While we wait for the police and for Dad, I have a break from sniffing. It takes a lot of effort. The painkillers start working. My headache is still there, but easing off.
Mr. Fogel seems unsure what to do once Mom has explained what’s going on. He tells Mom he feels he should stay a while longer in case anything goes wrong with the sniff controller, but he doesn’t want to be in the way. Mom reassures him and makes him a cup of coffee. He comes to sit with me in the living room and tells me more about his research, how he is a neurobiologist specializing in olfaction—which he says is all things to do with the nose and sense of smell. They came across the idea of sniffing as a means to control things purely by chance. I am fascinated.
“I never imagined one day I’d be sitting with someone who is using the sniff controller to give a crucial witness statement to the police!” he says, giving me a big smile.
Then Mom turns on the TV, and Mr. Fogel and I watch a program about people who want to move to Australia.
Mom phones Olivia’s social worker to tell her what I said. She’s in the kitchen, but I can hear snippets. It sounds like Olivia can’t come back. I feel sad.
Dad’s home. Mom starts crying when she tells him about Olivia. He hugs her, and then he comes and hugs me too, so tightly I worry he might pull out the sensors in my nose.
“I think I’m still in shock,” Dad says.
The police arrive. They’re the same two that came when Sarah first went missing. Dad takes his newspaper into the kitchen for Mr. Fogel to read while he waits. So I have Mom, Dad, Officer Hunt, and Officer Sahin in the living room with me. Mom explains to the police how the sniff controller works and that I have just gotten it and haven’t had much practice.
“Can you tell us what you told your mom?” Officer Sahin asks.
It is very slow, but now I see how I can use the predictive text, which makes it slightly quicker. Even so, by the time I’ve spelled a word, Officer Hunt is already fidgeting impatiently.
“DAN KILL RYAN,” I sniff.
Officer Sahin has been watching the screen, but she looks startled as the voice finally speaks my words.
“And you know this because?” she asks.
“TOLD ME,” I spell again.
“Who told you?” she asks.
“DAN,” I sniff. “WONT CATCH ME.”
“Dan won’t catch you?” Officer Sahin asks.
I thought I was doing well—I’m definitely getting faster—but I’m frustrated now. “NO,” I sniff. I try to think how to be clearer.
“Ahh—are you telling us what Dan said?” asks Officer Sahin.
I am so relieved that she has understood. “YES,” I sniff. “THEY WONT CATCH ME.”
I can’t believe I have managed to say a whole sentence. Suddenly, I remember the knife. I didn’t tell Mom that.
I sniff quickly before Officer Sahin can ask another question.
“KNIFE.” Is that clear? She looks unsure, but Dad’s eyes light up.
“I think I know what Jemma means… Can I…?” Dad begins.
“I’d rather we ask the questions if you don’t mind. We have to make sure we don’t ask anything leading,” says Officer Hunt.
“Oh, okay,” says Dad.
“You know something about a knife?” Officer Sahin asks me. “Can you tell me more about it?”
“OLIVIA KNIFE,” I sniff.
Officer Hunt looks confused. I’m not explaining clearly enough. I wish I could talk more in whole sentences, but sniffing each letter is so much effort.
Dad can see I’m struggling, and he ignores Officer Hunt’s request to keep quiet. “Olivia found a knife in our garden,” he says. “I’ll get it.”
I hear his footsteps leave and come back a few moments later. “Here.”
I can’t see because of the angle, but I assume Dad is giving Officer Hunt the knife. I hear the rustle of plastic. “Just put it straight in here,” says Officer Hunt.
“KNIFE RYAN,” I sniff.
“Does it look like the kind of knife that stabbed Ryan?” Dad asks.
“I couldn’t comment on that,” says Officer Hunt.
“DANS KNIFE,” I sniff.
“Do you know that?” Officer Hunt asks.
“THINK,” I admit.
“Jemma, when did Dan tell you he killed Ryan?”
There’s a tone in his voice as if he’s not sure he believes me.
When did he tell me? I can’t remember! It was weeks ago. Is it okay to say that?
“WEEKS AGO,” I sniff. I feel I need to explain more, although it is taking a lot of effort.
“Do you know anything about Sarah’s disappearance?” Officer Sahin asks.
What can I say? “DAN,” I sniff.
“You know Dan is responsible—or you think he might be?”
“THINK,” I sniff.
“Do you know of any reason why Dan might be responsible?”
“RICHARD,” I sniff.
Officer Sahin nods thoughtfully.
All the energy has drained from me. I need a break. I hope there are not too many more questions.
“TIRED,” I sniff.
“Okay,” says Officer Sahin. “I think that’s enough questions for now.”
“What happens next?” Dad asks. “I mean, Jemma can’t sign a statement or anything.”
“We’ll need you to bring Jemma to the station so we can film her answering these questions,” Officer Sahin explains. “The video evidence can be used in court if needed. You have been very helpful, Jemma—very helpful indeed.”
“Good job, dear,” says Mom, stroking my arm.
“TIRED,” I sniff again.
“You look washed out,” Mom says, stroking my cheek. She turns to Officer Sahin. “I really don’t think she can answer all these questions again now.”
“How about you rest and come to the station after lunch?” Officer Sahin suggests.
“Thank you, we’ll do that,” says Mom.
“GET DAN,” I sniff.
“We’ll certainly be making further inquiries,” Officer Sahin assures me.
I’ve done it! I’ve told them—although I wish I didn’t have to do it all over again for the video. At least they are taking me seriously. The police will arrest Dan, and they’ll find out what happened to Sarah. I feel ecstatic at being able to communicate something so important. “Do you want to lie down?” Mom asks when they’ve gone.
“YES,” I sniff.
“It’s so nice to be able to ask you what you want rather than decide for you,” she says as she wheels me into my bedroom.
But lying there on my bed, I couldn’t sleep. My head felt like it was full of bees buzzing around and around. I couldn’t switch off until I knew the police had locked Dan up.
I heard Mr. Fogel leave and wished I’d said goodbye to him and told him how grateful I was—though I could hear Mom and Dad thanking him again and again.
By the time I’d been to the police station with Mom and gone through all the questions again, I felt like I had nothing left. I wish I’d managed to ask if they’d arrested Dan yet, but answering the questions had used up all my energy.
As we left the police station, we passed a police car arriving. Maybe Dan was in it. I wish I could have seen. Back home, I was able to ask to lie down again.
Mom took out the sniff controller tube, and that time I fell asleep instantly.
Now I’m awake, and I have no idea how much time has passed. I can hear Mom’s voice. I think she’s in the kitchen on the phone. I try to listen, but I can’t hear what Mom’s saying or figure out who she’s talking to. Is it the police?
Mom doesn’t come. I’m lying here, waiting and waiting.
Finally her head appears around the door.
“I was feeling impatient, wondering what was happening,” she tells me, “so I called the station.” She smiles. “They’ve got him, Jemma! The police have got Dan. They’re questioning him now.”
I’m so relieved. They’ve got him! I wish I could have seen his face when he opened the door for them.
But what about Sarah?