The Girl with the Gun

Chapter Twenty Four

Detective Rosslyn drummed her long red nails over the file on her desk, she checked the watch on her wrist. 11pm. It was her fifth long night in a row sat there, clocked off but not wanting to leave, she had a gut feeling something was going to happen and she felt the weight of its responsibility. The decision to remove the cop from Sydney and Amber Beatons door had not been hers, and if it had been up to her the security would still be in place because she knew, she knew this person was waiting, they were obsessed to the point of insanity with Amber, all roads led back to her. Rosslyn knew one of these nights that alarm would ring from the beach house, and she had to be here, to be first on the scene. Rosslyn had made it personal and it's one thing a cop should never do, but it had seeped under her armour and into her heart. Sydney and Amber were more than members of the public she vowed to protect, they almost seemed family at this point, she had been front and centre to their entire journey together and watched as their children grew, she wouldn't let this person take her again, not Sydney and not Amber. She gazed back down at the papers, the interviews to the people close to them, anyone who had the motive or the means, she thought back to the ex's of Ambers she had seen yesterday... some nicer than others, Marie had a bad attitude and clearly was a tad obsessed with Amber still, but it didn't seem to be leaning toward menacing, merely a relationship she hadn't wanted to end. Mila though, there was something about her, she had flown down to Florida to attend in person, a long way from LA and she had done it without a resistance, she had just finished filming the reunion and although she had a solid alibi for Sydney's car wreck in that she was still being filmed for TV, she didn't for the day of Ambers wedding. Apparently on the day of Amber and Sydney's wedding she had been alone, upset and heartbroken about it. No alibi. Something about what she said, the way she spoke about Amber... it didn't all ring true to Rosslyn but she couldn't put her finger on it and what was she about to do, bring back the famous TV star for a second interview and make her a person of interest? On a hunch? No she couldn't and she still wasn't sure what it was that she was sensing with her... it may not have been so sinister.

"Detective" came the panicked voice opening the door "It's the Beatons alarm... it's just alerted" the duty cop shouted in as Rosslyn had instructed all staff, to let her know instantly wherever she was, luckily tonight, she was poised and ready. "Call Russo... Im on route" she yelled back as she passed the young cop in the hallway, her heels clicking against the linoleum as she ran down the echoing hallway and out into the car park, sprinting for her car. The lights sprung on, Rosslyn activated her sirens and took off at speed down the freeway, her nails drumming against the leather steering wheel, her heart hammering in her chest. This was the kind of adrenaline cops lived off of, her heart pounded and her brow was sweaty.

***
Amber was sat with her back to the garage, her hand to her head, Rachel was on her knees pressing a towel to the wound. Sydney was pacing beside them, tears streaming down her face and Drew was inside with the girls who were still sleeping. The cop car and ambulance arrived simultaneously, Sydney paced over to Rosslyn as she exited fluidly, and on her feet in seconds her hands reaching out to steady Sydney who was coming at her like a hurtling train down a track. "Sydney" she warned before Sydney began to approach "I know ... I know" she repeated "I'm sorry" she said desperately and Sydney got close to her face, her finger flexed, trying to stifle the fear and the anger "she could have died" she screamed at Rosslyn, tears streaming into her mouth "you took the security away and within twenty four hours my wife is knocked unconscious in our drive way.." Sydney and Rosslyn turned as the Paramedics walked Amber to the ambulance and sat her in the back. Sydney left Rosslyn stood alone a little rattled and walked over to the ambulance getting inside, wincing as she did at the way it pulled her ribs and sitting herself beside Amber who was having her wound assessed. Her fair hair was stuck to her scalp, the blood crusted in places as it congealed. Sydney held her hand and Rosslyn appeared at the foot of the Ambulance "Amber I'm so sorry" she confessed. "Security will of course be reinstated ...I have someone on route... this won't happen again I promise"