What happened to Grace Sinclair? (Friday Barnes)

~15~

~Who is Grace Sinclair?~

Friday, Ian, Melanie, Officer Thomas, Eden and Jennie sat in the nurses office of the hospital Grace had died in.

Her body had been taken down to the room where they freeze the bodies until their family could come and collect them.

"Did you find anything, Eden?" Friday asked, her legs crossed. She sat on the long desk, the sleeves of her cardigan pulled down over her hands to protect them from the cold of the office.

Eden pulled out a notepad from her purse and put it on the table, flipping through it to the page she was looking for and read out what she had written.

"So the girls and I got together to see if there was any way we could find Grace's family."

Ian wandered over to the desk and lifted himself up next to Friday.

Eden continued. "Then Vanya had the good idea of checking the hire form that we are required to fill out when we accept the job."

Ian frowned.

"What was her job?"  He whispered, leaning into Friday.

"She was a sales clerk at Big W." She whispered back.

Melanie read the notes over Edens shoulder. "Oh that's was a very smart idea."

Eden nodded. "So we found her maiden name on the form. Chen. That's all I have though."

She looked at Friday. "Does that help you in any way?"

Friday nodded. "Ian, did you bring your laptop?"

Ian jumped down from the desk, grabbing his backpack and pulling out his laptop.

It was silver, covered in random stickers . In the centre of the stickers was a picture of him, Friday and Melanie, stuck on with tape.

Friday opened the laptop and put in his password, opening a new tab in google and typing in a web address.

"Aww, you shared passwords!" Melanie said. "That's so cute."

Ian shook his head, frowning but also smiling. "I didn't tell her my password. I have no idea how she knows it."

Melanie looked at him. "What was your password?"

Ian went pink, muttering something under his breath.

"What?" Melanie asked, not hearing him.

"It's my birthday." Friday said, not looking up.

Melanie shook Ian's shoulders. "That's. So. Cute!"

Ian pushed her away, ducking his head.

"Found her!" Friday said, spinning the laptop around so that the others could see.

They all came in closer.

"The museum of migration?" Eden asked.

Friday nodded, "Grace and her family moved to Australia from China when Grace was a baby. The museum of migration has the option of getting a brick with your name and date of arrival on it along with any information you want to give them so that people can google it from the laptop when they visit. It just so happens that you can also access that information online."

She spun the laptop back around. "So now all we have to do is call Grace's mum and dad, and ask them for any information."

Melanie sat back down. "And tell them she's dead."

Friday nodded, "that too."

Friday clicked on the 'phone number' option while Ian grabbed his phone, unlocking it so he can type in the number.

Friday read it out and he pressed call.

Ian leaned against the desk Friday was sitting on as phone rang.

It almost rang out before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Ian said. "Is this Jan Chen?"

"Yes. This is she. Who's calling?"

"My name is Ian Wainscott, I'm a junior agent at Interpol." 

Jan went quiet for a moment. Then,

"What can I do for you?"

"I was just wandering what you could tell me about your daughter's husband, Jack Sinclair?"

There was no reply for so long that Friday thought Jan had hung up.

She looked at Ian, a confused look on her face. Ian shrugged.

"Mrs Chen?"

"I don't know if this is some kind of joke, but if it is then it needs to stop."

Friday scooted over. "Hello Mrs Chen, I'm Friday Barnes, I'm also an agent at Interpol, this is not a joke. We're looking into the death of your daughter."

"Look I can't help you. Have a good day-"

"No wait!" Ian said, trying to keep her on the phone. "Why can you help us."

"My daughter never married anyone"

Jan's voice was firm as she took in a crackly breath.

"Because she has been dead for 21 years."