Reckoning Point, стр. 26
Dismissing thoughts of Sissy, Alex enters the Bella Vista into Google. As he had suspected, many results came up from Malta to the Algarve and Egypt and beyond. He stares at the screen in despair. Elian could have chosen any of these, or none of them, he doesn’t even know for sure it is a hotel. The landline rings again and Alex snatches it up, still, even after so many days, his heart still bangs in the hope that it will be her voice at the end of the line.
“Alex. It’s Sol.”
Alex breathes out and leans back in his chair. “Sol, how are you?” He doesn’t mind that Sol is calling, of all the people he met in Chernobyl, ex-army man Sol was his favourite.
“I’ve been speaking to Sissy, she said you called looking for Elian, what’s happening over there?”
Alex hesitates, unsure if he should concern Elian’s family and officially declare her missing. Then he remembers Elian’s hurt when Sissy abandoned her and reasons he doesn’t need to protect the feelings of these people. At least Sissy cared enough to mention Alex’s phone call. “She took off, Sol, I’m trying to find her.”
He hears whispering on the other end of the line and it’s clear that the man who might be Elian’s birth father, Klim, is whispering directives to Sol. And then inspiration strikes.
“Sol, I need you to do me a favour. When I track Elian down I need to be able to tell her the truth about her parentage. She needs closure on a lot of things, and if Klim is her dad, I think it will help the healing process for her.”
“You do?” Sol sounds bemused, as if Klim being someone’s father could actually be a good thing.
“Yes,” replies Alex with more patience than he feels. “That bastard Niko, you know what he done to Elian. That’s bad enough, but imagine if he is her father, it makes it worse, Sol, so much worse.”
“Yeah, I understand.” Sol’s tone is now serious. “What can I do?”
“I need you to FedEx me something of Klim’s, hair would be good. I can arrange a DNA test here and we can end this once and for all. If you think Klim will agree I don’t care if you tell him, if he won’t do it, then get some anyway.”
Sol agrees and with promises to call when he has made the arrangement, he hangs up.
Alex sighs and stretches. It’s been a long while since he has done so much work for one person, and never before has he done it without charge. He’s a little proud of himself, and again, for what feels like the hundredth time, he wonders what on earth Elian Gould has done to him to make him into this kind of person.
Alex picks up the phone again and dials a number he knows off the top of his head. Eventually it is answered by a harried sounding man.
“Luke, its Alex.”
The tone changes immediately. “Al! Where have you been? I’ve not seen you since forever, and you still owe me a drink for my help in that Chernobyl stuff. How fucked up was that?”
Alex grits his teeth, knowing as he is about to ask for help again from his pal in the police force, he lets Luke talk on.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Luke,” Alex says when Luke pauses for breath. “I’m asking for a favour again.”
“Okay, but you really, really owe me, Al,” laughs Luke. “What do you need?”
“Your airport and border control contacts. I need to find someone and I think they went abroad.”
“Name? And do you have a passport number by any chance?”
“It’s Elian Gould,” replies Alex. “And I can get a passport number, I’m pretty sure I made a note of it.” Alex clicks into his email to locate the plane booking they used to go to the Ukraine.
“Elian Go–” Luke cuts off for a second, then he’s back, louder than ever. “That’s the chick that went missing in Chernobyl. Fuck, Alex, what’s going on there?”
It’s the second time he’s been asked that in less than ten minutes. Alex sighs, making a mental note to get some different contacts.
“It’s her,” he confirms. “And it’s a long story. I promise, sincerely, that one day very soon you and I will sit down over a lot of drinks and I’ll tell you everything. But for now, can you help me?”
Luke tuts, “You know I will, brother. Passport number?”
Alex, having found the old ticket confirmation, reads it off.
“I’ll buzz you back, man,” Luke says. “Give me ten minutes.” With that he hangs up the phone.
Alex closes down his computer and rubs at his eyes. He is tired, exhausted in fact. And suddenly, despite being with Noah and talking to his other friends on the phone, he is very lonely.
He taps his fingers on the telephone and whispers under his breath. “Come on, Luke. Help me out now, buddy.”
It’s actually four hours later when the telephone next rings and Alex is keeping Selina company in the lounge, half dozing as she watches one of her shows. He snatches up the landline.
“Al, man, it’s Luke.”
“Luke, what have you got?” Alex can see Selina out of the corner of his eye, sitting up and lowering the volume on the television.
“She was logged at Stansted Airport on 21st June. She bought a ticket and flew to Schipnol Airport in Amsterdam. I took a liberty and checked on the card she used to buy the plane ticket, please, Alex, I don’t have to tell you, but keep that to yourself. That card hasn’t been used since.”
Alex breathes