Paul was growing more agitated, she realised. He was rearranging the cutlery on the table, lining up knives and forks and condiments and then checking his watch again. Finally, breathing in a tight breath, he gestured a beleaguered looking waitress over. ‘Is there any chance of actually getting served today?’ he asked her irritably. ‘We have a long journey home.’
The girl, not much older than Sophie, a student probably, looked flustered, and offered to go and hurry it up.
Five minutes later, smiling apologetically, she placed their meals in front of them.
Sophie had started ravenously on her chips when Paul plonked his knife and fork down, clinking his plate as he did. ‘Waitress,’ he called – loudly. ‘This is lukewarm, undercooked and, frankly, inedible.’
Sophie shifted uncomfortably as the now embarrassed girl retrieved his plate and scuttled back towards the kitchen.
‘Sorry about that,’ Paul said, his smile back again as he wiped his mouth on his napkin, folded it up and looked in Sophie’s direction. ‘I hope it didn’t spoil your meal.’
‘No,’ Sophie assured him. Hers had been fine. She was about to suggest he maybe should have had chips after all, but then thought better of it.
‘Good,’ he said, reaching for the hand in which she was still holding her fork and giving it a squeeze. ‘I’d hate my daughter to be disappointed on her special day out.’
Thirty-Four
JESSICA
Having had no news of Sophie all day, Jessica considered it the least she could do to help Alicia hand out leaflets that evening. It was freezing cold though. She wished she’d put her thicker coat on.
Shivering in a sudden deluge of rain, she glanced towards Alicia, and then, sensing trouble, sprang after her. Obviously despairing of people either declining to take the leaflet or else accepting it with barely a glance, Alicia had got it into her head to chase after a commuter from the rush hour train, which was possibly a bad idea.
‘You could at least have looked at it!’ Alicia yelled at the man, as Jess reached her, catching her by the arm. ‘It’s my daughter! She’s missing!’
‘Come on, sweetheart.’ Jessica urged her away. People were beginning to stare. There was no point in shouting at random strangers. That wouldn’t bring her daughter back. Jessica swallowed back a knot of guilt in her chest. It wasn’t her fault she’d gone, of course – this was Alicia’s own doing – but Jessica wished she’d warned Justin that Sophie had heard them talking. Sophie might not have wanted to discuss it, but it might have given him a chance to try and initiate a conversation with her. Justin would never get over the heartbreak if anything happened to her. Never.
Walking shakily back with her, Alicia stopped, crouching to fish the leaflet from the puddle it had landed in when the man had tossed it aside. Then she dropped her head to her knees and let out a wretched sob.
Jessica joined her, as people rushing homewards skirted around them. Taking the leaflet from her, her heart wrenched for her sister as she noticed the print had smudged, causing a black track to wend its way down Sophie’s cheek. No wonder she was upset. Whatever she’d done, Jessica wouldn’t wish this on her. ‘We’ll get some laminated posters made up,’ she suggested, slipping an arm around her and helping her to her feet. ‘I can get them done at work.’
‘Thanks, Jess.’ Alicia nodded tearfully. ‘I have no idea what I would have done without you. Gone mad, probably.’
‘Madder, you mean?’ Jessica smiled, hoping to coax Alicia into doing the same. ‘You’re soaked.’ Jessica squeezed her sister close and attempted to rub some warmth into her as they walked. ‘Let’s go and have a hot drink,’ she suggested, nodding towards a McDonald’s. ‘And then, when we’ve warmed up a bit, we’ll come back and hit the pub crowds. How does that sound?’
Tugging in a shuddery breath, Alicia nodded more determinedly.
‘That’s better,’ Jessica said, squeezing her tighter. ‘You have to hold it together, Ali, for Sophie’s sake.’
‘I know. I’m trying, but…’ Another fat tear spilling down her cheek, Alicia brushed it away. ‘I’m sorry, Jess. I just feel so bloody raw inside. So empty.’
‘You’re bound to.’ Jess sighed understandingly, leading the way into McDonald’s and steering her disorientated sister towards a seat.
‘Not here.’ Alicia stopped short. ‘Do you mind if we grab a seat at the window?’ She nodded towards the high stools and headed towards them. ‘I can watch people passing by then.’
In hopes that Sophie walked past, Jessica realised, glad that Alicia did still seem to be functioning and thinking, albeit sluggishly. She didn’t want her having a breakdown. Justin would be bound to be sympathetic – it was in his nature – but it wouldn’t do him any good.
‘I’ll go and grab us a drink. Won’t be a second,’ she said, leaving her leaflets and coat with Alicia, but taking her phone with her. Having Alicia privy to all her calls out of work hours, she’d found, was a touch awkward.
Coming back with toasted bagels and two hot chocolates, she noticed Alicia was staring vacantly into the distance. Not much people-watching going on here then.
‘I’m so relieved Justin’s keeping me updated on where he is,’ Alicia said, as Jessica deposited the tray and hitched herself up next to her.
‘He said he would, didn’t he? He’s always been dependable, Ali.’
Alicia looked immediately guilty. ‘He must absolutely hate me.’
‘He doesn’t hate you.’ Jessica reached to squeeze her hand. ‘He’s not going to recover from this easily, but I don’t think he hates you.’
Alicia didn’t look very reassured by that, but she could hardly tell her he’d forgive her and that they’d walk off into the sunset together. That was highly unlikely. The man’s whole world had collapsed around him.
‘Eat something,’ she said, pushing the bagel towards her. ‘It’ll make you feel better.’
Alicia shook her head. ‘Sorry, Jess, I really don’t have any appetite.’
‘You have to eat, Ali.’ Jess looked her over-worriedly. ‘You’ll be no use to anyone if you make yourself ill.’
Alicia gave her a small smile. ‘I will. Later.’
Jessica wasn’t convinced. ‘Have you tried to talk to him?’ she asked, wondering what explanations Alicia might have offered Justin – not that she imagined Justin would be receptive to anything she had to say, if his reaction to her attempts to apologise to him yesterday were anything to judge by.
Alicia placed the hot chocolate back down. She’d barely taken a sip. ‘There’s nothing I can say that will detract from the fact that I deceived him, Jess – horribly. I lied to him. He’s not likely to want to listen, is he?’
‘No,’ Jessica started, with a sigh, ‘but—’ She stopped as Alicia’s phone rang, causing Alicia to jump.
Scrambling to retrieve it from her bag, her face hopeful, she checked the number. ‘It’s Paul,’ she said, debating for a second and then answering it.
Jessica had guessed as much from her expression. She was only surprised Alicia was taking the call. She picked at her bagel and tried to listen without making it too obvious.
‘What do you want, Paul?’ Alicia asked him. ‘Why do you keep ringing me?’
She listened for a second. ‘But I don’t want to see you,’ she said adamantly. ‘Or talk to you. If you have anything to say, then I suggest you say it through a solicitor.’ And with that, she ended the call.
A solicitor? Oh dear, it looked as if Paul was intent on laying some claim to Sophie then. God, how dreadful. Jessica certainly hoped she was going to tell Justin about that.
Thirty-Five
SOPHIE
‘Sorry about that,’ Paul said, coming back into the lounge area, having gone to his study to make an urgent phone call. ‘Business, I’m afraid. An irate client. Clearly, he thinks I’m available even when I’m on leave. Some people never cease to amaze me.’
Shaking his head, he walked across to the drinks table, dropping his phone on the coffee table as he went, Sophie noted.
‘Wine?’ he asked her, waving a glass in her direction.
‘No, thanks.’ Sophie smiled. ‘I think I’ve still got a hangover from last night.’