Chapter Text
Lisa's POV
"Mum?" Betsy bangs what sounds like her whole fist against my bedroom door.
"Alright, alright, no need to break the door down."
"Well if you'd answered me the first time..."
"What is it, Betsy?" My head is pounding and I was hoping to get some down time.
"Where's mum gone?" She invites herself into Carla's side of the bed and it doesn't go unnoticed when she buries her head further into the pillow, taking a deeper breath in. She won't say it, but I know she misses Carla.
"I don't know, Betsy, I don't keep tabs on her."
"No need to be sarky about it."
"Right, sorry. But you're more likely to know than me."
"Yeah. It's just, she said that she would be back before tea..."
"Maybe she's just gotten carried away with whatever she's doing."
"What if she doesn't come back... again?"
"Bets, she tried that last time and I'd like to think she's learned from that mistake."
"Right." She doesn't sound convinced. Neither am I, to be honest. Not with all the Spain comments and the urgency.
Silence takes over as she makes no attempt to get up, burrowing impossibly further into the pillow and pulling her phone up.
"That's weird..." Comes barely five minutes later. I wait for her to carry on but she doesn't, so I turn to see her brows furrowing at the screen of her phone.
"Come on, the suspense is killing me."
"Huh?"
"What's weird, Betsy?"
"Didn't Carla's dad die?"
"Yeah, he drowned."
"Then why is she posting about having a catch up with her dad?" What?
"Where?" I take the phone and see that she is on Carla's Instagram page - something she seems to do a lot these days.
My eyes scan over a photo of Carla in my favourite red bikini.
"That's not a new photo."
"What do you mean? How would you know?"
"I've definitely seen this photo." I have, but it still has the same impact on me as it did the first time
"It's probably similar."
"No, Betsy, I would know. I've seen this photo."
"Oh you are so grim." She visibly cringes and I almost laugh until I remember the situation.
"Why would she be posting old bikini photos?"
"Maybe to make you jealous or something?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"And is it working?"
"No comment. Where's the thing about her dad?"
"Oh, the caption there." My eyes follow her directing finger.
Lovely to catch up with my dad, what a small world
"Betsy, can you crunch it or something and send it to me?"
"Crunch it?"
"Like capture the screen."
"Screenshot?" She laughs with a shake of the head, but my phone flashes with the notification anyway.
"Right, I just need a minute to make some calls. I'll be out when I'm done, okay?"
"But I can-"
"Betsy, please."
"Got it." She huffs, though follows my instruction.
"Lisa?"
"Kit, have you got a minute?"
"I'm actually just at the factory, I can pop round after though?"
"The factory? Why?"
"Oh, uh, just came to see Sarah."
"Convincing."
"What do you need, Lisa?"
"It's Carla-"
"Come to the factory."
Apparently that's all he has to say, as the line cuts.
I throw a jumper on over my vest top and smooth a hand over my hair before pacing out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
"Mum? Where are you-"
"I'm just going to see Kit, I won't be long."
"I'm coming."
"Betsy, just wait here."
"No."
"Betsy!" I instantly feel bad for raising my voice but I need her to listen.
"No, if this is about Carla then I'm coming too."
"Put a coat on, it's cold." I hand her the coat that she so graciously slung over the banister earlier on, before pulling my own on.
...
"Kit?" We walk straight into Carla's office to see Kit sat at Carla's work laptop.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Betsy showed me one of her posts on Instagram."
"More like she grabbed my phone to see for herself." Betsy eyes me.
"What post?"
"Well that's the thing, it's a bikini photo. But it's an old one."
"Don't ask how she knows, you'll want to throw up." Betsy's commentary reminds me of my brunette.
"Why would she be posting old photos if she's literally on holiday? Surely you'd just take new ones."
"Exactly, but the caption is weird too. It says about her dad, having a catch up with him."
"Right?"
"Johnny drowned a few years back." I explain.
"Yeah, her dad is definitely dead." Sarah adds.
"So what are you thinking?"
"She's not on holiday. She can't be."
"I'm glad we've brought you up to speed." Kit lets out the biggest sigh as I frown.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've been looking into this for days. Nothing adds up. Plus, she'd be back from Lanzarote by now."
"Shit." He's right. Carla would've already landed back in Manchester. "Wait, you've been looking into this and you haven't spoken to me about it?"
"You're telling me you would've listened?" Ouch.
"I woul-"
"You're too wrapped up in Becky with her bullshit. I was trying to crack it before bringing it to you. If I had evidence it would've been more believable for you."
"What do you think has happened? Curtis' gang? Would they really go for Carla before any of us?" I choose to ignore the first part and focus on the important thing.
"Lisa, Curtis' gang aren't even on the scene."
"But Becky said-"
"Exactly."
"But-"
"Me and Carla had been looking into it all. They aren't around, Lisa. Becky was never in danger, only of being shipped back to Spain without you and Betsy."
"No. She wouldn't-"
"She has been. She still is. We need to find out why Carla would post about her dad. Is it even Carla posting?"
"Mum?" Betsy has been sat quietly, head moving back and forth as if watching a tennis match.
"Yes, Bets?"
"Would Carla have ever known about the dad thing?"
"What dad thing?"
"You know, the dad code."
"I don't-"
"I mention dad when I'm in trouble because we know I don't have a dad, but it's not obvious to other people. Would Carla have known? Is Carla in trouble?"
"When you were being followed at the precinct... when Ryan saved you... Carla and I were-" I flush at the memory. Guilt over missing Betsy's call but every sense being on edge with how incredible Carla was.
"Stop that right there."
"I read your message out about going to the cinema with dad. Carla questioned it. I explained why we use it."
"So it's likely that Carla is hoping that you'll see it and connect those dots?" Kit stands up.
"I think so. Carla is clever." I smile fondly at my replica's words.
"Where's Becky?" His next question throws me.
"I don't know, she said she would be out for a bit but will be back for tea, why?"
"Betsy, can you call her please? We need her to get back to yours for tea."
"Kit, I'm not going home for tea if you think Carla really is in trouble." My tone is clipped.
"For a detective, you're slacking."
"Gee, thanks Kit."
"Betsy is to get Becky back home for tea. I have two different places that I have linked to try.
"Why does Becky need to go home?"
"She might even help us look if we tell her it's for my sake?" Betsy suggests.
...
We leave Betsy at home with the promise of not mentioning anything to Becky and a promise of my own that I'll call her if I find Carla.
"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" I lean back against the passenger seat of Kit's car.
"You're not seeing it, are you?"
"I'm sick to death of guessing what's going on in everyone's head. What am I not seeing?"
"I'm fairly sure Becky knows exactly where Carla is."
"Well why don't we just ask her then?"
"You and I both know it doesn't work like that, Lisa. If she's got Carla tied up somewhere, we can't let her know we're onto her until we've got Carla out safely."
"Woah, wait a minute... you think Becky kidnapped Carla?"
"You don't?"
"Well, I-"
...
My heart sank when Carla wasn't at the first address, but I had no idea it could sink any lower until Kit broke the lock of the shipping container.
"Oh, darling." I let out a single sob, my feet taking me over to her before my brain can even register.
I remove the material covering her face and make quick work of untying the dirty cloth covering her mouth.
"It's okay, I've got you. I'm here, I'm here."
"We'll have her. For everything." Kit nods to Carla before calling it in.