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I shake my head, frowning. “We don’t have proof, CJ. Why would they listen to us? There’s other stuff we’ve found that could provide more proof of our theory, but we’re still looking into it.”
“I think we should go to the police about this.”
“Then they’ll ask why we got involved.”
He frowns further, ready to reply, when his phone rings from the floor. He picks it up, glancing at the screen. “It’s Mum,” he mutters, surprised. “Hey, Mum. What’s wrong? Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”
He ends the call before shooting up off the sofa. Panic bubbles up inside me at his erratic behaviour. His hands are shaking as he grabs his jeans from the floor.
“Is your mum okay?”
His face is pale when he glances up from buttoning his jeans. “I don’t know. Something’s wrong. She’s hysterical and crying. She said she needs me.”
“I’ll come,” I tell him, getting off the sofa.
“No, it’s fine. It’s late and you have classes tomorrow.”
I give him a dry look. “So do you. And it’s your mum; I have to go.”
He throws a hoodie over his head and I get up, moving to the door where my hoodie is hanging. It’s actually CJ’s, but as we we’re having a lazy night in, I decided to wear leggings and a T-shirt. It swamps me, falling to my knees. When I’m done, I grab my bag and phone, and take his hand.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I tell him, giving his hand a squeeze.
He looks haunted. “She sounded pretty messed up. I’ve not heard her cry like that since my great-grandparents died.”
Seeing him like this is breaking my heart. He’s utterly distraught and torn up about this. “Let’s go see what she needs. Whatever it is, she has us.”
He squeezes my hand and leads us out of the flat. “Thank you for your support and coming with me.”
*** *** ***
We pull up to his mum’s house in CJ’s car. All the lights are blaring inside the house. It’s a big house, not all of those are needed to be on. She also doesn’t seem the type to waste electricity.
We’ve barely gotten out of the car when the front door opens and his mum comes running out. The sight of her stops me in my tracks.
Something bad has happened.
Something terrible.
Her face is streaked with tears, mascara running down her cheeks. From the swelling of her eyes, she’s definitely been crying for days, and not in the time since she called CJ for help.
“Mum,” CJ calls hoarsely, running up to her. He pulls her into his arms and she collapses against his chest, holding him close, wailing.
I don’t even know what to do. I feel like an outsider standing here, not knowing what to do or if I should even interrupt their moment.
CJ glances over his shoulder at me, motioning for me to follow him into the house. I nod and pop back to the car, grabbing the keys he forgot to take out of the ignition.
Once the car is shut and locked, I make my way into the house, following the sound of Milly crying in the living area.
CJ holds her close, rubbing his hand down her back. “Please, Mum. What’s happened? You’re scaring me.”
She sniffles, meeting her sons gaze. “I’m sorry, CJ. I thought this was all behind me.”
When she doesn’t continue, he rubs her back. I sit on the wooden table opposite them and take her hands in mine. “We’re here. You can talk to us.”
“She’s right, Mum. Whatever this is, we will get through it. Has something happened to someone in the family?”
She shakes her head before taking a few deep breaths to compose herself. “The police came today—about the murder of those girls.”
