A Good Girls Guide to Finding the Truth About Rachel Price

Chapter One

Bel did not sleep the day her dad supposedly left. She didn't believe it, couldn't believe it. Charlie would not leave her, not alone with Rachel. Whatever it was, she knew Rachel was behind it.

Bel's promise to her dad would have to break. Rachel Price had to be taken down. But Bel couldn't do it alone, she needed Ashe. Ashe knew what to, what to say, and how to make it better.

---

Ashe and Bel stepped out of the airport after their 10-hour flight. Ashe held his and Bel's duffel bags, Bel had made him to annoy him but to her disappointment, he seemed happy to help. Ashe called out towards a bright yellow taxi, his words lingering on the ee sound at the end. Bel watched as the bright yellow vehicle approached, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Do you get your outfit inspiration from taxis?" She jabbed, eyes darting between the bright yellow taxi and Ashe's bright yellow jacket. Ashe jabbed harder, smiling through her insult.

"Why thank you," He hums, opening the car door for Bel. Her knee popped beneath her as Bel slid inside, purposely taking her time, making Ashe stay outside in the gloom longer. Bel was happy. Ashe told her he knew someone who could find her dad and a part of her believed him, another thanked him for getting her out of the country. Away from Rachel. There was no room in Bel's brain to squeeze in another image of Rachel sitting on Dad's favorite armchair. The saying 'keep your friends close but enemies closer' didn't apply to Bel. Bel needed to have a country's worth of distance between herself and Rachel.

"So who's this person you wanted me to meet?" She crosses her arms, staring down the incoming traffic, "The person you said can find my dad." Ashe reclines before speaking, "Trust me, you'll know when you meet her."

...

Bel couldn't wait any longer. Her legs were bouncing in anticipation beneath her, asking Ashe every two minutes how much longer she would be. Ashe kept telling her to "take a chill pill," his poor attempt at American slang made it that much more difficult for Bel to not immediately walk out of this office. Tick. Tick. Tick.

The door soon swings open, and a petite, light-skinned woman walks in. Her hair is the colour of hazelnut chocolate and she's wearing a white crew-neck with blue jeans. She invites Bel into a handshake when she introduces herself, "I apologize for the wait. My name is Detective Fitz-Amobi. And you must be Annabel Price." Bel takes her hand, "Hi, yes, and this is Ashe, the one you probably spoke to on the phone," she gestures towards him.

"Yes, hello Ashe," she releases the handshake with Bel and invites Ashe into one. Ashe stands up, his bright yellow jacket swishing beneath him as he extends his hand. After introductions, the three of them sit down: Ashe and Bel across Detective Fitz-Amobi. Bel noticed the smoothness of her voice, how she smiled, and most importantly, how young she looked. This couldn't be the girl Ashe told her about, a glance towards Ashe asked 'Who is she?'.

Ashe clears his throat, "So, Mrs. Amobi, have you had the chance to read what I've emailed you? About Bel's dad?"

Fitz-Amobi pulls out a laptop from seemingly nowhere, and pulls up the screen, "Yes, I had a quick look but I wanted to hear about it from Annabel herself. Everything talked about here will be kept confidential unless you request otherwise." She pushes the laptop back, "So, Annabel, how long has your dad been missing?"

"Um," Bel stutters, a hesitant glance between the detective and Ashe, "like a week now I think but," she clears her throat, "there's something you should know."

Fitz-Amobi, waits for Bel, resting her softened hands on the wooden table. "My mother- Rachel, she has been gone for 16 years," she sighed, it was hard explaining this to a stranger. Bel knew how it would go: she would tell the detective about Rachel's fake abduction and the detective would think Bel was crazy for suspecting her to play a part in Dad's disappearance.

"And, she's back. Or, she came back a couple days ago. She says she was abducted and kept in a basement for 16 years but then the kidnapper let her go." Fitz-Amobi nods, typing out a few notes on her laptop.

"Did your mom see her abductor?" She asked. Bel winced at the forbidden m-word.

"Um, no." Ashe places his hand on Bels' fidgeting ones in her lap. Fitz-Amobi notices the atmosphere and pushes further, "Annabel, do you believe your mother's story?"

Bel wasn't ready for this question. No one had ever questioned the authenticity of Rachel's story and now this random British detective does? She takes a deep breath before replying, placing her stiffened hands on the table in front of her as a shield.

"To be honest, I don't. I think Rachel lying about her story. There are just too many inconsistencies. She was just gone and now she's back?" Bel breathes, observing the young detective in front of her.

Fitz-Amobi nods, "inconsistencies, what inconsistencies have you noticed?

Bel shrugs, "At first it was little mistakes, like getting the time she was away wrong or whether the engine of her captor's car was running or not. Little things, I tried to put it off but then." she sighed, "we went to the mall, to get Rachel a few new things because she had nothing. We stopped across this bracelet, a gold one with skulls on it, and she asked me 'Don't you have this bracelet?' The issue was that I did have that bracelet, 5 years ago before I threw it away. I got it from my friend who later accused my dad of killing Rachel. The only proof I had was a post on Instagram from 5 years ago. If Rachel was telling the truth, when did she have time to get a phone and log onto Instagram?"

Fitz-Amobi noted everything on her laptop, the keys making a clack sound when she typed. "I see, that is odd. Have you mentioned this to the police in your area?"

Bel shook her head, "No, the police are on Rachel's side. They believe her story and are even looking for her captor." Fitz-Amobi shifts in her seat, a new wave of emotion on her face.

"So, do you think that Rachels's return or her alleged fake story has something to do with your dad's disappearance?"

"I do."

"Okay," Fitz-Amobi stands up, "I don't know how much help I can be since this is a US case, and we're of course in the UK, but I will look over the details Ashe sent me along with the new information provided by you and we'll meet again." She smiles, the three of them standing up.

"Thank you Detective Fitz-Amobi," Ashe puts out his hands.

"Pip," she takes his hand, "Pippa Fitz-Amobi but you guys can call me Pip," she says, releasing it. Bel was next.

"Nice to meet you, Annabel," Pip says, shaking Bel's hand.

"Bel," she says with Pip's hand in hers, "you can call me Bel." They soon release each other's grip. This is new, Bel thought, someone not immediately doubting her thoughts and summing them up into "feelings". Ashe pushes himself up, his hands on his thigh as his maroon flared jeans unwrinkle from under his knees.

"Thank you Pip," he says. Pip offers a kind smile, the one that only a big sister can give.

"We'll be in touch," Pip says, handing Bel a note with a series of numbers, "this is my personal cell. Call me if anything."

"Yeah," Bel says, holding the numbers safe in the palms of her clammy hands, "thank you."

...

Bel walked out of the grey building, a newly formed knot in her stomach. The only difference is that this time, that knot gave her hope. Hope that she thought she'd lost when the police officers practically kissed Rachel's feet upon her return.

If there's one thing Bel now knew for sure it was that Rachel Price was a liar and that Bel would prove it.