Where the Missing Go(89)

The little boy stays close to his mother, uncertain now. Something in her solemnity has touched him. ‘Can I ha’ balloon?’

‘Not this one. This one has to stay here. But we can go and get you a new one. Right now,’ she says. She shivers.

‘From supermarket?’ he says hopefully.

She laughs. It’s his favourite place: all the people, and sweeties, and the fifty-pence ride that bobs him up and down at a stately pace. ‘I think we could get you one from the supermarket. Are you ready?’

‘Yes!’

‘All right then. Let’s go.’

And they leave then to walk back to the car, the two little figures growing smaller and smaller, hand in hand, the sunset making the whole world glow before them. Neither of them look back.





Acknowledgements


Thank you to my editor Ben Willis, for all your energy, creativity, and hard work; to Francesca Pathak, for making things happen; and to the rest of the talented team at Orion. Thank you to my agent Clare Hulton, for your help and encouragement.

Thank you to those who were generous with your time in answering my questions about your working worlds, particularly Olivia Budge, Hannah Woodcock, Jennifer Twite, Lucy Oldfield, Robert Frankl and Rebecca Bradley. Any liberties taken with the usual professional procedures – or anything else – are mine alone.

Thank you to my family, friends and colleagues for all your support and enthusiasm. Special thanks to Helena Curran – I was and am so grateful for your insights. Thank you to Sarah Rowley, Zoe Rowley, Ian Rowley, Tom Colvin and Lis Mogul, for always cheering me on.

Finally, huge thanks to Liz Rowley, who helped me so much in the writing of this book. Unlike Kate, she knows this daughter is always at the end of the phone. In fact … Mum, sorry, I know it’s late – but can we have a quick chat?





About the Author


Emma Rowley is a writer and editor who has written for the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and many other titles. After reading Classics and English at Oxford University, she trained as a journalist on the prestigious City University course. Emma has spent considerable time in the courts and covering major crime stories. She grew up in Cheshire and now lives in south London.