Finding Alex

Chapter 8

"Thanks for driving me home," Birdie smiled at Liam.

"No worries, I wasn't going to make you walk home this late at night anyway," he smiled back.

"So we are on for tomorrow?" Birdie asked to which Liam nodded.

"We follow the map, use the clues and see where it takes us," Birdie felt hopeful, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. She was hopeful that these clues might somehow lead them to find out what actually happened to her brother, and where he is now.

"Sounds like a plan, we can meet back at mine at maybe 5 o'clock?" Liam asked.

"Sounds good, I'll be there," Birdie flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Birdie.." Liam started.

Birdie tilter her head and looked at Liam expectantly, waiting for him to continue. His hand moved and for a second it looked like he would reach it out and link it with hers but he stopped himself, playing it off by running his hands through his hair.

"Have a good sleep yeah?"

"You too, good night Liam," Birdie smiled.

"Night Bridgette," Liam smiled back.

She gathered her phone and her bag and climbed out of the car. The lights were off, as they had been when she had left. This was good, it meant that her parents were not aware of her disappearance. She crossed the road and walked up her drive from where Liam had parked the car, across the road and down a bit as per her request. She turned back to wave him off, she had a feeling he would wait until she was inside. He didn't make any indication of leaving so she sighed and turned on her heel and walked up to the front door. She unlocked it slowly so as to not make a sound and turned back once again, this time he flicked his car lights at her to say goodbye and slowly took off down the street.

Once inside Birdie slipped off her shoes, wary they might make a sound as she walked upstairs. She quietly walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

Her father's laptop and some paper were sitting on the counter under his briefcase, he must've gotten home from work and gone straight to bed. He works too much, she thought to herself. She walked over to the paper and attentively looked at them.

Mostly just finance sheets. She paused when she saw another document that was shoved between the other papers. She lifted it out carefully. On it had the name 'James Private Consultancy'. Birdie stopped in her tracks, why did that name sound so familiar? She read on, there were details about every employee at the company. Not just their name but their photos, their phone number and addresses. There were even the employee's birth dates and blood types. This didn't seem like the kind of information that would be, or should be for that matter, be given out. The question is why would her father have this? She pulled her phone out and took a picture of the document before carefully sliding it back into its position, she had a nagging feeling that this was important and something she might need later.

Zoe turned pulled her key out of the ignition and stared at the house in Infront of her. She didn't want to have to do this, but she was worried, and Birdie was leaving her with no choice.

Her stomach was doing backflips and more than once she had reached for the door handle to get out of the car but had pulled back last minute as if to stop the whole thing and go home. She couldn't though. All the secrecy, the not answering her texts and calls, the cancelling on her at the last minute, this was not normal Birdie behaviour, and something had to be done to stop it.

A figure appeared in the doorway to the house and Zoe took this as her cue to get out. She timidly walked up to the front door and stopped in front of the figure.