Unfamiliar (Book One: Colt and Clara's Story)

Chapter Thirteen

Three weeks later

Emmie

"She didn't run away, she wouldn't do that, you need to keep searching, it's only been eight weeks. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOTHING MORE YOU CAN DO? IT'S YOUR FUCKING JOB!"

The line goes quiet.

They hung up how dare they hang up on her, she stopped herself before launching her mobile across the room, but slammed it down on the pine coffee table wincing when it was harder than she had planned.

She had paid them a small fortune for their services and they tell her there's nothing more they can do fucking ass-holes.

The police had been useless and judging by that phone call from the pompous dickhead on the other end, it looked like the private investigator she had hired was even worse, they had uncovered nothing. She was at a loss as to what she did next, she ran her hand through her blond hair searching her brain for an answer.

Her sister hadn't run away she had been taken, she just knew in her heart Clara was still alive. Someone had her and she would get her back or die trying, she would just have to do it on her own.

She sat down on the sofa and buried her head in her hands.

"Where are you Clara?" She said to the empty room

"MUMMY" A little voice shouted from upstairs.

Hope, she must have woken her shouting at that useless piece of shit. She checked her watch shit in was almost 10pm, bloody private investigator and his late evening calls.

She made her way up the stairs to her daughter's bedroom and opened the door.

Hope was sitting in the centre of her pink princess bed surrounded by stuffed toys and dolls, her dark hair was all tousled and messy, she rubbed her green eyes still tired from being rudely woken.

"Hey sweetie, mummy's sorry she woke you." Emmie walked over and sat on Hope's bed pulling her onto her lap, these last few months had been so hard on Hope, she still had trouble sleeping, she cursed herself for disturbing her.

"Who was you shouting at mummy?" She yawned cuddling into Emmie's chest.

"No one you need to worry about sweet pea, Mummy just got cross with someone on the phone, but I am ok now." She feathered light kisses across Hopes hair.

"Mummy, can I have some hot chocolate?" Emmie smiled at her daughter's sudden change of topic, her daughter definitely had her priorities sorted.

What the hell, after that bad news, she could do with some Hope cuddles.

"Come on then monster mash, we'll get some hot chocolate and have a snuggle then it's time to try and get some sleep, it's nearly mummy's bed time too you know." 

"Is daddy having another sleep over at his friends?"  Hope asked and Emmie winced.

Hope was so aware of everything going on. Emmie had tried so hard to keep her out of the problems her and Will had been having, and was really working on keeping things positive for her but it was getting harder and harder, she was missing Clara terribly.

"Yes dolly legs it's just me and you again tonight." She said praying she wouldn't get bombarded with more questions, after that phone call she wasn't strong enough to keep her emotions in check and the last thing she wanted was to get upset in front of Hope.

Thankfully Hope seemed to accept it and moved on to another subject.

"Can I watch TV with you for a bit?" Emmie smiled and placed a kiss on her daughter's nose.