“It’s Liisa’s turn next.” Maria spoke in a gleeful whisper. “We’ll bring her home.”
Anu’s bedroom door made no sound as she pushed it open. The room was just as it had been, decades ago. Pop-star posters on the walls. A wardrobe filled with clothes that wouldn’t fit any more. A museum to the child that Maria had lost. And now there was an adult, sleeping in the wooden-framed single bed.
As Elea took in the scene, her world moved on its axis once again. Yes, Maria had kept everything of Anu’s, including pair upon pair of Velcro-strap shoes. They peeped out from under the bed beneath Anu’s sleeping form.
“Are they...” Elea’s throat constricted. “Anu’s?” She already knew the answer, but she had to hear it from his mum.
“Yes,” Maria whispered. “Anu couldn’t tie his laces, no matter how hard he tried.”
Elea nodded, unable to reply. Anu returned home at the same time their suspect was on the run. Anu, the troubled young blonde-haired boy who had become a man.The air was sucked out of Elea’s lungs as the revelation hit her with force. Anu wasn’t cared for like Liisa when he was young. He had been referred to social services because of neglect at home. Maria had spent her life paying for her mistakes, but what if it was too late for Anu? Had he run away, the day he disappeared? Had he—
“Sweetheart, wake up.” Maria approached his bed, unaware of the awful jigsaw puzzle being put together in Elea’s head. There was no movement from beneath the covers, only the shape of Anu’s sleeping form. “It’s OK. You’re safe now.” Maria waited, hesitant. Scared to touch, for fear her son would simply fade into the ether. Elea knew those feelings. She’d dreamed about Liisa’s return countless times. It must have felt surreal for Maria, too.
No response.
“Anu?” Maria touched the blanket. “Are you OK?” She gasped as she moved the bedding. Cried as she pulled it back to reveal nothing but pillows beneath.
No, no, no,Elea wanted to scream.He can’t be gone. Not now.
“Anu!” Maria cried out. “Where are you?” She looked at Elea before checking the room, under the bed, in the wardrobe. There was nowhere else to hide. Elea followed, trying to keep it together as she ran through the house, searching for Maria’s grown-up child.
“Anu, I’m sorry. Anu!” Maria’s tortured cries rebounded against the walls. Finally she turned to Elea, her breath ragged. “I should never have brought you here! Why didn’t I let him have just one night?”
“Maria, take a breath. It’s OK,” Elea said. “I’ll find him.” But her focus had shifted away from her friend. If Anuwasher suspect, then she was about to tear Maria’s life apart. She fell into detective mode, asking Maria the usual questions to ascertain Anu’s whereabouts. But Maria was trembling, barely able to string a sentence together in her grief. A small part of Elea wondered if Anu had been there at all. But she’d heard a man in the background, calling out for his mum.
“He...he said he was—” Maria looked around the room again, checking behind the door.
“Maria,” Elea stood before her, “focus. He said he was...”
“Tired. He was tired. We had a hot chocolate. I made him lohikeitto. We hugged. We cried. I said there was no rush. That we’d talk things through in the morning. He wanted one night together before the world got involved.” Her body jerked in a sob. “Why didn’t I listen?”
“Stop beating yourself up.” Elea couldn’t afford to delay. “What does he look like? Describe him for me.” She also needed to know if Anu fitted Sophie Miller’s description of the man who took her.
Maria clasped her shaking hands. “His blonde hair is more of a brown now. It’s cut short, like a buzz cut. Soldier-style. He’s dressed all in black.” She exhaled a shaky breath.
“What build is he?”
“Um...” Maria wiped away a tear. “Slim, yes, he’s slim, but sturdy. Strong. He has a...” Elea’s heart faltered as Maria traced a line from her mouth up to her cheek. “A scar. Here. It broke my heart to see it, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.” She sniffed. Her eyes locked onto Elea’s. “What’s wrong? What do you know? Is it the scar? Who hurt them? Do you know?”
“I don’t know anything!” Elea shouted, sharper than she’d meant to be. She was trying to stay calm, but her thoughts were spiralling out of control. Anu fitted the description of Sophie Miller’s abductor. There was little doubt now. “You’ve no idea where he’s gone?” she had to ask. He wasn’t getting away from her this time.
Maria shook her head. How would she know, after all these years? It was hours since he’d gone to bed. Anu could be anywhere. Elea tried to work out her options. She’d go to the police station. Update them with the details. Get a team together. She relayed this to Maria. She had no time to spare.
“Wait!” Maria called, as if hit by a sudden thought. “His phone...” She raised her hand to her forehead, as if forcing her panicked thoughts to clear. “I put a tracker on it when he was in the bath. One of those apps.” She took a breath to speak. “I was scared this might happen.”
Elea followed her into the kitchen, her pulse rapidly picking up speed.Please let the tracker be turned on.As Maria examined her phone, the look on her face said it was. Maria flicked off the app screen and brought up her contacts.
“What are you doing?” Elea fought the urge to snatch the phone from her grip.
“Ringing him, of course.” Maria took a breath and rested a hand on her chest. She was on the verge of a panic attack.
“Wait.” Elea touched her arm. “What if you spook him? He might turn off his phone.” She forced a reassuring tone. The smiling assassin came to mind. She felt sick inside. “I’ll find him. Bring him back. He’s not far. He might even lead me to Liisa.”
“Should I go with you?” Maria blinked, her eyes filled with trust that Elea didn’t deserve.
“No. Stay here, in case he comes back.” Elea’s emotions were at war. It was unthinkable. Monstrous. But itwaspossible. Nobody talked about Anu’s childhood and the concerns of social services regarding his mental health. In the press he was portrayed as a blue-eyed angel. But what if they were wrong? Elea stared at the tracker location on Maria’s phone. It was remote, but he hadn’t gone far. Less than an hour’s head start. “Leave it with me. I’ll update you as soon as I can.” Elea groaned, “I should have hired a car.”
“Take mine.” Maria turned to the hook on the wall and grabbed a set of keys before thrusting them into Elea’s hand. Elea couldn’t look her in the eye. If Maria knew what was going on in her mind, she would never hand her those keys.
