out to cause trouble in whatever way she can,’ he explains. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her to fabricate seeing Grace just to scupper the investigation.’

‘Lying to the police is a serious offence, sir,’ DS Paige remarks.

‘So is assaulting someone in a café, which is what she effectively did when she threw tomato juice over my wife.’ Blake shakes his head and sighs in frustration. ‘Everyone around here knows that Barbara Charterhouse is unstable. She’d have no problem saying she saw Grace and then claiming she must’ve been mistaken.’

‘Lucie had some kind of skirmish in a café?’ Nadine says incredulously.

DI Pearlman frowns. ‘Blake, can I ask why you didn’t mention your altercation with this woman in our earlier conversation?’

‘Didn’t seem relevant.’ Blake shrugs. ‘Grace wasn’t even with us when it happened.’

‘She mentioned Grace and Oscar in her ranting, though,’ I say quietly, and they all turn to look at me.

‘I think,’ DI Pearlman says, sitting down, ‘we need to revisit our question about what you did once Grace left for the theme park. Let’s start again from the beginning. And this time, leave nothing out. Nothing at all.’



The house is quiet. They’ve all gone at last and left us alone.

Dad is in the single bed in Oscar’s room and Blake is sleeping next to me.

Sleeping! I feel a surge of negative emotion rush through me. It’s made up of all sorts of feelings: anger, sadness, envy that he seems to be taking it all in his stride and remains positive that Grace will return.

I know I’m not being fair, but it doesn’t stop the way I feel.

After Blake insisting, and then pleading, I ended up taking one of Dr Mahmoud’s tablets before bed. They’re not sedatives, apparently, but I can feel the effect on me, like it’s taken the sharp edge off the physical pain.

I’m aching, head to foot. It’s a deep, bruising ache that has infiltrated my flesh and bones. I am aching for the missing piece of me: for my Grace.

The pain is so bad I almost wish I’d asked the doctor for the strongest sedatives he’s able to prescribe. I don’t know how long I can stand the torture of not knowing. Of waiting.

Yet I know oblivion will not provide respite or answers.

Nothing can stop the terrible feelings from rising up. I learned that lesson a long time ago.





Thirty-Two





Sixteen years earlier





The boy sitting next to Stefan picked up his sandwich wrapper and moved to another seat without being asked. Stefan indicated for Lucie to sit down.

Their group of seven was made up of two male and five female students. They all looked up to smile or say hi to Lucie, but to her relief, nobody stared long enough to make her feel uncomfortable.

‘So, Angela tells me you’re new here and you live on her landing?’ Stefan rested his elbows on the table and cradled his chin in his hands as he watched her.

So that was the mousy-haired girl’s name.

Lucie mashed a little of her potato into a soft, neat pile, but she couldn’t eat it. Not while he was watching her like this, and besides, her appetite had completely disappeared.

‘That’s right.’ She was surprised to hear her voice sounding upbeat and rather more confident than she felt. ‘I’m studying accountancy.’

‘My deepest condolences,’ Stefan murmured, lowering his eyes. When she looked startled, his face sprang alive again as he laughed. ‘Only joking, Lucie! You’ll get used to me, I like winding people up.’

‘Too right.’ The bespectacled red-haired boy next to him grimaced.

Stefan elbowed him in jest, but Lucie noticed his smile dim as he did so.

‘So.’ He angled himself so he was turned a little more towards Lucie. ‘Tell me a bit about yourself. Is Lucie your full name?’

Lucie pushed her plate away. She glanced around self-consciously, but the others appeared to be chatting amongst themselves, apart from one girl. She appeared to be in conversation, but instead of looking at the person she was talking to, she stared unblinkingly at Stefan.

‘My full name’s Lucinda, but nobody calls me that.’

‘Why not? It’s a gorgeous name. Sounds aristocratic and mysterious.’ Stefan laughed as Lucie blushed. ‘What else?’

‘Nothing much else to tell, really.’

‘Now I know that’s not true. Someone like you… beautiful, a little secretive… I’m intrigued. Tell me anything at all about yourself, but be truthful. I can spot a liar from ten paces.’