Clockwork [final]

Seventeen

Adette slowly opened her emerald eyes and was immediately blinded by the sunlight leaking into her room through a crack in her curtains. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, but eventually sat up, yawned and stretched.

She walked over to the window and flung the curtains open, sunshine and the sound of gossiping birds flooding her around. She pushed open the window and closed her eyes, breathing in the crisp morning air.

“You seem awfully relaxed considering Benson is going home today.”

Adette jumped, then upon recognizing Derek’s voice turned and smiled at him. “I hadn’t even thought about that yet, actually.” He was leaning against the doorway, a mischievous smirk on his face. She wondered how long he had been there.

Maybe Benson had heard his name, because at that moment he hobbled into the room and pressed up against Derek’s leg with a little snorting sound, licking his hand. He stared down at him, still not used to his sudden change of heart.

Adette couldn’t help but laugh at the bewildered look on Derek’s face. “He really does like you.”

Derek frowned, still refusing to show any open affection for the dog. “Yeah, it licked its butt and then my hand. It adores me.”

“Aww, look at that grumpy face,” Adette teased, poking him in the ribs, “Come on, let’s get some breakfast.”

With that, she strolled out of the room without giving him a chance to make any reply.

He threw a glance at Benson, who was still staring at him. “What are you looking at, mutt,” he muttered, then followed Adette down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Do you know what time Melinda is coming to get Benson?” he asked, trying to imagine Melinda turning up on their doorstep while Adette was still in her pyjamas and whistling cheerily.

“Should be around lunchtime, I think,” she said. He wasn’t sure if he should trust her answer after taking a glance at how she squinted with concentration before her response.

Lassie came clanking into the kitchen and he was reminded that time would obviously have slipped to the back of Adette’s mind, especially given the week’s events. With that recollection, his mind turned to the note Kevin had left. They had solid evidence against him now. He hadn’t tried to bring up the subject with Adette again; he doubted she would have handled it very well. She had been under enough stress as it was.

But now, the full seriousness of the situation started to sink in. That psychopath had been crazy enough to injure an innocent animal simply to make a point. He was clearly the sort of man that would do anything to get what he wants, and this time he wants her. What could he be capable of to get it?

He realized how lucky they had been that Kevin hadn’t struck again while they were still recovering. Why hadn’t he? They were most vulnerable now. With Derek stressed and Adette distracted, he could make a move and they would be defenceless. He looked across at her, wondering if she had even begun to grasp just how dire the situation was. He kicked himself for not thinking about this earlier. What kind of protector was he?

“Adette,” he said slowly.

“Hmm?” She looked up at him with such a bright smile that it made him even more reluctant to make her aware of the situation.

“We need to turn Kevin in to the police.”

The transformation was immediate. The smile dropped from her face like she’d been slapped and she turned ghostly white. The cheerful sparkling in her eyes dulled and turned to fear.