NINE

ANISHA'S POV

Being a lady with a baby was enough to attract the attention of people. I wished I had some men clothes for disguise; but then all the same, a man with a baby would probably attract even more suspicion. These thoughts ran through my mind as I drove at a very high speed. My aim was to reach Pamuti before the police could close all the entrances and exits of Southrain. It was around 11PM when a huge signpost shone brightly in my face "WELCOME TO THE CITY OF PAMUTI. ENJOY YOUR STAY". I drove faster to get to that post as quickly as I could. I had barely driven for five minutes into the city of Pamuti, when my car beeped. Checking the dashboard, I realized I was running out of fuel.

"Oh no!!" I cursed out very loud, and my scream woke up baby Liam. He started to cry.

"I'm sorry Liam, I'm sorry," I tried to calm him down.

I kept driving until the car beeps were constantly coming, and I knew I did not have much distance to cover before the car came to a stop. I was in the middle of a residential area when the car slowly came to a stop. Moving it out of the road, I parked it and sighed. Then I burst into tears, not knowing what else I could do.

An idea then crossed my mind; how about checking inside the car? Although I highly doubted that sir Lucas might have travelled with cash in his car, there was still no harm in trying. Hurriedly I fumbled through the center console; I opened everything that could be opened and sure enough, I did find some notes. It was not much, but I was happy as if I had landed a billion dollars. With a smile, I folded it neatly and kept the money in my pocket.

"Having car problems, miss?" a torch flashed at my window. I quickly sat up, lowered the window a bit and wiped off the tears which were starting to dry on my cheeks. Two police officers were standing at the window.

"Aww, she's crying", one of the cops said.

"Don't cry, we can help you. Are you alone?"

"Yes," I lied. I figured since Liam had fallen asleep again, and it was dark inside the car, I could lie and say I was alone. I could not start talking about a baby, knowing fully well that the news was all about a missing baby and a baby sitter on the run. Worse still, a clear photo of Liam had been shown to the whole country of Lakeworld on the TV. Oh my goodness, I felt a stab in my stomach.

"I have run out of fuel," I told them.

"How far are you going", the man asked.

Being unfamiliar with Pamuti, I had no idea what the names of their residential areas were. I had to think very fast and say "I want to leave for Southrain tonight."

They looked at each other and one said "why don't you rest and then proceed with your journey tomorrow?"

"No, it has to be today. I have to go today. Its urgent" I insisted.

"There is a petroleum station just down the corner there. You're almost there. You see that white roof? That's a petroleum station there! Have a safe trip."

"Thank you so much! May God bless you!" I said before I started to drive again, heading towards the petroleum station.

Before I even filled up the car, I fumbled through the car, hoping to find more cash, but there was none. After filling up, I then walked inside the small shop at the station, leaving Liam behind. There was an old man behind the counter and he was dozing off. I asked to use his phone as well as the restroom. At that time, Eden was my only hope. His last call had somehow managed to convince me that he could be a good person trying to genuinely help me. He seemed very much concerned about Liam, to my surprise. I wondered why he cared that much, or was it because generally he cared about young people? Before I called him, I rushed to the restroom. When I came back to leave the restroom keys with the old man, he had fallen asleep again. He was startled when I entered.

"Oh it's you young lady! Who are you with at such an hour of the night?"

"I am travelling to Southrain!" I smiled, dodging his question.

"Southrain! Dangerous City, that one." He said in a sleepy voice.

"Why do you say so?" I asked.

"You haven't heard? A woman was murdered and there are a number of suspects. The prime suspect is a plumber, then the husband, and even the babysitter!! Can you imagine your own babysitter murdering you!" he shook his head.

I almost fainted upon hearing what the old man had said. What? So I was also a prime suspect!! I failed to believe it. I felt a movement in my stomach, as if the organs churned in response to what I had just heard. My eyes slightly moistened themselves, thankfully not to the point of letting out tears. I wanted to talk, but I was not sure if my voice was not going to betray me. Clearing my throat was the only way of calming myself down, and avoiding the old man's eyes, I asked casually,

"Have they found the child minder?"

He yawned and stood up, then he said "not yet. But the current update says a manager at Southrain City Lodge believes he hosted the babysitter. A lady with a baby checked in at the lodge and disappeared without saying her goodbyes."

"Where is she now? The babysitter?" I could almost cry as I asked that question.

"Who knows? They have closed all the exits that leave Southrain. You're going there, aren't you? You'll have trouble getting into Southrain. I am sure every car will be thoroughly checked."

He picked his remote control and switched to the news channel. "Let's check if there is any update", he said.

The news reader was reporting "....meanwhile, the suspected babysitter is believed to be still within Southrain. All the entry and exit points to the city have been closed, and the search continues. The neighbours to the deceased are being very helpful as they assist the police in this investigation. If anyone has any leads to help us locate the kidnapped baby, the man posing as the plumber, the babysitter or the husband of the deceased, please contact your nearest police officers. We will keep you updated."

Without saying any word, I walked out of the shop as fast as I could.

"Err, young lady! How about the phone! You said you wanted to use the restroom and to use the phone as well!" he called out to me.

Of course I had asked to use the phone, but there was no more time for that any more. I had to leave. I needed to get to Yellowleaf as soon as I possibly could. Slamming the car door, I fastened my seat belt as I spoke to the sleeping Liam, "I don't know where we are going Liam, but we are leaving Pamuti. We must be out of Pamuti before the sun rises."

Liam, as if hearing what I said, chuckled in his sleep. I drove until I got to a place that I considered to be safe, and I pulled up on the side of the road. The little one was hungry, and I started feeding him some bottled baby food. At home, Liam was never fed bottled foods, so soon after I gave him a spoonful, his little face frowned and he spat. It was very funny how he did it, I could not help but laugh. He had some remaining food in his mouth, which he blew right in my face.

"oh Liam, Liam stop!" I covered my face using my hands, causing the little one to laugh heartily.

"You need to eat this, Liam," I pretended to eat the food as a way of encouraging him. "yummy! Yummy Liam, let's eat. Open your mouth, Liam."

The little boy continued to laugh, babbling away and blowing too. I felt sorry for him. If only he knew that his mother was dead. Was he even missing her? Or in his young mind, he believed that she was going to come back, just like she used to come back from work? Oh, poor little baby.

I held him close to me and hugged him to my chest. The image of ma'am Larissa lying in her own blood flashed in my mind, haunting me again. I closed my eyes tightly, but the image became even bolder. I snapped my eyes wide open and violently shook my head. I did not want the image to continue coming, yet it came.

Without me realizing it, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I only knew about them when one large teardrop fell on Liam's leg, and I quickly wiped it off. I needed to be strong, if not for myself, then for Liam. He was just a baby, yes, but he could tell when someone was sad. If I allowed myself to break down in front of the little one, he too was going to cry and that was the last thing I needed.

The little child yawned in my arms, and I cuddled him.

"You need to eat something," I told him softly, and he just stared at me. His pure white eyes blinked innocently at me before he brought his hand to his mouth and began to suck his thumb.

"Is that a new habit? Sucking your thumb? No, no Liam, your hands are dirty! No thumb sucking, Liam!" I playfully pulled his thumb away, and he smiled sweetly. He yawned again, and I cuddled him. Within a short time the baby was fast asleep in my arms. Gently, I lay him on the car seat and covered him with a towel.

The moment I sat back in the driver's seat, the tears came back. But I had to fight them. I needed to proceed, to get hold of a phone and ask Eden to come and help me as soon as possible.