Kim's Game

Epilogue

Most of you will now know what happened when I finally met my father and Helen in Peter’s flat.

I’d spent weeks as one person only to discover that I had been quite another for the last year or two.  But I’ve decided to stick with the person I invented.  The Laura who did all those things for her father wasn’t the real Laura anyway.  I’m going to be a new Laura now.  I know who I am and I'm going to be satisfied with that.

I went to the police. By the time they got to the bar, my father was long gone.  Which just leaves me.  My lawyer says that if I give evidence, if I ‘fully co-operate’ and tell them everything I know, I may get a suspended sentence.  Helen and Peter are prepared to vouch for me.

I am still living at Peter’s flat – but not as man and wife or anything like that.  He’s a good friend and we would both have been lonely without the other this past fortnight.  He’s going to help me through the next few months until this is all settled.

My mother and sister have also come to London.  It was great to see Kim and, in a way, my mum as well.  Of course, they’re shocked by what I did and what I got involved with.  But they know it’s in the past now.   

When Stephan joined us, it was just like old times.  Mum was a bit frosty to begin with, but then she started teasing him – was he Geoff, was he Jonathan?  He blushed – he always thinks he’s got to keep things ‘discreet’, make sure the embassy doesn’t find out.

But Nicolas, where are you?  Where have you gone?  Just as I discover everyone else, I lose you.  You were right to go.  I wish I’d gone with you.  But I’ve got the photo of you and I hope you've still got the photo of me.  Get in touch when you’re ready.

And in spite of everything, I hope I see my dad again some day.  He did a terrible thing, but he knew I was going to the police and he didn’t try and stop me.  He knew it was what I needed to do.  That means something.  He gave me a chance and now I've got to use it.

The Doctors

Today, I had my follow up appointment at the hospital. They're hopeful I will remember something quite soon. I asked them about my accent and they said an event like this can sometimes change the way you speak, so it doesn't tell me anything for sure, although I may have heard the accent at some time of my life. I may even speak other languages.

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Time To Sort This Out

I've done my last interview for the BBC. 

You can listen to it here.

Now I'm going to go up to Holborn Tube and whoever turns up is going to have to answer some questions.  Whether it's Helen or Geoff or Somebody Called Nicky or that man in the photo.

This is him.  The BBC scanned it for me. 

So why has Helen got a framed photo of the same man as in the photograph in my purse?  And why did she hide it? If she does turn up, she's got some explaining to do. 

I've got to go now.  An engineer from the BBC is going to come with me (thanks for the suggestion Em)  So it will all be recorded.

Wish me luck.

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Anna, please talk to Helen

Anna, if you are reading this, Helen is very angry. The interviewer on Outlook mentioned you, so she left this comment on my last post:

Anna - if that's what you are calling yourself at the moment - LEAVE ME ALONE! Leave Kim alone. How dare you try to turn Kim against me! She's a vulnerable young woman. Haven't you done enough damage in the past?

Can't you two try to patch things up between you somehow? I don't know what has gone on between you both but I can't help feeling upset by all this.

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At Last

Helen walked in the door a couple of hours ago. I asked her where she had been and she  just smiled and shrugged.  Like it didn't matter that she'd been gone for almost two days.

I'd had a sleepless night, wondering about who I am but also  about who she is. What do I know about her? And where was she? But then when I saw her again I felt foolish - she's already been good enough to give me a room, why should she babysit me as well?

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help me. So many people think they have seen me in Paris or other parts of France.  I spent some time last night on the net looking at pictures of Paris.  But nothing jogged in my mind.

I have to go and do another interview with the people at the BBC. Tomorrow, they're repeating the first interview and we need to record one for Tuesday's programme.  And Helen said she would come with me to the BBC. I said it wasn’t necessary.  She said she didn’t mind – in a way which means I shouldn’t argue with her. And I didn’t dare – she’s the only person I know in this city. The only person I know in the whole world.

And she's probably just being kind. I mean, I do want to trust her but I just don't know....

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Did You See Me In Paris?

Em says she saw a woman in Paris, showing people a photograph – the one of the couple – trying to trace them, that she had to find them. If this was me, when was this? Did anyone else see this woman with the photo or talk to her? Did anyone else notice what she saw that made her jump into that taxi so suddenly – who was in that other taxi that she needed to follow?  If this was me, it could be a huge step forward. Or even if it was someone else - if someone else is trying to trace the same people - it would help.  Did anyone else hear who I said these people were? Please tell me if you saw anything.

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Where Have I Been For Three Years?

Kim Regent wrote:

You'd had a screaming row with Mum.... probably over that boy you were seeing.
You'd said you'd leave the house for good in October 2004. You walked right back out the door.  Oh, God, I've been sorry these last few years that I haven't seen you.
Do you think you could be Laura Regent, my half-sister, disappeared three years ago from suburban Washington?

Maybe it isn’t chance that made me choose my name.  Kim, when you say we could be half-sisters, how are we related?  And where are you from? Please listen to my radio interview, do I have the same accent as you?

Julia thought she recognised my voice:

I'm almost certain you're the woman from Haiti, Dominique Leclerc, who married my father-in-law. You're an educated Haitian from a family who once had money...You married my elderly father-in-law in a hush-hush ceremony in London just two months ago. You convinced him you were in love with him. When we offered you a very generous cash deal to leave the country and never come back, you jumped at it. Maybe your brother, who is even greedier than you are, decided the money offered wasn't enough.

Can I be Laura and Dominique? Could I really be the sort of person who would do what Dominique has done?  Maybe that boyfriend from Washington is the man Julia thinks is my brother.  When I look in the mirror, I wonder if I could be from Haiti.  This story fits with Geoff, who saw someone who could be me hiding something in a bank here in London. Did anyone see me near the bank?

So many possibilities. So many sad stories. Are they some of them connected somehow? They can't all be me.... ...can they?

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On The Plane

I've just been out to the fast-food place on the corner and got a burger and it did taste weird. Lois thinks she saw me on a plane.  What she remembers is that I was eating the vegetarian option. Was that me on that plane? Have I even forgotten that I am a vegetarian? It almost makes me laugh.

And this fits with what Samantha said – she thinks we were working together at a resort in Jamaica and

the dapper English gentleman staying in Room 237 spirited you away with him to London and that perhaps a dose of sleep medication taken on the overseas flight may have destroyed your memory.

But who is this man, what's his name? Where is he now? Did we have some sort of fight?  Is that how I lost my memory?

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Confused and Tired

I am so grateful to you all for your comments, but getting tired and confused.

Joel and Jeremiah  - could this be the same man? Doesn't sound likely? Could you provide some more details?

And yes, it could be me in that missing part of the photo. My head is spinning.

Julia - I just don't know. Could I really be this woman? In some ways I hope not. Can a person's character leave with their memory? Does it come back again, I wonder? Is this the same person as Trixie and Geoff are talking about?

Or maybe Ekow is right.

Or....am I Laura? I am being asked questions to which I just don't know the answer. Something must come back to me. Something soon. I have a tune going round in my head....

I am going to bed now, Helen is out. Maybe it will all be clearer in the morning. Maybe I'll remember that tune.

And if anyone else at all knows anything, please leave a comment by clicking on the comment button below.

Thankyou

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Who Is Helen?

So Anna hasn't heard from her sister Helen yet. The name of the market means nothing to me, but I think my Helen may have been in Ghana - there are a few things round the house that look, well African of some sort. But she got funny when I asked her, and about me taking her photo....

And I don't know if I was with my Helen before 9th, not really. I've only got her word for it.

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