—
Nikki stared at her reflection. The past few months had aged her. There was an emptiness in her eyes she didn’t recognize.
Slowly, she pulled off her jacket. She was hanging this up when her phone buzzed. A text from Valerio:Drinks tonight? Insurance papers to sign.
—
Nikki was distracted and tired throughout class. She tried to focus, to become absorbed in the teaching. Instead, she kept looking at her watch, and the seconds sloughed slowly by.
Twelve minutes before the end of class, the door opened, letting in a gust of wind. Pushing through the doors was a short, squat figure wearing a blue puffer coat and bright pink beanie encrusted with sparkles. Assuming the kid belonged to one of the women in the group, Nikki turned her attention back to the class, and began correcting two teenagers who were practicing a choke-hold defense.
Above the scuffling sounds and conversation, a piping voice called out, “Nikki! Nikki! It’s meeeee! Nikki!”
The child waved enthusiastically.
Nikki didn’t like children on the best of days and couldn’t imaginewhy this one knew her name. She excused herself and crossed the room, recognizing at last the kid whom she and Sonia had met in the port.
“Audrey, what are you doing here?”
Audrey Lake grinned up at her, showing rosy cheeks and crooked teeth.
“I’m here to…well, say hello.”
Disconcerted, Nikki glanced through the glass doors, into the street.
“Where are your parents?”
“I’m here on my own!” she announced with pride.
“How did you find me?”
She held out a spiral notebook with Nikki’s name, phone number, and the address of the studio in blocky, childish script.
“I took your business card from Mummy. I looked…online it said you were here. I took a taxi.”
Nikki was astonished. Naples was no place for a child to be wandering alone.
“A taxi driver took you here?”
“I gave him money,” Audrey said. “I told him you were my sister.”
“Why did you do that?”
Another dopey grin. “Aren’t you pleased to see me?”
“No,” Nikki said. “You shouldn’t be out alone. It isn’t safe.”
Audrey looked stricken and Nikki, remembering how loudly the girl had wailed at the restaurant, continued talking before any screaming could start: “You need to call your parents, and have them come get you.”
The kid’s lip quivered. “I don’t have a phone.”
Nikki took out her own phone, and unlocked it. “Use mine.”
“I haven’t got their numbers.”
Fuck.
Nikki glanced at her watch. Ten minutes left.
