• PART 10

    Tom was now sitting in his office, elbows on the table and head in hands. Who had given her over? But then he remembered his wife; she must be going mad, wondering where Ginger was! He quickly picked up the phone, trying to think up an excuse.
    “Hello?” his wife, Alice, answered on the receiving side.
    “Oh, hey, Alice.” Tom said weakly. “sory I've been away these past couple of days, work is really demanding, but i'll try and get back as soon as possible.”
    “Oh, no, no, hunny! You take as long as you want.” Alice replied cheerfully. Tom paused, getting the alibi ready. “Uh…do you know were Ginger is?” he herd Alice’s breath catch and there was a lengthily silence on her end. “…Alice?” he said, listening hard.
    “Oh…hunny.” She said, the words coming out too quickly “I sent her to boarding school.” Boarding school!? Tom thought. He was planning to tell her a lie about were she was, but, boarding school?
    “Oh…why?” his brow had furrowed now as he listened.
    “Well, you know,” Alice sad “I just thought she should…start getting a little more…independent. You know, for when she leaves home.”
    “Well, how long have you sent her for?” there was quiet laughter coming from Alice’s end, it was low and throaty. Another man was there. “…who's there?” he muttered.
    “Uh…” another slight paused from Alice’s end. “Well…until she graduates I suppose…she said that she wasn’t going to visit and that…yeah, uh, I have to go, hunny.” She said and quickly and hung up. Tom slowly brought the phone away form his ear. That was odd. But…it couldn’t be. Still holding the phone, he dialed another number.
    “Hello?” dale.
    “Oh, dale.” Tom said quickly “sorry to bother you again but, I just have a quick question to ask.”
    “Shoot.”
    “Uh, who called you to pick up Ginger?” there was a slight pause, then-
    “Um…” it sounded like papers from the other end being rustled, he was probably looking through a file. “Mrs. Alice Besant. Her own mother I think. I recall speaking to her about it.” Now it was tom’s turn to pause.
    “Uh…thank you.” he finally muttered, and he shakily put down the phone. Alice? His own wife…gave their child away? Luckily, know one knew that he had a wife, or family for that matter. They didn’t know about his private life, and he didn’t know about theirs. Besides, he would be ruined if they knew. But this was not what he wanted for his daughter, not at all. Once more, he berried his head in his hands, his breathing ragged.
    “No!” he muttered. “No, no, no!”