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in the doorway. He was older than Christopher’s father but
it was impossible to tell by how much. His brown hair suggested a much younger
man than the lines on his face. His brown eyes darted down towards Rebecca and
then back up at Stefan, but the anger did not fade. “Who are you? What are you
doing in my house? Why is my daughter with you?”

    Christopher‚Äôs father stepped forward
and proffered his hand. The man shook it, saying nothing. Stefan cocked his head
and then straightened it before speaking. His words were slow, deliberate. “My name
is Stefan Seeler.” The man’s face changed as he heard Christopher’s father’s
heavy German accent. His eyes bulged. “My son found Rebecca on the beach
earlier today. It seems she was in some distress.”

    ‚ÄúYou are German.‚Äù The man‚Äôs accent
was French.   Stefan nodded. The man
continued. “She’s always getting into some kind of trouble, clumsy…. You know
children these days.” The man rocked backwards slightly as he spoke.
Christopher watched his father as he listened, saw his jaw tighten.

    ‚ÄúChristopher, could you take Rebecca
outside for a moment please?”

    ‚ÄúThat won‚Äôt be necessary. Thank you
for bringing back my daughter, but now you must leave, before my wife comes
home.‚Äù  

    Stefan looked down at the little
girl, clinging tight to his trouser leg, and then down at his own son. “Come on,
Christopher, let’s go.” He bent down to Rebecca. “We have to leave now, but you
know you can always…”

    ‚ÄúGoodbye, Mr. Seeler.‚Äù Rebecca‚Äôs father walked over, grabbing
Rebecca by the arm. He walked her into a back room and Christopher and his
father were alone.

 

     

     
Chapter 4

     
    It was the next day, after he had
woken up and eaten breakfast, when Christopher saw her again. She was sitting
in the tree house that Uncle Uli had made for Christopher and Alexandra, her
head down and facing out towards the sea. She looked up and smiled, walking over
to the open hole where the window should have been to wave as he ran down
towards her. Alexandra came out of the house and ran down too but she made far
too much noise and Christopher’s father knew that there was something going on.
Christopher turned around and saw his father coming out of the house just as he
reached the tree house at the bottom of the garden and climbed up inside.

    ‚ÄúRebecca. You came back.‚Äù She only
nodded. She had brought an old doll with her and although it had an eye missing
and was scratched and worn, its hair was perfectly combed into smooth golden
streaks. She held the doll close to her chest and then looked at Christopher.

    ‚ÄúThis is Susan.‚Äù

    ‚ÄúAlexandra has dolls too, don‚Äôt you
Alexandra?” he asked his sister as she arrived at the tree house beside them
and Stefan was there too.

    ‚ÄúChildren, I‚Äôd like to speak to
Rebecca for a moment. Hello, Rebecca.”

    ‚ÄúHello, Mr. Seeler.‚Äù

    Christopher saw his father smile and
then stiffen once more. “Rebecca, did you ask your parents if you could come
over here and play?”

    Her eyes seemed to melt and she
looked down and to the side, not into his face as she had before. Christopher
wanted to say something, wanted to be the person to ask her and the person that
she could look to, but she didn’t look at him either. His father asked the
question again, in the same smooth tone as before and she shook her head. He
looked up and away from her and blew a breath out.

    ‚ÄúDo they even know where you are?‚Äù

    ‚ÄúThey were still in bed.‚Äù

    ‚ÄúThey were still in bed when you left
this morning? Don’t you think you should have told them where you were going?”

    ‚ÄúI don‚Äôt know. They were up very late
last night. I could hear them talking.”

    ‚ÄúWhere is Peter, your