outside this morning, tucked between the pottedplants. Any discomfort at the squeeze was countered by the fact they looked hip and exclusive to passers-by. Dee had never had a problem sacrificing comfort for style.
“All right.” Jed pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressed the screen, and slid it across the table, saying, “I got an email last week.”
Curious, she picked up the phone and read.
“Huh.” Dee scrolled to the top and read itagain. Given the absurdity of the sender’s claim, it said something that the email was most strange in its innocuousness. The man’s words held no hint of the danger she’d expect from Jed’s father. She then viewed the photographs and said, “Huh,” again.
Jed was watching her when she looked up.
Dumbfounded, she exhaled out of puffed cheeks. “That’s unusual.”
“You’re telling me.”
She frowned.“So yesterday, when you said you dad found you, you meant very recently.”
He nodded.
“Coming from a man who had your mum moving throughout your entire childhood, I’ll admit this email feels a little underwhelming.”
He smiled faintly. “I’m not convinced it’s even him.”
“The likeness is freakish if it’s not genetic. And it says Oscar. So if it’s not him, whoever sent it would still have to knowyour dad’s name.”
Jed stared at her. He looked stunned. “How do you know my dad’s name’s Oscar?”
She blinked back. “You don’t know that?”
He shook his head. “Mum’s told me less than nothing.” His expression turned apologetic. “Dee. I need to ask you something.”
She raised her chin, pretending it didn’t bother her that this was the reason he’d tracked her down. “Shoot.”
“That night, the lastnight I saw you,” he said, and she pressed her palms into her thighs beneath the table. “Something happened to scare my mum, because when I got back upstairs she was already packing.”
Dee stared at the table. So she’d been getting into her car, thinking forward to when she’d see Jed next at school, and Ellie had already been packing. Cruel, cruel world.
“She said my father had found us—thatwe had to leave straight away. Only afterwards did I think it was odd that she hadn’t rushed into my room the moment she came home. It was also odd that you were gone—she said she’d sent you home. But you wouldn’t have given yourself away. I’d obviously missed something important.” He paused. “Do you remember anything from that night? A phone call or an outburst. You’re the only person aside fromher who might know something about my father. She refuses to talk to me about it. I know the man’s explanation in this email is a crock of shit—he didn’t find me by chance. If he’s dangerous, which he almost definitely is, I want to know everything I can before I meet him.”
Dee’s hands bunched, anxious. Jed had hunted her down to prepare himself. She could see the hope in his eyes and fearedshe would let him down. Surely there was something she could offer. With a small shake of her head, she thought back.
“The main thing I remember is Ellie kicking me out. I wanted to stay and say goodnight. It didn’t seem fair that she could kick me out after what had just happened between us.”
At that, Jed shifted.
“She found me in your room. She knew the moment she looked at me. We were busted.”
“She came in looking for me?”
“No. Well, kind of.” Dee frowned, rubbing her ear. “There was a man—I’m pretty sure he was French. He turned up just after you left. They argued. I wasn’t sure whether to go out there or not. Then he burst in to your bedroom. I was just standing there.”
The memory came with the chill of unease. To call the experience uncomfortable would be an understatement.
“Theaccent might connect,” Jed said distractedly. “Leguarday is this tiny principality between France and Belgium. I looked it up. The border line on the map barely comes apart to let it in.”
“Never
“All right.” Jed pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressed the screen, and slid it across the table, saying, “I got an email last week.”
Curious, she picked up the phone and read.
“Huh.” Dee scrolled to the top and read itagain. Given the absurdity of the sender’s claim, it said something that the email was most strange in its innocuousness. The man’s words held no hint of the danger she’d expect from Jed’s father. She then viewed the photographs and said, “Huh,” again.
Jed was watching her when she looked up.
Dumbfounded, she exhaled out of puffed cheeks. “That’s unusual.”
“You’re telling me.”
She frowned.“So yesterday, when you said you dad found you, you meant very recently.”
He nodded.
“Coming from a man who had your mum moving throughout your entire childhood, I’ll admit this email feels a little underwhelming.”
He smiled faintly. “I’m not convinced it’s even him.”
“The likeness is freakish if it’s not genetic. And it says Oscar. So if it’s not him, whoever sent it would still have to knowyour dad’s name.”
Jed stared at her. He looked stunned. “How do you know my dad’s name’s Oscar?”
She blinked back. “You don’t know that?”
He shook his head. “Mum’s told me less than nothing.” His expression turned apologetic. “Dee. I need to ask you something.”
She raised her chin, pretending it didn’t bother her that this was the reason he’d tracked her down. “Shoot.”
“That night, the lastnight I saw you,” he said, and she pressed her palms into her thighs beneath the table. “Something happened to scare my mum, because when I got back upstairs she was already packing.”
Dee stared at the table. So she’d been getting into her car, thinking forward to when she’d see Jed next at school, and Ellie had already been packing. Cruel, cruel world.
“She said my father had found us—thatwe had to leave straight away. Only afterwards did I think it was odd that she hadn’t rushed into my room the moment she came home. It was also odd that you were gone—she said she’d sent you home. But you wouldn’t have given yourself away. I’d obviously missed something important.” He paused. “Do you remember anything from that night? A phone call or an outburst. You’re the only person aside fromher who might know something about my father. She refuses to talk to me about it. I know the man’s explanation in this email is a crock of shit—he didn’t find me by chance. If he’s dangerous, which he almost definitely is, I want to know everything I can before I meet him.”
Dee’s hands bunched, anxious. Jed had hunted her down to prepare himself. She could see the hope in his eyes and fearedshe would let him down. Surely there was something she could offer. With a small shake of her head, she thought back.
“The main thing I remember is Ellie kicking me out. I wanted to stay and say goodnight. It didn’t seem fair that she could kick me out after what had just happened between us.”
At that, Jed shifted.
“She found me in your room. She knew the moment she looked at me. We were busted.”
“She came in looking for me?”
“No. Well, kind of.” Dee frowned, rubbing her ear. “There was a man—I’m pretty sure he was French. He turned up just after you left. They argued. I wasn’t sure whether to go out there or not. Then he burst in to your bedroom. I was just standing there.”
The memory came with the chill of unease. To call the experience uncomfortable would be an understatement.
“Theaccent might connect,” Jed said distractedly. “Leguarday is this tiny principality between France and Belgium. I looked it up. The border line on the map barely comes apart to let it in.”
“Never
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