Reid
I breathe in and out rapidly. “What happens next? Tell me what the fuck you’re going to do?” I can feel my cheeks puff out and my eyes narrow as I look towards West and Gleaton.
“We look at the evidence collected from last night, and we have all phone calls coming into the house tracked. When the next call comes in, it should lead us to where they’re being made. It will give us a perimeter to work with. In the meantime, we’ll organise the SES to conduct a search of surrounding areas and set up a media conference to get the word out to the public. This will take little time.” His demeanour is strong and open and he seems confident.
“You can locate him from calls? If he calls again?” My voice pleads that this is correct.
“If we keep him on the line long enough, we’ll be able to locate where the calls are coming from, yes.”
I nod. This is a process I tell myself.
“I’ve found nothing.” Maloney reappears with the two other uniformed officers beside him.
West flicks his wrist towards him and the officers move in closer. He then points in the direction of the loungeroom and they move in a group away from me. I think to follow, but stop myself. If West wanted me to know what they need to discuss, he would have stayed. I have to trust them.
I’m still rattled as I preoccupy myself with the task of taking my mug to the kitchen and tipping the now cold coffee down the sink. Rinsing the mug, I stare at the words, ‘WORLD’S BEST DAD’, in large letters filling both sides. My mind flashes to Father’s Day all those years ago. The look on Aleeha’s face as I tore open the wrapping paper was better than any present that laid beneath. This was the first gift she’d picked out for me on her own — Memories begin to flow like a current being swept by strong winds. It’s a visual display of magical moments our family have enjoyed together –– the smiles, the laughter, the undying love. This can’t be the end of these moments for us, it just can’t be. I swallow hard and place the mug in the sink with gentle care, before I hunch my shoulders in defeat and turn around. I’m met with four of the most perfect eyes God created, two blue and two brown. Their sleepy eyes are filled with innocence and unspeakable beauty.
“Good morning, Daddy,” Aleeha says, her long blonde locks matted from a night’s rest.
“Good morning, Aleeha honey, did you sleep well?” My lip quivers, I pull it into my mouth with my teeth, trying to hold it together for the sake of my children.
“Yes Daddy, I had the best dream.” She starts to stretch until she is on tiptoes, her eyes open wide, and she suddenly shifts her head to the right, so do I. John and Shirley are standing there side by side.
“Hey, little bug,” Shirley says sweetly.
“Hi Grandma Shirl,” she says, running towards her. “Poppy John.” They embrace her tightly.
“Morning Brax,” I say, as he enters the kitchen.
He runs his hand down his face. “Hi Dad.”
“Did you sleep well?”
He shrugs.
“Breakfast?” I ask, trying to keep some sort of normality.
“Yeah.” He yawns.
First, I hear them talking, then I see them. The three uniformed officers have stepped into view, and so have detectives West and Gleaton. They stop speaking immediately and halt on the spot.
“Dad.” Brax glares at me. “Where’s Mum?”
“Daddy?” Aleeha’s voice is high-pitched.
“Dad, what’s going on? Who are those men? And why are they here?” I can see the fear swirling in Brax’s brown eyes.
Be strong Reid, they need you. Handle them with care. I tell myself to encourage a gentle approach. “We need to talk. Can you come sit at the dining room table, please.” I’m dreading this. Morgan is always better at breaking sad and devastating news. It reminds me of the time their hamster Prickles died two years ago, and Morgan said we had to tell them the truth and teach them about death. I just wanted to buy them a new Prickles, and have them be none the wiser, not Morgan, she said death is a part of life and we couldn’t hide it from them. I trip over the word death in my mind and its meaning:
Dying or being killed; the end of someone’s life.
Uneasiness washes over my skin and knots instantly tie together in my stomach. The death of their hamster will be nothing compared to the death of their mother, and I refuse to believe I’ll ever have to explain and comfort them through such a life changing event. I begin to choke up and find myself lost for any words that could help our children. I don’t exactly know what to say; I just look at their innocent faces as we sit.
Aleeha and Brax sit across from me. Shirley and John sit either side of them. I nervously twirl the yellow gold wedding band around on my left finger. I can feel the impact of what I’m about to do. I will break their hearts with four little words, words that on their own have no effect, but when added together shatter lives. Four little words. Your mum is MISSING.
I inhale and then exhale as the children look to me, and John and Shirley look to the children. I open my mouth and then close it again. I rotate my head in search of West. He nods when I locate him.
Is this encouragement? Fuck.
“Brax, Aleeha ––”
“Dad. Where’s Mum?” Brax’s tone is tense.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, just know that we’re doing everything we can, okay?” I’m making no sense. I know this because those innocent eyes seem puzzled.
Reid get it together, will you.
“The five men standing over there are police officers and detectives. They’re here to help us.”
“We need help? Or Mum needs help?” Brax asks immediately.
“Brax, all of us do, your mum is missing.”
Aleeha draws a noisy breath of air before gasping out loud. Tears flood from her eyes and it’s an instant river they create. She rambles, but nothing she’s says can be understood. Shirley strokes her hand up and down Aleeha’s arm and I turn my attention to Brax whose face has drained of all colour and glows a pale white.
“We’re going to find Mum, I promise you. You just have to believe we will,” I say, trying to console him. It doesn’t work because soggy tears burst from Brax’s eyes.
Aleeha runs towards me, and quickly clambers on to my lap without any warning. Her head rests in the nape of my neck. Her tears soak through my shirt. Placing one hand to the back of her head and the other to the middle of her back, I try desperately to hold myself together. I search for Brax, who drops his head and sobs against the table.
“I want my mummy,” Aleeha chokes out.
“I want your mummy too” I whisper, as my bottom lip begins to tremor. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. Daddy’s going to call Grandma and Grandad, Nanny and Pop-Pop, Uncle Cruise and Aunty Natalie, to come, okay?” Her sweet little head nods against me as she howls louder.
“Brax, come here buddy,” I say through a tensed throat as I outstretch my arm to the side. He stands before throwing himself at me. Brax is twelve now and he’s a tall boy, so I barley manage to hold his weight as I pull him against my side. Raising my eyes, I look for Shirley, my rock, or so I hoped, but she’s sobbing into her cupped hands. I dart my attention to John, hoping he can keep me composed. He too is holding back tears as they puddle in his eyes.
I can’t do this.
I don’t know how long we sit like this, but I don’t allow my grip around our children to weaken.
Aleeha suddenly lifts her head and awkwardly removes herself from my lap. She runs at full pace away from me, up the staircase. A loud bang follows shortly after.
“It’s okay, Reid. I’ll go to her,” Shirley assures me in a low tone.
My arm is left bare once Brax’s grip is removed, and in a moment of sudden panic I snap my neck in search of him, only to find him holding Shirley’s hand as they walk past the police officers and begin taking the staircase together.
I watch every step with a heart heavier than lead. “I can’t do this,” I say, my voice subdued. “Bring my wife home, please. Just find Morgan because I can’t do this,” I’m pleading as I make connection with West’s eyes.
West nods.
Dropping my head to the table, I squeeze my eyes tightly together and hiss between my clenched teeth, “Who the fuck are you and why do you want my wife?”