Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray (best classic romance novels txt) 📕

robins can’t change their red breasts. But drug dealers? It was like the opposite of Samson. Perhaps cutting off his hair had given him strength.

What he’d said about Chantel had made her think. Perhaps it wasn’t just Tim she should be looking for.

She stood up and went to find her handbag. Inside was the piece of paper with Toyah’s number. The country code made it feel long and complicated.

Dubai.

It seemed an unlikely place for Toyah to end up, but perhaps her dislike of the sunshine was overshadowed by her desire to be around family. And perhaps her brother-in-law had mellowed. People change. Amy knew that.

She’d searched for Toyah on social media, hoping to be able to message her. But nothing. Amy was surprised. She also searched for Tim’s father. He came up on Facebook instantly, and Amy had fired off a quick message to him before she could change her mind.

Amy held the paper again, running her finger across the lettering. It had been years since she’d spoken to Toyah. Once she’d been like a second mother to Amy. She’d certainly felt closer to her than she had to her own. But after the initial flurry of contact and panic when Chantel and Tim disappeared, Amy had stopped calling. Toyah had tried to get in touch several times, but Amy hadn’t answered. If her daughter could betray Amy like that, she decided she had no reason to trust her mother.

Unless she’d been wrong all these years.

Amy picked up her phone and dialled. She realised she hadn’t even checked what time it would be in Dubai now, and decided to hang up and work that out first.

But before she could, a voice answered.

Not Toyah’s.

‘Is that Laura?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ said a suspicious voice. ‘Is this a sales call? Because I’m busy.’

‘No,’ said Amy. She hesitated. She’d met Laura once or twice and pictured her in her mind’s eye. Dark blonde hair always partnered with a tan. An elegant array of white trousers and tailored jackets. A no-nonsense approach to life that Amy had found intimidating. ‘I don’t know if you remember me,’ she mumbled. ‘It’s Amy Ashton. I was friends with Chantel.’

This was greeted by silence. ‘How did you get this number?’ Laura asked eventually.

‘Jack Hooper gave it to me,’ said Amy. ‘He was Chantel’s boyfriend—’

‘I know who Jack Hooper is,’ said Laura, her voice careful. ‘What were you doing talking to him?’

‘Is Toyah there?’ asked Amy, not feeling up to dealing with Chantel’s rather aggressive aunt after all.

‘She’s out right now,’ replied Laura. ‘But I can take a message.’ Amy hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to share. ‘Can you tell her that I found something, please? Something that I want to discuss with her?’

‘That’s rather cryptic,’ said Laura. ‘Care to be more specific?’

‘It’s a letter,’ said Amy. In for a penny, in for a pound. ‘I found it five days ago, but I think it’s been there for a long time. From Chantel.’

Silence greeted her again. ‘I couldn’t read it,’ continued Amy. ‘Not much of it. It’s been outside a while and it’s all smudged by the rain. There was a picture there too,’ said Amy. ‘A photo.’

‘What was in the photo?’ asked Laura.

‘I don’t know,’ said Amy. ‘ A park maybe. Trees. A sunset. Some kind of car in the corner. But I can’t tell where it was taken. I thought that Toyah might recognise it. She could help me understand what Chantel was trying to tell me.’

‘And did you show the letter to Jack?’ asked Laura.

‘Yes,’ said Amy. ‘And the photo. He didn’t recognise it.’

‘There was no address on the letter, for you to contact Chantel?’

‘Nothing legible,’ replied Amy.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure,’ snapped Amy. Then she felt bad. Laura must want to know where her niece was too. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘But the letter was in quite a state.’

‘Did you show it to anyone else? The photo or the letter?’

‘Spike,’ replied Amy.

‘Spike? How’s that little scumbag?’

‘Surprisingly well,’ said Amy. For a moment Amy felt an overwhelming urge to gossip about Spike’s change in appearance with Chantel. But this woman on the phone was not her friend. Not even close.

‘He didn’t recognise the picture,’ said Laura.

‘No,’ said Amy, feeling impatience rise up again. ‘When will Toyah be back?’

‘Not for a while,’ replied Laura. ‘But I’ll tell you what to do. Scan in the picture and the letter and email it to me. I’ll show Toyah and she can get back to you if she recognises anything. She’s very busy, though, so it might take her a while.’

‘OK,’ agreed Amy, writing down the email address.

‘Amy?’ said Laura, her voice a little softer. ‘It’s been a long time since Toyah has heard from you.’

Amy nodded agreement, forgetting for a moment that she couldn’t be seen.

‘I think that she’ll be pleased that you’ve been in touch. Very pleased.’

‘I just want to find out the truth,’ said Amy.

‘Of course,’ replied Laura.

‘I can’t imagine Toyah in Dubai,’ said Amy, her voice thoughtful. ‘It just doesn’t feel right.’

‘What are you talking about?’ snapped Laura. ‘She’s here with me. Her sister.’

‘But . . . ’ Amy paused. She knew Toyah didn’t get on with her sister or her sister’s husband. But she couldn’t say that. ‘It’s so hot,’ she finished, lamely.

‘We’re not camped out in the middle of the desert here, you know,’ said Laura. ‘There’s air conditioning and skyscrapers and sunscreen.’

‘OK,’ said Amy, unconvinced.

‘Listen, Amy,’ said Laura. ‘Toyah is fine here. But keep your thoughts to yourself.’

‘What?’

‘You can’t trust everyone.’

‘I’m well aware of that,’ said Amy.

‘Take care, Amy.’ She hung up.

The phone call reminded Amy how abrupt Laura could be. She remembered now that Toyah used to complain about her sister and was rather pleased when she moved abroad. She’d said that Laura was an easier person to love when there was a continent between them. Add in her dislike of sunshine and the fact she couldn’t stand her snobbish brother-in-law, and Amy found it more and more unlikely that Dubai would be