Hug

Chapter 10

Grace drove the short distance home. She felt strangely calm, almost catatonic, while her brain was processing the shock.

When she got home the first thing she did was look in the drawer of her bedside cabinet where she kept her passport. Gone.

How had that bitch taken it without me knowing, she wondered. She'd never left Jen on her own in her flat. How had she got in?

No, not Jen - Ed, when she left him on his own with her tablet the other week. And the story about Jasper missing was the excuse to get her out of her flat. But she hadn't left him on his own for that long - how did he know where to look?

She walked over to the front door to the bowl on the shelf where she kept her keys, including a spare set. She lifted the bowl down.

The spare set was gone.

So it was both of them. Working together.

She stood for a moment, holding the bowl loosely in her hand, her head bowed so that it was almost touching the front door. Then she spun round, and with as much force as she could muster, flung the bowl across the room.

"AAAARGH!"

The bowl bounced on the sofa before hitting the floor with a thud. The cat, who up to this point had been snoozing on the sofa, fled to her bedroom.

She stood, breathing heavily, then felt ashamed at her outburst.

What a show of temper, she scolded herself. What would mother have said? And frightening the cat too....totally unnecessary.

She smoothed her hair then her skirt with her hands, and took a calming breath before picking up the bowl from the floor. It now had a crack in the side. Such a pretty bowl - one of mother's favourites, she thought guiltily. She put it back up on the shelf before going into the bedroom to make her peace with the cat.

She made herself a cup of tea, and sat down to think about her next course of action.

She'd lied to the police....that couldn't be good. Why had she done that? She answered herself - because if she had told the truth, they would get to Jen before she did. And she wanted to see her first, talk to her. Find out exactly what Grace had done wrong to make Jen do this.

Try and fix things herself.

A wave of self pity came over her. Why is reality so hard? Why are people so horrible in real life? Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away rapidly. Musn't break down now, she told herself. She'd made a promise to Carl that she would sort her life out, and sort her life out, one way or another, she would. Then she would be free.

"Here Grace, you have the kid back now - I think she needs changing!" Dennis passed Carrie back to her mother, wrinkling his nose. "For such a cute little thing, she sure makes a stink!"

Grace laughed, and took the baby, reaching for the diaper bag. The little girl looked up into her face, with her father's blue/grey eyes, and steady, serene gaze. Her little hand clasped around Grace's finger.

Carl held out his arms.

"It's ok Grace, I'll see to her." He took his daughter gently from Grace and smiled adoringly as he cradled her in the crook of his arm.

"Did your mean old Uncle Denny call you a stinker? Can you pass me the diaper bag hun?" he grinned down at Grace.

"Rather you than me," Dennis pulled a face, opening another beer.

Grace watched as Carl strolled into the beach house, crooning to his daughter as he went.

She sighed happily, reaching for a beer from the cool box.