Page 29

We are currently just waiting on the final paperwork to get Raine discharged from the hospital. She's in the bathroom right now, changing into her own clothes, and I can tell she’s eager to leave this place behind. Truly, I can’t wait to bring her home; hospitals have always made me queasy. For now, she’ll be staying at my place, where we can take things slow and help her recover in comfort. I’m hopeful that one day, this will not just be my home, but our home together. My phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts, and I answer it. It's Raine’s dad, Howard; he’s sobbing down the line and I can’t understand everything he’s saying, something about Rose and Raine’s apartment. With loud sobs, he tries to explain, but I can’t completely grasp the situation. I’m able to understand enough to tell him I’ll meet him at the police station.

As soon as Raine finishes up in the bathroom, I apologetically explain there’s some urgent business I need to see to. I refuse to stress her out, especially when it concerns her parents, and I don’t fully understand what’s happening myself to bring that burden down on her. Once I know more, I will inform her of everything.

At such short notice, I have no other choice than to leave the two idiotic men that work for my father to watch over Raine. I don’t fully trust them, but they are my only option. My father sent them to find me because he couldn’t get in touch with me over the last few days. I’ve left them with clear instructions, let’s hope they don’t fuck it up.

Nothing could have prepared me for this, Rose was murdered and Howard is a blubbering mess. Through sobs, he explains how he dropped Rose off at Raine’s apartment, before heading to the shop to grab a newspaper, but by the time he got back, she wasn’t answering her phone. Concerned, he parked and went inside to check. That’s when he found her dead.

The police go over everything with us, how they thought it might have been an accident at first, but evidence of a struggle was found, along with fresh fingerprints.

As we speak, the fingerprints are running through the dactyloscopy and they have officers checking CCTV from outside Raine’s apartment and surrounding areas.

They go on to ask us questions, like did we know of anyone that wanted to hurt Rose, and other crap like that. I know in my gut it’s that cunt Jack, I can feel it. Who else would it be? My heart sinks for Raine as I reflect on everything she has endured recently. I can't believe she now has to face yet another setback, it's heartbreaking to witness.

I offer to tell her to lighten the load, but Howard thinks it needs to come from him, and as soon as he can pull himself together, he’s heading to the hospital. I'm going to wait here for the results on the CCTV.

I want to be with her when he tells her. I should be there to comfort her, help take away her pain, but Howard's right, this needs to come from him.

It doesn’t take long for them to examine the CCTV footage, and it confirms that Jack was in the area at the time of Rose’s death, he was seen several times in the footage. Quickly, I send a text to Howard. I don’t want to call him and disturb him. He left about fifteen minutes ago to talk with Raine and he will probably still be driving.

Frustrated, I call Tony, to go over what I know with him. We need to get a hold of this fucker Jack, before the police do. It’s imperative that we check through all of the paperwork we got from Jack’s apartment as it could have vital information on his whereabouts, or even a clue as to why he’s doing all this. The best man for the job is Jeff, he has a good eye. I go over all of this with Tony and he confirms he will connect with Jeff about the job. Hopefully, he will find something; anything, that can give us a lead.

Just before leaving the station, the police give me a bag with Rose's belongings and carefully explain how the procedure for the investigation will go. They will be sending out a liaison officer for Raine and her dad, so I inform them that both Raine and Howard will be staying at my house, writing down all the details that they will need to contact if needed. With Jack still on the loose, I can’t settle with the thought of Raine and Howard being alone, it wouldn't sit right with me. With the added security I hired, there will be no hope in hell he will be getting anywhere near them while they’re at my house.

***

This fucker knows more about my family than I do. I’m actually quite impressed. I'm searching through all the information Jack has gathered on my father, while Jeff goes through the information on Raine. I don’t think I could swallow looking at Raine’s. Obviously, I’m curious, but will revisit it at a later date, when I have more time.

Jack has every detail about my father’s life here, right down to what kind of food he likes, but why? What grudge does Jack hold? What am I not seeing?

Jeff doesn’t find anything of importance in Raine’s file, so he has moved on to whatever records we previously held on Jack.

Noticing something strange while searching through the family members section on my father’s file, I take a closer look. The part naming his children has me, obviously. But where I expect to see my sister's name, Ivy, there is a different name, Holly Ash. What the fuck!

Gobsmacked, I shout over to Jeff, “Has the name Holly Ash come up in anything you’ve read?”

“Holly Ash, no, but I have seen a Holly here somewhere, hold on.”

Frantically he starts searching through where he thought he saw it, while I sit racking my brains. Come to think about it, I have never seen Ivy’s name mentioned in anything before, I thought it was because he was hiding her, but what if it wasn't her real name to begin with? That could be the reason why I have never been able to find anything on her.

“Ah, here it is.” Jeff announces. “Holly, it’s not Holly Ash, but Holly Ashford.”

“Ashford? Like in Jack’s surname?” I ask.

“One and the same, boss, she’s listed as his sibling.”

“Let me see that.”

I grab the document off Jeff, and quickly read through it. Holly Ashford born 12th April 2005. That’s the same date of birth as Ivy’s, could it be the same person? Is Ivy’s name really Holly? My heart is racing as a tight knot twists its way through my stomach. All these years searching, I have never found anything on my sister, and now it looks like I was looking for the wrong person but that would also mean… Wait. Do Jack and I share a sibling?

Fuck! I need some fresh air. Nausea threatens as my throat feels like it’s going to close up. Darkness looms over me waiting to strike. Before I leave, I ask Jeff to search for anything he can find on Holly, in our records and in Jack’s.

With a serious need for air, I walk out into the garden, fighting hard against the urge to call my father, instead I take several deep breaths, steadying myself as I check my messages to see if Raine or Howard have messaged, nothing. Worried, I call Howard first, but no answer, and no answer when I call Raine either. I send a message to the men that I have guarded Raine, looking for an update. As I wait for a reply, I call Tony and tell him what I just discovered, but he hasn't had much luck finding Jack. He does let me know what he plans next.

I hang up the phone, and my mind races with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, all swirling around chaotically as I try to find some clarity.

For one, how the fuck can we not find Jack? Where is he hiding? And two, why attack Raine and murder her mother? What is he after? What is the reason?

When my phone beeps with a message, I open the message without thinking:

I win.

What? It’s from an unknown number, so I swipe it away, they probably got the wrong number or something, but then another text comes through:

She’s mine now.

Huh? Curiosity gets the better of me, and I text the number back.

Who’s yours?

A reply comes in immediately.

Raine, who else? Catch me if you can Motherfucker.