No.
Tell them
Tues Jan 5, 10:22am
It worked. They’re consulting legal.
Tues Jan 5, 12:09pm
It’s back on. They want me to go in again tomorrow and sign an NDA, then they’ll sign the contract.
What time tomorrow? Should I come with you?
I’ll be fine. It’s at the studio. 9am.
You’re keeping the recordings until the deal’s done, right?
Of course.
Weds Jan 6, 8:42am
I hope you don’t think the worse of me for any of this. I know I should be doing this differently. I know it’s not the right way but, as messed up as it is, this might be my only chance. I know I’m good enough and if something can come of all this then why not take it with both hands? Life’s hard enough you’ve got to catch breaks wherever you find them, right? xxx
I’m behind you whatever. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Just look after yourself, Em. At the end of the day, if no one else is paying your rent no one else gets a say!
And be careful today—they’re clearly capable of anything. Call me after.
Weds Jan 6, 10:05am
How did it go?
Weds Jan 6, 11:01am
Em? How did it go?
Weds Jan 6, 11:46am
Let me know you’re okay.
Weds Jan 6, 12:07pm
Right, I’m coming over
Weds Jan 6, 12:42pm
Where are you?
Weds Jan 6, 1:39pm
Em, where are you? I need you to call me asap. Just let me know you’re okay? xx
Thurs Jan 7, 5:04pm
Got your Airbnb woman to let me in. I know where you are now. Just stay there. I’m coming. Wait for me. Please don’t do anything xx
I try to scroll down but that’s where the messages end. There have been no more messages to or from Marla since the seventh of January.
I stare at Marla’s final message to Emily. God knows how she worked out where Emily went. But it occurs to me there’s a chance that Emily may have gone back to wherever it was now.
I suddenly have the overwhelming desire to dial Marla’s number and ask her if she found Emily. I take her number from Emily’s screen and add it into my phone.
And at the risk of her thinking I’m completely insane, I tap out a message and press send before I change my mind.
Today, 11:15pm
Hi Marla, my name is Mia, you don’t know me but I got your number from Emily. I know this is a weird question but do you know where she is? She went missing on Wednesday. I’m pretty concerned.
I reread the words I’ve just sent out into the ether and wonder if I’ve made a terrible mistake. Because they haven’t messaged each other since January, I’m guessing that Marla will have no idea Emily is missing again. I find myself asking why they have stopped talking to each other but then I realize there’s no way to know if Marla didn’t disappear that day as well. The fact that I can’t open up Emily’s phone and check if the two called each other is beyond infuriating.
If I could open the phone I could listen to that recording of the meeting, too. Emily clearly had evidence of some kind, worth keeping.
And if I could just get to that call list, I could see who it was she spoke to last and when. I pick it up again, turning it in my hands as if there might be a secret way to unlock it, like a Chinese puzzle, but it’s just a regular iPhone.