Chapter Forty-One

Claire wakes feeling confident and at home in London. She does yoga, makes a smoothie, and dresses casually, reveling in a rare hangover-free morning. Feeling spontaneous, she heads into Soho without her phone, intent on letting the day unfold on its own terms.

On Denmark Street, Claire flirts with a guitar-shop assistant and buys new strings and a purple glitter plectrum. She returns home to change into a light dress, airs her flat, and sets out toward Hampstead, telling friends she might join later but keeping her options open, reflecting her tendency to disappear for stretches.

As she walks across Hampstead Heath, she marvels at the city’s juxtaposition of wild space and skyline. Near the Vale of Health, she hears a cat crying and follows the sound to a fence behind a property, where a gray cat is snagged by its collar on a branch. Claire puts down her bag and tries to free the cat, but it struggles.

While crouched in the undergrowth, Claire hears sociable voices drifting from the other side of the fence, suggesting a gathering. She calls out for help—“Excuse me? Hello?”—and a man answers, drawing her attention toward the property and setting the moment that likely precedes her disappearance.