A Lost Signal

Chapter 1: Robin Jones.

A Woman

‘I don’t know who he is. And what’s more, I don’t want to.’

I looked at her. She had long, silky black hair without a single curl in it, showed off by dark, gleaming skin. She had green eyes (unusual for an Indian) and had a pretty face which was currently filled with fear. I’ll tell you why, but I must find a better time. I sipped at my coffee and said, ‘And why exactly is that, Ma’am?’

‘Because he looks dangerous. I don’t know anything about any of this. I just don’t want anything to happen to my children.’

When I remained silent, she continued. ‘I don’t even know why you’re here. I don’t understand why you think I’m connected to this case. I swear, I haven’t done anything wrong. The only thing I did wrong was when I stole some kid's Jim-Jam when I was five. Please?’

I soothed her. ‘Ma’am, firstly, in this case, we are treating you as the victim.’

She stared at me, ‘Victim?”

‘Ma’am, after your husband departed, what happened to your kids?’

‘what do you mean?’, she asked.

‘I hear there was some problem with the legal formalities?”, I probed further.

‘Yes, there was. Apparently, we couldn’t both have the kids. And if they went to John, they would suffer. He would drink and beat them badly, as he did with me.’

‘You then reported all of this?’

‘Yes, but they still spend alternate weekends with him. Lately, though, he’s become better. He buys them chocolates and takes them to amusement parks. I’m glad my children have the bond with him that I could never have.’, she said.

‘I’m really glad to hear that. So, what do you recall about that night?’

‘Ma’am, al-‘

‘it’s just Robin.’

‘oh. Okay. Um…Robin, all I remember is I was in the car, my kids were in the backseat, and…well, my date was sitting with me in the front seat.’

This piqued my interest. ‘Your date, you say?’

‘Yes, we’ve been going out quite often. He wanted to meet the kids so we went on a day trip to the lakeside.’

I smiled and said, ‘Please continue.’

‘Yes, so, I was driving and then someone called me. It was an unknown number. Because I was driving, I used the car’s receiver and introduced myself and I heard only static. So, I rolled my eyes at Teddy, and he reached over and spoke into the radio I looked back at the road and then suddenly I saw the speedometer rising. I was hitting 70 and 80 but I was barely moving the steering wheel. Then I tried to brake but the wheels skidded and swirled and then I don’t know what happened, but somehow, I lost control and we were smashed into a hedge. The airbags went off and behind my children were screaming. Teddy was hurt. I just had a couple of bruises. The kids were fine, but overall, it was traumatic.’

She broke down, ‘It was my fault. I’ve ruined my children’s childhood.’

‘No. You did not. Someone else is responsible and I promise you, I will find out who.’

She looked up at me with watery eyes. ‘thank you’, she croaked.

I smiled and deposited a note on the table and walked out of the café.