Chapter Five

  Chapter Five

There was a knock on the door that woke her up, glancing at her bedside clock it was already close to 10 in the morning. After yesterday’s ordeal Connie was hoping to stay in bed for a little while longer. She wished she had not locked the door this morning she didn’t want to leave her bed. The knock persisted and dragging herself off the bed, Connie went to unlock her bedroom door expecting to see her mom.

She murmured as she opened the door ‘Mom couldn’t you…….’ She never got the chance to finish because standing at the doorway was her mother and stepdad. She was not expecting to see both of them at her door so she had not bothered to cover up, wearing only her panties and vest that did nothing to hide the outline of her round firm breasts Connie froze with embarrassment.

‘Honey, next time wear something descent when you are answering the door. Sorry if we woke you up there is something we need to ask you urgently can you come downstairs. Just cover yourself and come we will be waiting for you in the sitting room’, Lora said quickly uncomfortable with seeing her daughter wearing so little in front of her husband.

‘Do you always go to bed dressed like this Connie?’James asked gazing at her up and down a smile slowly forming on the corner of his mouth.

Noticing her husband’s expression, “James, that is very inappropriate of you to ask your daughter,’ Lora said sternly as she pulled James away. 

Embarrassed that he had been caught, James turned and followed Lora without saying anything, Meanwhile, Connie slammed the door of her bedroom in disgust over James’s remark.

 FEW minutes later Connie appeared in the sitting room freshened up and well dressed. Before she left her room she told herself she was not going to give her stepdad the satisfaction of embarrassing her, it was enough that he had insulted her last night but today she was going to pretend as if nothing had happened earlier. Quickly joining them in the sitting room Connie sat on the couch opposite her mother looking relaxed.

‘We called you here because something has come to our attention. Connie, what happened yesterday night, did you attend a party at Trish’s place like you said?’ James asked her casually.

A lot of things had happened last night some she wished had never taken place. It was James’s question that made her uncomfortable. What if Nick had tracked her down, how much has he told them while she was sleeping. She didn’t know how to answer that.

Taking advantage of Connie’s silence her mother interjected.

‘James, I thought we agreed that I will be the one doing the asking,’ Lora said obviously offended by her husband’s question and Connie knew her mother was still angry with James’s behavior earlier.

Turning to her daughter Lora had a stern look on her face and she asked in a firm voice 

‘Connie, you heard your dad, we want to ascertain exactly where you were last night because while you were sleeping someone came by and  we are not happy at all with what we heard, since when have you started lying?

The words of her mother made her nervous and she knew it had to be Nick, he has found her and how will she explain to her parents when they had already concluded that she was lying.

‘Don’t look so nervous, we are waiting to hear your side of the story.’ James asked.

‘Mom please you have to believe me, I have no idea what that guy is talking about. He just came from nowhere and started asking me about his brother whom I ___________’ Connie never got a chance to finish.

‘Hold on, you are not making any sense at all. Which guy did what?’ James asked obviously confused.

Connie delayed in answering the question as she contemplated on how to explain her side in a way that her parents would understand.

‘Well?’ James demanded

Connie looked from him to her mother and the expression on their faces made her eyelids twinge and fighting back the tears she snapped ‘I will not go through another episode of being called a liar, you of all people must have my back not side with a stranger whom you hardly know. You know what I am done with your questions.’ She stood up determined to walk out on them

Astonished Lora could not believe what she was hearing from her daughter. 

‘You will not walk out while we are still talking to you Connie especially when your friend is missing’ Lora retorted

Connie looked confused for a moment, she wasn’t sure she had heard her mother right. Slowly she turned to look at her hoping her mother would repeat what she had just said and instead Lora asked quietly. ‘First of all who is this guy you are referring to, is he your boyfriend?

Connie was not hoping for that question, her attention had been brought back by the news of her missing friend. In a calm but bored voice she said ‘I don’t know how much he told you but he is not my boyfriend and that is what I have been trying to tell you all along’ 

With a stern face James said ‘Well, well, well wonders never cease to happen. Were you expecting your boyfriend here this morning?’

‘Of course not! I don’t know how he found my address but I never gave it to him’ Connie cried.

‘So he is your boyfriend after all. Didn’t I tell you Lora but you did not believe me. What will you say now, huh? James asked shaking his head 

 Lora frowned at James before she began pacing up and down, she was becoming wound up by the whole situation and turning to her daughter she asked ‘We will talk about this issue of your boyfriend later, you know how we feel about you dating someone whom we don’t know but for now I want to talk about Emma, does she also have a boyfriend?’

Connie found it highly inappropriate for her mother to probe her about her friend’s private life. She too was becoming incensed with her parents playing detective on her. She was suddenly feeling hungry and was desperate to be excused from their presence. Trying to keep her calm she replied ‘Mum that is absurd. I will not divulge anything about Emma’s love life. If you don’t mind excusing me my stomach is now complaining’

Before they could stop her she stormed out of the living room to the kitchen. 

‘Lora what did I tell you in the first place, you should have at least allowed me to handle this situation my own way see now how things have turned out, your daughter does not even know the seriousness of this matter she is busy thinking about her boyfriend.’ James growled.

Raising both her hands Lora reply angrily ‘Stop it James you were here the whole time we were talking to her, why didn’t you handle it differently then…huh.. just because you have balls does that make you wise? I am tired of you point your finger of accusation whenever things don’t go your way. What is this daughter your daughter talk, isn’t she your daughter too?’  

James gazed at his wife gape mouthed in astonishment, this was the first time Lora had raised her voice at him and in that moment words to answer her eluded him.

‘Answer me dammit! Have your voice suddenly gone awol.’ Lora screamed as she walked towards the kitchen her temper almost reaching the roof.

Could this be true that I have a friend who is missing, but who? What if she had not heard her mother right when she mentioned it surely she should have repeated it if it was true.’ Connie thought to herself as she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee, oblivious of the storm that was on the way.