by Iris Deorre
She gazed at the little light blue cardigan Paige had begged for while they’d been out shopping one afternoon. London dropped to her knees and picked up the soft fabric. She lifted it up and admired it, and then brought it close to her nose. She breathed in the soft scent that was once Paige. She shut her eyes and tried to imagine Paige in her arms.
‘Oh honey.’ Portia stood by the door.
London’s shoulders shook, and soon her whole body followed suit. The tears fell, but there was no sound. Portia was quick to take her into her arms again. Together they cried. They cried for Paige, and hoped that their tears would somehow bring her home. Portia prayed that it would.
****
The jeep stood with the door opened, and Victor flicked away the cigarette and got into the car. Behind him, Bradley got in too, and the driver shut the door. Instructions were given, and soon they were on their way to make a difference. Victor knew that what he was about to do, was a long shot. He’d never felt this drawn to a woman, and for once in his life, he felt the need to do some good.
He’d discussed the plan over with Bradley, and they’d come up with a few ideas. All that was needed now was to convince London of the plans. Victor hoped he could keep the police off his back. There was nothing more distracting than them snooping around his territory. He knew for a fact that Detective Gates would be more than happy to take him down at the same time. He’d been trying to do it for years. But the drug and murder claims never stuck, and Victor had more influence over the police force than Detective Gates, but the detective was still determined to take him down. He knew that one day he would.
The jeep stopped outside London’s home. Bradley looked at his boss, and Victor nodded.
‘Did you know he was here?’ asked Victor.
‘No.’
‘Okay then.’ He took a moment to think. ‘We’ll just wait. I think it’s best.’
‘I agree.’ Bradley watched the house just like his boss.
London sat in the living-room listening to Detective Gates as he tried to explain what the next move was. But as the hours ticked by, she was loosing more and more hope. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to believe that the police were doing everything they could, but she also knew they had many other crimes to deal with.
‘I assure you, we’re doing everything in our power to find these people and bring them to justice.’ He gazed at London, and still couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. He wanted nothing more than to bring her little girl home.
‘We’re grateful for your help, detective. I’m sure you’re doing everything you can,’ said Portia.
She looked over at London, who said nothing. She wanted to thank him, but she couldn’t. She wanted to ask what they would do next, but the words wouldn’t form. She wanted to say something, scream, but still it wasn’t meant to be.
Detective Gates looked over at London and waited. There had been quite a few times he thought she’d say something, but it never happened. He noticed it in her expression. It was as if she were struggling to say something, but each time her lips moved, no words departed from them. He nodded, acknowledged that he understood. He stood up, and said his goodbyes, and Portia walked him to the door.
‘I will be in touch.’
‘Thank you.’ She shut the door behind him, and went straight back to London. ‘Sweetheart, let’s take this as good news. Let’s keep believing that somehow, something will happen. I have faith it will.’ She placed her hand over London’s.
London wondered where her mother found the strength to continue to be so positive. She wished she could possess the same faith, but she was bogged down by grief.
Detective Gates noticed the black Jeep just behind his car. He shook his head and headed straight for it. He knocked on the glass, and the dark windows slid down.
‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.
‘It’s nice to see you too, detective.’
‘You are walking a very thin rope, Mister Adamovich. You’re interfering with a very important investigation.’
‘Detective, I can assure you, I’m here to apologise for what happened to this poor woman. It is in my best interest to make sure my customers are happy. I know that what’s happened is no small matter, but I owe her an apology. This all happened on my turf.’
The detective knew this wasn’t the only reason, but instead of causing a scene, he nodded. Perhaps the best way to defeat him was to keep a close eye on him.
‘Okay, if that’s all it is.’ He stepped back.
‘It is, now you have a good day, detective.’ The dark window slid back up. ‘Keep an eye on him, he gave up too easy. That’s not like him,’ said Victor.
‘I agree.’ Bradley watched the detective like a hawk.
They waited until the detective’s car pulled away. The driver stepped out and opened the door. Victor and Bradley stepped out, with a briefcase and a laptop. He turned to Bradley and said, ‘Let’s do this.’
They took bold steps towards the house with the green door, and Victor pressed the doorbell.
‘Are we expecting anyone?’ Portia stood up from beside London. ‘Or has the detective forgotten something?’ She headed for the front door.
Two men in black suits stood facing her. Nothing came to mind, but she didn’t like the look of them.
‘Can...can I help you?’ Portia had a sixth sense for trouble.
‘Yes, I’m Victor Adamovich; I’m the owner of the theme park where, London’s daughter was abducted.’
‘Oh.’
‘Is it all right if we come in? I would like to see and speak with her.’
‘Erm...’ She looked behind her.
‘Please, we won’t take too much of your time. We might be able to help.’
She looked them up and down one last time. There was something about the tall one, the one with the dark hair and handsome face that made her a little weary.
‘Please,’ he said again.
‘Okay, but I must warn you. My daughter is grieving, and she hasn’t said a word since the incident. I’m not sure she’ll respond to you.’
‘That’s perfectly okay. We only want to speak with her.’
Portia widened the door for them to step in. She directed them to the living-room where London, sat, staring into space.
‘Sweetheart, these gentlemen have come to see you.’
London turned to look at the two men. She was drawn to the tall sexy looking man, with the dark hair. Something told her he was the key to something, but she didn’t know what. He smiled slightly, and sat down on the opposite side of London.
‘London,’ Victor started. ‘May I call you that?’
She nodded.
‘I’m really sorry about the disappearance of your daughter.’
She swallowed back hard.
‘I know this must be a hard time for you, and you might not want to speak about it. But I think I may be able to help you.’
She perked up slightly. Something stirred within her that told her that what he said might be true. He gazed directly into her eyes. He couldn’t get over just how prettier she was in real life, and her vulnerability was making it much harder for him to concentrate. He wished he had a magic wand that could bring Paige back in the blink of an eye, but he didn’t. But he would to make damn sure he came close to performing a magic trick.
‘I want to show you something.’ He pulled on the laptop, opened it and switched it on. He also opened the folder he was carrying. ‘Do you mind if I sit next to you? It would be easier to share with you if I sat closer.’
She nodded and moved a little to make room on the two-seater couch. There was a moment of thick silence. Energy drifted between them that made them sit up a moment and think. What had just happened? London looked in his direction and took in his strong features. There was a moment when she felt like falling into his arms, and allowing him to take the heavy burden from her. She didn’t know what it was, and as crazy as if felt, she just wanted it. Perhaps it was just her
way of coping. Her mother had been a great comfort, but the man who sat beside her, felt like the person who could move mountains.
‘My right hand man, Bradley...’ He nodded over at Bradley. ‘...and I have done some digging.’ He clicked on the laptop and brought up a few images. ‘While I was studying the footage from the day your daughter went missing, I picked up something.’ He moved the laptop closer so that London could see what he saw. ‘If you look at the pictures of you and your daughter...’ He pointed at the stills of London and Paige at different positions. ‘You will notice not to far off there is a woman watching you.’ He pointed at the dark haired woman not too far off from them.
London leaned in closer and gazed at the pictures. There was the picture of them when they took photos with some of the Disney characters. The same woman stood not too far from them. On the rides, not too far off, the same woman was there, and when they’d gone to the hotdog stand, the woman was there. London gasped. Her world turned a little too fast than she would’ve liked.
‘Are you okay, honey?’ Portia asked worried.
London nodded.
‘This is definitely the woman who took your daughter. So we did more digging. We got street footage of your house for the past few months. At first there wasn’t anything suspicious until a couple of months before your trip to the park.’
Her heart picked up pace.
‘If you take a look at this.’ He pulled up more screen-shots that showed pictures of the street outside her house. ‘There is a car, just opposite your house.’
She studied the photo. Victor showed her a few more pictures of a single car parked just outside the house.
‘At first it didn’t click. As you can see, each car is a different make and colour, but it’s always parked at the exact same spot at the exact same time.’
Had she been watched? She hated the thought! It sent chills down her spine.
‘We did a search on the number plates on the car, and found out that all the vehicles had been hired. We did a further search found that the same woman was in all the cars, but each time she used a different name and identity.’
He could tell by the look on her face, that she couldn’t understand how that was possible. But Victor knew that that woman was only a foot soldier, and someone with a lot of means, pulled all the strings.
‘Anyway, this woman has been studying you for two months. And I’m afraid to say, pictures of your daughter were taken. I won’t go into too much detail about this, but we need to move quickly.’
London turned away, bent over and began to wretch on the carpet.
‘Oh love.’ Her mother pulled a small rug under her to catch the vomit.
London coughed and spluttered. Portia left the room and was back in a flash with a glass of water. London took it gratefully.
‘Maybe it’s time you left,’ Portia said.
‘NO!’ The word came out unexpectedly, it shocked her!
Victor smiled slightly, and there was a slight skip in his heart. Tears drizzled down her face. The more they did, the more she cried and the more the sound came out. It wasn’t a cry of desperation, but of hope. The man who sat beside her was certainly an angel. She’d felt something about him the moment he walked in. She cried a long while and then suddenly stopped. She sat up and gazed at the man.
‘What did you have in mind...?’
‘Victor,’ he beamed. ‘You can call me Victor.’
‘What did you have in mind, Victor?’ Her voice scratched, but she managed. It had been like a break from a fast.
The sound of her voice massaged every part of him. She may have sounded feeble, but there was strength to her that he admired.
He looked over a Bradley who came up with the plan of action. They’d managed to get shots of the street cameras outside the park.
‘This woman and your daughter drove to a private strip, and left the country. I’m still trying to trace where to. I have people, they’ll track it down soon enough.’
She was warming to him second by second.
‘I’m also working on finding the identity of this woman. We’ll soon find out who she is.’ He gazed at her, their eyes locked, and it was like they were the only two people in the world. ‘Mark my words, London,’ he didn’t take his gaze off her. ‘I will find your daughter,’ he continued. ‘And when I do.’ There was a slight curl to his lips. ‘I will kill every single one of them involved.’ He didn’t mince his words.
There was a gasp from Portia that brought them back to reality. She didn’t like the sound of that, and her instincts had been correct. The men in London’s house were not the type she wanted hanging around her daughter.
‘I think its best you leave now,’ said Portia.
‘Yes of course, we don’t want to be here longer than necessary,’ said Victor.
London watched as Victor packed away the laptop. He stood up and Portia showed them to the door.
‘Wait!’ said London. She stood up and moved towards Victor. Unexpectedly she wrapped her arm around him. She lifted her head and whispered into his ear, ‘Thank you.’ She pulled back.
He nodded and smiled. The whiff of her perfume mixed with her natural scent did things to him he didn’t want to think about at that moment. They continued forward, but just as he was about to step out, London said, ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘London,’ said Portia.
‘Mum,’ she said, but then continued to speak to Victor. ‘If you find out where my daughter is, I’m coming with you. I’m hopping on a plane with you. I want to be there when you find her, if you find her!’
‘Yes of course. I will keep you informed every step of the way.’ He wanted nothing more than to make sure he was true to his word. He wanted to prove to her he could do this, that he would do this, and that he would bring a happy ending to this whole story.
She nodded and watched as the two men left and headed for the black Jeep, parked outside her drive. For the first time she felt hope! Somehow she knew that that man, who had walked into her home, would change her life forever!
Chapter Five
‘How long now?’ The woman asked the man who gazed into the computer screen.
‘You have to be patient; you know how these things work.’
She sighed. She hated each and every child she had to look after, but the money that was paid for them, well that forced her to have more patience.
‘I get that, but why can’t we move any faster than this?’
‘Because our clients have to be satisfied, they have to be sure this is what they want.’
Again she sighed. She ran her hand through her thick hair and waited.
‘Why don’t you go and sort out Paige. She’s due a photo shoot later today.’
Lucia looked at the man one last time, pushed back the chair and walked out of the office. She stepped out into the hot sunshine and looked around her. Across from the dingy office was a huge warehouse that was used to house the children they collected. She hated every part of the job, except the part when she received her cut of the money.
Paige had proved to be the most difficult to cope with. The child had refused to eat, and trying to bathe her had also been a hard job. It was Lucia’s job to make sure the children stayed and looked as healthy as they were when they first got there, for their clients. Lucia took her time to smoke a cigarette. It always seemed to calm her down somewhat, but not long enough.
After the death stick had soothed her a little, she headed for the warehouse. There were sounds of crying, and screaming. It never seemed to bother her as she walked in the dark dingy place. In places there was dripping water, and the smell of the place was sour! Paige was on the third floor, five doors down the corridor. She pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door to Paige’s room.
The little girl curled in the corner of the room, with her head on her knees. The food on the tray had been untouched. Lucia sighed. This was a stubborn little girl, she’d have to make sure she ate.
P
aige lifted her head and squinted as the light came through.
‘I want my mummy,’ she said softly, but the woman ignored her pleas like she always did. ‘When can I go back to my mummy?’
‘Why didn’t you eat?’ Lucia asked.
Paige was silent. Lucia crouched down to her level.
‘Will I see my mummy if I do?’
Lucia nodded even though she knew it wasn’t true. ‘Eat up, you’ll see your mummy soon.’ She felt it was better than trying to force the child to eat. She pushed the tray with the cold pizza towards Paige, and nodded for her to eat.
Paige picked up the pizza and ate slowly. Lucia encouraged her with a nod.
‘I’ll be back in a few minutes,’ she told her.
Paige nodded and continued to take small bites of the pizza. Lucia wandered down to the first floor to check on another little girl who was due to be taken. She had to make sure that child was still healthy and fit. The little girl sat on her bed watching the wall. Lucia inspected her, and everything seemed in order. They would soon take her away.
‘Hello,’ said Lucia, but the girl didn’t respond, instead she kept her gaze on the wall. ‘You’ll meet your new family soon, and leave this place.’ She tried to stroke the little girl’s hair, but she pulled away. Lucia knelt down, touched the child’s chin and brought her to focus on her. ‘I said you’re going to your new family soon, you should be happy.’
The six year old spat straight into her face, which took Lucia by surprise. She’d never experienced such action from any of them. With in a second, she slapped the child across the face, and the little girl burst into tears.
‘I hope you don’t behave that way for your new parents.’ She wiped away the saliva as she stood up. ‘It’s very naughty of you.’
‘It’s naughty of you!’ The little girl splattered. ‘I don’t belong to you! You’re a thief!’
Lucia grabbed the little girl by the arm. ‘You’re a little too clever for your own good! But that’s going to stop soon!’
The little girl sniffed, not taking her eyes off Lucia. ‘My daddy is going to find you, and he’s going to shoot you.’