The police are still investigating the murder and they have interviewed a long line of potential suspects, including Paige and her parents, who have a watertight alibi as they had been out at a function that evening. There is one person however the police could not track down, and that is Tess. She seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. I have trouble believing that Tess could be a suspect; I mean yeah, she is gold digger but a murderer?
My phone rings in my pocket and I pull it out to see Courtney is calling me.
“Hey girl,” I say with a smile on my face.
“Hey, Ev. Have you heard anything from Ty? No one knows where he is. Some of Doyle’s men were round at Jake’s looking for him last night. I think he’s in real trouble.”
I shake my head and frown. “No, I haven’t heard off him for a few weeks. When did anyone last see him?”
“No one’s seen him since yesterday morning.”
I nod my head. “What about his phone?”
“It’s going to voicemail.”
I chew on my lip. “I’ll try calling him and see if he answers. Oh hey, in better news, guess whose coming up north this weekend?”
“Shut the front door!” Courtney squeals. “For the whole weekend?”
“Yep,” I say, smiling at how stoked my friend is about seeing me. “And I’m bringing Grayson.”
Courtney squeals again and I hold the phone away from my ear.
I will save the news that I am up there to meet with the estate agents and get the property on the market until I can tell her face to face. I have the feeling that this will be news she will be less thrilled over.
“I’ll text you and let you know when we’re arriving, and I’ll try to see if Ty will answer to me now.”
Courtney breathes a sigh of thanks. “That would be great, Ev. Jakes really worried about him.”
I end my call with Courtney, and I call Ty’s number. My hopes are dashed when it goes straight to voicemail. His phone is either dead or switched off.
“You okay?” Grayson asks, as he comes to sit beside me in the school cafeteria. He leans in and brushes my hair off my face.
I nod, deep in thought. “I think Tyler’s got himself in trouble with a local gang back home. No one’s seen him since yesterday.”
Grayson frowns. Whenever I mention Tyler’s name, his mood turns sour. I can’t say I blame him, I mean I had confessed to Grayson that Tyler had kissed me that first time I went home and then when I’d returned home over the whole Imogen crap I’d kissed him.
“Tyler’s big enough to look after himself Manchester. He’s not your problem to solve.”
“I know,” I say, resting my head on his shoulder.
Owen drums his hands on the table. “Never mind this Ty, guy. What’s this about a road trip up north and the rest of us not being invited?” Noah pouts at me.
Grayson rolls his eyes and ignores Owen, scrolling through his phone.
“It’s not a road trip, Owen. I’m actually going to get the house valued and get it on the market.”
Izzy looks over at me, shocked. “You’re selling the house?”
“Yep,” I reply. “It’s time.”
“Oh come on Ev,” Owen pleads. “We want to see where the girl who knocked Grayson into shape grew up.” He holds his hands together in plea, “Come on. It would do Ems the world of good.”
I chew on my lip, considering it. “It’s a two bedroom terraced house. You’d all have to bunk on the floor in sleeping bags.”
Grayson smiles at me, shaking his head. “Such a pushover,” he whispers in my ear.
Owen punches a fist in the air and stands to his feet. “Road trip!”
“Count me and Izz in,” Dom tells me, and Izzy nods enthusiastically.
Jacob groans. “Molly’s dragging me to a christening so we can’t come.”
“You four can car share. I’m not having Owen shouting road trip all the way there and asking if we’re there yet,” Grayson says with a smirk.
“Funny fucker,” Owen grins, giving him the finger.
Dom chuckles. “Owen and Ems can come with us. I’ll drive.”
Owen bangs on the table, drumming again. “Look out Manchester, the southerners are coming! Hope there’s no white walkers up north,” he adds, laughing at his own joke.
“No, but there are plenty of wildlings,” I reply with a cheeky wink.
DOM STARES WIDE EYED when Owen arrives with Izzy at our house after college on Friday afternoon. “What’s with the box?”
Owen looks around us and shushes him. “Shush, It’s our beer stash.”
“Owen!” I chastise, giving him a pointed look. “This is not turning into a house party and you lot will need to disappear and move all your shit whilst the estate agents come round.”
Owen holds up his hands. “Yes, Boss.” He looks over at Grayson who’s leaning casually against his dad’s Land Rover. “Is she always this domineering?”
Grayson winks. “Yeah and I love it.”
My dad comes out, and Owen hurriedly places his stash of alcohol in the boot.
“Here you go sweet heart. This is the list and times of the agents that will call on Saturday.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I tell him as I take the sheet of paper from him. He looks at Owen and Grayson and then the rest of us. “Now remember, Emily is only sixteen. I am trusting you all to be responsible and look after her.’
Emily chuckles at my Dad. “I’ll be fine Mr M. Grayson doesn’t let me breathe in the wrong direction, he’s so over-protective all the time.”
Owen goes to climb in the back of Grayson’s land rover and Grayson steps in and blocks his way. “You two are with Dom and Izz. I want some alone time with my girl, seeing as you lot hijacked our weekend away together.”
Owen rolls his eyes and makes a gagging noise. “Pathetic.” He coughs out under his breath and Grayson gets him in a headlock and they wrestle each
