Page 15 of The Dark Obsession

My cheeks burn up, and he opens the door across the hallway to reveal another dull white room. The seats, though, are a little comfier, with soft white cushions on the backs.

A woman and a man sit opposite two empty chairs. The woman’s cheekbones protrude wildly through her sunken, paled skin. Her hair falls limply at her shoulders, the grey shining through her dark brown hair. The man beside her is emaciated—the remains of someone who once was large and strong, now thin and weak. His shirt hangs off his body.

I greet them confidently, a firm shake. My fingers tremble, and my palms sweat.

“This is my partner, Rosalie Lockwood. She will be working alongside me on your case.” Rafael speaks to them with a gentle voice, one which I have not yet heard.

“Is she experienced? She looks a little young,” the man says, his voice lifeless.

His wife readjusts herself in the chair. “Have you had any news yet?”

“Mr Thomas, I assure you she is as good as you can get, a brilliant mind. But no, we’ve found some more DNA samples from her body but still no matches. The cause of death is being redetermined. We have reason to believe she died before she was, well … cut.”

Mrs Thomas shudders, her eyes brimming with tears before they fall on me, as if expecting me to have some answers.

“Did she ever mention what the stalker was threatening her about?” I ask carefully.

“Of course, but we’ve answered these questions a hundred times.” The mother’s voice rises as her cheeks flush. “I just want to bury my daughter, not babysit an intern.” She sobs into her husband’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, to you both. We are doing absolutely everything possible. I will not stop until we and the detectives find and punish the killer,” I say, hoping to assure them, but it seems to make Mrs Thomas just wail louder.

Rafael rests his hand on my hip and pushes towards the door.

I comply and make to exit.

“I know this is hard for you, but you cannot speak to my partner like that. We are working for you, not against you,” I hear Rafael say as I leave the room.

I suppress a shaky grin as I stand against the hallway wall. I’m speechless as Rafael exits the room, his face a deep shade of pink.

He passes me, nodding towards the door ahead.

I follow his lead and enter behind him.

“Sorry,” he murmurs.

“For what?”

“They shouldn’t speak to you like that.” He turns back to the door. “We’re going to the office now, but I need to stop at my place, if that’s okay,” he states more than asks.

I nod and follow him out the door. We exit through the front of the building this time. Rafael nods towards several police officers, of whom multiple take an involuntary step backwards and look the slightest bit nervous. The wind howls through the trees that surround the building. The sun tries to make an entrance, but a large black cloud blocks it. A drop of rain hits my cheek like a tear.

“Let’s take your car,” he says as he directs me to my car.

“But what about yours?”

He chortles. “I have another I can use.”

I stare at him, blinking dumbly. I fumble to find my keys in my bag and unlock the car.

He appears at my side and opens my door to allow me to sit before shutting the door.

I put the keys in the ignition and turn to watch him climb into the car.

He, who is much taller than me, moves his chair all the way back, allowing leg space.

I pull off as he fastens his seatbelt.

“You. Are. A. Lawyer.” He puts his arm around me, my heart hammers, and my eyes widen. He slides the seatbelt around me. Oh Shit.

---