Two days later. It's already morning in London. It’s about ten hours. The sun is already out, but it's quite cold outside. And it would hardly get warmer, knowing it’s not a time of hot weather and it’s the middle of December. Raquelle decided to lie in her bed a little longer and use a moment to get enough sleep. And now she slowly opens her eyes, looks around the whole room, and turns to the back.
Walking up today was much easier for her than ever. Sleep was deep enough, and nightmares did not bother her probably for the first time in a while. The last time when Raquelle had such a wonderful mood, which made her much more sure that today might be very good, happened a long time ago.
“M-m-m, my gosh, what a beautiful morning this is…” Raquelle mumbles under her breath, still lying in her bed and looking at the ceiling with a slight smile on her face. “I feel so great. And I got enough sleep… Nightmares did not chase me the last time…”
Raquelle smiles much wider.
“I haven’t felt so easy for ages…” Raquelle notices thoughtfully. “It’s been a long time since I woke up in a good mood and with good thoughts. Very much…”
Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds and thinks about something, biting her lip slightly.
“Was Grandpa Frederick when saying that time is the best sure that could solve many problems?” Raquelle asks. “First, I felt very bad and literally wanted to die because of what Terrence MacClife did to me. But now I feel much better. I dunno… Maybe, it has to do with what I learned about my aunt some time ago. Maybe, that’s why I began to think all my problems were nothing.”
Raquelle glances at the covered window in her room.
“Who knows…” Raquelle pronounces with a slight smile. “What if this trip did give me something good? What Aunt suggested I come here to visit her, and Grandfather thought I would feel much better here? It’s really true.”
Raquelle sighs quietly.
“I always felt so good when coming here as a child for a reason,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “I forgot all my problems and felt truly happy where my mother was born. I feel like it’s my home. My second home…”
Raquelle slowly looks around the whole room and stays in the bed for some time, enjoying the minutes she can hurry up nowhere and lie as long as she wants. But the girl decides to get up after she takes her smartphone, checks the time, and finds out that it’s almost ten hours.
“Okay, I think I’ll get up…” Raquelle decides thoughtfully. “I can’t be lying in bed forever. I’ll go to ask my aunt how she is doing. She probably woke up a long time ago and is now cooking something delicious…”
After lying in the bed for two seconds and feeling a slight grumble when she just thinks about Alicia’s delicious dishes, Raquelle sits up lazily, looks around her room, and then sits on the edge of her bed and finally stands up on her feet.
The girl being a little sleepy yet comes to the dressing table, sits on the table, looks at herself for a few seconds, brushes her hair, and garters it into a tail, deciding not to care about her hair. Next, she goes to the bathroom to do all the water procedures that take some time for her.
Next, Raquelle returns to her room and quickly makes nude makeup to look more or less good. It should be noted that she gets to work with cosmetics so well that she would probably work as a makeup artist. The girl knows everything about makeup, has learned very much over the years thanks to working as a model and communicating with professionals, and can make her face pretty for a few minutes, even if her eyes are closed.
After getting her hair and makeup done, Raquelle opens the closet and quickly runs her eyes over the clothes she has. And later, deciding not to care about it much, she decides to put on a gray t-shirt and dark blue jeans. When she makes sure that she looks gorgeous, the girl slowly goes into the kitchen.
Raquelle sees that Alicia is sitting on the table, reading a newspaper with a cup of hot coffee in her hands, and sometimes fixing her glass in a black frame or tucking her hair behind her ear that gets into her mouth or eyes. Nothing has changed in the past two days about her condition. The woman still looks nervous and tense. Although Raquelle notices it, she keeps pretending that she does not know the main secret of her aunt, which is the reason why the problems started. The girl confidently comes into the kitchen with a slight smile on her face and sits at the table in front of Alicia, saying amicably:
“Hi, Auntie!”
“Oh, hi, Raquelle…” Alicia greets softly, distracting herself from reading the newspaper and looking at Raquelle. “You woke up?”
“Well, yeah…”
“You did it late today. Do you know it’s almost ten?”
“I know.”
“Wonderful! You actually always woke up very early.”
“I didn’t just have nightmares the last night for the first time in a while.”
“Really?”
“So, I didn’t wake up at the night and was sleeping for a long enough time.”
“Did you get enough sleep?”
“Enough.”
“So, excellent!” Alicia cracks a slight smile. “I’m very glad.”
“So, how long have you been awake?”
“I’ve been awake for a long time…”
“Did you decide to cook something tasty?” Raquelle smiles mysteriously.
“Maybe…” Alicia rolls her eyes. “Moreover, I’ve got so much to make you surprised and happy.”
“I would be happy to taste anything cooked by you.”
“And I would be happy to teach you to cook anything you want. You would make your husband surprised when you got married.”
“Ah, Aunt Alicia, here you go again…” Raquelle sighs tiredly, moving her eyes aside.
“Yes, yes, honey, you will get married. I shall not let you stay alone and then regret missing a chance to become happy.”
“But I’ve never said I don’t wanna get married.”
“Right, you have never done it. But you do not actually aim to create your family.”
“Because I’m not interested in that now.”
“It can’t be the truth, my sunshine.”
“Why?”
“Girls of your age meet guys and go on dates, or even get married and give birth to babies. But you do wanna look at nobody and reject everyone to at least invite you to walk.”
“When I meet a man that I would be interested in, I will surely go on a date with him.”
“How would you meet him if you don’t wanna get to know some men better?”
“I prefer counting on fate in this case. When I’m meant to fall in love with someone, it will surely happen.”
“Would you keep rejecting everybody, who wishes to talk to you?”
“I can’t make myself go on a date with someone I don’t like.”
“How would you know it? First, you should speak to him and then make a conclusion!”
“Aunt Alicia…” Raquelle sighs tiredly.
“You’re my beautiful, smart, and careful girl… Any man would love to get such a wonderful girlfriend or wife. Your grandfather and I did everything to give you the best.”
“Do you think I should go on dates with everyone?”
“It doesn’t give you responsibility. You’d walk with a man once – that’s all! Then you can decide if you wanna keep meeting that man or not.”
“No, Aunt, I can’t do this!”
“Oh, God, wake my girl up…” Alicia sighs heavily. “Make her understand that she can’t put her career in the first place.”
“Let’s not talk about it.”
“You should always have a family in the first place. Nobody bans you from working if you wanna earn money. But your career shouldn't take all your time. All your thoughts.”
“You understand nothing.”
“Listen, now, it’s such a good time to think of creating your family. While you’re young and beautiful, men will pay attention to you. But somewhere in five or ten years, men will give much more attention to much younger girls.”
“My grandfather and you live with the memories of the old time. But now everything’s different. People fall in love and get married at any age. Not only a young one.”
“Ah, Raquelle, what a silly girl you are… Loving is so good! You know how it’s good to have a beloved man by your side. And the feeling when you have your own baby that calls you a mommy is amazing.”
“All in time, Aunt.”
“It’s okay, my sunshine, be sure, when you meet your man, you will change your point of view. You will forget your modeling career and give attention only to your husband. You will think only about how you, and he will educate your children together and be happy about their successes.”
“Don’t worry, you will surely be at my wedding and hold my children.”
“It will happen only if you show yourself, meet someone and let someone romance you.”
“Of course, I will do,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“Look how good you look now while having a rest at my home.”
Alicia smiling slightly looks closely at Raquelle, who has really looked much better and fresher in the past few days than she did in the first days of spending time at the woman’s home.
“Just because you stopped worrying about what you could always solve,” Alicia adds confidently.
“Yeah, you’re absolutely right,” Raquelle nods with a shy smile. “I’ve really felt much better in the past few days.”
“Excellent then!”
“I feel like I recharged, and I am now full of energy again and ready for something new.”
“Well, you need to have a rest for one month or two until the full charge. But I’m really glad to see the changes that happened to you.”
“Me too, Auntie, me too…”
“And in order for you to finally come to yourself, you could go somewhere where there are lots of men. Dunno… A dance pool… You would dance a little and meet someone.”
“Aunt Alicia, please…” Raquelle sighs tiredly.
“There are so many handsome single guys around, but you’re still near your grandfather and me.”
“Gosh…”
“That’s wrong, my girl. You would miss your time if you didn’t do something.”
“There are many men, but I’m interested in nobody.”
“So, look for those, who you would be interested in.”
“Aunt…”
“Go somewhere tonight. Do makeup, get your hair done, put on something beautiful… I’m sure someone would notice you and get a wish to come to you.”
“But…”
“And don’t dare to reject good and decent men. Dance with them, talk, give your number… Behave like a well-educated lady.”
“By the way, you promised me to go somewhere in the city with me,” Raquelle changes the subject with a slight smile. “Like we were doing it in old times. You remember?”
“I remember, sweetie,” Alicia nods. “I promise you and I shall go out somewhere, but a little later. Go somewhere… Before Christmas.”
“Why don’t we go now?”
“I just want to do some homework. If I got a vacation, I should use it rightly and put my apartment in order and clean.”
“C’mon, homework can wait! Let’s eat something, get ready, and go? Why would you stay home? You would have fun, and I wouldn’t feel bored walking all alone in the city.”
“I don’t actually feel so bad today,” Alicia shrugs with a slight smile. “Today, I’ve actually got a very good mood.”
“Really? Why?”
“It’s hard to explain it…” Alicia thinks about something for two seconds and puts the newspaper aside. “I just felt very good when I woke up today in the early morning. I can't explain it, but… I felt quiet in my soul…”
“And what’s the reason for that?” Raquelle wonders.
“I don't know, my sunshine. But I haven’t felt it in a long time. I used to have a bad sleep, thought of something bad, couldn’t fall asleep, had bad dreams…”
“Really?”
“But today, I got enough sleep and never woke up at night. I feel just excellent and easily woke up today in the early morning.”
“You know, Aunt…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully and moves her eyes to her hands placed on the table. “I must confess that I felt the same feelings when I woke up…”
“Have you got a good mood, as well?” Alicia rounds her eyes.
“Yes. Today, I also got enough sleep for the first time since I came here. Nightmares didn’t chase me. The last night was easy and short enough.”
“Wow…”
“I even got the thought that something good would happen one beautiful day.”
“Something good?”
“Yeah. It’s like… All the problems are gonna be solved. As if there will be a day when everything is wonderful.”
“Say, sweetie, did you take the situation of the false rumors? Or does it still keep bothering you?”
“I did partly. Now, I don’t find that case such a great tragedy, just like I did before. Yes, I still feel bad and ain’t sure if everything will be fixed so easily. But I think… It’s one of the reasons why I got much better. Why I… No longer cry my eyes out… No longer pull my hair out… I’m even less afraid of people. Now, I don’t think someone will chase me or laugh at me. Nobody has come to me and said anything for the few days I’ve been in London. And… I’ve been feeling like an ordinary person. That nobody knows. Yes, they still talk about me. I can hear it clearly. But it’s much better, huh.”
“I think the fact that you were worried is quite explainable,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “All of us have something important we’re afraid to lose. For you, it was your modeling career.”
“I know. But now I take it much easier.”
“Good.” Alicia caresses Raquelle’s hand softly with a slight smile. “I’m very happy you got much better. I think the vacation with me has been good for you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if it brings good things or bad…” Raquelle shrugs.
“What?”
“I mean, something might bad happen after the silence.”
“Why do you think so?”
“I dunno… People say, calm before the storm… What if it’s gonna happen? If you relax a little, you get a sudden hit on the back.”
“Honey, let's not think about bad things and get the negative attracted to us,” Alicia suggests confidently. “I personally think today is going to be pretty good.”
“Today will probably be good. But who knows what will happen tomorrow…”
“It’s gonna be okay tomorrow, don’t worry.”
“I’d like to believe you.”
“Okay, sweetie, let’s talk about nice things. For example, about how we will be celebrating the New Year. Moreover, Christmas is coming soon… You know how much I adore this holiday.”
“Yeah, I love this holiday very much, too,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“This week, you and I will start decorating a tree, check out shops and buy gifts for the closest people… And then we will make wishes…”
“It would be great if we celebrated Christmas together this year,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “And if Grandpa Frederick was able to come to London, we’d celebrate it all together.”
“Maybe, he will do it.”
“It would be just amazing! We haven’t celebrated Christmas together for a long time. I usually celebrate it with my grandfather, and we two get ready for the holiday.”
“That’s right…”
“He’s already probably decorated a tree at home and goes to shops… To buy everything…”
“I think, if you asked him, he would not mind coming here for a week.”
“But the question is whether he can take a flight.”
“Well, your grandfather is able to take long flights yet. So, I see no problem.”
“Ah, maybe, I call him… Invite him to come here…”
“When I talked to him before you came here. I invited him to come here with you. But he said he had some business. And he would be able to come a little later.”
“Yeah, he’s very busy and never stays in the same place,” Raquelle cracks a slight smile. “Quite an old man that could be more active and healthier than many people of his age, and even some young ones.”
“Oh, yeah!” Alicia agrees with a wide smile. “Your grandfather is a true motor that doesn’t stop for a second.”
“That’s right…”
“For as long as I remember him, he’s always been very active and even did sports when he was younger. Of course, now Mr. Cameron has left it due to a great load, but he doesn’t still forget about a little physical activity.”
“But he never misses a morning exercise. Every morning before breakfast, Grandfather drinks a glass of water and does a few easy exercises. It helps him wake up and keep his body in shape.”
“He’s doing the right thing!”
“Of course, I’ve got no time for morning exercises, but I have physical activity in my life. Moreover, my job requires keeping myself in good shape.”
“That’s wonderful! If you don’t do exercises in the morning, good work in a gymnasium will be more effective than a little morning workout. And even if you’re lucky to get the same genetics as your mother and I did, it’s not a reason not to do sports and eat everything you see in a refrigerator.”
“I know, Aunt…”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Raquelle, frowning slightly, looks at Alicia closely, while the woman drinks some coffee from her cup.
“She still looks quite nervous…” Raquelle notices. “But she’s trying to hide it somehow and pretend that everything’s okay. I wonder, is she gonna try to make me sure not to find out the truth? Or softly persuade me to return to New York? Saying that I should solve the problem with MacClife as soon as possible!”
“And yeah, I hope you haven’t forgotten that I still mind you meddling in my problems,” Alicia recalls confidently, holding her cup of strong coffee.
“Yes, auntie,” Raquelle nods with a shy smile. “I remember…”
Raquelle bites her lip slightly.
“Oh, I was right!” Raquelle thinks. “I did feel she would start talking about it.”
“I don’t really like the fact that you’re trying to meddle in what you don’t have to do with,” Alicia says quietly.
“Everything that has to do with you will always have to do with me,” Raquelle replies confidently.
“No, my sweetie, not everything. Instead of having a rest, getting the energy, and having fun, you’re getting into trouble at your wish and thinking about what’s happening to me.”
“I just wanna help you and know that you’re alright.”
“I do know well how much you love and worry about me. And I know how much you worry about me.”
“It couldn’t be otherwise.”
“But you don’t need to prove it by trying to solve such serious problems. That are impossible to be solved yet…”
“Don’t worry, Auntie Alicia,” Raquelle cracks a slight smile. “I want to let you know that I'm very close to the key to this problem.”
“What do you mean, you are close to the key?” Alicia opens her eyes full of scare wider, getting quite tense and a little white.
“Yes, I am close to it! And one beautiful day, we will end this story. Do our best for Eleanor Woodham to leave you alone.”
“Excuse me, Raquelle, but I don’t understand you.” Alicia fixes her glasses slightly on the bridge of her nose. “What do you wanna say?”
“Me?” Raquelle rounds her eyes, realizing she said something wrong. “Erm…”
Raquelle bites her lip slightly.
“No, no, Aunt…” Raquelle pronounces in a little shaking voice. “I mean nothing… And… I want to say nothing…”
“Did you find out something?” Alicia asks, looking at Raquelle suspiciously. “Why do you say you’re close to the key?”
“Well…” Raquelle bites her lip slightly and thinks for two seconds. “Actually, yes… I… I know… Enough information to… Start doing what I want at the nearest time.”
“So, what do you know?” Alicia asks.
“Erm… I can’t say yet… I can only assure you that everything will be over soon. I promise you…”
“You speak with guesses,” Alicia notices, slightly fixing her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “As if you know something I don’t know.”
“Erm…”
“I don’t understand you enough… What are you going to do? What do you know?”
“I can’t say anything yet…” Raquelle replies hesitantly. “But I will think up something… Do something… Sure…”
“You know, sweetie…” Alicia slightly frowns, looking at Raquelle with suspicion while the girl folds her hands in front of herself on the table. “You’ve been kinda strange in the past two days. Kind of tense, excited… You look at me as if I did something terrible…”
“No, Auntie, come on…” Raquelle protests in a little shaking voice. “Come on!”
“You’re making me more surprised every day, girl.”
“Why?”
“Because you are acting very strangely.”
“No, I am not acting strangely!”
“Raquelle…”
“I just can’t understand why you don’t want me to meddle in this case.”
“I’ve already explained why you shouldn't think about it,” Alicia pronounces confidently.
“But you can’t deal with it on your own. You need someone’s help.”
“You can do nothing, Raquelle.”
“There’s always a way! You’ve just gotta find it.”
“So, I will find.”
“Auntie Alicia…”
“My problems with Eleanor are my problems. And you don’t have to do with them.”
“Please, don’t pretend that everything is alright. Because that’s not the truth.”
“I’m not hiding it.”
“You’ve gotten yourself exhausted because of that woman.”
“I repeat, don’t meddle in the business of Eleanor and me.”
“But…”
“I will solve it by myself. Without your help.”
“Aunt, please…” Raquelle pronounces with pity in her eyes.
“And actually, I think your wish to stay here and celebrate Christmas is not the best.”
“What?” Raquelle opens her eyes widely.
“You better return to New York as soon as possible and do your business.”
“Are you kicking me out of here again?”
“Your home is in USA… Your grandfather is there. He stayed all alone. He has got nobody to talk with because you aren’t near him…”
“I’m gonna call him today and ask how he’s doing there. Because we haven’t talked in a long time.”
“So, tell him you’re gonna be back in the USA soon.”
“But I don’t wanna leave! I don’t wanna leave so soon!”
“You visited me, and that’s good! And now it’s your time to go home and get ready for Christmas.”
“Sometimes I think you don’t want me to stay here ‘till the holidays.”
“I want. But I think you should go home.”
“Aunt Alicia…”
“And actually, you look scared enough.” Alicia folds her hands on the table. “As if you saw or found out something terrible.”
“I’m just worried about you,” Raquelle softly excuses herself. “And I want you to be alright.”
“Listen, Raquelle, don’t you really wanna tell me something?”
“No, no, I wanna say nothing.” Raquelle swallows up nervously while her eyes are running from one side to another, and she starts to breathe heavily enough from excitement. “Nothing…”
“Are you sure about it?” Alicia frowns slightly.
“Sure! Nothing happened!”
“But why are you kind of scared?”
“I’m not scared! It seemed to you…”
“I’ve got a feeling that someone told you something that got you really shocked.”
“No, why do you think so?”
“You are lying to me now,” Alicia notices confidently. “I see it clearly.”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“Why are you not lying? You don’t almost look at me when talking to me! You are nervous because of something…”
“Not true! I am looking at you!” Raquelle moves her eyes sharply to Alicia and puts on as a true smile as possible. “I just thought… Yeah… Thought…”
“You know, Raquelle, sometimes I think you’re also hiding something from me,” Alicia confesses.
“No, Aunt Alicia, I hide nothing.”
“You’ve lately been very strange. Very secret. Very quiet.”
“I am fine, I swear.”
“Are you sure nothing happened?” Alicia asks, looking at Raquelle confidently.
“Sure.”
“Don’t you wanna tell your auntie what makes you worried?”
“If something happened, I would tell you.”
Alicia says nothing and moves her eyes aside with a quiet sigh, frowning slightly and thinking about something. Raquelle twists around the chair nervously, but tries not to show excitement when looking at her aunt and thinking of the murder of the man she committed many years ago.
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, after which the girl sighs quietly and tucks a thin strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okay…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly. “You’re probably right… I shall go somewhere to walk… I was planning to go to one place where I was in childhood. Wanna see how much it’s changed.”
Raquelle gets up from the table, quickly leaves the kitchen, and goes to the bathroom.
“But what about breakfast?” Alicia asks loudly, calling the memories of Raquelle eating nothing. “Raquelle! Should I cook something to eat for you? You’ve eaten nothing! Or you would faint from weakness! Honey! At least drink coffee! Raquelle!”
But Raquelle already closes the door to the bathroom and does not hear what her aunt said to her. Alicia sighs heavily and shakes her head, being surprised by the strange behavior of her niece, who definitely knows something but does not want to talk about it.
“She is so strange,” Alicia notices thoughtfully, still sitting at the table and thinking about what happened. “Very strange…”
Alicia frowns slightly, still looking at the side where Raquelle went.
“I wonder, what's happening to her?” Alicia asks herself. “She acts as if she is not fine at all and is afraid of something… As if that snake Eleanor reached and terrified her… Or sent her people them to threaten her as well as they did it to me…”
Alicia exhales sharply.
“No, no, God shall not let it happen!” Alicia pronounces excitedly. “I don’t know how to save my girl, but that case would finally deprive me of any hope.”
Alicia fixes her glasses with sadness in her eyes.
“Gosh, what does that girl have in her mind?” Alicia wonders. “I know Raquelle wanna help me for the love for me and a wish to know I am alright. But… I can’t let her do this. How do I let my niece know she is not a heroine, who would instantly solve any problems? How do I make her understand that the woman is very dangerous and could do much?”
Alicia swallows up nervously.
“Ah, she’s meddling in this business for nothing…” Alicia says thoughtfully. “I’m afraid she might get hurt enough if that snake found her. And if only Raquelle didn’t find out that I killed the man sixteen years ago. I do not want it! I’d burn from shame if she knew it! I wouldn’t take that shame… It’s much worse than the fact that I hit the little girl with a car one day.”
Alicia sighs again and leans back in the chair.
“I know I’m doing a bad thing by literally forcing Raquelle to go back to New York because I invited her here,” Alicia says quietly. “I still have hope she will be better there. However, I can’t be absolutely sure she will feel quiet… Not only because Eleanor might come there and find her… But also because of the story that happened to her. Because of Terrence MacClife, who is probably the one to decide to slander her, as my niece says.”
Alicia shakes her head and rubs her forehead.
“But Raquelle should know she would have to be back to work early or late and prove to everyone that she’s not guilty of what she was charged by someone,” Alicia notices with sadness in her eyes. “The world should know the truth and stop believing that stinker, because of whom people think that Raquelle is terrible. Moreover, there must be at least one person to be smart and help her end this story. Any group has got someone to go against the system. And in this case, there might be someone, too.”
Alicia falls into silence for two seconds, listening to the sounds that she can hear very well from outside, even through the closed window.
“Or it would be much better if she actually quit her career and thought of creating her family,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “She could find a husband and make a baby. A woman must care only about it. Not about the fact that her career might be destroyed.”
Alicia glances aside for a second.
“It’s time for my girl to think about it and start to do something, at least to find a boyfriend,” Alicia says confidently. “It’s good she cares about others, but she needs to live her life. Raquelle should know Mr. Cameron and I wouldn’t live forever and always take care of her. So, she must create her own family as soon as possible.”
Alicia drinks some coffee from her cup with sadness in her eyes.
“Without a husband and children, life doesn’t make sense,” Alicia adds. “And alas, she will not have nieces and nephews to take care of as much as I take care of her. Sadly, she has no brother or sister… So, she must give birth to her own babies. So, she never knows what it means to be a lonely woman.”
Alicia swallows up nervously.
“I also missed the moment at my young age, wasted on stupid things, and didn’t create my family,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “I don't have a husband or children. And I shall regret it until the end of my life. I shall regret not living my young ages in the way I should have done.”
Alicia sighs heavily and sits on the table and drinks the rest of her drinks the rest of coffee in her cup. And then she slowly gets up, quickly washes it, and puts it where she keeps all the cups and glasses. After this, the woman takes the newspaper she had read before Raquelle came to her and puts it on the table near the sofa in the living room. While the girl is still doing something in her room, Alicia slowly comes to one of the windows in the living room and starts looking through it, watching the city living its life with sadness in her eyes and seeing people hurrying to do their business or just walking for nothing all alone or in small companies of friends or relatives.
***
Some time later, Raquelle leaves Alicia’s apartment with a purse with something in it and decides to go somewhere in the city, eating nothing before leaving. She is not planning to go somewhere and is just going where her eyes look, not stopping thinking of the situation of her aunt, who has to be worried about her life because of the sins of her past that do not still let her calm down.
The air outside is still cold enough and could easily give anyone goosebumps on the skin, and the sun that is shining above the city does not warm up as it does somewhere in the spring or the summer.
“Something tells me that my aunt already guesses that I could know something about her secret,” Raquelle assumes, walking in the city and looking at everyone and everything she goes by. “Because she’s lately looked at me like she’s suspecting something. She definitely feels that I know something… But…”
Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I let her know it,” Raquelle thinks. “For example, when talking to her, I almost betrayed myself and let her know I was aware of something. I didn’t think of what I said… And I almost said I knew about the murder that she committed.”
Raquelle sighs quietly.
“Next time, I’ve gotta be careful,” Raquelle thinks. “If only I didn’t tell her that I went to my Aunt’s room and read her diary, in which she said about the murder of that man. Eleanor’s father… If she knows I got through her stuff, she’s gonna be very mad. So, I need to keep my mouth shut and try not to betray myself anymore.”
Raquelle moves her eyes aside for two seconds, seeing a young man playing with a big dog that is running around him with a happy bark.
“Anyway, I will bring what I started to an end,” Raquelle decides. “As I promised to help Aunt, I will surely do it. No matter if she likes it. Even if I can’t do it alone and have to ask someone for help… If I have to, I can even go to the police… And Aunt can try to persuade me not to meddle in it and actually leave this place as much as she wants. It’s okay… I completely understand why she’s doing it. Doing her best for me not to know her secret.”
Raquelle walks in the city for some time and watches what’s happening around her with interest. And at some moment, she goes by a small café that is very cute and comfortable at first sight and placed not far from the park, in which the girl is walking now.
“M-m-m…” Raquelle thinks. “Maybe, I go there and eat something?”
At this moment, Raquelle’s rumbling stomach reminds her that she hurried to leave her aunt’s home so fast that she had no breakfast and would now have the pleasure to eat something tasty.
“It seems like my stomach agrees,” Raquelle thinks with a slight smile. “Moreover, I’ve eaten nothing since the morning. I wanted to stop the talk with Auntie and not to let her know that I was aware of her secret.”
After hesitating a little, Raquelle comes to that place confidently with a wish to eat something. When she comes close to the café, she feels a very nice smell of baking or something like that, which makes her stomach rumble again. The girl comes to the door, opens it, and enters the building after a woman, who goes to the board with everything it’s possible to buy at this place.
Raquelle looks around the whole room in search of a free table, noticing that there are fewer people here, and the atmosphere is nice enough. The quiet music that is very nice to hear is playing at the café, not irritating people at all and helping them relax a little. The café is actually small, but there is very much light in it thanks to many windows, and the design is made of light shades.
Appreciating this place, Raquelle quickly finds a free table placed near a window in the quietest place. She slowly comes to the one, sits on the table, and puts her purse on a chair near her. And a few seconds later, a young waiter comes to her and smiles gently at her, holding a notebook and pen.
“Hello!” the waiter pronounces with a clear British accent.
“Hello,” Raquelle greets gently.
“What are you going to order?”
“Erm…”
Raquelle thinks for two seconds.
“I can give you the menu, so you can examine everything you can buy at the café,” the waiter suggests.
“Erm, no, thanks,” Raquelle pronounces softly. “Give me, please… A cup of strong coffee without sugar…”
“No problem…” The waiter writes something in his notebook. “Something else?”
“Do you have the full English breakfast?” Raquelle asks.
“Full English breakfast? Yes, we do!”
“Please, give it to me, as well.”
“Alright!” The waiter writes something in the notebook again. “Something else?”
“No, nothing more yet,” Raquelle pronounces gently with a slight smile.
“Would you like to taste pies with raspberry or blackberry? We have recently started selling them!”
“No, no, thanks, that's all so far. I shall call you if I wish something yet.”
“Alright then,” the waiter nods. “In this case, your order will be ready very soon. It might take about two minutes.”
“Thanks a lot, I will wait for as long as I have to.”
When the waiter quickly leaves, tearing a piece of paper out of the notebook, Raquelle moves her eyes to the window and starts thinking about something, leaning on her hand with her chin and smiling shyly at some moment.
And while the girl is patiently expecting her order, she decides to forget about Alicia’s problems at least for a while, and call memories of some moments of her life that still make her feel nice feelings. The moments that have to do with arriving in London, where she has always felt very good.
Raquelle looks through the window for some time and watches what’s happening outside. At some moment, she sees a little girl at the age of about five, who is walking with a wide smile, holding her mother’s hand, standing on her feet not very well, and losing balance at times. The girl has light brown, thin hair gathered in two cute tales and carries a little soft toy that she presses to herself as if it’s something that means a lot to her.
Looking at the one, Raquelle smiles slightly when she unconsciously calls the memories of herself and her childhood, which she had not so many, but which nicely warm her up at a hard time of her life.
“She’s lucky…” Raquelle thinks, watching the little girl with interest. “That girl doesn’t know how hard life can be. She’s little and believes everything seems so kind and easy… This world has some kind of magic… She’s probably sure the world has no evil because kindness always gets victory over it… You could get anything by just making a wish… By telling your parents about it… Or by wishing Santa Claus to make it come true…”
Raquelle sighs quietly with sadness in her eyes.
“But it’s actually not true…” Raquelle thinks. “But some time later, we start to realize that life isn’t as beautiful and careless as it seemed in childhood. We understand that we’ve gotta fight for our wishes too late. We’ve gotta get through not the nicest and easiest things.”
Raquelle leans on the palm of her hand with her chin, leaning on the surface of the table with her elbow.
“My gosh, how sorry I am for children, the wonderful world of who might be destroyed at once,” Raquelle thinks. “At any time. And they’d get disappointment. Sadness. Misunderstanding. Someday, that girl is also gonna get through it. Now she is happy and careless. But it can’t last forever. Can’t…”
Some time later, the little girl and her mother hide somewhere and go to do their business. Raquelle sighs very quietly and unconsciously thinks of her grandfather, Frederick, with a slight smile on her face. She calls the memories of the wonderful time she spent with him. And she starts to realize more and more that she is missing him very much while he is far from her.
“So, I’ll call my grandpa Frederick,” Raquelle decides. “Find out how he’s doing here. I forgot him. And he's probably worried.”
Raquelle glances aside, seeing some people that are sitting at the table, eating something, and talking to their company.
“I hope I will not bother him…” Raquelle expresses hope. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s now supposed to be the morning in New York… If it’s so, he’s supposed to be awake… Moreover, Grandfather doesn’t like sleeping much and always gets up very early, even if he has nothing to do.”
Raquelle takes her purse and starts searching for her mobile phone. And after finding it quickly, the girl puts the purse back, unlocks her smartphone, and starts running her fingers over the sensor screen to type the number she needs. At this moment, the young waiter comes to her, giving her a cup of coffee and the full English breakfast, which includes bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and some beans.
“Thanks a lot,” Raquelle thanks with a slight smile, moving her eyes from the phone to the waiter.
“Bon appétit!” the waiter pronounces gently. “When you end, let me know. I shall give you the bill or something yet.”
“Alright, I will call you.”
The waiter nods and goes to do his work in a quick step, holding the plate in his hands. Meanwhile, Raquelle finally types the number she needs and starts waiting for an answer, looking at what there is on her table and eating what she has on her plate with a fork. She does not have to wait long because Frederick’s cheerful voice pronounces some time later:
“Hello, I’m listening!”
“Hi, grandpa,” Raquelle greets with a shy smile. “It’s Raquelle…”
“Oh, Raquelle, my girl!” Frederick pronounces happily. “I haven’t heard you for ages!”
“How are you doing there?”
“Thank God, I’m fine.”
“Don’t you feel bored alone?”
“I can’t deny that it’s been sad and lonely at home without you.”
“Don’t worry, I will be back home soon, and we will be together again.”
“It’s okay, sweetie, stay there as much as you want.”
“What are you doing there?”
“It goes without saying, I always have something to do and go to work. And if I want to talk to someone, I talk to our neighbors. I visit them, or they visit me.”
“Great,” Raquelle smiles slightly, slowly eating the breakfast she ordered. “I’m glad you’re doing something.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie, I have no time to be sad.”
“Okay.”
“So, what about you? How do you feel?”
“Better. I feel much better now.”
“So, have your holidays at your aunt’s home been good?”
“Well, yeah, I can’t deny it. This trip definitely gives me something good.”
“Wonderful then! So, your aunt and I were right when we thought you would feel good with her.”
“I really feel good here.”
“But it’s hurtful that you disappeared.”
“Grandfather Frederick…”
“What is this, my darling? You promised to call and text me often, but you actually forgot your grandfather and can’t call him at all.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Of course, I understand you’re busy with your business and enjoying the rest. But I would like to talk to you much more. I would like to know all the pieces of news.”
“I know I’m a bad granddaughter,” Raquelle pronounces with pity in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Furthermore, you haven’t called your friends. They often ask me about you and ask me to tell you to call them.”
“I know, Grandpa, I know…”
“Ah, my sweetie, you did forget these girls and your beloved grandfather…”
“I’m so sorry… I’m sorry for calling you so rarely.”
“The girls are also unhappy that you don’t call them and don’t reply to their messages.”
“Oh, I’ve lately had so many things to do that I don’t have time to call you or the girls.” Raquelle puts her fork on the plate and runs her hand through her hair. “Sometimes I forgot you at all… I was too obsessed with other thoughts.”
“That’s bad, Raquelle, that’s bad,” Frederick pronounces harshly.
“I’m really sorry… It’s my blame…”
“Okay, sweetie, it’s okay…” Frederick laughs shyly. “Don’t worry! I’ve also lately had very many things to do.”
“Really?”
“Yes! It goes without saying, I miss you very much, but I get so busy with something that I have no time to think of you.”
“Honestly, you didn’t make me surprised,” Raquelle chuckles kindly. “I do know you’ve always been a very active man and can’t stay in the same place.”
“Yeah, my girl, did you think I’d have to turn to a sick old man and get ready for my death? Do you think that just because I’m no longer a boy, I should do this?”
“Not, of course…”
“No, my sweetie, I am not going to die and want to live as much as possible.”
“No, I don’t want you to die! I want you to live very, very much.”
“Of course! At least, until you get married and give birth to my great-grandchildren, I will not get ready for my death.”
“Oh, Grandpa Frederick…” Raquelle smiles shyly. “Here you go again…”
“Yes, yes, sweetie, I will surely live until that moment,” Frederick replies confidently. “And become a witness to you becoming a happily married woman and mother of your own children.”
“My God, when will I stop hearing this?”
“When you create your own family.”
“Aunt Alicia has already dinged into my ears about marrying and giving birth to children. She tries to make me go somewhere and meet someone every day.”
“She does the right thing! Right! You should not stay in four walls all day long and hide from the whole world, while girls of your age are living a bright life.”
“Why don’t you and Aunt still wanna understand I don’t wanna meet and date anyone?”
“Why don’t you want? It just cannot be the truth! Any girl wants to meet a man, get married, and give birth to babies.”
“Grandfather…”
“You’re young and beautiful, Raquelle! Now you must fall in love and date someone. Think of marrying, children… Thinking of what a woman must do.”
“Now the time is more different than the one you lived in when you were young.”
“Very sorry! Very sorry that more and more girls refuse to get married and give birth to children. They think only of themselves and their careers. Just like you do.”
“People are different. Nobody lives in the same scenario.”
“Oh, Raquelle…” Frederick sighs tiredly. “As if you really want to stay alone and cry your eyes out from loneliness.”
“Gosh, Grandfather, how could I get married and give birth to children at my age? I’m only twenty-three! I'm too young now!”
“Now is the best time to become a wife and a mother! Your mother was even much younger than you when she got married to your father. Bad she never said it was too early to think about it at her age.”
“Sorry, Grandfather, but these talks are starting to irritate me more and more,” Raquelle confesses confidently. “Almost every day, I hear I need to create my own family.”
“Because you must hurry up! Your young years are leaving! You are getting younger, you are getting older! You should think about all of it as early as possible while someone is interested in you, and you are able to give birth to children.”
“It’s just your prejudice.”
“God, I don’t understand you! There are so many young single men! Meet anyone you want! You’d surely meet someone to be able to make you happy, but you don’t see it because you are playing the role of a certain Show Queen.”
“You understand nothing…” Raquelle sighs heavily, takes her fork, and starts eating her breakfast again.
“Let someone romance you. Go on at least one date and talk to a man. It would give you no responsibility. If you don’t like it, you will meet another man! No problem!”
“Grandfather…”
“Remember how many men have tried to invite you to have lunch and made little gifts for you! You could’ve dated someone a long time ago. But you don’t want it! You are afraid that it won't let you think of your career. But you could build your career and create your own family at the same time. It’s okay! Nobody bans you.”
“Someday it will surely happen… I promise that when I realize I’ve found my man, I’ll go on dates with him, agree to date him, and even get ready for a possible wedding. Serious changes in my life.”
“So, when are you going to get married?”
“When I’m meant to do it.”
“Oh, Raquelle, Raquelle…” Frederick sighs with sadness in his eyes.
“I’ve got too many things to do so far… For example, I should solve the problem with MacClife’s slander. I don’t know how… But I should do something with it… I’ve gotta bring that man to clean water.”
“By the way, about things to do…” Frederick thinks for two seconds. “Do you know that everyone is trying to find you?”
“Me?” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Trying to find me?”
“Yes. More people are curious to know where you disappeared so suddenly.”
“Wow!”
“All newspapers and magazines are full of articles about your colleagues trying to find you through your friends and family people. And you are mentioned in almost every single show about the show business news.”
“Wow…” Raquelle chuckles kindly. “Does someone suddenly need me?”
“They do, sweetie! Everyone does not even know where to find you!”
“Listen, didn’t journalists or reporters come to you?”
“They did. Not only me but also Natalia and Anna. They’ve done it many times.”
“And what did you say?”
“The girls are silent and saying nothing, and I softly let them know where they all should go.”
“The case is that I read one article a few days ago…” Raquelle puts her hand under her cheek, holding her fork. “It said you told the media that you didn’t know where to find me.”
“It’s true,” Frederick confirms. “Journalists and reports have come to me many times and asked about you, but I said I know nothing about you and told them to leave me alone.”
“That’s good then…”
“Yeah, but they keep annoying us. I’ve pissed them off so many times, but they annoy me with a question about where my granddaughter is.”
“Anyway, you did the right thing by saying you didn’t know where I was. And the girls are doing the right thing by refusing to talk to the media.”
“We do know well that you don’t want everyone to know your current location,” Frederick recalls confidently.
“For a while, Grandfather. I understand someday I would have to show up and make a public statement about that situation.”
“Get it, sweetie, get it. But be sure, we will not betray you. Anna and Natalia do ignore people from the media or say they know nothing about you, and my talk with them is short. I don’t know – that’s all!”
“Well done, Grandpa!” Raquelle exclaims with a slight smile. “I knew I could always count on you.”
“I am not a betrayal and would not betray my granddaughter.”
“Thanks a lot.” Raquelle starts slowly eating her breakfast again. “And tell the girls I’m very glad they don’t betray me, either. I’m really grateful to you all for listening to me.”
“Of course, sunshine!” Frederick pronounces with a wide smile. “I will surely tell the girls your words when I talk to them.”
“Do you often speak to them?”
“Quite often.”
“When did you do it the last time?”
“Somewhere three days ago. Sadly, we can’t talk much more because Anna is busy with studies at the university, and Natalia has some business. She spoke to me much more, but I’ve lately heard nothing about her.”
“Okay…”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Raquelle slowly eats what she just ordered, listening to the quiet music playing at this café.
“By the way, how is Alicia doing?” Frederick asks. “Is she fine?”
“Ah, Grandpa…” Raquelle sighs with sadness on her face, taking little pieces of the scrambled egg with a fork and eating them slowly.
“Hey, what about her strange behavior? Did you find out something? Or does it seem to you?”
“No, Grandpa, it didn’t seem.”
“Do you have something to tell me?”
“Honestly, I’ve lately found out much about my aunt.”
“What?” Frederick frowns slightly. “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t even know Aunt had such a hard life… Because she… She’s always seemed to be so happy and cheerful. I never saw her upset or anxious.”
“And now what?”
“Now it’s otherwise. I’m starting to understand more and more that Aunt Alicia has been pretending that everything is alright and hasn’t shown her real emotions. That woman has been hiding the pain she feels somewhere deep inside.”
“My God, girl, don’t scare me! Explain, what’s happening to Alicia? Or has already happened? Why are you saying she has been pretending that she is happy?”
“Erm…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly and bites her lip slightly. “I don’t even know if I can say it on the phone… Because… What happened to her a long time ago… Sounds really terrible.”
“Really?”
“I found out that accidentally. But not from her. So, that’s why I don’t know if I can talk about those things. If I should actually tell you everything I know… It’s… It’s really terrible…”
“You are intriguing and scaring me at the same time,” Frederick confesses.
“I’m still shocked, too. And I don’t wanna believe it’s the truth.”
“But what happened?”
“It’s very hard for me to say it.”
“Tell me, my sunshine. Tell. I want to know everything you know.”
“I know, but…”
“You know well how well I treat your aunt. And I do really care about what’s happening to Alicia.”
“I know, Grandpa…” Raquelle cracks a slight smile.
“Tell your grandfather what’s the problem.”
“You know…” Raquelle bites her lip slightly. “I think it’s not a talk on the phone…”
“Not a talk on the phone?”
“If you came to me in London, I would tell you absolutely everything I know.”
“Come to you in London?”
“Yes! Maybe, you go to London? I could celebrate Christmas with you and Aunt. For the first time in a long time.”
“You know, Raquelle…” Frederick thinks for two seconds. “Honestly, I’ve thought about it much. I would really like to buy a ticket to London and come to you.”
“So, come then!” Raquelle exclaims. “If you don't have enough money, I could pay at least for a part of the cost of the flight.”
“Yeah, but sadly, I can’t come to you right now,” Frederick says with sadness in his eyes.
“When could you do it?”
“Somewhere in a few days.”
“But Christmas is coming soon!”
“Don’t worry, my sweetheart, I’d be able to solve my business before Christmas and visit Alicia.”
“So…” Raquelle cracks a slight smile. “In this case, I’ll be waiting for you with impatience.”
“I will arrive in England when I get some free time,” Frederick promises confidently.
“But, please, tell me when you come or just plan to do. Aunt and I would be really glad to see you. Auntie and I would go to the airport and meet you. So you don’t spend money on a taxi.”
“Alright, Granddaughter, I will tell you that. And let you know it if I don’t have enough money for a ticket.”
“By the way, Aunt Alicia and I talked about a wish to invite you here today in the morning…” Raquelle glances aside. “Christmas is coming soon. But if you came, it would be a great chance to celebrate this holiday together. I really wish we did it.”
“Well, if you wanna stay longer with your aunt Alicia, I will join you to celebrate Christmas this year with great pleasure.”
“We talked about the same. So, think about coming to London at the nearest time. I think I’m gonna stay here until the end of the year and then get ready to go home to the USA.”
“In this case, I’ll try to solve my problems as soon as possible and then call you or Alicia and say I wanna go to London to visit you.”
“Great! We will be waiting for your call.”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Raquelle keeps eating what she has on her plate and sometimes drinks strong, delicious coffee.
“Oh, listen…” Frederick pronounces thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now. Today, I need to do so much.”
“It’s okay, I get it,” Raquelle replies amicably.
“I’m sorry for ending the talk so soon. But sadly, I can’t talk to you a little longer…”
“It’s okay, don’t worry. I just called you to find out how you were doing and let you know I was alright.”
“The case is that I’m now waiting for a very important call and can’t talk to you much.”
“Okay, okay, Grandfather. If you have no time to talk. I’m not mad. We can talk a little later.”
“I promise, sunshine, we will surely talk longer next time. I shall call you when I have enough free time.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” Raquelle smiles shyly.
“Take care of yourself.”
“Okay, Grandpa. Don’t overload, and don’t forget to have much rest.”
“I will have a rest a little later because I have many things to do!”
“Okay… Until the next time.”
“Bye, sweetie! Don’t forget your grandfather.”
“Bye, Grandpa, I won’t.”
Raquelle ends the talk with a slight smile, locks her smartphone, puts it on the table, and keeps slowly eating her breakfast, sometimes looking at all sides and seeing some people sitting on free tables, making their orders quietly, and slowly eating what they get.
The girl gets a little upset because her talk with Frederick was short enough. She thought she would talk to him much longer. Anyway, Raquelle is happy she just called her grandfather, found out how he was doing, and understood he did not actually have time to miss while his granddaughter was spending time in England and trying to solve Alicia’s problems.
“My gosh, my grandfather can’t just sit quietly in the same place,” Raquelle asks herself, frowning slightly. “He always goes somewhere and does something… Never lets himself sleep longer and wakes up very early. And now he’s gonna get a call from someone…”
Raquelle cracks a slight smile.
“Okay, at least I know he’s got something to do while I’m here,” Raquelle thinks. “When Grandfather solves his problems, he will probably come here and celebrate Christmas with me and Aunt. It would be great… We haven’t celebrated it together for ages.”
Raquelle thinks of something good while she keeps eating what she ordered some time ago, noticing everything is delicious and fresh. At some moment, she decides to think of something else except Alicia and Frederick. For example, about her best friends. The days when they carelessly spent fun time together. When they walked… Talked about everything in the world… Laughed at jokes…
That time seems to be so wonderful to Raquelle, as well as the time she spends with her grandfather and aunt. Her friends have always known how to make her mood much better when she does not have the best and nicest time of her life. The pastime with her close people has actually given her much happiness when she was too tense and tired. The girl is grateful to fate for having such wonderful people that make her life much better and do not let her feel lonely and unhappy, at least for a moment.
At some moment, Raquelle starts to understand that she has not talked to Natalia and Anna since she went to London. She forgot about her friends and did not even call the memories of them. Until today. Until the talk with Frederick, who made her think about it. That’s why the girl feels guilty about them for never calling them and sending no messages. Just because she got too busy with the problems of her aunt Alicia and the story she got involved in.
“Oh, gosh, Natalia, Anna!” Raquelle rounds her eyes and slaps herself on the forehead. “Damn… I totally forgot about the girls! We haven't talked to each other since I arrived here… I haven’t called them! I haven’t sent them a message! I haven’t let them know about me for the time I’ve been in London.”
Raquelle shakes her head.
“Oh, it’s okay that Anna is not calling,” Raquelle thinks. “That girl is studying at the university and gonna pass the final exams next year, for which she’s getting ready. But Natalia… She forgot about me… What’s my friend doing there that she doesn’t think about me?”
Raquelle chuckles kindly.
“Did Rochester meet a more handsome guy than those she met in Italy, and get busy with them?” Raquelle thinks. “It would be the only explanation for my sweet Blondie becoming suddenly silent and never calling me. Or she went somewhere else. Or is she now stuck in a gym class and trying to lose weight she doesn’t actually have at all?”
Raquelle drinks some coffee from her cup and glances at a visitor to the café, who is going by her table.
“Maybe, I need to call her right now and find out how she’s doing now?” Raquelle asks herself. “Even if we’d have a short talk, just like I talked with my grandfather, I would at least know I’m not forgotten and am remembered. And remind her of me and let her know I’m okay.”
A few seconds later, Raquelle decides to try to call Natalia and talk to her just a little. The girl takes her smartphone placed on the table and, holding the fork in a second hand, starts typing the number of her friend. Then she starts patiently waiting for the answer, putting her phone to her ear, and eating a little piece of bacon. But the girl gets really surprised when she cannot reach her friend and hears only one phrase:
"The number that you called is currently not available. Try to call back later."
Raquelle frowns slightly, setting her eyes full of surprise on the screen of her smartphone, on which there is Natalia’s name and a photo of her.
“She doesn’t answer…” Raquelle thinks. “I will try to call her again…”
Raquelle tries to call Natalia two more times, but her attempts to reach her friend are worthless, and she keeps hearing the message about the number not being available.
“Hey, what kind of jokes?” Raquelle resents. “Rochester, what is this? Why aren’t you answering the call? Where are you going? What are you doing? Did you really date another man or get stuck at a gym class?”
After the third unsuccessful call, Raquelle puts her smartphone to her mouth, looking into the distance.
“It’s all so strange…” Raquelle thinks, frowning slightly. “Maybe, I call her home number? What if her parents are home and tell me where that golden-haired beauty is now?”
Raquelle types Natalia’s home number quickly and waits for the answer for a few seconds. But she meets a failure again because nobody answers the call.
“Nobody at home answers the call,” Raquelle thinks. “Probably, there is nobody there…”
Raquelle sighs tiredly and stops trying to call her friend, locking her smartphone and putting it in the purse placed on the chair near her.
“I wonder, what’s my friend doing there if her number is not available now?” Raquelle wonders. “What’s actually happening to her there?”
Raquelle bites her lip slightly and starts to slightly scratch her plate with the fork.
“No, I’d better ask a different question…” Raquelle thinks. “What’s happening to everybody? Everybody has sharply gotten too busy!”
Raquelle sighs heavily and glances at the window, in which she sees some people that were at the café some time ago.
“Okay, I'll try to call her again a little later,” Raquelle decides. “Maybe, Natalia will turn her phone on later, and I’ll be able to talk to her. Or I’ll try to call Anna… Maybe, that girl will give me at least two minutes. And maybe, she’ll even tell me where our sweet blonde is now… Who got her heart and made her forget about her friend this time…”
Raquelle cracks a slight smile and keeps slowly eating the food that she ordered and drinking coffee, which is a little cold now but still delicious and nice. The girl still thinks about what’s happening to Natalia and cannot even imagine what her best friend is doing right now, where she is now, and who she is now with. She does not know the blonde definitely has a little surprise, which the brunette may be very happy about…
***
Meanwhile, Natalia and Terrence have finally arrived in London after a few exhausting hours on an airplane. The flight was very hard and long and made the girl and the man, who came here by far not after the first time due to a great number of cancellations of flights, exhausted enough.
This hard trip got the girl so tired that she got very nervous and irritated. She is ready to scream at anyone or kill anyone, who stands in her way. However, the man got also very tired after what he decided to do at his wish. But he is much more tired not because of the problems with his flight but because of his company, which really makes me irritated. It’s very hard for him to take her irritation, and he is regretting wishing to spend time not alone but with the blonde.
Anyway, Terrence is madly happy he has finally come to the final destination because he could go to the hotel and get off this girl, who gets him more and more irritated.
“My God, it’s really awful!” Natalia resents, carrying her suitcase with her stuff. “Awful! I have nothing to say! This is the first case when a flight was delayed for such a LONG time. I never had to spend nights at the airport and wait for my flight for almost TWO days! TWO fucking days!”
“It didn’t last long,” Terrence protests quietly, carrying his suitcase and feeling very tired. “Going on a train would take much more time.”
“I would’ve better gone on a train! They would’ve at least fed me up! And give me a bed, on which I can sleep. I would at least not have to sleep on harsh, uncomfortable chairs.”
“I’m not the one to blame for the fact that our flight, for which we originally bought tickets, was canceled. That we had to wait for our flight for much more time…”
“Yeah, and then it was also canceled, and we were waiting for that. As a result, it happened that we flew away nobody the hell knows when.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Oh, shit, why did I actually decide to wait and not to go home? Why didn’t I want to do something good?”
“Yeah, if you’d stayed home, you would’ve made the very right decision.”
“If you hadn’t indisposed on me and irritated me all the time, you would’ve also made a good decision.”
“As if I’m the one to blame for the fact that they had to cancel all the scheduled flights due to the bad weather.”
“Of course, you are!” Natalia throws gloomily. “Everyone’s the ones to blame!”
“Seriously? So, should they not have canceled flights even when heavy snow was falling just because you didn’t wanna wait?”
“Is that okay I was stuck at the airport for two days? I ate almost nothing… I did not get enough sleep… My whole body hurts after I spent time on those chairs…”
“By the way, there were many people that weren’t able to go somewhere. But they were quietly sitting and waiting for the news about their flights. Instead of screaming at the whole airport like crazy and telling them to send you to London.”
“If they hadn’t canceled those fucking flights, we would've arrived in London yesterday. I would’ve been lying in a warm bath or a soft bed.”
“Stop acting like a princess!” Terrence throws gloomily. “I did suggest you leave hundreds of times, but you didn’t want to do it!”
“Ar-r-r, and I have to stand you, too,” Natalia growls irritably. “You showed up like out of the fucking blue!”
“You know, if I’d been aware of the fact that you’d be more unbearable than your friend and get me so irritated, I wouldn’t have asked you to make me your company.”
“You could go here alone! Why didn’t you the fuck leave me alone? And why did you get tickets for the same flight I did? Could you not choose ANOTHER time?”
“I repeat, I suggested you leave. But you did not want to do this!”
“I would have left! But who would have given me my money back? And the money I spent on a taxi!”
“Oh, God, give me patience not to kill this gal with my own hands…” Terrence begs quietly, exhaling slowly with closed eyes.
“Ar-r-r…” Natalia growls quietly. “Why did I actually agree to become your company? WHY, the fuck?”
“Oh, fuck…” Terrence says under his nose, tightly squeezing the handle of his suitcase.
“Since you did know well where to find Raquelle, you could go here alone. Without asking me to make you my company and annoying me with your talks.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Terrence holds his irritation down so hard. “I did not make you go and suggested you leave! You agreed to do this! You wanted to go to London and for them to schedule new flights.”
“I swear I will never fly on airplanes after what we had to get through,” Natalia says confidently. “Even for a trip to a wonderful island, I will not agree to get over THAT! NEVER! DONE! The trip to London will be the last one for me!”
“That’s right,” Terrence throws gloomily. “At least, people on an airplane would quietly reach a place they needed and not hear your shouts and whining about how bad you feel. You’d save their ears.”
“Huh, you dare to kid me?”
“No, blonde, you are kidding me. You have been annoying me with your caprices during the whole trip.”
“Ar-r-r, I would’ve really stayed home. Gotten enough sleep, gotten breakfast, and then gone somewhere… I would’ve gone to a shop and bought a couple of new shoes and dresses. Gone somewhere to dance or meet men. Or go to a gym class and work on my body a little.” Natalia groans loudly, not paying attention to a man going by her and looking at her strangely. “No! I am now not at my home. I am now nobody knows where. Nobody knows with whom. In an absolutely stranger country.”
“Damn, stop whining!” Terrence moans quietly, barely holding himself down not to do something to Natalia that would make him regret it later. “You’re acting like a little capricious girl!”
“Because I did not get off the fucking actor, who decided to ask for trouble. Instead of staying home and getting ready for Christmas.”
“Would you calm finally down or not?”
“I will calm down when I eat a lot and sleep on a big, soft bed.”
“Soon. I will have a rest today, and I will start searching for Raquelle tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah, sure…” Natalia rolls her eyes up with an irritated growl. “Don’t forget that you and I don’t the fuck know where Cameron and her aunt are living.”
“So, I will search for her!”
“Where? How?”
“I shall find a way.”
“Here’s a generator of ideas!” Natalia says under her nose.
“Oh, listen, Rochester, stop moaning and making me mad,” Terrence moans tiredly. “It seems like you need a little to bring someone back from the dead.”
“I will do! If I don’t reach a bed and a bath at the nearest time!”
“We will do it if you say nothing for at least five minutes.”
“The only thing I want is to go to a hotel where I reserved a room in… To enter my room, throw all these fucking suitcases aside, take a hot bath, and sleep as long as possible. All! I want nothing more!”
“You will do this soon.”
“I think I ask not too much. A gorgeous bath, a soft bed, and some delicious dishes.”
“Do you think I do not want to take a bath, eat something, and sleep?” Terrence wonders. “No, sweetie! You know how much I’m dreaming about it! I’m as hungry as a wolf and would eat anything I’d see in front of me!”
“And how long are we gonna be coming to that fucking hotel with all these suitcases? Maybe, you tell me? Huh, MacClife?”
“Sorry, Natalia, but you’re too unbearable…” Terrence says confidently. “And acting like a capricious princess!”
“I spent two days at the airport, ate almost nothing, and did not almost sleep. TWO DAYS!”
“Listen, are you always so capricious? Or are you today?”
“Oh, shit, why should I have suffered because of my wish to go to England?”
“Nobody invited you here. It was your decision.”
“You know, nobody is waiting for you, too.”
“You had a chance to take your stuff and get out home.”
“You, too!”
“Yeah, girl…” Terrence chuckles quietly. “It’s gonna be hard for your future husband to tolerate you. I am already very sorry for that poor man.”
“What?” Natalia resents.
“If you wash his brains as well you as you do it to me, he will run away from you the next day.”
“Ha, are you better?”
“I am an angel!”
“I would beat the face of this so-called angel!”
“Come on?”
“Cameron told so many bad things about you for a reason! That girl did understand what you were made of.”
“Next to you, she is just an innocent creature. Even if she is terribly unbearable and able to wash anyone’s brains.”
“We will see how soon Raquelle will run from such a selfish idiot if you magically seduce her and make her a girlfriend of yours.”
“Am I an idiot?”
“Even worse!”
“Yeah, Rochester…” Terrence shakes his head. “I’m really shocked that your friend has been able to stand your character for so long.”
“How do you know my character?” Natalia throws gloomily.
“Listen, how many times have you pulled each other’s hair out? You are wild, Cameron is sassy… You are not actually able to be friends!”
“As you can see, we haven’t done!”
“How could a second friend of yours take you? The one to be Anna! She is definitely much shyer and quieter than you!”
“What do you the fuck want?” Natalia wonders loudly, rounding her eyes. “We literally had to sleep with our suitcases at the airport. Just because our fucking flights were getting canceled in sequence. We didn't almost have normal sleep and fine food.”
“Yeah, agree, I didn’t also enjoy spending so much time at the airport.”
“And now I want to eat something good and sleep on a soft bed. Not on iron chairs or a blanket placed on the floor.”
“I understand it, but you must not lose your temper so easily.”
“Oh, MacClife, if we are not at the hotel, I will have hysteria that will make you regret everything.”
“As if we are not going to the hotel.”
“What are you talking about?” Natalia simpers loudly. “Would we finally reach it? Thank God!”
“Well, if you want, you can spend a night outside. I would be happy to get off such a scandalous lady as you.”
“I do not need such a headstrong donkey that I did not invite you to join my company.”
“Thank God, you didn’t start scandals at the airport and didn’t behave like a sick, hysterical girl, attacking all the members of the airport staff. You just screamed a little after the cancellation of the second flight.”
“If I’d stayed there for two more days, it would’ve happened.”
“Oh, shit…”
“And I would’ve one hundred percent killed you. Right at the airport. Or an airplane. With my own hands.”
“Alright, stop shouting!” Terrence cuts off sharply, raising a free hand up. “We will come to the hotel soon! Get the keys from our rooms and have a rest.”
“I hope our rooms will be far from one another. Because I do not want to see your insolent face.”
“Oh, no!” Terrence chuckles kindly. “Living with you in the same room, and especially sleeping with you in the same room, would be too much.”
“Oh, oh, I want!” Natalia throws gloomily. “In this case, you would fall asleep on a bed but wake up on a cold floor. Because I would not lie with you. Even if you are the all-favorite actor named Terrence MacClife.”
“I am really sorry about your future husband. Because he would take much next to such a capricious madam.”
“And I am sorry for Raquelle. She got in touch with the donkey!”
“She is lucky to know me!”
“What are you talking about? Even if she feels something for you, I’m sure she’s going to have many problems with an idiot like you. The freaking headstrong donkey, who loves himself too much. And who is very vengeful. If you did a bad thing and are now trying to pretend that you are guilty of nothing.”
“If I’d met you earlier than your friend, I would’ve never fallen in love with a gal like you.”
“You know, you don’t also get me attracted.”
“Ha, you said I was hot and sexy! I was the most handsome man you had ever known!”
“But I didn’t know you were so disgusting! Cameron would be absolutely right about you. You’re so handsome but so insolent and non-educated.”
“You know, you are a beautiful, attractive girl with an excellent body, but when you open your mouth, I wanna run away from you.”
“What are you talking about?” Natalia simpers loudly.
“I can’t wait to get off you and stay alone… You’ve really irritated me in the past few days. You got me more exhausted than some of my exes.”
“Huh!” Natalia stops sharply and crosses her arms over her chest. “Do you remember the address? Huh, Don Juan?”
“Address?” Terrence asks hesitantly. “Erm… The address of the hotel…”
Terrence also stops sharply and starts searching for something in the pockets of his jacket.
“Damn, where is the address?” Terrence blunts under his nose. “Where’s the paper with the name and address of it?”
“MacClife…” Natalia pronounces in a threatening voice, gloomily looking at Terrence. “Don't make me much angrier… Or you will not survive until tomorrow.”
“Address, address…”
Terrence searches for something in his pockets for some time until he finally finds the necessary piece of paper.
“Oh, here it is, I found it!” Terrence exclaims. “Okay, let’s see…”
Terrence runs his eyes over the content of the paper and quickly orients himself to the place to understand where to go to reach the destination.
“We could go to the hotel by only using the taxi,” Terrence says.
“Oh, no!” Natalia throws irritably. “I will not be in the same car with you!”
“Did you think I’d take you with me?”
“What?”
“Reach the hotel as you want, but I will quickly find a car and go there.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, REACH THE HOTEL AS YOU WANT?”
Meanwhile, a couple of people go by Natalia and Terrence and throw a bad look at them after the girl raises her voice at the top of her lungs and starts waving her hands actively.
“Hey, hey, make the volume quieter, cutie!” Terrence says quietly. “Why are you screaming? People are watching you!”
“So, will you get into a taxi and go with comfort, and do I have to suffer for nobody the fuck knows how long?” Natalia resents loudly.
“I don’t care! It’s your problem!”
“If you don’t close your mouth, I swear I will hit you on the face with this bag! I SWEAR!”
“Fuck, I am ashamed of standing next to you! Ashamed of the scandalous drama queen that cannot calm down!”
“Ah, am I a drama queen?”
“I’m not the one to scream here like crazy.”
“I swear, MacClife, I will personally kill you right here!” Natalia says loudly, confidently, threatening Terrence with a finger. “Hear me, idiot! KILL YOU! KILL YOU!”
“Fuck, Natalia, calm the hell down!” Terrence tightly takes the furious Natalia by the shoulders. “Can you shut up, at least for some time? My head is tearing because of your screaming and whining! Stop, Rochester, enough! Calm down!”
“Don’t dare to scream at me!” Natalia demands rudely.
“You shut up, drama queen! You annoyed me with your hysterics!”
“I will not calm down until we are at the final destination,” Natalia says coldly.
“Oh, God…” Terrence moans crossly, running his hands over his face. “For what do I have to take it?”
“Just don’t pretend to be holy. Because you are not the one.”
“How much I want to get off you… How much you ANNOYED me! REALLY ANNOYED!”
“GREAT!” Natalia shouts. “If you want it, it’s alright! I will catch a taxi and go to the hotel ALONE! WITHOUT YOU!”
“Go wherever you want! You can even come back to the USA.”
“I will do!”
“Get out!”
“I will do!”
“Alright, get out before I strangle you with my own hands.”
“Go to the fuck, idiot!”
“Leave me, drama queen!”
“Look at you, peacock!”
Still swearing loudly at Natalia and carrying the suitcase, the irritated Terrence steps as far as possible, comes to the road, and looks at all the cars that are passing by him to catch a taxi as soon as possible to go to the place he needs.
The girl herself growls irritably and also tries to catch a taxi, carrying her suitcase and wishing to reach the hotel as soon as possible and have a good rest. She also wants only one thing – to have some rest after a long, hard flight. The girl dreams of a cup of delicious coffee and imagines herself taking a hot bath with aromatic oil or lying on a soft bed in absolute silence and covering herself with a warm blanket.
***
After sitting at the café and eating what she ordered and liked very much for some time, Raquelle decides to walk in the city a little and look at something. She actually likes watching people going somewhere and doing something. The girl loves seeing musical or acting performances that someone makes on the streets, and getting surrounded by many people. She cannot go by them and watches some performances along with a big crowd and even gives some money to especially talented people.
All this time, nobody steps back from Raquelle or gives her any attention. That’s why she feels absolutely quiet. And she is happy she can feel like an absolutely ordinary girl, not a famous model, who has not been recognized by any inhabitants of London. It seems like such a famous persona as Raquelle Cameron does not exist for them. Or she does, but they are quite shy and do not bother her or ask her about something as insolently as many fans do. Or someone knows who she is and does not even wish to look at her… Who knows… Anyway, everything is not as bad as it seemed before.
That’s why Raquelle is enjoying the minutes she spends like an ordinary person, quietly walking on the streets of the city and watching people, who live a colorful life and plan very much to do. Looking at all of that and breathing in a little cold air, she feels nice, and her mood gets much better.
It’s nice to see little children playing… Nice to see teenagers laughing at something and walking in big companies… How young people spend time together and talk about something… How many lovers show their feelings and cannot stop looking at each other… How old women and men talk about something on benches or read something… How dogs of different sizes follow their owners, sniff something on the ground, or look at everyone with interest…
And it’s actually nice to see how life is going on in the city, which is beautifully decorated for the upcoming holidays. That’s what makes people feel the Christmas spirit when they think that Christmas is coming soon. The time when they make any wish that might come true one beautiful day. The time when they could believe in magic, at least for a while, and spend some time with their relatives, who many people probably meet not as much as they would like.
But at some moment, Raquelle having a wonderful mood suddenly gets a message on her mobile phone. The girl understands this when she feels a slight vibration in her purse that she opens. When she takes her smartphone, she unlocks it and sees a notification about a new message that was sent from an unknown number that is not added to her list of contacts.
"Your aunt, Alicia Thompson, better known to many people as Cheryl and as Alicia Middleton to you, has been taken hostage. Yes, yes, you read it right, taken hostage. My people hid her in a very secret place where no one could find her. So, you cannot even try to look for your beloved relative. You would get no result.
Well, if you want to see her safe and sound, wait for my call. I do not know when I will call you and tell you what to do. Maybe, tomorrow, maybe in a week. Ah, yeah, something else: do not dare to call the police and ask them for help. In the opposite case, you will get your aunt's little bloody parts. I promise you.
And do not try to run away. I will find you wherever you are. Even if you decide to go back to the United States, I will go there and find you. You cannot hide from me, girl. I can do much, and my people would not let you and your aunt run away.
I hope you understood me well, supermodel. The insulted and humiliated model, who is hiding at the home of her auntie and hoping to ride out the storm next to her. Yes, yes, I am well aware of everything that happened to you. And I could easily betray you if I really wanted. So, take a note of it. Stay as quiet as a mouse, and do not even dare to move if you want to see your auntie alive."
When reading this message, Raquelle stops sharply somewhere in the middle of the street.
“What the fuck?” Raquelle asks herself, starting to breathe heavily enough from excitement. “I did talk to her today in the morning… She was home when I was going to walk. Aunt Alicia was fine… She was fine…”
Raquelle swallows up nervously.
“What if she is not?” Raquelle starts to doubt. “What if something happened again while I wasn’t there?”
Raquelle shakes her head, closing her mouth with her hand.
“Did someone go to Aunt’s home again while I wasn’t there?” Raquelle wonders. “For the second time! But this time, they didn’t try to steal anything, they did take Aunt Alicia with them.”
Raquelle starts to feel more anxious every new second and understands that something is pressing on her chest and does not let her breathe deeply.
“My God, is that really true?” Raquelle asks herself. “What if this message doesn’t lie? What if those people came back for her and brought her where they were told?”
Raquelle puts her hand on her heart, which is beating much faster than usual.
“Okay, I’ve gotta come back home right now and find out if she’s there,” Raquelle thinks. “Although I don’t wanna believe it’s the truth, I suddenly got a very bad presentiment… Something tells me this message could be the truth… Someone sent this message to me for the reason…”
Raquelle bites her lip slightly.
“Anyway, something isn’t really right…” Raquelle thinks. “And I won’t calm down until I find everything out personally. If Aunt is in trouble, I must do something to save her…”
Raquelle puts her phone in a pocket and literally runs to the road to catch a taxi and go to Alicia’s home. Looking around excitedly and getting more and more nervous, the girl looks at every single transport that passes by her. Luckily, she gets to quickly stops a driver in a yellow car.
After opening the door of a passenger, Raquelle asks the one to drive her to the address she calls. When the driver agrees to do it, she quickly sits in the passenger seat and waits for him to drive her to the destination. On the way, the girl literally begs the driver to drive as fast as possible, but sadly, he cannot do this due to the limits of the rules.
The more time is gone, the stronger the excitement and anxiety Raquelle gets. The stronger her heart squeezes. The less she is able to keep calm. The girl is praying that the message is someone’s bad joke and that Alicia is alright. But she believes in the best less and less, knowing the woman has been trying to solve serious enough problems that have bothered her for many years. Moreover, many things have lately reminded her of the sins of the past that she aims to forget so hard.
Some time later, the taxi comes to the building. Raquelle pays for the trip, thanks the driver, leaves the car and quickly runs inside it. She is very nervous and shifting her weight from one foot to another while the elevator is slowly getting down to the first floor. And then it slowly goes up. That’s what makes the excited girl much more nervous and not able to stay quietly in the same place.
When she is on the floor she needs and quickly runs to the apartment, Raquelle unlocks it with the keys, which she is holding with shaking hands. After entering it and closing the door, the girl does not see Alicia here. She is not anywhere.
“Aunt Alicia!” Raquelle pronounces loudly. “Aunt Alicia, are you home?”
Raquelle throws her purse somewhere in the hall and starts to run into all the rooms right in her street shoes, but she does not find Alicia anywhere.
“Aunt Alicia, where are you?” Raquelle wonders excitedly. “Answer me! Please!”
Raquelle does not find anything that would let her know someone was at this apartment. Everything is placed in the same place, and things are not thrown on the floor. As if nobody were here. Either everything happened very carefully and quietly, or the woman went somewhere while her niece was walking in the city.
“Aunt Alicia, don’t be silent, for God’s sake!” Raquelle begs with pity in her eyes, checking all the rooms and succumbing to panic more and more. “Please…”
But after examining the entire apartment, Raquelle does not find Alicia or any tracks of some strangers.
“No…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice, shaking her head. “No, it can’t be the truth! No…”
Getting sharply white from horror and breathing heavily, Raquelle looks around the whole living room again, where she is now. And then the girl takes the wired phone and decides to try to type Alicia’s number with the hope that she will answer her and dispel her doubts.
“C’mon, Aunt…” Raquelle begs quietly, putting the phone to her ear. “Answer me… Please…”
But sadly, Alicia’s phone is currently turned off and not available.
“No, no, Aunt, for God’s sake…” Raquelle shakes her head sharply. “Don’t do this to me… Please…”
Sniffing quietly and breathing heavily enough, Raquelle tries to call Alicia a few more times, but she hears the message about the number being currently unavailable.
“No…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “No…”
Raquelle starts to understand more and more that the message she got is not anyone’s bad joke. Alicia is really in trouble and has been taken away by some people nobody knows where.
“So, it’s true…” Raquelle whispers. “It’s the truth…”
Raquelle leans her back on the wall and slowly slides down the one, bending her legs under herself, putting her face on her knees, and putting the phone near her.
“Aunt Alicia…” Raquelle concludes. “She’s been kidnapped… Kidnapped!”
At this moment, Raquelle understands that tears are starting to roll over her cheeks.
“She’s in trouble…” Raquelle pronounces quietly, “In great trouble…”
Raquelle sniffs quietly.
“God, why was it her?” Raquelle wonders. “Why did it happen to her? Why?”
Raquelle closes her mouth with both hands, not hiding her wish to cry bitterly.
“Are You punishing her for killing the man like this?” Raquelle wonders. “Would my aunt keep suffering and thinking there would be no peace in her life until the day she dies? She’s suffered enough and was on trial! Isn’t…”
Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds.
“Wait…” Raquelle pronounces quietly, wipes her tears from her cheek quite quickly, and sniffs while her eyes are running from one side to another. “Eleanor Woodham…”
Raquelle opens her mouth slightly.
“Of course!” Raquelle realizes. “Why didn’t I guess who could do that? She was the one to kidnap my aunt! And she sent me the message!”
Raquelle makes a quiet sob.
“That woman probably told her people to find Aunt Alicia and bring her where she wanted to hide her,” Raquelle assumes. “She was threatening and terrifying her for a long time, and then she decided to kidnap her.”
Raquelle sniffs again and moves some hair aside, which gets a little disheveled by this moment.
“She decided to go much further,” Raquelle concludes. “She decided to revenge Aunt for the murder of her relative… For the murder of her father…”
Raquelle shakes her head.
“She didn't probably organize the kidnapping alone,” Raquelle assumes. “That woman has accomplices that brought my aunt where they should’ve gone.”
Raquelle swallows up nervously while her eyes are running from one side to another, and she is breathing heavily enough.
“She can’t be stopped,” Raquelle says quietly. “Eleanor Woodham is determined to destroy my aunt… That woman isn’t gonna forgive her for the death of Gilbert, whom the diary told about.”
Raquelle makes a couple of sobs.
“God, this is insane…” Raquelle pronounces with despair. “I won’t endure this…”
Raquelle closes her face with both hands and starts crying bitterly, sitting on the floor with her legs pressed to her chest and letting herself get obsessed with despair and panic. A bad presentiment tells her that something terrible is about to happen very soon. Something that would destroy Alicia. However, on the contrary, Raquelle completely understands that crying would be worthless, and she must take measures and do something to rescue her beloved auntie Alicia, who got in trouble because of the mistake she made at a young age.
“No, no, I can’t keep doing anything…” Raquelle says in a shaking voice. “I can’t… I’ve gotta do something… Or Eleanor may do something bad with my aunt… I must save her…”
Raquelle sniffs quietly and wipes the tears under her eyes.
“But I can’t do this alone…” Raquelle adds. “I need someone’s help… And who could I ask about it? Who could help me? Who could I count on?”
A few seconds later, Raquelle comes up with nothing but an idea to tell Alexis everything and ask her to be next to her in case she has to make some important decisions.
“Lexi!” Raquelle rounds her eyes. “Sure… Lexi! First, I should tell her what happened. She should know it.”
Raquelle swallows up nervously.
“That girl could advise me something,” Raquelle assumes. “Or at least she would not let me go crazy and would help me make hard decisions.”
Raquelle says nothing for two seconds.
“So, I just can’t remember her number…” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “But it must be somewhere in the notebook. It’s somewhere here… Here…”
Two seconds later, Raquelle, sniffing quietly, gets up on her feet sharply, and starts searching for the number of Alexis in a little notebook she finds in one of the drawers of the table placed in the living room, turning pages and running her eyes over every single name she sees.
“Where’s her number?” Raquelle pronounces excitedly. “Where is it?”
But some time later, Raquelle finds the name of the woman named Valeria Milton on a page of the notebook and sees the name of Alexis that is written near it.
“That’s it…” Raquelle nods. “That’s it…”
Raquelle takes the wired phone from the floor, types a number she needs, and puts it to her ear, starting to wait for the answer that she gets quickly enough.
“Hello, I’m listening,” the woman pronounces quietly.
“Good afternoon, ma’am…” Raquelle greets in a strongly shaking voice. “Say, please… Can I talk to Alexis? Alexis Milton.”
“Yes, of course. But who is calling her?”
“I'm the n-niece of your neighbor, Alicia Middleton,” Raquelle says as quietly as possible, barely bracing herself to more or less clearly explain who she is, and what she needs.
“Niece?”
“Erm… Your daughter often visits my aunt very often and helps her do homework or buys something for her when she has no time to do it.”
“Ah! Yes, yes, I got it!”
“Please, ask Lexi to come to the phone. I need to talk to her.”
“Wait for a second, please. I shall call her now.”
It's possible to hear how this woman named Valeria calls Alexis loudly and says a girl is calling her after introducing herself as Alicia’s neighbor. And a few seconds later, the girl herself comes to the phone and lets her know about it:
“Hello!”
“Hey, Lexi…” Raquelle pronounces excitedly, starting to nervously walk into the whole apartment. “It’s Raquelle… Raquelle Cameron…”
“Hi, Raquelle,” Alexis greets with a slight smile. “Glad to hear you.”
“Are you busy now?”
“Nope, I am not. I’m home… Finishing watching a show on the TV.”
“Listen… Sorry for bothering you… But I need to tell you something. It’s very important… You should know it.”
“But what happened?”
“I need you, Lexi…” Raquelle makes a quiet sob. “So badly… You’re the only one I can ask for help.”
“Gosh, Raquelle…” Alexis stops smiling and frowns slightly. “Why do you have such an exciting voice? Why are you so nervous?”
“I’m terrified…” Raquelle pronounces in a very shaking voice.
“Hey, are you crying there?”
“I think everything’s gonna be over in a bad way. I’m afraid trouble might happen.”
“Please. Raquelle, don’t scare me,” Alexis begs with pity in her eyes. “Explain what happened to you? Is that something serious?”
“Please, Lexi…”
Raquelle gives a couple of sobs, being terribly excited and barely able to speak clearly.
“Please, come to me…” Raquelle begs with despair. “Right now… I need your help right now!”
“Come to you?” Alexis wonders. “But why?”
“Please, Lexi…” Raquelle jabs excitedly, breathing heavily enough. “Don’t leave me… You’re the only one to be able to help me… I’ve got nobody else to ask for help…”
“Sorry, Raquelle, but I can barely understand what you are saying,” Alexis frowns strongly. “Calm down, please…”
“Trouble… Great trouble has happened… I don’t know what to do…”
“Gosh, what happened to you and made you so excited?”
“It will lead to a catastrophe…”
“Something happened to Alicia?”
“Yes… Her…”
“Does she feel bad?”
“Nope… She’s been kidnapped.”
“What?” Alexis opens her mouth and eyes widely, almost letting her phone get out of her hands. “Alicia? Has she been kidnapped?”
“Yes, she’d been kidnapped today!” Raquelle pronounces excitedly in the same breath, making a loud sob. “And I can do nothing to save her. But I understand I might not have very much time.”
“It can’t be the truth…” Alexis sits on the sofa, next to which she is now standing. “It can’t be the truth…”
“But it happened!” Raquelle exclaims.
“But now? How has it happened?”
“I don’t know, Alexis, I don’t…”
“Has she been kidnapped somewhere in the middle of daylight?”
“I dunno…”
“But that’s impossible!”
“Yeah, but it happened! My aunt is in danger! I’ve gotta do something to rescue her.”
“Wait, wait, are you sure about it?” Alexis specifies quietly. “Maybe, she is okay? What if Alicia went somewhere for some business, but you started to panic?”
“No, Lexi, I swear I am not lying to you!” Raquelle protests with despair and sniffs quietly. “Danger does really threaten my aunt.”
“Okay, but how did you know it? Did you see someone taking her away? Or someone else did?”
“No, I saw nothing.”
“Has someone been in her apartment?”
“No, there has been nobody at her apartment. No clues that would let me know it…”
“But why do you think Alicia has been kidnapped?”
“I can’t explain it on the phone.” Raquelle comes to the wall and leans on it with her hand. “Better go to the home of my aunt, and I will tell you everything.”
“Right now?” Alexis specifies.
“Yes… Please, Lexi, don’t leave me alone… I feel bad… Very bad… I can’t do this alone… I need help…”
“Raquelle…”
“Help me…” Raquelle begs with despair. “Please… I don’t know what to do… I… I can’t be able to think soberly…”
“Okay, okay, I shall come to you now,” Alexis promises confidently. “After I change my clothes.”
“Thanks…”
“But do nothing until I come to you. Then you will tell me everything.”
“Okay…”
“And try to calm down just a little. Drink something.”
“Come to me as soon as possible.”
“I’m coming. Wait for me.”
Alexis turns off the call without any warning, and Raquelle, sniffing quietly, throws the wired phone somewhere on the sofa. And then the girl starts nervously walking into the apartments, still crying quietly and thinking of the worst. She cannot stop thinking that something bad is going to happen to her auntie. Her heart is squeezing and bleeding, and her imagination is drawing pictures, which get worse and worse.
“If only my aunt was okay…” Raquelle begs with despair. “If only Eleanor Woodham did nothing to her. My God… My God…”
Raquelle sits on the sofa, bends her legs under herself, and closes her face with both hands for two seconds, crying bitterly from hopelessness.
“Why?” Raquelle pronounces under her nose with tears in her eyes. “Why is this happening to her? She shouldn't have suffered. Even if she somehow killed the man accidentally… Shouldn’t have done…”
Raquelle sniffs quietly.
“What if Gilbert was really trying to rape her, and she was just protecting herself?” Raquelle asks herself. “I’m sure Aunt wouldn’t have killed anyone at her wish. It happened accidentally… She didn’t want it… She did not want…”
Raquelle closes her face with both hands again and keeps crying quietly, completely understanding she can do nothing to help her beloved auntie right now. Sadly, Alicia became a victim and might easily be killed by Eleanor Woodham, who has not forgiven her for the death of her father. And something tells the girl that the woman will go until the very end to reach her goal.
***
A few minutes later, someone knocks and calls the doorbell of Alicia’s apartment, but Raquelle is busy with her thoughts and does not hear a knock or a bell. Moreover, the girl even forgot to lock the door when she was back here, being obsessed with a wish to find her aunt and make sure she was alright, and the message was a bad joke.
Alexis knocks at the door quietly and calls the doorbell several times before she thinks of trying to push the door that opens without problems, to her surprise. The girl carefully enters the apartment, looking into all the rooms with a little scare in her eyes, as if she is afraid that something dangerous might expect her.
Some time later, Alexis comes to the living room and sees Raquelle sitting on the sofa with her scared, widely open eyes, bending her legs under herself and putting her head on them. The young girl watches the brunette with pity, then comes to her carefully and softly puts her hand on her shoulder.
“Raquelle…” Alexis pronounces quietly.
Raquelle turns around sharply and sees Alexis in front of her.
“Lexi!” Raquelle exhales sharply with relief. “Oh, My God…”
Raquelle sharply gets up from the sofa and takes Alexis in her strong hug, which the blonde accepts with pleasure. But a few seconds later, the girls step away from each other.
“Gosh, you really scared me,” Alexis confesses.
“I’m really frightened, as well…” Raquelle confesses in a strongly shaking voice.
“Is it true Alicia has been kidnapped?”
“True.”
“But how?” Alexis throws her hands up. “When? What actually happened?”
“Let's sit down,” Raquelle suggests quietly, trying to catch a breath. “I will tell you everything now.”
Raquelle sits on the sofa, and then Alexis does the same.
“Speak,” Alexis pronounces hesitantly. “What happened here? Why are you so sure that someone has kidnapped Alicia?”
“You will get it now…” Raquelle replies in a strongly shaking voice. “I shall explain everything…”
“Can I do something? How can I help you and Alicia in this situation?”
“I dunno…”
“Okay, let’s discuss everything in order. What happened? How? When? And where?”
“I suspected it would happen. But I hoped everything would be alright until the end.”
Raquelle exhales sharply with closed eyes.
“I’m listening,” Alexis pronounces softly.
“In short, today, in the morning, I went to the city to walk a little…” Raquelle says in a shaking voice. “Went to the park… Sat at the café and called my grandfather… Later, wanted to call my friend but didn’t do that. After this, I wanted to walk in the city for a little longer, but I couldn’t reach her…”
“And?”
“After that, I decided to walk in the city a little bit longer. But at some moment, I got a message on the phone…”
“The message?” Alexis rounds her eyes.
“Yeah… The message… From an unknown number…”
Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds and sniffs quietly, still shaking strongly from horror.
“What kind of message?” Alexis specifies. “What it said?”
“Now…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly. “Erm…”
Raquelle looks around herself quickly.
“Damn, where’s my purse?” Raquelle wonders.
“It seems like I saw it in the hall,” Alexis says thoughtfully. “Lying on the floor.”
“Right! Wait, Lexi, I will be back soon…”
Raquelle gets up quickly from the sofa, goes to the hell, takes her purse, which she left there, and brings it to the living room. After sitting down again, the girl opens it and quickly finds her mobile phone in it.
“Here it is!” Raquelle exclaims and puts her purse near her. “I will find it now…”
Raquelle looks for something on her phone for a few seconds, running her fingers over the screen.
“Here!” Raquelle exclaims. “Look!”
Raquelle gives her smartphone to Alexis, so she can read the message she got some time ago. The blonde takes the phone and starts reading a long text she sees in front of herself. When she starts it from start to end, Alicia’s neighbor opens her eyes full of horror wider while Raquelle nods, confirming everything is the real truth.
“You see!” Raquelle exclaims. “That’s what I told you!”
“My God…” Alexis shakes her head with horror in her eyes. “I can’t believe…”
“Now do you understand why I’m so nervous?”
“I do… I understand you’re worried for the reason.”
“First, I didn’t believe it, either, and thought this message was someone’s bad joke. But I decided to go here and make sure that Aunt was fine. And on the way, I got more obsessed with a bad presentiment. As if something very bad happened.” Raquelle swallows up nervously. “But when I came here, checked the apartment, and tried to call my aunt, I had to admit the message was the truth.”
“My God…” Alexis exhales sharply. “Oh, my God…”
“The message says I should be waiting for a call. But they didn’t say when they’d call me. But I can’t do anything! I’ve gotta do something!”
“Wait, why does someone call Alicia by the name Cheryl?” Alexis frowns slightly.
“I don’t know, either… Who’s Cheryl? And what does she have to do with my aunt?”
“Well, as for the surname Thompson, I know… It’s her surname since birth… But somehow, she changed it to Middleton. But who’s Cheryl?”
“I don’t know…” Raquelle shakes her head.
“Maybe, this is her middle name?”
“No, it’s not her middle name… Her middle name is Irene.”
“Maybe, she has many more names? Here, in England, people often get from one to four names. For example, I’m Alexis Lindsay Savannah Milton.”
“No, no, my aunt’s name is Alicia Irene Middleton. Well, or Thompson. I… I don’t know who Cheryl is… And what she has to do with it.”
“Maybe, someone confused her with someone?”
“But the message does mention my aunt Alicia. If it’s so, it means my aunt really has to do with this name.”
“Hm…” Alexis frowns slightly. “Better known to many people as Cheryl… So, does someone know her under this name?”
“I guess Eleanor Woodham knows the answer to this question,” Raquelle assumes confidently.
“Eleanor Woodham?” Alexis rounds her eyes.
“She told her people to kidnap Aunt Alicia.”
“What?”
“That woman definitely wanna do something horrible.”
“But, Raquelle… How do you know that she has to do with that? Maybe, it wasn’t Eleanor?”
“Why not her? Eleanor is the only person Aunt Alicia has a conflict with! And I’ve made much more sure about it.”
“Kidnap a person because of the refusal of Alicia to pay her the money that she doesn’t have?”
“That woman definitely could do much to reach her goal.”
“Even kidnap someone?”
“Don’t forget that Eleanor was threatening my auntie almost every single day. And she told her people to go to her home and steal as much money as possible.”
“Yeah, you’re right…” Alexis agrees thoughtfully.
“I’m sure Eleanor started this game for a reason.”
“If it’s so, that woman is very dangerous.”
“Besides, I can’t exclude that Eleanor told them to kidnap Aunt for different reasons that we don’t know about yet.”
“Different reasons?”
“Yeah…” Raquelle pronounces, not finding the courage to tell Alexis what Alicia did many years ago and preferring to keep it a secret. “Aunt probably hurt Eleanor much… Very much…”
“So much that the woman even organized the kidnapping of her?”
“Exactly!”
“Do you think there is another reason why Eleanor did that?” Alexis frowns slightly.
“Possible.”
“But what kind of business could Alicia have with that Eleanor if that woman even kidnapped her?”
“I don’t know, Lexi…” Raquelle shakes her head. “But something terrible was supposed to happen to make Eleanor wish to hurt my aunt so much…”
“Do you think she’s such a mean bitch that she did it just because your aunt refused to pay her the money?”
“No, I don’t think the case is just about the money… Yes, it sounds kind of true, but my heart tells me that my aunt has much more secrets.”
“So, there much be another reason?”
“I am more than sure there’s another reason for that.”
“But now?” Alexis throws her hands up. “Alicia can’t even hurt a fly! She’s too kind and decent to do dirty tricks on someone, betray them, and take revenge for something.”
“I dunno, Alexis I dunno…”
Raquelle runs her hands over her face.
“But whatever that is, Aunt is in trouble now,” Raquelle adds in a little shaking voice.
“Anyway, we can’t sit and do anything,” Alexis says thoughtfully.
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do to rescue her. I don’t know…”
Raquelle doubles over and runs her hands through her hair, sniffing at times, while Alexis watches her with pity in her eyes for a few seconds and caresses her back softly.
“Maybe, we need to call the police?” Alexis suggests.
“What?” Raquelle sharply moves her widely open eyes to Alexis. “The police?”
“We must not do anything, trying to come up with an idea of what to do. And we can’t do it alone… We need someone’s help…”
“No, Lexi!” Raquelle gets sharply straight. “No police!”
“What?”
“I don't want anything bad to happen to my aunt. I don’t want to lose her because of that woman.”
“My God, Raquelle, did you go insane?”
“I’ve got no choice, Lexi. You saw the message and read what was written in there.”
“And what was written?”
“If I go to the police, my aunt will get much worse.”
“Would she be alive if you didn't go?”
“I can’t risk that woman’s life so hard. My close relative! I don’t wanna lose her!”
“Gosh, Cameron, you’re really crazy!” Alexis opens her eyes full of horror.
“I must do everything Eleanor wants.”
“If you do not call the police and do decide to do something alone, a great danger might threaten you. Eleanor Woodham will feel like she is unpunished, destroy Alicia, and do something to you.”
“She will not do.”
“Listen, Raquelle…”
“I’ll find a way to rescue my aunt without the police,” Raquelle says in a shaking voice.
“You can’t let things happen as they want!”
“The police can do nothing to that woman because they’re afraid to stand in the way of someone from the Woodhams.”
“It’s okay, we will fight until the end.”
“No, Lexi, no help.”
“So, are you gonna sit, do nothing and wait for Eleanor to call you? It might happen tomorrow or in a week! At any time!”
“For my aunt, I’m ready to do anything just to see her safe and sound.”
“You should understand that such people as Eleanor Woodham could kill a person without a doubt. What If she wants to meet you and asks you to go somewhere in an out-of-the-way place in the city?”
“I shall go there then.”
“It’s madness! You wouldn’t be under someone’s protection! You’d count only for yourself! Nobody would protect you and save you from that woman.”
“It’s okay, I can stand up for myself. I won’t let anyone hurt me.”
“It’s not a drill, Raquelle, it’s all serious! What if Eleanor takes big men, who can knock out anyone quickly? And if she’s got a gun, it’ll be your funeral.”
“I will do something.”
“Nobody would protect you, understand it. By rejecting the police’s help, you’ll sign a death sentence that will get real when you meet Eleanor face-to-face.”
«I know, but the message…”
“It’s a trap! An attempt to manipulate you. Terrify you. Make you believe that if you came to a meeting with her alone, it would be okay: you would be alive, and nothing would happen to Alicia.”
Raquelle thinks for a few seconds and frowns slightly.
“I don’t know…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly. “Maybe, you’re right…”
“If you wanna go back home safe and sound and see Alicia, you do need the police’s help,” Alexis replies confidently.
“Do you think we need to ask the police for help?”
“Of course, we need! They would find a way to catch that woman. Those people have had a deal with much more dangerous women.”
“I’m afraid they wouldn’t listen to us.”
“We will do our best for them to listen to us. Eleanor Woodham to pay for all the crimes she’s committed.”
“It doesn’t make sense…” Raquelle pronounces with despair. “Doesn’t make sense…”
“The police do know what to do. They wouldn’t let you two suffer. Wouldn’t let that crazy woman hurt you.”
“What if Eleanor finds out we called the police? It would be the funeral of my aunt!!”
“The funeral of your aunt will happen if you don’t ask the police for help.”
“But…”
“You can’t deal with that woman on your own. Especially, if she is with her big guys. Eleanor would hardly hire skinny boys that have never held anything heavier than a pen as her bodyguards and helpers.”
“It’s too risky!” Raquelle exclaims excitedly. “Eleanor said everything clearly! If I call the police, I shall get my aunt by parts.”
“My God, Raquelle, why you don’t wanna understand that she’s just trying to terrify you?” Alexis moans tiredly. “So you don’t stop her from making all her plans come true.”
“Even if it’s so, asking someone for help might lead to a great risk.”
“Do you want to save your aunt?”
“Very much.”
“Then forget what she said and call the police right now!”
“But…”
“Stop fearing and doubting. In this case, you must be determined!”
“I dunno, Lexi… I’m scared.”
“Don’t be! The police will protect you from that woman and do their best to save Alicia. They do know their business and do everything they should do. You should only do what they tell you. That’s all!”
“They’d be afraid of standing in the way of Eleanor Woodham. At least, for her father, who was loved and respected here.”
“He’s remembered by only the old generation. The new one doesn’t know who he was.”
“And what?”
“There is a chance that someone from the last generation would work at the police and not know that woman. Someone not to wish to dance attendance upon that woman. Who has no merits, except for the fact that she is the daughter of Gilbert Woodham. She is running the business that her father created. Not her.”
“Who she is, and who we are!”
“You are quite a famous person. You would be much more famous than Eleanor or her father is.”
“But…”
“Agree, Raquelle! This is your only chance to save your aunt and do your best for her to be back home. If you keep being a coward, you may lose her and let Eleanor win.”
Raquelle sighs heavily and thinks for a few seconds. And then the girl decides to trust Alexis and accept her suggestion of calling the police and asking them for help.
“Alright, Lexi,” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly and moves her eyes to the floor. “I agree… Let's call the police…”
“Wonderful then!” Alexis nods in approval.
“If you think it will help us… If it will help my aunt… Let’s at least try.”
“Can you explain everything? Or do I call them?”
“I dunno… Hardly… I don’t have a good enough condition to explain everything clearly.”
“Okay. Let me call the police and explain everything. The police will probably come here. I think you would calm down a little and be able to speak by that time.”
“Okay. Do everything you find right.”
“Where’s the phone?” Alexis moves her eyes to the place where the wired phone is usually placed.
“It’s here!”
Raquelle gives Alexis the phone, and the blonde takes it, quickly types the police's number, and starts waiting for some reaction. And a few seconds later, she hears a woman with a clear voice.
“The police station, good afternoon,” the woman pronounces clearly.
“Hello, good afternoon,” Alexis greets gently. “I want to make a report.”
“Yes, I am listening to you.”
“I would like to report on the kidnapping of the person.”
“Kidnapping of the person?”
“Now a big danger is threatening her. If we do not do something, she might die.”
“How long ago did that person disappeared?”
“Today.”
“How much time has it been?”
“I do not know, but not very much…”
“Maybe, you should wait for some time and then go to the police? What if that person left somewhere for a while and is going to be back soon?”
“No, that person has really been kidnapped. I am not lying to you.”
“People usually should wait for at least twenty-four hours after someone is gone.”
“I know, but the person has been kidnapped.”
“Listen, Ms., wait for a few more hours. If the person is not back home, you can call us again.”
“No, no, I cannot wait!” Alexis pronounces excitedly. “The person has been kidnapped! A great danger is threatening her!”
“Alright, did someone call you or send a message about the person being kidnapped?”
“Yes, we got a message, in which they let us know that the person had been kidnapped and is now in great danger.”
“That’s how…”
“Please, understand it… We cannot wait for twenty-four hours… We cannot wait because every second is very important. If we do nothing, that woman may die.”
“Oh, alright…” the woman sighs tiredly. “Call me your address. I will send a few officers and an investigator, who will question you and tell you how to report the kidnapping.”
Alexis quickly calls the address where Alicia Middleton is living, and the girl on the phone writes it on something.
“Alright, I have taken a note,” the woman on the phone says confidently. “I shall send some members of the police staff so they talk to you.”
“Thanks a lot!” Alexis thanks gently. “We are waiting for you.”
Alexis turns off the call, puts the phone where it was placed before, and moves her sad eyes to Raquelle, who does not stop watching her with pity in her wet eyes.
“They didn’t wanna accept the report?” Raquelle asks.
“Nope, wanted us to wait for a while,” Alexis confesses. “We have to wait for twenty-four hours.”
“So, can we do nothing?”
“No, no, members of the police staff will come here soon, and we will tell them everything. And show the message Eleanor sent you.”
“Do you think we did the right thing?” Raquelle asks with a scare in her eyes.
“Clearly!” Alexis pronounces confidently.
“I’m so scared…”
“Don’t be, Raquelle, it’s gonna be okay.”
“We shouldn't have called the police. Shouldn't have. It wouldn’t lead to anything good.”
“We can’t risk your life or your aunt’s life. Besides, Eleanor would have to pay for what she did early or late.”
“They don’t know who is to blame for that. But when I call her name, they will start to persuade us to take the report back.”
“Eleanor should've known that someday there would be a generation that would not know who she is. Which would think the Woodhams did nothing to make people respect them. To make everyone literally fall in front of them and kiss their legs.”
“I don’t know, Lexi… I don’t like it all…”
“Anyway, let the police work on Eleanor Woodham’s tricks. Since she is a thief, a fraud, and a kidnapper, she must pay for everything as the law says.”
“Oh…”
Raquelle sighs heavily and crosses her arms over her chest.
“I hope she’ll do nothing to my aunt…” Raquelle begs quietly. “If only she was back home alive…”
“It’s gonna be okay, Raquelle,” Alexis says confidently. “Don’t worry.”
“God shall help us, Lexi.”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds.
“Okay, I guess we have some time,” Alexis assumes thoughtfully. “You’ve gotta calm down a little.”
“I can’t do it,” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly and sniffs quietly. “I’m so scared. I’m shaking from just thinking Eleanor would do something to Aunt Alicia…”
“I understand it, but you should brace yourself somehow.” Alexis softly caresses Raquelle’s shoulder. “You’re gonna have to talk to the policemen. You wouldn't connect two words when feeling like this.”
“I know, but I can do nothing,” Raquelle sighs heavily.
“Listen, stay here now, but I shall go to make a cup of coffee for you and myself.”
“Okay, I agree.”
“Don’t worry, I already told Mother I would be here. She knows where to find me.”
“Anyway, you can go home. I would do this on my own.”
“Oh, no! I will not leave you when you feel like this, and will stay with you until the police come here.”
“Thanks, Lexi…” Raquelle thanks softly. “You’re very nice.”
“Okay, stay here. I shall give you a cup of coffee.”
Alexis gets up from the sofa, quickly goes to the kitchen to make coffee, turns on a kettle, takes two cups from one of the kitchen lockers, and adds one or two spoons of aromatic coffee from a little glassy jar.
Meanwhile, Raquelle sobbing quietly stays alone with her thoughts for a while, still being horrified by just thinking something horrible might happen to Alicia. She would hardly do something and save herself from the anger of the daughter of the man, who was accidentally killed by her many years ago.
***
It seems like it’s been forever. Some time later, someone rings the doorbell of the apartment of Alicia. When she calls the call, Alexis gets up from the sofa and quickly goes to open the door after she drinks some coffee with Raquelle, carries two cups to the kitchen, and washes them. After opening the door, the young girl sees two policemen wearing the uniform standing on the doorstep as well as a tall, hazel-eyed man with not very long, not very short, light brown hair at the age of thirty wearing a brown suit, a black shirt, and a gray tie.
“Good afternoon,” the man in the suit pronounces gently.
“Good afternoon,” Alexis greets.
“My colleagues and I have come here after we got a call. We were told that a girl called the police, reported about someone’s kidnapping, and called this address.”
“Yes, yes, it’s right. I called you. We have been waiting for you.”
“Tell us what’s wrong?”
“Of course. Come into the apartment, please.”
Alexis steps back from the doorstep of the apartment, letting the man and the two policemen enter. They do this at once, and then the girl locks the door.
“Let me introduce myself,” the man in a suit pronounces, takes his identity card, and shows it to Alexis. “Chief Inspector, Alexander Bradford.”
Alexander points to his helpers, who are standing next to him.
“And they are my helpers, constable Lucas James and constable Aidan Sanders,” Alexander adds.
“Nice to meet you,” Alexis replies gently. “My name is Alexis Milton.”
“Nice to meet you, Alexis.”
Alexis nods silently with both hands folded in front of her, and Alexander quickly looks around.
“So, what happened to you?” Alexander asks, frowning slightly. “Tell us, who has been kidnapped? Your relative? For which goal, in your opinion? What do kidnappers want? And something like that.”
“Erm, you know…” Alexis pronounces thoughtfully. “Actually, the trouble happened not to me, but to my friend.”
“Your friend?”
“Yes. Her relative has disappeared…”
“But why did she not report to the police?”
“Sadly, she got too nervous that she could explain nothing. So, I did it for her.”
“Alright…” Alexander thinks for two seconds. “Can I talk to your friend if she wants to report the disappearance?”
“Of course, inspector,” Alexis nods confidently. “Come into the living room. My friend is there. That girl will tell you and show you everything.”
Alexis asks the policemen to follow her with a gesture, and the three quietly go after her, sometimes looking around as they are trying to find something that would help them. When the young blonde brings the policemen to the living room, she turns on them.
“That’s her,” Alexis pronounces quietly, pointing at Raquelle.
“Good,” Alexander nods, glancing at Raquelle, who stops thinking of bad things and moves her eyes to Alexis and the man she does not know.
Alexander turns on his helpers, Lucas and Aiden.
“Examine the apartment,” Alexander says confidently. “What if you find something.”
Lucas and Aidan go to different sides and start looking and examining everything in the apartment.
“Do not worry, they would just look for something that could be a clue,” Alexander calms down, seeing Alexis gets a little tense.
“It does not make sense,” Alexis says softly. “There is an assumption that the kidnapping happened at a different place.”
“We will check every corner anyway. Who knows, maybe, we will find something.”
“Alright… Do what you find right.”
“Excuse me, Ms., can I sit down and talk to your friend?”
“Of course, you can!” Alexis points at the sofa. “Sit down!”
Alexander nods, sits down in front of Raquelle, and folds his hands in front of himself.
“Good afternoon,” Alexander greets gently and shows his identity card to Raquelle. “Alexander Bradford, Chief Inspector. This girl told me you wanted to report your missing relative.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Bradford,” Raquelle says quietly with a slight nod. “It’s true. I want to report a missing person. That is in great danger.”
“Alright. Then, please, tell me more about what happened. Ms. Milton told me your relative had been kidnapped.”
“It’s correct.”
“I want to know everything about that case. About all your suspects and something like that. The more information, the sooner we can help you find your relative.”
“Yeah, sure… I will tell you everything you need.”
“First, introduce yourself, please, me to call you by your name.”
“Erm… Raquelle…” Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “My name is Raquelle Cameron.”
“Alright, Ms. Cameron, speak,” Alexander softly pronounces. “I’m closely listening to you.”
“Erm…” Raquelle stutters, being quite tense and glancing at her hands. “I… Do not know where to start from…”
“It's alright, Ms., do not be so nervous,” Alexander says confidently.
“Sorry, Mr. Policeman…”
“I completely understand it’s very hard for you. But please, try to brace yourself and tell me what happened to you for us to have a chance to help you.”
“Sorry…”
Raquelle exhales sharply.
“It’s really very hard for me to speak…” Raquelle adds in a little shaking voice. “A danger is threatening to my close person, and I’m… Really worried.”
“Well, to save that one as soon as possible, tell me everything that happened for me to understand you and plan something to do,” Alexander says confidently.
“Alright…”
Raquelle says nothing for a few seconds to brace herself and starts to speak.
“I…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly and bites her lip slightly. “I want to report a missing person… My relative…”
“In all details, please,” Alexander says gently.
“The case is… My aunt has gone today… Her name is Alicia. Alicia Middleton… I mean, she has not gone. She has been kidnapped…”
“Why are you so sure about it?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“And how did it happen?”
“I do not know how it happened, but I have no doubts that a danger is threatening her.”
“Is someone threatening your aunt?”
“Yeah… Before the kidnapping happened, one woman had been threatening her…”
“What woman?”
“She wanted to get something that my aunt refused to give. That’s why she started to terrify her.”
Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds.
“And today she has been kidnapped,” Raquelle adds thoughtfully.
“Do you think your aunt has been kidnapped by that woman?” Alexander specifies.
“I do not doubt.”
“Alright…” Alexander writes something in his little black notebook. “When was your aunt gone?”
“I went home about one hour ago, and she was not here,” Raquelle replies in a shaking voice.
“When did you meet her the last time?”
“We met this morning during breakfast.”
“And where were you later?”
“Later, I went to walk.”
“And when you were back, was your relative not here?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Raquelle nods.
“Do you want to say someone kidnapped your aunt from this apartment?”
“I do not know… But I do not think she was taken away from here. I searched the whole apartment and found no tracks of a break-in, no disappearances, or anything that would let me know someone was here.”
“Alright…” Alexander writes something else in his notebook.
“First, I did not want to believe it really could happen,” Raquelle confesses. “But after I tried to call my aunt on her mobile phone several times, and she did not answer me, I realized that something terrible happened to that person.”
“So, are you sure that woman did not leave at her wish and would not be back soon??”
“No, Mr. Bradford. That’s excluded.”
“Alright…” Alexander falls into silence for two seconds to fix something in his notes. “Say, Ms. Cameron, have kidnappers already called you? Have they demanded something for your relative to be free?”
“No, they have not done yet,” Raquelle replies quietly and sniffs quietly. “But I had gotten a message on my mobile phone some time before I was back home.”
“The message?”
“The text was about having to wait for a call.”
“When are they supposed to call you?”
“I do not know. They said, at any time. Today, tomorrow, or even in a week.”
“Do you know the one to send it to you?”
“No, personally. But I’ve heard much about the one.”
“Can I look at this message?”
“Of course. I shall show it now.”
Raquelle quickly takes her smartphone placed on the table near the sofa, finds the necessary message, and points her mobile phone to Alexander. He takes it and closely reads every single line several times.
“Interesting…” Alexander pronounces, frowning slightly. “The number is unknown… It’s not called in this one…”
“Right, I do not have it on my contacts list,” Raquelle nods.
“I believe we need to find out the owner of this number. If we know who was the one to send this message, it would be much easier to catch a criminal.”
“But it does not mean that person is the one.”
“Right. There might be many people that could organize the kidnapping.”
“It would be hard to find out who this number belongs to.”
“Not at all, it’s not a problem,” Alexander protests quietly. “Our colleagues could require data and find out who it belongs to. We can easily find the owner of the number thanks to the database. Find out much information: from name and birth date to home address.”
“So…”
Raquelle shrugs, folding her hands in front of her while Alexander, who seems very serious and focused writes something in his black notebook.
“If you think it may help somehow…” Raquelle adds thoughtfully.
“It will help…” Alexander says quietly. “And it does not take as much time as it seems.”
Alexander writes something in his notebook for a few seconds and then moves his eyes to Raquelle.
“Ms. Cameron, I completely understand it’s very hard for you, and you can hardly do something,” Alexander says a little hesitantly. “But I am afraid you need to go to the police station with us to figure your problem out much better and give an official report.”
“It’s alright,” Raquelle shrugs without any emotions on her face. “I shall go to the police station with you.”
“We will ask you some questions and make an official report, and then you will be free.”
“Alright, I agree. I will do anything you tell me.” Raquelle sniffs quietly. “Just find my aunt and rescue her. It’s the only thing I want now.”
“Great, then get ready,” Alexander says confidently. “We will go there right now.”
“Well, I… I’m actually ready. We can go right now.”
“Good. But before we go…” Alexander frowns slightly. “Can I ask you a few more questions before you go to get ready? Would you not mind?”
“Of course, not,” Raquelle shakes her head, locking her fingers tightly. “I shall answer all the questions you want to ask me. Ask, Mr. Policeman.”
“Alright. Say, Ms. Cameron, do you suspect someone of organizing the kidnapping? Who could kidnap your aunt, in your opinion?”
“Who I suspect…”
“Maybe, she has some rivals or those, who are jealous of her? Or did your relative hurt someone or stand in the way of someone? Tell me everything and help us contact them to ask a few questions.”
“Rivals…” Raquelle thinks for a few seconds, biting her lip slightly. “Yes, I am suspecting one person.”
“Suspecting?” Alexander wonders.
“I'm absolutely sure that person was the one to do it. Because that one has got motives for that crime.”
“So, whom do you suspect? Call the name of that person.”
“That’s a woman,” Raquelle pronounces confidently. “The woman named Eleanor. Eleanor Woodham.”
“Eleanor Woodham?” Alexander rounds his eyes.
“Yes. Eleanor Woodham.”
“Wait, do you mean Eleanor Woodham, who is the daughter of the late Gilbert Woodham, the owner of the shop network ‘The Woodham Shop?””
“Yeah, that’s her,” Raquelle nods.
“Does your relative have to do with her?”
“Yes… My aunt has got a conflict with that woman.”
“Oh, gosh…” Alexander says nothing for two seconds. “Is that the woman?”
“The woman?” Raquelle frowns slightly. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s Eleanor Woodham herself!” Alexander pronounces confidently. “The woman, who is charged with money laundering.”
“Really? Do you know her?”
“Of course, I do! The police have not been able to catch her for a few years.”
“Wait, are the police not afraid to stand in the way of the family of that woman?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard that the Woodhams have very good contacts, thanks to which all of them get off anything easily. That’s why nobody has questions for Eleanor. They do it for respect for the late Gilbert Woodham, who was loved and respected throughout England.”
“Erm…” Alexander slightly bites his lip. “Actually… It’s right…”
“Is that why the police have not been able to catch her?”
“Yes, but also because we cannot prove that she is guilty of some crimes.”
“What is she charged for?”
“Tax evasion. I mean, concealment of income that she gets from her own network of shops. And fewer people have reported to the police about the fraud and theft in the past few years.”
“That’s how?”
“We know that the criminal does some tricks to her business thanks to which she gets much more money than she should get, according to the official declaration. Moreover, she uses the work of her workers and does not pay a salary to them for months. People literally work for free. Literally in the hellish conditions. All day, all night. They are not allowed to sit down even for a second and eat something.”
“Yeah, I know that story…”
“You know?”
“One woman told me that. Somehow she was close to Eleanor but does not communicate with her now.”
“Eleanor is not almost seen at work and does not know any of the workers. Her helpers do everything for her.”
“As far as I know, there were people, who somehow tried to reach for her and tell her to give what she should have paid them, but her bodyguards kicked her out rudely.”
“Right. And if the workers get the money, they get much less than they were originally supposed to get. As one of those, who reported her, said, nobody knows when that woman would love to reduce the staff or take a pay cut. She does anything she wants. And nobody can do anything with it. Many people just have no choice.”
“Someone like migrants, who work with her, too?”
“Yes, exactly. Anyway, we have a lot of questions for that woman and her business. There are a lot of reasons to put her in prison. She may get a long sentence for tax evasion if she does not pay everything at her wish.”
“Excuse me, has that woman never been tried to get caught? Or there have been attempts before?”
“Nope, she was tried to get caught somehow.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The police tried to do it a long time ago by the order of one important man. Eleanor’s stores should have been checked out, all the workers were questioned, and all the documents were examined.”
“And what? Nothing?”
“Sadly. Eleanor learned about it earlier and got ready for that very well. The documents were fine, and the workers said they were happy with everything. There were no reason to have claims for the work of shops and the factory for the production of clothes.”
“I see…”
“One of those, who reported her, said all the workers have been terrified by her helpers before the check. They threatened to fire them and deprive them of their low salary.”
“Wow…”
“In short, it’s a very dark story, in which money and power decide everything. Eleanor has too many patrons, who can agree with everyone on anything.”
“So, has Eleanor never been tried to catch since that time?”
“Sadly, we have not had.”
“By the way, I know that my aunt accidentally hit the girl with a car one day,” Raquelle confesses thoughtfully. “She turned out to be the close friend of Eleanor, whose father personally paid for her therapy. And after finding out who almost sent Ines, that girl, to another world, that woman asked her about a meeting and told her to pay a lot of money.”
“That’s how? Can you tell me much more about that event?”
“I don’t know too much about it. But when Aunt Alicia hit that girl, she ran away from the crime scene before the eyes of many people, who could not stop her. But someone memorized the number of her car and gave it to the members of the police staff that came there by the call.”
“I should check out the archives and find out much more about that case.”
“You will hardly know something because the family of the suffered girl dropped off the charges and didn’t report my aunt to the police.”
“Even if it’s so, we are supposed to have some information about that case. At least, we are supposed to get the record of the interrogation.”
“As far as I understand, Eleanor wasn’t ready to accept the decision of her friend’s family and decided to punish the one, who was guilty. And get the money, which her father gave her friend at his wish. But Aunt refused to do it because she didn’t have so much money. So, that woman got mad and started to threaten and terrify her somehow.”
“I see.”
“And one day, some people were here, terrified my aunt, and tried to steal all the money that she had by the order of Eleanor.”
“That’s how!” Alexander wonders.
“But they left with almost nothing. The criminals managed to steal everything from her wallet, where she had some banknotes. They didn’t guess about the secret place where, as Aunt said, there was some saved money.”
“Alright. Say, do you live in this apartment along with your aunt?”
“No, no, I’m not living here. Besides, I am actually not a local…”
“No?”
“Yes.” Raquelle says nothing for two seconds. “I am actually not from London but from the United States. I was born in Kingston, but I’ve been living in New York for a few years.”
“And your aunt?” Alexander specifies. “Did your aunt move here from America?”
“No, she was born here. My mother was also born in England.”
“Alright… So, did you come here just to visit your relative?”
“Yes, right. I came here a few days ago.”
“Have you always known your aunt has a conflict with that woman?”
“No, I knew nothing about it. But I noticed that Aunt was kind of strange since I came here. She was nervous, did not say anything… Looked kind of sleepy…”
“Alright…”
“I tried to find out what happened, but Aunt Alicia was silent and refused to explain it. She found no excuses for her behavior. And on the day Eleanor Woodham’s people came here, she got very nervous, but blamed tiredness and the fact that she did not feel good.”
“And did you find out the truth, after all?”
“Yes. Aunt told me everything after I heard the voice message Eleanor Woodham sent her on the wired phone.”
“Alright.”
“I think Aunt realized there would be no meaning in hiding it. And… Decided to let me know what was going on.”
“So, do you think that woman organized the kidnapping of your relative because she refused to pay her the money?”
“Maybe…” Raquelle shrugs. “But I do not exclude that there are more reasons that could make that woman do it.”
“That’s how?”
“Still…” Raquelle bites her lip slightly. “The family of the suffered girl is supposed to take revenge on her and wish to get her punished or make her pay moral damage. But they did not do anything because that girl stayed alive.”
“You know, Ms., anything happens,” Alexander notices.
“Moreover, I think my aunt has not told me everything that’s really happening.”
“You think she hid something?”
“Maybe. I can’t exclude that somehow Aunt already stood in the way of Eleanor Woodham, who cannot forgive her for that.”
“Alright…” Alexander moves his eyes to Alexis, who is standing and silently listening to this talk from the start until the end. “Ms. Milton, do you know something about this story?”
“Yes, I knew all of that…” Alexis says confidently.
“From start to end?”
“Yes. Alicia told me everything she had to do with Eleanor Woodham.”
“Excuse me, Ms., who are you for that kidnapped woman? Do you know her well?”
“I'm Alicia's neighbor. Living in an apartment against her with my mother. She is a friend of that woman, and I often visit Alicia and help her with something: going to a shop, cooking something, or helping clean her home…”
“That’s how!”
“Sometimes it’s hard for her to watch everything as Alicia is living alone. She is working as a teacher at the university. Her job takes much energy and time, and she cannot watch everything.”
“Alright… So, have you been aware of what connects her and Eleanor Woodham for a long time?”
“Yes, I’ve been aware of Alicia having problems with Eleanor. But she begged me not to tell Raquelle anything.”
“Not to tell?”
“She said she did not want to make her meddle in someone’s business. Her niece came here to have a rest, not solve someone’s problems.”
“Did your neighbor not report the police about that woman?”
“Nope, that woman did not want to report to the police that. But I tried to make her sure to do it for her safety. But alas, it did not lead to anything good.”
“And why did Alicia not report to the police?” Alexander frowns slightly.
“She was afraid Eleanor would start to threaten her. That woman did not stop threatening her and promised to kill Alicia if she reported to the police about it. So, my neighbor was afraid and stayed as quiet as a mouse.”
“Has she made no attempts to talk to members of the police staff?”
“No!” Alexis falls into silence for two seconds and bites her lip slightly. “By the way, Raquelle did not also want to report her aunt's kidnapping to the police.”
“Did Ms. Cameron not want to report to the police?” Alexander rounds his eyes.
“She was afraid of the same… She believed Eleanor’s words, who said she would kill Alicia if her niece reported to the police. But it’s clear it’s just an attempt to manipulate her. A chance to do her bad tricks without problems.”
“Right, it’s true.”
“Anyway, I managed to persuade her to ask you for help. We have a deal with the woman, who could do anything. Yes, of course, we were worried we would not get help because of the surname Woodham. But as they say, risking is a noble thing.”
“Yes, she is right,” Raquelle nods. “I didn’t want to report to the police and thought I would take it. But… Although I agreed… I still doubt… I doubt if I did the right thing… Whether it hurt my aunt…”
“Do not doubt, Ms.,” Alexander says confidently. “You did the right thing by agreeing to report to the police. When danger is threatening someone’s life, you should immediately ask for help. If you have called us at once after the case happened, we have got a bigger chance to find Eleanor and Alicia.”
“Please, Mr. Policeman, find my aunt,” Raquelle begs with pity in her eyes in a shaking voice. “I do not want her to suffer because of that woman. Aunt is my close person…”
“Do not worry, Ms. Cameron,” Alexander pronounces softly. “We will do our best to find your aunt and get Eleanor Woodham arrested.”
“Would you really arrest her, despite her famous surname?”
“Of course, we will. Despite her surname, who her father was, and what his merits were, the law is the same for everyone. Everyone must follow it.”
“That woman might be very dangerous. If Eleanor has committed a kidnapping, she might easily kill. I mean, I’m sure she will do that.”
“I promise we will do our best not to let Eleanor hurt you.”
“She does it not alone. She has the help of many people. I don’t know who they are: bodyguards or someone else. But I know those people run after her like tales and do anything she wants.”
“If we have to, we can provide you with the day-and-night security and get two or three policemen to follow you and protect you from that girl and her accomplices.”
“Thank you, but I do not need it now…” Raquelle says thoughtfully, biting her lip slightly and looking into the distance.
“Anyway, you may not be worried that you did the wrong thing. You would have done that if you had not asked anyone for help. So, since the police are aware of Eleanor Woodham organizing the kidnapping, we will be searching for that woman and your aunt in all the places in the city.”
“Yes, yes, please… Do it… I wish my aunt was back home safe and sound.”
Alexander closely looks at the thoughtful Raquelle and frowns slightly because she falls into silence for a few seconds, looking into the distance with her dead, half-wet eyes.
“Erm, are you alright, Ms.?” Alexander shows anxiety.
“Yes, yes, I am,” Raquelle jabs excitedly and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just very nervous…”
“I completely understand your feelings.”
“Sorry, Mr. Bradford… Sorry…”
“Maybe, you drink something to calm down? I don’t know… Tea, coffee… Some sedative…”
“Erm, yeah, maybe…” Raquelle, biting her lip slightly, slowly moves her eyes at Alexis. “Lexi, could you please make a cup of coffee for me?”
“Yes, of course, I will do now,” Alexis shrugs and looks at Alexander. “Mr. Bradford, do you want something? Tea? Coffee?”
“No, thanks, I want nothing,” Alexander gently refuses with a slight smile.
“Okay, I shall be back to you soon.”
Alexis turns around and goes to the kitchen with a quick step to take what she was asked about. After making sure that the young girl really left the living room, Raquelle sharply turns to Alexander and starts speaking very quietly:
“That’s very good she left.”
“What?” Alexander frowns slightly.
“I want to tell you something important.”
“Do you not want that girl to know it?”
“Yes, I don’t.”
“Alright, I am listening to you.”
“The case is that I’m guessing why Aunt did not report Eleanor to the police. I mean… I’m guessing why that woman started all of that.”
“Speak then!” Alexander shows interest. “Now we need to know much information. The more we know, the easier it will be for us to catch Eleanor and find your relative.”
“You see…” Raquelle says nothing for two seconds, sometimes looking at her hands. “I have recently read a couple of articles on the Internet… And it said about the murder of one man…”
“Who?”
“A famous businessman… The man named Gilbert Woodham… As far as I remember, it happened sixteen years ago. In May 1998…”
“Yeah, and why do you care about it?”
“I… Erm…” Raquelle sighs deeply with sadness in her eyes. “The case is that my aunt named Alicia had to do with that murder.”
“Your aunt?” Alexander rounds his eyes.
“Yes. She killed Gilbert…”
“That’s how…”
“If you are confused by the surname, my aunt used to have the surname Thompson, but later changed it to Middleton.”
“Do you know something about that criminal?”
“Yeah, something.” Raquelle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “My aunt killed that person accidentally. She hit him with something heavy on the head… She was hiding from everyone for a while and was worried she would be caught. But later, my aunt got obsessed with remorse and came to the police at her wish. She confessed what she did… And she got arrested…”
“What was her motive?”
“Aunt said she didn’t want to kill that woman and just defended herself from Gilbert, who tried to rape her.”
“Tried to rape her?”
“Yes.”
“And how did she meet him?”
“I do not know. But she had known Gilbert some time before his death.”
“That’s how…” Alexander frowns slightly.
“I know that she was in prison for three months before the trial began. The judge found her non-guilty and dropped all the charges for the murder. Aunt was set free and kept living the same life.”
“And Eleanor Woodham is his daughter…”
“So, she is revenging my aunt for killing him. Even if the judge returned the verdict of her guiltiness, that woman has not been ready to take it for sixteen years.”
“Quite possible…”
“Wait, do you know nothing about that case?” Raquelle frowns slightly.
“Erm…”
“As far as I know, the Woodhams are very famous here, in England. That murder was widely discussed by literally all the people here.”
“Wait, wait…” Alexander thinks about something for two seconds. “Do you say it happened sixteen years ago? In May 1998?”
“Yeah,” Raquelle shrugs. “It was written in articles on the Internet.”
“Right! Yes, yes…” Alexander thinks about something again for a few seconds. “I do know about that case! Just called the memories about examining the materials of that.”
“Really?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.
“When I started to work with the police, I had an opportunity to find out about that case. As far as I remember, the main character of that case was a young woman at the age of about thirty named Alicia Thompson. She really got arrested for three months, and two months later after the hearings, she was found non-guilty. The judge believed that she killed Gilbert just because she was defending herself from his sexual harassment.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” Raquelle nods. “As far as I remember, the Woodhams were wild when the judge announced that, and even tried to appeal it.”
“It’s true. They say those people almost killed that woman. I remember that Eleanor attacked her with fists and got hysteria.”
“She did.”
“Besides, Alicia was taken to the hospital right from the courthouse.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She fainted after the announcement of the sentence. Someone immediately called an ambulance, and doctors hospitalized her due to her critical condition.”
“I didn’t know it…” Raquelle confesses with sadness in her eyes.
“I heard she was brought to every single hearing, being literally sick. She was very skinny, white, and often got ill.”
“Yeah… The time she spent in prison was very hard for her…”
“As I understand, did your aunt tell you nothing about it?”
“No, no word. She’s never hinted at committing the murder at such a young age. I found it out from articles on the Internet.”
“Does someone else know it?”
“No, nobody else. I think Aunt was terribly afraid to say it because she was sure everyone would judge her. People would turn their backs on her if they knew she killed someone.”
“How long have you been aware of it?”
“No…” Raquelle shrugs. “I discovered it two days ago… And before that, I couldn’t stop thinking Eleanor and Aunt could be connected with another secret.”
“So, did you know only about the requirement for Eleanor to pay her a lot of money?”
“Yeah…” Raquelle sighs heavily, looking at her hands. “I was guessing she told me not the full story but just a part of it… But I did not think the truth would be so terrible. I never thought my aunt would kill someone.”
“I understand it…” Alexander pronounces thoughtfully.
“I always thought that woman would not hurt a fly… Moreover, she is deeply religious: going to a church, praying, observing rites, celebrating church events… She did know a murder was a hard sin that God cruelly punishes for.”
“Maybe, because she did not want to kill, God thought that woman suffered much. And He helped her avoid a sentence.”
“I think you are right. Moreover, the late Gilbert tried to rape her. And when you are in that situation, you forget everything in the world. Do anything to save yourself and run away from someone, who tries to undress you by force.”
“Yes, unfortunately, harassment has always existed,” Alexander notices with sadness in his eyes. “It exists and will exist. And you cannot avoid it…”
“Right…”
“Sometimes it’s very hard to prove the fact of being raped. You might be called a liar if you blamed someone for harassment but gave no proof.”
“I know… Some of my familiar girls had to get through it… But thank God, they were lucky. But harassment got them very nervous.”
“That’s what I want to tell you, Ms. Cameron,” Alexander says thoughtfully. “Although everyone said the murdered Gilbert Woodham was an innocent angel, sometimes I think he had his own demons.”
“Yeah?”
“His look did not cause trust. Viewing photos of him, I thought Gilbert was actually an evil and calculated man, who was ready to step on others to reach his goal.”
“By the way, I somehow met a former friend of Eleanor, who told me that the woman did something to her father’s business, which she started to run after his death. She does it to get much more money.”
“I cannot exclude it. It’s also possible that Gilbert could also cheat somehow and take much more than he should have given.”
“Who knows… But I found no negative comments about him on the Internet. Everyone thinks he was a light man that is still remembered in a good way.”
“But agree that it does not mean he was really the one. And actually, who knows what those rich people hide… Angels in public but demons behind the closed doors.”
“Right, But I do not understand how Aunt could actually meet the man, who was not from her circle. She was born into an ordinary family that had nothing to do with rich and famous people.”
“Who knows…” Alexander shrugs. “But I guess Gilbert definitely could put an eye on your relative…”
“You think?”
“She was quite young… She was probably very beautiful and a little bit naive… I heard they had known each other a long time before his death.”
“Most likely, it really happened,” Raquelle assumes thoughtfully. “But I think my aunt did not like that man at all. Besides, they had a great age difference. Judging by the photos I found on the Internet, he looked much older than her. He was about fifty when he died.”
“She got a crush on his money?”
“I do not think. Aunt is not so materialistic and never looked for a rich man on purpose.”
“Interesting…” Alexander frowns slightly, stroking his chin. “Do you know if she had a boyfriend at that time? Maybe, she dated or actually got married to someone?”
“Honestly, I do not know,” Raquelle confesses hesitantly. “Aunt has never told me about her personal life. I don’t know whether she had boyfriends and husbands.”
“And children?”
“She has never had her own children.”
“Well, if she’s got no children, she did not meet a man and stayed a single lady. Or she dated someone, but something was kind of wrong.”
“Who knows, Mr. Bradford… Anyway, she changed her surname… She was Thompson but became Middleton.”
“Maybe, your aunt was married and took the surname of her husband. Or she just wanted to become a different person and get a new name.”
“Maybe…”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Raquelle moves her eyes to her hands and sighs quietly, while Alexander watches her with interest.
“Don't worry, Ms. Cameron,” Alexander says confidently with an encouraging smile. “We will find your aunt and get Eleanor Woodham arrested. She will get everything she deserves, early or late. And no money from her family will help her this time. I promise.”
“I believe you, Mr. Bradford,” Raquelle pronounces. “I want to believe everything will be alright. And my aunt would be back home safe and sound.”
“Ah, yeah, almost forgot! In case Eleanor calls you, please, call me at this number.” Alexander points a small card to Raquelle that he takes from a pocket of his jacket. “This is my personal mobile number, on which I accept calls from the people I’m helping.”
“Alright, I will tell you when Eleanor calls me…” Raquelle nods confidently and takes this card from Alexander's hands.
“Call me at any time. I will quickly organize everything if we need it. And answer all the questions you may have.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Bradford.” Raquelle moves her eyes to the card that she got from Alexander. “I do not know what I would do without you…”
“Alright, let’s go to the police station to write an official application and give us some necessary data,” Alexander says confidently.
“Alright.”
“I will ask you a few more questions. Besides, I should call my memories on the materials of the case of the murder of Gilbert Woodham. To know what I have to deal with.”
“Yeah, but could you wait for two minutes? I will go to my room and quickly look at myself. I think I look bad.”
“Of course. Go. I shall wait for you.”
“I will be back soon. Literally in two minutes.”
Raquelle gets up from the sofa, leaves the living room quickly enough, and goes to her room to put herself in order and fix her makeup that is destroyed because of tears.
Meanwhile, Alexis enters the living room, forgetting that Raquelle asked her to make a cup of tea because her hands are free.
“Where is Raquelle?” Alexis frowns slightly, looking around quickly. “Where has she gone?”
“She has gone to her room,” Alexander explains quietly. “She said she needed to put herself in order.”
“Will she go with you?”
“Yes, we will drive her to the police station, tell her how to write an application, and talk to her a little longer to find out some things.”
“Alright, I got it.”
“And yeah…” Alexander thinks for two seconds and moves his eyes to Alexis. “Ms. Milton… While Ms. Cameron is left, I would like to ask you a few questions and find out everything you know about the story of Eleanor Woodham and Alicia Middleton.”
“Yes, of course, I shall answer all your questions.”
“Sit down, please.”
Alexis sits on the sofa in front of Alexander with a slight nod. He starts asking the girl some questions and recording her long answers in his notebook. The man always keeps it with him, uses it to remember even the smallest details of cases that he is investigating, and takes some notes that would help him solve one or another crime as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Raquelle enters her room and closes the door. She was trying to control herself until the very end to explain everything to the policeman. But when she stays alone, the girl gets obsessed with strong emotions and starts crying quietly with the thought that everything is too hard. She might not take the tests she has to get through.
Sometimes Raquelle thinks that life is very unfair to her. Too many bad things have lately happened to her: the conflict with Terrence, the false articles on the Internet, newspapers, and magazines, the problems with Eleanor Woodham, the secret of Alicia… When she came here, she already had a lot of stress. But what happened to her aunt, who has to pay for the sins of her past, broke her down again after she barely got up on her feet.
At some moment, Raquelle leans on the closed door with her back and slowly rolls down, slightly bending her legs at the knees, closing her face with both hands, and running her fingers through her hair. The girl crying bitterly starts to understand more and more that she is strongly shaking from excitement, and the sound of the heart that is beating fast echoes in her head.
“Why?” Raquelle wonders and sniffs quietly. “Why do I have to get through that? Why does fate make me get through so many tests? Why do I have to worry about my close people because something is happening to them?”
Raquelle shakes her head.
“I’ve never done anything bad,” Raquelle says in a little shaking voice. “Never hurt anyone. Never done bad tricks. Always been a good girl. Became the one, who Grandfather and Aunt made me. Why is this happening to me? Why?”
Raquelle closes her face with both hands and keeps crying quietly and hard from despair and hopelessness, not knowing if there is a chance that someday everything will be over.
But some time later, the girl calls the memories of Alexander and his colleagues waiting for her in the living room for some time to take her to the police station and help her write an application. Raquelle literally makes herself stop crying, quickly wipes tears off her face, and sniffs several times.
She understands she cannot help herself by crying. She must not give up. She must not show weakness. She must do something. She must stay strong. At least for Alicia. For the one, who needs her help right now. Especially now, when the life of her close person is in great danger because of the dangerous woman.
Literally bracing herself piece by piece and making herself sure she must be strong, Raquelle gets up quickly from the floor, on which she was sitting for some time, comes to the mirror, and starts cleaning herself away and making her face look better. Seeing her reflection in the mirror that does not make her happy, the girl looking white enough fixes her makeup that is destroyed much because of tears by using some cosmetics placed on the dressing table in a big bunch and brushes her hair, which she garters into a ponytail again.
“Stop crying, Raquelle, stop,” Raquelle whispers quietly, applying powder to her face with a big brush to make the face color better. “Stop crying… You must be strong… Must hold on…”
Raquelle sniffs quietly, looking into her eyes through the mirror.
“Someday it’s supposed to be over…” Raquelle calms herself down. “You wouldn’t have to suffer for your whole life. Someday, one beautiful day, you will catch your luck and find your real happiness. Believe that the friend of Aunt Alicia was right, and you’d get peace one day.”
Raquelle slightly raises her head up.
“Brace yourself, girl,” Raquelle pronounces confidently. “Brace yourself. You must save your aunt. She needs you… She has nobody else to count on. If you don’t find a way to rescue her, Eleanor will deal with her. She will make her revenge for her father’s death come true… But it shouldn't happen. Your aunt must not become a victim, even if she did a very bad thing.”
Raquelle starts to breathe deeply and heavily enough because she is about to panic with the hope that she can calm down just a little. Bad thoughts get obsessed with her mind and do not let her brace herself and keep staying strong, the beat of the heart is still echoing in her temples, and her hands are slightly shaking and getting sweaty from excitement.
“It's your duty,” Raquelle keeps calming herself down, looking at her reflection. “Saving your aunt Alicia and doing your best for her to go back home is your duty.”
Raquelle swallows up nervously.
“You are strong, girl,” Raquelle adds. “You have always been… Remember the phrase that’s been your long-time rule of life. Stay strong, brave, and happy… Even though the situation is hard, you must not let panic get obsessed with you and let your fear control you. You must be stronger than fear and panic.”
Raquelle smiles slightly at her reflection in the mirror with the hope that it will somehow encourage her. The smile magically helps her brace herself somehow and understand she could be able to keep her emotions under control, at least for her aunt Alicia, who needs help and is probably waiting for the one. To calm down and put her face in order, Raquelle spends some time. Then she looks at herself in the mirror again and wants to find her purse here. But she quickly calls the memories of leaving it in the living room on the sofa.
When Raquelle understands she is ready to go, she pumps a lot of air into her lungs, exhales slowly, leaves her room, closes the door, and goes to the living room. Meanwhile, Alexis and Alexander are talking about something. The girl is actively working with both hands, and the man sometimes nods and writes something in his notebook. However, when Raquelle enters the living room, the two fall into silence and move their eyes to her.
“I'm back,” Raquelle pronounces quietly. “Sorry for being in my room for a long time. I just had some problems.”
“It’s alright, I understand it,” Alexander says softly and smiles shyly, glancing at Alexis. “Ms. Milton and I have gotten to discuss many things about this story.”
“Yes, I told the inspector everything I knew about Alicia and Eleanor Woodham,” Alexis confirms thoughtfully.
“So, alright…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully and glances aside.
Silence settles in the air, and two seconds later, Alexander takes the last note in his notebook, closes it, and moves his eyes to Raquelle.
“Alright, I have actually finished my work here,” Alexander says confidently. “Are you ready to go with us?”
“Yes, I am ready now,” Raquelle nods, takes her purse that is lying on the sofa, and takes her smartphone from the coffee table. “We can go.”
“Let's go then!” Alexander pronounces confidently, getting up from the sofa.
“Should I go with you?” Alexis specifies.
“No, no, there is no need to do it. You have told me everything I needed. And I would like to talk to Ms. Cameron a little longer.”
“Alright, Inspector Bradford, I got it.”
“So, Ms. Cameron, let’s go. Let’s quickly do our business, and you will be free then.”
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Raquelle nods.
“In this case, I shall stay here,” Alexis says confidently.
“Here?”
“In case something happens.”
“Maybe, you should go home? What if Eleanor’s people are back here? I don’t want you to suffer because of them.”
“You think?”
“Yes, Lexi. Better go home. But if something happens, you can always call me on my mobile phone. I’m gonna have it with me.”
“Alright,” Alexis shrugs. “But you call me when you’re back here. Me not to worry about you.”
“Okay, I will do it,” Raquelle promises, taking the keys from the apartment from her purse on the way to the hall door.
“And be very careful.”
“I shall try. Call me on my mobile phone if something happens.”
“Deal! If you need it, I can come back here again and stay with you. I’m gonna tell my mother that you need my help, so she doesn’t worry about me.”
“Thanks, Lexi, you’re awesome.”
Some time later, Raquelle leaves the apartment and waits for the policemen to do it as well.
“Guys, we are leaving!” Alexander orders and calls his helpers with a gesture. “Lucas! Aidan! Who I am talking to?”
“Yes, yes, we are coming, Inspector!” Aidan jabs.
“Yes, yes, we are coming,” Lucas supports.
“Faster!” Alexander exclaims.
Lucas and Aiden follow Alexander and leave Alicia’s apartment, telling the inspector the result of the examination, which, however, did not lead to any tracks of hacking or clues that would let them know who would commit this crime. Inspector Bradford accepts this information and even takes notes about something in his notebook that he does not let go for a second.
When Raquelle, Alexander, Lucas, and Aidan leave the apartment and go to the elevator that should bring them to the first floor, Alexis closes the door after them. The girl looks at the brunette with sadness in her eyes, thinking of something and wishing this story ended as soon as possible.
Alexis silently asks herself why Raquelle has to suffer like this. Why this girl has never been really happy since she came here. At least, the blonde herself has not noticed happiness on her face. She is always very sad and kind of tired. As if her unplanned vacation did not give her anything good and even gave her much more problems than she had.
Alexis no longer thinks of hating and despising Raquelle at the beginning because she believed all the dirty rumors about the girl were the truth. Now she is absolutely sure the girl is guilty of nothing. She was just cruelly slandered. And people were too naive and believed the one, who definitely wanted to get famous thanks to the one, who got many fans around the world.
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