Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page B

pause.
    â€˜Sometimes it’s hard for adopted children to accept the truth,’ Mr Tarsen said softly. ‘So they make up fairy-tales. Foundling stories. Stories about being stolen away from their homes.’
    I looked up at him.
    â€˜Is that it, Lauren? Is that what you think happened to you?’
    I sat silently, my heart pounding. Mr Tarsen stared intently at my face. Did he know what had happened? Or was he simply guessing at what I might be thinking?
    He leaned forward. ‘Believe me, Lauren. Sonia was simply young and irresponsible and unable to cope with you.’
    â€˜So she
was
my mother?’ The words came out in a whisper.
    Mr Tarsen looked at me with this strange mix of frustrationand something else I couldn’t read. What was it? Pity? Fear?
    â€˜I can see you’re not yet prepared to let this go.’ He checked his watch. ‘But we can’t talk about it any more now. Who else knows the two of you are here?’
    â€˜No one,’ I said. ‘Just the bus driver from Burlington.’
    Mr Tarsen tugged at the neck of his jumper.
    â€˜OK, this is what we’ll do.’ He fished a leather wallet from his pocket and drew out two notes. ‘Take this. Turn left out of the agency. Couple of blocks down Main Street and you’ll see the Piedmarch Motel.’
    He shoved the money into my hand.
    Jeez. $150.
    I stared at him. ‘You want us to stay here, at a motel?’
    Mr Tarsen nodded impatiently. ‘You get a good night’s rest. Then we’ll call up your parents in the morning and get them to come and take you home. They can pay me back later.’
    I frowned. What was going on? One minute the man was Captain Law Enforcement. The next he was offering me money and acting like some private parental liaison service. It didn’t make sense.
    I stood up. Mr Tarsen ushered me through the door.
    Jam was waiting outside, by the lift. Mr Tarsen’s hand rested on my shoulder, steering me into the lift, then out of the front door.
    â€˜Don’t worry, Lauren. I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said.
    And suddenly Jam and I were out on the street, alone. It was dark now. Nearly 5.30 pm. And even colder than it had been before.
    I pulled my jacket round me. ‘Well?’ I said. ‘Did you find anything out?’
    â€˜Yup.’ Jam chewed furiously on his lip. ‘I know where your adoption file is. Or at least I know where the index is. But there’s no way we’ll be able to get a look at it while everyone’s still there. We’ll have to go back tonight.’

10
    Breaking and entering
    I sat on the bed in the motel room and dialled room service. I’d never done anything like that before, and I had butterflies in my tummy as I gave the order. Which I guess sounds stupid, considering everything else I’d done – and was planning to do – that day. ‘One Piedmarch Burger with extra cheese and bacon. One Piedmarch Burger Lite. Two Diet Cokes. And one portion of chips – I mean fries, please.’
    Jam emerged, showered and changed, from the bathroom as I put down the phone.
    â€˜Did you get some food?’ he said. ‘I’m starving.’
    I nodded.
    We were in the Piedmarch Motel. We hadn’t really wanted to come here, but it got too cold to be outside – and we didn’t know anywhere else we could go. There were no other places to stay on Main Street. We’d paid up front for the room, raising no more than an eyebrow fromthe droopy-faced man at the front desk. It was clean but ugly, dominated by the big double bed I was sitting on.
    Maybe we shouldn’t have chosen the cheapest – and smallest – room available. I suddenly felt embarrassed at the thought of sharing the bed with Jam.
    I stared across the room at the tiny wardrobe, which I already knew was empty apart from three wire coat-hangers.
    â€˜I don’t want to spend the night here,’ I said.
    Jam