All of Me (Sebastian Vettel)

5. Setting the Ball Rolling

It was Thursday morning in Bahrain. The first race weekend of the 2022 season had arrived. Joel slipped into the meeting room, carrying a cup of tea in his hand.  He nodded at Antti, who was sat at the back of the room.  He took a seat next to him and waited as Seb paced up and down the room, talking on his phone. 

"Alyssa Mae Ashton , or she may possibly be going as Harper.  Hang on."  He pulled the phone away from his ear.  "Joel, what is Dean's surname again?"

"Talbot," Joel replied, before taking a sip of his tea.

Seb put the phone back to his ear.  "Try Alyssa Mae Talbot too. Pardon?  Date of birth? Second of November 1993.  Yes, I will email you the most recent photo we have of her but it's several years old.  Her brother hasn't seen her for five years, and no one we know has either, so we don't know what she looks like now."

Joel watched as Seb stopped pacing and sat down on a desk.

"Please prioritise this. I'm willing to pay thirty percent above the going rate.  You're the third agency I've contacted and there will be a large bonus if you get a  result before the others. Thank you.  Yes, contact me as soon as you hear anything. If I'm not available you can contact either Joel or Sienna. I'll send you their numbers with the photograph.  Thank you, goodbye."

Seb ended the call and put his phone down onto the desk beside him.  He cursed in German and slammed his hand down onto his thigh in frustration.

"You need to calm down a bit Sebastian," Antti said.  "Your blood pressure will be shooting up."

"I know, I'm sorry.  I just want to find her.   For Sienna, for Joel."

Joel smiled at him appreciatively. Seb was doing everything he could to help find Alyssa. He couldn't ask for any more from his ex brother in law.

"Seb, it's ok," Joel said. "You've already done so much. There's already agencies..."

"The other agencies seem to be dragging their heels," Seb interrupted. "It's been a month.  The more people looking for her,  the better.  We will find her Joel.  Money is not a problem."

"I just hope after all this that she'll want to see us," Joel replied. He feared that she wouldn't. He'd let her down big time and he didn't know if Dean was still controlling her life.

"She will Joel.  The Alyssa I remember adored you and Sienna. She literally idolised you both. Of course she'll want to see you."

Joel wished he was as confident about that as Seb seemed to be.

"The Alyssa you remember changed," he tried to explain. "I let her down. I abandoned her when she needed me the most. God knows what she's gone through since I last saw her, God knows what that bastard has done to her."

They fell silent. Deep down Seb had been thinking the same thing. What if after everything she didn't want to know? And that other thought that had been plaguing him ... what if Dean had done something to her? What if she....  No Seb, he told himself.  Stay positive.  She'll be fine.  She has to be. 

***

Once all his media duties had been fulfilled Seb headed back to the hotel.  He wanted to take a short nap before meeting the team downstairs for a late dinner.  He had a headache and paracetamol hadn't helped.  

He set the alarm on his phone for an hours time and then laid down on the bed.  He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep...

It was a bright summers day and Seb was feeling happy.   Summer break had begun and he had four weeks of relaxation ahead of him. He began to stroll down a grassy track that cut through a field to the south of his garden, enjoying the sun and fresh air.