You Don't Own Me (The Russian Don 1)

‘Yeah, I know her. She and her mate haven’t settled their bill. All their stuff’s still here. I’ll keep it for two more days then I’m auctioning it off to the highest bidder.’

My stomach drops. My last hope is gone.

Mark parks outside my apartment. ‘Do you want me to come in with you?’

‘No. I’m sorry about tonight, Mark, and thanks for everything.’

‘Are you sure you don’t need me to go to the police station with you?’

I shake my head slowly. ‘No, I need to speak to my mom first.’

‘I’ll call you in the morning. If you need me at all just call me. Doesn’t matter what time of the night. Just call, OK?’

‘OK,’ I say distractedly. My mind is elsewhere. There must be some clue I’m overlooking. Something she told me. I refuse to believe that she is missing.

‘I hope you get good news during the night.’ He doesn’t sound very hopeful.

I open the car door and let myself out.

‘Goodnight, Dahlia.’

‘Goodnight, Mark.’

I let myself into the apartment and find Stella stretched out on the sofa in front of the TV.

‘You didn’t put out again? The guy’s going to end up with blue balls,’ she says with a laugh.

I go and sit on the couch opposite her. I feel dazed and numb.

Her teasing expression changes. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asks.

‘I think my sister is missing somewhere in Australia.’

‘What?’ she screams dramatically, only for once it’s not over the top melodrama. I’m screaming inside.

I cover my cheeks with both my hands. ‘It looks as if she has vanished into thin air. Her phone is turned off or dead, her Facebook page hasn’t been updated, and she never turned up at the bed and breakfast she had booked in to.’

Stella sits up and switches off the TV. ‘Have you called the police?’

I shake my head in a daze. ‘Not yet. I just found out and I can’t bring myself to believe it is not all just a stupid mistake or misunderstanding.’

‘Tell me everything,’ she demands.

I pour out all I know so far. I can hardly believe the words that I am uttering, but to my surprise, Stella doesn’t scream or do the usual exaggerated theatrics.

‘Let’s think about this,’ she says with a frown. ‘If she had met with an accident, she would have been identified by now and your mother would have received a call. Best case scenario: she has gone on a walkabout and lost her phone. The other two options aren’t so pretty. She’s been taken by a serial killer, or she has been kidnapped by one of these gangs that sell women.’

I take a great gasping breath. ‘Serial killer?’

‘OK, I’ll admit that that’s more likely in America and not the outback, but she could have been taken by someone in the underworld!’

‘Underworld?’ I repeat stupidly.

She looks at me with big eyes. ‘For the sex trade. I’m always watching movies about how they lure away young girls who are on vacation and sell them at these crazy auctions to super rich men.’

I cover my mouth with my hand. Silent tears escape from my eyes and roll down my face. I can’t help it. I cannot imagine someone as gentle as Daisy kidnapped and held captive somewhere. It would destroy her.

Stella scoots forward and grasps my knee. ‘I’m not saying she has, but if she has, the police might not be able to help. Even if we go to them right now, with the time difference, there might not be much they can or will do. We can go in the morning. Right now, we ask Zane for help!’

My eyes widen. ‘Zane?’

‘Not Zane personally, but Noah. I overheard him talking the other day. Zane has contacts in Australia, and if I am not mistaken he has some kind of office in Adelaide. If Daisy has been taken by anyone from the underworld, Zane is the best person to locate her.’ She snatches her phone from the coffee table and dials it. While it is ringing she looks at me, and smiles encouragingly.

‘Hey, Noah’ she says. ‘I need your help.’ He says something and she nods even though he cannot see her. ‘It’s my roommate.’ She glances at me. ‘Yeah, that one. It was actually my uniform.’ She takes a deep breath. ‘Anyway, her sister’s gone missing while backpacking with her friend in Alice Springs, Australia. Do you think you can put the word out and see if anyone knows or has heard of her?’ She stops to listen. ‘You have to ask Zane first? Right. OK.’ She directs a look at me while talking to him. ‘Can I send a photo of her to your phone?’

I nod vigorously and immediately send the photo to Stella’s phone.

‘Yes, I can do that right now. How long before you get back to me? OK, we’ll be here. Thanks a lot, Noah. I really appreciate this.’