Chapter Seventeen

                                    

                                          
~Mick P.O.V~ 
                          
"What do you mean missing?" I hissed down the phone, my left hand gripped onto the bannister almost as tight as I gripped the phone with my right hand. 
                          
"Alice walked out of her history lesson round about two, we sent staff out to find her but when we couldn't we just presumed she had come home." Mr Harris spoke down the phone quickly but calmly. 
                          
"Well she hasn't." I snapped, I saw Nance glance over at me and I smiled back quickly before she told Linda something was wrong. 
                          
"Mick do you have any idea where she could have gone?" I sighed deeply, desperately searching for an answer. 
                          
"No. No I don't." My eyes flitted across to the bar, for the first time in what seemed like months Linda had a beaming smile on her face, for the first time in months she seemed to be settling and coping with everything's that's gone on. 
                          
"Mick we'll find her, I'll phone the police she won't have gone far." I snapped back into reality and focused back on the conversation. 
                          
"If you and Linda come over to the school, we'll all meet there okay?" I quickly told him that was okay and hung the phone up, walking into the bar my stomach dropped knowing that I would have to bring Linda's world crashing down around her. 
                          
"Who was that?" She questioned lightly, looking over at me briefly. 
                          
"The school, L, Alice has gone missing." The sound of glass smashing resonated throughout the whole pub, the brief silence was broken by a chorus of shouts. 
                          
"Mick, what do you mean missing?" Linda's voice was shaky it was like each word in itself was a question.
                          
"She walked out of her history lesson at about two, school haven't seen her since. Mr Harris rang to see if she'd come home." My words were soft and gentle as I held back my own shaky voice, held back my own worry and fear. 
                          
"We need to phone the police." Linda rushed behind me and grabbed the phone, I grasped her hand tightly causing her head to jolt and look at me. Confusion and anger flashed through her fiery green eyes, "Mick what are you doing, let go." She snarled protectively. 
                          
"L it's fine, Mr Harris already has you and I are to go down to the school and meet them, we need to phone Sarah." She breathed out a deep sigh and my grip around her hand loosened before she put the phone down and reached for her coat. 
                          
"Nance, Johnny." I shouted and they quickly appeared in front of me. 
                          
"It's Al she's gone missing, we're heading to the school to meet the police. You two and Shirl need to hold the fort here in case she comes home." Nance tightly crossed her arms over her chest and her eyes glassed over with tears, Johnny just looked confused like he couldn't understand why she'd do such a thing. 
                          
"You'll find her won't you? You promise you'll find her." I just nodded at Johnny unable to trust my voice, I couldn't make that promise we'd find her. Because part of me didn't think we would. Part of me felt I'd never get to see my baby-girl, my cherished baby again. 
                          
"Mick lets go." Linda kissed Nance and Johnny goodbye and I grabbed my coat and followed her quickly out to the car. 
                          
The ride to the school went quickly, too quickly. Every street, road, turn, traffic light and idiotic driver blurred into one and I was soon abandoning the car next to three beaming police cars and a sleek black BMW I new to be Sarah's.
                          
Pushing the cold metal bar along the glass door which acted as a door handle Linda and I were suddenly embraced in warm heat and bright lights. 
                          
"Mick, Linda let's go to the meeting room." 
Mr Harris quickly guided us along a short corridor with a propped open door at the end, as we walked in I counted four police officers, a paramedic first responder, the headteacher, two members of the school safeguarding team and Sarah.