Dangerous Schemes
By Jaye Reid.
Written: 13 – 24/12/1999
Disclaimer: Well Hal. and the gang own everyone that you recognise from the show. And this includes the Donna doll… despite the fact that I have opened the box for a play before they got the chance to. g
Samuel, Daniel, Gabrielle, along with another obvious one g belong to me…. Not that all of them would agree with that.
~*~*~*~
"But you would think there would be something," Jack complained.
"I know… but perhaps if we…"
Rachel's mobile interrupted them.
"Hang on a tic," she said to Jack as she reached for it.
"Goldstein"
"Yeah, hi Davy… what's the prob.?"
"Yeah, I dropped them at school myself this morning, why?"
"What do you mean they're not there?"
"Why wouldn't they be there?"
"And have they looked everywhere?"
"No… no I didn't organise anyone else to pick them up. You weren't late were you?"
"No Davy… no sweetheart I didn't mean it like that… Of course it's not your fault. Look have they called the Police?"
"Okay well look I will call the locals now… Just stay there Davy, I'm coming… I will be there soon."
"Yeah, it's okay… we'll find them."
"I love you too sweetheart, I am on my way."
"FRAANNKKKK," she yelled through the office as she shoved her mobile back in her pocket.
Jack didn't like the side of the conversation that he had heard.
Frank appeared in the doorway.
"What are ya yellin' for woman?" he asked.
Then he saw the look on her face.
The look in her eyes spoke more than a thousand words could.
"The kids, they're not at school," she said, panic flawing her words. "Davy went to get them and they were already gone. No one knows where or with who."
"Are they sure? I mean your Father… no he's away isn't he. They didn't go to play at someone's house? You know what they are like," he replied, trying to keep her calm.
"Frank…. Our babies are gone."
"Okay, okay… come on, you're right… lets get over there," he replied.
"Jack can you… the local cops?"
"What school?" he replied, reaching for the phone.
"Ah… Annandale North Public School in Johnson Street," she called as she ran out the door.
"Phoning now," he yelled back as he picked up the phone to call the Police in that area. He didn't want to think about the scenarios.
Helen looked up as Rachel and Frank bolted down the stairs. She saw the look of panic on Rachel's face, and Frank didn't look much better.
"What's wrong?' she asked as they rushed past.
Rachel looked at her but couldn't find the words.
"The kids," said Frank, "they've gone missin' from school. Tell Jeff will ya Helen, we're going there now."
"Okay… go… get… I'll tell him," Helen replied.
Two detectives with impressive arrest sheets over the years would obviously have plenty of enemies.
The possibilities made Helen feel physically ill.
She sat down for a second to compose her thoughts and then picked up the phone and dialled Jeff's extension.
Rachel had tossed the keys to Frank when they had got to the carpark.
That really scared Frank.
Rachel not trusting herself to drive spoke volumes.
But he didn't feel he was in any better state himself.
~*~*~*~
There were two patrol cars at the School by the time Rachel and Frank arrived.
Frank haphazardly parked the car, Rachel was out of the passenger side door before he had cut the engine. She ran to the main office and saw David sitting there talking to a couple of Uniformed Officers, He jumping up and looked pitifully at her.
"Mum… honest, I wasn't late."
"Davy it's okay," she replied giving him a hug. "I know."
One of the uniform Officers looked at Rachel.
"I'm sure its just a case of them going to a friends house," he offered. "Kids do that Mrs. Holloway."
"Ah yeah some kids maybe, but we've got more concerns than your 'average' family," she replied as Frank walked through the doorway.
Instinctively she grabbed her Police ID, flicking it open.
"It's Rachel and I still go by Goldstein on the job.
Rachel fought with herself to sound like a Detective rather than a panic stricken Mother.
"Snr. Detective Frank Holloway," stated Frank grabbing his ID too. "What's happening?"
"Well we were hopeful that the kids would turn up at a friends house. You know, they wanted to go play with their mates. Forget to tell their parents about it."
"Nah," interrupted David, "it's ice-cream day."
"What?" asked Rachel turning to David.
"Ah well… that was just between me and the Musketeers. Every Tuesday when I picked them up, we'd go and get ice-cream. We figured you would probably go spare about spoiling their dinner. If the kids went to someone's house it would have to be for something important to miss out on ice-cream."
"Okay, can you give us a description of the children?" said the female Officer.
"I've got a photo," said Frank reaching for his wallet. "It was taken only a coupla months ago, when the twins started school."
Frank slid the photo from under the clear plastic film in his wallet and handed it to the Officer.
"Okay well let me take this down… It's Samuel… does he have a middle name?" the other Officer asked.
"Oh stuff middle names," interrupted Rachel, "how about we just try and find them!"
The Uniform Officers glanced from Rachel to Frank and back to Rachel. They could see that this was not going to be easy.
"Look I'm not standin' here doing nothing," she continued, starting to sound like the panicking Mother that she wanted to avoid, "I'm gonna go and have a chat with their teachers, maybe they might have some vague idea."
"Yeah okay," said Frank, realising it was safer to let Rachel deal with this in her own way, "I'll give these guys the details."
They watched Rachel head down the hallway.
"Okay," the Officer started again, "Samuel…"
"James," said Frank.
"Alright… James… now is it Holloway or Goldstein?"
"Holloway. Rachel just uses Goldstein for work."
"And Samuel's date of birth?"
"Ah…. January fifteenth, two thousand."
"And the twins?"
"Yeah… Gabrielle Ruth… although we tend to call her Gabby and Daniel Felix… umm… twenty-third of January two thousand and one."
The female Officer raised her eyebrows.
"They're pretty close in age then aren't they," she commented.
"Yeah, just a bit," replied Frank, thinking it was none of her business.
"And this photo is current?" she asked.
"Yeah, um well Sam and Daniel, their hair is dark like Rachel's and they both have brown eyes… Gabby well she has more my colouring, heaps of curls and blue eyes. Really blue eyes."
"Height?"
"Shit… I don't know… they are kids… um they're about the same really despite the age difference between Sam and the twins. Ah… about up to here?" Frank indicted with his hands.
"So, about one hundred twenty centimetres?"
"Yeah, I guess. About that."
"And they were wearing the school's uniform?" the Officer continued.
"I suppose so… ah yep, Gabby had a dress on, the boys were in shorts and polo tops."
"Mr. Holloway?" called a woman from done the hallway.
"Hang on," Frank said to the Officers as he walked down the hall.
"Ah yes?" said Frank as he reached her.
"Mr. Holloway… I'm Marianne Neil, Samuel's teacher… um your wife… she is standing at the window and I can seem to get a response from her…. I think she maybe be in shock."
Frank glanced over the teachers shoulder and could see Rachel standing there. He gave the teacher a half smile and walked into the room.
"Rachel… Rachel…" he said softly as he approached her.
She was unmoved.
Frank put his arm around her shoulders.
She continued to stare out the window.
As if he wasn't there.
As if she wasn't there.
"Come on, I'm gonna take you home," he said gently.
She still didn't move.
"Rachel?"
She turned her head and looked at him.
The look in her eyes was not one that he had ever seen before, and one that he didn't know how to deal with.
There was nothing there.
Her eyes were empty.
She turned and looked out the window again.
Frank had to physically walk Rachel to the car.
She still hadn't spoken to him.
She could barely comprehend putting one foot in front of the other. He put her in the passenger seat and clipped the seatbelt around her. He looked at her as he got into the drivers seat. She just stared straight ahead. He wasn't sure where she had gone, but he silently prayed that she would come back from where ever it was, and soon.
~*~*~*~
The doorbell rang and Frank and David both jumped.
"I'll get it," said David getting up from the chair.
Frank sat there and stared into his beer, feeling useless, helpless.
"Frank," said Jack, wandering in behind David.
"Jack… have ya heard…. anything?" asked Frank.
Jack shook his head. "Sorry mate, nothin'. You?"
"Nah. Want a beer?" Frank asked holding up his stubbie.
"Yeah ta," Jack replied.
"You want another too Frank," asked David, heading for the kitchen. He had been keeping his mind busy by playing go fetch all evening.
"Yeah, thanks," he said wearily.
"How's Rach.?" asked Jack as he sat down.
Frank had forgotten to be annoyed at Jack for calling her Rach. Bigger problems on his mind.
"Ah… she is finally asleep I think. In Gabrielle's room. Got the Doc. to give her something to help her sleep. She just lost it Jack. Shit… I've never seen her like this before and by God if I never see it again I will be a happy man. Gees I don't care about admittin' it either, but I'm shit scared mate. They're only little kids… innocent little kids. And we've heard nothing. Absolutely nothin'. It just doesn't make sense."
"Yeah well I guess she's been through it before when David went missing while you were away sailing the ocean," said Jack.
"Here you are," said David solemnly, "Ah I'll be in my room."
"Ta David. Hey chin up mate, we'll find 'em," said Jack.
David just looked at Jack and left.
"She didn't say much about Davy goin' missing," said Frank after David had left the room, "she wrote that there had been a bit of drama with Davy and some nutcase, but it all sorted out in the end. She never wanted to talk about it."
"Yeah well it was pretty hairy there for awhile," said Jack taking a mouthful of his beer. "She thought she'd lost him."
The phone rang.
Frank dived on it.
David appeared in the doorway of his room.
They held their breath.
"Frank Holloway."
"Yeah, hello Helen."
Their hearts dropped again.
David leaned back against the wall, bouncing his head on it.
"Nah… Doctor gave her somethin' to knock her out. She's crashed."
"Yeah… ta Helen. Really… thanks."
Frank replaced the receiver.
"Helen just checkin' on Rachel."
"FRAAANNNKKK," came Rachel's strained voice from the other end of the house.
"I'll see what she wants," said David pushing himself away from the wall.
"Davy," said Frank softly after him, "it's not your fault. Stop blamin' yourself."
David stopped and looked at his Step-father, "Yeah but if I had've gone straight there after class… I would have been there five, maybe ten minutes before the bell went. "But nah…" threads of anger started to weave through his words, "I had to waste time trying to convince Cassandra to go to the movies with me. I should have been there. I should have…"
"FRAAANNKKK!"
"NAH COMIN' MUM" called David as he disappeared up the hallway.
"Bloody silly kid," said Frank, "blames himself. Wish I could find the words to convince him otherwise. He just loves those…"
"Frank…" said David standing in the hall doorway. "Frank she… hell I don't know what to do…"
"Ah its okay Davy, I'm comin'," said Frank standing up.
"Yeah look, I'll see myself out," said Jack. "I'll call past in the morning. See if you've heard?"
"Yeah, thanks," replied Frank.
He turned his attention to David.
"Davy mate, look… go to bed. You're barely standin'. I'll look after your Mum."
"Frank I just…"
Frank put his arm around David's shoulder.
"It'll be alright… come on… go to bed," he offered.
"NO! Piss off Frank," he shouted as he shrugged away Franks arm, "it's not going to be alright."
He stormed off to his room.
Frank just stood there.
"He'll be okay," said Jack heading for the door, "he's a tough kid."
"Yeah, he thinks he is, like his Mother," replied Frank as he went to find Rachel.
~*~*~
Rachel had virtually curled herself up into a ball and was lying on Gabrielle's bed. The room was only lit by the pale glow of a bedside lamp.
Shadows surrounding her on the outside, as well as inside.
She blinked absent-mindedly at Frank as he entered the room.
"Frank… who was…?"
"Ah Jack called in to see if we'd heard. There's been nothin'. Helen phoned, she's gonna call by in the morning."
"Frank where are they? Why haven't we heard something? Anything?" she closed her eyes again. "I can't go through this again. Not again."
"Hey," said Frank, sitting on the bed beside her. She looked like shit he thought. Her eyes red and puffy, her face pale. "We haven't lost them. Come on… don't think like that Rachel."
"Frank… I can't think of anything," she said slowly, painfully, "my head… it's just swimming in blackness… everything is spinning…."
"Shhh… come on sleep," he said as he gently stroked her hair.
"Frank… I want my babies…. Where are they?… make it all go away…"
Frank lay down beside her on the bed, taking her in his arms and rocking her gently. He hoped the sedative would once again take hold and ease her mind back to calm darkness again.
If only *his* mind could switch off too.
~*~*~*~
Frank woke the next morning to the sound of his name. He opened is eyes, blinking at the light sneaking into the room through the side of the curtains. Where was he? He looked around his daughters room and then to his sleeping Rachel. It all flooded back like a torrent of water attempting to drown him.
"Frank… Frank…"
Frank looked over at David standing in the doorway and then carefully got off the bed, trying hard not to wake Rachel.
"Helen's here," said David as Frank reached the hallway.
"Ta."
Frank found Helen standing in the kitchen.
"Helen… anything?" he asked hopefully.
"No, sorry Frank, nothing."
She walked up to him and put an arm around his shoulder.
"How are you doing then?" she asked.
"Ya mean Rachel?"
"No Frank, you."
"No one has asked me how I am," he replied looking at her blankly.
"Well I'm asking now. How about I make some coffee… yeah?"
"Ah yeah, coffee. Coffee would be good," he replied sitting down on a stool at the kitchen bench. "You know your way around the… of course you do… you're here for coffee often enough."
Damn Helen he thought. Why did she have to ask? While everyone was focussing on Rachel, he had been able to try and ignore this was happening.
But now?
Now he was noticing just how quiet the house was for seven-thirty in the morning.
No television blaring with early morning cartoons.
No 'I can't find my shoes… lunch-box… school bag.'
No 'come on and hurry up or we'll be late' from Rachel.
The house was silent.
"Frank?"
"Sorry Helen… what?" he asked.
"How… are… you?" she repeated.
"Ah you know… shit... I never thought I'd have kids. Couldn't even picture it as part of my life plan… if I ever had a plan that is. But now… I couldn't imagine life without them."
"We'll find them Frank. I'm sure they will…"
"Frank?"
Helen looked up to see Rachel standing in the doorway. She looked worse than Helen could have ever imagined. Far worse than when David went missing.
"Rachel…" started Helen.
But Rachel's focus was on Frank.
"Have you seen Flossie?" Rachel asked.
"What?"
"You know… Flossie. That pink and blue rag doll that Gabby drags around everywhere. It's her favourite."
"Ah… probably in the washing machine. It spends half its life in the washing machine," he replied, wondering why she would ask.
"Nah. I took it from the clothes line for her yesterday morning. It's not in her room Frank. It's not there."
"Hang on, it's probably in the lounge or somewhere. I'll have a look," he said getting up from the stool at the bench and heading for the lounge.
"D A V I D… D A V Y?"
"Yeah Mum?" he replied running into the room. Her voice had been loud and urgent.
"Flossie, Gabby's doll. Where did you see it last?" she asked.
"Ah… doll… um, yesterday I think. Yeah, yesterday morning at breakfast. Gabby was going to take her high-driving into her cornflakes until I stopped her."
"So… Flossie was with her?" repeated Rachel.
"Yeah Mum… what?"
"Not in there," replied Frank walking back into the kitchen.
"She wouldn't go anywhere without that doll," stated Rachel.
"Yeah, it's like Daniel and that dodgy green elephant thing of his," added David.
"Frank?"
"Yeah, hang on Rachel… I'll check his room. Davy, go see if anything of Sam's things are missin'."
"Yep."
Rachel dropped herself into a chair. She didn't look as if she had the strength to stand any longer.
Helen poured her a coffee and walked over to give it to her.
"Hello," said Helen quietly. She gave Rachel a gentle pat on the shoulder and handed her a coffee.
"Helen?… Oh, I'm sorry… I … hello."
Helen gave Rachel one of her 'that's okay' smiles and went back to the kitchen to pour herself a coffee.
Frank hurried back into the room.
"Nah, that bloody elephant thing is gone."
"So are all Sam's baseball caps," added David returning to the room.
The doorbell rang.
It was Jack.
"Any word?" he asked.
"Ah Jack," said Frank. "They may not have been taken. We think the little buggers may have shot through."
"What?"
"Oh hell, this is almost as bad," said Rachel sadly. "Am I such a bloody pathetic Mother that my kids have runaway? Shit Frank… I should have given the job up for good after they were born. Spent more time with them…"
"Rachel, your talkin' rubbish. No-one could be a better Mum than you."
"Then why?"
"I don't know, but someone's gotta know," Frank replied.
Rachel dragged herself from the chair.
"I know who. Christianna. If anyone will know where Gabby is, she will."
"Okay," said Jack, reaching for his mobile, "give me the address and we will send someone around to talk to the kid."
Rachel scoffed. "As if she is going to tell a stranger. She'll talk to me, she knows me."
"Yeah well… I'll call this in. Let them know what's happening."
"Thanks Jack," said Frank. "Come on, let's go."
"What Frank?" Rachel asked.
"Well, you don't think you are goin' alone," he replied.
Rachel didn't have the strength to argue and just nodded.
"I'll stay here," offered Helen, "just in case… you know."
~*~*~
Gabrielle's best friend lived half a dozen blocks away. They had gone to Kindergarten together the year before and from day one, had been firm friends.
Rachel stared trancelike out the window.
"We'll find them," said Frank.
"Will we?" Rachel asked. She glanced across at Frank and then back out the window. "I mean even if Christianna knows where they went, they've been gone since at least half past three yesterday. If not earlier. Shit Frank, you know how many weirdo's there are out there. Anything could have happened to my baby's."
"Hey they're *my* kids too remember?"
Rachel looked at Frank again, as he stared straight ahead.
He looked terrible she thought. Hair a mess, unshaven, yesterdays clothes. Hell he looked like he had aged then years over night.
She reached over and put her hand on his arm.
He glanced at her.
"We're in this together," she said softly.
They arrived at the house. Rachel jumped from the car and raced up the driveway. At least they were home. The car was still in the driveway.
Rachel knocked at the door and waited. She heard a key turning and a chain slide.
"Rachel? Hello, what's going on?"
"Look, sorry to just land on your doorstep, but the kids went missing yesterday. We think they might have run away," said Rachel.
Hell! Look, come on in. You think Christianna might know something then?"
"We are hoping so," said Frank as he reached the door.
Christianna appeared in her bedroom doorway, saw Rachel and Frank and then bolted back into her room.
"C H R I S T I A N N A … H E R E N O W!" her Mother yelled.
"Nah, it's okay," said Rachel walking down the hall, "I'll go in and talk to her."
Rachel gently pushed the bedroom door open. She couldn't see her. The room was filled with toys. A photo of Gabby and Christianna sat on a shelf surrounded by teddy bears. The room actually looked like a cyclone had hit it. What was it about little girls and their rooms thought Rachel. She was constantly hassling Gabby to pick up her things. Shit maybe she was too hard on the kids. Maybe that was why they left.
"Christianna?" Rachel said softly.
No answer.
"Come on sweetie, I just want to talk. I need your help."
She knew she would have to take this one gently.
Rachel saw the bed ruffle move. She got down on the floor and looked under the bed.
"Hey there, come on. You're not in any trouble. Come on out."
"You're not going to arrest me? Take me away?" came the reply from under the bed.
Rachel smiled. "Of course not, come on, come up and sit on the bed with me. I want to talk."
Christianna crawled out from under the bed, and wouldn't look at Rachel as she hopped up onto the bed.
"Now," said Rachel, sitting on the bed with her, "we've got a problem and I need you to help me. Do you know what the problem is?"
"I think so," the child replied.
"Well then I need your help to find Samuel, Daniel *and* Gabby. I think you know where they were going, don't you?" Rachel asked.
Christianna looked down at her hands and nodded.
"Well, I need you to tell me."
"I can't," she cried.
"Yes you can. I need to know. We're all very worried about them. Me, their Daddy, David, all their friends. You have to tell me."
"But we pinkie promised, and you can't break a pinkie promise," she replied, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sweetheart this is *really* important."
"But I don't want a fairy to die, and a fairy *will* die if I break a pinkie promise. Gabby won't want to be my friend if I let a fairy die," she sobbed.
"Oh sweetie," said Rachel putting her arm around the crying child. "We need them home where it's safe. I'm sure because this is *so* important that the fairies will take that into consideration this time. You just have to tell me where they are."
Christianna sniffed. "Are you sure about the fairies?"
"Yes."
"The boat."
"The boat?" repeated Rachel.
"Yeah, the one that you're gonna sell," Christianna replied. "Gabby said that they heard you and Frank saying you wanted to sell it because you didn't use it anymore and it cost too much money."
"So they've gone to the boat?" said Rachel trying to get it straight in her head.
"Sam said that if they lived on it then you couldn't sell it. Something about possessing and it being nine hundred of the law."
Rachel gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the top of her head. "Thank you."
"Gabby won't hate me?"
Rachel stood up and started picking her way back out of the room, trying not to stand on anything. "No, never. Now I have to go and get them."
Frank was sitting in the kitchen with Christianna's Mother.
"Frank, come on," Rachel said, standing in the doorway. "They're on the 'Footloose'. Well I hope they are, that's where they were headed."
Frank stood up from the table. "What? Why…?"
"Shit, they overheard us talking last week about selling it, the little buggers." Rachel turned to Christianna's Mother, "She's a bit upset…."
"I'll go talk to her. Rachel… let me know, okay?"
"Yep," Rachel replied as they hurried out the door.
Frank grabbed his mobile from his pocket and punched in Jack's mobile number on the way back to the car.
"Here, let me drive," said Rachel.
Frank tossed her the keys.
"Hello Jack… yeah, Drummoyne marina, they headed for the boat… yeah we'll meet you there. Thanks."
~*~*~*~
They reached the marina in record speed. Pretty lights and their favourite tune moving traffic out of their way. Both hoping… praying that the kids had made it there. If they weren't there… neither of them wanting to think about that picture.
Rachel parked the car in a style that made Frank proud… haphazardly. They were out of the vehicle and racing to where the boat was moored. Their hearts jumping when they caught sight of the Nemesis along side the 'Footloose'. They could see Uniforms on deck, it was Gavin and Donna.
Rachel and Frank looked at each other.
"They're…?" Rachel dared to ask, and then saw the grin on Gavin's face.
"Fine," Donna called. "Jack phoned through and well Gav., Alex. and myself were in the neighbourhood. Thought we would drop in for a visit."
"I'm gonna kill them," Rachel muttered to Frank.
"Nah, you won't… they're Holloway's... what do you expect?" replied Frank.
"Bugger it then… I'll kill you!"
"Nah… ya love me too," he grinned. "Now were are these kids?"
Frank and Rachel jumped over to the deck and headed below. The trio were sitting on a bunk with Alex. Alex. stood when she saw Rachel.
"I'll leave you too it," she said. "See you guys later."
"Yep," said Daniel.
Samuel looked at his mother. "We're in B I G trouble aren't we?"
The water works had started as soon as Rachel had seen the three. She couldn't speak. She just hugged them as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Nah not in trouble at the minute," said Frank as he let Rachel smother them. But he figured as soon as Rachel got over the fact that they were all safe, the shit would hit the fan big time. Discipline was her area.
"How did you get here?" Frank asked, ruffling his fingers through his daughters curls. It was one of his favourite past-times. She had her mothers stunning looks, with his layback attitude. She was an interesting combination already.
She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and smiled, "We caught the bus."
"The bus?" asked Rachel.
"Yeah," replied Daniel. "The express one, the X - 40. It stops near the school and came all the way almost to the Marina."
"I like the bus Daddy. Can we go on the bus again?" Gabby asked sweetly.
She knew how to play Frank.
And she did it almost as well as her Mother could.
"Maybe one day," he replied hugging her. "Come on… let's go home."
THE END