The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

67

September 2018

Kim sits in her back garden. She can’t be indoors. Ryan is inside with Noah, distracting him.

It’s nearly two o’clock. It’s been four hours since they found the body in the tunnel in the Jacqueses’ house. She stares at her phone, switches the screen on and off, checks and double checks that she has a good connection, a good signal, that there is no impediment to a call from Dom.

And then there it is. The opening note of her ringtone. She swipes to reply before the second note has even begun. ‘Yes.’

‘Kim, listen. We think we’ve traced the current location of the Jacques family. We’re working with Interpol on a maritime search. I didn’t tell you before, but we found other things in the tunnel, Kim. We found the remains of a pastry that had been laced with large amounts of Zopiclone. We found some long dark hairs. We found empty water bottles, candles, a blanket, as well as Tallulah’s phone. And records from Manton airport show that the Jacqueses flew their private plane to Guernsey on June the thirtieth last year and on board were Jocelyn, Scarlett and Rex Jacques. And Rex’s girlfriend, Seraphina Goldberg. But Seraphina claims not to have flown to Guernsey at all that summer. So, Kim, we’re looking at the possibility that the Jacques family may have taken Tallulah with them. And that they are now on board a boat, chartered by Jocelyn Jacques from Guernsey Yacht Club in late August. And that Tallulah may still be with them. Meanwhile, detectives in Guernsey are getting a warrant to enter the Jacques property there.’

‘OK,’ says Kim, managing her breathing. ‘OK. So, what do I do now?’

‘Just sit tight, Kim. Just sit tight. We’re moving everything as fast as we possibly can. The wheels are finally turning on this thing. At long bloody last. Just sit tight.’