Unmissing

On Thursday, Merritt drives around town, desperately looking for Lydia: She needs to find out what Lydia wants. On her way to get gas, she spots Lydia walking down the street. She pulls over, apologizes for her previous disbelief, and asks Lydia to get in her car. Lydia is wraithlike, with stringy hair past her waist and a “dark gaze” (64). Merritt finds her confident tone off-putting, noting the change from Lydia’s timidness at their first meeting.

Merritt explains that Luca is out of town, but Lydia insists that he must be the first person to whom she speaks. She mentions Merritt’s age: five years older than Luca. Merritt has a sister, Adair, Lydia’s age. She knows her family would do everything they could if Adair went missing, but Lydia is an only child, and her mother was deceased by the time she was abducted.

Merritt proposes that Lydia come to her home to see Luca on Saturday night at eight o’clock, and Lydia agrees.

On Saturday evening, Delphine drives Lydia to the Coletto house and gives her a prepaid phone. Delphine loves repeating numbers and tells Lydia the phone is lucky because its number contains three sevens.