lives?’ As soon as he spoke Bill knew it was a mistake. He was committing himself to a reinvestigation of Jade’s disappearance, and he shuddered to think how his DI would react.
Diane grimaced. ‘Where she’s always lived, about a mile north of Drumsturdy Road. It’s a big house on the road to Newbigging.’ She thrust a piece of paper into his hand. ‘I’ve written the address down for you.’
She opened the car door, but before she got out she leaned over and pecked a kiss onto his cheek. And she was gone, leaving Bill sitting in the car wondering what he was getting involved in.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma woke to the noisy clanking of bottles and tins being thrown into the recycling lorry.
She lay for a few moments, luxuriating in the warmth of the bed, reluctant to face the day, but the light, filtering through the gap in the curtains, reminded her she should be up and about. So she pushed down the side of her pillow to enable her to see the clock on her bedside table.
‘Shit!’ She sprang out of bed. It was ten-past-nine, she’d slept in, and she would be late for her first lecture.
Her shower was quick and functional, no time to enjoy the hot water cascading over her body, she was late, late, late. The large white towel was rough against her skin, the softness long gone through too much laundering, but she wrapped it round her body and darted back to her bedroom. That was when it dawned on her the house was too quiet. That was what had been bothering her. That was the reason she had slept in.
It was then she realized she hadn’t heard the slam of the door as her mother went out to collect the green recycling box, and looking out the window she could see the box lying on its side on the pavement. She frowned, thinking it strange, because by now Diane would have been scrubbing the box ready for its next intake of bottles and tins. She would never leave it outside.
Thoughts of her lateness or the lecture she would miss, paled into insignificance, swamped by her worries. She pulled on yesterday’s clothes which were still draped over a chair – she didn’t have time to look for fresh ones – and hurried downstairs. The kitchen was empty, as were all the other rooms. Running back upstairs, she checked her mother’s room. It was empty.
Emma tried to suppress the churning in her stomach, the fluttering in her chest, and the choking sensation that restricted her breathing. But it was no use and she was panting for breath by the time she burst into Ryan’s bedroom.
Placing both hands on Ryan’s sleeping body she shook him until he reluctantly opened his eyes.
‘What’s up?’
He blinked and rubbed his eyes.
‘It’s Mum! She’s gone!’
‘Whoa, calm down.’
‘But it’s Mum.’ Emma wanted to scream at him but the words came out in a gasp.
‘What’s wrong with Mum?’ Ryan raised his head off the pillow.
‘She’s gone, she’s not here.’
‘What d’you mean – not here?’ Ryan mumbled, his eyes bleary from sleep.
‘She’s not in the house.’
Ryan sat up. ‘But she’s always in the house in the morning.’
‘That’s what I mean. She’s not here, and she’s been acting real strange lately. Something must be up.’
‘You don’t think she’s gone out searching for Jade like she used to do?’
‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.’ Emma groaned. ‘If she’s anything like she was when Jade disappeared, I don’t know what we’ll do.’
‘Maybe we should ask the doctor to get her into treatment again.’
‘No way will she agree to that. You know as well as I do how she feels about psychiatrists. The reason she agreed to treatment the last time was because she thought she’d lose us if she didn’t. But now we’re older that argument won’t cut any ice with her.’
‘What will we do then?’
Emma sank onto the edge of the bed.
‘I don’t know.’
Her shoulders slumped. This fixation, that Jade had returned, was consuming her mother, and Emma
Diane grimaced. ‘Where she’s always lived, about a mile north of Drumsturdy Road. It’s a big house on the road to Newbigging.’ She thrust a piece of paper into his hand. ‘I’ve written the address down for you.’
She opened the car door, but before she got out she leaned over and pecked a kiss onto his cheek. And she was gone, leaving Bill sitting in the car wondering what he was getting involved in.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma woke to the noisy clanking of bottles and tins being thrown into the recycling lorry.
She lay for a few moments, luxuriating in the warmth of the bed, reluctant to face the day, but the light, filtering through the gap in the curtains, reminded her she should be up and about. So she pushed down the side of her pillow to enable her to see the clock on her bedside table.
‘Shit!’ She sprang out of bed. It was ten-past-nine, she’d slept in, and she would be late for her first lecture.
Her shower was quick and functional, no time to enjoy the hot water cascading over her body, she was late, late, late. The large white towel was rough against her skin, the softness long gone through too much laundering, but she wrapped it round her body and darted back to her bedroom. That was when it dawned on her the house was too quiet. That was what had been bothering her. That was the reason she had slept in.
It was then she realized she hadn’t heard the slam of the door as her mother went out to collect the green recycling box, and looking out the window she could see the box lying on its side on the pavement. She frowned, thinking it strange, because by now Diane would have been scrubbing the box ready for its next intake of bottles and tins. She would never leave it outside.
Thoughts of her lateness or the lecture she would miss, paled into insignificance, swamped by her worries. She pulled on yesterday’s clothes which were still draped over a chair – she didn’t have time to look for fresh ones – and hurried downstairs. The kitchen was empty, as were all the other rooms. Running back upstairs, she checked her mother’s room. It was empty.
Emma tried to suppress the churning in her stomach, the fluttering in her chest, and the choking sensation that restricted her breathing. But it was no use and she was panting for breath by the time she burst into Ryan’s bedroom.
Placing both hands on Ryan’s sleeping body she shook him until he reluctantly opened his eyes.
‘What’s up?’
He blinked and rubbed his eyes.
‘It’s Mum! She’s gone!’
‘Whoa, calm down.’
‘But it’s Mum.’ Emma wanted to scream at him but the words came out in a gasp.
‘What’s wrong with Mum?’ Ryan raised his head off the pillow.
‘She’s gone, she’s not here.’
‘What d’you mean – not here?’ Ryan mumbled, his eyes bleary from sleep.
‘She’s not in the house.’
Ryan sat up. ‘But she’s always in the house in the morning.’
‘That’s what I mean. She’s not here, and she’s been acting real strange lately. Something must be up.’
‘You don’t think she’s gone out searching for Jade like she used to do?’
‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.’ Emma groaned. ‘If she’s anything like she was when Jade disappeared, I don’t know what we’ll do.’
‘Maybe we should ask the doctor to get her into treatment again.’
‘No way will she agree to that. You know as well as I do how she feels about psychiatrists. The reason she agreed to treatment the last time was because she thought she’d lose us if she didn’t. But now we’re older that argument won’t cut any ice with her.’
‘What will we do then?’
Emma sank onto the edge of the bed.
‘I don’t know.’
Her shoulders slumped. This fixation, that Jade had returned, was consuming her mother, and Emma
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