I’m writing a story inspired by the fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but I’ve hit a plot hole.

Briefly, a couple who want a child decide to have one by IVF. They have a little girl they call Molly. They are well off people, the father being a successful business man.

Sadly, Molly’s mother dies in a car crash. Her father, Michael, is devastated, but eventually, after a few years, meets and marries a beautiful, if selfish woman who has a child, a boy called Sean. Lisa, the second wife overhears Michael saying he’s going to leave the business to Molly, but will ensure that Lisa has enough money for her and Sean to live as they are used to.

Lisa is also becoming jealous of Molly as her beauty is growing as Lisa’s is fading. Lisa plots to get rid of her step-daughter and persuades Sean to take a boat to France and push Molly overboard in the middle of the Channel. But Sean can’t bring himself to do this and they land in Fecamp, France.

Sean grabs Molly’s bag and runs back to the boat, starts the engine and leaves.

Milly has no means of identification, no money and no phone as they were all in her bag. She is befriended by a young man who takes her back to the house he shares with 6 other young people.

Molly finds the British Embassy is in Paris but she has no money to get there. So she agrees to do cleaning and some cooking for the others, who are all working.

Now, here are the plot holes.

Why don’t the others lend her a phone to phone her father?

Why doesn’t she go to the police?

I thought of 2 possible solutions,

I could move the time from the present day to, say, 1960s and have them living in a hippy commune. No mobile phones.

Molly could fall chasing after Sean and bang her head, and has no memory of who she is or why she’s there.

Which do you think would be better? Although the first doesn’t explain why she doesn’t go to the police.

Do you have a better explanation for this problem? If so, please let me know in the comments box. I will be ever grateful to you.