a
connection.”
“ Lucas,” she called out as he turned to leave. “Are you sure?
I mean, after this morning and yesterday.”
“ I need to make up for my mistakes, Maggie. Make amends with
her.”
“ Ok, I trust you. Thousands wouldn’t. Keep me
posted.”
“ Will do,” he called out as he rushed out.
* * *
The sun streaming through the window stung Chelsea’s raw eyes
as she opened them. She blinked a few times as her head thudded out
its own drum beat. Disorientated, it took her a moment to recall
what had happened and why she was in bed, fully clothed.
Elle.
With dread, she dragged herself up and looked at the time. It
was still morning. She must have dozed off after the detectives
left.
Detective Lucas Hudson, so that was his name.
His gruff manner lingered from the previous day but that
didn’t reduce her attraction to him. Some things go beyond reason.
The way his eyes penetrated her, as though looking right into her
soul. Scary. Enticing. Unnerving. He’s rude and abrasive, not you’re type,
no matter how sexy he is. Don’t be silly, he doesn’t even like
you.
He’d made that crystal clear.
The doorbell jolted her out of her reverie. Chelsea was
greeted by four Crime Scene Techs and two officers, who’d been sent
over by the detectives. She showed two of the techs to Elle’s room
while the other two fingerprinted the living areas. The officers
stood at the entrance.
Chelsea determined to do something with her day, to keep her
mind from wandering. Although she felt hollow and tears hovered
beneath the surface, Chelsea tried not to think about the aching
pain in her chest.
She proceeded to the kitchen to make some coffee. Perhaps
some caffeine would shake the fog from her head. She brewed her
favourite blend and the aroma lifted her spirits a little. Her mind
wandered as she prepared her coffee. She was running though her
orders for Bloom to ensure everything was completed for the next
day when a thought jumped into her head. Mrs. Sheridan!
She dialled Clare Sheridan’s number to find her, as expected,
full of anguish.
“ Mrs. Sheridan, I’m sorry about Elle. If I’d gone to the
police sooner...”
Elle’s mum was quick to reassure her. “Chelsea, you couldn’t
have known. Elle ... well you know …” Her voice caught and she
cleared her throat.
“ I do. I ... if you need anything.”
“ I’ll ask.”
“ Yes, please.”
“ I will. You’re sweet. Thanks for calling, Chelsea. Take care.
Are you still in the house?”
“ Yes.”
“ Maybe it isn’t safe to be there.”
“ Mum and Charlotte are coming over and I am surrounded by
cops.”
“ Chelsea, are you sure? He could have keys,
anything.”
That scared her. He could. “I’ll think about it carefully,
Mrs. Sheridan.”
“ You do that.”
Talking to Elle’s mum had really upset her. Her heart ached
at the senselessness of the world that took such a wonderful
daughter and friend. And Mrs. Sheridan was right. He might come
back. No,
why would he?
She shivered and allowed a few tears to escape before wiping
them away. Tears for Elle or tears for herself? Both. Things were
never going to be the same. It hurt too much to think about it all
now.
She poured herself another cup of coffee as the first did
little to help her think. As she headed upstairs, to sit out on the
balcony, the doorbell rang again.
What now? Should she answer it? Of course she should. The
place was crawling with cops.
Chelsea opened the door to discover Detective Hudson standing
there with a solemn face and remorseful eyes. His attitude appeared
so changed from their previous meetings that she became
confused.
“ How can I help you, Detective Hudson?” she asked
cautiously.
“ Please, call me Lucas,” he replied with a crooked smile. “I
was wondering, if it’s all right, could I ask you a couple of
questions?”
What a smile. How could she resist that smile? Why hadn’t he
done that before? And his eyes seemed to have taken
connection.”
“ Lucas,” she called out as he turned to leave. “Are you sure?
I mean, after this morning and yesterday.”
“ I need to make up for my mistakes, Maggie. Make amends with
her.”
“ Ok, I trust you. Thousands wouldn’t. Keep me
posted.”
“ Will do,” he called out as he rushed out.
* * *
The sun streaming through the window stung Chelsea’s raw eyes
as she opened them. She blinked a few times as her head thudded out
its own drum beat. Disorientated, it took her a moment to recall
what had happened and why she was in bed, fully clothed.
Elle.
With dread, she dragged herself up and looked at the time. It
was still morning. She must have dozed off after the detectives
left.
Detective Lucas Hudson, so that was his name.
His gruff manner lingered from the previous day but that
didn’t reduce her attraction to him. Some things go beyond reason.
The way his eyes penetrated her, as though looking right into her
soul. Scary. Enticing. Unnerving. He’s rude and abrasive, not you’re type,
no matter how sexy he is. Don’t be silly, he doesn’t even like
you.
He’d made that crystal clear.
The doorbell jolted her out of her reverie. Chelsea was
greeted by four Crime Scene Techs and two officers, who’d been sent
over by the detectives. She showed two of the techs to Elle’s room
while the other two fingerprinted the living areas. The officers
stood at the entrance.
Chelsea determined to do something with her day, to keep her
mind from wandering. Although she felt hollow and tears hovered
beneath the surface, Chelsea tried not to think about the aching
pain in her chest.
She proceeded to the kitchen to make some coffee. Perhaps
some caffeine would shake the fog from her head. She brewed her
favourite blend and the aroma lifted her spirits a little. Her mind
wandered as she prepared her coffee. She was running though her
orders for Bloom to ensure everything was completed for the next
day when a thought jumped into her head. Mrs. Sheridan!
She dialled Clare Sheridan’s number to find her, as expected,
full of anguish.
“ Mrs. Sheridan, I’m sorry about Elle. If I’d gone to the
police sooner...”
Elle’s mum was quick to reassure her. “Chelsea, you couldn’t
have known. Elle ... well you know …” Her voice caught and she
cleared her throat.
“ I do. I ... if you need anything.”
“ I’ll ask.”
“ Yes, please.”
“ I will. You’re sweet. Thanks for calling, Chelsea. Take care.
Are you still in the house?”
“ Yes.”
“ Maybe it isn’t safe to be there.”
“ Mum and Charlotte are coming over and I am surrounded by
cops.”
“ Chelsea, are you sure? He could have keys,
anything.”
That scared her. He could. “I’ll think about it carefully,
Mrs. Sheridan.”
“ You do that.”
Talking to Elle’s mum had really upset her. Her heart ached
at the senselessness of the world that took such a wonderful
daughter and friend. And Mrs. Sheridan was right. He might come
back. No,
why would he?
She shivered and allowed a few tears to escape before wiping
them away. Tears for Elle or tears for herself? Both. Things were
never going to be the same. It hurt too much to think about it all
now.
She poured herself another cup of coffee as the first did
little to help her think. As she headed upstairs, to sit out on the
balcony, the doorbell rang again.
What now? Should she answer it? Of course she should. The
place was crawling with cops.
Chelsea opened the door to discover Detective Hudson standing
there with a solemn face and remorseful eyes. His attitude appeared
so changed from their previous meetings that she became
confused.
“ How can I help you, Detective Hudson?” she asked
cautiously.
“ Please, call me Lucas,” he replied with a crooked smile. “I
was wondering, if it’s all right, could I ask you a couple of
questions?”
What a smile. How could she resist that smile? Why hadn’t he
done that before? And his eyes seemed to have taken
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