The Shadow Cabinet Read Online Free PDF

you’re hungry. You’ve been in an accident, and you’ve had a number of shocks. It’s a matter of keeping your blood sugar level. Eat this.”
    I dutifully opened the sandwich and put it in my mouth. He made me a cup of very sugary and milky instant coffee.
    â€œNow what?” Boo asked.
    â€œTriage,” he said. “We have three missing people, but not in the traditional sense. Rory is missing, but obviously we know where she is. Stephen is missing, but his case is . . . complicated. Charlotte, however, is missing in the most immediate and obvious sense. Charlotte is actively in danger and needs to be found. The Met is in charge of that, but there are problems. As far as the police know, Charlotte left Wexford of her own accord, which is true. The next piece of evidence is that you, Rory, found her school blazer, damp, in the hall of Jane’s house that same morning. And then Jane told you that she had taken Charlotte away to the country. None of your statements can go into the report. Many aspects of this entire affair connect directly to the existence of the squad, which is covered by the Official Secrets Act. So that lead cannot be reported—at least, not as it really happened. I’ve already put in a call to one of my contacts and had him pose as a witness and say he saw Charlotte going into the house. It’s the best I could do, and at least it points the investigation in the right direction. Right now, Rory’s disappearance and Charlotte’s are being conflated into one event, which will disrupt and confuse the search. So, the first thing we are going to do is remove you from that search.”
    â€œHow?” I asked.
    â€œYou are going to call your parents. You’ll tell them that you are fine, that you left school of your own accord. At the very least, the search will then focus on one missing girl, not two. If they ask about Charlotte, be truthful and say you don’t know where she is. The conversation will be short.”
    I wasn’t ready for this particular instruction.
    â€œI can’t.”
    â€œThen I turn you in, right now. You’ll be with your parents within the hour.”
    Thorpe walked around the bar and into the living room space, to a desk by a window. He opened a box on one of the top shelves and produced a cell phone, which he placed in my hand.
    â€œThis will trace back to a public telephone,” he said. “When they ask where you are, and they will, you say you’re somewhere safe. Then you tell them you’ll be in touch, that they shouldn’t worry, whatever you like, and then you hang up. Keep it brief.”
    I turned to Boo, as if she could help me with this, but she looked down and traced one of her long green nails along the granite.
    â€œThe number . . . I can’t remember.”
    â€œI have the number.” He took out his own phone and flicked through a few screens, then dialed the phone for me, handing it back. All I had to do was hit Call.
    â€œI realize this has not been a good day,” he said. “This isn’t easy. You still need to do it if you intend to remain and find Stephen, and if you want to help Charlotte get to safety. This is not about your feelings. This is about what needs to happen.”
    I guess I pressed Call? It was like I twitched and the phone was ringing, and my father answered just as the first ring had gone. So fast. Everything happened so fast.
    â€œHello? Who is this?”
    His accent, like mine, was thick and warm and Southern.
    â€œHello?” he said again.
    â€œIt’s me, Dad,” I said. My voice was nothing—a broken little noise, born of nowhere.
    A pause.
    â€œRory?
Rory
? Is that you? Rory?”
    I didn’t want to hear him say my name so many times.
    I thought about Stephen on the bed, eyes closed. The lights bursting and windows breaking.
    â€œYes,” I said.
    â€œWhere are you? Are you okay?”