Chapter 45: Chapter 45
"No!" I yell out in frustration, staring at my phone screen. It's completely black.
"She's gone." I whisper, turning to face Trish. The colour in her face has completely drained away and she appears to be in shock —
"Trish, are you okay?" I ask her warily. Her stare fixes on me before she nods slowly. A silence of disbelief settles upon both of us. How do you respond to a threatening call like that?
"Jane is on to us." Trish suddenly whispers, breaking the silence between us. I nod, feeling anger and fear building up inside of me. Jane has something to do with Ivory's disappearance.
"Do we go to the police?" Trish asks, her breath trembling. I immediately shake my head, disagreeing.
"No way, the police don't ever help the situation."
"They can trace the call," Trish suggests, a hint of hope in her voice.
"I don't know Trish. The police aren't taking this seriously. Maybe because she's Tobias' sister and Jake's cousin, they hate this family, you know? It's like Ivory has been pushed to the bottom of the list all because of her last name." I shake my head angrily, keeping hold of my phone incase it rings again.
"I agree," Trish says quietly, fiddling with the strands of her hair. She looks up at me, confusion filling her features.
"So what the hell do we do now?" She asks, waiting for a response. I sigh heavily and lean back against the wall, feeling completely overwhelmed by the situation.
"We continue to follow Jane." I mumble, unsure of whether I'm making the right decision.
"What if Ivory is right? What if she dies because we keep following Jane?" Trish asks, panic rising in her voice. I look up at her from under my lashes, thinking hard through all the possible outcomes.
"The reason we got that phone call is because Jane has something to hide. Don't you see? Jane is trying to scare us into saving Ivory when she could be the missing piece to this entire puzzle." I explain. Trish eventually nods, a blank expression on her face.
"You're right Emily, she's hiding something."
*****
I sigh heavily and run a hand over my face, leaning back against the counter. The beep of the microwave catches my attention and I stand up straight, walking over to retrieve the heated glass of milk. The memory of Jake stealing my milk in this exact kitchen flashes through my mind and I smile before feeling a stab of pain hit my chest. The fond memory is cruelly slashed in half by the grim reality that Jake isn't here anymore.
The kitchen door opens, distracting me from my thoughts.
"Hey honey, how are you holding up?" Michelle asks, entering the kitchen quietly before shutting the door behind her.
I give her a weak smile, noticing how her eyes are exhausted and sunken from lack of sleep. Both Michelle and Myra are dealing with the situation badly, which is completely understandable. Myra hasn't left her room in days and told me and Michelle to ignore the house phone. Myra spends every day sitting by the phone in her room, waiting for a phone call on either Ivory or Tobias.
"It's pretty rough," I answer truthfully, taking a seat at the dining table in the centre of the kitchen. I reach forward for a cookie, dunking it into the glass of milk.
"Yes, it's heart breaking." Michelle sniffles, taking a seat next to me. I immediately smell the alcohol lingering around her and I know she's been drinking tonight. She looks at me intensely from the corner of her eye, wanting to spark a conversation.
"Can I tell you something Emily?" She asks quietly, her voice dropping to a hushed down. I place my cookie down onto the table, nodding in response. Michelle let out a deep exhale before continuing —
"Jake isn't my only child."
Her words are pained, full of guilt. I remain silent, knowing I have to act like I'm oblivious to this piece of information. Jasmine is Jake's younger sister and Michelle isn't aware that he visits her or that I know of her existence.
"I also have a daughter." Michelle adds, sounding choked up on her words. She turns to look at me, tears filling her large eyes.
"She was such a beautiful little thing. Big blue eyes and a full head of dark hair. She looked exactly like Jake. My little princess." Michelle says sadly, brushing away a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Where is she now?" I ask quietly, knowing Jasmine is fostered by Peggy. Michelle is silent before looking up at me, her eyes wide with guilt and full of fresh tears.
"I put her in the care system."
She breaks down in front of me and I keep my face neutral, leaning forward to place an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her.
"I'm a terrible mother, aren't I?" She sobs, looking up at me for an answer. I pause for a moment before shaking my head — "No, you're not."
"Yes I am! Look at you Emily, you're seventeen and despite everyone around you telling you to get rid of the baby for your own health, you're still risking your life for your child. Your maternal instincts are amazing and I envy you Emily, I really do!" Michelle cries, slumping back into her chair in defeat. Tears stream down her face, her body racked with sobs.
"I failed that little girl. I failed my daughter! And now I've failed Jake too." She cries, sucking in a deep breath. I hand her a tissue silently, feeling overwhelmed from the topic of conversation.
"You haven't failed Jake." I mumble, not knowing what the right thing is to say.
"Yes I have! Look at where he is Emily!" She yells, the anger on her face directed at herself. I remain silent and stare at a spot on the floor, wanting to escape this situation. I know Michelle is a scared mess right now but so am I. . . I don't need the constant reminder of where Jake is.
"Prison!" Michelle yells. I close my eyes and sigh.
"Locked away for a murder he didn't even commit. That's where my son is!" She continues hysterically, her voice breaking apart in between her sobs.
I suddenly stand up, scraping the chair back loudly in order to get Michelle's attention. She immediately silences and freezes, looking at me questionably. At this point, I'm breathing heavily, my emotions flooding out all at once.
"Yes, he is in prison!" I confirm, my voice full of bitterness and anger. . . I'm angry at the world for locking him up. Michelle simple stares back at me, blinking.
"But he won't be in there for long." I add, gritting my teeth together. I suck in a breath before heading for the kitchen door, swinging it open. My mind is suddenly focused, motivated and ready to go. I'm ready. Ready to free Jake.
. . . and Tobias, of course.