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Authors: Sibel Hodge
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happened a while ago and
he’s only just remembering it. She could have a family who’s look-
ing for her.’
‘Of course he doesn’t know anything,’ Chris said. ‘He’s just
confused.’
‘But why is he so obsessed with someone who doesn’t seem to
have ever been mentioned in the papers? There must be a reason.
I’ve checked for news stories and there’s nothing.’
‘That’s because there’s nothing to find out,’ Ethan said.
‘Honestly, when you get a bee in your bonnet about things, you’re a nightmare. Your imagination runs riot! This is all just stupid. I don’t even know why we’re talking about it.’ He glared out to sea.
Lucas stared at the ground, a pensive frown on his face. ‘Well,
there’s a simple way to find out for certain.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ethan said.
‘I mean we go to the police like Olivia said and ask them if
there’s anyone with her name who’s missing.’
Nadia shrugged. ‘We’ll just be wasting their time. There can’t
be anything to it. I mean . . . Dad? It’s just nonsense. Honestly, Liv, you’re always finding something to worry about.’
‘I agree he’s confused,’ Lucas said. ‘But there’s no harm asking
the police. What if Georgia is kid a who’s disappeared and Tom does know something about it?’ Lucas said.
‘I hadn’t thought of that. I just assumed she was an adult.’
I turned to Ethan. ‘We have to go to the police and at least check, don’t you see?’ I stood up and crossed the sand towards him. ‘Tom
was very explicit about her, and he mentioned her not only once,
but several times. And he was completely lucid when he said it, too.
What if there really is a missing child out there and he could help find her?’
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Where the Memories Lie
‘And what are we going to tell them? That our senile dad has
confessed to killing someone but, hey, it’s probably not true because the other day he thought he was Gregory Peck!’ Ethan’s nostrils
flared with anger.
I reached for his hand. ‘Look, I know you don’t want to talk
about this but—’
‘Of course I don’t! No one would want to hear that about their
father. You’re just worrying about nothing again.’
‘Look, it seems totally unreliable what Tom’s saying, but I
think Liv’s right,’ Lucas said. ‘He could be an important witness to something.’
‘No, she’s not.’ Chris said. ‘I don’t want to go to the police
and put Dad through that for nothing. He’s ill. He’s not thinking
straight.’
‘So what do you suggest we do, then?’ Lucas asked. ‘If we’re all
certain he’s never mentioned anyone called Georgia who we can
check on, then we have to do something.’
There was a strained silence for a while.
‘I’m sure the police will just look into it and confirm that there
is no missing person by that name and we’ll know for certain.
But until then . . .’ I shrugged. ‘Well, we can’t hide something
like this.’
‘We’re not hiding anything because there’s nothing to hide. It’s
not true. Dad didn’t kill anyone, and he doesn’t know anything
about any missing people.’ Ethan folded his arms over his chest.
‘We’ll just be wasting their time,’ Chris said. ‘I think we should
wait until we know more.’
‘Weren’t you listening, Chris?’ I said. ‘I’ve tried to find out
who she is but can’t. None of us knows who this person could be,
and like Lucas said, what if this is something to do with a miss-
ing child? What if Anna or Charlotte were abducted and someone
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Sibel Hodge
knew something, however inconsequential it might sound, but they
didn’t do anything about it?’
‘But this is Dad we’re talking about,’ Chris said.
‘I agree with Chris,’ Ethan said.
‘Well then, the police will just tell us that it can’t possibly be
true and that will be the end of it,’ Lucas said. ‘They’ll say there’s no one of that name on their records and we can just forget
he’s only just remembering it. She could have a family who’s look-
ing for her.’
‘Of course he doesn’t know anything,’ Chris said. ‘He’s just
confused.’
‘But why is he so obsessed with someone who doesn’t seem to
have ever been mentioned in the papers? There must be a reason.
I’ve checked for news stories and there’s nothing.’
‘That’s because there’s nothing to find out,’ Ethan said.
‘Honestly, when you get a bee in your bonnet about things, you’re a nightmare. Your imagination runs riot! This is all just stupid. I don’t even know why we’re talking about it.’ He glared out to sea.
Lucas stared at the ground, a pensive frown on his face. ‘Well,
there’s a simple way to find out for certain.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ethan said.
‘I mean we go to the police like Olivia said and ask them if
there’s anyone with her name who’s missing.’
Nadia shrugged. ‘We’ll just be wasting their time. There can’t
be anything to it. I mean . . . Dad? It’s just nonsense. Honestly, Liv, you’re always finding something to worry about.’
‘I agree he’s confused,’ Lucas said. ‘But there’s no harm asking
the police. What if Georgia is kid a who’s disappeared and Tom does know something about it?’ Lucas said.
‘I hadn’t thought of that. I just assumed she was an adult.’
I turned to Ethan. ‘We have to go to the police and at least check, don’t you see?’ I stood up and crossed the sand towards him. ‘Tom
was very explicit about her, and he mentioned her not only once,
but several times. And he was completely lucid when he said it, too.
What if there really is a missing child out there and he could help find her?’
54
Where the Memories Lie
‘And what are we going to tell them? That our senile dad has
confessed to killing someone but, hey, it’s probably not true because the other day he thought he was Gregory Peck!’ Ethan’s nostrils
flared with anger.
I reached for his hand. ‘Look, I know you don’t want to talk
about this but—’
‘Of course I don’t! No one would want to hear that about their
father. You’re just worrying about nothing again.’
‘Look, it seems totally unreliable what Tom’s saying, but I
think Liv’s right,’ Lucas said. ‘He could be an important witness to something.’
‘No, she’s not.’ Chris said. ‘I don’t want to go to the police
and put Dad through that for nothing. He’s ill. He’s not thinking
straight.’
‘So what do you suggest we do, then?’ Lucas asked. ‘If we’re all
certain he’s never mentioned anyone called Georgia who we can
check on, then we have to do something.’
There was a strained silence for a while.
‘I’m sure the police will just look into it and confirm that there
is no missing person by that name and we’ll know for certain.
But until then . . .’ I shrugged. ‘Well, we can’t hide something
like this.’
‘We’re not hiding anything because there’s nothing to hide. It’s
not true. Dad didn’t kill anyone, and he doesn’t know anything
about any missing people.’ Ethan folded his arms over his chest.
‘We’ll just be wasting their time,’ Chris said. ‘I think we should
wait until we know more.’
‘Weren’t you listening, Chris?’ I said. ‘I’ve tried to find out
who she is but can’t. None of us knows who this person could be,
and like Lucas said, what if this is something to do with a miss-
ing child? What if Anna or Charlotte were abducted and someone
55
Sibel Hodge
knew something, however inconsequential it might sound, but they
didn’t do anything about it?’
‘But this is Dad we’re talking about,’ Chris said.
‘I agree with Chris,’ Ethan said.
‘Well then, the police will just tell us that it can’t possibly be
true and that will be the end of it,’ Lucas said. ‘They’ll say there’s no one of that name on their records and we can just forget
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