Twenties Girl 68

The usher escorts me right out of the BFI, issuing me with stern warnings and lectures all the way, then leaves me alone on the sidewalk, feeling like a dog who’s been kicked out of a house.

Deflated, I start trudging along, shrugging my jacket on. I’ll have a coffee and regroup. Although, to be honest, I’m nearly out of ideas. As I head toward the river, there’s the London Eye, towering into the sky, still making its way around jauntily, like nothing ever happened. Glumly, I turn my head away. I don’t want to see the London Eye. I don’t want to be reminded of that day. Trust me to have a painful, embarrassing moment on the most prominent sight in London. Why couldn’t I have chosen a small out-of-the-way spot which I could then avoid?

I head into a café, order a double-strength cappuccino, and slump into a chair. It’s starting to get me down, all this searching. The adrenaline that powered me to begin with is fading away. What if I never find her?

But I can’t let myself think like that. I have to keep going. Partly because I refuse to admit defeat. Partly because the longer Sadie’s gone, the more worried I am about her. And partly because, if I’m honest, I’m clinging on to this. While I’m searching for Sadie, it feels as if the rest of my life is on hold. I don’t have to think about the where-does-my-career-go-now thing. Or the what-do-I-tell-my-parents thing. Or the how-could-I-have-been-so-stupid-about-Josh thing.

Or even the Ed thing. Which still upsets me whenever I let myself think about it. So… I just won’t. I’ll focus on Sadie, my Holy Grail. I know it’s ridiculous, but I feel like if I can just track her down, everything else might fall into place.

Briskly, I unfold my list of Find Sadie ideas, but most of them are crossed out. The cinema was the most promising. The only other entries are Try other dancing clubs? and Nursing home?

I consider the nursing home for a moment as I sip my coffee. Sadie wouldn’t go back there, surely. She hated it. She couldn’t even face going in. Why would she be there now?

But it’s worth a try.

I almost put on a disguise before I arrive at the Fairside Home, I’m so nervous. I mean, here I am, the girl who accused the staff of murder, pitching up on the doorstep.

Did they know it was me? I keep wondering in trepidation. Did the police tell them, “It was Lara Lington who besmirched your good name”? Because, if so, I’m dead meat. They’ll surround me in a nurse mob and kick me with their white clumpy shoes. The old people will bash me with their walkers. And I’ll deserve it.

But as Ginny opens the door, she shows no sign of knowing I’m the false-accusation-maker. Her face creases into a warm smile, and of course I feel guiltier than ever.

“Lara! What a surprise! Can I help you with that?”

I’m slightly laden down with cardboard cartons and a massive flower arrangement, which is starting to slip out of my arms.

“Oh, thanks,” I say gratefully, handing her one. “It’s got boxes of chocolate in it for you all.”

“Goodness!”

“And these flowers are for the staff too…” I follow her into the beeswax-scented hall and put the arrangement on the table. “I wanted to say thank you to everyone for looking after my great-aunt Sadie so well.”

And not murdering her. The thought never crossed my mind .

“How lovely! Everybody will be very touched!”

“Well,” I say awkwardly. “On behalf of the family, we’re all very grateful and feel bad that we didn’t visit my great-aunt… more often.”

Ever .

As Ginny unpacks the chocolates, exclaiming in delight, I surreptitiously sidle toward the stairs and look up them.

“Sadie?” I hiss under my breath. “Are you here?” I scan the upstairs landing, but there’s no sign.

“And what’s this?” Ginny is looking at the other cardboard carton. “More chocolates?”

“No. Actually that’s some CDs and DVDs. For the other residents.”

I open it and pull out the CDs. Charleston Tunes. The Best of Fred Astaire. 1920s-1940s-The Collection .

“I just thought sometimes they might like to listen to the tunes they danced to when they were young,” I say tentatively. “Especially the really old residents? It might cheer them up.”

“Lara, how incredibly thoughtful! We’ll put one on straightaway!” She heads into the dayroom, which is full of elderly people sitting in chairs and on sofas, with a daytime talk show blaring out of the television. I follow, looking all around the white heads for any sign of Sadie.

“Sadie?” I hiss, looking around. “Sadie, are you here?”