Of gilbardo

Chapter Four

Hansford Street Western location

Anna watched Jolie drive off the garage before hurrying into her room with a spare key. She remembered taking it from the bunch yesterday. Ms Jolie wasn't the type that locks her room when she's about leaving the house, but since Anna's attitude, she was forced to start doing do. In Jolie's mind, Anna might get hold of something she shouldn't. For the mean time, she knew she'd to be very careful of Anna around with her things. She doesn't know why, but something deep warns her to.
Anna carefully lifts up some documents in the closet. She was aware of what she wanted. She ransacked the cupboards, but still couldn't find it. 'where could it be?' she said underneath her breath. Jolie could be home soon. No one could predict jolie. There was a time Jolie said she was going to the Supermarket to buy some groceries the kitchen was lacking and she was going to take hours but she arrives earlier than expected. Another event, she had complained to Anna over the phone that she was about to have a meeting with a client that would last six hours and had told Anna not to expect her later than 9pm, but she showed up before lunch. Anna has learnt that her mother was unpredictable.
Anna sat at edge of the bed and was about giving up when she decided to look through her Dad's bookshelf. She spent two minutes, smiling and reminiscing at the books. She flipped through another, and remembered her father reading it aloud to her a day before his death. She felt the warm tear that dripped on her nose. Anna knew she wouldn't be able to forget about her Dad and his memories. She dropped the book lovingly and proceeded to the next one. Anna gave up finding. She would not see it. Maybe Jolie has kept it with Danielle? Or she must have lost it or thrown it away. It has been twenty years, and there's nothing that can prove that it was here in this room. She was thinking and was about to turn sideways when she mistakenly hits the lamp at the bedside. It fell. 'what the heck' she curses. She hurriedly bent to pick it when her eyes met something hidden at a tight corner under the bed. Anna, picks the lamp and places it back on the cupboard before going for what was hiding below the bed. There it was, what she has been searching for. Jolie's highschool yearbook.
..
The girls were called in again for interrogation after they'd failed to give an answer to Jennifer's question. How Juliette untied herself. But the girls had together came up with something to say.
“I don't know. One thing is certain, Justine didn't tie it hard.“ Louisiana stated.
“It wasn't tight. There is a thousand possibility that it was unloosen by her.“ Says Viviane.
“I tied it up in a way that she could be able to free herself.“ Justine said.
“If we calculate the timing you left her to hear from the others, it would be under 40 seconds. Are you telling me that Juliette was able to free her hands under 40 seconds?“ The female police questioned.
Jolie was thoughtful for a while before saying. “Juliette can be unpredictable.“
“Justine wouldn't have tied it tight. Comeon, it was only a game and not a death sentence.“ Danielle told the male cop.
  “Or maybe it was a death sentence.“ The police officer said.
..
Jolie crossed her legs on the couch and was drinking soda. She'd arrived at Danielle's house some minutes ago. Danielle had went for her room to get her laptop and was back almost immediately. She was checking up some nice affordable cars from the website. As weeks passed by, her belly was growing bigger and she decided she should get herself a car.
“This is quite costly.“ Danielle was staring at the flat screen and was saying. “This one here is affordable but it has only two seats. I would've settled for this but the color is brighter than the sun. Wow, this is beautiful, but it's an open truck.“
Then Jolie says, “if you ever come to a conclusion on the car of your choice and it's above your budget, I'm one call away.“
“Oh, i appreciate.“ Danielle thanked with a smile. “How much did you buy yours. You never told me.“ She added.
“A thousand.“ Jolie brushed through her hair with her fingers.
“Wow. That's a sum.“
There was a good deal of silence before Jolie said. “You know, Anna haven't asked me of Juliette since she began talking.“ She was worried.
“She was a baby when she said her first hi. Maybe two?“ Danielle was saying.
“Danielle, this whole thing is disturbing. Like, how come about?“
“Take it easy. Maybe it's only a coincidence. You shouldn't worry too much. Let's find it out our way.“ Danielle consoled.
Juliette looks at her, “I'm sorry Danielle, if I'm giving you much headache. You're pregnant and should'nt be in any type of stress.“
Danielle smiles and went to sit close to her. “Don't ever say that again. I would never leave you when you're in trouble no matter the condition I'm in, If I know I can be of help. I mean what are friends for, hmm. Remember twenty years ago when we promised to stick to each other no matter what happens. We promised if ever any of us is in trouble, we must find a way to sort it out. I could never leave your side, and I wouldn't be doing that now.“
  “Thank you.“ Tears were welling up in Jolie's eyes and she gave Danielle a tight hug. “for everything.“
..
Anna was looking at the photographs of the graduating students. She saw her Mother, Danielle and every other unfamiliar faces. They all wore smiling faces. Her mother received the degree as the best graduating student. 'Dad?' Anna thought aloud when her eyes caught the youthful face on the paper staring back at her. 'Kendrick Cuomo.' she looks at the name written beneath the happy face. 'It's dad's name. Dad attended the same highschool with mum? Why didn't they ever tell me?' Anna couldn't understand why her parents never said anything about it to her. “And how come they acted like strangers?' she thought. Few minutes, she was searching for the house numbers of the four students. Justine, Louisiana, Viviane and Gabriella. “It's about time.“ A strange voice said.