Awake

Chapter 1

It didn't ring but I was up, groping for the button before the mind blowing sound of harsh beeps filled my ears. It was hard enough getting up at four in the morning without the extra migraine to top it all off.

Burnt toast with builders tea was what I was forced to call breakfast as it is the first thing one consumes after waking. Although after the event of last night I did not have an appetite, I still shoved the dry so called meal down my throat. It pushed its way down with the help of a little tea, scraping at my insides as it went.

****

"I'm sorry but there are no leads to the case, but we must not give up hope, we will find out who did this." That was quite a promise he made there. Will. A small but large word that is. Only he didn't know it's power for he had no leads. Darn police these days, might as well solve things yourself because from where I'm standing, I see myself with one foot in the grave before anything is done. I for one know I have a lead. A beautiful pure black leather one, used by tying around ones neck and tugging at it if they steer away from the right path. In this case the path is so distant that not even an eagle could spot it. That is why the tugging may turn into something much more painful.Or shall I say - it will.

****

Feet up on his desk, Jerome flipped through some files, occasionally licking his fingers to help detach the pages from each other. A smile spread a cross his face as he looked up and saw me standing at the threshold of the open door. "Hey! How'd u get in?" He enquires, knowing that his fellow fed colleagues were very tight about who's authorised to see the chief. I shrugged as I entered the room further and made my way to a pair of wooden chairs in the corner of the room.

Jerome swung his feet off the table and spun his chair round to face me. I took a moment to observe him. Bulging muscles made his lose fitting uniform seem tight. I looked up to his face. Sad eyes met my gaze. Beautiful sad blue eyes. He took off his cap and placed it on the desk beside him. Smoothing back his thick brunette hair he asked. "You okay?"

I nodded. Slowly. We both knew it was a lie. "I've got lots of paper work to do ok hun, we need to find who killed her and it's my responsibility as the chief to do so. For both of us." He leaned forward to kiss my forehead. I nodded and faked a weak smile. I got up off the chair and headed for the door. Looking back before crossing the threshold I I smiled and asked, "What's for dinner Jerome?" "You'll find out when you get home hun" he chuckled. I turned away and left.

****

The rain beat down hard on my window, begging me to let it into my room. The insane drumming calmed my unsteady nerves. My mind cast back to my meet with Jerome. I remembered his dark handsome face peering up at me through falling hair. "Stop admiring" she called. She repeated these words three times before subsiding. My mouth felt dry and sweaty palms intertwined immediately. Admiring? That's what she thought it was? It's just the study of humans. Guilty humans.