It was the longest I’d been away from Dora since she was born. My maternity leave was coming to an end and I needed to call in at the museum and get the plans moving on our plans.

“I’m going to the seaside for a couple of days,” Annie’s mom said when I mentioned it. “Why don’t I take her with me?”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’ll find someone to watch her.”

“Would you find anyone better than me?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Then that’s settled. I’ll take her with me and you’ll get to catch up on your sleep.”

“And go for a drink with me,” Annie shouted through from the kitchen.

“All right, fine,” I said. “Just look after her.”

“She’ll play on the beach and eat sand like you both did when you were little.”

That was two days ago. I missed her but she was right, I was glad of the chance to catch up on my sleep. That meant I was fresh and ready to answer whatever questions the museum might ask me.

I got there at nine with the meeting planned for half past. When I arrived I couldn’t find anyone anywhere. Normally, staff members would be sweeping the rooms, making sure they were ready for visitors. Today it was like a ghost town.

“Hello?” I called out, passing through the Milton room and glancing yet again at the Flambert painting. So beautiful. I did my best not to think of Mr Stempel. I failed.

“Hello?” Again no reply.

Then I heard voices in the distance. People were talking in the office at the back. I headed that way, pushing open the door to find every single employee crowded around the desk. “What is it?” I asked, trying to peer over their heads to see what they were looking at.

“Jodie,” a voice said above the others. Room was made for me to see Alan, the boss of the whole place, sitting with an open parcel in front of him. “First you bring us Moonlight on Water and now this. What next, the Ark of the Covenant?”

“What?” I asked as everyone looked at me in silence. “What have I done?”

He passed me a thick pile of yellowed pages held together by an overstressed paper clip. “Have a look.”

There was an audible gasp in the room as I almost dropped the papers. Trembling, I looked at the first line before quickly flicking through the rest. “Is this what I think it is?”

“The missing end to The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Yes it is.”

“But Dickens never finished it.”

“Apparently he did.”

“Where on earth did this come from?”

“I’ve no idea but there’s a letter that came with it.” He held an envelope out towards me. “It’s addressed to you.”

I tore open the envelope and unfolded the heavy paper that lay within.

“What does it say?” Alan asked.

“Yeah, tell us.”

“Come on, Jodie. What’s it say?”

I looked around at the eager faces and felt a tear forming in the corner of my eye. “Dear Jodie, I told you I had a few bits in the attic. Thought you might like this.”

Who’s that from?” someone asked.

“Who has the end of Edwin Drood in their attic?”

“A man I need to see,” I said, folding the letter back up. “Can we reschedule the meeting, Mr Brears. I need to do something first.”

“After this and the Flambert, you can take the next year off if you like.”

“Thanks,” I said, already running for the door.

I got to Mr Stempel’s house half an hour later. I stopped at the wrought iron gates, realising I had no idea what I was actually going to say to him.

A few Dickens mementos up in the attic he’d said. He’d not mentioned the end of Edwin Drood, the fulfilling of a dream I never thought would be realised. Not only could I see Moonlight on Water every day but now I could read the end of the greatest unfinished work in the world. Just mailed it to the museum with a note. Thought you might like this.

“Can I help you?” a voice said through the intercom. "It's not like I've got anything else to do."

“Hi, I need to speak to Mr Stempel please.”

“Jodie?” the voice replied. “Is that you?”

“Carl? What are you doing answering the intercom?”

“I'm the only one here.”

“What? Where’s Mr Stempel?”

“On the way to the airport.”

“Oh.”

He was silent for a moment before saying, “You could always go see him.”

“You think so?”

“You’ve no idea how much he’s missed you since you went. He’s been like a bear with a sore head, grumpier than me and that’s saying something.”

“Really? Why didn’t he get in touch with me then?”

“He thought you didn’t want anything to do with him.”

“Did he say that?”

“Only when he got really drunk one night and came wandering into the kitchen looking for pizza menus and muttering about olives.”

“What do I do?”

“Go after him because I get the feeling he might not be back for a long time.”

“Which airport is he going to?”

“Trufferton.”

“Where’s that?”

“Got a map?”

“I’ve a GPS. When’s his flight leave?”

“When he’s ready. It’s his plane.”

“Of course it is,” I replied, already typing into the GPS. Two hours to drive there.

“When did he set off?”

“About an hour ago. If you hurry you should catch him.”

I could only hope he hadn’t taken off yet. “Thanks, Carl,” I said, slamming into reverse and spinning the car around.

I still had no idea what I was going to say to him but I needed to speak to him, find out if Carl was right. He must have feelings for me to send the book. I’d thought he’d long forgotten about me, moved onto the next conquest. Then out of nowhere mailing the book. He was still thinking about me. It was hard to accept.

My stomach churned with nerves as the miles ticked away. I made it in an hour and forty-five but was I too late?

Just as I pulled into the entrance lane to the airport I got the shock of my life. There was his car with Michael driving it. The car was coming towards me. I jumped out of mine and waved it down. “Michael, where is he?” I asked.

He nodded behind him at a plane taking off. “Already dropped him off,” he said.

“Oh,” I replied, my shoulders sagging. I glanced up at the plane, muttering, “Goodbye,” before turning and walking slowly back to my car. I climbed in and drove at a crawl up to the guard’s booth. “Is there somewhere I can get a drink?” I asked.

“Cafe over there,” he said. “Park up in front of it.”

I drove over and stopped the car in front of a corrugated metal building, the outside starting to rust. The door was open and inside were a few tables, all empty. I took the one in the corner and closed my eyes, my head in my hands.

I hadn’t been fast enough. He’d gone. I’d missed him. What if he never came back?

“Can I get you something to eat?” a voice asked.

I didn’t bother to open my eyes. “No thanks.”

“Not even my famous spag bol?”

I opened my eyes to find Mr Stempel looking down at me.

“What are you doing? ”" I asked, the shock making me spit the words out. “How did you know I was here?”

“Do you not think my staff might tell me if you arrive at my house? Or when you almost run in front of my car?”

“Oh.”

“What are you doing here, Jodie?”

“You found the end to Edwin Drood. Do you have any idea how significant that is?”

He shrugged. “I just thought you might like it.”

“Simple as that?”

He nodded before pulling out the chair opposite mine. “Tell me something though.”

“What?”

“What did you spend the million on? I'm curious.”

“I didn’t take it.”

“What? But Gwyneth-” He fell silent before talking more to himself than to me. “Of course. That’s how Senior paid for the legal fight for so long. She cashed the check.” He looked up at me. “I still owe you then.”

“I don’t want your money.”

“What do you want then?”

“You really want to know?”

He nodded.

“A coffee. Preferably with a lot of sugar in it.”

He smiled, waving over the waiter. “Two coffees with enough sugar to make the spoons stand upright.”

“It’s nice to see you,” I said as the waiter walked away. “How’ve you been?”

“Not bad. You?”

“Better now. I thought I saw your plane leaving though. I thought you’d gone.”

“My plane’s just out there warming up. In fact, I better get going.”

“Already? Oh, okay. Never mind.”

“Come with me.”

“Where are you going?”

“My island.”

“How long for?”

“However long you want to vacation.”

“All right,” I said. “But not too long.”

“Your wish is my command.”

We got up, leaving the drinks unfinished. His hand slipped into mine as we walked across the runway and up the steps into his plane.

Ten minutes later we were moving, lifting off into the air, the airport shrinking away beneath the window. I watched as Mr Stempel came out of the cockpit. “Just making a few changes to the flight path,” he said, sitting down next to me. “So what have you been up to?”

“Been quite busy.”

“Oh yes? Doing what?”

I took a deep breath. “Bringing up our baby.”

He blinked as if he wasn’t sure he heard me. I nodded slowly and he blinked again. “Our…you mean…?”

“Yep.”

“Oh my God. Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t believe it. Seriously? You had a baby. Boy? Girl? Tell me everything.”

I told him about Dora. His face lit up with every new piece of information. I ended by telling him, “She’s at the seaside for a couple of days with Annie’s mom.”

“Do I get to meet her?”

“Do you want to?”

“Of course I want to. I can’t believe I have a daughter. We have a daughter.”

“So there’s a we?”

“Do you want there to be a we?” He looked expectantly at me.

I smiled innocently. “The toilet’s over there.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I thought you wanted me gone. I didn’t think you cared. You never got in touch.”

“I thought you’d hang up on me. You never got in touch either.”

“I thought you’d laugh at me.”

“Then we’re both idiots. Back in a minute.” I watched him disappear into the cockpit for a short while before returning to me. “Where were we?”

I looked down as his hands found mine again. “Do you have any idea what a big deal it is that you found the end of the book though? The whole world is going to want to know how you found it, where it came from.”

“I don’t care about that. I care about you and I care about pulling that curtain across there and pulling this lever here.” He did so and a bed dropped down from the wall.

“That’s not your first time doing that, is it?”

“First time I had someone join me.”

“Who says I’m going to?”

“I do.” He grabbed me and threw me onto the bed, landing on me a second later.

“You better kiss me then,” I said, looking up into his eyes.”

“I’m going to do a lot more than kiss you,” he replied, his lips moving towards mine. “We’ve got to make up for missed time here.”