At the library, Clara selected the clearest photograph she possessed. Bubbles sat inside Henry’s battered gardening hat, looking absurdly pleased. A former colleague helped create thirty missing-cat posters with Clara’s telephone number. Seeing the word “missing” above his face made the situation feel more serious than Clara could accept.
She placed posters on shop windows, lampposts, and noticeboards. Arthritis complicated every knot and strip of adhesive, but she continued. Near the concrete pavilion, several hooded teenagers watched her work without offering assistance. When Clara looked directly at them, their conversation stopped. She hurried onward, unsettled by their sudden silence.