‘Oh, it did. Very much so. You weren’t the only one in tears when we realised all five of them were still breathing. Never occurred to me to keep in touch once it was over, though.’
‘That’s just it, Pen. How over is it? We put away a lot of people involved in that operation, even that bastard Lewis Drake. But you and I both know he’s the kind of vermin who won’t be happy letting that go. He might not be prepared to let them live during his appeal.’
‘He’d have to find them first.’
‘Yeah, and we both know how easy it can be to get information if you have the right amount of money or favours to offer in return. I decided to keep in touch to keep them updated on how it was all progressing. That’s all.’
They paused in front of a display case containing various types of space suit. Bliss had never been much of one for the planets and space travel, other than the many Hollywood versions.
‘Still no idea where our absconder might have gone?’ Chandler asked.
He shook his head. ‘Not a scooby. I doubt we’ll ever find out, either.’
The Somalian girl had disappeared after spending six months in the care of the state. Her refugee status was not as unequivocal as the others’. There had been discussions at all levels in relation to her trafficking story; specifically, whether she had volunteered to be taken in order to find a better life in the UK. Bliss had tried looking for her, but came to the conclusion that she had vanished into the Somalian community, probably in London.
‘Which leaves us with an Iranian and the two women from the Ukraine.’
He nodded. ‘Yeva Savchuk and Marta Lsenko. Did you know Yeva means to breathe? She told me that herself during our first real conversation. Said she had to remind herself of it while she and the others were struggling for air in those final few hours. Repeated her name over and over again, using it as some kind of mantra.’
‘They’re an amazing bunch. I’m not sure I would have lasted as long as they did in those conditions.’
Bliss recalled finding the young women and wondering how they had managed to survive. ‘Me neither.’
Chandler narrowed her gaze. ‘You admire them.’
‘Don’t you?’
‘Of course. Who wouldn’t? But it’s more obvious with you. Almost as if you’re… proud of them for having managed to stay alive in such atrocious conditions.’
‘I suppose I am. Finding them and saving them from certain death created a connection – one I find hard to let go of.’
They fell into silence as they continued walking around the exhibition, before Chandler spoke again. ‘You remembered their names. Off the top of your head.’
Bliss gave her a sidelong glance. ‘What’s your point?’
‘It astonishes me how you do that. You rarely – if ever – take notes, whether it’s a briefing, a meeting, or an interview. I often wonder why.’
Bliss nodded. ‘Then I’ll tell you. Provided you answer one of my own questions first.’
‘I can do that.’
‘You always used to save your own note writing until those same briefings, meetings, and interviews were over. But since Mia’s been gone, it’s as if you and your notepad are inseparable. And you tap the pen on its cover the way she did. Are you aware of that, or is it a subconscious thing?’
Chandler ran a hand across her hair and fussed over her braided ponytail. ‘It’s deliberate. It was Mia’s little quirk, but now that it’s mine, I feel closer to her somehow. I find it comforting. I thought others might, too.’
‘It is.’ Bliss nodded appreciatively. ‘We do. That was a good call.’
‘So now you. Why do you hardly ever take notes?’
Bliss shrugged. ‘Testing myself. I used to note stuff down, back when we first worked together. But my condition occasionally leaves me with brain-fog. My mind gets a little muddled and my concentration can be difficult to keep on track. So I work off what I hear and take in at the time, and I try to remember it all, hoping the focus will keep me sharp.’
‘And how often does that work out?’
‘Not as often as I’d like. But the things I absolutely need to remember do seem to stick. Doing mundane tasks like food shopping, or the laundry – even eating – not so much. But I reckon that’s a fair trade.’
‘All of which you’ve told your therapist, right?’
Bliss snorted. ‘What do you think? She doesn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. In return, I don’t tell her anything I don’t want her to know.’
Chandler shook her head and threw him a sour look. ‘That sounds like a healthy arrangement. Not. And a complete waste of time.’
If ever a sniff could be derisory, such was the one he gave at that moment. ‘I got something from it when I first went, but not any longer. Therapy isn’t what I need. But attendance is mandatory, so I go. I find having some down time with my music or in the garden watching my fish does more for me than spilling my guts to a relative stranger.’
‘It helped you before. Why do you think it’s not working this time?’
‘Because there’s nothing in my past or present gnawing at me; if anything, it’s the future that gives me cause for concern. My CRA applies in less than two years’ time. That gives me less than eighteen months to decide if I want to apply for an extension.’
Chandler’s eyes widened and her voice rose an octave. ‘Decide? That suggests there’s a decision to be made. I didn’t think wild horses could prevent you from extending your time in the job, Jimmy.’
Bliss grunted. ‘If I thought it’d be unopposed, I wouldn’t have to think twice. Do you actually think DCS Feeley is going to agree to my staying on?’
‘His won’t be
