Chris the cameraman was a stout forty-something with a decided lack of outward emotion. After a brief run-down of how the segment would go, he handed Bel and Betty each an earpiece and hooked them up with microphones, which was apparently referred to as ‘micing up the talent’, as the email the day before had explained. Bel had never been referred to as talent before, so it was somewhat nerve-racking. Betty, on the other hand, was enjoying the attention and looked like she’d been born to stand in front of a man with a camera. The host of the show would be asking questions through the earpieces when they were given the cue. Bel wasn’t sure if she wanted to throw up or run, but there wasn’t time to do either because Chris the cameraman was suddenly counting them down and then they were live in front of the entire nation.
Fuck. For a horrifying moment, she thought she had sworn out loud, but then she realised the sound was the host, Georgia-Mae Bartlet, welcoming her to the show.
‘Were you surprised by all the interest in the story?’ Georgia-Mae asked Bel after giving the audience a run-down of where the town was and the story of her initial post going viral.
‘Completely. I had no idea when I posted the story that it’d become this big.’
‘In all seriousness, though, despite the light-hearted banter going on between the different law enforcement agencies, this is a bit of a mystery isn’t it, this question of who stole the town mascot?’
Betty immediately cut in, angling herself in front of Bel. ‘It’s a crime is what it is. Elvis is the heart and soul of Wessex. He’s more than a mascot. He’s irreplaceable.’
Bel cringed a little at the overly dramatic response. Heart and soul might be going a little too far.
‘Have there been any leads in the story? Do we have any further ransom notes? I mean, it seems like a good idea to bring in ASIO since thisistheir area of expertise, and they did respond on their official Facebook page to the Federal Police’s post. Do you hope that with these extra resources you might be able to find out what happened to Elvis and get him back?’
‘I would certainly hope so,’ Betty said. ‘It may seem like a joke to most people, but I can assure you, stealing from amuseum is a very serious crime. And between you and me, I suspect the culprit is someone with very close ties to the town, with a vendetta against our tourism push.’
The show’s host did seem to prick up at that little piece of scandal and Bel quickly jumped in before Betty could start naming names and getting herself slapped with a lawsuit.
‘We are encouraging anyone who might have been involved, perhaps as a practical joke, to return Elvis. We’re all after a peaceful resolution,’ Bel said.
‘That’s all we have time for this morning. Thank you, ladies, for joining us, and let’s hope Elvis is returned to his rightful place very soon.’
They said goodbye and their connection was cut. Bel felt her shoulders sag in relief.Thank God that’s over.
‘Did you see us waving, Mummy? Did Daddy see the sign we made?’ Ayla asked excitedly as the children gathered around Bel’s phone to talk to their mother.
‘I did. Daddy loved the sign. That was so exciting!’
‘And Aunty Bel was on TV. She’s famous!’ Ivy added.
‘She certainly is.’
Bel noticed her friend sounded a little distracted. ‘We have to get you lot to school so we’ll let Mummy go and we’ll call her this afternoon, okay?’ Taking the phone back and turning away from the kids, Bel added in a low voice, ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yeah. Just waiting for the doctor to finish with Craig and give us an update.’
There was a note of concern in her friend’s voice and Bel knew she hadn’t been imagining the earlier distraction. ‘Are you worried it’ll be bad news?’ she asked cautiously.
Her question was greeted with a long pause, before Emma said, ‘I don’t know. Brain injuries can vary so much and they keep saying wait and see, but I just … don’t know. The doctors have mentioned that recovery can stop at any stage and he’s still barely talking. I’ve been trying so hard to stay optimistic and not expect too much too soon, but … I can’t help it, Bel. What if he doesn’t get any better than he is right now?’
Bel closed her eyes briefly at the thought. ‘Then we deal with that if it happens. I think you’ve had to be strong for so long and it’s only natural that you’d have moments where you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you need to come home for a bit and recharge your batteries. Have a break?’
‘I’ve been thinking about it,’ Emma agreed softly. ‘I could only be away a few days, though.’
‘Think it over.’
‘I gotta go, the doctor’s here. I’ll call you tonight.’
Bel slipped her phone into her back pocket and hurried to catch up to the kids walking ahead with a few of their friends.
The school had sent a notice out letting everyone know they were starting twenty minutes later to accommodate all the fanfare the interview had stirred up. It felt more like a town parade than a normal weekday morning, with peoplegathering in small groups to catch up and others ambling along the street as they began to disperse and move on. Maybe this whole going viral thing did have benefits. There was a definite vibe happening in their small town.
