Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

of the small brown building, to a waiting area surrounded by plastic bulletproof windows.
    We were brought to where the corporal sat at a desk, on the phone. He hung up and grinned. “We have a database of drifters and criminals from the area, if you just want to take a quick look to make sure Aleks isn’t in one of them. That would make our job a lot easier.”
    I nodded as he stood up and walked out of his office. “Okay, the computer is over here that you can look at. It’s pretty straightforward. You scroll down and click next page.”
    “ Yeah, I’m good. How’s Jaime this morning?”
    He shook his head. “Same thing as you and the other girl. She is out like a light, no signs of waking up and vomited for hours before passing out completely.”
    “ Was she raped?” The words left my mouth like I was spitting out a bad taste but I had to know.
    He shook his head. “I can’t disclose that kind of information, sorry. She’s lucky you guys arrived when you did. I’ve had my men searching with the dogs for your friend Aleks and his crowbar. Nothing but the crowbar has turned up. The dogs haven’t found a single scent to track, even off the crowbar.”
    Shane frowned. “You found it near the house?”
    The corporal nodded. “Two hundred yards over, with no trace of anything on it. It wasn’t used in anyway. The reason I am telling you this is that, he may seem like a nice guy but I want you to ask yourself why didn’t anyone else see him that night? Why didn’t he come back to make sure you were okay, when he didn’t catch the guy? Why would he leave you with a hurt, young woman in the bush alone in the first place? Especially if he had no intention of catching the person who hurt her.”
    I felt sick to my stomach, as his words whirled around in my head. They made perfect sense but my heart defended Aleks.
    I scrolled through the photos, ugly mug shots of seedy-looking people. In the background, I could hear the corporal try to sell the police force to Shane, in the far corner. He sounded like a recruiter.
    After a while, I heard them walk back to me. “How’s it going in here?”
    I frowned. “No, no and more no. He isn’t in here.”
    Williams shrugged. “Well, you can’t always strike gold with the first hit. Keep in touch about anything you remember and I’ll let you know anything I can.”
    The corporal picked up the brochure for becoming a cop and handed it to Shane. “Son, I’ve never told a single person they should take a look at this. I think you’ve got something.”
    Shane smiled. “Thanks, I will look at the website tonight.”
    He opened the door and we left. The cold air didn’t seem to snap me out of the haze, I’d gotten stuck in.
    “ I need some sleep, Shane.”
    “ I’m taking you home now.” He opened the truck door and helped me inside. I felt everything but noticed nothing.

Chapter Eight
    A is for Adultery, Infidelity, Treachery, Faithlessness…

    I dreamt that I was walking on a beach, my hand was being massaged, and the air was filled with soft music. The sand filled the spaces between my toes with every step. I couldn’t hear the waves very well, but the soft music seemed to ride the wind in waves. Moments it was louder, then soft again.
    “ Aimee,” the music sang. “Aimee, you need to wake up. I don’t have much time left and I need to talk to you.” It sounded less like music and I knew I wasn’t dreaming. My toes no longer felt the sand, only sheets and my head was on a pillow with drool under my lips. I licked my lips, frowning. I could feel the headache behind my eyes. It felt like I had been drugged again.
    I moaned, “Not again.”
    I heard a chuckle beside me. It was a sound I loved. I smiled and opened one eye. The fog cleared and my vision started to focus, I opened my mouth to scream. His hand went to my lips.
    Aleks was holding me hostage. I looked around the room, realizing I was still at home. He was in my room.
    His intense blue eyes pleaded with me, while his hand covered my open mouth. I didn’t like people’s hands near my mouth, and this was twice with him. I cringed, closing my lips.
    “ Please Aimee, don’t scream. Let me explain,” his voice was a whisper.
    I nodded. I was in too much pain to scream, anyway. My heart was beating out of my chest but I wanted to hear what he had to say. For whatever reason, I couldn’t be afraid of him. His lips moved sensually as he started to speak again. My eyes darted around the