Page 3 of Samuel's Bloody Obsession

He chuckled and went to open the door for me.

“Aye, that would put anybody aff fae attacking young ladies,” he said with a grin.

“Thanks, Graeme. See you later.”

I knew everyone in town because I was a home help, and I helped out voluntarily in my Granny’s assisted living housing. If I didn't know them directly, I would have known their family.

“Aye, good tae huv yae back, Charlotte,” he said, walking out behind me and looking around the street as if to ensure no assailant was around.

Which made me paranoid. I looked around before going down the main street. For all its faults, I loved my town. It was scenic, close to the coast, and it made me feel safe being back in my community. I wandered to the local cafe to have some coffee and breakfast before I began to make calls and send text messages to the people I had numbers for. My final one was to Holly, asking her if she got home safe and thanking her for staying with us the entire time until we made it home.

I sat for a while, sipping my coffee and looking out the window. It was overcast and would probably rain later. It was one of the things I didn’t enjoy about living close to the coast. We got battered by the wind and rain. My next stop would be a tough one.

∞∞∞

I made us a cup of tea before taking it to my Granny. She sat on her armchair with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“So you didnae get any boaby?”

I almost threw the tray on top of her.

“No, I did not,” I said, cringing at her use of the slang word for dick.

“If you hud that sour expression on yer face all the time, I can see why you didnae get any,” she said with a wry smile.

I shook my head and put her teacup on her table coaster. She had her hair done with a slight pink or purple tinge through it.

“When did yae get yer hair done? Maybe you’ve been getting more action than me,” I said, placing the small plate of biscuits between us and taking my cup to sit opposite her.

“I got it done a few weeks back,” she said, touching her short, curled hair. “Och, a few sherries in me, and I’m up fur anything,” she said while lifting her teacup.

I took a sip of tea, relieved she was cheerful and wasn’t as angry as I thought she would be.

“Are yae gonna tell me what really happened?” She asked, placing her cup back onto the saucer.

I choked on my tea before I grabbed a couple of tissues from the box on the table. While I composed myself, I tried to think of what I could tell her.

“I know yae would have phoned us, love. I’ve no lost all ma marbles yet,” she said with a more serious look.

“Granny, ah cannae tell yae, but am alright. I had a problem, and it got sorted,” I said nervously, but I couldn’t look at her while I spoke.

She was sharper than the rest of my family, and I wondered how bad it would be when I went to see my parents.

“Ah will drop it the now, love. Yuv not been harmed?”

“Am fine, honestly. I’m glad to be back home,” I said with a fake smile while hoping my scarf hadn't slipped down my neck.

I felt slightly jittery about being alone after Holly and Alexander left last night. The abduction had happened at lightning speed. One minute, I was walking on the streets of Aberdeen. The next, I had been dragged down an alleyway into a van. I tried to compose myself before I looked back at my Granny.

When I finally glanced at her, she was frowning, but it cleared as she picked up her teacup again.

“Yer parents are angry aboot yae worrying them. Just stick tae yer story. They willnae be mad fur long. Tara might huv a few choice words fur yae.”

My sister would lay the guilt trip on me, but that was nothing new.

“Stop yer frettin’. Are yae gonna help Jeanie Shaw set up the dance at the community centre? It will take yer mind aff whatever yer hiding,” she said with a wink.

“Oh, I forgot about the dance. Wait, isn’t it about four weeks away?”

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