Life In His Hands [Book I] (Completed)

Life In His Hands [Book I] Chapter XVIII

        “When was the last time you saw Ellie?” I was numb. Every word I spoke came out more monotone than the last. But I had to do this. I had to do this for Jasmine and her family. I also had to do this for me; I didn’t quite fancy another crack across the face from Lou. He may be in his fifties, but he’s got a mean punch on him!

          We were now interviewing all the children in the children’s home, for any clue as to Ellie’s whereabouts. So far we’d had no luck. They were all saying the same thing. Whether that thing was true or not was debateable, but we had no reason to doubt them.

        “Last night before bed” the spotty teenager in front of us replied. “She said she was going to bed to read her book. You know; that silly book that she’s been reading for months. I swear she knows every little detail about that book. She must have read it like a thousand times already.”

        “Okay and was she her usual self? Did she seem jumpy or distant at all?” I coaxed him for answers.

        “She’s been really weird for the last few months, but we just assumed it was because of, well, you know. Her brother, Alex died a few months ago. I just assumed she was grieving since they haven’t found his body yet.”

        “Do you get along with Ellie? Are you and her friends or do you tend to stay out of each other’s way?”

        “Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of a question’s that?” he snarled. “Ellie spends most of her time in her room with that book. She doesn’t talk to anyone. She doesn’t go anywhere either since you lot stopped her from going to school. She’s practically a recluse.”

        “Lewis, P’s and Q’s!” Gayle warned him.

        He grunted something incoherent and I nodded and told him we were finished. As he stood up to leave, I noticed a piece of paper hanging out of his back pocket. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing to it, curiously.

        He snatched it out of his pocket and scrunched it up. “Nothing.”

        “Lewis.” Gayle gave him a warning stare. “When a police officer asks you what something is, you tell them. Don’t be so disrespectful.”

        “Well, what if it’s private? Am I not allowed any privacy in this place? It could be a letter from my girlfriend for all you know” He retorted, his face becoming angry.

        “Lewis, you don’t have a girlfriend.” Gayle gave him a knowing look.

        “Everything you say here is confidential. Unless we feel the need to tell anyone else, it will be kept within these four walls. And even then, it will be another police officer. You can show us and you have my word that it will go no further than that. Scouts honour” I told him, holding two fingers up.

        He groaned and walked slowly towards me and passed me the piece of paper. I watched his reaction as I opened it up and smoothed it out. It was definitely a letter. But it definitely wasn’t from his ‘girlfriend’

        “Where did you get this?” I asked him as I showed the letter to Adam.

        Ellie,

        Meet me at the Lake. Between the trees in our spot. Come alone.

        Midnight. Love you.

        Alex x

        “I found it.”

        “Lewis, if you don’t tell us, we’ll have to take you down to the police station. Is that really what you want?”