When Past & Present Collide: WP&PC (4 page)

Frank sat back down. “I know son and you know I have private men out there. We are all doing all we can.”

“Are we really?” I said in defeat. “Is there more we could be doing? I can’t watch her much longer. It’s killing me beyond repair.” Frank patted my shoulder.

I looked to Frank and Tim. “What do we do if the doctors want to admit her? Shit
, I doubt she will go without one heck of a fight,” I laughed nervously. “She will refuse to leave here. And if she does leave, I honestly don’t think she will come back as my Ella.” And there lay all my anxiety. A discussion I dreaded to have because of the fear of the unknown. If they took her we might never be able to reverse the outcome.

Both Tim and Frank were speechless. No one could answer my question as we truly didn’t have one. No one would know if Ella
could truly survive this. Hell, mentally I was holding on by a thread. But the thread was fraying hourly.

I walked into the kitchen to get a coffee and noticed Beth making some, she handed me one over. I could see the sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry
, Jacob, I never,” I could see the tear fall down her face; I placed my arms around her. “Hey, I know you were just trying to help. But until he is found then doing herself up is the last thing on her mind.”

Beth nodded and backed up, “I know and I’m sorry
, I just thought she would appreciate having clean hair on TV”.  I gave a small nod, “any other time I think she would agree, but at the moment she isn’t thinking straight.”

Beth nodded. “What’s the plan?”

I shook my head, “we’ve called in her doctor. But honestly, Beth, I’m not sure we are doing the right thing.”

Beth carried on with making tons of drinks. “Are you worried that she will hate you?”

I stopped in my tracks. Was I worried if she would hate me? In some ways I was, but as long as she was whole again, I didn’t care about me. “To some extent I am. I’m more worried that if they put her in hospital, she might never come home.”

“But what have you got to lose?
” Beth shouted as I was about to head back into the office.

I laughed. “At the moment
, sod all, I’ve lost her already but if I ever want us to be a proper family again, then I have everything to lose.”

Beth nodded, “good luck with that.” I
smiled; boy did I know what she meant.

Chapter Three

Day Three
- Interview day

Ella.

     I sat there while two dipsticks sat opposite me looking all fucking smug. Both looking like they had solved the mystery and I was it. Well fuck these two wankers, they can bog off. I’m the fucking victim here.

Tim
, the family liaison officer, sat in the corner while the best attorney, Rob, from my firm sat next to me. Apparently he was the best, but fuck that, if he was the best I wouldn’t be sitting here; I would be out there searching like every other fucker.

I would be down drains, on my hands and knees in the small lake at the park. I w
ould be sifting through any rubbish I could find. Yes I might be rich but this happened to us. Me and my family.

I would do whatever I had to do. But no
, I'm locked in this room waiting to be questioned again. Apparently, I’m given a break every once in a while. Sod the break, I want to be home.

“What the hell
, Rob, what is taking them so bloody long?” I shouted as I glanced over towards the two dipsticks who had just sat back down.

“Calm down please
, Ella,” Rob asked.

“Calm down, are you fucking taking the pi
ss Rob? Do you want this job? Because trust me if you don’t, I can find someone better.” Rob sniggered, “I’m the best.” He said under his voice.

I glared at him.
“That you may be but if I sacked you, who will hire you?” I said with a smirk. I knew I had him over a barrel and to be honest, I never gave two hoots. Yep, I’m a bitch and totally fucking proud of it.

I don’t care if people like
me; all I care about are my family and my two best friends. Money was never something I wanted, yet I inherited a shit load of it. But if I could have my family, that’s all that matters.

I heard a cough and I glanced over to dipstick one. Yep
, they had been given names: dipstick one and two. Parks was one and Richards was two.

“Ella
, can you just verify were you were Monday afternoon between 12 – 4pm?” Dipstick one asked.

I laughed while Rob spoke on my behalf. “Gentlemen
, are you wasting my client’s time? Firstly, you have asked this question more than once and secondly, you have seen the video footage of her entering her work place and not leaving until yourself and your men arrived. And if my eyes don’t deceive me, she was escorted home by your family liaison officer.”

I shook my head as I couldn’t believe I was still sitting here. I didn’t take in the rest of the questioning. I blanked out
, I just remember dipstick two letting me know I could go home but they may need me to answer more questions.

*****

Jacob.

     I couldn’t believe they were doing this to us.

How the hell
Ella survived the interrogation is beyond me.

I know she had
Rob and I’ve been told by Frank he is the best. Unfortunately, we can’t have the same lawyer but I’m okay with that, I’m just desperate to see how she is. Frank said she arrived home half an hour ago but is determined to listen to Matt’s questioning.

Fucking M
att again.

Why is he still in our lives? Didn’t we go through enough with him after the accident?

If I ever hated someone, then it was definitely Matthew Stone.

Richards and Parks were questioning me but there wasn’t much they could ask. Where was I Monday between 12 - 4pm? Obviously at work and thank fuck for security footage.

They mainly wanted to know about mine and Ella’s past. Why they think it can help them solve this situation was beyond me.

“Would you say Ella
wanted more than revenge from Matt?” Parks asked.

I laughed. “Seriously officer
, I’m more than certain you have asked Ella this. Ella never really wanted revenge; she wanted the truth to come out. Did she go about that in her own twisted way?” I laughed, “yes she did and don’t forget I was played into that game as well. Damn, it was all over the press.”

I shook my head
, as the memory of that night was still so raw and one I won’t forget in a hurry. “Ella had a point to prove. She’s a woman who had to prove that she could play with the big boys.  At the top of the game it’s a man’s domination, so for Ella she had to step up her game and play it a different way to us blokes. But to answer your question, no she never wanted revenge, just retribution.”

“Is there a difference?
” Richards asked.

I laughed.

Is there a difference?

In E
lla’s mind probably not but damned would I tell them that.

“Well
, if she wanted revenge then she would have vindictively harmed or done wrong to Matthew. She never did that, instead she sought retribution; she punished him for his sins. Let’s face it; we all know he bought it on himself.”

“
Yes, but would you say what she did was justified.” Richards asked.

“Would you?”
I said with a snarl.

Honestly
, I was pissed off now. I had been here for most of the morning and these officers thought it was a joke to be going over something that wasn’t helping. Jesus, we had already been told to stay indoors and not to help with the search party.

Apparently the case was to
o high profile.

Did they not realise
we were just normal folks like them? Okay yes, Ella has money but by God with that foul mouth of hers, you would never have guessed.

Oh and let’s
just say Ella never took their advice very well, because she had escaped on Tuesday when she had gone off to work. Madam had snuck out while she went to the toilet. Unfortunately, she didn’t get far before she was all over the news on her hands and knees.

Since then she has kept to her word.
Which for Ella is a miracle in itself.

“
Just answer the question please, Mr Green.” Richards said.

I glared at
him. “I’ve nothing to say and you’re wasting your time here. Why would Ella and I do something to harm a fucking precious hair on his head? Are you fucking nuts?” I stood and flung my chair behind me. “Jesus Christ, are you both for real? First you drag Ella here and make her go through this, then it’s fucking me. What are you two doing? Get out there and find the real person that has done this to me and my family, and stop wasting our time!” I was livid past the brink of return and boy did it take a lot to get me riled up. I don’t think I’ve ever been this bad, even after that shit Matthew threw in the hospital. And trust me that final nail in the coffin after Ella’s accident, didn’t get me this bad. And fuck, was I bad then.

“Please calm down.” Parks said, “we are doing all we can but you must understand in situations like this
, within the first 48 hours everyone is a suspect. We are just following protocol.”

Yep
, rules and regulations were all they followed these days. What happened to getting off their backside and doing a day’s real job? Nope, these tea drinkers are doing nothing to help us.

*****

Matthew’s Interview.

    
I stood there while they were questioning him behind the mirrored glass. Well questioning him at this present moment, they were not doing.

I turned to my family liaison officer
. “Oh come on, Tim. What the hell are they doing in there?” I banged on the table in front of me. “Can’t we get someone who knows what the fuck they are doing? Three days. Three bloody days, it’s killing me Tim.” Tim stood there lost for words. Trust me I was not the best person to be around.

“Miss Jamison, you know how this works
. Matthew is entitled to a fifteen minute break. These interviews need to be dealt with under very delicate circumstances, every conversation needs to be evaluated and dealt with precisely, if we are ever going to find him.”

The fire intensified in my eyes. “Tim
, first you said Miss Jamison. My name is Ella, I won’t repeat myself again and secondly you said if. If we are to find him? There are no ifs about it, Tim. We will find him, even if I have to spend every last penny I have. If it’s the last breath I fucking take, I will get him back.”

Tim stood there hopeless. “I’m sorry Miss
, I mean Ella. I never meant it that way, it’s just you need to be prepared. We’ve searched every ounce of Matthew’s home and there wasn’t a single piece of evidence pointing him towards this. I know what happened in your past, but just think for a minute, is there anyone else who might want revenge on you or have any grievances with you?.”

I
glared at him like he was an idiot. “Tim, I own half of the businesses in London. Every God damn business associate probably has a grievance towards me.”

Before I even realised
it, Matthew’s break had finished and the same two officers returned to the room. The first officer, Parks; I never liked him. He was a small man with an easy come easy go attitude. His questions were simple and non-effective. The second officer Richards; I liked, he had spunk, he wasn’t intimidated by me and I liked that. I knew he would ask the best questions. Heck, when he interviewed me he was an arse.

I leant up
against the glass holding a tatty teddy in my hand. It still holds his scent, even though it was fading daily. 

“Matthew
, where were you between 12pm and 4pm on Monday afternoon?” Parks asked.

Matthew flung his arms behind his neck looking so smug. God
, did I want to wipe that smug smile off his fucking face? Arrogant prick.

“I was at lunch between 12
pm and 3pm. Then I had a shareholders meeting.”

T
he officers looked at each other.

“That was a long lunch
, Matthew. What did you do for three hours?” Richards said with a snarl.

Matthew swung his chair back so he was swinging on two legs; he looked so calm as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Me on the other hand
, I felt fucking sick to my stomach.

“I went home officer
, is that a crime? Am I meant to report to you every time I wish to go home for a long lunch?” I could instantly tell Matthew didn’t like Richards.

“Do you normally go home for a long lunch in the day
, Matthew?” Parks asked.

Matthew laughed
, placing his chair back on all four legs; he placed his hands on the table and tapped his fingers with boredom like they were interrupting his day.

“No I don’t officer
, but I needed to change as I had a stain down my suit and I wasn’t going into a shareholders meeting in anything other than my best.”

The officers nodded as in understanding.

“Mr Stone, were you aware that the shareholders were all nominating to have you dismissed from the company?” Richards asked, looking just as smug as Matthew did at the start.

Matthew sat up straight; he turned towards the mirrored glass as if he was aware I was there. I jumped ba
ck in shock. “Tim can he see us?” Tim shook his head, “no, Ella, but he probably presumes you are here.”

Matthew looked back to Richards before his shoulder
s slumped in a small defeat. “Yes I was fully aware. You see officers, some people are willing to talk for the right amount of money; I knew what Ella’s intentions were in that meeting. I’m not a stupid man. The day I realised it was Ella who had invested within my company was the day I knew she would want me out. Heck, I never expected her to take so long.”

“So
, Mr Stone, would you say you had a grievance towards Miss Jamison?” Richards asked.

Matthew looked back towards the glass, his eyes had glossed over
, he looked anguished and so lost, if I wasn’t in my own world of torment and if the past never happened, I may have even cared for him at that moment.

“No officers
, I’ve never had a grievance towards Ella.” He glanced over to where I was standing behind the glass; a shiver ran through my spine as I felt his stare go right through me. “I loved her.”