15
EPILOGUE

Arthur Jones, known to his friends as Duxie, was reported missing in February 2005. There have been no sightings of him since, and not a single message has been received from him.

Up to a quarter of a million people are reported missing in Britain every year, and although most of them are found again, or turn up safe and well, thousands disappear without trace. Duxie’s family haven’t given up hope of seeing him again. They believe he’ll walk back into their lives one day.

Duxie left three photographs on the table by the window in his flat, overlooking the football field.

One shows a man in a fez, a magician, about to do a trick.

Another shows a rainbow over the sea with seven white swans flying through it.

The third photograph shows a picnic scene somewhere by a lake, and the hills in the background are covered in snow. A very beautiful young woman is looking into the camera. She has a happy, excited look on her face. The other person in the photograph is looking past the camera, into the distance, and he’s smiling.

On the door of his flat they found an orange Post-it note with seven words written on it:

Gone for a picnic with Olly – Duxie.