Missing Believed Dead by Chris Longmuir Read Free Book Online Page B

eyes.
    He changed his mind about the vulnerability. This was a girl who would be able to hold her own.
    Bill considered for a moment before saying, ‘Can I come in and talk to you?’
    ‘What’s there to talk about? You weren’t able to help at the time. What’s different now?’ Emma tilted her chin and glared her defiance. ‘Besides it’ll upset Mum all over again. She’ll think you’ve found her.’
    Ryan fingered the earring in his left ear. ‘Maybe we should listen to what he has to say. It can’t hurt.’
    Emma turned on her brother. ‘You want Mum to have another breakdown?’ she demanded furiously. ‘You know what she was like the last time.’ She seemed to remember Bill was there, and added, ‘She’s never been the same since Jade disappeared but at least she’s stabilized now and this will set her off again.’
    It was obvious they were unaware their mother had phoned the department so all he said was, ‘I’m sorry if it will upset your mother but we do have to take another look at the circumstances around Jade’s disappearance. It could help because there have been others.’
    ‘D’you think we don’t know that? We read the newspapers, and it hasn’t helped Mum. It’s only stirred things up again.’
    ‘Maybe it might help her if she knows we’re reinvestigating Jade’s disappearance. At least she’ll know we haven’t given up on finding her.’
    ‘Emma’s right, what good is false hope going to do her? Jade’s not going to come back now.’ Ryan’s voice was flat and Bill thought he saw tears in the young man’s eyes before he turned away.
    Bill reckoned nothing could be gained by interviewing Ryan and Emma while they were in this state. ‘I’ll come back when your mother’s at home,’ he said, before turning to walk back to the car. The door slammed behind him.
    His mobile rang while he was inserting his car key into the door. Sliding into the driving seat he lifted the phone to his ear. ‘On my way,’ he said, put the car into gear and headed for the Overgate multi-storey car park.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    After the door slammed shut, Emma and Ryan stood silent, deep in thought. Ryan was the first to speak.
    ‘D’you suppose after all this time she is still alive?’
    Emma desperately wanted Jade to be alive, to walk in the door as if nothing had happened, and for a moment she almost believed it was possible. In her heart she wanted it to be so, but her head told her otherwise.
    ‘Of course she’s not,’ she grated. ‘She would have come home long before now if she had been.’
    Ryan blinked hard and Emma thought she saw the glint of a tear.
    ‘Why d’you think the cops are interested in Jade after all this time?’ He turned his back on her and walked down the hall to the lounge.
    Emma followed him. ‘It’s not about Jade. It’s about all the other girls who have disappeared. They think if they reopen her case it will look good in the papers. It’ll look as if they’re doing something.’
    ‘I suppose.’ Ryan sounded doubtful. ‘It’ll upset Mum though.’
    Emma flopped into an armchair, leaned back and closed her eyes. She remembered only too well how Jade’s disappearance had affected her mother. Overnight she had changed from a confident career woman into a neurotic wreck with an obsession for cleanliness. Her father had been no use, he had lapsed into an alcoholic haze, while Ryan couldn’t stop crying long enough to offer any support. It had been down to Emma. She’d had to grow up fast, and at thirteen she had said goodbye to her childhood.
    ‘I have to go to the club with the mock-up for Tony’s website. I’ll see Mum there and let her know what’s happening.’
    ‘Yeah, you do that,’ Emma said.
    It was time Ryan started to pull his weight. She hoped he wouldn’t botch it and upset Mum even more.
    * * * *
     
    Diane lugged the vacuum cleaner up the stairs. The hose kept getting in the way of her feet, and her arms and shoulders ached.