Ally breathed a deep sigh of relief when her grandmother’s house came into view. It was a place she had always felt safe and loved. Ally needed comfort more than anything right now. She was sure that she was suffering some form of hysteria after whatever it was that happened tonight.
The enchanting white home was located at the end of a tree-lined street in a quiet neighbourhood. It had been built on a large, lush green piece of land that was hard to come by in suburbia these days. The wrap around veranda skirting the house was a blissful space to sit and get lost in a book, on the old-fashioned day bed during the summer. Every bedroom had a private balcony, a luxury Ally loved, with an attic that added to the old world charm.
Ally reached the driveway, parked her car and sat staring into space. She decided that tonight was something she didn’t want to deal with right now. Coco was looking at her with big brown eyes, the concern her dog felt was radiating out of her.
“I’m alright, Coco.”
It seemed as if Coco was saying, “yeah, right,” as she cocked her head to the side.
Can’t I just pretend this never happened?
Ally got out of the car in a daze. Her actions seemed a bit robotic, even to her, as she put her key in the lock and opened the front door. It swung wide, and the hinge let out a squeak. She kept meaning to oil that. The house was dark, save for the light in the hall. Her grandmother always left that hall light on for her when she was out on assignments.
Ally walked silently through the house. She had to speak with Gran but not tonight. The best thing to do was get some sleep, Ally decided.
Crawling into bed, pulling the covers up, her last coherent thought was about James. He was back in her life. She didn’t know how or why but that was the one thing that made her almost…almost want to believe that tonight was real. Sleep came easily, but she was haunted by dreams of the man who tried to kill her, and the man who saved her.
Not long after she had fallen asleep, Adele crept into the room to check that her granddaughter was alright.
“My darling granddaughter…if only you didn’t have to know…” she whispered, then silently left the room.
James was waiting for her when she went back downstairs. His face was ash and sullen. “Adele…he has found her.”
“I know James…I know.” She sank down in a kitchen chair and wept for her granddaughter.
Chapter Three