Missing Martha

34

Martin walked out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around him from the stomach down.
He handed Zoe her phone, "where'd you get that photo?" He asked her,
"My friend took them on the night, apparently there's a video though."
Martin's face lit up, "oh my god I think I've got the video!" He said, lifting up his laptop and searching through his camera roll. "When we were doing the karaoke for Bohemian Rhapsody?"
"Oh my god I wanna see this." Laughed Ryan.
Martin looked out at Ryan, the girls were starting to wake up either side of him.
"W-Wait what the hell is going on here?" He laughed, Lucy and Cloda poked their heads up and looked up at Ryan.
Martin looked back down at his computer screen, "oh my god I think I found it." He laughed, "fifth of July 2010."
Martin grabbed a clean black t-shirt from his bag and pulled it over him before pulling the covers over himself again and lying beside Zoe.
He clicked on the video and heard the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody begin to play.
"Oh god.." he laughed, nervously.
"I wanna see this." Said Ollie, climbing out of bed and sitting beside Zoe. Ryan and the other three girls joined them.
"I don't really remember what happens in this video.." he said, nervously watching the blurry video that depicted the nightclub.
"Who recorded this?" Asked Zoë,
"My mate Jamie. He was in my year."
"Did he know that you had a fiancée?" Asked Zoë,
"He knew everything, Yeah." He replied, looking at the video.
"Oh god, there we are!" Laughed Zoe, her voice husky, pointing to the two blurred figures that were up on a level above the rest of the crowd.
The lyrics "mama just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he's dead," played, a twenty-one year-old Zoe formed her hands into the shape of a gun and placed it against Martin's head before Martin fell to the ground.
They sang the next couple verses in harmonies, facing each other as the crowd screamed and cheered. When it got to the guitar interlude both Zoe and Martin were handed an electric guitar, you could hear Zoe yelling to Martin, "What note does it start on?!"
"I dunno! D I think!" He replied before they both started,
"Woah Miss I never knew you could play!" Laughed Ryan, as Martin raised his eyebrows, impressed, he wrapped one arm around Zoe.
In the video, Martin put down his guitar and put his hand out to Zoe, who everyone was cheering on. Jamie, who was holding the camera handed up Martin a beer while the girls behind him were trying to strip off his shirt, but Martin's eyes were fixed only on Zoë.
You could hear Jamie calling out, "you gonna pull her, Marty?"
They grabbed the microphones again and sang in harmony together, staring into each other's eyes and smiling.
"Whoah you two can sing!" Complimented Jemma,
"It's a little more.. screaming in tune." Laughed Martin
"Sparked your inner Freddie Mercury." Chuckled Zoë,
"Well you were all out Brian May, I couldn't compete with your guitar skills!"
When, at last, they finished singing the song, Martin put his beer bottle down on the ground before he shook hands with Zoe, utterly amazed, "Martin McCafferson." He introduced, gazing into her eyes, "Zoe Flynn." She replied, laughing, before Martin put one hand on her cheek and Zoe put her arm around his neck, kissing each other as the crowed cheered. And Jamie in the background yelled, "I'm gonna show this to Emma!"
"Well that accelerated quickly." Laughed Ollie,
Martin turned the video off, worried about what might happen later on.
"You were very polite." Remarked Lucy,
"Well you've gotta introduce yourself first." Chuckled Martin, placing the laptop on the table and closing his eyes in the pain of his wound.
"Feels like yesterday." Sighed Zoe, resting her head on Martin's shoulder before jolting back, remembering he was hurt there.
"Sorry!" She said,
"You're alright," said Martin, as everyone else walked back to their own beds. He wrapped his arm around Zoe before she lay her head on his chest, feeling tired again.
"You okay, Zo?" Asked Martin,
"Yesterday was a weird day.." she sighed,
"Yeh.. it was." He replied, thinking of everything.
"Can we have a lazy day today because I really can't be bothered to do anything?" Asked Cloda,
"Thank god we're all in agreement." Sighed Martin.
Martin looked over at Ryan, who seemed to be clutching his wrist.
"You alright Ryan?" He asked, noticing Ryan taking a couple more tablets of ibuprofen.
Ryan gave him the thumbs up, lying in bed on his own this time, looking up to the ceiling.
"I've gotta get you to the doctors soon," said Martin, looking over at him, his arm still wrapped around Zoe who was now fast asleep.
"Why? I'm alright. Seriously." Insisted Ryan,
"You were misdiagnosed. And you're taking ibuprofen, you're obviously in some sort of pain." Said Martin, "have you told your parents?"
"Nah, they've got enough to worry about." Replied Ryan,
"Wait has anyone contacted their parents at all?" Asked Martin, confused.
Everyone looked at each other, shaking their heads.
"W-what? this man has had a personal impact on all of your lives and you haven't told your parents?"
"What did he say to you? Alex, when you were in there with him. What did he tell you?" Asked Ollie.
Martin paused, "he just said everything.. but you've got nothing to be afraid of anymore, all of you."
"I never knew who he was. Why'd he leave me out?" Asked Jemma, sitting beside Ollie.
"He didn't." Replied Martin, knowing that she wouldn't want him to tell everyone that he was the one who blackmailed her with photos he had taken from a hidden camera in her bedroom.
Jemma caught his eye before looking down. "Oh.." she sighed,
"Wait you did know him?" Asked Ollie,
"It's nothing." She muttered, rolling over in the bed and pulling the duvet over her.
"I've explained everything to the police; you don't have to worry about anything." Said Martin,
"Will we have to court or anything?" Asked Lucy.
"Hope not, he's just got his stay in prison elongated."
"How long is he in for?" Asked Ollie,
"Well he's in twice for murder, once for attempted murder," he looked at Zoe who was asleep, "he's in for blackmail, identity theft.. so, basically, he's in for life."
"Should he not be in twice for attempted murder? I mean he almost had you out?" Asked Ollie,
"I don't think he wanted to kill me." Admitted Martin,
"He followed you for a day, dug his nails into your shoulders till they bled and stabbed you unconscious." Described Ollie,
Martin bit his lip before exhaling and leaning over to the bedside table where he picked up a white Samsung phone, Emily's phone.
"He should be in for three murders.." Sighed Martin, reading the last few messages from Emily to Alex from when Emily came home from court.
It was you. How could you do this?!

You looked pretty in court today.

She was your own daughter!

And I took her as my own.

You've killed me too.

Emily seriously.

I loved Martha more than anyone in this world.

I love you.

How was this supposed to work out?! How is there any scenario when we work out okay?! I want you gone! I want you dead!

Does Martin know who I am?

Martin is grieving over his dead daughter. He doesn't know who you are and I want you to stay away from him.

So you're not telling him that he's not the dad.

He is. And if you were half the dad that he was I might have even considered you.

Well at least you're having a divorce.

By this time tomorrow someone will find me dead. If you ever loved me you'll stay away from Martin because he's the only man I will ever be capable of loving.

Wtf Emily?

Emily?

Martin put down the phone and unwrapped his arms from Zoe and got out of bed, grabbing his jacket.
"I'm going out for a walk, I'll be back in an hour." Said Martin.
"Where are you going?" Asked Ollie.
"Just gonna see the village a bit.." he said.
"You alright?" Ollie questioned.
Martin nodded in response, although his eyes felt as if they would give way at any moment, he walked out and closed the door.