Chimera | H.S Mature

4.

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*Samantha's POV*

"Have a good night dear" Barbra called as I padded across the lobby and towards the front door.

"Thank you Barbra" I replied as I offered her a small wave before forcing open the heavy, glass door and emerging into the cool air of the night. A breeze whipped down the street from the River Thames and chilled me to my bones, forcing me to pull the light jacket I had worn to work this morning tightly around my body. The walk to my flat wasn't far, 30 minutes at most, but on busy nights such as this, with crowds of tired, fed-up office workers, store assistants desperate to get off their feet and still groups of tourists lingering in the freezing night air, the walk home more often than not became a battle. I was a quick walker, so I often found myself skirting around people lingering on the pavement, or slipping through small gaps between slow groups of people, but there was always one person who would not only walk slow, but would always weave from one side of the pavement to the other. More often than not I would grow sick of walking at their speed and would force my way past.

"Not the most patient person, eh Sammy?" my father's voice echoed in my head as I angled myself against the flow of the crowed and made my way to the front door of my apartment building. His words reminded me that I should call home soon. I hadn't spoken to my parents for at least 3 weeks, other than the odd fleeting text to my mother to let her know I was still alive. She would remind me whenever I returned home (which was rarely) that no matter how busy, or successful I became, I should never be too busy for my family. But look at me now, neither busy nor successful and I still can't find the time or the energy to pick up the phone and call them.

My hands shook with the cold as I climbed the stairs and rummaged through my bag for my keys, my fingers fumbling over papers, packs of gum and empty food wrappers before grasping the cool metal tucked in the bottom corner of my bag. They continued to shake as I stuffed the keys into the lock and opened the door.

Covent House was a small cluster of apartments, no more than 7, tucked away in one of the secluded streets near Charing Cross Station. On a quiet night, the trains could be heard rattling and rumbling into the station for across the city, the low thrum of their engines was a constant, welcome backdrop to my otherwise silent life, alone in my flat. Covent House was one of those unusual buildings, overlooked by everyone who didn't live there. The exterior was smart, keeping up with the well maintained appearances of the surrounding buildings, but the inside was less so. For what I was paying monthly, you would expect a palace, well, at least much more than the small, one bedroom, and one bathroom flat I resided in. It was nothing special, but I made it feel like home, and it welcomed me with warmth and security after each long, weary day.

I kicked off my flats with a sigh and collapsed heavily on the single sofa, my body melting into the plush fabric as I exhaled deeply. Little more had been achieved after Harry and Daniella left. I had tried to make contact with Nick, the one person I know in the CCTV department, to ask him to try and trace Daniella's movements from the information she had given me, but he had been in a meeting all afternoon. So for much of the day I sat, twisting a pen between my fingers and straining my ears to hear what was going on in the office next to mine, making a note of when I knew Alex had returned to the room and shut the door before I would make a dash down the hallway to grab a cup of tea from the break room.

Each time I returned from my mini mission to not bump in to him, I would mentally slap myself for being so stupid. Why should I go out of my way to avoid him, I had just as much right to be in this department as he does, well, maybe not in his eyes. But I found it easier to avoid him, so that is what I will continue to do.