After 9/11 she had gone to the site with Kate, posting his photo everywhere they could. Kate could not believe it.
‘He's a rock climber, Holly,’ she would say tearfully, as they roamed the streets. ‘A jogger, he's strong and fit, he could surviveanything.’
Holly would nod, hoping against hope that she was right, but after seeing the wreckage, she knew in her heart it was impossible.
After that, the two women became inseparable. In the months that followed, Holly gave birth to Danny and very quickly realised that she and Nick had no future, and Kate finally accepted that it was impossible for someone to face down such destruction and survive.
Then, a few years back, after the city had sifted through much of the rubble that used to be the towers, they had sent Justin's mother his ID badge from the office. It was all that was ever found of him.
His mother had sent it to Kate with a note.I can't bear to keep it but I can't throw it away.Kate wasn’t sure what to do with it either, but Holly knew exactly what. She tucked it in the space between the frame and windowpane in her apartment, facing out to the courtyard. Justin would have his wish after all: a front-row seat to life that would continue on without him.
‘Anyway,’ Kate said, determinedly turning her attention back to the bracelet. ‘If you’re taking the UPS girl’s idea seriously, that is, to try and find the owner by way of the charms, where do you plan to start?
Holly picked up the bracelet from where Kate placed it on the table and looked through the charms again.
‘I’m not exactly sure; there are so many, aren’t there? Is there anything that looks familiar to you? Other than Tiffany’s key.’
The two women huddled over the bracelet, both studying the charms.
‘Well,’ Kate said, looking up, ‘the Eiffel Tower one would suggest she’s been to Paris.’
Holly laughed. ‘Well, thanksCaptain Obvious, I appreciate that. Doesn’t tell us anything other than that, though, does it?’
‘She’s lucky. I’d love to go to Paris … be whisked away by someone special.’ She eyed the guy behind the counter again.
Holly smiled and shook her head. ‘Erm. I think Paris, Texas is about as far as you’d get with that guy.’
‘Don’t I know it,’ Kate laughed, and put her head back down, considering the charms.
She looked at Holly. ‘Of course, the pink ribbon could suggest—’
‘I know.’ The pink ribbon, a now universally-recognisable symbol for breast cancer, had been one of the first charms that had stood out for Holly. ‘But she could be a big supporter of the charity – or has a friend or family member who—’
‘Actually … ’ Kate picked the bracelet up again to look more closely at the gift box charm. ‘This one from Tiffany’s …’ She held up the key again for Holly to see. You know the way they stamp ‘Return to Tiffany’s’ on their key rings and stuff?’
Holly nodded. ‘Yes, I know there’s a reason behind that, but I can’t remember what.’
‘Well, when someone buys something from Tiffany’s with one of those “Return to Tiffany’s” stamps on it, supposedly they’re given the key ring's registration number on a separate card. If the key ring is lost and returned to the store, Tiffany contacts the customer and arranges to get it back to the owner. Isn’t it romantic?’ She shook her head dreamily. ‘So maybe it’s as simple as that.’
‘Yes, but there’s nothing like that on the bracelet,’ Holly pointed out.
‘But there is a Tiffany’s charm. Maybe they keep records of this kind of stuff anyway?’
‘You could be on to something there,’ she agreed, the wheels in her brain turning.
Maybe Tiffany’s did keep records of some sort? At The Secret Closet, even though they weren’t anywhere near the size or scale of Tiffany & Co, they kept records of all their best and returning customers, so as to contact them when something they thought might interest them came in.
When she explained this to Kate, her friend nodded excitedly. ‘Well, then, there’s your starting point. Off to Tiffany’s you go.’
12
‘Sweetheart, hold on a second … I know you’re excited, but really, you’ve also got melugging all the bags!’
I turned around and, seeing the love of my life struggling with some of the shopping bags, gave him a guilty look. I suppose I went a little overboard in the Oltrarno district, but then again, how often does a girl get to shop in Florence? However, I also supposed I could only use that line so many times …
‘You know, if I thought you were going to have problems keeping up with me, I would have brought a younger man.’
‘Watch it. Besides, the ink is surely dry on our marriage certificate. Too late – you are stuck with me for life.’
