She looked relieved. ‘Have your parents arrived?’
I shook my head. Mum was still refusing to participate in any event that supported the theory you were abducted.
A while later, Christopher appeared. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, you’d have no idea he was a police officer, which I suppose was the point. ‘How’re you holding up?’
‘Good,’ I said, though I wasn’t sure that was true. Rather than thinking about how I feel, I keep busy, not stopping until I’m so exhausted, I collapse into bed.
‘Is … Mr Archer here?’
I blinked, caught off guard. ‘No, Ethan’s away on business.’
There was surprise and disapproval on Christopher’s face. It took me a second to draw the blinds on my embarrassment. I slipped into defence mode because Ethan’s a fantastic husband. He is. And it doesn’t matter that Christopher’s an ex from a zillion years ago, he’s still an ex; I couldn’t have him thinking badly of my relationship. ‘The firm has some huge new clients. He’s an accountant and, well, he desperately wanted to be here tonight, but I made him go. Anyway, he’d be here if he could.’
Christopher nodded. ‘Sure. Just asking because he’s a witness from the night Elodie was attacked. The more people here to spot the attacker, the better.’
‘Oh, yes, exactly.’ I felt instantly stupid for misreading his motivation and fought against the colour flushing my cheeks.
‘There are a few of us here,’ he assured me. I could only assume he meant undercover officers. ‘We have the composite drawing Jack helped us with, but if you see the guy, give me the signal we discussed.’
Excusing myself, I made my way to the gazebo to get things started when an older gentleman stepped in my path, his hand held out in a formal greeting. ‘I’m George Winkelman.’
I took his hand, thinking his name sounded like something from the books I used to read to you as a child.
‘Your sister’s a lovely young lady,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t believe the news. Still can’t.’
‘How do you …’
‘Mugs,’ he said. ‘Before that wrong ’un, Richard, gave her the sack.’
‘The sack?’
George looked abashed. ‘Well, I could be mistaken but, yes, I think so. Not that she deserved it. Elodie’s got a kind heart and she’s a hard worker. I saw the way Richard looked at her and, well, it wasn’t very gentlemanly of him. If there’s anything I can do to help find her, I will.’ He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to me. ‘There’s my phone number. You can call anytime.’
I can see why you like him, El. He’s warm, like Grandad was. But why didn’t you tell me you’d been fired? Why were you fired? When?
At the gazebo, I took the mic Margot held out to me. I’ve hosted hundreds of events, but my hands have never trembled the way they did as I lifted the mic to my mouth. After I thanked everyone for coming, instructed them how to light their lanterns and scanned the crowd for him, it felt wrong to step down without saying something heartfelt about you. I opened my mouth, and expectation swirled in the spaces between the gatherings of people, but nothing came out. The thing is, it feels cheap to say something mushy now you’re gone when I didn’t say anything like that when you were here, so I thrust the mic at Margot instead, who talked about your kind heart and how you were taken just as your dream of being an author was coming true.
The violinist we hired started up. When it came time to write a message on the lantern, I penned, ‘Ellie-Bee, you will come home. I promise.’ Then I shook out the lantern, lit it and, along with hundreds of other arms, lifted mine to the sky.
Margot counted down, ‘Three … two … one!’ and we let go. They drifted up high into the dark sky; hundreds of flecks of flickering gold. It made me think of the glitter painted across your cheeks on your seventh birthday.
I imagined you looking up at the sky, seeing all these dancing flames and wondering what the celebration was. Then the next morning, walking across a field not too far away, you’d find my lantern. Mine out of all the lanterns released tonight and you’d know I was searching for you, you’d know the lights in the sky were all for you, and you’d leave behind whatever adventure you abandoned us for and you’d run all the way to my front door.
A hand pressed against the small of my back. Christopher whispered, ‘You okay, Ada?’
I nodded, grateful he’d asked. Missing Ethan in that moment, I wished he was here, his arms around me.