Aren't you lucky? Second chapter straight away!
PC Peter Riddell looked up from reading out the missing girl's diary to his young colleague, PC Isabelle Grove, who was newly qualified as a police officer. She had her hand over her mouth in shock and pity.
"That poor girl. Little wonder she ran away"
PC Riddell nodded and set the diary down "Her father reported her missing yesterday morning. She officially became a missing person last night, 24 hours after her disappearance. We got her parents and their partners down this morning, to get some idea of the missing girl"
PC Grove nodded "Who are we going to interview first?"
"Well, seeing as the mother hasn't been kind enough to turn up, the father, I think. A Jack Harkness, who she lived with. He would know her best, so fetch him, Isabelle. He's in the waiting room"
Isabelle nodded and walked down the corridor. She instantly recognised Jack Harkness from his ID photo.
A pleasant, handsome face, the sort of face girls fall for. There were faint lines around his mouth, which tilted upwards, looking like he smiled a great deal and he had brilliant blue eyes.
These were currently downcast, looking at his hands, which were being held by the man seated next to him. This, then, was Ianto Jones.
Isabelle stepped forward "Jack Harkness?"
Jack looked up "Yes, that's me. Has there been news?"
A pleasant voice to match a pleasant face, Isabelle mused. There was a definite American twang to it, but it seemed to have been muted in the years Jack had spent in London and Cardiff.
"No sir" she replied, "We'd just like to talk to you, alone please. If you would just come with me…?"
Jack slipped his hands out of Ianto's and stood, a little shakily, as if he hadn't been sleeping. Ianto put a hand on his back to steady him, a look of worry creasing his face. Jack smiled reassuringly, as much to himself as to Ianto, kissed Ianto on the forehead and followed Isabelle silently.
Isabelle opened the door to the Interview room and said, "Here he is, Pete"
Pete looked up and smiled reassuringly "Hello, Mr Harkness. Please, sit down"
Jack lowered himself into one of the chairs and looked around at the two officers, appearing to be a little confused, but ready and willing.
Pete began "I'm PC Riddell, this is my colleague, PC Grove. Mr Harkness, we just want you to answer some questions about your daughter, so it could give us some idea as to where she might have gone, but first of all, do you recognise this?"
He held up Kari's diary. Jack frowned "It's one of my daughter's notebooks. I've seen her writing in it a couple of times. Why?"
"Have you ever looked in it yourself?"
"Never. I wouldn't without Kari's permission"
"I see. Mr Harkness, I think you need to read this. The last entry before Kamaria ran away"
Jack took the notebook and opened it to the last written page. He began to read, and his face got more and more concerned, until he reached the end and gasped softly, gripping the notebook so hard he crumpled the pages.
Pete gently took it off him and asked, "Did you know?"
Jack shook his head, unable to speak.
Pete frowned "Mr Harkness, I understand this may be a great shock to you, but we need to know, what in her life made Kamaria feel that this was the truth?"
"It is true, mostly. Gwen, Kari's mother, never approved of Kari staying with me, even when Ianto wasn't part of our lives. I think she was a bit upset that Kari chose to stay with me. But to think that Gwen doesn't love her! That she's a painful reminder, in the way! She never gave any indication of this. If Gwen really said that to her…… there's going to be repercussions"
Pete nodded and said half-jokingly, half-seriously "If you could restrain from any violence, otherwise we would be forced to arrest you"
Jack laughed weakly "I don't think you need to worry, Constable. I don't really like violence and even if I did lose my temper, I'm pretty sure Ianto wouldn't let me throw a punch"
Isabelle smiled as Jack said that. His tone of voice completely changed when he said Ianto's name, it became softer, more gentle, more loving.
She leaned forward and said "Did Kari ever seem like she resented your partner in any way?"
"No" replied Jack "Kari never gave any indication that she was unhappy at all. Do you think I would have left it, if I believed for one moment my little girl was unhappy? I would have done anything to make her smile again"
Isabelle smiled again "Seems to me Kari is a very lucky girl in terms of who her father is"
Pete continued "Well, I think that will be all for now. You've given us a good idea of Kamaria's personality at any rate. Do you have any idea when her mother will be able to get here?"
"No Constable. I'm afraid my ex-wife doesn't like speaking to me, and since Kari started refusing to speak to her or to see her, we've lost contact. I should imagine she'll be here before the day is out."
"I see" said Pete "Now, just a couple more things. Firstly, if you could choose one place you think Kamaria would run to, where would it be?"
Jack surprised them by answering "Somewhere out of Wales, certainly. As you can probably tell, coming to Wales is what split Gwen and I up, though I'm certain it would have happened eventually. Kari associates this place with childhood pain. She would want to leave it behind. I would say that Kari would head for London"
Pete made a note of the place and said "Okay, thank you for your time, Mr Harkness. I promise you, the minute there is news, we'll let you know. If you could send Mr Jones in now"
Jack frowned "Why do you want to see Ianto?"
"The same reason we wanted to see you, Mr Harkness, and again, we'd like to see him alone. Isabelle, could you escort Mr Harkness back to the waiting room, please"
Isabelle opened the door and said "Come on, Mr Harkness, let's go"
Jack walked out and when he arrived back in the waiting room, Ianto was instantly on his feet and walking swiftly over to Jack, who smiled weakly and allowed himself to be hugged and guided back to a seat.
Ianto sat back down next to Jack and let Jack lean his head against Ianto's shoulder and close his eyes. Ianto murmured unintelligible words to Jack, gentle words in Welsh as he stroked Jack's cheek.
Isabelle said quietly "Mr Jones…"
Ianto looked back at her and asked, almost aggressively "What do you want?"
"We'd like to talk to you as well, please"
"Surely Jack can tell you anything you need, not that I'll let him go alone again…"
"Yan" muttered Jack "It's okay. I'm fine"
"You're exhausted"
"That's not the young woman's fault. I haven't been sleeping, you know that"
"Still…"
"You go, Ianto. I'll wait here for Gwen, then we'll go home, okay?"
Ianto sighed, briefly tightening his hand over Jack's, before he gave in "Okay"