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“I don’t have the fucking foggiest. Why are we talking about clogs?”
“You started it with IKEA!”
“Bloody hell. Can we get back to the question of Gary?”
“Right, so I explained I needed to take some personal time. He wasn’t going to say no, was he? Not when he thinks I’ll end up owing him for it. I guarantee he’ll use it against me when I get back. I bet fifty pounds he uses it as a thinly veiled threat to get me to go for a drink with him,” I have told Gary numerous times I am not interested in him in the slightest. Being rebuffed seems to spur him on, which is unfortunate. If he doesn’t get the message soon, I’m going to have to report him. Joy! So happy to be known asthatgirl. Even if Gary is in the wrong, I will still be seen as the uptight bitch who dobbed him in. I roll my eyes at the thought. Penny can read my expression.
“If he continues harassing you, Daisy, you don’t have a choice. Report that sleazy fucker.”
“There is a silver lining to him being gross, in that he lets me do what I want.”
“Daisy, you can do what you want, anyway. You’re the fucking brainchild in that place. Gary has a title, and that’s it. I’d bet my firstborn that if the higher ups had to choose between you and Gary, you would come out on top every time.” Penny is right. The company needs me.
“I’ll deal with him when I get back. Right now, I need to focus on Callie. I’m so close, Pen, after all this time.”
“And I am shitting rainbows for you, sweetie.” Penny is a real wordsmith. “Just be careful, okay? Will you let me log into your phone finder? I would feel better knowing where you are.” I should have thought of that. Penny doesn’t need to know about Betty. That would put her in the crosshairs but it would be comforting to me knowing there is someone in the world looking out for me.
“Yeah, go for it. You know the password.” My laptop flashes and vibrates, scaring the living shit out of me. I almost launch my phone and Penny across the room. “Pen, I have to go. I have something.”
“Okay, I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The phone screen turns black as Penny ends the call. I barely said goodbye before I dropped the handset and replaced it with my laptop. Bingo, I have a lead. The scooter that Callie escaped on was found just outside of Malmö. I need to get to that dumpsite. There could be cameras in the area. Surely Callie would have chosen the dumpsite carefully, but she couldn’t anticipate all the cameras. Our world is monitored 24/7, no one can hide forever.
Putting the coordinates in my phone I go to the local taxi rank. Swedish people are like the friendliest fucking people in the world. Hell, maybe after all this is over—and if I’m still alive—I might just move here. The taxi man speaks fluent English. He actually apologised for not knowing how to sign! There is still decency in the world.
Not that I expect everyone to be able to sign—although it’s my strong belief that sign language should be taught toeveryonein school—but it’s nice to have someone think about making my life easier rather than me just being expected to adapt to the hearing world.
It takes half an hour to reach the place where the scooter was recovered. The driver or Lars, as I now know him, looks a little disturbed leaving me in the area alone. I assure him I will be fine. I have had years of martial arts training. I will fuck a person up if they put their hands on me. Something Gary should be made aware of.
Lars leaves and I scan the area, looking for cameras. It’s not surprising to see there are none in the immediate vicinity, but all’s not lost. There is a main road fifty metres to my left. Callie would have had to take it, and I’m certain there will be something that can help me find her again.Et Voila, I find what I’m looking for as soon as I round the corner to the main road.
What I have to do next is super illegal. Well, doing it for personal reasons is, but no one will ever know. I’m the best at what I do for a reason. I just need a comfy place to set up. The coffee shop across the street will do nicely.
The smell of sweet pastries nearly knocks me over. I’m suddenly ravenous. One or two little treats can’t hurt while I’m working. Four pastries, that’s how many I shove in my gullet. Oh well, I’ll do some yoga or something later. Ha, I won’t.
I sit so no one is able to see my screen. It takes me nearly three hours and a ridiculous amount of coffee to find what I need. There she is, jumping into a little Toyota iQ. Now the hard work begins. Following her using the cameras around her sounds simple, but it really isn’t, especially when you don’t have explicit permission to access said cameras. Oops. I’ll send a fruit basket to the right people once I’m done.
The cafe is about to shut and I’m still following her. So far, she has reached Frankfurt. The waiter is looking at me impatiently. I just need a little longer. I look at him pleadingly. Hell, I have bought more coffee than a seasoned bean addict. He could cut me some slack. My powers of pleading are obviously excellent because he starts cleaning the counter that he’s already cleaned twice. My eyes bore into the screen, hoping that something will happen in the limited time I have. Hallelujah, there it is. Callie’s little Toyota breaks down.
I head to the local hotel. It’s basic but it will do. My nerves are sizzling. I’m excited. I will find her again. After a mildly warm shower, I settle on the bed. It’s getting late but I just can’t stop. I have to know what she does next. When she left the car, she moved a little further down the road. Did she hitchhike? Yes, that’s confirmed when she gets into a VW van with two hippies.
My eyes are closing against my will. It’s been a long day and I need to be fully on it tomorrow, so I give in to sleep. Hopefully, the enthusiastic lovemaking next door will stop soon. I can feel the headboard banging rhythmically on the wall.
* * *
My phone tells me it’s later than I thought. Travelling took it out of me, so did the hours of screen time. But now I have to get up, there is work to do. The little coffee machine in my room splutters and gargles. It’s a pod machine, so hopefully I will get a decent cup out of it. My laptop boots up. Thankfully I still have one more night booked in the hotel. I don’t want to leave until I have a solid idea where Callie is heading.
I was wrong about the coffee; it sucks! I dread to think how long it’s been since the machine was cleaned. No matter, I still drink it. Breakfast is equally disappointing. Who the hell invented Granola bars? They are the worst. Honey & Chocolate, my sweet arse. Cardboard and disappointment is a much better descriptor for that garbage. I don’t have time to go out though, so it will have to suffice.
Following the VW is mind-numbing. It goes at the speed of an electric wheelchair. Why did they pull over so much? Never mind, they finally drop Callie off in Lyon. Now it’s getting interesting. Will she try to grab a lift off another stranger? My job just got infinitely harder. Following a vehicle is one thing. Trying to follow one person in a city is quite another.
I crack my knuckles and smile. Callie used to slap my arm playfully when I did that and would always tell me I would get early arthritis. I scour the cameras around where she was dropped off. My heart sinks. I can’t see her. My breathing is coming faster. The idea that I’ve failed to find her makes my stomach drop. I can’t lose her, not again.
Several minutes later and my persistence pays off. The logo on the building she enters tells me she’s hired a car. Excellent. The camera outside the rental place gives me a licence plate. Game on! My guess is that she’s going to head south. Spain maybe, possibly Portugal. Hmm, Barcelona, nice, I always wanted to go to Sitges which is located just west of the city. So, I was right in guessing her general direction.
Very interesting, she’s picked up a passenger, a young man. Who the hell is he? Are they friends? My questions are left unanswered. I need food. The wanky Granola bar did nothing to satiate my hunger. McDonalds it is. I’m not making the best choices, food wise, right now. I can only blame it on nerves.
