Missing

Retrospect: Taken

Jacob stretched his arms above his head and yawned as he slowly wandered downstairs the next morning.

--
Every day, their morning routine was exactly the same.
Connie was always the first to wake, she was an early riser. She would quietly make her way downstairs so she could enjoy half an hour of peace before Jacob and Grace awoke. She always made herself a coffee, and prepared one for Jacob, ready for when he came down.
When Jacob's alarm sounded, he would drag himself out of bed and make his way across the landing to Grace's room. He would wake her up gently, before leaving her to get ready for school, while he went and joined Connie downstairs.
He always loved the smell of freshly brewing coffee that waited for him at the bottom of the stairs, and he always loved starting his day with the sight of Connie at the kitchen table, a bright smile on her face.
He would join Connie at the table, sitting in the place opposite her.
Unlike Connie, it always took Jacob a while to wake up - he wasn't a morning person. Connie would place his coffee in front of him and often laugh at his grumpy face.
Jacob would drink his coffee while Connie checked her diary for that day's work schedule. Jacob would always try his luck, asking if she would have an hour free for him in her office, which would alway earn a disapproving look from Connie.
Grace would soon come down in her school uniform, still half asleep, and eat her breakfast.
Twenty minutes before they were due to leave the house, Connie would remind Jacob he needed to get ready, so he would make his way upstairs and return five minutes later, dressed and ready.
Exactly ten minutes before it was time to leave, Connie would check her watch and  stand up from the table, tell Jacob and Grace to get a move on, leading them to roll their eyes and reluctantly make their way to the front door, where all three of them would put on their shoes and coats. Grace was always the last one to finish, and when she was done, the three of them would make their way to the car and climb in. Connie always had to remind Jacob and Grace to check if they had everything they needed, and most of the time, one of them had forgotten something, so she would tap her fingers on the steering wheel as she waited for them to return.
Finally, they would make their way to the hospital, dropping Grace off at school on the way.
--

Today, Jacob reached the bottom of the stairs and frowned. Something was different this morning - he immediately knew something was wrong.

There was an eery silence, and the familiar scent of coffee wasn't there.
"Connie?" He called. But he got no reply.

He approached the kitchen.
His eyes widened when he looked around the room.

The back door was swinging open, the lock had obviously been forced.
Two chairs had been broken and were lying on their sides.
The vase of flowers on the table had been knocked over, forming a small stream of water across the table which dripped off the edge.
Both reflected the struggle that had occurred in there 20 minutes ago.

Jacob cautiously walked into the room.
The cupboard door where the mugs were kept had been left open. Two mugs sat on the counter, which Connie had got out ready, but hadn't had the chance to put coffee into.

He bent down to pick up something that caught his eye by the open back door.
It was an earring of Connie's. One of the earrings he had bought her for her birthday.

He stood up slowly and looked around him in disbelief.
He couldn't breathe.

She'd been taken.