书虫1级《雪莉·霍姆斯和立陶宛青年案》2. 朋友们的帮助

2. Help from friends

I begin with Carrie, of course. I have a name and a photograph, and a school. I meet Darren when he comes out of school, and we go to Carrie's school. We sit in my car and watch the students when they leave.

That's Janice – look!' says Darren. 'The girl with long black hair. She's very friendly with Carrie. And that's Kim, next to her. I like Kim. She's funny, she makes me laugh. Ooh, and that's Ant. See – the one with very short hair and black clothes.'

Ant? What name is that? Anthea?'

Don't know,' says Darren. 'She's just Ant.'

I take a quick photo of the three girls, and then I take Darren for a pizza to say thank you.

Can you find my sister?' he says. 'It's horribly quiet at home without her. Nobody ever laughs now. Mum cries all night. I hear her.'

I look at his small boy face. 'Yup. I can find her.'

That evening I phone my friend in the police. He's a detective– Detective Sergeant Saheed Patel.

Hi, Saheed, how are you?'

We sit in my car and watch the students when they leave.

Can you find my sister?' Darren says.

Fine. What's new with you?' Saheed says. 'Are you working on a case?'

Yes, I've got a missing persons case – a missing girl. Her mother came to me today. The girl left home five weeks ago after an argument with her father about her boyfriend... a Lithuanian boyfriend.'

How old is the girl?' Saheed asks.

Fifteen.'

Oh dear.' Saheed is not surprised. 'Every day we get missing persons reports – do you know how many?'

No. Tell me. How many?'

The police in Britain get about 1,000 reports every day,' Saheed says. 'And nearly one third of those are young people between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. When did the mother make the report to the police?'

She didn't. The girl's father doesn't want to see her again,' I say. 'So, no police, no missing persons report, and no looking for her. That's what the mother told me.'

OK. Be careful, Shirley. The girl's only fifteen. She can't get married before she's sixteen, and the law says—'

I know all that, Saheed! I know the law!'

Of course you do. Sorry.' There's a smile in Saheed's voice. 'So what do you want from me?'

Can you help with the Lithuanian boyfriend?' I say. 'Where do I look for him? Can you give me some names? People to talk to.'

There's a smile in Saheed's voice.

Maybe. But there are about 200,000 Lithuanians in London. When do you want this? I have work to do, you know.'

I'm going to try the girl's school friends first,' I say. 'Can you do it in a day or two? Text me when you have something.'

OK. Bye now.'

The next day at four o'clock, I'm outside Carrie's school. I have my photo of the three girls, and I soon see them. They're standing, all three of them, in the street, looking at their mobile phones and laughing. I walk over to them.

Hi, guys,' I say. 'You're friends of Carrie Williams, right? I need your help.'

Carrie Williams?' says the girl called Ant. 'Who's she?'

I watch the girls' faces. They know Carrie, all right. And they know she's missing. But how much do they know?

Ah, come on,' I say. 'You're Carrie's best friends. I'm looking for her. I need to find her.'

And who are you?' asks the girl called Janice.

I give them my card.

The girl called Kim laughs. 'Shirley Homes? Are you the granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes or something?'

I smile. I get this all the time, again and again. And again. 'Great-great-granddaughter. He lived in the 1890s.'

Wow! Really? That is awesome!' says Kim.

Janice and Ant laugh. 'Kim, you idiot! Sherlock Holmes wasn't a real person. He's just a detective in stories on television.'

Er, and in books,' I say. 'The books were first.'

The girls look at me, and their faces are more friendly now.

OK, Shirley Homes, great-great-granddaughter of Sherlock,' says Ant. 'How can we help you? Who are you looking for? What was her name again?'

Ant is going to be difficult, I can see that. She's a good friend of Carrie's, and she's not going to talk.

Do you have mothers?' I say. 'All three of you?'

The girls stare at me. 'Of course we have mothers,' says Janice. 'What are you talking about?'

Do you love your mothers? Do your mothers love you?' I say. 'Well, listen. Carrie's mother loves her daughter. And now Carrie's mother can't sleep at night. She doesn't eat. She cries about Carrie all the time. She wants to know that Carrie is all right. Can you understand that? She just wants to know.'

Kim looks at me with big eyes. 'Oh, poor Mrs Williams!' she says.

Ant gives her an angry look. 'We don't know Carrie Williams!' she says. 'Remember?'

Janice looks at me. 'Give us a minute,' she says. 'We need to talk.'

They move away, turn their backs to me, and talk quietly. I can't hear them. Then they come back to me.

OK,' says Ant. 'What do you want?'

You know Café Nero in Putney High Street?' I say. 'Tell Carrie this. I'm going to be in Café Nero at 18.30 tomorrow evening, and 18.30 the evening after that. I want to see her and talk to her. I want to know she's alive and well. That's all. Then I can tell her mother, and Mrs Williams can stop crying all night.'

OK,' Ant says. 'We got it.'

Thanks, guys,' I say. 'See you around.'

See you,' they say.

Ant gives Kim an angry look. 'We don't know Carrie Williams!'