He stared at the words, an unpleasant feeling slithering around his stomach.
FAQ.
It seemed a good place to start.
Q: Why are you called the Other People?
A: We all think that tragedy happens only to other people. Until it happens to us. We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice.
Q: What sort of justice?
A: That depends on the individual. But our ethos is a punishment that fits the crime.
Q: What if I’m not looking for justice?
A: You are free to use our message board to talk to others just like you. However, most people come to our site through invitation. If you’ve found us, you already need us.
Q: Is this a website for vigilantes?
A: Not at all. We are all ordinary people. However, we have found that by connecting with each other we are able to utilize our unique talents, knowledge and connections. The Other People pool these resources in order to fulfill each other’s Requests.
Q: Do I have to pay?
A: No money changes hands. That way our services are accessible by anybody. Not just those with the financial means. We use a system of quid pro quo. Requests and Favors.
Q: How does it work?
A: If you wish to make a Request, visit the Requests page. You will be asked to submit a form explaining your situation and what you require. TOP will take 24 hours to consider your Request. During this time, you may still amend or cancel your Request.
After 24 hours, if we consider your Request acceptable, you will receive a confirmation that it has been activated. Once a Request is activated it cannot be amended or cancelled. No further correspondence will be necessary. Rest assured, unless there are exceptional circumstances, we fulfill all Requests.
Once your Request has been completed, you will be notified. You now owe a Favor. This can be called in at any time. Once your Favor is repaid, you are under no further obligation to the Other People.
Q: What if I don’t repay the Favor?
A: We always try to ensure that the Favor is one you are able to complete, happily and willingly. Failure to complete your Favor threatens the very integrity of our site. That is why we have measures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen.
Q: Can I request to have someone killed?
A: If your Request is acceptable, and unless there are exceptional circumstances, we fulfill all Requests.
Gabe stared at the screen.
We fulfill all Requests.
Jesus.
He reached for his coffee and took a sip. His head swam. Maybe the Samaritan had been right. He didn’t want to go near this. He didn’t want any part of it.
On the other hand, Sticker Man had been part of it. And he had taken Izzy. There had to be a connection. The police believed that his wife and daughter had been killed in a robbery gone wrong. But there were inconsistencies. Nothing had been stolen, not even cash. The caller who had alerted the police to an intruder at his house had never been traced. What if there was more to this? What if his family had been targeted on purpose?
But why? And what did Harry have to do with it? Why was it so important that he convinced Gabe that Izzy was dead? And who was the other little girl? There were still so many things that didn’t make any sense.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. His mobile pinged with a text. He picked it up, half expecting it to be the Samaritan, checking up on him.
It wasn’t. It was worse.
He stared at the message and his stomach somersaulted off a steep cliff.
“Isabella missed you today.”
Fran hovered at the door of the kitchen while her mother made tea. Alice perched upon the sofa in the living room. A glass of orange squash and a plate of biscuits had been set on the coffee table. The orange cordial had settled at the bottom of the glass. Fran bet that if you bit into one of the biscuits, it would be damp and stale. Small details. Like the dirt around the edges of the carpet. The cobwebs lurking in the corners of the room. The tremor in her mother’s hands.
“You should have called,” her mother said. “I haven’t had a chance to tidy up, get myself sorted.”
A lie, Fran thought. She hadn’t had a chance to start drinking today and now their visit would delay it.
“Sorry. We were in the area, so we thought we’d drop by.”
“Drop by?” Her mother turned, eyes suddenly sharp. “You’ve not dropped by in over nine years. I didn’t even know I had a granddaughter.”
Despite herself, despite everything, Fran felt a leaden punch of guilt.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Her mother spat in disgust. “You disappear without a word, you never call or send a message in all this time. You cut us from your life. And now you turn up, out of the blue. What’s really going on, Fran?”
“It’s complicated.”
Her mother’s lips pursed. The crockery rattled as she stuck cups on saucers. “If you want money, I don’t have any.”
No, Fran thought. You’ve probably spent it all on booze. She bit back the words. Instead she said: “I have something I need to do. I need someone to watch Alice, just for an hour or two.”
“And you had no one else you could ask?”
Fran didn’t reply. What was the point in lying?
Her mother shook her head, moisture welling in her bloodshot eyes.
“I know what you think of me. But don’t you think I deserved the chance to know my eldest granddaughter?”
Fran wanted to reply that she had never made the effort to know her eldest daughter. And what about her other grandchildren? Occasionally, when Alice was in bed, Fran had looked up her sisters on social media. She knew that Katie had two children now and Lou had a little girl. Fran bet her mother never saw them either. But now was not the time to start an argument.
She just said again, “I’m sorry.”
Her mother turned and walked across the kitchen. She peered through the open door into the living room where Alice still sat, clutching the bag of pebbles on her lap. Fran held her breath. She knew it was a long shot. If they had to leave, she would have to sort something else out…
Then her mother turned, smiling sadly.
“I suppose we have to make the best of things, don’t we?”