Read Online While My Eyes Were Closed by Linda Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Green
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looks at me. ‘Does Alex know?’ he asks.
‘No. His phone’s turned off. He’s in a meeting. I’ve left a message for him to call me when he comes out.’
‘Right.’ He is silent again for a bit.
‘Do you remember seeing any blokes hanging about the playground?’ he asks.
‘Dad, don’t.’
‘What? If some bastard’s taken her then he must have been in the park at the same time.’
I shut my eyes for a second and sit down heavily on the ground, aware that my legs don’t feel capable of supporting me any more. Dad kneels down and puts his arm around my shoulders.
‘Look, I didn’t mean to upset you, love.’
‘I know. I just keep hoping she’ll come running across the grass any minute, laughing that we took so long to find her.’
Dad doesn’t say anything because he knows, like me, that it’s not going to happen.
‘I’m going to go and look for her,’ he says eventually, getting to his feet.
‘Where?’
‘Outside the park. In the streets around here. I need to do summat. Keep myself busy, like.’
‘OK. Have you got your phone on?’
He nods. ‘Call me if you need me, Lis. Are you going to be all right on your own?’
‘Yeah. I’ll get in touch with people, like the copper said. Just in case, like.’
Dad opens his mouth to say something but shuts it again. I watch him walk off, his footsteps heavy, hishead low. A few seconds later I hear him calling Ella’s name. It is half-hearted though. Like he knows she can’t hear him.
I take out my phone. The sun has disappeared behind the clouds now so the screen is easier to see. Still nothing from Alex. I call his number again just in case he hasn’t picked up the voicemail. I don’t leave another message though. I don’t know what else I can say. Instead I go to my contacts and start scrolling down the massive list of mobile numbers and email addresses. They’re a mixture of friends, family and clients. There are people who I haven’t spoken to for years. The gas man who fitted our new boiler. Clients who stopped their personal training sessions ages ago, whose faces I can barely remember. I can’t bring myself to phone anyone, but I can text people. I can at least do that.
I start trying to compose a text. I keep deleting words because I don’t want to worry people and then I remember that it is not the time to be stupid like that.
In the end I settle on ‘Ella has been missing from Grange Park, Halifax since 3.10 this afternoon. If you have seen her anywhere since please text me asap. Please don’t phone as trying to keep line free.’
I send the text, trying not to think about the looks on people’s faces as they receive it. Within a couple of moments the replies start coming in. I read the first couple, both about how awful it is and that if there isanything they can do to help . . . I don’t even register who they are from. It doesn’t really matter.
I glance up, aware that someone is standing next to me. It is the woman who sent her son to look for Ella. She is holding a polystyrene cup.
‘I got you a tea, but if you’d rather a coffee just say and I can go back and get you one.’
‘No. Tea’s fine. Thank you. How much do I owe you?’
‘Don’t be daft,’ she replies, handing it to me.
‘Thanks.’
‘Dan’s still looking,’ she says. ‘He’s determined to find her.’
‘That’s really kind of him,’ I say. ‘But don’t worry. The police are here now. You guys can get on home.’
She gives a little nod and walks away. I notice the police are grouped together having some kind of meeting. I wonder if I should go over and join them or if they will all stop talking when I arrive. I look at my watch again. I swear the hands haven’t moved since the last time. The texts are coming in thick and fast now. I check each one in case, but they all just say how sorry they are and that they’re thinking of me. No one has seen her. I wish I could turn the bloody thing off now but I can’t in case Alex
‘No. His phone’s turned off. He’s in a meeting. I’ve left a message for him to call me when he comes out.’
‘Right.’ He is silent again for a bit.
‘Do you remember seeing any blokes hanging about the playground?’ he asks.
‘Dad, don’t.’
‘What? If some bastard’s taken her then he must have been in the park at the same time.’
I shut my eyes for a second and sit down heavily on the ground, aware that my legs don’t feel capable of supporting me any more. Dad kneels down and puts his arm around my shoulders.
‘Look, I didn’t mean to upset you, love.’
‘I know. I just keep hoping she’ll come running across the grass any minute, laughing that we took so long to find her.’
Dad doesn’t say anything because he knows, like me, that it’s not going to happen.
‘I’m going to go and look for her,’ he says eventually, getting to his feet.
‘Where?’
‘Outside the park. In the streets around here. I need to do summat. Keep myself busy, like.’
‘OK. Have you got your phone on?’
He nods. ‘Call me if you need me, Lis. Are you going to be all right on your own?’
‘Yeah. I’ll get in touch with people, like the copper said. Just in case, like.’
Dad opens his mouth to say something but shuts it again. I watch him walk off, his footsteps heavy, hishead low. A few seconds later I hear him calling Ella’s name. It is half-hearted though. Like he knows she can’t hear him.
I take out my phone. The sun has disappeared behind the clouds now so the screen is easier to see. Still nothing from Alex. I call his number again just in case he hasn’t picked up the voicemail. I don’t leave another message though. I don’t know what else I can say. Instead I go to my contacts and start scrolling down the massive list of mobile numbers and email addresses. They’re a mixture of friends, family and clients. There are people who I haven’t spoken to for years. The gas man who fitted our new boiler. Clients who stopped their personal training sessions ages ago, whose faces I can barely remember. I can’t bring myself to phone anyone, but I can text people. I can at least do that.
I start trying to compose a text. I keep deleting words because I don’t want to worry people and then I remember that it is not the time to be stupid like that.
In the end I settle on ‘Ella has been missing from Grange Park, Halifax since 3.10 this afternoon. If you have seen her anywhere since please text me asap. Please don’t phone as trying to keep line free.’
I send the text, trying not to think about the looks on people’s faces as they receive it. Within a couple of moments the replies start coming in. I read the first couple, both about how awful it is and that if there isanything they can do to help . . . I don’t even register who they are from. It doesn’t really matter.
I glance up, aware that someone is standing next to me. It is the woman who sent her son to look for Ella. She is holding a polystyrene cup.
‘I got you a tea, but if you’d rather a coffee just say and I can go back and get you one.’
‘No. Tea’s fine. Thank you. How much do I owe you?’
‘Don’t be daft,’ she replies, handing it to me.
‘Thanks.’
‘Dan’s still looking,’ she says. ‘He’s determined to find her.’
‘That’s really kind of him,’ I say. ‘But don’t worry. The police are here now. You guys can get on home.’
She gives a little nod and walks away. I notice the police are grouped together having some kind of meeting. I wonder if I should go over and join them or if they will all stop talking when I arrive. I look at my watch again. I swear the hands haven’t moved since the last time. The texts are coming in thick and fast now. I check each one in case, but they all just say how sorry they are and that they’re thinking of me. No one has seen her. I wish I could turn the bloody thing off now but I can’t in case Alex
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