Authors: Fay Darbyshire
“I
understand your frustrations Mrs Miller, but I’m afraid our hands are tied…” The young male police officer perched timidly on the edge of the sofa, clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. The young female officer sitting next to him appears slightly less awkward but the overly sympathetic smile on her face is starting to get on Janet’s nerves. She places her cup of tea on the coffee table and folds her hands in her lap.
“I know this must be hard…” She smiles, “And that you must be worried. But your daughter appears to be alright and if she is safe by her own admission, I’m afraid we can’t force her to return home…”
“I don’t know that she’s safe. I don’t know that she’s alright…” Janet snaps, “I don’t even know where the hell she is, my own daughter!” Her patience is crumbling fast and all the frustration she has felt during the last six months is threatening to boil over. She is finding it difficult to keep her temper under control and the two officers from West Yorkshire Police who are trying their best to help and reassure her, are currently in her firing line.
Janet blames herself for not going to the authorities sooner and bringing this situation under control. It has gotten so far out of hand and she is genuinely scared that her relationship with Abbey may be damaged beyond repair. She had thought it best to give her the time she claimed she so desperately needed. To let the dust settle and create space between them, in order to give them both a fresh perspective so they can calm down and reassess. But it has been months now, with no progress and no change. Janet, Anna and Peter have all tried in vain to get her to come home. They have asked her repeatedly to stop by the house, so that they can sit down and talk out their differences as a family and hopefully put all of this behind them. But Abbey is hesitant. She is unsure and obviously frightened and Janet feels that she may have underestimated just how much her daughter is suffering. Now it may be too late to fix what is broken, and the thought is truly heart-breaking.
She had called the police out of sheer desperation more than anything else. Hoping that they could find Abbey and convince her that running away and turning her back on her family won’t achieve or resolve anything. But here they are, sitting in her living room, politely drinking tea and explaining in a somewhat patronising way, that nothing can be done.
“She is 18 years of age, ma’am, which, although still young, technically makes her an adult and deemed mature enough to make her own decisions…” The male officer speaks again, with a little more authority.
“She’s just a child and she’s lost. Why won’t you help her?” Janet’s voice begins to crack under the strain and Anna, who has sat relatively quiet throughout the whole exchange, reaches over and squeezes her hand reassuringly.
“Is there anything you can do?” She pleads, “I just want to know that my sister is OK…”
“We can run her name through the database and flag it on the system. That way if anything comes up we will be alerted straight away, but beyond that I’m afraid we just have to be patient…”
“We understand…” Anna nods, “It’s just difficult, the not knowing. This is so out of character for her…”
“I appreciate how concerned you are…” The female officer smiles kindly again, “But as she is over 18, coupled with the fact that she has been in touch since she left home… we can’t file this as a missing persons report…”
“We’ve only had the odd text message…” Janet gasps. “That’s it. Anyone can send a text message, someone could have her phone, she could be in danger and you’re just sitting here…!”
“Mum… it’s OK…” Janet clasps her head in her hands, trembling with anger and crippled by an overwhelming feeling of uselessness, “We saw her at the hospital remember? And she was alright… she’s with friends, still in Leeds, I’m sure of it…” Anna croons, softly.
“She should be at home with us…”
“I know…”
“If we hear anything at all, we’ll be in touch…” The male officer seems slightly out of his depth and even more uncomfortable since Janet’s emotional outburst. ‘It can’t be easy for them’ Anna thinks, ‘They are just as helpless as we are’.
“We’ll see ourselves out…” They both stand and Anna extends her hand to them before they turn and walk respectfully out of the living room. She sits back down next to Janet and wraps her arms around her, rocking her gently back and forth as the front door clicks shut only to burst open again a few moments later as Peter charges in.
“Oh god, what? What’s happened?” He asks, with rising panic in his voice.
“Nothing… everything’s fine…” Anna responds calmly, holding her hand up in order to placate him.
“Then what the hell were the police doing here?”
“I called them…” Janet sniffs, “And what a huge waste of time that was…” She stands and collects the empty mugs from the table, before moving wearily into the kitchen.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was happening?!” Peter whispers.
“I didn’t know, I came to check on Mum and they just turned up…”
“And…?”
“And nothing…” Anna shrugs, “Mum’s right it was a complete waste of time. They won’t do anything. They won’t look for her. Abbey hasn’t gone missing she left of her own accord and she is completely entitled to do so… apparently… despite how messed up she is…”
“I’m not sure getting the police involved is the best idea anyway…” Peter muses.
“No… I agree. Abbey might see it as a negative thing, like we’re trying to get her in trouble or something…”
“How is she?” He asks, tilting his head towards the door.
“Not great. She’s only going to get worse the longer this goes on but what else can we do?”
“I don’t know…”
The prospect of Janet having a relapse is a frightening one. Her mental health suffered so much after they lost Ryan and both Peter and Anna are concerned that the added strain placed on her recently could push her to the brink again. It is still an uphill battle; every day is a struggle and only the love and support of her family combined with the medication she is on, will keep her from retreating back into that dark place in her mind.
Lying awake at night, worrying about Abbey and where she is definitely isn’t helping her fragile state. It isn’t helping any of them. Like Janet, they all believed that this would be a temporary problem. That Abbey would cool off and be home within a week, with her tail between her legs. None of them ever imagined that it would go on for as long as it has.
Anna is becoming increasingly worried and even the anger that Peter had felt towards Abbey and her rebellious behaviour has faltered, replaced instead with a constant anxiety and a steady unease which suggests things are only going to get worse. Abbey is gone and it is starting to seem less and less likely that she will come back. She could be in trouble and they have no way of knowing, no way of contacting her, other than the endless calls and messages to her mobile that go unanswered. They are desperate to help her; to bring her home and get all of this resolved, but it is a feat which seems virtually impossible as they have absolutely no idea where she is.
Abbey takes another sip of red wine, savouring the smooth texture and the beautifully rich taste as she swallows. It is absolutely delicious, and should be, considering the price. As the waiter skilfully clears away her plate she stares across the table at Alex who is smirking at her in that seductive way she loves. It is obvious from his expression that he has more than food on his mind.
“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” The waiter looks at them both, curiously.
“Please…” Abbey smiles in response.
He nods and promptly turns on his heel before striding towards the kitchen, but half way across the restaurant he glances back over his shoulder, frowning at them suspiciously. Abbey would usually take offense at such rude behaviour but she can’t really blame him - or anyone else in the restaurant - for their highly transparent curiosity. They don’t exactly blend in with the usual clientele of this high end establishment.
They are dining in the extremely opulent ‘Il Gusto Elegante’, the most exclusive restaurant in Leeds. Stepping through the doors is like stepping back in time to the glamorous 1920’s era, with light, art deco style walls and beautiful, luxurious furnishings. Each impeccably laid table displays a stunning candelabra, all of which are lit to create a subtle, romantic mood. A string quartet and a grand piano are situated on a high platform at the far end of the dining area and a mixture of old and modern songs are being played by the house band. It is beautiful, lavish and incredibly expensive.
As the majority of the diners are dressed in their best suits and cocktail gowns, it is no wonder Abbey and Alex are garnering so much attention. Abbey is wearing an off the shoulder, dark green top with black skinny jeans and ankle boots. Had Alex told her how posh this restaurant actually is, she would have at the very least worn a dress.
She feels out of place and incredibly self-conscious and has done since the moment they sat down. Alex on the other hand, is portraying his usual cool, calm and collected demeanour, seemingly unfazed by the ignorant stares and whispers resonating from the other patrons. In fact if Abbey didn’t know any better she would say he is enjoying it, leaning back in his chair and casually resting a full glass of wine on his leg. He is wearing his faded blue Levi’s, a black shirt and his black leather jacket, which isn’t exactly in line with the dress code. He looks like a real bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks - which is exactly what he is - and his cocky arrogance is taunting the ‘well to do’, upper class snobs around him to no end. Abbey smiles at him, shaking her head slightly, and Alex’s mouth twitches up into a sly smile. He knows.
“Here you are…” The waiter passes them both a dessert menu, hovering for a brief moment, before turning his attention to another table nearby.
“So what will it be?” Alex asks, unaffected.
“I don’t know, I’m pretty full…” The starter and main course weren’t exactly generous in portion size but they were absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling. The Michelin starred gourmet cuisine is like nothing Abbey has ever tasted and she is reluctant to miss out on a third course, but Alex is paying, which she feels guilty about.
“If you want one get one…” He smiles, taking a sip of wine.
“No expense spared?”
“None what so ever Abbey, not when it comes to you…” He laughs, “Besides… it’s funny, watching them squirm. They’re convinced we’re going to make a run for it…”
“Really? How do you know that?”
“Call it intuition… I’ve had people look down on me my whole life, you get used to it, start seeing the signs…”
“And you don’t play up to it at all, do you?” She giggles.
“Like I said… it amuses me…” He smiles back, but his expression hardens slightly and his tone becomes serious, “I remember how people used to treat my Ma after she left my old man. We lived in a rundown house, with no heating, we had no money for food, and people judged her. My Dad was an abusive drunk, but they treated her like she was the failure. She eventually got back on her feet, but when she’d needed help the most, people turned their backs. She wasn’t good enough in their eyes. It’s that sort of ignorance I enjoy raising my middle finger to from time to time…” He downs his wine and puts his glass back on the table, “I may not earn an honest living, but I have money…” He winks.
“Well, in that case I will have the cheesecake please…” Abbey smiles, trying to keep the conversation light despite the fact she is reeling from the sudden and unexpected glimpse into Alex’s past. It explains a lot about him and she wants to know more, she always wants to know more, but she hates to see him brooding and distant so decides to let it go for now as he places their order.
“So, once you’ve wined and dined me what else have you got planned?” She asks, suppressing the butterflies in her stomach.
“I was thinking we could grab a few more drinks around town then head back to the flat for…”
“For?”
“For… more dessert…” Alex grins, “Unless there’s something you’d rather do…?”
“No… that sounds perfect…” She agrees, blushing.
Alex raises his eyebrows teasingly and smirks again as he tops up their glasses with the last of the Rioja. Abbey throws her napkin at him from across the table and they laugh as the elderly couple next to them tut disapprovingly.
“Less of that Miller, we’re in a classy establishment here…”
“I thought you said you enjoyed getting a rise out of them…?”
“I suppose I did say that…”
“Well then… what’s the problem?” Abbey bats her eyelashes innocently as she runs her foot up the inside of Alex’s leg.
“You’re certainly getting a ‘rise’ out of me…” He whispers through gritted teeth, as he instinctively leans across the table, and Abbey does the same, grabbing him by the shirt collar and pulling him forward into a deep, lingering kiss.
“Disgraceful…” He murmurs against her lips, “You’ll give that old fella a heart attack if you’re not careful…!”
Abbey sits back in her chair, crosses her legs and straightens her top in an overly exaggerated lady like fashion, while smiling sweetly at the gawping couple sitting next to them. They are not the only ones who are staring and Abbey feels a rush of excitement as she takes a delicate sip of wine.
Before she can speak again, Alex begins to laugh under his breath and he shakes his head at the table in disbelief, trying and failing to hide his amusement.
“What?” Abbey asks.
“I was actually thinking about skipping drinks and heading straight back to the flat, now that you’ve got me all worked up…” Abbey’s stomach lurches, “But there may be a slight change of plan…”
“What do you mean?” She frowns, mildly disappointed.
“Two questions…”
“OK…”
“Firstly… how badly are you wanting this cheese cake, because I think we’re about to be asked to leave…”
“God, I only kissed you it’s hardly a hanging offence…!” Alex laughs loudly, downs his wine and throws his napkin on the table.
“Secondly… how much were you set on it being just the two of us tonight?” His eyes are bright with amusement and she suddenly realises that every time he laughs, his attention is drawn behind her to the street outside. She turns slowly, and there, in the window of the most exclusive, up market restaurant in the entire City are Lucy, Nathan, Liam, Tom, Darren, Sophie and Gemma.