Jodie looked at Jo, the disappointment written across her face.
"Come on young lady, lets go and sort this out." Jo opened the door for Jodie and they walked into the front office.
"Jodie let's go out the front." The pair walked out into the cool mid-afternoon air. Jo's hair blew gently away from her face as she held her mobile to her ear. Jodie stood, hugging her arms, warming herself as she watched the passing traffic.
"No answer…I'll leave a message." Said Jo. "Hi Ramani, its Jo. I'm with Jodie, she's still here waiting for you. You need to get back to the station, or at least tell us where you are, so you can talk to you. Er..let me know where you are."
Jo put her phone back into her pocket and looked at Jodie. She paused for a moment while she watched the tear fall from Jodie's cheek onto her jacket. Jo touched Jodie's shoulder and Jodie turned into Jo. Jo felt something she'd never felt before, whether it was sympathy for Jodie or the maternal instinct kicking in she didn't know. The two stood in front of the main doors hugging each other. Jo didn't know the history between Ramani and Jodie, nor did she want to know. Jodie needed someone and Jo was the only there for her. Where is Ramani? Jo wondered. Why wasn't she here doing this?
After 2 or 3 minutes Jo took Jodie back into the main office.
"Do you want anything Jodie?"
"No that's ok, I might just go home."
At that time Terry Perkins, looking very tanned, walked into the station.
"DC Terry Perkins, you look like you've caught a bit of the sun!" Jo smiled at him.
"Hey Jo! I see nothings changed." Terry looked around the front office. JT still stood behind the desk, phones ringing, sirens blearing. "Where's Ramani, I've bought her a little souvenir from the Costa Del Sol."
Jodie looked up at the mention of Ramani's name, Terry noticed this and looked back at the young girl.
"Terry, this is Jodie…We've been trying to find Ramani, she's disappeared."
"Disappeared! What do you mean? Is she ok? She hasn't been hurt has she?"
"No she's not been hurt, she just had a bit of a shock that's all."
"A shock? What do you mean Jo?"
Jo didn't know whether she should tell Terry, surely Ramani would want him to know? But maybe she didn't want him to know. Now that Jo had told Terry that Ramani had had a shock surely he'd want, or need, to know what was happening. Terry looked at Jodie, his mind racing, who was this girl? What was she to do with Ramani? He looked up at Jo.
"Jo..What is going on?"
Jodie stood up next to Jo.
"I'm Jodie, Ramani's daughter. I came in to meet her but I think I gave her a bit of a shock. I just want to know she's ok. You're obviously a close friend of hers, do you know where she'd be?"
Terry stood starring at Jodie. He watched her confused, what had that girl just said? Ramani's daughter, surely not? His mind went back to Ramani being alone, hurting, fearing whatever it was that was troubling her.
"I'll try her mobile." He said.
"I already have," said Jo. "No answer, I left her a message though."
"It isn't like Ramani to run from her problems."
"I'm just one big one." Commented Jodie.
Terry again looked at Jodie, confusement plasted across his face. Was she really Ramani's daughter? Terry didn't think so, he'd never seen her before.
"I'll go for a drive to try and find her, I'll bring her back here."
Terry smiled at Jo and Jodie, he walked out of the station and went to his car. He sat in the driver's seat and dialed Ramani's number. He held his phone to his ear.
Ramani took her phone from out of her pocket. Terry was ringing her. Was he back in England? She smiled to herself.
"Hello?"
"Ramani, its Terry. Where are you?"
"I'm just having some time to myself."
"Are you ok?"
"No not really."
A tear formed in Ramani's eye, she wiped it away. Now was not the time to break down.
"Ramani where are you?"
"I'm by the river."
Ramani closed her phone, she knew Terry would come to find her. Maybe she wanted him to come and find her, wanted him to hold her, to wipe away the past. She knew that wasn't possible, but wipe away the tears of today.