A Good Girls Guide to Finding the Truth About Rachel Price

Chapter Two

Today was less gloomy than yesterday. The clouds had cleared and left behind a light blue hue that filled the morning sky. Ashe was awake and ready before Bel; he watched her lay in the smooth white comforter, doubting whether he should wake her. He admired her for a bit longer than a few minutes, taking in the way her hair lay across her face and the way she breathed so softly in deep sleep.

He knew his admiring-a-sleeping-Bel time was up when the time hit 8:00 AM. He glanced at the clock then back at Bel, nudging her a couple times before her eyes creeped open.

"Good morning, sleepy," he grinned, watching Bel's disorientated figure slowly sit up. It takes her some time to muster some words. She slowly scratches the back of her head while checking her phone simultaneously.

"See, I told you I'd wake you up at 8:00 AM sharp."

"I didn't think you meant literally," she yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Today was a big day for her. She was finally about to look into her dad's disappearance with a detective that doesn't question her doubts about Rachel. This was the start of something big; Bel could feel it like a sixth sense.

"Detective Fitz - Amobi asked you to meet her at the Little Kilton Cafe at 9:30," Ashe said, stretching as he stood up from the comfort of the bed. "She said there were things she wanted to ask you."

Bel's ear perked up. "You're not coming?" She says, a hint of desperation in her voice. Ashe laughs, "Don't tell me you're going to miss me. Besides, Pip said it would be better if you two met one-on-one rather than have outside parties," he points at himself animatedly, "like me interfere with the investigation."

Bel nods slowly, not wanting to admit that she couldn't do this on her own. That she needed Ashe to keep her from losing her mind when talking about her dad and Rachel. Instead, she just nods and stands up.

"Well," she mutters, "I guess we should get breakfast then before meeting her."

"One step ahead of you," Ashe grins, holding up a bag of fresh butter bagels.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Good morning, Bel," Pip says as she stands up to greet her. Bel accepts Pips handshake and returns a tight smile in hopes of easing the awkwardness. Bel was never a people person, and especially now that Ashe isn't here, she is forced to handle this one-on-one interaction with a detective all on her own.

"Ahem, good morning," Bel says, sitting in front of Pip. The two of them take a seat in a cozy corner, away from the morning chaos. Before she speaks, Bel notices a cup with a murky, dark liquid before her. Pip notices her stare and speaks first.

"I ordered us some tea; I hope that's okay." She smiles, "I didn't know how you'd like yours, so I just got a black tea." She ushers to the side where Bel sees a small jug and an even smaller pot with white powdery cubes. "There's milk and sugar if you'd like."

Bel smiles and nods, unsure of how to respond because she never really liked tea. The detective doesn't need to know that, though, so she quietly accepted and took a sip of her tea.

"Mmmh," she hums, forcing the hot, bitter liquid down her throat. "This is really good." She coughs slightly, which makes Pip smile. If Pip knew Bel hated the tea she'd ordered her, she didn't let it on. Pip quietly took a sip of her own tea before speaking, "So I looked over the information given about your dad's disappearance." Bel nodded, and Pip continued.

"So far, I understand that your dad, in the middle of the night, packed his duffel bag and left the house, and hasn't been back since." Pip clicks her tongue, "But he never took his car, which is what leads you to believe foul play is involved."