REMI HOOD

Chapter 35

Remi

"So, Richard Hood is still missing, all of his family members are dead and we have no way to find him?" Gem asks Will, who nods his head. All of us are sitting on the small dining table in my new hotel room as if we are in a meeting. Will and Finn told us everything they've found. About Harry and Heidi Hood's death, my grandparents I never knew and also about Tom's suicide.

Tom Hood is dead.... He killed himself.

So, the story dad told me is not true... He lied.

The letter mom wrote must be real.

Dad is the bad guy... Not mom.

"Can I talk to Remi.. Alone?" Will asks both Gem and Finn. They look at each other rather uncomfortably but leave the hotel room without saying anything. Will looks at me directly. "We found where your mom is living."

Is he joking?!

"Mom is alive?!" I ask him, standing up from my seat. The happiness inside of me bursting in hope. The happiness I have not felt ever since I turned six.

"Yes. She's living in Florida..." Will says and rattles off an address that I mentally note down in my head.

My mom is alive.

The hope I had once lost is with me again.

I can finally find the long awaited truth.

"Can we go to Florida?" I ask, tearing up, excited and somewhat nervous to meet my mother.

Why didn't she come back to get me after all these years? She had said in the letter that she'll come back to get me once she has the money.

Does this mean she still has no money?

"We can go to Florida, but with other officers since we don't really know what could happen there." Will tells me.

"Why?" I ask.

"You need protection, something could happen." Will says.

I can't find the truth if the police go with me...

"I thought you're helping me." I say, scowling at Will.

"I am. Why are you mad?" He asks me.

"Do you seriously think my mom would spill her beans in front of a bunch of police officers?!" I say loudly.

"No, but, you don't know what could happen. What if something happens to you?" He tries to reason with me and holds my hand.

I remove his hand from mine and I scoff at him. "She's my mom for god's sake!" I yell at him, immediately regretting doing so. Will winces, making me feel more bad.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to yell, but seriously Will, she's my mom. Sure there are some horrible mothers out there but mine isn't. I'm sure of it." I try to assure him.

"I know Remi, but we gotta be careful. I'm not letting you go to Florida which is more than 900 miles away without any protection." He tells me firmly.

"I won't be going alone, you and Finn will be there." I say.

"Us two is not enough. We need backup, I repeat, in case something happens." He stubbornly says. I don't say anything knowing he's not going to change his mind.

I'll go to Florida myself.

Finn and Gem run back into the room. Finn's hair is all messy and his lips have smudges of lipstick on him. I look at Gemma to find her in the same state, her lipstick smudged and hair messy, both of them red as tomatoes.