Spoilt Read online

  “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.

  He walked nervously to her front door and laughed again. He was actually experiencing first date jitters.

  * * *

  Chelsea had been waiting anxiously for her date to arrive, repeatedly asking herself why was she so nervous. Finally judging her apprehension to be ridiculous, she sat down to stop herself from pacing. His familiar knock sent her darting out of the chair to answer the door.

  * * *

  Nothing could have prepared Lucas for the sight that met his eyes when Chelsea answered the door. The vision before him reduced him to abject silence and wonderment.

  * * *

  Lucas looked incredible. He was wearing a black suit she hadn’t seen before. His shirt was also black. His tie, patterned in different tones of blue, contrasted wonderfully. When she gazed into his face, his expression was unreadable and she feared she’d been right about the dress after all. “I told Charlotte this dress was all wrong. I’ll just go and change.” She turned to leave.

  “No, wait!”

  She looked at him again, puzzlement furrowing her brow.

  “You look beautiful and incredibly sexy. Please don’t change it.”

  “You were looking at me kind of weird.”

  “Yeah, I guess I probably was.” He blushed and she smiled. “I was trying to get control myself so we could still go to dinner. You have no idea how beautiful you are.”

  “Oh.”

  He kissed her tenderly.

  “Shall we go?” He took her hand and she nodded.

  His choice of restaurant surprised Chelsea - expensive and romantic, or so she’d heard. Anton’s reputation spoke for itself.

  “Lucas, you don’t have to go to so much trouble and my budget doesn’t quite stretch this far.”

  “Chelsea, let me do this for you.”

  “Okay, I’ve heard the food is good. Have you been here before?”

  “Yes, I eat out a lot. Well, at least I did.”

  They were greeted by the maître d' who directed them to a small private booth in the corner. The dim lighting glowed from candles on each table, setting the mood. The furniture, in deep dark wood and varying shades of red, surrounded her with instant warmth. Waiting for them was champagne in an ice bucket. Their waiter placed menus in front of them, filled their glasses and then discreetly disappeared.

  “I can see why this place has such a good reputation.”

  “Hmm.”

  She studied the menu for a moment before speaking again. “So you said you’ve been here before?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  “I love it when you get jealous. I came with Carrie and Nathan.”

  “Did I ask?” She peered at him over her menu.

  “You didn’t have to. You get this tone when you are trying to find out things you think I haven’t told you.”

  “I’m sure there are lots of things you haven’t told me. You know everything about me and I don’t know anywhere near as much about you.”

  “You know all you need to. The things I don’t tell you are better kept that way. I ... don’t want the past to get in the way of our future. If there is anything you really want to know, all you have to do is ask.”

  “Since we met, you’ve only stayed with me. How come you haven’t invited me to your apartment?”

  “I like your house better - you’re there.” She glared at him. “Because my place is ... part of my old life and you are part of the new.”

  A waiter came to take their order. Once he was gone, Lucas turned to find her frowning.

  “Babe, this is why I don’t want to talk about this stuff, because you look at me that way. I wanted tonight to be special and I don’t want to ruin it with my blemished record.”

  “Lucas, I don’t care about before because I understand why you were so closed off from everyone, but I want to see where you live. It is a part of who you are.”

  “If I take you there, will you stop asking questions?”

  “Maybe.” She smirked. “I’m sorry if I’m being too pushy. I tend to do that ... you ... I ... like being with you.”

  “I know. Me too.”

  They ate in companionable silence, Lucas’ eyes pouring into hers. It took all his restraint to control his overwhelming desire aroused by her stunning little red dress. Over coffee he intentionally kept their conversation light to stop his mind from drifting. He wanted love not lust to be the dominant emotion, at least for now.

  The quiet continued on the short drive to his apartment. After he showed her in, he watched her as she wa
ndered around. Once her inspection was complete, she came to sit down on one of two chairs in his small living room.

  “I told you there wasn’t much to it. I don’t spend a lot of time here.”

  “It’s not what I expected.”

  “More furniture perhaps?”

  “Yes, but you’re neat.”

  “Mostly. See, now you’re here, it really does feel like an empty space, not a real home like you have. It suited my life, simple and empty, but I guess you couldn’t call what I did before living really - just existing.”

  “I know I’m probably moving too fast for you and I still can’t believe I’ve only known you a week, but my life was pretty lonely before too.”

  “I want to show you something.”

  She watched him go into what she’d guessed was his bedroom and returned carrying a book.

  “Carrie gave me this journal for my eighteenth birthday. I started writing in it from that day, just before I was accepted into the force. There are entries in there up until last week - twelve years of my life. Writing everything down, well it helped keep me sane. I don’t think I need to write in it anymore. I have you now instead.” He passed it to her. “I want you to have it. Now that sounds crazy,” he mumbled.

  “Lucas, this is personal. I couldn’t.”

  “Please take it. Maybe you won’t ask me so many questions. I just hope you’ll still look at me the same way after you have read it, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take because I want you to. I need you to know the connection we have. I’ve never felt it before.”

  “Okay.” She took it from him and he stood awkwardly next to the chair opposite hers.

  She opened it to the first page to find the same neat handwriting she had seen in his note that morning. She read the first entry before skipping along and choosing a few random pages to skim, vowing to read it all when time permitted. He trusted her with his most private thoughts and she would value every word. The few entries she read were filled with confusion, angst and loneliness.

  The Lucas she saw within the leather bound book was a shattered man and different from the one man who stood waiting for her to accept him faults and all. He was revealing all of himself to her and he now feared she wouldn’t accept him. Her heart broke for him and then swelled. Allowing her into his life this way, she knew was something he’d sworn never to do but still did regardless. Lucas had taken a huge step this evening and he was terrified. She gazed up to find his eyes downcast and his face contorted in embarrassment and anticipation. He was waiting for her acceptance.

  She placed his secrets carefully on the small table in front of her and walked over to him, removing her shoes on the way. She stood on tiptoe and cupped his face. He lifted his eyes but the tortured look remained.

  “Thank you for trusting me with your life. I know how difficult this is for you.”

  “Even if I wanted to stay away from you, I don’t think I could.”

  He scooped her up, sat down in the chair and settled her in his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and he played with the curls tumbling down from the twist in her hair.

  She didn’t know how long they sat there together, content with each other’s silent company. Loneliness had lived with them both for too long. When he cleared his throat, she waited for the serious detective Lucas to speak.

  “Babe, I don’t want to break the moment but I need you to promise me something.”

  “Anything.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “I promise. What is it?”

  “We think another girl has been abducted by ... him and she ...” He stopped.

  “Let me guess, she looks like me again.”

  “Yes, that is why the officer will stay watching your house.”

  “I just don’t understand why this is happening.”

  “Neither do we, which isn’t good.”

  “I think for bringing up work, it’s your turn to be punished.” She poked him in the ribs until he giggled.

  “You’re in trouble now.” He stood up and carried her to his bed.

  * * *

  When she woke surrounded by darkness, it took her a moment to orient herself. Accustomed to either moonlight or the morning sun lighting her room, it was strange to wake in Lucas’ dim apartment. Chelsea waited for her eyes to adjust to the night and then, with caution, made her way to the kitchen.

  She searched several empty cupboards until she found a glass for water. How does he live in such a vacant home? There wasn’t any food in the cupboards and the fridge only contained a jug of water, a few bottles of beer and food not fit for human consumption. It was little wonder he’d dined with her every night, he really didn’t cook. Her heart ached at his lonely life and she resolved to ensure he didn’t live this way any longer. Lucas had been closed off to the world long enough.

  She tiptoed back to his room and found she hadn’t disturbed him. She lay close to him so she could watch him sleep. His handsome face appeared untroubled as he slept and she hoped his fragile heart was finally healed. Her own heart lurched and fear seized her chest for a brief moment. Would he stick around or leave like Wes? Would his fear overcome him?

  She thought back to her Pa’s words about knowing when you’d found the one, and she realised his words were true. She did know and Lucas was it. Did he feel the same? Was he as in love with her as she was with him? Her answer to this question was the leather bound journal which meant he trusted her with his life, which in turn meant he trusted her with his heart. Cuddling in close, she breathed in his scent as she drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Although waking up to Chelsea sleeping in his bed was strange, it was also wonderful. Sleeping in his bed from here on in would be a pleasure, and his unpleasant, empty past would be erased and replaced with her. He kissed her gently to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.

  “Time to wake up, babe. I want to get an early start.”

  She groaned and buried her face in the pillow. She turned to look at him again with desire in her eyes.

  “Your bed smells delicious, like you.”

  This time he groaned. “Have a shower with me.”

  Chapter 26

  Loss

  Thursday

  After reluctantly depositing Chelsea safely at home, Lucas drove to work in a dream and smiled at his whimsical behaviour. He never thought he could feel this wonderful.

  At the station he read through the thick file of calls received on the hotline over the past few days to see if any of the information was of any use. As always, they mostly revolved around anonymous callers either falsely confessing to the crime or ratting out someone against whom they held a grudge. All calls would be followed up but, once he’d read through the entire file, experience told him that the majority of them were a total waste of time, again.

  He noted down what he thought were potentially legitimate tips and placed them onto Peterson’s desk for follow up that afternoon when he arrived for his shift.

  He was on the phone with the ME when Maggie came in. She’d called him earlier that morning asking him to cover her for a few hours as the return favour. He decided to use the time to get up to speed and organise the day.

  “Dave’s finished with Lindsay’s autopsy. He found a hair in the rape kit and it’s being processed as we speak, we should have the results by tomorrow.”

  “Anything else new?’

  “No, the rest was the same. I went through the tip line stuff but there isn’t much there. Still no file on Robinson and I cannot find anything on Chad Wilson. I placed a few calls but he’s not on any systems, so it has to be an alias.”

  “Did Chelsea recognise him?”

  “Dammit.”

  “What?”

  “I meant to do it this morning but got distracted. Sorry, my head hasn’t been in the game. I’ll show her tonight.”

  “We really haven’t caught any breaks so far. She may not even know him and, if she does, she might not kn
ow where he lives. She didn’t recognise his name so it is quite possible she has never met him. Either that or it is an alias. If she has never met him, it just makes it all the more confusing. Why would he be after her? However, if she recognises him she might be able to give us his real name,” Maggie said.

  “Yeah, maybe. I have been wondering the same things myself. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It may be another dead end anyway. In the meantime let’s keep looking. Throw me the files from Peterson regarding their canvassing. I’ll see if there is anything we can follow up.”

  “Do you want to read in the car? I’ve lined up some of the victims' family and friends to re-interview regarding Chad Wilson.”

  “Sure no problem.”

  * * *

  “As much as I love having you both here, you have lives and stuff to do at home. You don’t need to babysit me anymore. I’ll be alright,” Chelsea told Sarah and Charlotte over breakfast.

  “You really shouldn’t be here alone,” Sarah informed her.

  “I won’t be.”

  “No, Mum, Chelsea has a permanent visitor now. He practically lives here anyway so you may as well ask him to move in as I suggested.”

  “Why would I have Officer Lewis move in here?” Chelsea winked at Sarah.

  “Very funny, Chels, but we all know who I was talking about.”

  “Still too soon, Charlotte. I am crazy about him though.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be ok?”

  “Yes, Mum. It’s a slow time of year for Bloom so I can take a week or so off if I need to.”

  “You will be alone in the house all day. Wouldn’t you like the company?”

  “I’ll find something to do. I have a ... new book I want to read.”

  “I have to go back to Uni anyway, Mum.”

  “Alright we’ll go on Saturday then, which still gives us another two days together.”

  The phone rang and they all stared at it.

  “Did it ring when I wasn’t here yesterday or last night?”