ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 44

Noah walked into his office, catching sight of the images on his computer screen of the car he was designing. It just didn't look right. He had been working on it for days but every time he tinkered with it, the result still didn't satisfy him. Then again, nothing seemed to satisfy him any more. Not since the confession from his wife.

He sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. She's complicated everything - our simple, beautiful life - she's made it ugly. Raising his head and putting his hands out to straighten his keyboard he caught sight of his phone, flashing. It was Snow's school, but he couldn't remember them ever calling before, they always called Alana. He hit the answer button and held the phone to his ear.

'Is that Noah Murray?'

'Yes...'

'This is Mrs Creevey, Snow's teacher at Lockforth Primary.'

He couldn't work out why she would be calling him.

'How can I help you?'

There was a pause, then she cleared her throat.

'It's Snow,' she said. 'And your wife, Alana. We're unable to contact either of them, Snow never appeared at school this morning and we can't get hold of Alana.'

He froze where he sat.

'I left them this morning, they were just about to walk to school.'

She explained that they tried numerous times to contact Alana, but there was no answer. He felt a chill in his heart.

'Where are they?' he said, stonily.

'I don't know, I really don't know. It's lunch time now. I tried to call you earlier. I'm afraid it's time we began a search.'

Noah agreed quietly and listened as Mrs Creevey told him the details of what she would do - call the police, report the details. Then he put the phone down. For a few seconds he couldn't do anything but stare ahead in stunned silence with nothing in his mind, just a feeling of cold dread washing over his body. He remembered how she had talked about that guy, Elias Smith, she had said he wouldn't let it go ... A burning ball of rage grew inside him at the thought of him anywhere near Snow ...

He stood up at his desk, stretching his large frame out to full height. He was going to find his daughter. And his wife. He grabbed his jacket and sped out of his workplace without stopping to explain where he was going. He got outside and jumped onto his motorbike which he always used to get to work. He would need it now, he could move swiftly through the city streets which he knew so well.

He threw on his helmet, revved the engine noisily and set off towards their house. As he rode along, way faster than he was supposed to, his thoughts turned to Alana. He hated her, but he loved her. The moment met her, all those years ago, it was game over for him. She was all he would ever need.

He knew he wasn't always the best husband, he wasn't the most exciting, he didn't want to go out like she did and do all those things. But the moment she told him what she had done, everything had come crashing down around him. 

He soon arrived at their house where he parked the bike and jumped off, ripping his helmet off and leaving it on the handlebars. He ran to the house, unlocked the door and called their names. But there was no one there, that was obvious to him - his voice just echoed back to him and there was not a sound, no sign of life apart from Cooper the cat who was licking his paws in the hallway.

His heart pounded in his chest, his breathing was heavy and his mind spun. Where are they? Where are they? He ran out to the garden and checked there too, before hopping back onto his bike and making his way to the park - that was the way they always walked. He arrived and jumped off his bike again, scouring the area, looking for signs of them, but there was nothing.

He searched the whole route, finding nothing but people walking about, people who were not his wife or his daughter. Eventually he ended up at the school where he ran in to find Mrs Creevey standing among a small group of police officers. She introduced him and a woman stepped forward, saying her name was Inspector Taylor. She led him off to the side, to talk with him privately. He couldn't help noticing how serious looking she was with her hair scraped back hair, young but with the air of someone much older.

She proceeded to inform Noah that Alana had come to see her twice, to make complaints about Elias Smith. His fists curled into balls at the mention of his name. She then went on to say that there was no evidence that he was dangerous but that it was being treated as a possible reason for Alana and Snow's disappearance.

'Of course it was him,' said Noah. 'He's poisoned my family already and now he's poisoning it some more.'

Inspector Taylor raised her eyebrows.

'I would suggest you stay calm Mr Murray. We are handling this.'

'Oh yeah?' he said. 'You just told me she came to you twice about that guy. And you did what? I'm presuming nothing considering where we are at now.'

'Keep your temper Mr Murray. I understand this is a stressful situation ...'

Noah let out a long breath and said no more. Inspector Taylor wasn't going to be any use. He gave them all the answers they needed to all their questions, then before anyone could comment, he slipped out of the school and got back onto his bike. He wasn't about to sit around in there all day.

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