Sliver Moon Bay: The Looking by Ivana Hruba Page B

Starling’s dress. There’s not
a peep about it on the news. They’re keeping it quiet and everyone
else who knows, which is really only us and Amy, have been sworn to
secrecy. We won’t say and Amy’s not a gossip. Hasn’t that many
friends to gossip to, I guess. Another thing to like about her. She
has been good. To me and to Lilian, despite the fight we had after
Chris’s arrest. She’s got over it, clearly, cause she helps me at
school, with work and social. Interactions. She doesn’t mind if I
come by at lunchtime and sit with her. She has not sent me away
once, which is new. Cause if I’d done this before Starling went
missing, she would have sent me back to sit with my peers. Yeah,
like that would have happened. So now there’s less pretence between
us. It’s like she’s cottoned on to who I am. The bit I show her,
anyway. So it’s all going good.
    Of course, I miss Starling
dreadfully. In all honesty, unless you’ve been in this situation,
there’s really no way you can understand how bad this feels. So I’m
not even going there. Trust me. It’s fucking awful.
     
     

 
    37
     
     
    Another month goes by. And
we’re still at the same place. If anything, things are worse. Cause
there’s been no progress. The dark green sedan is long gone. No
clue who was in it. Supposing it’s even relevant. Chris is still a
Person Of Interest. A POI. But that’s just a label. Cause nothing’s
been done. He’s been going to work, coming home, roaming the hills,
with his phone at the ready. So what is he doing?
    Lilian is losing her marbles.
Patience too and her long-standing battle with addiction which is
clearly rearing its ugly head. But there’s nothing we can do.
    I go to school, do my shit. In
the afternoon I go to the beach. Starling is not there. But I’m
looking. All places. And Lilian will be too, I feel. Very soon.
     
     

 
    38
     
     
    Then, a piece of news.
Detective Martin is packing up shop. He’s going back to the big
city. To look for some other children, who just might be easier to
find. And the investigation is now officially handed over to
Captain Josh, who will continue to. Chip away.
     
    Me and Chris are handling this
news. Lilian isn’t. She has another meltdown. It’s almost a
positive thing. At least she’s roused herself. She got out of bed
and screamed, oblivious to everything, even me standing right
there.
    ‘I don’t want to be here! I
don’t want to be here! I don’t want to!’ She’s tearing at her hair,
what’s left of it, and she’s doing a dance. She’s no sense of
rhythm. It breaks my heart, this horrible I don’t know what, but
I’m determined to be strong. Cause somebody has to be.
    It turns out Chris is on the
same wavelength. I’ve no doubt his heart is breaking but he steps
up. He gets hold of Lilian, holds her, hugs her to him. She bites
him on the shoulder and he pushes her away. She looks at him with
blood shot eyes; looks like she might jump him. But Lilian’s no
Assassin. She has no staying power. She collapses over the kitchen
pull-out and Chris picks her up and places her on the bed. It’s
over for now. She’ll sleep. I won’t. I’ll be up all night, thinking
about her and Starling. So will Chris. And Chris will drink.
    Oh, yes. He will drink as he
often does now. Sits in the truck with a bottle, looking at the
house, drinking. For hours, thinking about her, how she trusted her
daddy and how he failed her, and he’s probably blaming himself. And
so he should be. Lilian blames him. I blame him. But only because I
miss her so much.
     
     

 
    39
     
     
    ‘Lilian. Lil’… you azleep,
h-honey?’
    Oh, no. Chris’s slurring. He
has been out there and now he’s crawled back in. He wants to be a
husband now. This isn’t going to go down well.
    It doesn’t. Lilian’s conscious,
for once. It’s the next morning and her magic pills have worn
off.
    ‘Fuck off! Don’t even think
about it, you pig!’
    She’s really vicious. So is