Found: the most gripping, emotional thriller of 2019 (a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick) by Erin Kinsley

Author:Erin Kinsley [Kinsley, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2019-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FOUR

16 August

‘Look what I’ve got.’

Evan’s on the sofa next to Dora, helping her with word-search puzzles. He’s sitting very close but not quite touching her, his knees drawn up and wrapped round with his arms as he used to do when a very small boy. Dora is holding back, letting Evan do most of the work. When he finds a word, she hands him the pen to draw a line through it, and when he’s drawn his line, he hands the pen back.

Jack’s holding a fishing net on a bamboo pole, and a large pickle jar.

‘Well,’ says Dora, ‘where on earth did you find those?’

‘In your shed. There’s treasure beyond measure in there.’

‘I should have a clear-out, shouldn’t I?’

‘I’m glad you haven’t. It’s been too long since I’ve been fishing, and you know what they say, you’re never too old to do the things you love. What do you say, Evan? Are you going to keep me company?’

Evan looks at Dora, as if he’s reluctant to leave her.

‘You go on, love,’ she says. ‘I’ll have a little nap. You can help me finish this one when you come back.’

The photo of Jack and young Evan with his jar of sticklebacks is still by the phone. As they walk by it, the picture they would make now would be very different. There are physical differences, of course – Evan isn’t smiling, and he’s getting closer to matching his grandfather’s height – but there’s a delightful simplicity in the photo which has been wiped away, smashed like a mallet taken to fine porcelain. It’s Jack’s hope that maybe something remains amongst the shards of what’s been broken, a pearl left undamaged, ready to be found.

As they walk down the track, Evan’s feet are hot in his wellingtons. Millie’s trotting at their heels, breaking away from time to time to sniff what she finds interesting in the verges. The day is warm again, the long grass and cow parsley growing against the grey-stoned walls ruffled by a breeze which blows Evan’s hair into his eyes.

Jack notices Evan’s hair is getting long as Evan pushes it back behind his ears, and it occurs to him that someone must have been cutting his hair while he was gone. Before he was taken, there were trips to the barber’s every four weeks, just Evan and Matt on Saturday mornings, Evan in the chair first while Matt read a magazine, then Evan given a comic while Matt took his turn. Who cut his hair when he was away from them? Was it a woman or a man? Was it done kindly and with care? Such a minor thing raises questions it’s not his place to ask, and he pushes the thought away, not truly wanting to know. What concerns them is Evan’s care now. He’ll ask Dora to find her scissors and have a go, if Evan will allow it.

There are crickets singing in the grass, and overhead a skylark’s risen, singing its heart out. Jack points up at it, and Evan follows his finger, straining to see the tiny spot in the sky.

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