by Lois Kay
“I definitely will,” Fiona promised. She looked up at Lucy, who, despite Fiona’s growth spurt, was still almost a head taller and noticed the affection in the eyes that looked so much like her own. She grinned and gave Lucy a quick hug.
Lucy let go of Trishia’s hand and hugged Fiona back. “Did I forget my own birthday?” she teased. Her eyes were twinkling.
Fiona shrugged. “No, don’t worry, I’ll remind you when you add another year to your already long list. You’re pretty docile before your caffeine rush, so I thought it would be safe to show appreciation for being my sister.”
A look of surprise crossed Lucy’s face, but then she smiled. “Thanks, baby twin.”
Fiona grinned. “Anytime.” She glanced at Trishia, who was smiling at the rare display of affection. “Can I talk to you before you go in? I was there when Alice…panicked and Sam thought it was a good idea to fill you in.”
Trishia nodded. “Absolutely.” She turned to Lucy and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be right in.”
As soon as the door closed behind Lucy, Fiona told Trishia what had happened and how Alice had reacted.
“What did she see exactly?”
“I didn’t have time to really look at it. She flew out of the office like she was on fire and I went after her. It was something on Sam’s laptop,” Fiona said.
Trishia frowned. “Sam’s laptop? Are you—,” she paused, and Fiona saw the increasing intensity in her eyes. “Damn, I totally forgot about that. Was it the security footage Peter and I were looking at yesterday?”
Fiona shrugged. “Trish, I wasn’t there, I don’t know what you were looking at, but yes, it could be. I didn’t stick around to watch it. I did notice it was dark and fuzzy. If that’s the security camera at your station, they should upgrade.”
Trishia let out a soft laugh. “Leave it up to you to notice that in a split second and, yes, I agree, we should upgrade.” She paused, and Fiona could swear she saw the wheels inside Trishia’s head turning. It was interesting to watch how Trishia could go from relatively relaxed to full-out police mode in the blink of an eye. “By the way, great job on finding that picture and news article.”
“Was it helpful? Is it Alice?” Fiona asked.
“Peter already made some phone calls to Perth, and hopefully we’ll get some information soon, but yes, it was extremely helpful.” Trishia put a hand on Fiona’s shoulder and gave her a playful shake. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that? I’m glad you’re on the right side of the law.”
“Who says I am?” Fiona deadpanned, and she chuckled when Trishia raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I’m using my superpowers for the greater good.”
“Make sure to keep it that way, Penelope Garcia,” Trishia teased.
Fiona grinned. “I love that show and that character, but you do know that digging up cyber information takes a bit more than what they show on Criminal Minds, right? Garcia finds tons of data in two minutes. It took me almost eight hours to find one picture.”
“I’m sure it does, and I so appreciate your tenaciousness.” Trishia motioned to the door. “Let’s go inside, so you can show me what triggered Alice.”
*
Inspector Wong frowned as her glance traveled between the documents in front of her to the computer screen and back again. She twirled the pen she was holding around in her fingers and tried to convert the figures and facts she saw, into a plausible story. When the phone rang again for the sixth time within the last twenty minutes, she let out an aggravated sigh, but quickly picked up the receiver. How did people know she was at the station on a Sunday?
“Wong,” she announced.
“Hey, you beach bum. How are you doing?” a cheerful voice sounded.
“Who are you calling a beach bum?” Inspector Wong laughed, having recognized the voice instantly. “You’re the blonde with the great tan.”
“Not anymore,” Claire Philips said with a laugh. “That was a long time ago when I was young and innocent.”
“That must be a very long time ago because I cannot remember you ever being innocent,” Inspector Wong quipped. “How’s life in Sydney, Superintendent Philips?”
“Not bad, Carol. At least they do have a few decent beaches around here.”
They both laughed, and Inspector Wong didn’t need to see the face of her friend to know that her blue eyes were twinkling. “It’s good to hear your voice,” she said. “How is Karen?”
“Her usual sweet and patient self. Sometimes I wonder how she puts up with all the extreme hours I work. I mean, it’s Sunday. I should be home with her.”
“I know what you mean,” Inspector Wong sighed. “Greg never complains when I ruin his plans for the weekend, but I still feel bad about it.”
“How is the hubby doing?”
“He’s great. He started working from home recently, and that makes a lot of difference for the both of us. We do have more time together now. When are you and Karen coming up, Claire? It’s been too long since we’ve all seen each other.”
“You’re right,” Claire admitted with a sigh. “I promise I’ll talk to Karen about it this evening. We were planning some time off together soon, and I’d love to drive up the coast and visit.”
“That would be wonderful,” Inspector Wong answered warmly.
“It’s a deal then. I’ll let you know as soon as Karen and I have talked it over. Now, my friend, about that information you requested.”
“Yes?” Carol asked, feeling the tension in her body grow when she looked at her computer screen again.
“He worked here for several years, and we never had one single complaint about him. His last day at work was toward the end of February. I think it was the twenty-sixth. His mates wanted to throw him a farewell party, but he had to decline because he needed to pack and move. He was scheduled to start at your department on March the third.”
“March the third?” Inspector Wong asked, echoing the words to make sure she had heard them right.
“Yes, according to my file here, it was March the third.”
“That’s interesting,” Inspector Wong said, leaning forward to cast a look at the file on her desk. “According to my file, he started on May the fifth. He had requested to delay his move for another month because his wife was ill and needed treatment in a hospital.”
There was a long silence when both women processed the information they had just shared. Finally, Inspector Wong could hear Claire clear her throat. When she spoke again, her voice was calm, but Inspector Wong, who had known her friend for the better part of her life, could easily detect the tension.
“His wife?”
“Yes, that’s what I read here, in a letter he wrote, dated February the nineteenth.”
“Carol, he wasn’t married. I remember he once had a relationship with a single mother, a widow, who had two children. But they broke up. That’s why he moved to Sydney. She stayed in Perth.”
The pen Inspector Wong was twirling around fell on her desk. It bounced back from the impact and rolled towards the edge, where it took a plunge and tumbled to the ground.
“Perth?” Inspector Wong repeated in a strained voice. “When did he move to Sydney, Claire, do you know?”
“I’m not sure,” Claire answered, realizing the importance of the question. “But it was after the break-up, which must be about two years ago, maybe longer. I know he went back once, to try and patch things up, but it didn’t work out.”
“When did he try to get back together? Do you have any idea why? Did he ever talk about it?”
“He said she had moved on,” Claire said. “He took it fairly well and to be honest if I remember correctly, he didn’t seem too heartbroken about it. I think he went back to see her a few months after they broke up. Damn, Carol, I’m not sure when that was. I wasn’t keeping track. The only reason I remember is because Perth is not exactly close to Sydney and I thought he must have cared a lot to fly across the country.”
Inspector Wong felt her mout
h go dry and while she unconsciously clutched the receiver tighter, she swallowed hard. “Do you happen to remember the name of his ex? Or her kids?”
“I think her name was Ally or Amy. I’m not sure. I can’t remember her last name. I remember her son’s name, though, because it’s the same as my Dad’s. His name’s Dean.”
*
As soon as he had received Trishia’s text message, Peter Jones had grabbed his car keys, kissed his wife and children and ran out of the door. Ever since he had found Fiona’s email, he was filled with nervous anticipation. It was a feeling he was familiar with. He often felt it when they were making progress on a case and when the chase was on. If everything worked out the way he hoped, they would end up with some solid leads. Not just to figure out Alice’s history, but also who was chasing after the teenager.
Even though he was in a hurry to join his partner, Peter made sure to keep an eye on his rearview mirror. The last thing he needed was to be followed back to Murrook Farm. At the moment, the only people he worked with and trusted were Trishia and his Inspector. It took him longer than he wanted, but he finally parked his car nest to Trishia’s in front of Sam and Jody’s house. When he got out of the car, he was relieved to see Kurt was wagging his tail when the dog came up to him.
“G’day, Kurt,” he said, scratching the German Sheperd behind his ears. “Are you a good boy today?” He laughed when Kurt let out a happy bark and ran away, only to return with a stick. “Do you want to play fetch? We can do that.” Peter grabbed the stick Kurt had offered him and threw it as far away as he could. The dog ran after it, while Peter made his way to the house. He grinned when he saw Kurt grab the stick and vigorously shake it, almost falling over in the process. He made a mental note to talk to his wife about getting a dog. He was sure the kids would love it.
When he stepped inside the kitchen, Peter noticed the atmosphere was not as relaxed as it usually was. Immediately, the anticipation inside him increased. “Hey,” he greeted Sam when she stood. She motioned him to follow her, and as he crossed the kitchen, Peter sent everyone a warm smile. They quietly made their way to the office and Sam opened the door for him.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“If you have coffee, I’d love some, thanks, Sam.”
Sam nodded, and Peter entered the office where Trishia was sitting in front of the laptop they had used the previous day.
“Morning, Trish,” he greeted, taking a seat next to her. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Trishia moved the cursor and clicked on an icon. The window that opened showed where they had paused the security footage the previous day, after having gone through it multiple times. Trishia didn’t speak but pointed at the screen. Peter leaned in closer and narrowed his eyes. He looked at Trishia and then looked back at the screen.
“Your text said the security footage had revealed something,” he said. “I’d hate to admit it, Trish, but you’ll need to point it out to me because I can’t see anything I didn’t see yesterday.”
Trishia nodded and raked her fingers through her hair. “It’s not what we saw, Pete, it’s what Alice saw.”
With a frown, Peter looked at Trishia. “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t want to tell you in a text or over the phone, but Fiona and Alice were in the office this morning, and Fiona accidentally opened this window,” she pointed at the screen. “When Alice saw what was on the screen she flew out of the office in a full-blown panic attack.”
“Is she alright?” Peter asked.
Trishia sent him a tight smile. “Considering the circumstances, yes, she is. Jody called Lisa, though. I’d like a professional opinion on how to proceed with her.”
“So, she saw the screen and freaked out.” Peter looked at the screen. “I don’t…what did she see?”
Trishia tapped the person in the frame on the screen. “The man who tried to choke her.”
Peter felt the blood drain from his face and he was glad he was sitting down. “What?” He looked back at the screen. “Trish, what the fuck?”
Trishia was about to respond when her cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen and shot Peter a knowing look. “It’s the Inspector.”
“Morning, Inspector,” she greeted.
“I just received some information that is so upsetting, I don’t know whether to puke or spit fire,” Inspector Wong’s voice sounded in her ear. “Damn, Trish, I am absolutely, positively, utterly, unconditionally pissed off.”
“Join the club, Inspector,” Trishia replied wryly. “Alice shared some alarming news with us this morning.”
“Share,” Inspector Wong ordered.
*
“Do you need me to come to the house, Jody?”
“Only if you think you’d need to, Lisa,” Jody said. “Of course, you’re always welcome, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt your day. Trish wanted me to tell you about what happened this morning and ask for advice.”
“It sounds like you have everything under control.” Lisa’s voice was warm. “It seems to me Alice’s subconscious is trying very hard to fill in some of the blanks.” She paused for a moment. “How is she now?”
“Shaken,” Jody replied immediately. “Scared, nervous, but also very determined.”
Lisa let out a soft laugh. “I’ve only talked to her once, but Alice is one special young lady,” she said. “And Jody, it’s really no bother for me to come to your house. I know Alice has an appointment to come see me Tuesday, but I do make house calls,” she joked gently. “Besides, I like Alice, and I’m intrigued by her. It would be my pleasure to help.”
“Personally, I’d like you around when we break the news we may know where she’s from,” Jody confessed. “I also know Trish would probably want her to look at the laptop again, and I’m a little apprehensive about her reaction. I want to do right by her.”
“In that case, my decision is made. I’ll be over within the next hour.”
Jody smiled. “Thank you, Lisa. I will let Alice and Trish know.”
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you, Jody. I’ll see you soon.”
Jody put the phone on the nightstand and fell back on the bed. She had wanted privacy while calling Lisa Bailey and the bedroom had seemed a logical choice. She crossed her hands behind her head and looked up at the ceiling. She was glad Lisa was willing to provide Alice with the support she needed. Not that Jody hadn’t been able to, but she was flying by the seat of her pants when it came to Alice. So far, going on instinct had worked out, but she was afraid of Alice’s reaction when she was confronted again with whatever she had seen on the laptop.
Jody smiled when she heard the door open, and she didn’t have to look up to know it was Sam. The mattress dipped, and a warm body slid next to her. She turned her head and looked into a pair of concerned eyes.
“Are you alright?” Sam asked.
Jody nodded. “Yes, I am. Lisa will be here within the next hour.”
Sam sent her a small smile. “Good. I’m glad. I want Alice to go through all this crap in the safest way possible.”
“I do, too.” Jody turned on her side and supported her head with her hand. “Sam, Alice needs clothes. It’s great she fits in Fiona’s, but she really needs her own.”
“I thought that as well this morning,” Sam replied. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m sure Trishia will not allow us to take Alice to the shopping center, but maybe we could send Lucy and Mom? Or Fiona and Mom? Or Fiona and Lucy?”
Sam grinned. “Fiona and Lucy? That could be dangerous, honey.”
Jody laughed. “Fiona could provide a teenager’s input and Lucy, well, you know how she dresses.”
“Always stylin’.” Sam chuckled. “I guess between the two of them, they’d be able to come up with a few decent outfits.”
“It’s more than just a few outfits, love. Alice has nothing, so we’re starting from scratch.”
“No problem. I’ll give them my credit card, and they can go all
out.”
Jody’s index finger slid from Sam’s forehead, down the bridge of her nose and landed on her lips, before heading south, down her chin and neck, until it finally stopped in the middle of her chest. “Do you have any idea how wonderful you are?”
Sam raised her eyebrows. “You think I am wonderful? When is the last time you looked in the mirror? If someone is amazing, it’s you.” She let out a soft laugh. “I thought we just had that discussion.”
Before Jody could respond, Sam pressed a finger against her lips. “Jody, I know you’re clueless about your level of awesomeness, but believe me, you’re in the top one.” She removed her finger and replaced them with her lips for a quick, but firm kiss. “This morning, I saw how you handled Alice’s panic attack, and I was so proud of you. And I fell in love with you all over again, of course, but I do that every day.”
Jody smiled and moved closer so she could wrap her arm around Sam and pull her into a hug. “The feeling is mutual,” she mumbled against the skin of Sam’s neck. “The longer we are together, the easier it is to deal with the years we lost.”
“Funny you say that. I feel the same.” Sam’s lips brushed Jody’s ear. “It makes it less painful to remember. Although, I’ll always regret I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
“You and Mom both,” Jody said gently. “You do realize I regret not being there when you were in the hospital, right?” She kissed Sam’s cheek, before snuggling closer. “We all have regrets, but it’s not like we were given any choices at the time. So, promise me to try and forget the regrets and instead look at where we are today.”
“Wise words, Yoda,” Sam teased warmly. “But you’re right. It’s water under the bridge. You’re here, I’m here, we’re married.” Sam let out a happy laugh. “There are moments I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I’m married to Jody McDonnell. How did I ever get so lucky?” She kissed the top of Jody’s head and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Do you remember that one night we were sitting on top of the hill, watching the Milky Way and we saw a shooting star?”
“I do,” Jody mumbled against Sam’s chest.
