Read Online Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sophie McKenzie
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her face in a loose
ponytail and, as usual, her make-up was far too heavy.
I wanted to point out all of these things. I wanted to hurt her. But I bit back the scathing words that were itching to leap out of my mouth. I had to focus on Madison.
‘We can talk about who’s toxic when Madison’s home,’ I said calmly. ‘Right now I’m concentrating on rescuing her. Maybe you could do the same.’
Shelby’s lip curled with fury. ‘What has getting Madison back got to do with you poking around in Mom’s closet?’
‘I told you to mind your own business,’ I snapped. ‘You already ruined one exchange by running to the police. Luckily for you Mo’s all right, but if they’d killed
her it would be your fault so I’m not telling you anything about what they want us to do now.’
‘Is Madison really OK?’ Shelby’s voice lost its harsh edge. ‘Mom showed me your text, but . . . did you speak to her?’
‘Like you care.’
Shelby’s lip trembled. She turned to walk away and bumped into Jam who just then appeared in the doorway.
‘Hey, Shelbs, I didn’t hear you come in.’ He frowned. ‘You come to help with the search?’
Shelby blushed. ‘Lauren doesn’t want me to.’
Jam glanced over at me. ‘That’s stupid, Lazerbrain. We don’t have much time, we should use all the help we can get.’
Anger rose inside me. How dare Jam side with Shelby?
‘How did you know where we were?’ Jam turned back to Shelby.
‘This.’ Shelby held out her phone to him.
Jam took in whatever was on the screen and looked up at me.
‘She’s had a text from the kidnappers, Lauren,’ he said. ‘Telling her the same as you.’
‘What?’ I said. ‘Why didn’t you say so?’
Shelby shrugged. ‘They just told me to come and search the flat for some valuable thing Dad left me,’ she said.
A wave of jealousy washed over me.
I hated myself for it. After all, finding and rescuing Madison was what really mattered – but it wasn’t fair. Shelby had been Sam’s daughter all her life. I’d only really
known him for a year before he died. If he’d left both of us something then it wasn’t specially for me.
‘So if you knew about these supposed valuables then you already knew what I was looking for?’ I glared at her.
Honestly, she was impossible.
Shelby gave me a sulky look back.
‘I’m surprised you haven’t shown that text from the kidnappers straight to the police,’ I said, acid in my voice.
‘How did you get here?’ Jam asked.
‘I took the train, same as you,’ Shelby explained.
‘Annie’ll be worried sick,’ I said reproachfully.
‘She thinks I’ve gone out for the afternoon with a friend visiting from home. Rick persuaded her to let me go. Said I needed the break. Anyway . . .’ Shelby looked away.
‘Mom’s mad at me for calling the police.’
‘Your mum’s just upset because of Madison.’ Jam patted Shelby’s arm. ‘It’s not your fault.’
Shelby smiled gratefully at him. ‘I feel real bad about all that,’ she said in a low voice.
‘You mean you admit you were wrong to go to the cops?’ I said.
Shelby pressed her lips together, her face mutinous. ‘I’m not saying that,’ she said.
Jam rolled his eyes. ‘May I remind you both that we have very little time to find out if there’s anything valuable here, so maybe we should get on with it?’
Jealousy rose inside me again. It was one thing Jam telling me off when we were alone. But it was humiliating to do it in front of Shelby.
‘Fine,’ I said, not making eye contact with either of them. ‘Why don’t you take the other bedroom, Shelby? I’ll carry on looking in here.’
‘Whatever.’ Shelby disappeared from view.
Jam was still standing in the doorway, but I turned my attention to the pile of boxes at my feet. I sensed him waiting there for a few seconds, but when I finally looked up he was gone.
I tried to lose myself in the search – to put my anxiety about Madison, my irritation with Jam
ponytail and, as usual, her make-up was far too heavy.
I wanted to point out all of these things. I wanted to hurt her. But I bit back the scathing words that were itching to leap out of my mouth. I had to focus on Madison.
‘We can talk about who’s toxic when Madison’s home,’ I said calmly. ‘Right now I’m concentrating on rescuing her. Maybe you could do the same.’
Shelby’s lip curled with fury. ‘What has getting Madison back got to do with you poking around in Mom’s closet?’
‘I told you to mind your own business,’ I snapped. ‘You already ruined one exchange by running to the police. Luckily for you Mo’s all right, but if they’d killed
her it would be your fault so I’m not telling you anything about what they want us to do now.’
‘Is Madison really OK?’ Shelby’s voice lost its harsh edge. ‘Mom showed me your text, but . . . did you speak to her?’
‘Like you care.’
Shelby’s lip trembled. She turned to walk away and bumped into Jam who just then appeared in the doorway.
‘Hey, Shelbs, I didn’t hear you come in.’ He frowned. ‘You come to help with the search?’
Shelby blushed. ‘Lauren doesn’t want me to.’
Jam glanced over at me. ‘That’s stupid, Lazerbrain. We don’t have much time, we should use all the help we can get.’
Anger rose inside me. How dare Jam side with Shelby?
‘How did you know where we were?’ Jam turned back to Shelby.
‘This.’ Shelby held out her phone to him.
Jam took in whatever was on the screen and looked up at me.
‘She’s had a text from the kidnappers, Lauren,’ he said. ‘Telling her the same as you.’
‘What?’ I said. ‘Why didn’t you say so?’
Shelby shrugged. ‘They just told me to come and search the flat for some valuable thing Dad left me,’ she said.
A wave of jealousy washed over me.
I hated myself for it. After all, finding and rescuing Madison was what really mattered – but it wasn’t fair. Shelby had been Sam’s daughter all her life. I’d only really
known him for a year before he died. If he’d left both of us something then it wasn’t specially for me.
‘So if you knew about these supposed valuables then you already knew what I was looking for?’ I glared at her.
Honestly, she was impossible.
Shelby gave me a sulky look back.
‘I’m surprised you haven’t shown that text from the kidnappers straight to the police,’ I said, acid in my voice.
‘How did you get here?’ Jam asked.
‘I took the train, same as you,’ Shelby explained.
‘Annie’ll be worried sick,’ I said reproachfully.
‘She thinks I’ve gone out for the afternoon with a friend visiting from home. Rick persuaded her to let me go. Said I needed the break. Anyway . . .’ Shelby looked away.
‘Mom’s mad at me for calling the police.’
‘Your mum’s just upset because of Madison.’ Jam patted Shelby’s arm. ‘It’s not your fault.’
Shelby smiled gratefully at him. ‘I feel real bad about all that,’ she said in a low voice.
‘You mean you admit you were wrong to go to the cops?’ I said.
Shelby pressed her lips together, her face mutinous. ‘I’m not saying that,’ she said.
Jam rolled his eyes. ‘May I remind you both that we have very little time to find out if there’s anything valuable here, so maybe we should get on with it?’
Jealousy rose inside me again. It was one thing Jam telling me off when we were alone. But it was humiliating to do it in front of Shelby.
‘Fine,’ I said, not making eye contact with either of them. ‘Why don’t you take the other bedroom, Shelby? I’ll carry on looking in here.’
‘Whatever.’ Shelby disappeared from view.
Jam was still standing in the doorway, but I turned my attention to the pile of boxes at my feet. I sensed him waiting there for a few seconds, but when I finally looked up he was gone.
I tried to lose myself in the search – to put my anxiety about Madison, my irritation with Jam
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