The Suspense

Chapter 9

Matthew got the call from Syd he was waiting for.

"Hi Matthew, listen I got the results." Syd said.

"Great, what are they?" Matthew asked.

"Not good, there was no other prints besides yours and Stacey's." Syd told him.

"Oh come on!" Matthew said disappointed.

Matthew slammed his phone down on his desk, causing everyone around him to look up and stare at him.

"What!?!" He asked looking at everyone.

Everyone went back to work as quickly as they could.

Matthew grabbed his keys and his jacket and a copy of the letter he had made earlier and rushed home.

Matthew entered his house and found Stacey busy in the kitchen making lunch for herself.

"Oh, here take mine, I'll make myself another sandwich." Stacey said as she shoved the plate to Matthew.

"No, thanks, I'm not in the mood to eat." Matthew pushed the plate back to her.

"OK lady, sit and start talking!" Matthew demanded.

Stacey slowly sat down and started to tell him everything. Looking up now and then to look at his facial expressions. But he had none. He just sat there listening intensely to the story and what happened.

After a long silence Matthew sighed and said:

"So you went back to the apartment?"

"That's what you got from that story?" Stacey asked shocked.

"Well, Peter out there is definitely fired, he did not do his job well at all. And the Tom story is kind of old news to me." Matthew said.

"What?, what do you mean?" Stacey exclaimed.

"Well, I did a check on your friend Miss Ann McAllister and found all that out but what you and she did not know was that the guys this Tom guy was involved with some shady guys, and they caught up to him. They found Tom's body floating in a river near his home. Tried to make it look like a drug overdose, but they caught the guys and that was the end of that." Matthew told Stacey.

Stacey sat staring at Matthew soaking in what he had just told her.

"So, Ann has been running for nothing?" She asked.

"Seems so." Matthew answered then taking a bite from Stacey's sandwich.

Stacey didn't know whether to cry or laugh at that.

"So, you are going to contact your friend and all three of us are going to figure out who else knew about this and end this once and for all." Matthew told her matter of fact.

Stacey immediately got the burner phone and messaged her friend as quickly as she could.

Ann called her right back and Stacey told her the whole story.

Ann cried from relief and agreed to meet them.

Matthew left the house in his private car he had parked around the back of his house and went to pick Ann up at the motel she was at, while Stacey stayed at the house preparing dinner.

Matthew returned with Ann who ran straight to Stacey and hugged her tightly as she could.

Matthew dished up the dinner Stacey had made and the three of them sat at the table eating and catching up.

After dinner they cleared the table and Matthew had everything he had on the case all laid out on the table before them.

The letter's caught Ann's eyes and as she picked them up she shouted out.:

"Oh my word, why didn't I notice it before!" Ann said as she sank down into the closet chair to her.

"What?!?" Both Matthew and Stacey exclaimed.

"That's Beth's handwriting!" Ann said excited.

"Why didn't you notice that Stace?" Ann asked Stacey looking at her calmly now.

"Oh you are right, I don't know." Stacey answered also finding a nearby seat.

"Ok ladies so what now? I can just go pick her up now if you want." Matthew said

"I have a better eviller plan." Said Ann smirking.

"Oh you would." Stacey said smiling.

Ann sat and told Matthew and Stacey her evil plan to get Beth and they agreed it was brilliant and could get a quick confession out of Beth for Matthew.

Matthew went to the station to get everything they would need to make Ann's plan a success, while Stacey and Ann were putting the details together how they would execute the plan to perfection.

It was late by the time Matthew got home and found Stacey in the living room.

"Hi" Stacey said.

"Hey, where's Ann?" Matthew asked.

"Asleep in my bed." Stacey answered.

"Good, she has a hectic day tomorrow." Matthew said taking a seat next to Stacey.

"So, after tomorrow, it's over." Stacey said.

"Seems so." Matthew said disappointed in a way.

"I'll go back home, and you will have your place back to yourself again." Stacey gave Matthew a small smile.

"Or?" Matthew faced Stacey and looked into her eyes.

"Or?" Asked Stacey.

"We kind of filled this house quite nicely don't you think? So I was thinking maybe you could stay here and bring all your things here. But instead of the guest room, you move your things into my bedroom?" Matthew looked at Stacey to see her reaction. He had never asked anyone to move in with him before. He always just had his job and never thought he could feel like he did like he does with Stacey.

"Well, I think I like that idea better." Stacey said smiling.

"How about we move you into my bedroom tonight?" Matthew said as he leaned in to kiss her and lead her into the bedroom.