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Chapter 46

Author: BENNIE N.
last update Last Updated: 2024-08-22 02:20:22

Carson lay in the unfamiliar hotel bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark, but the glow from the street lights outside seeped through the thin curtains, casting strange shadows on the walls. He'd been trying to sleep for hours, but his mind wouldn't quiet down.

He turned to look at the digital clock on the bedside table. 11:47 PM. Carson sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Sitting up, he switched on the lamp. The sudden light made him squint. The room came into focus - a small, tidy space with bland hotel art on the walls and a desk in the corner. His suitcase sat unopened by the door, a reminder that he was far from home.

Carson got up and walked to the window. He pulled back the curtain and looked out at the Manchester night. The city was still alive, even at this late hour. Cars moved along the streets below, their headlights cutting through the darkness. In the distance, he could see the lights of tall buildings, each one a possible home to hundreds of people. Was Ali
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    Today was the day. He finally had a lead on Alice's whereabouts, thanks to his sister Mia. He couldn't believe his luck when Mia called last night with the news."I found her old address in the staff records," Mia had said, her voice crackling over the phone. "It's from when she worked as a maid for us. 42 Willow Lane, Manchester."Now, as Carson stood in front of the mirror, trying to tame his bedhead, he repeated the address like a mantra. "42 Willow Lane. 42 Willow Lane."He threw on some clothes, not caring if they matched. Who cared about fashion when he was this close to finding Alice and Charlie?The hotel lobby was quiet this early in the morning. Only a sleepy-eyed receptionist and a cleaner pushing a mop bucket were around. Carson nodded to them as he rushed out, the cool morning air hitting his face.He hailed a taxi, an old black cab with a dent in the front fender. The driver, a burly man with a thick gray mustache, turned to Carson with a friendly smile."Where to, guy?"

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  • ONE More Time to make it right   Chapter 79

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