Chloe mentioned having a meeting scheduled with Ted Mason, a name Liv had read in many author acknowledgments. He’d accompanied Essie at the start of her journey, and also down the aisle. This could be Liv’s chance to speak with him and learn more about Essie’s past and what made her withdraw from society, clues that might help Liv with reshaping her novel and writing the missing chapters.

Liv had to get to him before Chloe did. But how?

First, she phoned Bloom and Dale to see who’d ordered the bouquet of white roses. The young woman who answered was new in her role. She spoke to the shop owner before returning the call. “Sorry, it’s confidential information. We value our customers’ privacy.”

Liv ran her tongue over her front teeth at reaching a dead end. After hanging up, she googled the phone number for Lioncorp and dialed it. She managed to reach a chatty young intern called Rex.

Liv explained that Chloe Anderton had a meeting lined up with Ted Mason, and that she’d been given the task of rearranging it. “Sorry, I don’t know the date and time. I’m an intern, too.”

“No worries, I get it,” Rex said. “Bottom of the pile and no one tells us a thing.”

Liv laughed nervously.

“Right, well the meeting is for next Tuesday, something about discussing key players in the publishing industry. Is that the one?”

“Oh, yes.” Liv toyed with a pen, thinking that next week seemed too far away.

“Okay, that one’s now canceled. Hmm, Mr. Mason doesn’t have much availability in his diary. He’s got a cancelation, tomorrow at 4 p.m. Is that too short notice?”

“I’ll take it,” Liv said, smacking the desk. “I mean, I’m sure that will work for Chloe.”

“Okay. I’ve made that change. Does she still require picking up?”

Liv’s rib cage tightened. She no idea what logistical arrangements Chloe had made, or what discussion she might have already had with Ted. All she could do was channel Georgia again and brazen things out.

“Yes, please,” she said, and gave him Essie’s address.

13

THE DUCK POND

The next day, Liv tried on several things from Essie’s wardrobe for her meeting with Ted, finally settling on a powder blue silk blouse and gray pencil skirt. If she was supposedly a journalist from a glossy magazine, she had to look the part.

Essie took shoes a size larger than hers, and Liv’s feet slid around in a pair of black stilettoes. On the top shelf she found a new navy Coach handbag that was smaller than her supermarket branded one, so she couldn’t fit all her things inside it.