FAR FROM ERIS • FreenBecky •

FORTY - NINE

-You knew, didn't you?- Becky's voice filled Patty's living room as she sat in her armchair looking out at the street. -You knew Freen was convinced I jumped.-

-It's more complicated than that, Rebecca- the old woman said slowly.

-Then explain it to me, because I just had a rather curious conversation with Nam in which, according to her, I should be dead- Becky's patience was at its limit after not being able to find Freen in any way. -And Freen is missing, I can't find her.-

-Freen has already been here- Patty replied.

-How? When?- the astonished girl asked. -Was she here this morning?-

-Yes, she must have left half an hour ago.-

-And did she tell you what's wrong? Why won't she answer my calls?- Becky sounded distressed.

-Becky, dear. Do you remember all those times we sat down to tell stories in your grandmother's garden? Do you remember what we talked about?-

-Right now, I can't remember anything, Patty, I don't understand what's going on. I would like to know what's happening and why suddenly everything seems like a huge ball of misunderstandings and lies.-

-Perhaps misunderstandings, but no lies. No one is lying here- the old woman sounded tired. -No one except me.-

Becky stood completely still, standing with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for that confession to take some kind of direction.

-I've known for a long time that Freen ended up in that clinic because that night she witnessed a girl jumping from the Eris bridge. After you told me what happened and told me you knew Freen, I was curious to know how she was. As you know, I had a lot of affection for her from our Book Club sessions, and when I called the place where the meetings were held to talk to her and they told me Freen had disappeared overnight, I was worried. So I made several calls to acquaintances in the city, and a contact from a colleague told me where Freen was.- she sighed. -At first, I didn't understand why she would be admitted there; according to your version, you both walked away from the bridge calmly, and you chatted for a while before saying goodbye. So I wanted to know why Freen would disappear from the world after that. What happened to her.- Becky remained exactly in the same position. If it weren't for the fact that her chest rose and fell with her breath, she could be said to be frozen. -So I decided to take a bus and find out for myself...-

-You went to see her?- Becky asked without moving her expression.

-Yes, I went to see her- the old woman felt the girl's hardened gaze. She was practically confessing to her that she had lied to her for five years. -And when I found her, little or nothing remained of the Freen I had known. But she recognized me and was able to tell me what she remembered from that night.-

-Did she tell you I jumped?-

-She saw you jump, Rebecca.-

-But I didn't.-

-Yes, you did. It's just that you didn't do it here.-

-Freen, open the door, please,- Nam had been ringing the doorbell for five minutes. -Don't act like you did six years ago. Open it.- Silence reigned in that hallway and nothing could be heard inside the apartment. Nam knew it was an intrusion, but she needed to know what was going on, so she took out the set of keys Freen had given her while she was in the city and opened the door.

It didn't seem like anyone was there, except Sam, who looked up from the couch when Nam entered the living room. She checked all the rooms, but Freen wasn't there. She noticed that Sam's food bowl was filled to the brim. Nam didn't like that; it meant that Freen would be out for many hours, and Nam had no idea where she could be. She grabbed her phone to send a message to Becky while she paced around the living room trying to imagine why Freen would disappear for more than twelve hours from everyone's life right now. Something just didn't fit. A few minutes later her phone vibrated.

Miss Flower-Shop: 6:14 PM

I think I know where she is. I'm going to look for her.

**