“Oh, yes, of course I do. But that’s not the point—”
“Show me that woman’s address,” Annika cut her off excitedly. “Who knows, it might be somewhere near. I can come with you if you want.”
“Oh, would you? Thanks Annika, it’ll make it so much easier for me,” she said, as she sprung upright to get her backpack from the chair. She unzipped the front pocket and rummaged through. Seconds later, she lifted her head to stare at Annika blankly, her face alight with horror.
“What is it?” Annika rushed to her to find Sofia’s index finger sticking out of the backpack’s front pocket through a tear in the fabric. “Oh, no! You lost the card?”
“Looks like it. I had no idea this was ripped. Damn!” Sofia ran a hand desperately through her hair, then down her face, to rest it with the palm flat over her mouth. She was lost for words now, her pupils moving erratically from side to side, as she tried to find a way to retrieve the card. “What if I go back? Retrace my steps?”
“What? Just listen to the wind outside, it’s howling! You’ll never find it.”
Sofia plonked herself down on the hard chair, her face buried in both hands. “What am I going to do now?”
“You don’t remember the address at all?”
Sofia raised her head slowly and put her hands down on her lap, her eyes focusing on the opposite wall as she tried to think. “Something Gardens, something Road . . .” She shook her head. “I got nothing.”
“Oh, Sofia, please don’t worry . . .” Annika squatted before her to be level with her eyes and held her by the shoulders, squeezing them affectionately. “We’ll find a way; you and me, you’ll see!” You know the lady’s name, we can find her in the phone book. There!”
Sofia shook her head wistfully. All I have is her first name. Maggie. That’s it.”
Annika bent her head, her mind racing. She refused to allow Sofia to dwell in self-pity again. “Look, you have to trust this spirit in you, Sofia. So you lost the card, so what? You still met the man, and he made this Lady real for you, right? We know her full name now, we know she was a star at the theatre. Maybe we can find old pictures of her somewhere. At the West Pier Trust maybe? And we know she had a friend who has survived her, and who lives in this town still. That’s a lot! The Lady, as you call her, will rectify this for you, I’m sure of it. She’ll find a way to get you to meet this Maggie person, just as she brought you to Mr Berkley. You’ll see!”
“You think?” said Sofia, taking heart, but a deep sense of defeat still wore her down. She’d felt distressed to pinpoint it inside her a few moments earlier, but she decided not to voice it. Annika seemed even more excited than she was about today’s developments.
“Of course!”
“If only he wasn’t leaving town . . . If only I had a chance to see him again.”
“Well, you don’t. But we can find Mrs Maggie. I’ll help you, okay? You and me! We’re on a mission!”
Sofia opened her arms and held her new friend tightly, feeling thankful she was never alone. Although Loula was leaving town, she’d still have a friend to share all this unbearable spookiness with. She knew that if she had to deal with it alone, she’d simply go mad.
“Now go wash your face and get dressed. Sylvia said there’s a new club opening tonight in town, and it’s the place to be. She’s expecting us to pick her up soon.”
“Oh, I’m not sure . . .”
Annika put up a hand. “Annika speaks, you obey. No friend of mine is allowed to mop around over a boy, or a stupid little card getting lost. Now get dressed! Don’t forget Sylvia’s a local. She knows her onions. If she says this club’s the bee’s knees, we have to check it out. Off you go!”
Sofia tittered and did as she was told. She put on a dress and even Annika got out of her baggy shorts to wear a dark brown shirt and a skirt that was a shade darker and came down to her knees. It was the first time Sofia saw her in a skirt and thought she looked fantastic. She told her that much.
Annika relished the compliment and took Sofia by the hand to take her outside the door. She held the key in her hand ready to put it in the lock but then she stopped short and gave her forehead a smack. “Oh! Silly me! You have a phone message. The secretary handed it to me earlier. I forgot to tell you with all the excitement.” She rolled her eyes and rushed to the desk to fetch a tiny note.
Sofia took it in her hands, her heart beating erratically. For a moment, she thought it might be from Danny, but of course Annika would have told her immediately in that case.
“It’s from a boy in London. Whoo-hoo! Just how many admirers do you have, Greek girl?”
Sofia read the short note, then raised her eyes to gaze at her friend, her voice a bit croaky. “I met him in Corfu this summer.”
“Jeff, huh? British then?”
“Yes. He works in London.”
“And he’s asking to see you when he comes to town, huh? That’s nice.”
Sofia gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded but said nothing. Jeff. The name sounded like it belonged to a different lifetime. I’d forgotten all about him. Her mind wandered to that single kiss they’d shared on the island. It had been sweet and tender. The memory caused her heart to flutter. She then remembered Loula had said she’d phoned him from England. She guessed that’s how he got the number at Grand Parade.
Annika’s chortling sounds broke her reverie. “So, is he cute?” She winked and nudged Sofia in the arm.
Sofia smiled but instead of answering, she beckoned her friend to follow her down the stairs. Plenty of handsome boys around town to make this a memorable girls’ night. The question is, do I dare? In the private recesses of her mind, as the girls knocked on Sylvia’s door just moments later, Sofia had already started to wonder. Just how desperate am I to carry on with this insanity? To keep chasing a bloody ghost around town so I can make sense of my love life? Why should I even bother to locate some old woman and talk about the past? I’m only twenty-two! What do I care what happened all those years ago?
A perfect image of Danny’s face formed in her mind then, and it hurt her beyond words, like a thorn she could never reach deep enough inside to remove. What if I stopped trying to find love and focused on having a bit of fun for a change? Yes, plenty of guys around town. Maybe Danny’s right after all; maybe playing around is really the only way to avoid getting hurt. Maybe Jeff’s impending visit is exactly what I need right now.
THE END
Thank you for reading The Flow! Keep turning the pages to check out book 3 in the series (The Storm), an important note from the author, and more!
Did you know? Every time one of my readers forgets to write a review, my naughty cat, Felix, gets so upset he destroys my pot plants. It just breaks my heart. Tell me what you thought of my book and help save my poor flowers!
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Acknowledgements
Many thanks, first of all, to my precious beta readers: David Wind, Donna Manobianco, Jenny Twist, and Nicholas Rossis. Your feedback has been amazing as always, and I’m so lucky to have you. Heaps of gratitude are also due to my ARC readers, who are too many to mention here, but you know who you are; you give me wings with your continued interest in my work, and I am thankful for the time you always take to read and review my books. Many thanks to my step-daughter, Stephanie Clewer, who is my biggest fan. At some point I felt overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the trilogy project but her love for the story spurred me on, knowing she couldn’t wait to read what happens next. Last, but not least, I wish to thank my husband Andy for his moral support and editing assistance. He is my worst critic and my guardian angel at the same time. It is thanks to him that I am able to keep writing and to keep dreaming, and for that, I am forever grateful.
About the author
Effrosyni Moschoudi was born and raised in Athens, Greece. As a child, she often sat alone in her garden scribbling rhym
es about flowers, butterflies and ants. Today she writes books for people who love all things Greek. Her novels are Amazon bestsellers, having hit #1 several times. She lives in a quaint seaside town near Athens with her husband Andy and a naughty cat called Felix. Effrosyni is a proud member of the writer’s groups, eNovel Authors at Work, ASMSG, and The Fantasy & SciFi Network.
Her debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, is an inspiring book about faith and family that’s suitable for all ages. Readers’ Favorite has declared it ‘a stunning masterpiece’.
A note from Effrosyni
I have always been fascinated by the West Pier in Brighton, a legendary landmark that, sadly, no longer exists. To see photos I took of the Pier back in 1997 when it still stood, and to check out the Brighton seafront then and now, read my blogpost:
http://effrosyniwrites.com/2015/09/17/a-journey-through-time-to-the-brighton-seafront/
In my note at the end of The Ebb, I refer to the reality behind the novel. If you haven’t read my guide to Moraitika yet (the real Vassilaki!) visit now to see photos of the places described in the books:
http://effrosyniwrites.com/your-guide-to-moraitika-corfu/
Would you like to read my future books for free? Yes, FREE! Join my newsletter for many exclusive benefits: http://effrosyniwrites.com/newsletter/
I’m always delighted to hear from my readers, and highly value any comments. I’d love to hear from you!
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Also available
The concluding part in The Lady of the Pier trilogy:
BRIGHTON 1940
Laura is relieved to hear about Christian’s narrow escape from Dunkirk, despite his serious injury. Things at home are as harrowing as ever, but she holds on to a glimmer of hope. When he discovers an old secret, Christian returns to Brighton. Will the old sweethearts find happiness at last or will Charles never allow it?
BRIGHTON 1988
Sofia does her best to get over Danny, but The Lady won't leave her in peace. The spirit guides her to meet more people who knew Laura and now begins to haunt Danny as well. What will happen when he wears Christian’s scarf? And who is the third person being haunted, and why?
Find it now on Amazon
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018O5OTHW
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018O5OTHW
Order Effrosyni’s paperbacks on Amazon, at your nearest bookstore, or ask at the library.
The Flow Page 35
