Jemma

It’s amazing how quickly things return to their normal routine. It’s as if that wonderful yet heartbreaking trip to New York never happened. Wes is on the final leg of the tour. He still calls most nights but now our phone conversations are only about Sophie again. How she’s doing with her running and the new dance classes that she’s started. Has she stopped talking about Jackson Durant all the time? Is she staying away from boys?

On the outside I’m becoming stronger, running with Sophie, working out in Wes’s gym. And then I study, I cram in as many study hours as I can. My grades are excellent but my heart suffers. On Sundays I go to church. It’s the only time of the week I feel more myself. I wish I could bring that feeling with me when I leave but it will take time to heal this new wound. Sophie hasn’t come with me yet, but maybe when Wes comes back we can all go together? Or is that something that the new Wes won’t be interested in anymore?

The alarm on my phone sounds, reminding me I’m picking up Sophie from school today. Usually Stan or Leon pick her up, but occasionally I do it if they can’t. I don’t mind, it gives me a good excuse to get out of the house for a while. And to drive one of Wes’s fancy cars. After Sophie convinced me it was alright to drive the Porsche, I actually asked Wes, and amazingly he told me I could drive it anytime. I grab the keys and head into the large garage. The shiny red Porsche sits in between the black Mercedes and the Silver Bronco that Wes drives when he doesn’t want to draw too much attention.

Wes isn’t someone who loves a lot of attention, so I’m kind of surprised he owns the Porsche at all. Perhaps it was something Sophie convinced him to get. Either way, I’m going to enjoy it while I can. The engine roars to life, and I back carefully out onto the drive. Clouds loom overhead. I hope the rain holds off until after we get home. Looks like our run will be done on the treadmills today. I’m sure Leon will be relieved he doesn’t have to accompany us on our run.

The rain is still holding off as I pull into the school parking lot. I park under a tree and turn off the engine. While I’m waiting, I check my email and social media accounts. It’s a distraction I don’t allow myself too often. There isn’t much to see anyway. My old church is having a fundraiser for those who have been made homeless in the recent bushfires. I should probably give them a good donation. After all, I can afford it now. Wes pays me more than he should and I don’t really have many expenses.

Thinking of Wes, I google his name before I can really think about the consequences. The usual stuff comes up, news of the tour and where the band will be performing. A few pictures of the band taken with fans. Some recent social media posts. One article suggests Ryan is dating a famous actress, which I doubt is true. I scroll further down. A headline about Wes being the father of a woman’s baby grabs my attention. It’s obviously fake. I believe Wes when he told me there hasn’t been anyone for two years. I wonder if Wes knows about it? It will upset him for sure. It’s one of the reasons he hates being famous, having people make up lies about him. I shiver. I definitely don’t want to live like that. How much extra pressure does that sort of thing put on a relationship? No wonder Finn takes Autumn with him everywhere. Less possibility for the media to try and tear them apart.

Finn and Autumn’s love story is old news now, but just wait until someone gets a photo of her baby bump. I hope they know how they’re going to deal with all that. Maybe I should call Wes? Just check if he’s seen the story without bringing it up somehow? Or better still, I’ll call Autumn. She’ll know for sure, and I can ask her how she’s doing with her pregnancy.

I check the time. Sophie should have been here by now. I jump out of the car and scan the grounds. A few kids are still leaving and the line of school buses is heading out already. She’s probably just talking to her friends but still… A worm of worry slithers through my stomach as I walk toward the school.

I look around me as I go. I dial Sophie’s number but it goes straight to voicemail. There aren’t many students left standing about so it’s pretty easy to scan the groups and dismiss them. I wish Leon were here, his large strong presence would be a help right now. I whisper a quick prayer that Sophie is safe and well and I head toward the school office. Relief floods over me as I see Sophie’s friend Anna leaving the building. I rush toward her.

“Anna, hey, have you seen Soph?”

“Oh, hey, Jemma.” Anna looks confused for a moment. “Uh, Sophie didn’t come to school today. She messaged me last night to say she had a headache and might not be here today.”

My heart pounds in my chest and my palms begin to sweat. “She what?” I grab Anna by both shoulders. “What do you mean she didn’t come to school today? Leon dropped her off this morning.”

Anna tries to step back, but my shaking fingers remain clamped around the girl’s slim frame. “I swear, I don’t know what she’s up to.”

I let go and hold out my hand. “Show me your phone.”

Anna hands it straight over. “I really don’t know what’s going on.”

I ignore her as I scroll through her messages. It’s true. The last one from Sophie just says she has a headache and might not come to school. I thrust the phone back at her.

“Please, Anna, even if you just suspect where she is, please tell me. I promise you won’t be in any trouble. I just need to know that she's safe, okay?”

Anna is trembling now. “I really don’t know. Wherever she is, I have no idea.”

I push past her toward the office. Looking back over my shoulder, I add. “If you hear from her, please, make sure she calls me or Wes.”

“Of course,” Anna responds.

The inside of the office building is dim and cool. The receptionist looks up as I approach.

“Did Sophie come to school today?” I demand.

Her lips form a thin line at my abrupt manner, but she turns to her computer and taps away. “No, our records say that she was reported as sick today.”

No, no, no. This can’t be happening. Has she just ditched school or has something more sinister happened? I spin away from the desk and dial Leon.

“Leon Oliver.”

“Leon, it’s Jemma. Did you drop Sophie off at school this morning?”

“Of course.”

“Was anything strange? Did you stay to watch her enter the school building? Was anyone suspicious lurking nearby?” My voice is becomes a bit hysterical but I can’t seem to calm myself down.

Leon’s voice becomes commanding. “Of course I watched her go in. When was the last time someone saw her?”

My trembling legs collapse and I fall into a nearby chair. “As far as I can tell, you were the last person to see her. She wasn’t at school all day, and Anna hasn’t heard from her since last night when she said she wasn’t feeling well and might not be at school. The school secretary says she’s been recorded as sick today.”

“Check who made the call. I’ll be right there. Don’t move, and don’t say anything to anyone alright?”

“Okay.”

The phone goes dead and I focus on taking deep steady breaths. Did Sophie plan this or did someone else? Please Lord, don’t let anyone have kidnapped Sophie. Please let her have just decided to skip school for some perfectly innocent reason. Help us to find her safe and well. I stand up shakily and walk back to the reception desk.

“Is everything alright Miss Jones?”

“Can you tell me who made the call about Sophie this morning?”

More clacking on the keyboard. She looks up at me and raises her eyebrows. “You did Miss Jones. What’s wrong? I’m going to call the Principal.”

“Wait, don’t do that. I have the Bowman’s head of security coming here right now. Just wait until he gets here. He has the most experience. I don’t want to do anything until he arrives.”

Her lips thin again but she doesn’t reach for the phone.

I walk to the window. The area is now devoid of life. A car speeds into the carpark and stops. Stan and Leon jump out, and I push through the door and run toward them.

A sense of peace comes over me. Surely they’ll know what to do now. Within no time Sophie will be here safe and sound.

Stan’s eyes sweep the grounds before coming to rest on me. “Any news?”

“No, the school records show I made the call to the school this morning.”

“Have you checked her call logs?” Leon asks.

“Um, no.” I say feeling a bit foolish. I flick through Sophie’s phone until I find the right screen. “Yes, here it is, it says I called the school at 7:45 am this morning.”

“Was your phone unattended then?” Stan asks.

“Um,” I think back to this morning. “I think I was in the shower then.”

I hand my phone to Stan. “That’s good. It means Sophie probably made the call herself. That makes kidnapping much less likely.”

Kidnapping! Just hearing the word said out loud, makes this all more real. “What do we do now?”

“Now, we see if we can track Sophie’s phone. Although, if she’s planned this, there’s a good chance she’s left it back at the house,” Stan says.

My eyes dart between the two. “Has anyone told Wes yet?”

“We’ll call as soon as we have anything to report,” Leon says. “I don’t want to alarm him if this is just a teenager playing hooky.”

“You think that's all this is?” I ask hopefully.

“Most likely, but I’m not ruling anything out just yet.” Leon suddenly looks far deadlier than I ever imagined. For the first time I can tell he has a military background.

Stan turns and heads toward the carpark. “Her phone is nearby.”

I follow behind as he walks back toward the Porsche. He opens the door and reaches into the glove compartment. He emerges with Sophie’s phone in hand. “I think she planned this.” Stan’s eyes go dark. “She knows her phone is trackable, it’s why we insist she takes it everywhere. I think we should head back to the house and see if we can find out where she might have gone.”

Stan has Sophie’s computer open in front of him on the gleaming marble bench of the spotless kitchen. Leon continues his search through Sophie’s phone. I feel useless. I wish there was something I could do. Think, Jemma, think. What does Sophie want most in all the world? The answer is obvious, why did it take me so long to think of it?

“Jackson Durant,” I blurt out. “I think Sophie has gone to wherever Jackson is.”

Both burly security guys turn their intense scrutiny toward me.

“How certain are you Miss Jones?” Stan’s eyes feel like they might bore holes right through me.

“Pretty sure. We should see if she’s booked a plane ticket.”

Stan and Leon return their focus to the screens in front of them. I really hope I’m right about this. Surely Sophie will be safe with Jackson. He seemed like an okay guy. As soon as she turns up, he’ll probably call to let us know. There’s no way he’d want to get into anything with a thirteen- year-old.

“Found it,” Leon exclaims. “She booked a flight to LAX for 11a.m. this morning, arriving at 1:30. If we leave now, we can be there before the sun goes down. I need to call Wes.”

“I’ll do it.” The words leave my mouth before I can think things through. Do I really want to be the one to tell Wes his sister is missing?

“Fine,” Leon says. “You can call from the car while Stan organizes our flights.”

I follow them out and slide into the back of the black SUV. My heart pounds as I dial Wes’s number. It rings and rings.

“Hey, what’s up?”

Wes sounds relaxed and happy. How can I shatter his world?

“Hello?…Jemma?”

“Uh, I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to tell you.”

“You’re not leaving are you?” Wes’s voice sounds slightly panicked.

“Sophie’s missing. We’re pretty sure she flew to L.A. to meet Jackson Durant. The guys and I are on our way to the airport now.”

“She what! I’m going to kill her… As soon as I know she’s safe, I’m going to kill her!”

“Don’t worry Wes, we’ll find her. I promise we’ll find her.”

“Tell Leon and Stan I’m coming. I’ll meet you at LAX.”

The phone goes dead.

Normally the thought of seeing Wes would send excitement coursing through my whole body, but all I feel is dread. What if I’m wrong? What if Sophie isn’t with Jackson? What if it’s something else we know nothing about? Bile slides up my esophagus and I choke it back down.