Belief

Christine added, "You said he was scared? What do you mean, scared?"

Bethan felt like she was all at sea without a lifebelt. How to navigate this? She was going to have to rely on her own brief judgement of Christine and what she knew of Katie. Christine seemed rational but she'd also just hit her husband over the head with a rock. These truly were uncharted waters and Bethan wished she could scramble to safety as there was no chance of anyone else rescuing her from this.

"I contacted him after I received the photo."

Christine's eyebrows raised. Still had his number, still in communication. Bethan could see her thoughts.

"I had his number from the divorce. He never changed it. I took a chance that I could contact him that way."

Christine took this information. Neither of them had addressed their both being married to Dave. Bethan's shock had receded marginally; she didn't think that Christine had processed this fully yet.

Bethan continued. "I wondered if he could remember the names of the boys. I knew that they were Laney's friends but I couldn't remember much else about them. Dave was always better with remembering names than me."

Christine nodded. She recognised this about her husband.

"I wanted to see if I could talk to them. Without names, I had nowhere to start. Dave didn't want to talk about it."

"He must have changed his mind." Christine suggested.

And here was where Bethan would have to tread carefully. Mothers and daughters. She guessed that Christine and Katie were close but when a secret is revealed by a stranger? How was that going to affect the dynamic and what damage would it cause? It was obvious now to Bethan that Christine's concerns were about Dave, not Katie. He must have been acting unusually. That was why she was here. She'd followed him.

"Yes. He said it was about Laney but didn't expand." Bethan paused. "And then he told me that he'd found her camera. Here."

Christine's previously bowed head shot up.

"It was Laney's camera? Your missing daughter's camera?"

"Yes."

Bethan watched Christine as she sat, heavily.

Silence.

Then Christine spoke.

"Why should I believe you?"

***

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