C26 Chapter 26

The police man that sat facing me was fat. He looked like he was a pretty boy but not any more, he was somewhere around late fifties and was at the brink of retirement.

He had tired but intelligent eyes, his chubby hands held a pen and a small note and he continually scribbled something on the note.

He raised his eyes up to me.

“What did you say she looked like?."

“Dark hair, dark eyes, about six foot eight or nine."

“And you say she worked for you?."

“Yes."

“When was the last time you saw her?."

“Thursday."

“Thursday was the last time you saw her."

“Yes, Thursday evening."

“Was she upset about anything?."

“Yes."

“What was that?."

“Her ex husband, she was in a violent relationship with him, she left and on Wednesday, she saw his best friend at my office and she was really scared."

The man's eyes, lifted from his note and it fell on mine.

“His best friend works for you?."

“No, he was a client."

“How did you meet him?."

“His name is Adrian Brooks, I formally met him when he came to my office, he wanted assistance with his project. “

" Before he came to your office, you had met him before?. “

" Yes, some months ago, I met him at a parking lot of a hotel, in Detroit. “

" You're American?. “

" Yes. “

" So is he?. “

" No, he's from London. “

" You're sure you don't know any other thing about her disappearance. “

" Of course I don't know anything about her disappearance, I'm quite worried. “

“You got her picture?."

“No, I don't."

" We'll try our best to find her, with the necessary information you gave us. “ He said grubbily and just dropped the note amongst other paper work.

Was I supposed to be worry free, how certain was I that they would find her.

I went back to Mandy's house.

It was just as how I left it, I turned to see her neighbour sitting on the porch.

I waved to her and she beckoned on me to come.

I went to her and she said.

“From my observations, I can see that you're a good friend of Mandy, and I want you to find her so I'm going to do this for you, she kept a spare key with me one time she was going away for a long time, in case her keys got lost, but she got home fine with the keys and I think she forgot the spare with me, I have the spare key, problem is that I don't know where I left it, if you could step inside and wait for me to find it, so I can give it to you. “

" That would be great, thank you."

“You're welcome."

She stood up, and went into her house. I followed behind her. Her house was well kept, and orderly, you could hardly know someone lived there.

“Please, make yourself at home. I have some biscuits." She said from somewhere in the hallway.

“No, but, thank you."

“Are you sure? They're really nice." She said, sounding like a moher that had forgotten that she was once a mother but was now remembering, and it felt good, too good.

“Okay, I'll have them."

“Great, they're in the jar on the dinning table, you can take as many as you want, son."

“Thank you."

I opened the jar and I took a few biscuits, I never had a homemade biscuit before, I wondered how they tasted like. I took a bite and it sent chills down my spine, they were so good. I took some more.

“Here you go, I hope she's alright."

“Me too."

I opened her door and I walked into her house. It was lovely, It smelt like gardenias, I looked around, looking for a clue that she was here lately.

I went around and I found her kitchen, everything looked in place, I went to her bedroom, I knew it was hers.

The sheets were a golden colour.

Golden coloured sheets.

I felt the sheets, it looked as if no one had slept in it for days.

I went into her closet, I looked around, there was nothing, nothing.

It was as if Mandeline had disappeared into thin air.

I went home.

I took my bath, called Mandeline some more and eventually I fell asleep.

I dreamt, in my dream, I saw Madeline, ten years old Mandeline, she was sitting on a dinning table, eating apple pie, she was back from playing in the park, her mum was in the kitchen and her dad was lying dead in the living room.

Mandeline and her mother acted indifferent, as if they didn't see the man lying dead, in a short while, Mandeline had finished eating her pie, her mother came over to her and stabbed her with a butcher's knife, that was when I shot out of sleep.

I took in deep breaths, and I stood up from my bed.

The sun was already out and it was hot. I took my baths and I went to the police station to meet the same policeman I met yesterday.

“Good morning."

“Yeah."

“Ermm, I was here yesterday."

“I remember you."

“You have guys found anything yet?."

“If you can just leave us to do our jobs."

I almost lost my cool, but, I didn't want to cause a scene.

“She could be in danger."

“She could, maybe or maybe not, or she could just be out on a kind of vacation."

“Dis you just say a vacation? What could you possibly mean by a vacation, She's not the type to just disappear."

“How long have you known her?."

“About a month."

“Then you don't know her much. We've had cases like this, where the person just drives off to start a new life, away from troubles, maybe, that was what she did."

“Or she could have been kidnapped, she could be somewhere now, in danger."

“We're doing our best to find her."

“What have you guys done already?."

Then the man's eyes went dead, a hint of anger, a hint of arrogance and a hint of shame and incompetence, embarrassment coloured his cheeks.

I stood up before he would say a thing and I went home, I rather I came up with my own plans.