The Best Tea Cup is Chipped: Book 2

Investigations into the Past

Emma took a look around the asylum that screamed fishy and really more like prison. Apparently, someone had broken in and helped a patient escape. She looked at the nurse in the white uniform.

"Do you remember anything about the man that gave you the coffee?"

"He was tall but things right before and after I woke up are pretty fuzzy. I couldn't pick him out on the street." Emma sighed. Well that meant they had no suspect. Regina, who for some reason had decided to make this her business glared.

"You'd better find the culprit but more importantly Miss Swan we need to find the escaped patient."

"Who exactly are we looking for and why was she in here?" asked Emma. "And more importantly Madam Mayor why are you so interested in involving yourself in the case?"

"I should be aware of any possible threat to the town. Lacey French is a delusional woman I want her back where she belongs for her own safety and that of the town's." said Regina setting of Emma's superpower. The woman was hiding something that was for sure.

"Well, I'll look into it and see what I can find."

"You might want to try Mr. Gold's house." said Regina. That stopped Emma in her tracks.

"Why would the escaped patient be at the pawnbroker's house?" she asked. "He's hardly the most welcoming man."

"Mr. Gold will do anything to manipulate anyone. Trust me Miss Swan he's involved."

"Sadly, Madam Mayor your word isn't enough for a warrant but I'll take the tip under advisement." Emma shook her head and walked away in wonderment. Suddenly a thought hit her.

Could Lacey French be the "her" from Gold's story? But he'd said he'd lost her. Emma pursed her lips. Gold had seemed quite genuine when he'd spoken to her. If Lacey was the woman and he did care for her like he said he did then it made it quite sketchy that Regina was so keen on getting the girl locked up again.

Of course it was also all conjecture. She needed more evidence before she did anything. Idly she wondered if the case were seriously going to lead to her investigating Gold's love life. That was a place she didn't want to go with a ten foot pole.

OUAT

She was running the nurses were closing in on her with their needles and drugs. They grasped at her dragging her down a dark corridor while a woman's laughter echoed. In the distance she saw a figure she couldn't make out but she fought to reach it some part of her thinking if she could she would be safe.

"NO! NO! STOP! LET ME GO!" she screamed.

"Lacey! Lacey!" Lacey sat up sharply gasping a hand was on her arm she looked over to see Robert in a burgundy dressing gown sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Deep breaths," he said gently.

"In and out. In and out." Lacey closed her eyes listening to the sound of his voice and tried to time her breathing with his. After a while her heart slowed back to a normal pace and she opened her eyes to see Robert staring at her with a very concerned expression.

"You're safe," he said very gently and Lacey realized that he was right she wasn't in the hospital she was in Robert's home and he had promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He continued to speak in his smooth voice.

"Nobody can hurt you now."

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. She'd clearly woken him and it must be a terrible inconvenience with his leg.

"It's nothing," he responded waving away the apology. "You've been through a terrible ordeal. It's only natural to expect there to be some side effects."