Side Story - Mango 3

~Day 8~

Today it's been a week and a day since Tapestry and Honey disappeared.

After spending a very long and tiring day yesterday in Apple Hill and after having yet another sleepless night, I'm sat with 'River's life on paper in front of me stretched out on the kitchen table. Birth and medical records, a copy of his birth certificate which of course says father unknown, his school records, his employment records from Apple Hill and quite a lot of photographs of various stages of his life, anything I could find on the boy I'd got it in front of me.

I am never going to rest until I know for certain he is my son.

I'm just sat here looking at an adult photograph of him and I'm not even sure I can describe how I'm feeling ... there are too many emotions running through me.

Luckily I managed to track down his grandmothers sister who is the only living relative of Maizie's that I could find, she eventually gave me a lot of information on Maizie and 'River' after a very rocky start.  When she opened the door and I told her I was an old boyfriend of Maizies and I gave her my name the first words out of her mouth were like a hard punch in the stomach  "Oh finally, you come to pay your son some attention!!" she said quite nastily  "Well he's not here Mango's in Sugar Valley with his Mother!!  Go bang down Maizies door!!!  You've both dumped on that boy, it's a wander he's turned out as well as he has .... you should be ashamed of yourself!!!"

I thought she was going to slam the door in my face at first.  Her attitude towards me was not pleasant to start with, I dread to think what Maizie might have been saying about me to her family.  Once I explained the situation, that I had only just found out that 'River' existed she calmed right down saying "Yeah, I could just imagine that is something that Maizie would do, that girl has always been trouble!"  then she invited me in.  I asked how she knew I was 'Rivers' father, she said Maizie had told her Mother about me, it was hard to forget my name with 'River' sharing the same name and she said any idiot can see it, he's looks just like me.

I was very shocked to find out that Maizie's Mother had not faded when she was a child like she had told me.  Why lie and tell people that your own Mother has faded when she hasn't?!  I'm seriously beginning to think that Maizie is one warped woman and virtually everything about her is a lie ... what the hell did I nearly get myself mixed up in I wander!!  Maizie's Mother faded only two years ago and she is the person who has brought River up since he was a baby.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her anything about Tapestry's abduction and 'River's' involvement, she is a very old woman and I could just imagine hearing something like that might help see her off!!  She seems to be very fond of 'River' so I kept it to myself, even though I get the feeling when the police uncover 'Rivers' identity, they will also be banging down this woman's door, I'm actually surprised I beat them to it.

She told me 'River' is my son ... do I really need any more proof?

Maize apparently is a pure orange berry by birth, she showed me pictures of her, one of which I have in front of me - not that I can see it, but I needed to bring one home so that someone could confirm it for me, which my Mother did.  One thing I don't understand is why the pretense - she made herself out to be a mixed berry - why?  I would never have noticed being colourblind that her eyes weren't blue at night when she took out her contacts - is that why she always insisted on our bedroom door being locked at night? so my Mother didn't walk in and see her orange eyes, I bet it must have been really convenient for her living with two colourblind people, me and my Dad.  She must have used the hair dye and coloured contacts trick to cover up the fact that she is actually a pure orange berry - why?  Why would she even do that? Why would she not tell me and just how did I never notice the box's of hair dye??

Then there is Maizies semi disappearance, she had not been seen by any of her family for the past 10 years.  There are those 10 years again where she has had no medical attention from either Sugar Valley or Apple Hill.  Not even 'River' saw her apparantly they only spoke on the phone.  This seems a little strange to me.  The only thing I can think is that she moved quite a distance away ... but why leave your child behind ... why didn't she just give him to me if she didn't want him?!

'River's' Grandmother brought him up, not Maizie, he spent his whole life up until two years ago in Apple Hill while Maizie was living in Sugar Valley.  I can feel my heart breaking ... all that time he had no parents, if I'd even known he existed he would have been with me, Maizie obviously didn't want him ... I was never even given the choice!!  This makes me very angry!!

'River'  left Apple Hill two years ago and moved to Sugar Valley after his Grandmother faded.  Even though Maize didn't have anything to do with his upbringing she was in constant contact with him apparantly, so the Grandmothers Sister thought nothing of 'River' coming to live in Sugar Valley with his birth Mother after her sister faded.

So 'River' who's real name is Mango, odds on was going to be born completely orange with both me and Maizie being completely orange, the only bit of colour that could have been thrown up was my Mothers purple hair and eye colour but it didn't.  I think for a moment, if only that purple had surfaced, Maizie would have had no choice but to move him to Sugar Valley, if he had been a mixed berry then I would have found out about my son's existence a lot sooner!!   As 'River' by birth is a pure orange berry Maizie was able to keep him in Apple Hill - away from me - but why?

Why would she want to hide my child from me?  That's the thing that I really don't understand!!  Was it spite?  I think back to the last argument we had, she caught me nearly kissing Lilly, I say nearly because if Maizie hadn't stood there screaming I would have kissed Lilly .. I seriously hated her for interrupting that moment.  Me and Maizie spent the whole day fighting ... which was nothing new really, we fought like cat and dog constantly most of the time over nothing.  This time was different, for once she actually had a valid reason for being mad with me ... I'd had enough and she gave me an ultimatum ... she made me chose between her and Lilly, and of course I chose Lilly even though I didn't think we would ever have the future that I wanted together.  I finally admitted to Maizie exactly how I felt about her, she was just a distraction to take my mind off Lilly ... OH BERRY!!! ... I asked for this didn't I!!!

I suddenly remember something she had said to me that I didn't take any notice of at the time ... and haven't given a second thought to since ... but now I know it must actually have meant something, and I didn't even know or realize.   She'd asked me "What if we had a baby would it make a difference?" and I told her  "No!! The very last thing I would ever want is a child with her ... I've always loved Lilly and there is nothing she could ever do to compete with that!"  Maizie had thrown something at me, she's said  "Fine if that's what you want!! quite nastily then she started packing her bags and I was happy to watch her knowing I would finally be rid of her ... she must have known ... she walked out of my house KNOWING she was pregnant ... Hell!!  She left and never told me because of what I'd said to her!!!

I pick up a photograph off the table, one of a teenage 'River' and just stare at it.  I have loads of photographs of the boy from various stages of his life that his Grandmothers sister gave me. This photo of him really leave me in no doubt, he couldn't look more like me at that age if he tried to!!  My Mother confirming that 'River' has my exact shade of orange hair, just like Tapestry, he is actually so much like Tapestry all through his childhood photographs it's quite frightening, the photo's of them both at around the age of 10, I'm actually struggling to tell them apart. I don't really see any of Maizie in 'River' at all physically and apparantly there isn't any colourwise either, Maizie is a different orange to me, her hair and her eyes are more like a watery orange according to my Mother he's got none of her colouring, it's all mine.

I think I already know he's my son and there is only Maizie that can tell me otherwise.

Me and both of my parents, the three of us work at the hospital and we can't believe that he has been right under our nose for the past two years and we've never noticed him.  All three of us have been in pathology and never taken the slightest bit of notice of him.  My Dad has actually spoken to him quite a few times and he hasn't noticed anything, when I showed him the picture from the hospital he said "Oh that's Deepwater .. never knew his name was River." I thought he was going to have a coronary when I told him he is Maizie's son and probably mine and his name is actually Mango Muffin Lane.

The more I find out about him the more I'm certain, without even meeting him I can already tell from what bits of information I do have on him, he is a lot like me in every way ... there are just too many coincidences for him not to be. He was the school nerd with the intelligence and glasses, his eyesight is a bag of shit like mine, one thing he isn't is colourblind.  His school record was very much like mine, and he excelled in music like I did.

Then there is his medical career - why did he chose a career in medicine?  His medical career to date kind of bewilders me, while he was employed and worked in the Hospital in Apple Hill he had worked his way quickly up to being a Trauma Surgeon.   When he started at the hospital in Sugar Valley he started from scratch again under his new identity of 'River' Lane, taking the same exams he's already taken and passed .. this makes sense, he couldn't use his real identity because he would have blown his cover.  What doesn't make sense is why sit as a registrar  in pathology when he's done higher jobs and is capable of much more, and has been offered much higher positions.  Why Pathology?  That has to be one of the worst departments in the hospital ... for me anyway!!   It's like he's sat there basically avoiding main stream surgery, even though he's obviously keeping his hand in doing autopsy's.  Is he avoiding surgery because that is where all of our paths would definitely have crossed - I get the feeling he was trying to avoid and even hide himself from me and my parents.  Why?

Has he been sat there watching me and this family for the past two years?

This makes me scared ... suddenly I wander ... is he's involved with Lime and Maizie in taking Tapestry, one of my other children, just to spite me ... maybe he hates me for not being there for him ... even worse, what if he hates Tapestry because I have been there for him.  Does 'River' know that I didn't even know he existed, or has Maizie fed him with a load of rubbish telling him I didn't care and didn't want to know.

Then I think about him going to the lengths of getting Tapestry his correct medication, is that a good thing or a bad thing, I thought it was a good thing at first , but now I'm not so sure, maybe they just can't handle him without his medication.  The books ... it has to be him who took those books from my office, that must have been what he was looking for ... information on Tapestry's problems ... is that a good or bad thing, I really can't work it out.

Something screams out to me, the way he blatantly accessed medical records from my computer to get the script, he's actually signed the script, was that a cry for help, a clue or stupidity ... he is not apparently a stupid person and he must know there are ways to access medical records at the hospital and cash scripts without actually stamping your identity all over it and leaving a blatant trail.  He's a natural doctor, you can see that clearly from both of his work records ... he has to be a caring person to work in the medical field ..... surely he can't be involved in this for bad reasons ... can he?!  If he isn't doing this for bad reasons, why is he even there at all and why doesn't he just bring Tapestry home?

I'm not sure of how much more of this I can actually take!!  I need to try and stop thinking about this because I am driving myself crazy!!!

What did I actually do to deserve all this crap that I keep getting thrown at me?!  I lost my temper and swept my arm across the table flinging some of the papers flying around the room.  I put my head down on the table and start to cry.

None of this is going to help bring Tapestry back is it.

My phone starts ringing I pull it out of my pocket and answer it without looking at it.  It's Gravel's voice that says hello to me.  I am pretty good friends with Gravel I've known him since we were kids, not only have I been his doctor in the past but he also happens to be the main police officer dealing with the case, so I quickly sit up hoping they've found them.

"Don't get too excited Mango, we haven't found Tapestry."  he went quiet for a moment and carried on speaking when I didn't reply.  "We have uncovered quite a bit of information on Mr Lane, including his real identity, which I really need to talk to you about, and I want to go through a few things with you."

"Okay, where do you want me here or at the station?"

"No actually, could you meet me in your office at the hospital, I was examining the cc tv at the hospital, to collect for evidence and ..... his behavour while he was in your office was pretty strange to say the least, I want you to take a look at the cctv to see if you can help shed some light on what he might have been up to."

When I walk into my office Gravel is already in there sat behind the desk engrossed with something on my computer.

"Can you lock the door mate, so we aren't disturbed."  he says without taking his eyes off the screen.  As I walk round my desk I see he is watching the cc tv footage.  He hits pause stops what he's watching and then just sits there looking at me for a moment in a very strangest way.

"I'll let you know where we are up to before we watch the cctv  ... I also have a few things I want to run by you too, you're not in any rush to get off anywhere are you? ... work?"

"No I'm taking time out I can't concentrate with this going on, I'm all yours for as long as you need me."  he smiles at me

I think you might want to sit down mate!!"  he says to me and gestures towards the chair next to my desk, so I do, even though it feels strange to be sitting in this seat instead of my own.

"I'm not sure I'm liking this, the strange look, telling me I might want to sit down ..."  I say nervously half expecting he's going to give me some really bad news.

"No! No! it's fine mate honestly ... no bad news, just ignore me ... it's just something about this River guy it's playing on my mind ... hence the strange look, but I'll explain that later ... we'll deal with Miss Lane first."

"We are drawing a total blank with Maizie."  he scratches his head " All trace of Maizie stops 10 years ago here and in Apple Hill where she originates from.  It's almost like she just vanished off the face of the earth, medical, dental, employment, phone records, her bank accounts have been untouched."  he smiles at me  "Everything in her name ceased being active 10 years ago, nobody has seen her and according to her neighbours the house she owns sat empty for about 8 years before Mr Lane moved into it.  I don't suppose you've seen her?"  I've already thought about this and I can't say I've seen her since the twins were born which has been way more than 10 years.

"No mate, I bet its been 16 years since I've seen her."

"We have put out quite a very wide search for any activity by Miss Lane, which is possible as it's just come to light she is actually a pure orange berry by birth,  but at the moment there is just nothing coming back.  I have officers interviewing all the witnesses from the funeral again ... we only have the say so of two witnesses who say that it was actually Maizie Lane who was Manderine Orchid's accomplice.  As far as she is concerned it's looking very suspisious ... if this had come to light under normal circumstances we would be treating her disappearance as a missing persons ... possible murder case."

"Couldn't she have been using a false identity like River, they seem to know how to pull it off!?"  he said its a possibility but untouched bank accounts that contain sizable funds and empty premises that contain no trace of her is never a good sign. "So what are you saying ... it might NOT have been Maizie who helped snatched our kids?"

"We don't know Mango ... it's all very suspicious, she vanishes without a trace, not even her family in Apple Hill have seen her in the past 10 years, then she just suddenly pops up out of nowhere ... we have no solid proof that it was Miss Lane we only have two eye witnesses who actually say they recognized her and only one of those witnesses spoke to her briefly."

"Sunny and Prelude"  I ask him, because I already know they were the only two there that actually knew Maizie.  Everyone else - Ruby, Caramel, Alpine, me, Lilly and my parents - who would have know who she was ... we were all not there when Lime snatched the kids.

"Yes, and your brother in law was the only one to talk to her."

"If Prelude says it was Maizie ... it was definitely Maizie!!  He knows Maizie very well, from when I used to date her and Maizie was their social worker when the twins were born in prison.  Prelude told me Maizie and Lime have been in constant contact since then, they have become very good friends ... maybe the prison has a record of her visiting Lime ..."

"Mango why do you keep refering to your sister in law as Lime?"

"Lime is the name she used all through school and that's the name we used for her to hide everything she's done from the kids for Storm and Parsley's sake, to them and the rest of the kids the twins mother was called Manderine, the bad lady was called Lime, but Tapestry didn't know anything he was always kept in the dark because of his disabilities ... and if you don't mind I'd rather you not call her my sister in law ... that woman is nothing to us  ... Prelude was an idiot to let her get her claws into him!!!"  he just smiles at me but I can imagine what he's thinking ... my so called sister in law and my ex girlfriend snatching my child ... it doesn't look good on me does it!!!!  and it gets worse wait till he finds out this River guy is probably my son!!  It's just a good job he actually knows me!!

"I will check with the prison, that's quite a good point you made there about prison visits."  he starts scribbling on his pad

"It has to be Maizie ... or how else would Maizie's son get dragged into this!!"  he frowned at me for a moment then I realized what I'd said.

"Mango how would you know Mr Lane is Maizie's son?"

"Mango Muffin Lane ... I already know his real name."  I say to him and he looks a little surprised  "I've been doing some digging of my own .... and I think ... I think ... he actually might be my son.

"Mate, you said you don't know this guy?" he frowns at me suspisciously

"Yeah well I don't ... I have never seen or spoken to him ... I didn't even know he existed until two days ago, I spotted his birth on Maizies medical records and just followed the trail ... and if I'm right and he is my son when I get my hands on Maizie you will be locking me up ... you'll be getting that murder case you mentioned!!"

Gravel just laughs at me, as I start explaining to him how soon after our break up he was born and my visit to his Grandmothers sister's in Apple Hill and all the coincidences that make me believe he's my son.  I placed the folder containing most of the papers and photographs that I'd collected up in front of him which he starts flicking through.  I'd left Maizie's and Rivers birth and medical records at home, because I really shouldn't have those, even though I just realized I've slipped up and told him I've looked at Maizies medical records, but he didn't bat an eyelid so maybe he hasn't thought about it.

"You should quit medicine and become a detective!"  he smirks at me as he's flicking through the papers.  "I'll need to keep these if you don't mind, just until the case is closed, then you can have them back."  he suddenly looks up at me and bursts out laughing  "Oh man ... this brings back memories!!"  he holds up a photo of 'River' when he was a teenager  "That kid is the spit of you at that age!!"  he carries on laughing  "You know I never did understood why your parents sent you off to that boarding school, I seriously used to miss you back then!!"

"Yeah I suppose you was my best mate at the time ...You know I was a mistake, they never planned any kids, they are both too career minded, I was being passed from pillow to post with the crazy shifts they work and they thought I needed some stability ... I hated it, but looking back, Lime aside, I'm glad they did .... I'd never have met Lilly and the others otherwise!!"

"You know I'm really glad you found out about Mango junior for yourself ... I thought I was going crazy for a while and I was dreading even broaching the subject with you!! ... I remember you dating Maizie and when I saw the boys real name it did make me wander, then when I saw him on the cctv, I had to do a double take ... that boy looks just like you!! ... especially now he is walking around town in his real colours"  I frown at him  "He's lost his disguise, the blue's gone, when he entered the hospital two days ago he was completely orange, I suspect so nobody here at the hospital would recognize him if they bumped into him."  He squinted at me for a moment  "Mango, how may I ask did you find out his real identity?  How did you get all this information .... I hope you haven't been doing anything illegal!!"  Oh Fudge!!

"Okay ... I hold my hands up ... I did look at Maizies medical records when I shouldn't .... and that's how I spotted the baby and she was born in Apple Hill .... so I went to Apple Hill ... everything else I did was perfectly legal!!"  I wasn't going to tell him I'd done most of it from here and accessed River's medical and birth records as well and how I'd actually got them, because what I have done is illegal and he'll do me for sure!!

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that Mango, as long as you don't go repeating it to anyone else!!! .... I think we had better move on don't you."  he gave me a cross look before he carried on speaking ... boy am I glad we are mates!!

"All we had on Mr Lane was the address the hospital have for him.  As you probably know that house is owned by Maizie, in view of her suspicious disappearance and both of their suspected involvement in this, we raided the property yesterday.  We found not a single trace of Maizie at all not even any clothes.  Everything is Mr Lanes.  We found a lot of mail from his Apple Hill address, a property he owns, which he has forwarded to the Sugar Valley address.  We found his real identity quite easily, and once we got hold of his birth records everything started falling into place.  You'll be pleased to know he's squeaky clean, he's got no previous, not even a caution, we are a little hampered as we don't even have his fingerprints on record ... Maizie on the other hand has got quite a colourful and checkered past on record!!"

"Really?!"  

"Oh yes, I can't give you any details obviously, but that ex girlfriend of yours is VERY well known by the Apple Hill mob!!"  he smiles at me  "Unlike his Mother, I'm not sure Mango junior even knows what he's doing ... he's made no attempt to hide his real identity in his own home from what we can see."  he stops for a moment  "He is not hiding his identity around town either for that matter ... he's using a debit card to an account in his real name which makes us believe they are still in Sugar Valley somewhere, as he's using it only here and nowhere else. In the past week he's popped up in quite a few places, besides his trip to the hospital he's been food shopping, brought petrol and this morning he's done more food shopping and he's been in the chemist. It's looking very much like Mango junior is going to be our key to catching them because he is being very careless.

"I wander if he's not leaving a trail on purpose."

"He might be, but he might just be out of his depth  .... which brings me to his phone records"  he looks at me nervously  "I need you to look at them."  he starts rooting around in his folder and pulls out quite a few sheets of paper.  "This is a list of numbers he's been calling and texting quite regularly over the past 12 months."  He puts a piece of paper in front of me which contains a handwritten list of numbers and names.

I read the first two and instantly start panicking.

"NO!! ... NO!!  I'm not having this ... I have to go home"  I say as I stand up abruptly knocking the chair flying, he grabs my arm and tells me to sit back down.

"Mango there is no need for you to panic - I know exactly what you might be thinking and if it makes you feel a little more comfortable I'll send a patrol car to sit outside your house, but quite frankly I think if he was going to do anything he would have done it before now!!  I knew you'd panic, but don't forget I have a vested interest in that girl of yours and I'm no worried!!"  he smiles at me for a moment  "Mango junior has been sending and receiving text and calls from most of these numbers for well over 12 months." I just stare at him not sure I can think straight anymore  "As soon as we are done here, I'll come home with you because I'll need to start interviewing them all, starting with your two."  he pats me on the shoulder  "I need to know which of these are relatives or close associates. "

I look down at the list and see a lot of names that I recognize, a few from the hospital and others around town but I start reading out the names that really bother me, - Coral, Mosaic, Parsley, Strawberry, Carmine, Cinnamon, Fudge, Maize, Affair, Cherry, Juniper, Mulberry, Ice - I start to feel sick ... what the hell is going on here!!!  I look up at Gravel, disbelief on my face

"It appears Mango junior has been very busy getting to know your family and friends!! I guessed you might be a little surprised, there are a lot of Orchids on that list."

"SHOCKED more like it ... is there only me who doesn't actually know him?!"  I scratch my head, I seriously can't take this in  "It's not just the Orchids, its the Shines and the Forrests ... we are one big extended family ... and I worry about him having contact with any of them if he's doing this for the wrong reasons!!"

"I need you to confirm how they are related to Tapestry and Honey."  I look at the list again.

"Mulberry and Ice are his Uncle and Aunt ... Parsley, Affair and Juniper are his cousins and you know Mosaic and Coral are his brother and sister."  I wait for him to stop scribbling "Strawberry, Maize, Carmine and Cherry are Honeys siblings, and the only other two I'm worried about are Cinnamon and Fudge they are Alpines kids."  I scratched my head for a moment I notice Tapestry nor Honeys names or numbers are on this list.

"I need to speak to Mulberry and your two in particular because they have all had contact with Mr Lane today according to his phone records"   WHAT!?  This just get's better every minute!!

"TODAY!?"  I seriously don't believe this and it's really starting to worry me

"Yes Mosaic called him, Coral and Mulberry exchanged a few texts with him."

"You know if Coral knows him, what about your boy, those two are attached at the hip these days!?"  Coral has been dating Gravel's son Slate for about 12  months now and these days they are always together.

"Yes I know that has already crossed my mind even though Slates number doesn't appear on his phone records, but like you said, Coral and Slate are inseparable lately so I think he's bound to know of him if Coral knows him!!"  he looks up at me worried for a moment  "Slate stayed over at yours last night didn't he ..?"  I nodded and told him I'd seen him at breakfast

"Hopefully I'll catch up with him later at yours!!"  he smiled at me  "One more question, according to his neighbours Mango junior appears to be dating someone ... a very pale blue woman, she seems to come and go from time to time, she appears to live with him for short periods then disappears again ... we suspect she is someone from out of town, but I don't suppose anyone on that list jumps out at you as a possible candidate"

"You are asking the wrong person mate, I'm colourblind remember, I can hardly remember what colour you are."  he laughs at me

"Yeah I forget that ... I'm Brown and Grey mate."  he laughs again  "Okay ... nervermind, I'm hoping someone on this list might know who she is."  he starts packing away the papers he's got all over my desk keeping only his notepad and pen out.  "So to the cctv then ... I'll just rewind this then we are set to go."

"Okay"  I am actually dreading this ... actually seeing him, it is going to make it all too real.

"You ready?"  I nod and he hits play.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought I'd just tell you 'River' was a little present created by sp around the time I was playing in Preludes house with Lilly and Cosmic had just died - Mango was not in the active house :)  so he is a born in game sim.  I just never imagined I'd actually get to use him.