Missing Abby by Lee Weatherly Read Free Book Online Page B

call in peace.’
    ‘No! We're playing a game … !’
    ‘We'll finish later, Nat.’ I stared down at the extension like it was about to explode in my face.
Sheila?
    Nat flung herself dramatically off the bed, and Jenny drew her out of the room. As the door shut behind them, I took a deep breath and picked up the phone. ‘Um … hello?’
    ‘Emma, it's Sheila. From the re-enactment.’ Her voice sounded as spiky as her hair.
    ‘Yeah, I know.’
    ‘Look, I'm ringing because a group of us got together last night to watch
Crimewatch.
A group of Abby's
friends,
I mean. And since we're closer to her than anyone, right, we're going to try to figure out what's happened to her. And we have some questions we'd like to ask you.’
    ‘But the police have already—’
    ‘
Duh,
yes, obviously. They've spoken to all of us, too, but we want to have a go ourselves. So we're meeting at my house this morning … if it's not too much trouble for you to come around, that is.’
    What, go to her
house
? How could I face Abby's friends when they all hated me? I licked dry lips. ‘Um – how did you get my number, anyway?’ She huffed out a breath. ‘There are fourteenTownsends in the phonebook.
T
Townsend, presumably your father, is number twelve. Look, I don't have time for this – we're all going to be here at eleven o'clock, and it's number four Auburn Street in Garemont. If you want to help Abby, you'll turn up … though I really don't expect you will.’
    Click.
    Of course I wasn't going. I'd have to be completely barking! It would be suicidal to go present myself to a bunch of Abby's friends – like sauntering into the lions' den, only worse. At least the lions don't have anything against you personally as they rip you to shreds.
    I got out of bed, throwing the covers back. I was due to meet Debbie and Jo at one o'clock, in the town centre, and it was only around half nine now – I'd have a nice, relaxing morning, maybe go for a swim with Jenny.
    I paused in front of my wardrobe, staring at my clothes. Yeah, a relaxing morning … except that I kept hearing Sheila's voice buzzing in my ears, taunting me.
If you want to help Abby …
    They hated me, though. They
hated
me. My stomach lurched as I pulled on a pair of jeans. When I glanced in the mirror, my expression stared back at me, wide-eyed.
    Abby would do it for me, even if we hadn't spoken for
ten
years, let alone one.
    Slowly, I finished getting dressed. My fingers were cold and clumsy, and when I looked at myself in the mirror again, I didn't exactly look determined.
    Turning away from the sight of my pale face, I snatched up my handbag and left, shutting the door behind me.
    I told Dad and Jenny I was going into town, and then took the bus to Sheila's house. It was the number 56, the same one I had taken with Abby, exactly a week ago now. Hopefully it wasn't the same exact bus. Trying not to think about it, I stared out at the familiar shops and houses, wondering if I had gone completely mental.
Why
was I doing this?
    Auburn Street was just a minute or so away from where I used to live. I stood on the doorstep of number four for ages, watching my finger hover over the doorbell. Finally I clenched my jaw and jabbed it hard. Crossing my arms over my chest, I listened to the sound of approaching footsteps, willing myself not to run.
    The door flew open and it was Sheila standing there, wearing a black T-shirt with a dragon on it, and about twenty silver earrings. Her eyes widened when she saw me. Then she tossed her head and the familiar sneer dropped back into place.
    ‘Oh, so you actually came. Well, come on then – we're all upstairs in my room.’
    She shut the door behind me and stalked up the stairs, her back ramrod-straight. I swallowed and followed her, neither of us saying a word.
    I don't know what I expected – black and more black, I suppose – but Sheila's room had these amazing fantasy posters everywhere, and a prism hanging infront of the window that