Then She Was Gone Read Free Page A

anyone we could find.
No one recalls a woman being there. No one recalls a child being there either. We can find no trace of anyone named Lauren Moran, born on the date you gave us, in the area – or nearby, in
fact.’
    ‘That can’t be right.’
    The detective leaned forwards, placing her notepad to one side. She stared at him.
    ‘Did they exist, Tim? Either of them? What is the truth here?’

Monday 21 September
    Three weeks she had been gone.
    That’s how long it took for him to give in and call for help. He hadn’t spoken to the group in years, but it was finally time.
    He waited until the train came above ground, leaving the tunnel which ran underneath the River Mersey, and then pulled out his new mobile phone.
    ‘It’s me . . . Tim . . . I need help . . . I need the club to help me . . . Yes, I know, again, but that’s what
it’s for, right?’
    He could hear the exasperation from the voice on the other end of the line, but managed to set up a meeting for the next day.
    Tim was desperate. There was no evidence his daughter had ever existed as far as the police were concerned. Just his word, which wasn’t enough.
    He’d spent his time wandering around, hoping to catch sight of her. He was certain he would recognise her. There was a small mole, or birthmark, on her right earlobe. He could close his
eyes and remember the touch of it on his finger, as he rocked her to sleep, stroking the side of her face and touching her ear. He was the only one who knew that was what would work.
    It was obvious to him what had happened. Lauren had found out where he’d gone, attacked him in that park and taken Molly somewhere. The problem was proving that he was right.
    The problem was proving their existence at all.
    How could Molly be unreal when every fibre of him ached? He felt incomplete and malformed without her.
    How could he have made her up?
    He blinked and had an image of Lauren cowering from him, as he stood over her. Another second and the image was gone. Replaced by the wheel spinning once more.
    He left the train at Moreton station and walked the ten-minute journey from there through a dodgy estate to his altogether nicer one. He pulled his coat tighter around him as the wind picked up
and swirled fallen leaves on the ground ahead of him.
    He entered the street where the house he’d spent almost a year with Lauren was situated. He’d decide to move back – convinced Lauren would return there if she was going to come
back anywhere.
    Flashing lights stopped him in his tracks. A police car was parked up outside his house. Another van was there, the words Scientific Support emblazoned on the side. He
broke into a jog, which turned into a sprint as he covered the remaining few yards at speed. He stopped at the end of the driveway, almost barrelling into a uniformed policeman who was standing
guard.
    ‘What’s going on?’ Tim said, already out of breath, but not caring. ‘Why are you here? Have you found her?’
    ‘You need to stay here for a second.’
    Tim tried to move past the police officer, but a burly arm blocked his path. He looked towards the house, squinting into the darkness, before a light was switched on in the hallway and two
figures emerged.
    ‘Mr Johnson,’ a voice called out from the direction of the front door.
    ‘Have you . . . have you found her?’ Tim said, his words faltering as he lifted a hand to his mouth. ‘Is she OK? What’s going on?’
    ‘I need you to come with me,’ DC Hashem said, taking her hands out of the pockets of her coat. Tim saw the man standing behind her was the same one that had accompanied her to the
other house.
    ‘Tell me now,’ Tim replied, words falling from his mouth without him being aware of them. ‘Just tell me, is she OK? Please tell me Molly is OK. Where’s my
daughter?’
    ‘I just need you to come with us now. We’ll explain everything down at the station.’
    He didn’t think he could make the short walk to the