Shattered Perfection

Twenty One

Vivian had collected Jamie when her phone rang. Her boy had been so happy to see her, throwing his arms around her neck, she buried her nose in his hair. He was full of tales from his sleepover with his friend and was desperate to do it again. She dug her phone out of her back pocket and saw it was Winter, she hoped Siobhan had coped all day with Mia and she'd not had any more panic attacks.

'Hey Winter, everything alright?' she said. As she listened the blood drained from her face. Sorscha was passing and was alarmed by the sudden change in her demeanour.

'Jesus Vivian, you ok?' She said.

Vivian was swaying. Sorscha bent down to Jamie, 'hey Jamie, why don't you go and see Carly in your room, she wants to hear all about the sleepover,' Jamie happily skipped down the corridor, Sorscha watching until he was safely inside after catching Carly's eye. She guided a shocked Vivian into the office where Marjorie was typing on the computer. She looked up surprised.

'Hello you two, are you ok?' Sorscha helped Vivian into a chair, she sat with her head n her hands. 'What's going on?' Asked Marjorie with a growing feeling of dread. Viv looked up in anguish.

'Siobhan's been taken, Mia's in hospital.'

Marjorie and Vivian raced through the doors of the emergency unit. They were greeted with Reece, Autumn, Winter and DI Crown.

'Reece!' Marjorie called throwing herself into his arms. Vivian approached the policewoman.

'What is going on, where's Siobhan?' She was angry and frightened. DI Crown explained what they knew. They were working on the assumption that Roger had sent men to retrieve Siobhan. Roger wasn't at home and no one knew where Janice was.

'How's Mia?' Marjorie asked Reece. He looked shocked and serious.

'She'll be ok, concussion, broken ribs and a lot of cuts from that mirror.' He rattled off. 'She's more angry that she couldn't stop him.'

'Can I go and see her?' Marjorie asked, 'I need to support Charlotte too.' Reece nodded and led Marjorie through the department to a curtained off cubicle. 'Knock knock,' she called softly before poking her head in. Charlotte was sat at the side of the bed, holding Mia's hand, her head was down and she was sniffing. Mia looked asleep. 'Oh my love,' whispered Marjorie moving forward and enveloping Char in her arms. Charlotte sobbed as quietly as she could on Marjorie's shoulder.

'I can't get the image of her lying there out of my head,' she cried. Marjorie stroked her hair and rubbed her back.

'Shh, my love, that's totally understandable, what a shock.' She looked at the woman lay in the bed, the woman who was usually full of attitude and spunk was unusually still and quiet. 'How is she?' Marjorie actually missed the sarcastic comments and sly digs. She secretly loved their sparing matches. Charlotte turned and looked at the other half of her soul sleeping in the bed.

'She's going to be ok and that's what counts,' she said. Mia mumbled and her eyes fluttered open. She saw the two women by her bedside. Wincing as pain sliced through her head she tried to sit up. Charlotte was immediately by her side gently pressing her shoulder down.

'Shh my love, just rest.'

'Where's Siobhan? What happened?' Mia asked confused. Charlotte turned to Marjorie.

'This is the fourth time she's asked the same thing, it's the concussion.' She muttered to her quietly.

'Let me take this one then,' Marjorie responded. She smiled at Mia, 'My love, you need to lie still, you've had a knock on the head and you've got a couple of broken ribs. Don't worry about anything, we're sorting it.' It was a testament at how befuddled Mia was that she listened to Marjorie and lay still. There was no sarcastic comment or rude reply.

'Where's Siobhan?' She asked again.

'She's been taken, do you remember?' Said Charlotte.

'He came,' Mia remembered, 'He was big, I couldn't stop him, I should have stopped him.' Mia said angrily.

'My love you did everything you could,' reassured Marjorie. Mia rubbed her head wearily, bandages covered her arms, the skin on her knuckles was broken from where she had hit him. Charlotte stroked her hair.

'Rest my love,' she said, 'sleep.' Mia looked at her tiredly.

'Will you stay?' Marjorie had never heard Mia sound so young and vulnerable. She felt like she was intruding.

'I'm not going anywhere,' whispered Charlotte kissing Mia's forehead. She drifted off to sleep again.

'How are you holding up?' Marjorie asked Charlotte, 'Do you need anything?'

Charlotte shook her head. Marjorie pulled up a chair and sat with her holding her free hand.

Back in the waiting room, Vivian was pacing back and forth, unable to sit still. The police were still at the house processing the crime scene. They had managed to retrieve DNA from the blood he had left in the hallway. He was known as a thug for hire with links to drug distribution.

Autumn and Reece stood in the corner watching Vivian pace. 'Aut, can you think of where they would have taken her?' Reece said quietly. Autumn was silent, thinking.

'Did Father's Diary have any clues in it?' She asked eventually. Reece considered what had been written in the book. He had made notes on his phone, trying to get a clearer picture on his father's 'business' empire. It seemed that his father was a major player in the drug importation and distribution business. Funnelling money through his legitimate businesses such as the nursery to clean it. Their solicitor had put together the paperwork for Autumn and Reece to have a vote of the board of directors in order to take over the nurseries. Thankfully, the police were confident that neither sibling nor Mia had any involvement with their father's more illegal activities. They had taken the diary to add to the case against Roger and Janice. She was involved but they weren't sure how just yet.

'There were a number of properties that dear old dad had listed. Some had tenants in, others were empty. I've got a list of commercial properties.' He reached for his phone in his back pocket.

DI Crown approached them. 'Can you think of anywhere we haven't checked that he might be holding her?'

'That's just what we're discussing,' Autumn said rather tersely. Reece was scrolling through his phone. Suddenly he went very still.