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Now I think it is time to see whether Melissa knows anything...

Being A Self-centred Bitch Isn't Going To Help Anyone

It was the last thing Eddie wanted to do. And Melissa was one of the last people that he wanted to see.

But Jane was convinced that Melissa must know something and she didn't think that Melissa would be so forthcoming to give her the information. Sally had said that it was best that she didn't get involved, leaving Eddie as the only one that could go.

It delighted him more when they talked about taking Danny with him.

Which is why Eddie was heading over to Melissa's on the Saturday afternoon with a handcuff-less Danny.

"You do know that she might not talk to me. I did tell her to fuck off the last time I saw her. She is slightly oversensitive to those things." Danny said.

"Just imagine that she is Rachel and do a bit of grovelling."

"That is easier said than done."

"Well, I don't really want to see her again after what she did."

"You know she was so sure that she could make you break up with Rachel and want her instead."

"She was lucky that I didn't report her for assault."

"I knew that she was desperate but I didn't think that she would throw herself at you."

"I thought it was down to you."

"Nah, I was down for a minimum of 20 years. Although Rachel might have finally been put off by men by then."

"Ready for you to swoop in?"

"Of course." Danny paused. "But it didn't work, did it? How long?"

Eddie wasn't sure why he was sharing so much with Danny. It wasn't like he needed to know all of their problems, most of which he created. But he could sense that Danny was waiting for an answer and Eddie wished that he didn't have to give him one.

"Two weeks."

"Still stubborn. Christ, if only Rachel was that stubborn with Mark."

"You did set that up."

"I didn't actually think the guy would go for her. I could only imagine how heartbroken Rachel was."

"Melissa did slightly confess to what she did."

Silence fell between them and Eddie was glad for it as the only sound was the low hum of the radio and the satnav as it said the directions.

"That Adam? He was fucking desperate for a night with her. I should never have let it happen." Danny said.

"Why did you then?"

"Because he wouldn't fuck off." Danny paused. "I know you think I am some weirdo but there were some… clients that used the girls and then there were some that used the girls. With Rachel, both me and Adam fall into the latter category. There would be so much I could change if I could turn back the clock."

"Yeah, well, as much as I want to punch your lights out, all I would change was if you were a little nicer to her. Me and Rachel might never have met if it wasn't for everything that happened."

"Cheery outlook on life."

"I am someone who likes to look at the positives rather than the negatives."

"So Adam has been sniffing around?"

"Rachel was running out of ways to say that she wasn't interested."

"I bet he made a move on her."

"How did you guess that?"

"Because he is a fucking creep. Has he been looked into?"

"He has an alibi for the first kidnapping because I hoped that you were both involved. Obviously the police haven't reinterviewed him because they don't know about the second kidnapping."

"Well, the police have fucked up by trying to blame it on you. That Alan is going to be out of a job."

Eddie didn't confirm that, by the end of Operation Seashore, Sergeant Alan Page was going to be well and truly out of a job. Also, a few junior officers were going to be retrained as well as a fully reshuffling in the police station (Sally hoped that it didn't mean that she was going to be given another promotion).

"Maybe we should interview him." Danny continued.

"What?" Eddie said. "Kidnap him and tie him to a chair and try and get the truth out of him?"

"I like your thinking, Eddie. You'll be the brains while I am the brawn."

Eddie didn't humour him with an answer. Instead, he was grateful when the satnav said that they had arrived at their destination. One of the things that they should have spoken about on the way over was how they were going to go about the chat with Melissa, with them deciding that it would be best if Melissa saw Eddie first and, when it was too late, saw Danny second. The plan was just to get into the house and then start asking Melissa questions about what she knew.

Probably a task that was easier said than done.

Eddie felt like he was quite calm as he rang the doorbell once. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to smile as sweetly as he could at Melissa when she answered the door.

"Well, well, well. I did wonder how long it would take you to come running to me." Melissa said.

"I'm sorry," Eddie said.

"Well, with Rachel gone. Jane seems to think that Danny has her. I didn't want to try and remind her that he was in prison. Rachel must have finally realised that she wasn't worthy of you."

"Can I come in?"

"Be my guest." She said as she opened up the door wider.

Eddie walked in and straight into the kitchen, not wanting to see what Melissa might do. It did mean that he didn't see her face when she saw Danny (which he later described that it was a picture of pure confusion). He didn't know why he did it, but he checked there was enough water in the kettle before he flicked it on.

"How the hell are you here?" Melissa said as she and Danny walked into the kitchen.

"With a little help. It is easy when you know the right people." Danny said.

"Please tell me you didn't kidnap Rachel."

"To begin with."

"What do you mean to begin with?"

"Melissa, she's gone again," Eddie said.

"I don't know what you think I know about it. I only knew she was gone because of Jane." She turned back to Danny. "Apparently the next time I see you, I should ask you about when Michelle was bullied. Apparently she said that she would show me 'Jane Allen of old'."

"That couldn't be all she did or said," Danny said.

"She… pinned me to the wall by my neck."

"Ooh, you must have really pissed her off in the past. I think she has fantasized about strangling me for as long as she has had thought about what she was going to do to Sally."

"Yeah, and she ended up doing it in front of my kids," Eddie said.

"Collateral damage."

"I'll give you collateral damage," Eddie muttered before he asked Melissa where all the stuff was to make coffee.

"So Michelle?" Melissa said as Eddie set about his task and not punching Danny again.

"She was being bullied. One day her head was put down one of the toilets. When she told James, he said that he would sort it. He grabbed me at lunchtime and marched me to the girls' toilets where Ben and Michelle were waiting for us with a couple of other girls. Jane comes in, a fist full of the ring leader's hair in her hand and just threw her to the floor. James said some vile things to them and they only confessed and said that they wouldn't do it again when Jane picked one of them up to give them the same treatment."

"That is not Jane." She said as she shook her head.

"That is the Jane of old. The one that did jump when James or Ben told her to." Danny laughed. "We used to call her Jack, because she was like a Jack Russell. Small but could be vicious."

"You don't seem surprised by this," Melissa said to Eddie as he placed a coffee in front of her.

"Because, like I said, she lost it in front of Kiera and Jacob and she felt like we should know why she did," Eddie said.

"I thought she might have changed in the… God knows how long. Shows that she still is that little Jack Russell." Danny said.

"Melissa, please. Do you know anything about what might have happened to Rachel? It is… It's Jacob's birthday in 11 days. I would quite like it if his mother was there for it."

"I don't know anything," Melissa said.

Eddie jumped as Danny slapped his hand down on the worktop.

"This isn't the time Melissa!" Danny shouted. "Being a self-centred bitch isn't going to help anyone. You always know something. You pride yourself on always knowing something."

Melissa didn't bat an eyelid at Danny's outburst.

"Just one thing." She said.

"What?"

"Did you get Rachel pregnant?"

"I did. And I made her lose it. I apologize for not being that in love with you."

She stayed silent for a moment before she sighed. "Well, I don't think you are the only one that was obsessed with her in the past. Bumped into Adam Fleet in London about… seven months ago. He said that we should chat up and I said sure. It became pretty clear what was on his mind. All he kept doing was asking about Rachel." She paused. "Well, he called her Amanda but was getting used to Rachel by the end of our conversation. Didn't hear from him for four months before he said that if he paid for it, would I move back to the Manchester area to live with him for a bit before he got his own place. There was no way I was going to move in with him." She shivered. "He was a right creep. I accepted the offer and made some excuse about work not allowing me to go. Not that I had a job."

"Surprise, surprise," Danny muttered.

Melissa glared at him. "So he was out of here before I moved in."

"So where does he live now?" Eddie said.

"No idea. Haven't seen him since."

Eddie didn't like the way that his stomach dropped or the fact that he made eye contact with Danny and was certain that they were thinking the same thing.

Adam had Rachel.

Rachel knew that she was close. She knew the streets well, having driven down them so many times over the last 15 years to get to work. The school was close. If she could just get there then it would all be over. From there she could ring the police or Eddie or Sally. She could finally end this all.

She wasn't running but she was definitely making good progress. It wouldn't be long now and then she would be reunited with her family. She couldn't wait to hug Kiera and Jacob and tell them how much she had missed them and how she would never leave them again. She couldn't wait to be back in Eddie's arms, making her feel safe again. She couldn't wait to be reunited with him in other ways as well, missing the way that he could make her feel.

She did wonder why she was heading towards the school and not just straight home but the school felt closer to where she was. It felt all too convenient. That she had managed to get out of the situation.

It felt like the wind was taunting her, whispering her name. She started to up her pace, going into a small jog as she wanted to get to the school quicker.

Although, she felt like she wasn't going anywhere like she was on a treadmill. The wind got louder and louder, calling after her. Until her old name was said in a voice that she didn't want to hear that she realised that this wasn't real.

Rachel's legs were tangled in the duvet as she started to thrash about as she woke up. Her breaths were short and fast as she tried to get back her breathing back to normal. She sat up to try to help untangle herself but she found one of her hands landing in the empty spot where she wished Eddie was.

She didn't fully register what was happening until Adam had his arms around her, holding her close to him, whispering sweet nothings about how everything was okay.

Nothing was okay and Rachel had no idea how to make it okay.