Chimera | H.S Mature

17.

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*Samantha's POV*

"Sorry, I would have just buzzed you in but I don't think it's working. I reported it a couple of days ago to the building manager but nothing has happened yet" he said as I stepped past him and into the building.

"Its fine don't worry" I said as he began to lead me up the stairs towards his flat.

"I'm glad you made it here ok, did the taxi drop you outside?" he asked as we turned the corner and ascended another flight of stairs.

"No, actually I got dropped off at Vauxhall Bridge Road and walked, I wanted to get an idea about what route Daniella would have taken to get here on the night it happened. And I wanted to see where it happened to kind of get an idea of the place" I said. We had come to a stop outside a black glossy door, much like that of the front doors that ran along the street. Harry's hand reached for the handle but be stopped to look at me before we went in.

"You really don't switch off do you?" he said with a grin. I offered him one in return.

"Yeah, I've been told that before" I beamed. He chuckled before pressing firmly on the handle and pushing the door open, stepping aside to allow me to walk in ahead of him. I supressed that gasp that threatened to spill out of my lips as I took a couple of steps into the house. We had entered into the living room. It was a large open plan room, the kitchen could be seen branching off to the side in the far corner, its marble counters glinting with the last light of day that was seeping through the window. The lounge itself was a bright room, the white walls and cream carpet made it still feel like the middle of day beneath the light of the lamps which glowed around the room. A light grey sofa sat with its back to us, a matching single seat mirroring it at a right angle, both of which seemed to encompass a simple black coffee table which sat parallel to the large flat screen tv hanging upon the wall. Several coats and scarves hung against the wall beside me from a series of 5 pegs and along the hall before me, several rooms could be seen branching off in their own directions.

"Wow" I simply said, it didn't by any means do his home justice but it was all I could think to say at that moment.

"Yeah," he said with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck, "I haven't been here long, only a couple of years". He held out a hand for my coat and bag which I slipped off and gave to him, still scanning my eyes around the room.

"You're uh..." I began as Harry turned over his shoulder to look at me. I tried to search for the right word but only one came to mine, "rich" I said.

"No, my parents are. Never one for showing love and affection my parents, but they sure know how to spend their money" he said, a pathetic laugh following his statement. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye as he placed my coat and bag on one of the free hooks before returning to my side, placing his hands on his hips and examining the room much as I had done.

"Have your parents been down, you know since Daniella was raped?" I asked softly and he snorted.

"No, a phone call was all she got the day after it happened, haven't heard from them since. To my knowledge they flew to Italy a couple of days ago" he said.

"Wow" I muttered again.

"Yep" was all he said. "Anyway, come on in, I've got pizza and stuff in the kitchen 'cause I wasn't sure if you had time to eat after work" he said, leading me across the plush carpet, I instantly felt bad for not taking my shoes off. Harry seemed nervous, his movements were stiff and forced, but his was hiding it well beneath a bravado of confidence. He stopped in front of the kitchen island, the work surface was covered in a smooth, glittering black marble which I had to resist running my fingers across. Instead I stopped just behind Harry and placed my hand on his upped back just between his shoulder blades, he stiffened against it immediately.