Best For Who Ch. 01

***

On Monday she was gone.

At four in the afternoon, as I was frantically searching my office for an agreement that an important client was coming to sign off on in thirty minutes, my mobile rang. It was the kid's teacher from their primary school informing me that as Kelly hadn't picked them up, they would be transferred to the after school care facility.

'Have you rung Kelly?' I asked, unable to hide the exasperation from my voice.

'Of course, but the phone doesn't ring, I keep getting one of those "not in a service area" messages.' Miss Devine, Alexander's teacher sounded remarkably calm for a Friday afternoon. I guess that's why she was a primary teacher, I mused.

'Okay, I'll try to call her.'

'Sure, just don't forget that the after school centre closes at six. Have a nice weekend,' and the line went dead.

'Six!' Shit. I was almost an hour drive from the school and I knew I had no chance of leaving by five and little of getting free by five-thirty. I rang Kelly's mobile to hear the message Miss Devine told me I would hear and then rang home to leave a garbled message for Kell to 'pick up or ring me back asap.' Then I found the finalised copy of the agreement and breathed a sigh of relief. I sent Kell a text message asking where she was. Then the clients arrived early.

At five fifteen I ushered them from the office, and breathed another sigh of relief. They had signed and paid their deposit. Life could go on. Then I realised that I had forgotten about the kids. I checked my mobile for a message or missed call and found neither rang home. Still no answer. I began the process of logging off the computer and locking my office.

'Ten minutes: boardroom.' It was Brent, the CEO.

'Sure,' I shot back as I wrestled my laptop into its case. 'Fuck it!' I muttered as his shadow disappeared down the hall.

With the smell of desperation about me I rang our babysitter who I thought lived somewhere near the school.

'Jodi speaking.'

'Hi Jodi, it's Dave, um, Alex and Courtney's Dad?'

'Oh hi, how are you?'

'Fine...actually I'm not, I'm in a pickle. I can't contact Kelly and the school rang to say that she hasn't picked up the kids. I was wondering if you were anywhere near the school and if you could help out?'

'Sure, I'm at home so I'm only ten minutes away. Do you want to pick them up from my place, or will I take them home?'

'If you could get them home, I'll owe you big time.' The tension was leaving my body, but a mix of anger and concern was rushing through me as I wondered what was up with Kelly.

'No worries, what time will you be home?'

'Don't know, the boss just called a meeting. Seven maybe? Do you have plans tonight that I'm trying to ruin?'

'No,' she laughed and I pictured the corners of her mouth crinkling up as she did, 'no social life for me, so whenever you get home is fine. I'll get 'em fed if you like.'

'Thanks Jodi,' I sighed, 'you've saved my arse. Oh yeah, Courtney has a house key, okay?'

'Sure, and don't forget to ring the school and tell them I'm coming.' I would've forgotten too, had she not reminded me.

'Oh yeah, thanks.' After hanging up I rang the school and gave Jodi authorisation to pick up the kids.

I got home at eight thirty.

Kelly wasn't there. Nor did her parents know where she was. I spent an hour ringing friends, family and acquaintances. No one knew.

Jodi offered to stay the night and look after the kids the next morning. I accepted her offer. At eleven, devoid of ideas and having had the police tell me that they wouldn't do anything until she was missing for forty eight hours, I went to bed. Under my pillow was a small folded note in Kelly's handwriting.

"Dave, I'm sorry but I have to go. I don't know where I'll go, but I need you to trust me that I have to do this. Tell the kids I'm sorry too, that I love them, and that I will see them soon. I don't know how soon, but I will come back.

love Kelly"

I read the note again.

The next day I started ringing friends and family again, then friends of friends and people I thought might be Kelly's friends. No one could, or would, tell me why or where she had gone. Bill and Irene, Kelly's parents, wanted me to press the police to start their investigation and that they believed that the note indicated that she had been kidnapped. I tried to point out that a ransom note would've been more likely, but in their state of mind they didn't want to listen. I had to hang up on them, given that my own state of mind was precarious.

The kids starting asking for Mummy big time on the Saturday afternoon. I told them that she'd be back soon, but despite an endless stream of calls to Kelly's mobile, text messages and emails to her account, she remained "invisible." On Sunday I told the kids that I didn't know when she was coming back, or where she was. It was a hell of a day.

***

The next three weeks were a blur as I tried to juggle my job with getting the kids to and from school, running the household and searching for clues as to where Kelly had disappeared. I had so little time that I barely considered the why, the where was my first imperative. The police opened a file on her as a missing person, but I could tell that because of the note, and its admission that she had to leave, it wasn't going to be a national news story. She hadn't gone jogging at night and not returned. The only upside to the low interest of the police was that I wasn't under suspicion, yet. I finally had to engage the services of a private investigator, partly at the suggestion of the police officer in charge of the file. They didn't use the word "case". Kelly's disappearance was just a file. I had to engage someone to do the leg work because as a suddenly single father, I just didn't have time for much beyond work and the kids. Martin Brandis, a 39 year old decorated ex cop from Sword Security and Investigative Services took on my case. That's what SSIS called it, a case. It resonated better with me.

Bill and Irene helped out, but being in their late sixties and with Bill's heart condition combined with their own natural concern about their daughter; it wasn't too easy for them. After school care only had vacancies one day a week, which added to the stress. I was hiring Jodi, once, then twice, then three times a week to take up the slack. My performance at work was falling, but everyone was sensitive enough to what I was going through not to mention it. For now.

***

On the Thursday in the fourth week since she had left, Martin reported that our faux policewoman Anita was in fact an escort who still worked for the same brothel at the top end of town. Interestingly Anita admitted Kelly had used her services twice in one on one encounters at the brothel, claiming she liked to "roadtest" our playmates. Martin also informed me that a contact within the Customs and Border Control serviced had informed him that that Kelly had flown out of Australia bound for Singapore the Saturday morning after I had found the note. Three days later she had departed Singapore for India, but there had been no further registration of Kelly's passport across foreign borders. Once in India she would be able to renew her visa quite easily. I thanked Martin and hung up. Where and Why seemed even more elusive now.

***

The next afternoon, Friday, Jodi rang at four. She asked if she could stay the night. She was picking up the kids as usual and would normally go home once I had arrived. I said sure, and when I walked into the house at seven, I found the kids in their pyjamas in front of the television as usual, and the warm smell of something nice cooking. For a moment my heart raced as I thought Kelly had returned.

'Hi Dave!' It was Jodi's voice.

'Hi Jodes,' I called back. I kicked my shoes off at the front door and walked up the stairs into the open plan dining and kitchen area. 'Smells good.'

'Thai green chicken curry,' Jodi replied. She was wearing an apron my grandmother had made Kelly one Christmas, and I was pretty sure one she had never worn. Jodi had her dark brown hair up in a pony tail and was washing some dishes in the sink.

'What's the occasion?' I asked.

'You're doing me a favour letting me stay the night, so I thought I'd do you a favour and cook dinner.'

'Thanks,' I offered, and wandered off to the bedroom to get changed. With summer coming the weather was warming so I slipped on shorts and a tee shirt, relishing shedding the office attire.

At seven thirty Jodi and I shooed the kids into bed - they'd had school athletics that afternoon and I got a detailed report about Alexander running second in the 400m and Courtney coming seventh in the long jump and first in the 100m. I was proud of them, but disappointed that they hadn't had a parent present to support them. They were exhausted and fell asleep before I'd read the second page.

I climbed the stairs to find Jodi serving up the dinner. She had poured some wine and went to set the table when I suggested we eat on the balcony. The upper floor of our house had a wide balcony that looked across the harbour to the city lights beyond. In the warmer months it was my favourite place to be after dark.

'So why can't you go home tonight Jodes?' I asked after finishing and thanking her for a very nice meal.

'I got kicked out for being behind in the rent.'

'Oh,' I said.

'Trying to finish Uni and pay the bills on a part time waitress wage sucks,' she laughed.

'What're you going to do?'

'I've got a friend who I can rent a room from,' Jodi continued. 'She's in Sydney tonight, she'll be back tomorrow.'

'I won't be able to keep picking up the kids Dave.' Jodi dropped the bombshell in a voice that told me that she felt guilty. 'Amberley lives on the other side of the city, near the Uni and where I work. I won't have the time to do all the travel. I'm sorry.' I felt gutted, the feeling that I had been gradually getting on top of my new life was being swept away.

'Another drink?' Jodi asked.

'Yeah, but vodka please. On ice.'

'Can I have one too?' she asked. I smiled and nodded. A plan was unfolding as my mind raced in overdrive.

'How much was your rent?' I asked when she returned with two tumblers half full of vodka and ice.

'Two hundred a week,' she replied.

'And how much at your friend's place?'

'Um, I dunno, it's a flash place so maybe one fifty.'

'What do you have left over each week?'

'What's this, the Spanish Inquisition?' she laughed.

'Maybe,' I shrugged.

'About minus fifty.' She laughed again but I saw her eyes moisten.

'Live here,' I said suddenly. 'I'll pay you one fifty a week, that's about fifty less than I am now, but I'll throw in all your food, phone, you'll have no extras. You pick up the kids as usual, once I get home, you can do whatever you want. Weekends are yours unless I need to go to work in which case the normal hourly rate will apply.'

'I don't know Dave,' Jodi replied, looking shocked at my offer.

'Why not?'

'I...I...'

'Look if you'd rather live with your friend, I understand. But I get the feeling that maybe you need a bit more of a hand to make sure you get Uni finished. When's that, the end of next year?'

'Yeah...'

'Think it over,' I said. 'Go see your friend tomorrow, check out her place, her rules...see if you can let me know by Sunday. If you don't want to stay, I'll pay you double next week to continue while I try and find a solution to my problem.'

***

On Sunday afternoon, while the kids played in the pool and I watched the season's first one day cricket match on the television, Jodi rang.

'Why are you being so generous?'

'Did your friend tell you to ask that?' I laughed. I was trying to keep the tension from my voice. I was desperately hoping that Jodi would accept my offer.

'Yeah, she did,' Jodi replied and I could see her smile. 'But why?'

'Because I dunno where I can get someone as reliable as you, who I like, and more importantly who the kids like, even if I pay an absolute fortune to some agency. And that's not something I want to go through. You've saved my bacon repeatedly from day one Jodes. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be coping at work and at home, and I really...I'm barely coping now. If I can help you, then I guess I'm really helping myself too.'

'Okay.' Her voice sounded small. 'It'll be a trial period at first, for both of us. Understand?'

'Sure,' I said my heart leaping in gratitude.

'Okay, after maybe two weeks, we'll see how we're doing. '

'Absolutely,' I agreed with a wide grin on my face.

'I'll see you at six.'

'Want dinner?' I asked out of the blue. I hadn't even realised I was going to ask it. For a moment I thought the question sounded a bit creepy...possessive maybe.

'Sure,' she said. I leapt off the couch, my mood lighter than it had been since the day before Kelly had left. Alex and Courtney were beside themselves with excitement when I told them that Jodi would be living with us. They took it on themselves to clean out the spare bedroom, which until now had been part guest room, part storage room and part play room. Despite all their disagreements, they were great friends and had chosen to sleep in the same room, despite the presence of the spare. Right now, that was great by me. I moved the heavy items into the garage, Courtney moved their toys into their room and Alex changed the bed.

Jodi arrived just after six, the kids swamping her at the door. I was grinning ear to ear and felt a twinge of my own as I saw her tear up. She knelt and hugged the kids tightly, fastidiously avoiding meeting my eyes.

'Welcome to your new home Jodes,' I said. We spent fifteen minutes unloading her rather old car of all her worldly possessions. At seven we sat down together and ate the cold roast beef salad I had prepared. The kids talked non stop about how much fun they were going to have together, until at eight I ordered them to bed. Jodi went to help them when I reminded her and the kids that the deal was that the weekends were her free time. She smiled and shook her head, and escorted the kids downstairs to their room. I was ordered away by the three of them after a goodnight kiss, and poured two vodkas in preparation. I raised my glass to my reflection in the window at my good fortune.

Jodi appeared up the stairs shortly afterwards and accepted her glass with a smile. It turned out that whilst Amberley was only going to charge her a hundred a week, plus expenses of course, her rather wild party lifestyle was a bit much for Jodi, given her need to study and sleep. But, ultimately, the chance to have some money in her wallet for her rather than for an overdue bill appealed big time too. It turned out that she owed around two grand to various people and places. I hit on another idea.

'Sell your car, you can use Kelly's.' I drove Kelly's red BMW once a week to keep it ticking over.

'I can't.'

'It sits there Jodes. Pay off some of your debts, including that back rent so you don't end up with a bad credit rating. Use the car; I'll happily pay for the petrol.'

'Dave...' her eyes moistened again.

'Stop it, you'll make me all gushy too,' I joked. She put down her drink and gave me a hug. I smelt her then, for the first time. A hint of the perfume she had put on, probably that morning. Her smell, from the heat of the day, driving her un-air conditioned car across town, unloading boxes. Her body was warm against mine, firm with her youth and feminine. I missed that. We pulled apart and I smiled, my heart hammering a little at the unexpected contact.

'Thanks.' I offered.

'And to you too, remember?'

***

We settled into a new routine very quickly. Every second weekend Bill and Irene would take the kids, Jodi dropping them off after school and me picking them up on Sunday afternoon, usually enjoying a family roast. We tried not to talk about Kelly too much; it upset the kids, especially Courtney who still wanted to know when her Mum was coming home. Alex simply turned away and amused himself with something else if the topic arose. Martin, my investigator had subcontracted an agency in India to try and track Kelly's movements there. They had found the hotel in Chennai where she had stayed for a week after arriving, then confirmed that she had bought a first class sleeper ticket on the train to New Delhi. She had not checked into any of the upmarket hotels in the capital, and the city of 14 million, popular with western tourists had an endless number of backpacker and smaller hotels, many of which wouldn't ask for a passport if offered a few hundred rupees. Kelly could have hired one of the thousands of private "taxis" that operated in the city, and been driven to any of the popular tourist getaways within a day's drive. There was no legal requirement for them to register or even check her passport. The trail had gone cold, and the amount of money I was spending was starting to concern me. Martin informed me that he would keep the case open, mostly with an occasional check of his Customs contacts. There was little else that I could do, or at least afford to do. I needed to reclaim, or at least claim, a life of my own again.

***

On those Fridays when the kids went away, I would usually go out after work with the office crowd, something I had done BKA - Before Kelly's Absence. It was about three weeks after the new arrangements had started when my boss, Brent cornered me in the bar.

'How're things?' It sounded innocuous enough but I knew what he meant.

'Still got no fucking idea where she is,' I said, raising my voice above the growing din of the crowd. 'But okay otherwise.' I offered a tight lipped smile and he nodded.

'You're back on the game at work.' His voice was just loud enough for me to hear and no-one else overhear. He looked around casually as he spoke.

'Thanks.' I meant it when I said it. I knew that until a few weeks ago, my job was on the line. I think this was Brent's way of telling me that he had thought so too, but now it was okay.

'Keep it up.' He raised his glass and I reciprocated. Then he wandered off in the direction of one of the two new receptionists. Married as he was, he found it hard to resist the attraction of new flesh in a short skirt. I suddenly had a desire to get home, go for a cleansing swim and wake up on Saturday morning without a hangover.

Jodi was sitting on the balcony reading a text book. She waved as I came up the stairs and I waved back. There had been no more moments of intimacy or hugs since that Sunday. I changed into my board shorts and wandered back down the stairs, through what I called the kids' living room and into the back yard. Our pool was just a small one, enough for the kids and not too hard to look after. I plunged in, savouring the coolness of the water as it streamed through my hair and around my body. I held my breath and floated motionless, my body slowly rising to the surface. As I began to roll I stood up.

'Staying in?' Jodi was leaning over the balcony smiling.

'Just to cool off,' I responded.

'Sounds good, I'll be down in a moment.'

Five minutes later she emerged in an elegant pale green swimsuit that instantly reminded the male part of my brain that she was in fact quite an attractive young woman. I looked away until she had dived in, pretending to watch an aircraft that was circling above the harbour.

'Oh that's nice,' she said, 'I'm sick to death of studying.'

'Fair enough too,' I responded. 'How're the kids and their grandparents?' Jodi gave me a back brief on the kids' day and said that for the first time Bill and Irene had invited her in for a cup of tea, which she accepted.

'They kind of gave me the third degree,' she laughed.

Bill and Irene had raised their eyebrows when I told them about Jodi moving in. It took me some time to convince them that it was no more than a convenient arrangement for us both.