Beth danced in a little semi-circle around the piano. It was working! She'd made a connection with Daryl and he was starting to help her. Sort of. The suggestion about the boyfriend was helpful, though of course she'd thought of that.

She smiled at his scolding her for sending him a picture of her and Maggie. She'd only done it in case he'd seen her when he was in the woods, and had sent one with her in it too so he would know what she looked like. Put a face to her words.

'Beth, are you all right?' Hershel was standing in the doorway looking puzzled.

She looked up from the letter. 'Sure I am, daddy.' Then she realised why he was asking. She was smiling. She hadn't done that in months.

'Is that another letter from that inmate? How many is that now?' Hershel's tone was disapproving.

'Um, three. But I know he's going to be able to help me. I can feel it. He must know those woods backwards, but I can't just demand that he tell me everything he knows about them. I have to make him understand how important Maggie is to me first.'

'Is he being polite? Respectful?'

'He is. I wouldn't write to him if he wasn't.'

'Well, that's something. But you're wasting your time, sweetheart.' Hershel shook his head, resigned, and walked away muttering, 'I still don't like it.'

Beth waited till she heard the screen door close out back and then rushed to the desk.

.

June 13

Dear Daryl,

There, I have called you Daryl and not Mr Dixon. I like it better too.

This morning when I woke up I went into Maggie's room and sat on her bed. I made it up with clean sheets a few days after she went missing, telling myself she'd probably be so tired when she got back. Tired from being missing in the woods.

Everything's just as she left it. Well, tidier actually. I did her laundry and put it away. Every week or so I go in and dust the photo frames and the little china figures of horses and dolphins she used to collect when she was ten.

I know everyone thinks I'm pathetic. I can see it in their eyes. Daddy's. The neighbours'. I'm holding onto hope when everyone else has given up. You know when kids go missing and are then found again months or years later? On the news the parents always say 'I never gave up hope. I knew she'd come home one day.' Where are all those people? But I supposed it's different when they all think she went off by choice.

That fight Maggie had with daddy the night before she disappeared? He won't tell me what it was about. He said the police know about it and it isn't important.

I've included some stamps and blank envelopes for you because I feel bad that I'm making you spend your money on writing to me.

Write back soon,

Beth

…

June 16

Beth,

I've sent you your stamps and envelopes back. I decided to write to you so I'll buy my own stamps.

Don't girls keep diaries? I never had any sisters but I saw it in the movies. If she wasn't telling you anything then maybe she was writing it down.

And yes, they can ruin meatloaf in these kitchens. They could ruin anything, even a cup of water.

Daryl

…

Beth finished reading the letter and her head snapped up. Daryl was a genius. She raced upstairs to Maggie's room. Why hadn't she thought of a diary?

It was just after lunch and sunshine was lying in a golden stripe across the bedclothes. Beth started by going through all the drawers, right to the back and under them as well. Then she attacked the closet – the stacks of sweaters, the pockets of coats, under the shoe rack. Nothing. She flipped the mattress and checked down the back of the dresser. Nothing taped to the back of the mirror.

She sighed and stared round at the room. There weren't that many places you could hide a book in there.

Book. Hmm. She glanced at the bookshelf and ran her finger along the spines. Adventure novels. Fantasy novels. And an old cookbook. Beth frowned. Maggie hated cooking. What was it Daryl had said? In the movies … She pulled the cookbook off the shelf and there it was: the diary secreted in a compartment that had been cut into the pages. That was straight out of the movies.

Beth felt victorious, but then bit her lip. It was pretty low, going through someone else's diary. In ordinary circumstances she would never invade her sister's privacy like that, but these were extraordinary circumstances. Some clue about her disappearance might be contained in the pages.

'Sorry, Maggie,' she whispered, and took the diary into her bedroom.

.

June 18

Dear Daryl,

I can't believe I didn't think of that. As soon as I read your letter I went straight upstairs and I found her diary. It's been in the house for eight months, full of who knows what secrets, and nobody knew. Thank you thank you thank you.

Here's an entry from a few weeks before she went missing. It's frustrating because she writes so vaguely. She was probably worried that I was going to snoop, which I am now, I guess. But I think in the circumstances she'll understand.

It's personal stuff and I'm sorry if it embarrasses you. I don't really know what to make of it and I haven't got anyone else to turn to. If we work out something concrete then I'm going to take it straight to the police.

August 4

We spent the whole afternoon in bed and it was like the hours were made of diamonds and pearls. It wasn't his bed. We can't stay at his place, but it was a good hotel room and we had champagne. He said he'd never seen anyone so beautiful as me before. When he'd taken my shirt off he just looked at me for ages. It made me laugh and feel embarrassed, and I don't believe I'm more beautiful than other women. But he did make me feel beautiful, and that's what counts.

It was our first time together, and it may as well have been my first time. Those other guys I was with, they were just boys. He's a man. No one's ever treated me like this before. I'm not Maggie the dowdy farm girl. Maggie who can't cook. Maggie who doesn't have any talent like her sister. Maggie who never gets to have any fun. I'm exotic when I'm in his arms. I'm cherished. And I feel doubly cherished knowing he's chosen me, despite everything.

When will we be able to be together again? It's agony waiting for him and it's only been a matter of hours.

August 6

Today I saw him in town. I was with daddy, so it's not like we could talk. No one can know about us yet. As we passed each other in the street he caught my eye and winked at me. I thought I was going to die right there and I know I flushed bright red. Daddy was trying to talk to me about stock feed and nothing he was saying was getting through. Who can talk about stock feed when you're having a meltdown on the inside?

I check my phone about ten times an hour but there's almost nothing from him. Late last night he told me that he missed me and we could see each other soon. He didn't say when, though.

I said to him the other day when we were in bed that I didn't know if I wanted to take over the farm any more. If I told daddy that it'd break his heart. He was so happy when I said I wanted to learn how to run it. It's his legacy. You-know-who told me that I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do, and that maybe he'd just run off with me and take care of me and I wouldn't have to worry about anything any more.

Run off with her. That bit gives me the creeps. It's what everyone is saying happened, that she ran off with a guy or by herself. But I know that's not what happened.

I told you it was vague. I'd love to work out who this guy is but there's nothing really to go on. Except … do you think maybe he's married? Maggie's not the sort of girl to get involved with a married man, or I thought she wasn't at least.

What do you think?

Beth

…

Daryl felt anger building inside him as he read the diary entries. Fuckin' creep of a married man taking advantage of a country girl. If he weren't in prison he'd hunt this guy down and smash his teeth in.

If he weren't in prison. That was the worst part of being inside, feeling useless because of these four walls.

He put Beth's letter in the walking trails book and went out to the exercise yard. There were sets of parallel bars and he stalked to the nearest one and started do sets of chin-ups, thirty at a time, till his biceps burned. Then he hung by his knees and did crunches till he could barely breathe. He worked out most days but today he really laid into his body, needing to work out his anger.

It felt creepy reading a dead girl's diary, especially when it was so personal. He'd tell Beth not to send him any more entries.

Except … Beth said she didn't have anyone else to talk to about this. She was probably feeling isolated. If he told her to stop then she'd have no one. He didn't like her facing this stuff on her own. Whatever support he could give from in there, no matter how slight it was, he wanted to give it.

.

June 20

Beth,

He's married. That there is a married man sneaking around. An older married man making her feel beautiful and glamorous so he can have his bit on the side. I'm sorry to be blunt. Makes me angry is all. Your sister's a nice girl and nice girls don't deserve that shit.

Daryl

P.S. I kept your other letters but I burnt this one as it's Maggie's and two people have seen it already and that's enough.

...

Daryl's such an honourable guy, isn't he? Once he has a connection with someone I feel like he would go to the ends of the earth for them. I hoped you like this chapter, and please leave me a comment telling me what you think!