“How did you find me, though?” said Lyndsay. “I didn’t think anyone would find me here.”
“I spoke to your mother,” said Israel.
“Is she all right?” said Lyndsay.
“She’s very upset,” said Israel.
“I’m sorry,” said Lyndsay. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“I’m sure she’ll be delighted that you’re safe and sound.”
“Did she tell you where I was?”
“No,” said Israel. “I just sort of pieced it together. I spoke to your boyfriend-”
“Who?”
“Colin.”
“He’s my-ex, actually.”
“Well, he seemed very…nice.”
“God, no. He’s an idiot. He spends all his time gaming, it’s so boring.”
“It could be worse,” said Israel.
“Really?”
“He could be a librarian.”
Lyndsay laughed.
“What made you become a librarian?”
“You make it sound like a conscious decision.”
“Why? Was it not?”
“Well. As you get older,” Israel started saying-what was he saying?-“you realize that all your decisions are not necessarily made consciously by you, if you see what I mean. I mean, it would be like me asking you why you’re a Goth?”
“I don’t know,” said Lyndsay.
“There you are,” said Israel.
“I just…am. It’s just like…a state of mind.”
“Well, that’s me being a librarian,” said Israel.
“It’s a state of mind?”
“Something like that.”
“People think being a Goth is just, you know, Morticia Addams fashion,” said Lyndsay.
“But it’s not?”
“Not at all. It’s about experiencing the world in a more intense way.”
“Right. I spoke to Adam Burns, as well.”
“From Kerugma? Did you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been stalking me, then, basically?”
“No,” said Israel. “I’ve been trying to find you.”
“Why?”
Israel thought this probably not the moment to explain about Veronica and the police.
“Just. Doing a good turn, I suppose.”
“I do love it here,” said Lyndsay. There was a clap of thunder as they approached the cottage, and the first fat rain drops began falling. Israel could see Ted in the distance.
“It is beautiful,” agreed Israel.
“I used to come here with my mother when I was young, when my dad was too busy working.”
“What’s that over there?” asked Israel, pointing to something shimmering in the distance.
“That’s the Trassey River,” said Lyndsay.
“Right.”
“And that,” she said. “You see there, between the two peaks?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the Hare’s Gap.”
“Right.”
“And there’s a path there called the Brandy Pad, where people used to smuggle stuff.”
“Wow.”
“And there’s Clonachullion Hill there, and the Spellack cliffs.”
“You really know your stuff,” said Israel.
“I guess.”
“You’re very lucky.”
“Yes,” agreed Lyndsay. “I suppose I am.”
They reached the cottage.
“Well, well,” said Ted, as they approached. “By the seven secrets of the Ballymena coach builders! If it’s not our missing young lady.”
“Hi, Ted,” said Lyndsay.
“How are ye?” said Ted.
“Fine,” said Lyndsay.
“We takin’ ye home, then?”
“Yeah.”
“We should ring her parents and let them know,” said Israel. “They’re worried sick.”
“No,” said Ted. “Let’s ring later.”
“Why?”
“There’s no reception here, you’ll not get through.”
“But weren’t you just on your-” began Israel.
“No reception,” said Ted. “Quicker we get back in this weather the better.”
After Lyndsay had gathered her things from the cottage, they climbed into the van and began the long, rain-soaked drive back to Tumdrum, Ted and Israel up front, Lyndsay perched on the children’s book trough behind them.
“What are we going to do about this little lady, then?” said Ted as they accelerated through the torrential rain up the A24 toward the north coast.
“Get her back to where she belongs,” said Israel. “Reunite her.”
“Hmmm,” said Ted.
“What?” said Israel.
“I think you owe us an explanation first, young lady, don’t ye?” said Ted.
“I just had to get away,” said Lyndsay.
“Aye,” said Ted. “Why was that, then?”
“The place was doing my head in.”
“Ye’d be better off telling us the truth, ye know.”
“That is the truth,” said Lyndsay.
“The actual truth,” said Ted.
“That is the truth, Ted,” said Israel, turning around and looking at Lyndsay. “Isn’t it?”
“The actual truth?” said Ted.
“Yes,” said Lyndsay.
“Ye pitched up down at the cottage all by yerself, did ye?” said Ted.
“Yes.”
“Get a lift?”
“No,” said Lyndsay. “I got the bus to Newcastle, and then just walked up to the cottage-”
“And no one knew you were there?”
“No.”
“You haven’t seen a soul?”
“No.”
“Funny that,” said Ted. “Because there were fresh tire marks on the gravel up at the cottage there.”
“Were there?”
“Mercedes-type tire marks, if I’m not mistaken.”
“How can you tell-” began Israel.
“I don’t know who that could have been…” said Lyndsay.
“No?” said Ted. “Who do we know who drives a Mercedes?”
“Lots of people,” said Lyndsay.
“Including your da?”
“Well…”
“Hold on,” said Israel. “Do you mean Maurice Morris has already been down here looking for her?”
“No,” said Ted.
“No!” agreed Lyndsay.
“I don’t think he’s been down here looking for her,” said Ted.
“Right,” said Israel, confused.
“Because he wouldn’t need to look for her, would he? He knew full well that she was here all along. Didn’t he, Lyndsay?
Israel looked into the rearview mirror and could see that Lyndsay was looking shamefaced.
“No?” said Israel.
Lyndsay wiped away a tear.
“Steady on,” said Israel. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that our little Miss Runaway here was in caboots-”
“Cahoots?”
“Exactly. With her father.”
“No!” said Israel. “That’s ridiculous. That can’t be right. That’s not right, is it?”
“Yes,” said Lyndsay, from the children’s book trough. “It’s true. I’m sorry…”
“But you told me you’d run away!” Israel protested.
“Do you believe everything everyone tells you?” said Ted.
“No,” said Israel. “But…if he knew she was here, why didn’t he bring her back?”
“I think we’d best ask Lyndsay that one, hadn’t we?”
“Lyndsay?” said Israel, turning round to face her.
“Sorry,” she said between sobs.
“Best to tell the truth,” said Ted.
“Yes!” said Israel rather more forcefully than was necessary. “Tell us the truth!”
Ted slapped him round the head.
“We’re not the KGT.”
“KGB,” said Israel.
“Or them,” agreed Ted. “In your own time, my dear.”
Lyndsay wiped her eyes.
“My dad asked me to come down here,” she said.
“Why?” said Israel.
“He wanted the publicity.”
“What?”
“He thought it would get him the sympathy vote. In the election. After the way he’d treated Mum, everyone hated him. And he’d gone from being Mr. Popular to being…”
“A total scumbag,” said Ted.
“Yes.”
“Did your mum know about it as well?”
“No, no,” said Lyndsay. “She didn’t know. They don’t really get on anymore. They just argue at home. But I thought if Dad got elected again, things might-” And she started sobbing again.
“That’s all right, darling,” said Ted.