Spoilt (22 page)

“
Tell me about them.” She waited, wondering whether he was
going to speak, until he cleared his throat.

“
My Dad was a good man but had trouble showing his feelings.
We were close in the usual distant father-and-son type way. Mum
...” He cleared his throat again.

“
It’s okay, I thought it would help. You don’t have to say
anymore.”

“
It does help. Mum and I were close. She possessed all the
qualities I admire in a person - unconditional love, empathy and
passion. I’m more like Dad, though. In many ways I wish I was more
like her.”

“
Lucas, you are. Your passion is why you are who you are. It
is very much a part of you. Your inability to let yourself feel or
express those emotions is how you differ. You feel them all, you
just never let them out.”

“
Where were you when I needed you all these years?”

“
Waiting for you.” She smiled at him and he lent down to kiss
her.

“
I’ll do everything I can to find the guy who did this,
Chelsea. I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.
This is my promise to you.”

She kissed him, then tickled his ribs. “Enough talking,
Detective
.
I
think it’s time for you to show me that passionate side of yours
again.”

“
You are insatiable.”

“
Are you complaining?” she asked with an eyebrow
cocked.

“
Not one bit.”

Chapter 24

Ann
a
Jones

Wednesday

Discovering another missing girl on the database filled Lucas
with dismay. After reluctantly leaving Chelsea that morning, he’d
gotten to the station early to find his hunch was correct, the
killer wasn’t slowing down. Although he didn’t know for sure if
Anna Jones had been taken by their perp, it appeared more than
likely. Her disappearance was reported on Tuesday morning but
hadn’t been entered before he’d left the previous day. He frowned.
If only he’d known yesterday he could have chased it up the
previous evening.

Anna, a short slim brunette with blue eyes, had left her
parents' house on Monday night supposedly to meet with a friend.
However, according to the notes, her sister Sophie thought she was
meeting with her new boyfriend. Even though her personal
possessions hadn’t been left behind like the others, Anna still
could have been targeted.

Maggie wandered in, armed with breakfast and sat waiting for
an update, so Lucas told her about Anna. After placing a call to
learn Sophie was at home, they arranged to meet with her to follow
up on the disappearance.

When Sophie Jones answered the door, Lucas’ heart stopped.
Standing before them was another Chelsea look-alike and a spitting
image of the photo from the file. For a moment he stood confused.
Perhaps Anna had come home and then the penny dropped. Anna and
Sophie were identical twins.

“
Please come in, Detectives.”

“
We may be going over some of the same questions as the
officer who took your statement, but we need to confirm some
details,” Maggie said.

“
That’s fine. My parents and I reported her together and they
aren’t here at the moment.”

“
That’s ok. If we need to ask them anything, we can come
back.”

“
Ok.”

“
So the last time you saw Anna was Sunday night?”

“
That’s right. She told my parents she was meeting a friend
but I knew she was going to meet her new boyfriend.”

“
Did she tell you this?”

“
No, but I knew. I also heard her on the phone. I asked her
and she denied it, which surprised me, but I still knew.” She
started to cry.

“
What is it?” Maggie asked.

“
Something terrible is happening to her, I can feel her ...
terror. It’s a twin thing.”

“
Do you know his name?” Lucas asked her.

“
No.”

“
Can you tell us anything about him?” Maggie took
over.

“
No. We usually tell each other everything too but this time,
nothing. What is it, Detectives? Where is my sister?”

“
We think she may have been taken by ....”

“
Not the killer on the news, ‘The Spoilt Slayer’?” Lucas
cringed at the name; the media really possessed no
conscience.

“
We think so, yes.”

“
Oh God.” She began to cry again, then stopped abruptly.
“She’s still alive, I can feel it. How long ... how much time do
you have to find her?”

“
Maybe a few days. We’re doing everything we can. If you can
think of anything, even the smallest detail, it could
help.”

“
From what I overheard, this was their
second
,
maybe third, date and she was meeting him at the bus stop
round the corner. So when she told us she was meeting her friend,
Sandra, in the city, my parents didn’t think it was strange that
she left on foot because she often catches the bus. When I asked
her about him as she left, she denied it again. This is the first
time ever that she hasn’t confided in me.”

* * *

They added Anna to their whiteboard under the suspicion of
being the latest girl to be abducted. Peterson and Stewart were
dispatched to interview Anna’s friends, particularly Sandra, and
then the occupants of the houses near the bus stop where she had
been collected. They hoped someone had at least seen Anna getting
into his car. Lucas couldn’t believe how time and again the perp
remained unseen, how he was always one step ahead of
them.

Lucas and Maggie went to Ben’s Bakery again to follow up on
Chad. The girl they’d interviewed on Monday greeted them
again.

“
Hi, Detectives.”

“
Is Chad here today?” Maggie asked.

“
He was.”

“
Where is he?”

“
He left.”

“
Isn’t he supposed to be working?”

“
Yes but after about fifteen minutes or so he left.” Lucas
noted her sheepish look and knew exactly why Chad had
left.

“
Did you tell him we’d been here looking for him?”

“
Yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise he would leave.”

“
Did Chad’s file turn up?” Lucas asked.

“
No.”

“
Do you mind if we send our sketch a
rtist around to do a
composite.”

“
No, not at all, detectives.”

* * *

She found his note on what she now considered his pillow.
Chelsea smiled at his handwriting - neat and precise - the opposite
of his ruffled appearance. Still smiling she read his
note.

Good morning, Beautiful,

Sorry I didn’t wake you to say goodbye
.
I wanted to but then we both would’ve
been late.

I realised last night, we haven’t been out on an official
date, which is very remiss of me, so I’m formally asking you to
dinner this evening.

I will collect you at seven, wear your best dress, sweetheart,
I have decided it’s time I pampered you.

Till then, know I think about you every minute we are
apart.

Your new romantic,

Lucas.

Clutching the note to her chest like a schoolgirl, she leaped
out of bed immediately eager to start the day so it could be over.
She ate a hasty breakfast while continuously urging Charlotte along
so they could leave. Then to add to her frustration, Wednesday was
usually her quietest day at Bloom. She busied herself by completing
more arrangements than she needed to and by changing the window
display three times. Charlotte answered the few phone calls that
came in.

“
Chels, I really don’t know why you are so excited about this
evening. It isn’t like you have to impress him or anything. You’ve
already bagged him.”

“
Nice expression, Charlotte.”

“
Well, I don’t get it.”

“
I want tonight to be special and I’m always excited about
seeing him.”

“
Well your constant rearranging and time wasting is making me
tired just watching you.”

Chelsea decided Charlotte was right as her fruitless
attempts at passing the day away was getting her nowhere. If they
left early, it would give her plenty of time to prepare for her
date.

“
You’re right, let’s go home and pick out my
dress.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Finally.”

Charlotte drove home because she didn’t trust her
anxiety-filled sister to keep them on the road. Chelsea thought
about the evening ahead and although they’d been out together
before, this was different, special, and she aimed to ensure they
remembered their evening together.

She enjoyed a long, relaxing bath before going through her
wardrobe three times and determining she needed Charlotte’s help.
Finding her downstairs, leisurely thumbing through a magazine, she
recruited her for the task.

“
Okay, so these are the best three,” Charlotte
said.

She held up a slinky black cocktail dress, a deep green
flowing dress and a fiery red strapless figure hugging dress that
Chelsea hadn’t even considered.

“
Now it depends on what look you’re going for.”

“
I don’t know about the red one, Charlotte. It isn’t really
... me.”

“
Then why did you buy it?”

“
I think you actually talked me into it one day.”

“
You didn’t answer my question.”

“
Something memorable.”

“
Then the green one is out - way too sensible.”

“
I don’t know about red.”

“
More reason to wear it.”

“
I think the black.”

“
Try them on for me and then we’ll decide.”

Chelsea went with the black first and felt wonderfully sexy as
it swirled around her knees. The thin straps, figure hugging bodice
and flowing skirt were simple but pretty.

“
It’s nice, Chels, and you look pretty, but sexy is what you
need.”

“
It’s dinner, Charlotte. Besides I don’t want sexy. I don’t
actually need to seduce him.”

“
Yes, but you want him thinking about how great you look
through dinner. The anticipation is wonderful.”

“
Fine, I’ll try the other one.” She grabbed the red dress
Charlotte was dangling in front of her and put it on. She glanced
in the mirror to see that it looked both sexy and much classier
than she thought. Perhaps it was the better choice and she wouldn’t
look like a tramp after all.

“
Oh, now that looks great on you. Not what you thought at all,
is it?”

“
No, I thought I was going to look like a ... floozy, for lack
of a better word.”

“
You look sexy and classy - great combo.”

“
Ok, you win. Can you help me with my hair?”

Chapter 25

First Date

Wednesday

After trying on his fourth tie and shirt combination, Lucas
laughed at himself. Knowing he didn’t have to impress Chelsea
didn’t detract from the fact he wanted to. Although they’d dined
together several times, this was their first official date alone
and he was determined that it should be memorable. Finally settling
on a combination that happened to be the first he had tried, he
checked the time to discover he had better go and collect his
date.

As he drove, he thought about how much he’d changed in just
a week since meeting Chelsea. Under normal circumstances, if there
was an open case, he wouldn’t be going out and having fun; he
would’ve been working around the clock on minimal sleep. The
workaholic Lucas he had once been would never have left the case
for other detectives to follow up. He realised for the first time
ever he felt relieved and happy knowing Peterson and Stewart were
taking up some of the slack.

The extra detectives manning the phones had been busy since
the story had aired so prominently on the news, and the calls and
anonymous tips were pouring in. Each tip was being followed up and
Lucas knew these files would be ready for them each day. The sketch
of Chad Wilson was already in and he resolved to show it to Chelsea
the following day. Even if she were to recognise him, did it mean
anything? Only if Chad was Wesley, Lucas decided, otherwise it just
confirmed that Chad went to the café from time-to-time. He had
begun to really despise Wes and what he had done to Chelsea. Had he
finished with her yet? He was having his severe doubts.

He felt his focus was slipping and it was important that he
keep his head on the job. Tomorrow he would re-focus. He didn’t
want the case to taint the evening ahead. There was nothing more
they could do, so he decided there was nothing wrong with living
his life to the full for a change. He’d dedicated twelve years of
his life to the force, to helping others; he deserved to be happy.
Lucas couldn’t remember ever being this content, at least not since
his parents' death anyway.