Chapter 48
48
Charlotte shook her head in frustration. Why hadn’t she saved up and tried to buy a car? She felt hopeless, useless. ‘Tell me what I can do.’
‘I’ll drive from here towards Tristan’s house,’ Thea said. ‘His Audi’s pretty distinctive, and if he’s had a shunt on the way home, I’m sure I’ll spot it. If the signal comes back on his phone, it should be easy to track him via the app, as well.’ Thea looked intently at Charlotte, and Charlotte could see how much Thea was hoping for a positive outcome. ‘I’ve never heard him sound like that,’ she said quietly. ‘He’s bottled everything up, for our whole lives. If the dam’s broken now…’
Charlotte reached out and put a hand on Thea’s forearm. ‘We’ll find him,’ she said. ‘You know him better than anyone. Where could he be?’
Thea sighed and regarded Charlotte with a gaze that suggested she was weighing up whether or not to tell her something. Eventually, she spoke. ‘When Tristan was a teenager, he disappeared for three days. It was shortly after Gran had had yet another blazing row with Great-Uncle Phil over the future of the observatory. He overheard them arguing about what should happen to it late one night, and when I’d gone to bed, he walked out of the house and vanished.’
‘Oh my God,’ Charlotte breathed. ‘Where did he go?’
‘He never told us. Honestly, I don’t think he had much memory of it. We searched high and low, and there was no sign of him. Then, three days later he walked back into the kitchen, kissed Gran on the cheek and went to bed for twenty-four hours. He never told me or Gran where he’d been or what he’d done in that time. But something must have triggered in his brain to make him leave that night.’ Thea ran a slightly shaky hand over her face. ‘When someone you love does something like that, it doesn’t matter how many years later it is, you are always on your guard that the same thing might happen again.’
‘He was in his car, this time, though,’ Charlotte said. ‘And we know he wasn’t in a good state. He could have gone a lot further. What if he’s in a trauma loop and doesn’t know what he’s doing?’
Thea’s face paled as she digested that possibility. So much so that Charlotte had to reassure her. ‘But even with that voicemail, it doesn’t mean that’s the case.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ Thea replied. She shook her head. ‘I’m going to go up to the observatory as well and check it out. It’s dark, but I might be able to spot his car.’
‘Hold on,’ Charlotte said as Thea made to open the door and leave. ‘I know the observatory better than most. I’ve been working up there for weeks, after all.’
‘Are you sure?’ Thea asked. ‘It’s a lot to ask of you, and the site’s dangerous in the dark.’
‘I’m not going to get any sleep tonight, anyway,’ Charlotte replied. ‘And I’m used to working at night.’ She glanced out of the window. ‘Looks as though the rain’s not going to stop any time soon. I’d better grab a coat.’
The two of them, with Comet in tow, headed out to Thea’s car. As they drove quickly through the lanes to Observatory Field, neither said much. They didn’t want to voice their hopes or fears about what they might find. Thea sped as fast as the old car could take them on the hardcore access road to the site, but Charlotte knew she was as disappointed as she was to see no sign of Tristan’s Audi parked anywhere.
‘Looks like I was wrong,’ Thea said, her voice shaking. ‘God, Charlotte. What if he has had an accident somewhere?’ She brushed away sudden tears, and Charlotte’s heart ached for her.
‘I’m sure he’s fine,’ Charlotte replied. She turned to Thea. ‘Look, it’s almost longer for you to drive back to Lorelai’s than it is for me to walk. Let me out here. I’ll have a quick scout around and I’ll let you know if I find anything.’
‘Are you sure?’ Thea asked. ‘The weather’s still bloody awful.’
‘I’ve never minded the rain,’ Charlotte replied. ‘And Comet loves splashing about in puddles. Honestly, we’ll be fine.’
‘All right, but keep me posted,’ Thea said as Charlotte went to open the passenger door. ‘If you spot anything that might help locate Tris, though, let me know. I don’t care how late it is. I’ll drive back in the direction of Tristan’s house, and I’ll call you if I find him.’
‘OK,’ Charlotte said. They swapped phone numbers and then Charlotte gave Thea a quick hug. ‘One of us is bound to find him.’ Hurrying out of the car, she opened the boot of Thea’s ancient Volvo estate and let Comet out. ‘Come on, old chap,’ she said. ‘We’re going to form a search party.’