The Missing Pages

Chapter 6

"Hey are you okay?" Amy walks towards Maya as she enters the room. 

"Yeah I'm fine." 

"I heard a couple of people talking in the library about what happened today at the cafe."

"Yeah I really don't want to talk about it right now." 

Amy gives Maya a tight hug. "That's okay babe, why don't we watch a movie?"

Maya felt better from spending last night with Amy. However, it didn't fully stop her from thinking about everything that has happened. It is a new day as she enters the cafe and grabs the apron.

"Erm Maya... Jamie wants to see you." Katie doesn't make eye contact.

She enters the small room and indeed Jamie was there. He looks drained and tired. 

"You wanted to see me."

He nods and waits for her to sit down.

"I'm happy that you have been making an improvement in getting here on time and you meant what you said about changing your attitude towards work but what happened yesterday- 

"I'm fired aren't I?." 

Jamie looks saddened by those words and nods his head.

"It's okay I understand." It's not his fault. Who wants a suspect to be working for them. She stands up to leave but before she does she turns back around.

"Do you think I did it?"

"I don't know what to believe Maya...I'm sorry."

She leaves the cafe and hears Katie shout her name. 

"What? You think I did it just like your father?" 

She raises her brow. "Actually no... I don't."

This surprises Maya. 

"I know there's a lot going on with you but the last thing you are is a murderer."

Maya doesn't respond. 

"Meet me at Pizza Express, 6pm." She turns around and jogs back to the cafe. 

Unemployed, a rocky relationship with her mother and a suspect for a crime she doesn't know whether she committed. Katie and Amy believe she is innocent yet she doesn't know what to believe herself. She sits on her bed with her head against the headboard. Closing her eyes she tries to think about the day she went out. Her phone rings which makes her jump. It was Jake. 

"Hey." 

"Hey baby, how are you?" 

"I'm goo- actually I'm not good." 

"I know what's being said but just know that I don't believe a thing."

She smiles. "I love you Jake."

"I love you too. Hey I can come over later on, make you feel better."

"I'm going to meet Katie, how about tomorrow?"

"Yeah call it a date! I'll speak to you soon baby, bye." 

She hangs up. Maya doesn't see Jake as often anymore because he works out of town and she understands that it gets tiring for him. Maya is back to thinking about what had happened. How did Ciara Jones die? Why on earth would she write her name in that diary and claim that Maya had hated her. Maya cannot sit in one place. She stands up and searches her bedroom again. There is nothing out of the ordinary. Now she is frustrated. She walks out of her apartment and walks back and forth across the corridor. Suddenly she remembers something. That night Ciara was stood outside her apartment door as Maya was on her way out. Maya remembers she asked if she could help her with anything but Ciara shook her head and walked away. Without thinking, Maya walks towards door number 10. She touches the handle and twists it. Of course it wouldn't open. She peaks through the hole but can't see anything. She suddenly realises what she's doing. She turns left and looks at the surveillance camera. cussing herself, she walks back to her room. 

It's 5:50 pm when Amy walks in.

"You're home early."

"Er yeah, I wasn't feeling too good."

She didn't want to tell Amy the truth.

"Oh... What about now?" 

"Yeah I'm okay now, just going to go see Katie." She grabs her leather jacket and heads out. 

As she is walking towards Pizza Express, she can see that Katie is already there waiting for her. She is just about to cross the road when she overhears a group of teenagers say 'I think she did kill that girl. '

She avoids it, crosses the road and enters the place. 

"How long have you been waiting?" Maya takes the seat opposite. 

"Oh not long I -" Katie is cut off by the sound of her ringtone. 

"Hey dad...I'm just out with er Becky for a few drinks...yeah don't worry I'll text you when I get home." She hangs up and looks up at Maya.

"He's just worried...with a killer on the loose." She cringes.

"Yeah it's cool, I get why you wouldn't tell a police officer you're hanging out with a suspect. Actually he doesn't think I'm a suspect, he believes I did it"

Katie sighs. "Let's just order some pizza first." 

"So I may be the officers daughter but that doesn't mean we have the same assumptions." Katie says. They are waiting for their pizza. 

"What I'm about to tell you next may change your opinions." 

"Try me." Katie says. 

"On the 16th of October, the day I never showed up at work, I woke up with a hangover. Now you know full well I've experienced a lot of hangovers in my life but this day was different. I woke up to blood on my face and my clothes. I have no memory of what happened the night before. I searched everywhere for clues but there was nothing other than the blood. I don't even know if it was blood."

Katie doesn't say a word. Her mouth is slightly ajar and her eyes are wide open. 

"The girl... Ciara Jones, I never knew her name until yesterday. She was just a girl who lived a few doors away from me. According to her diary, she hated me." Maya looks up at Katie. 

"Katie, I think I'm being framed." 

"What have you done with your clothes?" She asks as the pizza is being served. 

Maya thanks the waiter and waits for him to go.

"I threw it away." 

Katie looks confused.

"Look I know that makes it even more suspicious but I panicked. I don't know how I woke up in blood but there is one thing I am sure about. I didn't drink that much to make me completely forget what happened. I can handle my drinks but that night I didn't drink much."

"Do you think somebody spiked your drink?"

"Maybe... I don't know."

"We will make it our mission to find out. My father is investigating this case so I can keep you updated."

"Thank you for believing in me Katie."

Maya was genuinely grateful that she trusted her words.

They continue eating their pizza.