The Journeys of John and Julia: Genesis (Book 1) ~Complete~

Line 32 / Part 3

Elizabeth rolled her eyes thinking of root-beer float and curly fries. She'd throw that up any day of the week. "Oh isn't that nice of Helen, Mrs. Hanson, but no, Julia does not have an eating disorder! She's as healthy and strong as can be; she even is a cheerleader who made it on the All Star team." She noticed Ted's doubting like-that-says-anything-look and added quickly, "But if she would have problems with her food I'm sure she could not have fooled her therapist and he would have taken care of it right away. I mean any eating disorder does have emotional roots and so it's his job to notice, no?"

Amelia gave Bob her let's-condemn-modern-mothers-look and opened her mouth to contribute to her favorite subject of food, but Bob raised his eyebrows and addressed Elizabeth. "So you say she didn't eat very well last night but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she had eaten something before dinner and was full?"

"I don't know what she did before dinner, she was out with John Freeman."

"Oh yeah, I know John. He's a nice kid, a good friend of Ted junior. A bit weird though if you ask me, well, runs in the family. I suppose it's not his fault."

"John is not weird. He is a well-behaved intelligent boy. Sam liked him very much. They spent quite a lot of time together when Sam was still alive."

Amelia's eyes teared up and so she failed to spot the look Ted exchanged with Bob stating: See, weird! A twelve-year-old boy and a seventy-year-old man!

"Excuse me, but this is not about John Freeman and whether he or his family is considered weird or not. My daughter is missing and I'm really worried and this whole thing is making me more anxious. Shouldn't we all be out there trying to find her instead of sitting around over coffee chatting as if nothing happened?"

"No doll, I think this is worthy information. I'm gonna call Sarah Freeman later and ask her. Maybe she has seen Julia."

"Why Bob this is an excellent idea!" Amelia, excited, "You know when they were little they had these sleep-overs - "

"Yeah, when they were little," Elizabeth interrupted, "but now Julia considers John a country bumpkin and anyhow I doubt she would just go for a sleep-over without telling me first."

"As if the two of you are on such intimate talking terms all of a sudden?"

"Oh mother, stop it!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Bob's sixth sheriff sense picked up something important. "What's going on here? Something I should know about?"

Amelia and Elizabeth avoided looking at each other. Elizabeth was the first to buckle under the tension. "I think mother is referring to the fact that I decided to go to Japan for six months and didn't tell Julia about it."

The sheriff and his deputy exchanged the now-we're-getting-somewhere-look.

"Yes, and?" Bob prodded when they realized there wasn't any more information forthcoming.

"Not only did she not tell Julia about Japan, she didn't tell her that she was to stay here for the entire school year either! Poor child didn't even have a chance to bring her winter clothes and now she is gone."

"Hold on a second, I don't get it," Bob turned a page in his notebook, "Amelia are you saying Elizabeth brought Julia here against her will?"

"I did no such thing! I -"

"Yes you did! Tell the sheriff that Julia wanted to go to summer camp and you forced her to come here instead."

"This is ridiculous! I am her mother; let's not forget that! I pay the bills and I decide if she goes to summer camp or not. We talked about it. Yes, she was disappointed at first, but let's face it, thirteen year olds are always disappointed about one thing or the other, teenager's prerogative. Except in the end she agreed to come here with me instead of going to camp."

"I see. So what's the part about you going to Japan then?"

When Elizabeth didn't say anything Ted ventured. "Far out, Japan! What in the world are you going to do there?"

"My company invented an energy concept which might save the whole planet from the adverse consequences of the greenhouse effect and my Japanese client has ordered a test run. So you see this is wonderful and important. I have to be there and I really can't take Julia. I mean I could but she would be all alone all day and she doesn't even speak the language. So between boarding school and Fragrant Meadows I opted to bring her here."

"Oh bollocks. You all believe me when I'm saying I am more than happy for Julia to stay with me but can you imagine a fortuneteller told her she should do that?"