Free Please Don't Take My Baby by Cathy Glass

heard alarm bells ringing at the urgency in Jade’s request, but I didn’t.

Chapter Seven
Testing Boundaries
    That afternoon, after we’d returned home from town and as soon as Jade had finished her lunch, she said she was going out.
    ‘Oh, really?’ I asked, surprised, thinking she’d want a rest after her busy morning. ‘Where are you going?’
    ‘To a friend’s,’ she said. She left the table and went into the hall.
    ‘Does she live far away? How will you get home?’ I called, mindful that Jade’s friends were likely to live close to where she had – on the other side of the county.
    ‘Not very far away,’ Jade called evasively. Then I thought I heard the front door quietly open and close, so I left the table and went into the hall where, sure enough, I found Jade’s shoes and coat were missing and she had gone.
    I was a little hurt by Jade’s abruptness. I’d only wanted to make sure she was safe and had enough money for the bus fare home. I would also have liked to confirm a coming-home time, as it was dark by 4.30 p.m. in winter. However, I was aware that teenagers don’t like to be questioned, so I just assumed she’d be home in plenty of time for dinner, which she knew was at about six o’clock. I got on with some housework and also took the bag containing the maternity clothes I’d bought for Jade that morning up to her room, where I found her bed still unmade and the cases unpacked. She was supposed to have been unpacking them while I’d been making lunch. I left them where they were for Jade to do later when she came home.
    An hour passed and then Rachel phoned to ask how Jade was settling in. I told her Jade was fine; that we’d collected her belongings from home and I’d had a chance to talk to Jackie. I said that Jade and her mother were now on better terms, and that after we’d left we’d been into town to go shopping and I’d also had had a key cut for her.
    ‘So Jade’s out now?’ Rachel said.
    ‘Yes, she’s gone to see a friend.’
    ‘Did she say who?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘OK. I’ll phone later. What time is she due back?’ It’s usual for the child’s social worker to speak to the child within a day or so of the child being placed with a foster carer.
    ‘I’m assuming she’ll be home by dinnertime, which is six o’clock.’
    ‘All right, I’ll phone later or tomorrow.’
    We said goodbye and I replaced the phone, feeling I should have been able to give Rachel more positive answers as to where Jade was and what time she’d be back. I knew that the next time Jade went out I needed to make sure I knew exactly where she was going and what time she’d be back, although that would be difficult if she just slipped out as she had done today. There wasn’t the same problem with younger children, as you always knew where they were and what they were doing. I knew I was on a sharp learning curve when it came to fostering a teenager.
    When I collected Paula from school, the first thing she said was that she was looking forward to playing with Jade. I had to tell her that Jade wasn’t in right now but I was sure she would be back very soon.
    ‘Good,’ Paula said. ‘I want her to play with my dolls’ house with me.’
    I smiled and thought that Jade might even be home by the time Paula and I arrived, but she wasn’t. And when Adrian came home half an hour later there was still no sign of her. Although it wasn’t late it was soon dark and I began making dinner, while listening for the sound of Jade’s key in the front door. I should have asked her for her mobile number before she’d gone out so that I could have at least phoned her and confirmed a coming-home time and that she was safe.
    It was then I had a sudden flash of inspiration – a ‘light-bulb’ moment: I realized that Jade’s mobile number might have been included on the essential information forms. Leaving the preparation of dinner, I went into the sitting room and checked the forms in my fostering