The next day, Sam headed up to Nick's office to tell him what Jody had told her last night in her bedroom. She knocked on the door and waited.
"Come in!" Nick shouted. So she went in.
"Mr. Jordan. I really need to talk to you about something. It's really important." She said. Nick nodded.
"Close the door and have a seat." She did so. "Okay. What's up?" He asked.
"It's about Jody. I'm really worried about her. She told me something about her past yesterday, and to be perfectly honest, I think we need to get the police involved." Nick just stared at her, shocked at what he was hearing.
"Go on." He said, finally.
"Well. Apparently her biological parents didn't get along. He was a drunk and he beat her, bad. Long story cut short, Jody wasn't exactly oblivious to it and one day, found her mother unconscious, naked and covered in blood. She cried out and her father smashed her on the back of the head with a bottle."
"She told us she got that head injury when she fainted! She said she hit her head on a table on the way down!"
"Apparently not. Either way, it knocked her out. She said when she woke up, they were gone and the house was empty. Apparently, the nightmares she's been having are of the incident in the basement. But instead of it being her and Zoe, it's her and her mum, getting beaten and raped by her dad. It's no wonder she self harmed. I can't imagine what must be going on inside her head."
"Hmm. I just don't know why she didn't tell us sooner!" Nick said, tears welling in his eyes.
"She was too young to cope. She told me she bottled it up and tried to move on. She said, for a long time, she couldn't even remember what they looked like. But the incident in basement brought back a lot of old memories."
"It certainly did. We have to tell the police, that woman could be dead!" Nick stated.
"I know. Look, I've got to get back to work. By the way, Jody made me swear not to tell you, so, be extra gentle when you inform her that I did." She said, opening the door to leave.
"Will do." Nick said, and Sam left. The door shut. Nick allowed a tear to silently roll down his cheek. He couldn't believe what Sam had just said. He couldn't believe what Jody had been dealing with all this time, all on her own. He felt sick thinking about it. He couldn't cope with feeling sick, so he decided to go down to the department to take his mind off of things. The end of his shift came quickly. He then drove to the school to pick up Jody. He parked in his usual spot and barely five minutes had passed by the time Jody got into the front seat of the car. She kissed him on the cheek and then fastened her seatbelt.
"Hey dad!"
"Hey Jody. How was school?" He asked her.
"Yeah, all right. Work?"
"Yeah, all right." She giggled.
"Come on, lets go get an ice cream and sit on the shore until your mum finishes." Nick said.
"Yes!" Jody exclaimed. Nick couldn't help the wide smile that always spread across his face when he was with Jody. The drive to the sea side was short. Nick walked to the kiosk with Jody and bought two large, chocolate ice creams. They went and sat on the shore line and began licking their ice creams contentedly.
"So..." Nick said, awkwardly.
"So what?" Jody replied, a somewhat cheeky grin on her face.
"So, I had a chat with Sam today." Jody's heart sank at these words, her expression turned grim and her view hit the floor. "She told me everything Jody. Before you get upset, she did so in your best interest." She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. Her vision was blurry and tears were already cascading down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry! I just couldn't cope with knowing I could probably have saved her life and didn't! I couldn't tell you because, I didn't think anyone, let alone you or mum, would understand even a tiny bit of what I'd gone through, what she'd been put through! Now she's dead! And it's all my fault!" She wailed, threw herself against Nick and began sobbing into his chest. Instinctly, Nick wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed her hair.
"It's not your fault. And, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. There is always a chance that she isn't dead. If we go to the police, they might be able to find her. I know you were too young at the time, but your older now, old enough to understand. The police might find her, and put him into jail for what he did. Would you like us to try?" He asked. She sat up and wiped her eyes.
"Well, yes. But I don't want to go back to her, you are my dad, Zoe is my mum. That's not ever going to change. I don't want that to change. Promise me that if she is alive, and they find her, you won't let her take me. I don't want to go back to her!"
"Jody, I promise you. I wouldn't let that happen, I love you too much!" Nick said, smiling slightly. Jody smiled too.
"I love you too dad." She hugged him again. Silence ensued once more as they finished their ice creams. By the time they were done, it was time to go pick up Zoe from the hospital.