Clubrooms Diary

Chapter 47: Where's Layla?

Lisa

May 15th 2018

I sit on the hood of my car, zipping my jacket up and take a long drag from the cigarette that rests

between my fingers. I cough, expelling the vile smoke from my lungs. I pull the zip all the way up on my

bomber jacket, it's crazy chilly this morning. I attempt to take another puff and flick the smoke to the

ground. I've never been a smoker and I doubt I ever will be, it's horrible, disgusting. Wasted thirty-nine

dollars! And that's the cheapest packet of smokes on the market in New Zealand. A bottle of Whiskey

would've been cheaper and a much more effective anxiety suppressant. My body is a quivering mess,

I'm high from my anxiety, and I'm in desperate need of something to occupy my hands. I had night

terrors that Jimmy wasn't dead and had escaped from the drum. Every few minutes last night, there

was this intense tapping sound coming from a window in the house. Perhaps watching The Walking

Dead wasn't such a good idea after all. As I was flipping through the channels, I became intrigued by it,

mentally noting what to do if the mother fucker became a zombie. It turned out that the noise was

caused by overgrown branches on the tree outside the kitchen window brushing against the glass. I

busted out laughing, feeling like a dip shite for believing Jimmy had transformed into a zombie in order

to locate me and exact his revenge. Not long afterwards, I broke down and ugly cried for an hour and a

half before collapsing into a deep slumber. I wince as a piercing screeching sound reverberates across

the air cruelly. I turn away from the cigarette on the ground to see the truck backing, back towards the

skip bin where Jimmy's body is being held. I stand there and watch as the bin is gradually lifted onto

the truck, the driver jumps out, hooks the chains on the side, and jumps back into the driver's seat,

driving away. I exhale, unaware that I had been holding my breath the entire time. That explains why I

felt light-headed; I assumed it was the guilt eating me up on the inside. I brush my hands over my face

and curse a long line of words that would make my mother disappointed. I watch as the doors to the

club burst open and a lady walks in my direction. I study her a little closer and as she draws nearer I

notice a badge displayed on her hip. 'Shit.... ' My subconscious screams at me. I abruptly stand, fix my

hair and try to muster up a passive expression on my face. My heart begins to race, my hands become

unbelievably sweaty and dreadful butterflies form in the pit of my stomach. With my mind going stir

crazy, freaking the hell out, I try to elevate my breathing. "Good Morning," She says softly. "M.morning"

I reply, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. "Do you work here?" She nods towards the club.

"Y..Yes, I do." My voice begins to tremble, and I rub my hands more vigorously up and down my arms.

I'm giving her the impression that I'm shivering, which is why I'm mildly stuttering. "I'm Detective Evie."

She thrusts her hand forward and I shake it. "I'm Lisa," I mutter, introducing myself. "Do you know

where I can find Layla Slater?" She narrows her eyes at me. "If she's not already here, she should be,

shortly." I lie through my teeth. I watch as her eyes scan the carpark before they land back on mine.

"Do you know what car she drives?" She asks suspiciously. "A..uh..A blue swift." I use the back of my

hand to wipe my cold nose. "You mean the blue swift that's parked across the road?" She stares out

into the distance. I turn in the direction she's looking at. Sure enough, Laylas car is parked across the

bloody road. I inwardly facepalm myself at her stupidity. She was meant to dump Jimmy's car and

come back to claim her own. "Yup, that's the one." I try to keep my voice levelled. "Have you noticed

anything out of the ordinary with her lately?" "Do you consider sobbing over her deceased husband and

having to work as a sex worker to be "out of the ordinary" behaviour?" I raise my brow at her. "Point

taken. But, to be more specific, does she have a tendency to stalk her clients and beg them to

impregnate her?" Her previously soft voice is now a more determined tone. "Are you making an

assumption, that Layla was mentally unstable? Because in my opinion, she's not. Just a lost soul trying

to find her place in the world again. " "Jimmy Slater." She pauses, trying to read my facial expressions.

"Did he come and visit often?" "There were a few times he visited her. He was her brother in law." "His

wife Nikki, filed a missing person report last night. Jimmy didn't return home and he had previously told

her that Layla wouldn't leave him alone." "He paid to see Layla. You can check his credit card details if

you don't believe me. He sought her out." "Hmmm...." She sighs out. "Maybe they ran away together Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

for why her cars still parked across the road." I look at her optimistically, lying once again. "Maybe,"

She reaches into her pocket and passes me a card. "If you hear from her or Jimmy. Please tell them to

get in contact with me." She smiles and turns to leave. "I thought you have to wait for twenty-four

hours before filing a missing person report?" I question her. "Nikki hasn't seen him for over twenty fours

now. I know Nikki personally, I promised her I'd look into it." "I know Jimmy too, I dated him back in

school. He's always been a loose cannon, someone who can never stay put in one place for too long

before he gets bored." "You're that... Lisa," She scoffs with a smile on her face. Making it pretty obvious

she and Nikki have spoken about me. Seconds later, the doors fly open to the club, swinging back as

they hit the walls and I see Mal sprinting towards us "Detective Evie, Detective Evie!!!" She screams

out, panicking as tears stream down her face. She makes it halfway across the carpark before Amar

stumbles out the door, his hand on his bleeding abdomen. "MALAYINA!!" He roars out her name,

sending shivers down my spine. The SUV's driver's door flies open, and Amar's sidekick leaps out. He

casts a glance at Amar, Mal, and then back at Amar. Amar gives him a nod, and he turns around and

begins running after Mal. Detective Evie reaches into her jacket and pulls out a gun; she draws it up,

cocks it back, and points it at the fleeing sidekick dude. She pulls the trigger, firing a warning shot just

ahead of Amar's sidekick. He comes to a halt and casts a narrowed gaze at the Detective. "Come on

hon," She calls out to Mal with her gun still drawn. She pushes Mal behind her and uses her body to

shield Mal from the Greeks the moment Mal reaches her side. When a car door slams shut, the

detective flinches, looking to her side to see fucking Chad standing there dumbfounded. When she

turns around, she notices Amar's sidekick has drawn his gun. "Send her back to us and no one has to

get hurt." He calls out to Detective Evie. She snickers, "Come and get her!" She yells back. I swallow

back this morning's breakfast, my eyes darting between them as I despise myself for venturing outside

for a smoke and becoming embroiled in a gunfight between a furious Detective and a mad assassin

Greek. 'Fuck you too, Layla!' I scream, internally, wishing we shared a mental link.