Finding Bailey Jane | ✅

f o u r

"Why are you questioning me and my husband? Shouldn't you be out there looking for my daughter?"

"We are looking for her. But its normal to question family members first. To see what they know."

Georgia nodded in understanding and shifted uncomfortably in the hard chair. "Well... i last saw her yesterday morning before she left for the beach."

"What was she wearing?"

"Um, a short... purple sundress i think. It fell about mid thigh. And she's not hard to spot. She's tiny for her age but you can tell she isn't a kid. She's got wispy curls of copper hair."

"Alright. Do you know if she was talking to anyone before she went missing? We pinged her phone and traced it back to your home and we had a look through it but she hadn't really been talking to anyone besides you and your husband. And a boy name Presley, who we are guessing is her brother, correct?"

"Yes, thats right."

"Do you think he would have anything to do with this?"

Georgia inhaled heavily. "No. He's busy with college and he loves his sister. Maybe even more than my husband and me combined. He babys her still. Spoils her. There's no way he would do anything to her."

"Alright," the detective said as he finished scribbling down notes. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll be in contact with you if we find any leads."

▪¤▪¤▪

"Hey Bee! I'm here for my slice of cheesecake. And video games," Presley called as he swung open the swinging screen door and walked through.

"Where the hell have you been!? Why haven't you answered your phone. It was an emergency!" Georgia exclaimed as she came into view from the kitchen, the dark circles on her never aging face making her look aged.

Presley put up his hands in a mock surrender. "Woah mom. I came here to get away fron the stress of college not to be shouted at. My phones messed up. I told you that."

"Right," she sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just..." her voice caught in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.

Presley rushed over to her and enveloped her in a hug. "What happened mom?"

"B-bailey's missing," she sobbed.

Presley tensed and wondered if he'd heard right. "What? When did this happen?"

"Yesterday. When i sent her to the beach. She never came home for lasagna and i knew something bad had happened."

Presley's jaw clenched and he felt his stomach drop. He suddenly felt sick.

He had seen her that day. He had left her alone to go to a party with his friends instead of staying at the beach with her.

Its all my fault

▪¤▪¤▪

He watched from his car as the man purchased the girl her bag of sweets before leading her out of the shop.

He chuckled as the girl stopped at the window to wave at the ederly man behind the counter of the sweet shop before she began to skip away back towards the beach.

His hand flew to the door handle of his car as she was suddenly tugged back by the man and he bent down to say something to her.

Before he could even blink, the girl was shoved into a dark blue car with tinted windows and locked in.

His heart beat sped up as the car revved up and tore out of the parking lot, taking the girl without her consent.

How the hell had no one else seen that?

He contemplated calling the police but realized quickly that he couldn't.

He was supposed to lay low until his name was cleared. He had to be invisible. Blend in. The police would be a huge problem.

For now, he'd just have to get her back himself.