Chapter 71
The air nipped at Elea’s cheeks as she walked to the post office on the High Street.
The grey sky pressed low over the streets of Lincoln, but Elea’s heart was filled with light.
Her breath came in visible puffs as she clutched the small parcel in her hand.
Her gloved fingers gripped it tightly as if it might evaporate, along with the promise that she had made.
The small city moved around her in its usual rhythm, a steady stream of cars snaking their way through the streets.
She inhaled the sharp tang of petrol fumes as she waited for the beep of the pedestrian crossing.
Such pauses in her day used to frustrate her.
She was always rushing, her nerves raw as she hunted down her daughter’s kidnapper.
Now the world felt entirely new, her body and mind fully relaxed for the first time in years.
The strain she’d carried for more than a decade had been replaced by pure, unadulterated joy.
Her feet carried her to the post office, where she pushed open the heavy door.
She welcomed the sudden warm air, which tingled her skin and brought the tips of her fingers back to life.
The sturdy woman behind the counter wore large, round glasses that magnified deep-brown eyes.
“I’d like to post this to Helsinki, please, first-class,” Elea said, placing the precious parcel on the scales.
The woman smiled, taking it from beneath the Perspex.
“What does it contain?”
“A tubed cigar,” Elea replied, her words catching in her throat.
This was just another package to the postal worker.
She had no idea of the meaning behind this small, seemingly insignificant parcel.
Elea’s heart fluttered as she watched the woman print a label and affix it with care.
She thought of her colleague Niall opening it, and of his pleasure at joining in the celebration of her daughter’s return.
He would handle Liisa’s story with care.
“Anything else?”
Elea blinked. “Sorry . . . yes, I have this to post: recorded delivery, please.” She pulled the envelope from her shoulder bag.
This hadn’t warranted being carried in her hands.
It did not bring any spark of joy, but it did bring closure.
She slipped it beneath the glass. She could have dropped it straight into Swann’s solicitor or even given it to Swann himself, but it felt better to distance herself in this way.
“That’s it, thanks.” The signed divorce papers were finally on their way.
She felt lighter as she left the post office and wrapped her scarf in a loop around her neck.
The world hadn’t changed. Lincoln was still bustling, the sky still heavy above her, the wind still sharp.
But, for Elea, everything was different.
She pushed her hands into her pockets and allowed herself a smile.