Emmet

‘Addicts betray their families all the time,’ Emmet argued. ‘Sean knew we were at the concert, he had Bridie’s phone number, photos of her …’

‘You think he sold this information to someone?’ Dad asked, incredulous.

It sounded farfetched when put like that. But everything about this situation was unbelievable. The fact that they were here, keeping vigil outside a football stadium. That Bridie had been missing more than twenty-four hours now.

‘I dunno. It’s just that everyone suspects the family so maybe we need to look at ourselves more closely?’

Dad dropped his head, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. It was a few moments before he spoke again. What he said made Emmet recoil in his seat.

‘Your mum and I discussed Sean this morning, when we thought Bridie had run away … We wondered if something had happened between them …’

‘That’s disgusting. Ergh.’

‘No more disgusting than the idea of him selling information about her.’ Dad straightened, his face cast in shadow. ‘Have you ever noticed him acting inappropriately to Bridie? Or to you?’

Emmet raked through his memories. Sean was embarrassing, loud, uncomfortable to be around. But had he ever touched them, or used sexual innuendo?

‘Not that I can think of,’ he admitted.

He closed his notebook a short while later and scrolled through his phone. A new message from Dax.

Hey, mate. Saw your family on the box. Distributed the video clip to our customer base – we have clients from far and wide. Stay strong.

Dax was being really supportive. Emmet felt bad about leaving him short-staffed today. Hopefully, Courtney had recovered from whatever was wrong with her.

He reread the message that Kiara had sent earlier.

Hope you get some sleep and wake up to good news. Wish I’d passed my test so I could drive there and keep you company for a bit. Goodnight xxx

Kiara had been messaging all day, checking in with him, asking if he needed anything. She was the type of girl who went under the radar at school. He really liked her. Did she like him or was she just being kind? It didn’t matter – nothing could happen between them if Bridie didn’t come home. A relationship couldn’t begin in the middle of such a huge tragedy. His feelings would be forever tainted with grief and guilt.

Emmet checked his socials next. Lily had posted an old photo of Bridie and her on Instagram.

Can’t sleep for worrying about this girl. I haven’t been a good friend lately. So sorry, Bridie.

He could relate. Lily hadn’t been a good friend, and he hadn’t been a good brother. They’d both let Bridie down.

‘Dad, I’m going to take a walk, okay?’ he said, getting to his feet.

His father looked up from his phone. He’d been doing the same as Emmet, reading messages, scrolling through his socials, trying to distract himself from the harsh truth: Bridie had been gone too long for this vigil to end well.

‘Don’t go far,’ he cautioned. ‘Stay in the well-lit areas.’

The precinct was virtually empty in contrast to last night. If someone came along now and abducted or robbed Emmet, the crime would be easy to track on CCTV: the perpetrator detected on approach and exit, as well as the act itself. Who would have thought that committing a crime amid a crowd of thousands was the best protection a criminal could hope for? The cameras didn’t have a chance of singling out Bridie, or the perpetrator, in crowds like that.

Emmet walked around the stadium, repeating last night’s route. No point in yelling out Bridie’s name or looking in doorways. She was long gone from the area, somewhere north if the truckie’s evidence was legit. A passenger puking on the side of the freeway; a drunk girl swaying in the park. Did these sightings relate to the same girl, to his sister?

Was there any point in staying here beyond tonight? But how could he face going home without Bridie? Her sad empty room. Mum’s grief-stricken, gaunt face. And Sean would be there: he couldn’t bear to be around his uncle right now, not with these festering doubts.

The brainstorming that had kept him occupied the last few hours was useless. Things were no clearer. He was just as confused as he’d been last night. No, he was more confused. Because he’d since learned that Mum had a stalker, and Dad had pissed off a drug lord, and his uncle and Fitz were suspects. Oh, and police were withholding information from the family. Nothing personal, just normal practice, because more often than not one of the family members is guilty.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text. Mum.

Do we know any thin girls with lots of tattoos?

Emmet only knew of one thin girl who had lots of tattoos. She’d made his life a misery this last month. Courtney.