Chapter 15

Gabby was so worked up on the way back to Home Farm.

"He was forcing her to say those things, Mariah just didn't think them up, he put them into her head"

"I know he was Gabby, he's psychotic, we have to tell Mariah"

"How are we going to do it"

"We'll think of something"

Matthew then thought of something.

"I know, I'll ring him up tomorrow, make up some story that will interest him, we can get to Mariah for at least an hour"

Gabby nodded. "We will do that then"

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Mariah did nothing all afternoon. She had no company what so ever, only Grayson. The only time Mariah would speak to him was when she wanted to argue.

Mariah was bored in her room, so she went down to the kitchen and got some water. Grayson was there.

"Hello princess, I trust you're feeling much better"

Mariah looked at him in a dangerous way.

"As a matter of fact, I'm not, you drag me all the way here, you lie to me, drug me and force me to lie in front of Gabby and Matthew"

Grayson looked at her. "Mariah, they are not suitable friends, Matthew I let you know is a compulsive gambler I helped him through it"

"DON'T LIE TO ME, EXPLAIN THIS"

Mariah took the casino letter out of her pocket and threw it down on the worktop.

Grayson didn't know what to say.

"I have no idea what this is"

"Oh you don't, it's clearly addressed to you, you were lying to me, Matthew's not the gambler, you are"

Grayson tried to calm her down.

"Princess, where did you get this?"

"I ain't your bloody princess, it doesn't matter where I got it, its here and that's all that matters"

Grayson had a look of danger on his face.

"You went in my room didn't you"

Mariah was getting nervous; she wished she never showed him the letter. Grayson was going to do something and Mariah wasn't going to hang around. Mariah just about dodged him and ran up to her room. Grayson was after her. Mariah raced up the stairs and into her room slamming the door behind her and locking it.

Mariah was out of breath, she knew he was on the other side.

"Princess, I think I should let you know that I have a key for this room"

Mariah was scared stiff. She heard him go downstairs, probably to get the key. Mariah acted fast; she went over to the chest and dragged it across the door. Mariah had barricaded herself in.

Then she heard footsteps. Grayson had returned with the key and was turning the lock. Fortunately for her the chest prevented the door being opened.

"Oh come on princess, I only want to talk to you"

Mariah noticed how his mood had changed, he was calm.

"Go away"

"I'm not going to hurt you, princess, why would I do that"

Mariah was quiet and then she thought to herself.

"I could act like I want to talk to him, then I can figure how to escape in the morning"

Mariah pushed the chest back, still not knowing how dangerous Grayson was.

Mariah saw him standing there.

"Look I'm sorry if I went through your things"

Grayson smiled. "Oh forget about it, it's only a stupid letter, I was wrong not to tell you and blame it on Matthew King, I took the coward's way out."

Mariah nodded.

"Look dad, I can forget about it, but I want no more lies,"

"As you insist princess"

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The next morning, Matthew phoned Grayson putting on an accent.

"Ah is that Mr Sinclair, I need your help my business is having a case put against it, perhaps we can discuss this more, my name is Paul Jones, we can meet at my address"

Matthew gave Grayson a fake address in York. Grayson would meet him there.

Then Matthew put down the phone. He burst into laughter after he did.

"He bought it Gabby, now we must get to Mill Cottage"

On the way they passed Grayson driving off to York.

They were going to tell Mariah the truth about her mum and expose what kind of a person Grayson was.

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Mariah was sitting in the living room, thinking about nothing. Then Grayson appeared with his jacket on.

"Princess, I have to go to York, some business"

Mariah just nodded. He went to the front door looking at Mariah carefully.
Mariah waved him off and then he went through the door closing it behind him.

Mariah looked out of the window and saw Grayson drive away. She just sat down again having nobody to speak to.

After five minutes Grayson had left the doorbell rang. Mariah wondered who it could be and went to the window. Whoever it was it wasn't Grayson, someone else was ringing the bell.

Mariah went to the door and opened it, it was Matthew and Gabby. Mariah thought she would never see them again.

"Matthew, Gabby, what are you doing back here, why don't you come in, dad has gone to York, think he has to see a client"

Matthew looked smug. "I know"

"You do?" Mariah said surprised

"Yeah, it was me who rang him, put on a fake accent"

"Whatever for?"

"So we could have a chance to speak to you alone," Gabby interrupted.

Mariah nodded. "Wow, when he finds out it was a hoax he won't be happy"

Matthew and Gabby sat on the sofa in the living room. Mariah was dying to tell them she was lying yesterday.

"Listen, about yesterday, I was lying, he made me say it, he told me if I didn't lie I would be locked up in my room"

Gabby was horrified.

"I knew you were lying, I could tell that creep put you up to it"

Mariah nodded. Then Matthew spoke up.

"Mariah we don't have long, but it is important you know this"

Mariah was confused.

"I don't understand"

"It's about your mum. I'm quite sure she didn't kill herself, she was murdered"

"Murdered, but the police said it was suicide"

"Yes we know what they said, it was carefully planned, the murder"

"How did you work it out?"

"Well when I found about her death, I had my doubts, I knew your mum, she wasn't suicidal one bit, and she was awful with guns. Then I tracked down the CCTV tape of the shop she was supposed to have bought it. The woman looks very much like her, but it wasn't. She wasn't your mum. Whoever it was, she was dressed as your mum."

Mariah couldn't believe it, her mum murdered.

"Well do you know who might have wanted her dead?"

Matthew nodded. "I'm quite sure your dad masterminded this"

Mariah jumped, she didn't shout out protesting his innocence, she just nodded her head.

"I knew he wasn't all he seemed, didn't think he was a murderer though, why would her kill her"

"Well Mariah, your dad had been tracking you down for quite some time and there was no way in this world she would let him near you. So he had her murdered, then as your father he would take full responsibility for you"

Mariah was shocked, however something clicked in her mind. She thought it was the logical explanation.

Gabby decided to say something.

"Then there's Tish, Matthew found out something about her"

Mariah looked up hopeful. "Tish, wow, really, what happened to her"

"I believe he is responsible for her disappearance. She went missing at your mom's funeral and was never seen again."

Mariah was confused; she couldn't understand why her dad would abduct Tish.

"What makes you think that?"

"I wasn't sure at first, until I came around here the other day and spoke to your dad. It was when he was on his way to London to get you, it was something he said. I asked him about Tish, he told me that he was the only friend you would need, it all made sense.

You see he had Tish abducted, so you wouldn't have anyone but him to talk to, the man is a control freak, that's why we had to tell you what he was like"

Mariah was in a fright. It all made sense, why Tish's phone was found in that shrub nearby, why Grayson had lied to her about Gabby and Matthew and everyone else in the village. Mariah now realised why Grayson had put her in for one to one lessons at college, so she would have no friends.

Mariah wanted to know why Grayson had hidden the photos and diary.

"I have no idea why he kept Perdy a secret"

Matthew had an idea why. "I guess he wanted to reinvent himself for you, not allow you to think he messed up her life"

Mariah didn't know what to do, now she realised she was living with a murderer. Mariah couldn't stay, where would she go?

"Mariah what are you going to do," said Gabby

Mariah shrugged. "Don't know, think I will stay here"

Matthew couldn't believe it.

"What you're going to stay with him, now you know what he's like, what about Tish, we could find her"

The thought about finding Tish hadn't come into her head. She had to find her. Mariah got up.

"Matthew, you're right, I have to get my things and I'm out of here, give me five minutes"

Mariah went upstairs and put everything in her rucksack. Hoping it would be the last time she would see this room.

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Grayson had driven to the place in York. He had been driving around for ages, but was having no luck. He was getting frustrated and decided to ask someone, there was a woman in her forties up ahead.

Grayson stopped the Range Rover and rolled down the window.

"Excuse me I'm looking for this street, is it nearby?"

The woman almost laughed.

"Oh I'm sorry mister, but there isn't such an address in York"

"Thankyou," the woman continued on her journey and Grayson rolled the window back up.

Grayson was furious, he had been fooled, it was a hoax. He was dreading to think how Mariah was all alone at Mill Cottage. Grayson began the journey back to Emmerdale, thinking only of Mariah.

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