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Chapter Four:
The night had passed slowly as the clock in the Caine house chimed four am. Horatio watched the second hand tick by, the dreadful feeling of panic grow, sure Millie had snuck out to go to parties but she had never been gone this late. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes in to hours.
"She's still not home." Horatio told Calleigh as she resurfaced from sleep. "Where's her friends numbers."
"You are not calling her friends house at this time of day!" Calleigh said looking at the clock. "Its seven am on a Sunday! Everyone will be asleep." she told him.
"Yes and our daughter has been missing all night." Calleigh sighed. She didn't reply. They sat there in silence until the shrill ringing of the telephone. Horatio picked it up on the first ring. Calleigh watched him intently.
"Yeah this is Heather's mom"
"Yeah."
"I was wondering is she there with you Horatio because she didn't come home last night." Heathers mom told Horatio, he could hear the panic in her voice.
"No. We though Millie was with you. She didn't come home last night either."
"But Heather told me Millie wasn't going to the gig."
"She wasn't meant to." Horatio told Heathers mom with a serious tone. "Look I'll call round and try and find them and I will call you back okay."
"Yeah. Thanks Horatio."
"No worries." Horatio hung up and looked at Calleigh. "Heather didn't go home last night either." He told Calleigh who was now beginning to panic. After searching though numbers they finally spotted the one they wanted. Horatio punched it in to the phone. His heart rate increasing with every unanswered ring.
"Hello."
"Lisa?" he asked unsure. Not being able to tell the difference between Lisa's voice and her six sisters.
"NO!" The voice cried offended. "It's Emily!"
"Sorry Emily look is Lisa there?"
"Two sec's and I'll check." Horatio held his breath as he heard the commotion in the back ground. "Lisa! Mom left you money!" She screeched. There was no reply. "Nope she's definitely not in."
"Thanks." He hung up and looked at Calleigh who knew right away the answer.
"There not at Lisa's are they?" she asked. He simply shook his head. "Where the hell is she Horatio?" She cried as tears broke free.
"I don't know Calleigh but we'll find her." and with that they were both up and ready to go down to the lab.
Walking past Millie's room he paused. Looking at the laptop which occupied the top shelf next to her CD player. He opened it up, hitting the power on button and opening Millie's message history. He opened that weeks folder. Clicking on the first one.
"Message history with Hayden. April 6th at 8.55pm.
Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
There doing it again.
Hayden says:
Doing what again.
Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
Arguing again!
Hayden says:
What about?
Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
The usual….blah blah work blah blah we never talk anymore blah blah you don't spend enough time with Millie blah blah no wonder she's in trouble at school. You know the usual."
He froze looking at the conversation for a couple of seconds before the words registered in his brain. Millie heard them every night arguing, he lifted the laptop of the shelf and sat down in the bed and continued to read. What the hell had he done? Had he driven Millie to this, this was all his fault he told himself.
"Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
..well…I can't believe my dad went back to work! I mean he's been shot once. What if it happens again?
Hayden says:
Your dads not that stupid Millie. He will be okay sweetie.
Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
He nearly died! Can't he see what he is doing?"
He knew then this was his fault. He kept his eyes on the screen. The words confirming his worst fears. The thought suddenly hit him. He can't throw himself in to danger anymore. He has a family to look after now and a child who needs him, he can't put himself in the line of fire anymore.
"Will You All Just Fade Away says:
Pfft. Like I am not going to this gig! Seriously you think I would miss Green Day! Its their last tour! it's the last chance I ever have of seeing them! I am no way missing this, fuck my dad!
I Want Guys On Bread says:
I smell a Millie Plan!"
He laughed wirily at the fact Millie was renound for her plans however he knew that she had gone to the gig after he told her not to. The anger however quickly subsided as he realised something serious must have happened last night. No matter how angry or upset Millie was she had more sense than to get herself in to a dangerous situation. He continued on.
"Why Don't You All Just Fade Away says:
Ok that's that sorted. Lisa you better get some more Pot….my dad has mine.
I Want Guys On Bread says:
K done…but bear in mind plants can only grow so fast!"
With that he snapped the laptop shut and sighed. He realised this left him no where nearer find out where the three kids where.
"Damn Millie" he hissed under his breath as he looked at the four poster covered walls, her shrine to the world of rock music. He began to think and was left with only two options. Either the girls had ran off or they'd been taken. He knew straight away the second was the most probable and has he realised it that sick feeling came back to him. He knew she was in trouble and she needed him.
He began to retrace the girls steps. Telling Calleigh to stay home and call him the second any sigh of Millie appeared and to keep calling her cell phone. He pulled into the arena car park.
"So what are looking for?" Asked Eric.
"Anything." Horatio snapped getting out the car. He stood at the entrance of the arena. Last nights mess still there. The abandoned, unloved arena was dirty and smelt of booze and cigarette smoke. The floor was littered with paper cups and burger wrappers, cigarette buts, broken glass bottles which had the labels ripped off, a sure sign of underage drinking. He eventually found the personal in charge and demanded to see the CCTV for the night before.
So there he stood with security as they scanned through the nights footage. For both the foyer and the arena its self. Realising it was imposable to spot his daughter amid the thousands of other people there as well they decided their best bit was to focus on the main entrance and exit. Scanning over the footage he spotted them enter, standing in the queue waiting to get in. They joked and laughed, then three hours later he saw them again. Horatio mumbled something under his breath. She'd dyed her hair black, he recalled the argument a couple of weeks ago where he had told her she couldn't have hair dyed. Mind you telling the truth the didn't find it surprising she had done it behind his back. Leaving with the stills they walked the route Horatio had assumed they would have taken home. His bets being on the bus as the buses from here passes both Lisa and Heathers house.
Eric and Horatio stood side by side in the street.
"So what do you think happened?" Eric asked him. Horatio never answered but stared intently at the gutter.
"This is Millie's cell phone." He said flatly whilst staring at the object. "This is our primary crime scene."