‘Yes, please.’ She took a breath. ‘We’re looking for someone. He’s exhibited here before, about ten years ago.’
‘I see,’ the woman replied.
‘I called.’ Hayley took a breath. ‘A couple of weeks ago and the person I spoke to said they would call back but they didn’t and…’ She stopped as her mouth dried up. ‘I know it’s an odd request but we really need to meet with him and just… see how he is,’ Hayley continued. ‘We lost touch.’And I had a baby. She couldn’t say that. This woman would think she was completely hopeless. ‘Do you have files?’ Angel asked. ‘Could you look in a book or on a computer and see if you have a phone number or an email address for him?’
The woman smiled at Angel. ‘What is this person’s name?’
Angel looked up at Hayley, her eyes urging her to make the reply.
Hayley cleared her throat. ‘Michel. Michel De Vos.’
The woman nodded. ‘I will go and see.’ She turned away from them and headed left out of the room.
Hayley blew out a breath. ‘My heart’s hammering.’
‘Mine too,’ Angel admitted.
Hayley swung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. ‘Listen, no matter what she says, it’s a positive, right?’
‘Right,’ Angel agreed.
‘Because she’ll either have something or she won’t.’
‘I know.’
‘Good.’
‘Are you sure this was one of the galleries he talked about?’
‘Pretty sure.’
Angel looked up at her then. ‘How much wine had you drunk?’
‘Angel!’
‘Well, you don’t remember everything right after you’ve had wine.’
‘It was this one… my ten-year diary said so… I think.’
‘Mum!’
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter because if the lady comes back and says there’s no record of him, we have hundreds of others to try. And wewilltry them all.’
She could see Angel was nervous. She was lifting her feet up and down as if they were cold, then shuffling her heels on the floor. The red coat swung around her knees as she twisted and, all of a sudden, she looked so small. This was a huge thing for a nine-year-old to be going through. Hayley had dealt with it very badly. She should have given Angel more credit and told her sooner.
The squeak of shoes on the shiny floor gave them their first indication that the woman was coming back. Hayley held her breath until her chest ached.
The lady stopped just in front of them and, for a second, Hayley wondered if she was going to say anything at all. Then she smiled.
‘I have good news.’
‘Oh… really?!’ Hayley looked at Angel. Her daughter was on tiptoes, cheeks glowing in anticipation. Was this it? Had they finally found Michel. She felt sick.This was good.This was what you wanted.
The woman looked at the paper in her hands. ‘He has exhibited here… in 2004.’
Angel deflated like a bouncy castle being turned off. Hayley took hold her hand and squeezed it.
‘…and again just last year.’
