The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick

Author:Nicola Cornick
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9780008278496
Publisher: HQ
Published: 2020-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Lizzie: Present Day

‘Thank you for seeing us,’ Arthur said, very formally. ‘We’re grateful.’

‘It’s the least she could do.’ Anna contradicted him almost immediately. She shot Lizzie a distinctly unfriendly glance as she pushed past them both into Lizzie’s flat.

‘Do come in,’ Lizzie said politely. It was the morning after Johnny had disappeared and she had arranged to meet Arthur at ten. She hadn’t expected him to bring Anna with him, though. It wrong-footed her and she was angry for reading more intimacy into their interactions than existed, and for assuming Arthur would come alone. In the dark reaches of the night, lying awake for hour after hour, it had comforted her to think there was some sort of bond between them. Now in cold daylight she realised that she had been naïve. Johnny had never arrived home the previous night. Arthur wanted to find him. She was the last person who had seen him so she might be able to help. That was all there was to it.

Lizzie felt tired and slow. She’d waited and waited for either the police or Arthur to call to confirm that Johnny had finally turned up. She had kept her light on for hours to ward off a darkness that felt as though it was inside her as well as outside. Finally, she had turned out the light and had lain quietly listening to the sound of the rubbish being collected out in the street, the rolling of empty barrels, the shouts of drunks, all the noises that filled a London night. The city was never silent and at least she did not feel entirely alone.

Arthur, she thought, didn’t look as though he had slept any better than she had. Stubble darkened his jaw and his eyes were tired. Lizzie couldn’t read his emotions other than the obvious exhaustion and concern for his brother. It felt as though he was deliberately shutting her out, which was an odd, disconnected feeling as though instinct and reason were at war with one another, a deeply uncomfortable sensation. She tried to see things from Arthur’s point of view and then wished she hadn’t. She could see he had every reason to be wary of her. Johnny had come to see her and now Johnny was missing.

‘Is there any news?’ she said, and felt hope drain away when Arthur shook his head.

‘Johnny still hasn’t turned up,’ he said. ‘We’ve spoken to everyone now, and checked all the places we can think of.’

‘You look as though you need coffee,’ Lizzie said involuntarily. ‘Have you been out all night looking for him?’

‘Yeah.’ Arthur gave her a brief smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. ‘At least the last time he disappeared he turned up of his own accord, but this time there’s been nothing. Not even a text. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from him either?’

‘I would have told you if I had,’ Lizzie said, and Arthur nodded, grimacing.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you would. I was just hoping…’ He shrugged.

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