Seeking Deeply The End

[kim]

you better not be evil flid this time

[flid]

It was light by the time I got home. I had probably been rude to Keller, in fact I knew I had been rude, but right then I didn’t care. I ran to my house from the car almost falling through the door.



“Vanessa!” my Grandfather said startled.
I looked around the house trying to spot Robin; I could feel the bile rising in my throat when I couldn’t see her.

“Where’s Robin?”




“In the bathroom washing her hands for breakfast.” He said.

I didn’t say any more I just ran to the bathroom. The house was small and everything was on one floor. The bathroom was in between mine and Robin’s room.




“Mummy.” She said excited as I burst through the door like a lunatic.

I dropped to my knees in front of her and pulled her into my arms wanting to make sure that she was real. All the time driving home from the gallery I expected the worst, expected her to be gone. That’s what kidnappers normally do when they demand a ransom is it?





My Grandfather had made pancakes. I sat trying to listen to Robins chatter as the phone call went through my head. Had it been real? If it was real surly they would have taken her. Maybe I dreamt it all. I had had an eventful night and virtually no sleep.

The phone rang and I jumped, Robin and my Grandfather looked at me as if I had gone mad. Maybe I had.




“I’ll get it.” Said my Grandfather.

I watched wide eyed as he walked over to the phone. I could hear my own heart beat as it sped up.

“It’s Macey.” He said holding the phone out to me.




I can’t remember exactly what Macey said on the phone, she just gave me the rest of the details from the police who had called again. I just tried to make encouraging noises where appropriate.

“Are you ok Vanessa?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry just one hell of a night. I’m still trying to get my head round it all.” Technically I was lying by omission, she assumed I meant the break in but that was far from my thoughts. All I could hear was that voice from the call. He sounded sincere, but yet everything at home seemed fine.




My grandfather watched me closely as sat back down and I ate. My hands were shaking and I tried to keep them still. My eyes kept flicking towards the phone. The call didn’t seem real now, but some part of me knew that it was and expected them to call again. Maybe they were still here?




I was up and out of my seat as soon as the thought entered my head. I ran into Robin’s room. Bart smiled out at me from all over the place. Her duvet had an image of him on pulling a money, my uncle’s idea not mine. Her lamp shade, curtains and rug all held different pictures and poses of him. I swear the room looked more like a boys. I flung open the wardrobe though there was no way anyone could hide in there. There were games, soft toys and a number of things I couldn’t even begin to identify piled high.

I even looked under her bed, pulling out the boxes from underneath just to make sure that there was no one hiding.

I did this through every room. Checking any possible place that some one could hide, even the small spaces that I knew no one would fit in anyway, but I had to check just to be sure.

I ran through the house and out the back. My grandfather and Robin stared at me shocked. I raced across the garden to my shed. The door was open slightly, just a small gap, nothing more than an inch or so. I was sure I had locked that last night. I opened the door cautiously, and peered in. Robin’s paddling pool lay in a screwed up on top of my lawn mower. Nothing looked to have been disturbed. And nothing seemed to be missing.

Maybe I hadn’t locked it. It was rather hectic last night I could have quite easily just thought I had done it.




I turned back to walk into the house after pulling the dead bolt and locking the shed up again. My grandfather and my uncle stood staring at me. I stopped where I was. I had no idea how I was going to explain my temporary insanity. I didn’t even remember my uncle being there. At least I was sure he wasn’t when I ran out of the house.

“Ethan?” I said as I got closer.

“Hey. You lost something?”

“Nope. When did you get here?”

“Just now.” He said smiling. “You were racing out the kitchen door.”

“Oh.”




Robin came running out the house to me; Zandra and Bonnie were following close behind. Zandra and Bonnie were my cousins. They weren’t Ethan’s children; they belonged to his twin sister Alex.

Robin loved playing with them. Zandra was just a year older than Robin and Bonnie was three.

“Uncle Ethan is taking Zandra and Bonnie to the zoo; he said I can go too. Can I mummy?”

“No.” I said bluntly and regretted it almost as soon as the words had left my mouth.




My grandfather seemed to be watching me suspiciously and I wanted him to stop. He was studying my face, my expressions and I knew he could see right through me. All of them seemed to be watching me, wondering what the sudden out burst was about. Damn. There was no way I was going to explain this successfully.

“It’s only the zoo Vanessa.” Said Ethan. “Not like I am going to feed her to the lions or anything.”




“Please mummy.” Robin, Zandra and Bonnie all gave me puppy dog eyes. Although I don’t think Bonnie actually understood she was just following her big sister. My grandfather remained quiet and I wish I knew what he was thinking, mind you from the look on his face I probably didn’t want to know.




“I’ll have her back in a couple of hours.”

“Ok. She can go.” I said relenting. If that call had just been a cruel joke then I couldn’t make Robin pay for it by stopping her. Ethan was good with her, he was good with all the kids, it was a shame he didn’t have any himself, he would make a great dad.




Robin cheered and ran back into the house to get changed. I followed her in, avoiding my grandfathers ever watchful eyes.

“Mummy?”

“Yes Robin?” I said as she came back out of her room me, I was relived to be able to leave the silence in my kitchen.

“What’s this?”

She was holding a piece of paper in her hands. Thick red crayon shone from the paper. The words standing out perfectly. 72 hours.

[oddball011]

OMG

Wow , flid I need more!!

[SimulatedDork]

OMG, amazing! Keep it coming flid, you can't keep us hanging like this!

I sorta wanted to see Alex's children (and Ethan was adorable as a tot from A Fathers Sacrifice) because I think Vanessa + Robin look like Morgan.

[Elven_Song]

Wow! Ethan grew up nicely! ^^ I wish I could see Alex, I'm sure she's just as gorgeous.

[flid]

I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could, my breakfast poured down the toilet as I vomited. They had been here. I wasn’t dreaming. The thought of the note turned my stomach and I threw up again until all I could do was heave, there was nothing left to bring up.




“Mummy are you poorly.” She asked from behind me as I bent over the cold porcelain bowl.”

“I’m fine baby, you carry on getting dressed. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Ok.” She said as she gave my back a light pat.




I sat on the floor next to the toilet. Sweat started to bead at my forehead. I had to pay it. I did have a million unlike I had told them on the phone. My Grandfather had money, when I had finished uni he had given me some to start my own gallery, otherwise I would still have been painting in their garage. He also gave me the house that I lived in. It used to be my parents, when they had died he had taken ownership and rented it out until I was old enough, now it was mine. The gallery didn’t do to bad. I wasn’t a rich artist like De Vinci or Van Gogh, but my paintings still sold and I did ok. I had three million in the bank in total, but I kept that separate from my money. I wanted to see how much I would have made had I been on my own.




I guess my Grandfather felt guilty over my parent’s deaths. He was there when my mother died, it was the first time he had seen her since she was 13. She had killed a man and my Grandfather had taken the blame. My mother and her brother Ethan and Sister Alex had ended up in a foster home. She had run away and never gone back.

As a wedding present my father had found my father and surprised her by taking her there, but she had got scared and run again. She ran right into the path of a car. She died within minutes. My father, according to my Grandfather, couldn’t cope with the loss of my mother and had killed himself, leaving me an orphan.

I had been brought up by my grandparents. My Grandfather always did everything for me. It was like he was trying to make up from my mothers life or the fact that I didn’t have her. He gave me everything and now someone wanted to take it.

There was no doubt about I would pay them the million. Robin was worth more than anything I had. I would give my life for her if I had to. I just had to wait for the call for further instruction.




I stood up at the sink and splashed cold water on my face. I looked a mess. My blonde hair was stuck to my head and my face was puffy. I had my fathers blue eyes, but they looked dull. I wouldn’t need 72 hours; as soon as they called I would pay them the money.




The bathroom door opened slowly and Robins head popped through the gap. “Hey baby.”

“Mummy, there’s a man at the door. He asked for you.”

“You shouldn’t answer the door.” I scolded a little harsher than I meant to.

“I’m sorry.” She said. “But I saw it was a police man through the window so I thought it would be ok.” She looked up at me waiting for my approval, for me to tell her that it was ok. I had always taught her that if she was in trouble to find a police man, I couldn’t tell her off for answering the door to one.

“Its ok baby. I’m just tired. Where’s Grandpa and Uncle Ethan?”

“Talking to the police man.”

“Oh.” I smiled as I spoke; trying to let her know that what she did was ok after all.




I tried to compose my self before going back out there, Facing my grandfather and Ethan was bad enough, but throw a police officer into the mix and I was in for a grilling.

Keller was stood just in the house. I don’t know whether or not I was surprised it was him. I cringed before I had chance to stop myself.





“We’ll get going.” Said Ethan. “It looks like you could do with the space at the moment anyway.”

“Ethan I…” and I tried to think of a good excuse to keep Robin here.




My grandfather had Bonnie in his arms. She was playfully trying to tickle him under his chin as he raised his eyebrows at me waiting for me to finish my sentence.

There was no way I was going to get out of letting her go.




“Never mind. Just don’t fill her up too much before teatime and I don’t want candy floss induced vomiting sessions.”

“Would I do that?” said Ethan as he bent down to me and placed a kiss against my cheek. “See you later.”




“Is everything ok?” my grandfather asked when Ethan’s car pulled away.

My Grandfather was great like that, even though he was dying to know what had happened last night he didn’t ask, he knew I didn’t want Robin to know of any problems no matter how trivial. She didn’t need to know about my worries. I had seen kids who seemed to carry their parent’s burdens around like some heavy brick and I didn’t want that to happen to her. I wanted her childhood to be happy, full of memories of games and laugher. There was no need for her to know.





“It’s fine Grandpa.” I said. “Just tired and a little jumpy after last night that’s all.”

He made a kind of hhhmmm noise deep in his throat


I hugged him. “Everything’s fine I promise.”

“I’ll leave you too it. No doubt your grandmother will be wondering where I have got to. I am surprised she hasn’t come over herself already.”

“Ok Grandpa.”




“Everything ok?” asked Keller and I had almost forgotten he was there.

“Yeah, just slowly loosing my mind that’s all.”

 “Would you like me to come back later?” he asked.

“No, now’s fine. I’m just tired.” I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. “God I feel like I am apologising to everyone today.”

Keller laughed and his eyes lit up the way I remembered. He always had a little sparkle to them, even in his police uniform he looked like he was about to get up to no good.




“I didn’t know you had a daughter.” He said nodding his head over in the direction of Robins picture on the wall. “She’s very pretty, just like her mother.”

“Keller.”

He held his hands up in a kind of truce way. “I’m sorry.”

“Its ok, I’m just cranky. Would you like a coffee?”




I went to boil the kettle before I gave him chance to answer. I needed something to concentrate on. The kettle wasn’t that big a distraction, but it helped to be just doing something.

He sat him self down at the table by the tall windows. My kitchen was half kitchen and half dining room. There was a door leading off to my studio. It hadn’t been there when I moved in, the studio I had, had it purpose built. I preferred to paint at home. It was easy plus I could paint in my pyjamas if I wanted to, which believe me happened quite often.




“I can’t believe its been what seven years since I last saw you?” Said Keller from his seat as I walked over with the hot cups of coffee.

“Long time.” I said agreeing.

“You look well Nessa.”

I gave a light laugh. “No one calls me Nessa anymore just my Grandpa.”

“You’ve always been Nessa to me, probably always will be.”

I smiled at him. I didn’t know what to say and quite frankly I just didn’t have the energy to make conversation. Had we met again under different circumstances maybe I would have reacted differently. Or maybe not.




The phone rang and broke my thoughts.

“There are only 65 hours left why are you sat chit chatting.” Said the voice. Keller was watching me from where he sat. Damn

“I have it now.”

“I said 72 hours.”




“I can’t talk now, but I have it.” Technically I did. It was sat on the other side of town in my bank account. My decision had been made I was just going to pay them the money and have done with it all.

“I don’t think your understanding me. When I said 72 hours I meant 72. I didn’t mean less or more. I meant 72. You’re not playing this game very well Vanessa.”

The voice paused and I didn’t know if I was supposed to say anything, but I took a chance anyway.

“Please call back later and we’ll arrange it.”

“Do you think Robin will enjoy watching the animals today?”

“No!” I yelled down the phone forgetting that Keller was listening.

“Goodbye Vanessa.”

“No wait…” I said, but too late the phone went dead.

[SimulatedDork]

Arrr! More fliddy, more! Be kind to Robin! I keep getting Vanessa confused with Morgan, they're both very pretty and alike!

[One]

Nooooo~! Flid, you're evil! D:

[flid]

you think I'm evil now? You havent seen nothing yet lmao

the admin on my site has been reading as I have been writing it lol so she is near the end of the story... it gets worse

I have been made to promise that I wont kill Vanessa though my fellow admin says if i do I have to write a fourth story for this family.

[summer_wine]

OMG your sims are so gorgeous! Vanessa is so pretty! and don't get me started on the story.

keep up the great work!

[flid]

I put the phone back quickly, knocking my coffee over as I did. “Crap.” I shouted at the cup as it fell to the floor and smashed. Coffee poured over the counter and dripped onto the floor. Shakily I crouched down to it and began picking up the pieces.

“Vanessa?” said Keller getting off his seat and coming round to me. “What's the matter?”

“The cups broke.”

“I’m not talking about the cup.”




“Just drop it will you.” I said through gritted teeth. Even Bexley knew something was wrong and he sank down into his basket out of my way as I clutched the jagged bits of porcelain in my hand.

Keller reached down to me. “You’re cutting yourself Nessa. “

“Just leave it Keller.”

He tried to move my hands out of the way to stop me picking up any more and hurting myself more. “Keller I said leave it!”




He took a step back and gave me room so that I could clean up. I threw the broken cup in the bin and wiped the coffee up with a towel out of the dirty washing basket all the time cursing under my breath.  

I knelt down and scrubbed hard. Trying to wipe away coffee that was already gone. I could feel Keller watching me confused. I breathed in deeply trying to calm myself down, but it was hard. It would have been hard enough with just Keller being here, but with everything else I didn’t know what I should be feeling. All I know was that I wanted to run out of the house, go to the zoo and bring Robin home, but there was no way I could do that without alerting her or Ethan to a problem.





I stood up and threw the cloth back into the pile. I stood looking out the window and Keller came to stand beside me and I tried to walk away, but he reached out for my hands and I let him. I hadn’t seen him for so long, when I left it hadn’t been pretty, but I just needed that touch, someone to make it feel ok.




“What’s going on Nessa?”

“Nothing.”

He put his head down still holding onto me. “Please tell me the truth. This is unlike you.”

“Unlike me? Kel, you don’t know me anymore. I’m not the same girl you went to uni with.”




I wasn’t even the same girl he met last night.  A lot had happened in so little time, but I knew I wouldn’t be the same person I was when I went to bed last night. How could I be?

“Does that mean you can’t talk to me? Just because you’re different now?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

God yes I wanted to tell him, I wanted him to help me. Was it a coincidence that he was in my life again? Did he know? I was being paranoid, but just what if. I had hurt him pretty bad. He wasn’t my boyfriend in uni, never had been, but he had always wanted to be. And one night drunk and angry with the guy I was seeing I had slept with him. It was a stupid thing to do, I know that now, but if I hadn’t, well Robin wouldn’t be here. Keller was Robin’s father. He just didn’t know, no-one did.




“Nessa. I didn’t come here today on police business. Well I did, but that was not the main reason.”

“I don’t understand.”

He pulled back and ran his hands through his hair. “When I saw you last night I couldn’t believe it. When the call came through for your gallery I thought it might be you. Hoped and it was, but when I saw you...”

“What are you saying?”




“I came here. God this sounds so stupid now. I came here to ask you on a date.”

“Oh Kel.”

“Please don’t.” he said. “When I moved away from uni down south all I thought of was you, and then a job came up here so I came back, but I never dared to find you and then last night your thrown right in front of me and its just…”

I couldn’t cope with this not now. Of all the timing, I didn’t know how to let him down gently.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean your working my case; wouldn’t you be removed from it or something like that?”




I could see the sadness in his face, he knew what I was saying, and he wasn’t stupid. All through uni he had known to hold back from me.

Keller sighed and looked out of the window. A million thoughts seemed to go over his face at once and I couldn’t read any of them. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Macey took me all round your gallery last night.” He said changing the subject. “She couldn’t see anything else missing or touched, just those three paintings, but I need you to confirm it.”

“Kel.”

“Its ok Nessa, but I do have to get this done.”

“Ok.” I sighed. “I am sure what Macey said is right, she knows the gallery as much as I do.”

“Why do I feel like your avoiding all this?”




“I’m not. Its just I have other things on my mind at the moment.”

“Like?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Is it to do with the gallery? I heard you on the phone before, it didn’t sound nice.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and made me shiver. I wanted so much to tell him.

“What is it Nessa?”

“Nothing.”

“Yeah right. The look on your face doesn’t say its nothing. Do you know who did this? Is that why you’re so reluctant to help me.”

“I am helping.”

“No. Your not.”




“What do you want me to say Keller? Someone broke in and wreaked some paintings. No big deal. Probably kids anyway.” And I wished I could believe what I was saying. I just hoped that Keller did.

“I thought you were better than that Vanessa. Those paintings used to mean to world to you and now you’re just dismissing them like there some picture torn out of a magazine. I don’t understand you. Your right you have changed Vanessa. And it’s not for the better.”

Keller seemed to fight with himself as if he was mentally arguing and going over what he had just said. Yes my paintings did mean the world to me, but right now I didn’t care less. Robin was my concern and if a few paintings got damaged so I could save her then so be it. I had no doubt that the break in was linked to all of this. It had to be. Their way of getting me out the house I guess.

“I have to go.” Said Keller getting up from his seat. “I thought I knew you once, but now after today I am not so sure.”




I didn’t say anything as he walked towards my door. I didn’t even get up to follow him. There was nothing I could say to him that would make it right again. I watched as he walked away. He paused, his hand on the open door and he looked at me. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but he quickly closed it again. He just raised his hand, waved and then he was gone.

I stared at the closed door as I heard the engine of his car spring into life and pull away. My mind was trying to go through so many thoughts at once that it just stopped as if there was a blockage and whatever I was meant to feel just wouldn’t come out.




At least this time it was him walking away not me. I couldn’t be accused this time of being the coward, but then Keller wasn’t a coward not really. I knew what he felt and what he wanted I just didn’t want to admit it to my self.

The phone rang and I raced over to it. “Hello?”

“Hello again,” said the voice and the words were slow like he had poured them out of his mouth.

“All alone I see, that is a shame.”




I stood up then and looked around. I looked out the window, but I couldn’t see anyone, the only building that could see into my kitchen window was my shed, but I had locked that before.

I took the phone over to the front window, but still no one. The house over the road looked empty. I could see right into the lounge and there was no one there. The voice on the phone laughed.

“What do you want?” I asked.

I heard a click. “hello.” I said thinking the phone had gone dead. My ears filled with a hiss, like the sound you get when you have left the television on and it isn’t tuned into any channel.




There was another click and then I heard Keller’s voice.

“What’s going on Nessa?”
“Nothing.”
“Please tell me the truth. This is unlike you.”
“Unlike me? Kel, you don’t know me anymore. I’m not the same girl you went to uni with.”
“Does that mean you can’t talk to me? Just because you’re different now?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Nessa. I didn’t come here today on police business. Well I did, but that was not the main reason.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When I saw you last night I couldn’t believe it. When the call came through for your gallery I thought it might be you. Hoped and it was, but when I saw you...”
“What are you saying?”
“I came here. God this sounds so stupid now. I came here to ask you on a date.”
“Oh Kel.”
“Please don’t. When I moved away from uni down south all I thought of was you, and then a job came up here so I came back, but I never dared to find you and then last night your thrown right in front of me and its just…”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I mean your working my case; wouldn’t you be removed from it or something like that?”
“Macey took me al round your gallery last night. She couldn’t see anything else missing or touched, just those three paintings, but I need you to confirm it.”
“Kel.”
“Its ok Nessa, but I do have to get this done.”
“Ok. I am sure what Macey said is right, she knows the gallery as much as I do.”
“Why do I feel like your avoiding all this?”
“I’m not. Its just I have other things on my mind at the moment.”
“Like?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Is it to do with the gallery? I heard you on the phone before, it didn’t sound nice. What is it Nessa?”
“Nothing.”
“Yeah right. The look on your face doesn’t say its nothing. Do you know who did this? Is that why your so reluctant to help me.”
“I am helping.”
“No. Your not.”
“What do you want me to say Keller? Someone broke in and wreaked some paintings. No big deal. Probably kids anyway.”
“I thought you were better than that Vanessa. Those paintings use to mean to world to you and now you’re just dismissing them like there some picture torn out of a magazine. I don’t understand you. Your right you have changed Vanessa. And it’s not for the better.”
“I have to go.  I thought I knew you once, but now after today I am not so sure.”



Cold fear ran up along my back. They had heard? Or was it Keller? Was he the one responsible? No he had been here when I got the other two calls. But maybe he had help. Damn I didn’t have a clue what was going on.

“Sounds to me like you broke the poor boys heart again.”




“Who are you?”

“Oh you don’t need to know that, just a friend that’s all.”

“I hope you weren’t going to tell him about our little chats I would hate for anything bad to happen to such a pretty boy like him.”

“I wasn’t. I wouldn’t do that.”

“Well it certainly sounds like you were going to tell him. Or do you not trust him enough?” there was a pause and they waited for me to reply, but I didn’t they had hit the nail right on the head. I didn’t trust him and it was bad to admit it. “I have a present for you Vanessa.”

“I don’t need a present.”

“Oh, you do. You need to learn how to play this game properly. Don’t go out anywhere. Ten minutes then answer the door.”

“Answer the door?”

The phone went dead.




I peered out of my front window again, looking for who ever it was that was calling. They could see me and hear me they had to be close. They weren’t in the house I knew that I had checked every where, but they had to be somewhere. The attic.

[mieley]

this is godly.

[bungee_rope]

great update. i'm already pulled in.

[Elven_Song]

I'm on the edge of my seat! This story is awesome! More suspense than the last 2 of Vanessa's family! ^^

[flid]

I stared up at the square opening in my ceiling. The board looked just as it always did, but then how would I know if it had been moved. I ran out the house to the shed. It was still locked. I undid the dead bolt and reached in for my step ladders.

Bexley watched me curiously. I was glad he was just a dog, at least he wouldn’t think I had gone totally nuts, which I am sure everyone else did. Even me for that matter.




I opened the steps and positioned them under the board. I didn’t waste any time in climbing them and opening up the attic hatch. If I had thought about it I probably would have backed out, but right now all I wanted to do was find this guy down and hurt him.

The board moved easily in a cloud of dust. I pocked my head though the gap, which I really shouldn’t have done. If there was any one up there I was putting a vital part of my body in a very vulnerable position. Nothing hit me though when I went up, but I couldn’t see a thing. My roof had no sky light and the attic was in complete darkness.




Cursing I climbed back down and ran back to the shed for my flashlight. I kept all my tools in an old chest of draws. I opened the top one and rummaged though, something soft tickled my skin and I gave a yelp, a spider had climbed onto the back of my hand and I flicked it off and swore at it.

The torch was wedged at the back, buried under various different sized screw drivers. I pulled it out and turned it on, but it didn’t work. For god sake.

Searching deeply through each draw I finally managed to locate a couple of batteries and inserted them. I tried the torch again and this time it worked. Its beam was weak and probably wouldn’t reach very far, but it was better than nothing.




I stomped angrily back into the house and up the ladders. My temper was at boiling point and I was ready to unleash my anger at the first person I saw, so god help who ever was up there, because I was in no mood for this crap.

I shone the light into the darkness. Dust floated carelessly through the weak yellow beam. It clung to cob webs in the corners. The attic smelt damp and musty. “Hello?” I called, but no one answered or moved.




Putting the torch down on the attic floor I used my arms and hoisted myself up through the hole. The attic wasn’t very high, so I had to duck and bend to keep myself from hitting my head on the beams of the roof.

I could just make out a dark shape at the back. I couldn’t tell if it was a person though, bit it looked big. I shone the torch directly at it, but the pathetic beams didn’t even touch it let alone illuminate it.

The attic should have been empty. I never put anything up there for storage, purely on the basis that I can guarantee the minute I put it away in somewhere hard to get to I will need it again, so most of my stuff is just stacked in various corners around my attic. Miss organised I am not.




The loud banging on the door downstairs made me jump so bad that I fell backwards, catching the side of my face on a nail in one of the supports. The pain on my skin was instant and sharp, I touched the cut with me fingers and they came away wet. I reached for my torch so that I could shine it on my hand and see how much blood there was, but I couldn’t find it, it had gone out and fallen somewhere when I fell. Great.

Who ever it was knocked at my door again, bringing a torrent of words out of my mouth, I just hoped they couldn’t hear me.

“What!” I yelled as I yanked the door open. “Cant you just be  patient.”




I let the anger pour out of me and over him. I didn’t care who was at the other side of that door, it would have been kids collecting for charity, and they would have still got the same greeting. Keller stared at me shocked by what I had said. I couldn’t blame him really. If it had been me I’d have walked away, but this was Keller so he didn’t.

“Oh its you.” I said and my tone wasn’t much better. “Didn’t you say everything last time you were here?”




“Whoa. Don’t start on me just because you’re in one of your crappy moods. Quite frankly Vanessa you’re lucky I am still stood here.” He was angry, that was new.

“Well don’t let me keep you.” I turned and flung the door shut in his face, but he caught it with his boot and the door bounced back into the wall making an almighty thud. “Don’t you know when to give up?”




I stormed back into my house, I was being rude, but sod it I could feel guilty about that later. Now I just wanted to feel angry.

“Vanessa.” He shouted.

“What?”

“I came here to tell you that your grandmother is in hospital. Their house burnt down.” He said and he yelled it at me. “Do you know I wish I hadn’t bothered now? It’s only because I…”




“Burned down? There was a fire.” Talk about giving me a verbal slap round the face.
Ice cold fear settled into the bottom of my stomach. “Their dead aren’t they.” I said making it more of a statement than a question.

“I don’t know Nessa.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” I shouted. “You’re a police officer for god sake, they would tell you.”

He shook his head. “No, they didn’t say.”

“You’re lying.”