The Girl In The Dirty Shirt Noel Version

Chapter 131

I shot up in bed in a cold sweat, my heart pounding in my chest.

I pushed my hair back and swallowed hard as Noel came out of our bathroom.

"Holy fuck" I breathed looking at him.

"What was it this time?" Noel asked around his toothbrush from the doorway.

"I got arrested" I said climbing off the bed and walking to stand behind him in the bathroom.

Nathan had been reported missing by someone two days ago, it was all over the news and I'd been having nightmares ever since. From getting arrested to our house being raided by Interpol.

The cops had come to the house to tell us and had said they recommended having someone sit outside since Nathan's whereabouts was unknown.
Noel and I agreed, but we'd been keeping a close eye on the news too and "human remains" had been found in the Third Street alley, but the "victim" had not yet been identified. It pissed me off to no end that they were referring to Nathan as the victim.

I jumped when the doorbell rang and looked at Noel in the mirror. "I'm not dreaming again, am I?"

He shook his head banging his toothbrush on the edge of the sink "Not this time"

I sighed and went to answer the door.
Sally was coming down the stairs and reached it before I did.
The cop who had been sitting outside our house came in, standing with his hands on his hips like cops always do when they have news.

"Mrs Gallagher," he said looking at me "I have some...well; I have good news and bad news"

"What is it?" I asked trying to keep my voice even; I was suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Well ma'am," he said glancing at Sally standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Mr Delware has been identified"

"I..identified?" I stuttered

He nodded "Yes, ma'am,"

"He fucked off somewhere y'said" Noel said coming up the hallway looking at the cop. His hands tucked in his jeans pockets, his hair still wet from his shower. He was always so much cooler under pressure than I was.

"No sir," he shook his head "We have an ongoing investigation a few kilometres from here and the dental records confirmed that the remains were in fact those of Mr Delware"

What fucking dental records?

"He's dead?" Noel asked looking at him with the best fake surprise I'd ever seen.

"Good" I muttered

"Yes sir" the cop nodded glancing at me "Unfortunately, that means that this has now turned from a missing persons case to a murder investigation"

The cop looked at me "And given your previous history with Mr Delware, you'll be subjected to more questioning"

"What?" I snapped finding my nerve again "Are you kidding me?" I asked "He's dead, what the hell does it matter?"

"Lyla..."

"What?" I asked looking at Noel "I have a life to live, Noel; I'm not going to be the one who cleans up after they tear the house apart looking for nothing and ask me six hundred questions!"

I sighed

"He pissed a lot of people off; any one of them could have done it."

But I did.

"Why aren't you talking to them, why aren't you ripping their lives apart?" I asked Jesus Christ, even when he's dead he ruins my life!"

"You don't seem very upset" The cop said eyeing me.