Elodie Fray
The next morning Jack returns to Wisteria and my face is mask-tight with tears. He’s barely through the front door when I pounce. ‘Please take me home,’ I say. ‘I need to go back. I can’t stay here anymore. I need to leave. I need—’
‘Whoa. Slow down. What’s happened?’
He wraps his arms around me and keeps me pressed tightly to him. My head is buried in his shoulder and I’m sobbing. I regret coming here. I should never have agreed to it. I should’ve pushed harder to go home after Jack found me in the car.
He makes soothing noises into my hair while I dampen his shirt with tears. When I pull back, he keeps his hands on my upper arms and I’m glad. He’s solid and warm. ‘What’s going on?’
‘I saw the news. I watched the appeal.’
He stiffens.
‘My parents were so upset. I feel sick with guilt. I need to go home.’ Urgency churns my stomach and I struggle to draw breath. ‘Please can you take me back? I would’ve left already but I don’t have a car and—’
‘You want to go back to Crosshaven?’
I nod.
He stares. ‘You are joking.’ Anger simmers beneath his skin, tightening his muscles, tightening his fingers around my arms. Just as I’m about to tell him he’s hurting me, he lets go and shoves past me.
Confused and unsure, I don’t follow right away. In the kitchen is a furious symphony of cupboard doors opening and slamming shut. Eventually, I go to him. His back is to me. He clutches a tumbler of whisky.
‘Why’re you so mad?’
‘Why do you think, Elodie?’ He wheels around. There’s a livid jut to his chin. He brings his face close to mine. ‘Jesus fucking Christ. I told you not to watch anything with your family in it, didn’t I? I knew you couldn’t handle it.’
I take a step back. ‘I was only ever meant to be missing for a few days. It’s been three weeks.’
‘You agreed to an extension.’
‘Yes, because you said we should wait until my parents held a press conference. Well, now they have, and I want to go back.’
‘What’re you going to do, Elodie?’ His voice grows fake-bright. ‘Just drive back home, hop out the car and shout, “Ta da – gotcha!” or maybe you’ll just grab an apron and turn up at Mugs tomorrow for the early shift, pretend like half the fucking nation hasn’t been looking for you?’
‘Don’t be facetious, Jack. We can stick to the plan: I was taken, he wore a mask, I didn’t see his face.’
He thrusts his hand back through his hair and shakes his head.
‘I want to go home.’
‘The police hauled me into the station.’
I swallow, digesting this revelation. ‘You knew they’d question you.’
‘Not questioning, Elodie, interrogating.’ He pours himself a second glass.
‘But you have the perfect alibi. They can’t connect you to any of this.’
‘They’re trying. I was held for six hours last night. Going over and over the same shit.’ He takes another desperate gulp. ‘They suspect me.’
My stomach clenches. ‘How?’
‘I don’t know. But they do. And it’s going to look really suspicious if you reappear the day after they’ve leaned on me.’ He rubs the back of his neck.
‘Jack … my parents are in pieces. I need to see them.’
He scoffs.
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
‘What is it?’
‘Just leave it, El.’
‘No. I want to know – what’s happened?’
Silence. Then, ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
My heart races with trepidation. ‘Jack. Please.’
He drains his glass, then stares down into it. I can see him weighing up his options. He knows I won’t let it go. ‘I was the one who convinced your parents to hold the press conference.’
‘Okay …’
‘Your mother’s been in denial. Even faced with the trashed bedroom and your passport being found there, she was adamant you were on a holiday. I thought that’s why she refused to appeal. I told her to do it, everyone did. She wouldn’t listen. Then, when I was at the house, I heard your parents talking in the kitchen.’
I am silent, waiting for him to go on. I can see we’re getting to the kernel of it. Jack’s mouth is pressed into a tight, reluctant line.
‘When I heard what they were saying, I saw red. I lost it.’ His knuckles have gone white around the glass. I lay an encouraging hand over his, and some of the tension eases. ‘We had a blazing row. Ada called the police. That’s when they hauled me in for questioning.’