Chapter 3

David quickly got ready, hopped in his car, and drove away. He was getting closer to his goal, which was to be with Claudia. If he could win over her parents in a few hours, he would be able to have her soon. He started the engine and sped off.

Donald was keeping a close watch on Claudia's parents to make sure he didn't miss them.

David had already arrived at the laundry owned by Claudia's parents. They owned a laundry house that was among the best during those days. Although it wasn't the best anymore, they still made some money from it and helped each other out a lot since they were getting on in years.

David wined down his window and gave Donald a signal to go inside.

Jane and Williams were already about to close. They close at eight o'clock every day and go to the restaurant across the street to buy their dinner before heading home. Jane's phone beeped immediately and it was a message.

Claudia had stayed in her bedroom all this while but couldn’t still concentrate. Her mum’s complaint had got her worried and she needed to reassure them, so she quickly took her phone and texted her mum.

“Mama, just hang in there okay, I will get a job soon to be able to take care of you and Dad”

Claudia let the phone fall and lay on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. Her mind was racing with thoughts.

Jane had a huge smile on her face as she read the message. She had faith in her daughter and was fervently hoping she would get a job too. Jane had been the one paying for her daughter's apartment and if she couldn't keep up with the payments, her daughter would be moving in with them soon. She was still looking at the message when a voice interrupted her. “Hello,” Donald said in his deep voice.

“We are closed for today,” Jane replied. “You can come back tomorrow,” she said, putting her hand together as if she was pleading and bowing down to him with a pleasant smile on his face.

Donald was hesitant and was just wandering around as if he was looking for something.

“Hello, you can drop your items and come back tomorrow morning for registration if you don't mind,” William said smiling at Donald as if he knew him before or something.

“Where is she?” Donald turned and asked forcefully.

“Where is who?” Jane asked curiously but gently and still maintaining a faint smile.

“Your daughter, where is she?” Donald replied.

“I'm sorry but if you have business with our daughter you should go to her apartment rather than coming here”. Williams replied to Donald.

“Exactly, and that is why I am here. So you both can give me every detail about her. Her home address, her work address, and every single detail about her”. Donald said.

Jane was already trembling when she saw the atmosphere. Claudia wasn't someone who would get into unnecessary trouble. She knows her daughter very well and knows something is wrong somewhere. It is related to her job haunt..she thought silently

“We… Can’t… do. it.” Jane replied, stammering and shaking her head vigorously.

David had been outside taking in fresh air; the atmosphere was cool and breezy with the scent of jasmine and cestrum nocturnum. He rarely shows himself in such situations unless the people involved are not cooperating.

“Your daughter's safety depends on both of you,” David said as he entered, walking with one of his hands in his pocket. He continued, “If you provide us with the necessary information, we can guarantee that your daughter will always be safe.”

Jane and Williams exchanged glances, looking at each other skeptically. They turned their heads in David’s direction, to Donald's direction, and back again to David’s.

Jane slowly rotated, still trembling in fear. She crawled to the edge of the wall and stretched out her hand, trying to reach her phone.

“Ouch!” Jane exclaimed as David stepped on her hand.

“What are you trying to do?” He asked. “Do you think you can outsmart us?”

“No ... no,” Jane said, fidgeting, "I just wanted to contact our daughter Claudia and tell you where she is," she said, looking at David as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Good, now, pick up the phone and call her,” David commanded. “And make it a FaceTime video.”

Jane nodded repeatedly, picking up her iPhone seven and dialing her daughter’s number, but it seemed not to be connecting.

“Try it again,” David said, using his face to demonstrate a signal of “go away”, even before Jane could say a word.

“Baby, Dad and Mum are in trouble. Some men came here looking for you. Please stay safe and be careful and don’t come over, we will be fine,” Williams said as he sent a voice message to his daughter on iMessage before Donald noticed him.

“Ahhhhhhh” Williams groaned in pain as Donald hit him with the sticks hanging behind the door to the inner laundry. He fell to the floor and lay unconscious.

“Wills…., Wi..lls..” Jane stuttered as tears rolled down and this time she was moaning.

Their phones were buzzing with calls from Claudia… But Jane just stared at it and continued to try to wake her husband as he was rolling to whichever side the pressure was directed to.

“Pick it up,” David told Jane but she ignored him the first time.

Donald raised his hand as though he was going to hit her or something, but David ordered him to take them down.

“Pick it up,” David said again, unbothered by Jane’s pain and emotions.

She looked at him in disgust as she picked up and muttered “Baby” That was all she could say as she was so down in the dumps and couldn’t say more than that.

“Mama, are you okay? Dad isn’t picking up and I got his messages. Are you guys safe? Should I come over? It’s so late, how did you guys get to stay at the shop till now?” She asked inquisitively.

“Baby we are fine,” was all Jane said before David took the phone from her.

“If you love them, come save them,” David said before hanging up.

Claudia felt something strange and the voice was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Not that it mattered who it was.

“Hello,” she said faintly as she was on the call with 911

“How may we help you?”

She quickly laid out her complaints, including the address and location of the emergency. She seemed uncertain, perhaps insecure, or due to her love for her parents.

David and Donald sat and watched Jane cry a river while waiting and hoping Claudia would arrive soon.

It was a disturbing sound emanating from the streets. It sounded like a siren, so to be sure David looked out through the window.

“The cops are here,” he said to Donald.