BLUE - Caitlin Szmerling

ELEVEN

"I'm sorry, but with all due respect, what you tried to do with our son makes us a bit wary about you running the investigation to find our lost son, " I explained. Sarah sighed but nodded her head. "I understand, but unfortunately I can't move to another investigation and you can't request a different investigator. Everyone gets assigned a task and we are supposed to complete it. However, I can promise you that I will put everything in this investigation, and will not let the fact that this kid is a boy get in the way. I will do everything in my power to find your son, no matter what it takes." I look at Bella, who is now sitting down on the couch with her head in her hands, but I know she was listening to everything the investigator had to say. "Thank you, um.." I didn't know what to call her. "You can call me Detective Davis, it's simple and quick." I nod my head. "Well then, thank you, Detective Davis."

"If we are going to have to work with you, then I want full cooperation with me. Everything is done on my terms and I want to talk to you the least amount of times as possible." Bella stands up all of a sudden, pointing her finger at Detective Davis. The detective nods, not saying anything, knowing it probably wasn't a good idea. I give her a smile, just to reassure it wouldn't be all bad dealing with her.

"Great, so how could we possibly go through all evidence we have already and see if it can lead us to any more clues." The other investigator, Martha, tells us. I nod my head and tell her about the letters, the security cameras from our neighbours and other details about the knocking on the door.

Eventually, a police officer with a USB comes in, announcing that they had footage from our neighbouring houses that could help. It was plugged into a computer and a video started playing on the screen. My eyes started to well up with tears as we watched someone climb up the side of our house, into the bedroom Jamie was sleeping in, and then climb out with Jamie in their arms. I cover my mouth to hold in the sob that was threatening to be released. I feel a hand on my shoulder, I look behind me to see Marie standing there. I'm guessing it was Jo who allowed her in. I stand up as soon as I spot her, immediately embracing her into a hug. I sob into her shoulder as she rubbed my back, letting it all out. She was almost like another best friend for me.

After many questions and looking through evidence, the police officers and investigators eventually left, leaving Marie, Bella and I. Jo also left to go back home and get changed and then come back. We were all sitting on the couch in silence, the television was on but we had muted it, not wanting to listen to whatever was playing. We had ordered a pizza, which was sitting on the coffee table in front of us. Marie and Bella had both taken two pieces of pizza, but I was too worried about Jamie to even eat. The two sisters exchanged looks, knowing that whenever we have pizza, I usually take the most out of everyone, but I have never been able to eat when I am nervous.

Once Jo got back, she began to eat as well, and we all sat in silence with the television volume turned up a little bit for some background noise. After sitting like that for 10 minutes, we hear a knock at the door. I stand up, dragging myself to the door to see who was on the other side. I debated on opening it, not really in the mood for games played by the evil person who decided to kidnap my son.

I decide to open the door anyway and was surprised to find Tamara standing in front of me, with a bright smile on her face. "I know I said that I would be there for the birth, and I'm sorry that I wasn't. And I'm sorry that I didn't contact you, my phone plan doesn't allow international calls. But I met someone whilst I was in Paris and I think I could be in love and why do you look so horrible? Is having a baby really that tiring?" She rambles on, eventually noticing my long, tired face. I don't reply to the questions, I just pull her inside, close the door and then wrap my arms around her. She was like my sister and in times like this, you really need to be around family, not saying that Bella, Marie and Jo aren't. I quietly sob into her shoulder whilst she comforts me, still not understanding what was going on.

She eventually leads me to the living room, quietly greeting the others in the room before she sits down with me. "Wanna tell me what's going on?" She asks quietly. "I can explain to you, it will be difficult for either Cassie or Stells to tell you," Jo explains. And so she explains the story of how the day after Tamara left, I went into early labour. About giving birth to a boy. The trouble at the hospital, the letters, and now the kidnapping. I cried every time a new story was told.

I eventually fell asleep on the shoulder of Tammy, dreaming that what happened today was in itself a dream, and everything was okay and no one was kidnapped. If only that was the case in reality because little did I know that as soon as I wake up the next morning, everything is going to be a whole lot worse.