Authors: Victoria Best

The Mute and the Liar (11 page)

*****

6:51
PM

I
have
solved
many
cases
to
do
with
abduction.
I
read
that
around
800,000
children
are
reported
missing
each
year.
In
a
recent
study,
57%
of
155
cases
of
stereotypical
kidnapping
ended
with
the
return
of
the
child.
This
obviously
isn’t
the
same
as
my
current
situation,
but
it’s
the
only
fact
I
can
remember
right
now,
and it’s
the only
thing
that’s
giving
me hope.

He
marched
me
along
several
streets, blabbing on
about
the
weather.
He’s
still talking
about
it.

“
I
don’t
really
like
rainy
days
because
it
just
makes
me
feel
depressed
and
kind
of
sad.
But
I’ll
tell
you
what
really
makes
me
sad:
Wednesdays.
On
Monday
I
can
look
forward
to
Tuesday,
on
Thursday
I
can
look
forward
to
Friday
and
on
Friday
I
can
look
forward
to
the
weekend!
But
who
looks
forward
to
a
Wednesday?
‘Yay,
I
can’t
wait
till
it’s
Wednesday!’
How
weird
does
that
sound?
You’re
a
creep
if
you look
forward
to
a
Wednesday.
”

He pauses
for
a
moment,
before
suddenly
shouting:
“
Solipsism!
”

What?
I
can’t
stand
this.
He
just
keeps
talking
crap.
We’re
standing
against
a
brick
wall,
whilst
he
checks
his
text
messages.
I
have
barely
looked
at
him,
and
have
made
no
contact
with
him.
For
now
all
I
have
been
doing
is
following
him.

“
That’s
the
word.
I
was
trying
to
remember
it.
I
used
to
do
philosophy
in
school.
And
this
thing
we
learnt
about
is
solipsism.
It’s
basically
the
idea
that
the
world
I
see
could
be
completely
different
to
the
world
anyone
else
sees.
So,
take
the
colour
blue.
I
have
grown
up
calling
that
colour
blue.
You
have
grown
up
calling
that
colour
blue.
But
really,
the
colour
you
see
as
blue
could
be
what
I
have
grown
up
calling
green. Do you get
it?
”

So he’s
gone
from
analysing
the
weather
to
analysing
A-Level
philosophy.
I
am
going
to
run
the
second
I
get
the
chance.
I
have
taken
note
of
all
the
signs
nearby.
My
best
bet
is
heading
to
the
High
Street,
which
should
still
be
busy. It
will be
easier
to
slip
into the
background.
I
remember
I
read
about
this
thing
called
Lima
syndrome,
where
captors
show
empathy
towards
their
hostages.
It
was
named
after
an
abduction
at
the
Japanese
Embassy,
in
Lima,
Peru,
in
1996.
Members
of
a
militant
movement
took
hundreds
of
people
attending
a
party
in
the
official
residence
of
Japan’s
ambassador,
but
the
abductors
felt
sympathy
for
the
hostages
and
started
setting
them
free.

Would
Jayce
show
empathy
towards
me?
What
would
he
do if
I
got
hurt?
He doesn’t
seem
dangerous.

Insane,
sure.

But
not
dangerous.

I
decide
to
test
out
this
theory by smacking my
head
repeatedly
against
the
brick
wall
behind me.

And now he’s
looking
at
me as
if
I’m
the
insane
one.

He
reaches
out
his
hand
and
places
his
palm
against
the
back
of
my
head,
so
I
can’t
smack
it
against
the
wall
anymore.
And
now
he’s
looking
at
his
mobile
phone
and has
started texting
again.

So
what
on
Earth
was
that
supposed
to
mean?

Anyway,
I
think
now
might
be
a
good
time
to
try
and
escape.
He’s
still
engrossed
in
his
mobile
phone,
and
there
is
a
car
approaching
in
the
distance.
If
I
just
time
it
correctly,
I
might
be
able
to
dash
off
in
front
of
the
car,
so
Jayce
will
have
to
wait
for
the
car
to
pass
before
he
can
start
following
me,
which would give me
a
few
seconds
head start.