“Kind of creepy, don’t you think? Most men, when a marriage breaks down, they go for a younger better model. Or they lash out and sleep with half their co-workers. Michael Stanton went for a woman the double of his wife, only twice as mousy.”
“I think Mr. Stanton is a man that likes to manipulate women. He likes to be in control of situations, and people, at all times. I think Delores was his perfect woman. At least until she met me.”
“Is this the cop or the man talking?” Annie interrupted with a raised eyebrow.
Elijah glanced across at her. “Is there a difference?”
Annie let out a small laugh, but quickly covered it with a cough. “Yes, Elijah, there’s a difference.”
“Well, I have far more reasons to dislike him than the other way around.”
“Elijah, you were having an affair with his wife,” Annie said, stating the point. “I’m not sure anything trumps that one.”
“You’d be surprised,” Elijah pouted.
“So, enlighten me.”
Elijah ignored her statement, not wanting to divulge any further information to her. Silence descended through the car, Annie’s obvious annoyance with him apparent. Annie wasn’t stupid, she knew that there was more to this than Elijah was telling her, but if he was unwilling to share the information with her, she had to trust in him that whatever it was wouldn’t interfere with the case.
The drive back to the station was quiet, the throaty hum of the engine and the soft whoosh of other cars on the road passing them. At one time, Elijah had enjoyed the silence. He had enjoyed the solitude that it gave him, the chance to just be present in his own thoughts and work through everything in his head. The silence was like a blanket of comfort wrapped around his shoulders. So much of the days were taken up by mundane talking. Nothing of importance ever being said. Just the blah blah blah of information repeatedly spoken to one another.
He’d always embraced the silence.
But right now, Elijah loathed it. The silence made him feel tetchy and broody. Worry worked through his joints like arthritis. This whole thing was a mess. His feelings for Delores and the obvious involvement of her husband in this other case made things even messier. Deep down, Elijah knew that he should be stepping away from this one and getting Paul to take over because his interest in the case could be misconstrued. But he also knew that wasn’t ever really an option.
Right now, all that was important to him was being as close to Delores and whatever that may involve. He glanced over at Annie and saw that she was staring out of the window, a small pout to her mouth. She was pissed at him, annoyed that he was withholding information from her, and on her own case no less. But everything came down to facts, and wasn’t certain of anything just yet.
He pulled up in front of the station and shut the engine off, and for a moment both Elijah and Annie stared straight ahead at the station, neither of them saying what they really wanted to. Another patrol car pulled up a space over from theirs, and Annie smiled and waved at the other officer before unclipping her seatbelt and getting out. A warm rush of air entered the car as she opened and closed the door. Then Elijah was left alone with his dark thoughts once more.
Elijah stared down at his hands, his mind on Delores. He thought about all the things that could be happening to her right now, and of how she would be coping. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, she had after all proved to him on more than one occasion how strong she really was deep down. But those last couple of weeks, the last one in particular, had shown how fractured her mind had been becoming. Elijah hated himself for not doing more to help her. But he wasn’t sure how much he could have helped her anyway.
He watched her take her medication. He was there for her when the darkness seemed to be sucking her down. And he’d tried to let her know how much she meant to him—how much he loved her, when she’d acted so unloved.
Elijah sighed and finally got out of the car. The air was almost stagnant with stale heat, and Elijah wished for the day to be over and done with so he could go home and shower. Sweat was already prickling along his spine and he picked up his pace to get inside the station. He climbed the small steps at the front of the building, his hand resting on the handle when his name was called out.
He turned to see Christine Seager’s mother climbing out of her own car, a dark blue Honda with more rust than paint on one of the doors. She walked towards him, her steps quick yet still holding an uncertainty with each step.
“Mrs. Seager, how can I help you?” Elijah made his way back down the steps and met her halfway.
From her demeanour it was apparent that she was uncomfortable with being here. Her eyes looked red rimmed, as if from crying not so long ago, and she nervously patted at her hair curly, greying hair.
“I’m not sure how to say this,” she said, her eyes darting both left and right.
“Should we go inside? I can fix you a coffee,” Elijah began.
“No, no, I umm, it’s probably nothing. I shouldn’t really be bothering you with this.” Mrs. Seager finally looked at Elijah, her soft features contorting with indecision.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t be a bother to me.” Elijah took another step forwards. “You don’t seem the sort of woman to trouble the police unnecessarily.” He smiled, forcing himself to relax his shoulders and try and put her at ease.
“Well, it’s not about me, not really.” She looked up at him, her eyes searching his for a moment and he watched the final drop of hesitancy slip away. “It’s Christine, my daughter.”
“Is she okay?” Elijah asked, remaining calm despite his rampant heartbeat.
“No, I don’t think she is. I believe she’s gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous.” Mrs. Seager’s features split open as her shoulders began to shake. She finally let go of the tears which had been building inside of her since this morning. “I really think she needs your help.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elijah
