DESPERATE

Chapter 39

Julie arrived at Lilianna's house around 8pm that night. Lilianna sat on the couch clearly worried. Immediately Julie entered, she rushed towards Lili."

"Julie I told her not to go."

"It's ok. Where do you think she could be?"

"Leah's house."

"Then let's go there."

"I can't go there. Not after all this years."

"Do you care about your face or about Ashley right now?"

"Okay." She said standing up.

Julie drove them both to Raymond's mansion. The old guard at the gate didn't want to allow them him but once he saw Lilianna, he let them in right away. They walked up to the front door and pressed the doorbell and Suzie opened the door. She let them in.

Leah sat with Valerie sat on the couch in the living room. She gasped once she saw Lilianna and Julie.

"Anna, you're here." She said.

Lilianna looked at her and then at Valerie. " Leah... Is she..?"

"Yes."

Valerie realized that was her mother. She took small steps towards her and Lilianna hugged her and stroked her hair. She hadn't seen her second daughter in 15 years. Tears dropped from her eyes. She left her and moved to hug Leah. Julie moved to sit on the couch.

"Anna?" Raymond said in surprise as he came down from the stairs.

She looked at him. "Raymond."

"It's so good to see you again." He said.

"Where's Ashley?" Leah asked.

She suddenly remembered why she was there.

"Did Ashley come here?" She asked.

"Yes, she did. A couple of hours ago. She left around 4pm." Leah replied.

"Is anything wrong?" Richard asked.

"Ashley never came home. She's missing." Lilianna said tearing up again.

Richard and Leah looked shocked.

"How come?" Leah asked.

"I don't know Leah. Please help me find her." She said holding her.

"Ashley's missing?" Valerie said quietly sitting down.

"We'll find her. Let's go meet Richard." Raymond said.

She kept quiet.

"When he found out you were back he had some people watch after you."

"No no no. I can't face him again. He has a family now."

Julie stood up and held Lilinna's hand. "It's ok. I'm sure he'll understand. Ashley is his daughter too."

She still didn't say anything.

"Why don't you rest here tonight?" Leah suggested.

"Yes that's better." Julie agreed. "Anna, tomorrow we'll go meet Richard."

She nodded.

Leah called a maid and instructed her to take Anna to the upstairs guest room.

"I'll see you tomorrow Anna." Julie said leaving.

The next morning, Julie came over with Lily and Riley. Leah and Raymond were in the sitting room.

"Hello Julie." Leah said.

"Hi."

"Good morning Mr and Mrs. Whitlock." Riley and Lily said.

Valerie and Lilianna came out of the kitchen. Riley and Lily moved towards Anna and gave her a small hug.

"What are you girls doing here?" Lilianna asked. "You're meant to be in school."

"Well same with Valerie." Lily said and winked at Val.

"The thing is," Riley interjected. "We won't be able to concentrate with Ashley missing."

"Well the adults are handling it. We'll find her." She said.

The door bell rang. Suzie moved to open the door. A tall man with brown hair and grey eyes walked in along with another man of average height with black hair and dark eyes. Olivia followed behind.

"Anna." The brown-haired man said upon seeing her.

Lilianna stared at him. It wasn't hard for Riley and Lily to guess that he was the acclaimed Richard. He moved forward and hugged her. She pulled away after a few seconds.

"Ashley's missing." She said.

"I know. Ray told me everything. This is John." He introduced the man with black hair. "He's my private investigator. He'll help us find her."

"We only know Ashley left here around 4pm yesterday." Raymond said.

"She said her mom didn't know she was coming here and wanted to leave here." Leah added.

"Ashley and I came home together." Riley said. "I can't believe she didn't even tell me she was coming here."

Lily glanced at Olivia. She looked calm and composed except she was playing with her fingers and kept her hands crossed as a cover up.

"Have any of you tried calling Ashley's phone?" John asked. "She did come here with her phone right?"

"We did try Ashley's number." Lilianna said.

"But she never answered." Riley said.

"Give me her phone number." John said. "If her phone is still switched on, we can find out where she is?"

"Sure here." Riley said bringing out her phone and moved towards John.

"I'm sorry for leaving." Lilianna said to Richard quietly.

"I understand everything. You don't ned to be sorry."

"I made a mistake. I should have said something."

"The past is in the past."

She didn't say anything more. She just moved to sit down on the couch. She knew he had a new family and a daughter now. She had wanted to say something about Olivia but decided against it. Besides she didn't even have any evidence.

"Where's Lily?" Riley asked Valerie.

"She said she wanted to go pee."

Riley knew that was a lie. Where did she go? She looked at the others and noticed Olivia wasn't there anymore. Interesting.

"I got the location." John said.

Riley looked at him. Everyone's attention turned to him.

"This is the place." John said to a police officer as they all stood outside an abandoned building on the outskirts of town. Turns out Ashley's phone location was on and it was much easier tracking her. He stood outside with Richard, Raymond, Lilianna and Julie while the police entered to search.

They came out a few minutes later without Ashley. They only came out with a phone.

"That's Ashley's phone." Lilianna said immediately she saw it.

"She's not in." One of the cops said.

"But how?" Richard asked.

"John I thought you said this was the location?" Raymond asked.

"Yes."

"I don't understand." Richard said.

"Let's go back home first." Raymond said.

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