Chapter 14
ED
Now
Do you know where #thegirlinthesong is?
By Zane Peters, Showbusiness News Editor
I catch sight of the headline of The Daily Mail, accompanied by a series of very familiar photos, just a week after I’d seen the same photos at Virginia’s house.
She’d promised that she would keep them safe and not do anything with them for the moment, but I guess being on her own, she obviously needed the money.
Virginia had hinted that she had thought there was the possibility that Evie was pregnant and that had been playing on my mind ever since.
Was that the reason Evie left without saying goodbye?
We’d only had sex a few times and had mainly used condoms as far as I could remember… .
I open the TikTok app on my phone and watch TikTok’s current queen, Amira Malik and her recent conspiracy theory about the possible identity of #thegirlinthesong.
There were at least three names in the frame.
One was a cashier called Evie Beckett who worked part-time in Tesco in Wandsworth, the second was a primary school teacher called Genevieve Ellis from Barnes where we all used to live, and the final one was an attractive well-heeled housewife from Richmond called Genie McNamara.
All were around the right age, but I wasn’t convinced that any of them were Evie, as it was hard to see their faces close up.
It was Amira’s second TikTok video that stopped me in my tracks, as she had picked up on the fact that the real reason that Evie had left all those years ago was because she was pregnant.
She’d even circled in on Evie’s slightly rounded tummy from Virginia’s photos.
TikTok exploded with both Amira’s videos going viral and #thegirlinthesong was once more trending on all social media channels and Evie’s song, “Used to Be” continued to trend as more and more people used the song in their TikTok posts.
I close my TikTok app down and shoot a short curt WhatsApp to Virginia.
I thought we’d agreed that you wouldn’t do anything with the Polaroids
A minute later she’d replied.
I’m so sorry Ed. It wasn’t me. It was my ex – Callum, Shannon’s dad. I think he took copies of the Polaroids the day after we met. Shannon must have mentioned that you were over the other night to him. I thought it was odd that he’d popped over. I’m really so very sorry. V
Her reply seemed genuine enough but maybe her and her ex-husband were in on it together.
I message her back.
Not a lot either of us can do about it now. Maybe with the photos being out there, Evie might get in touch and I can finally find out the truth
Virginia sent another message.
I would never have sold the photos, but I am sorry that this has happened. Hope you find what you’re looking for. V
I just did a thumbs up emoji back. She seemed genuine enough. If her and her ex had made some money out of it, then fair enough. I’ve exploited Evie enough since “Used to Be” has had a resurgence so I’m hardly blameless.
After Amira’s TikTok video went viral, “Used to Be” was again one of the most streamed songs on ITunes and Spotify which I was sure our manager Toby Turner would be delighted by! It all helped but was I any nearer to finding out the real truth about Evie?