Façade

Chapter 23

Morning descended once more upon the Hamptons' crystal shoreline. The sun glinted off of the lulling waves that ambled onto the moist sand. They crashed onto the rocks that littered the stretch of sand in front of Daniel and Emily Grayson's Hamptons abode, and calm was rife everywhere. Except, of course, for the beach house.

Daniel didn't take bad news well, after Emily had broken off their first engagement, he'd taken to heavy drinking, and feeling sorry for himself. To Daniel's defence, however, no one can really boast that they take bad news well, after all, he was married to the girl who devoted over ten years of her life to a vendetta.

His eyes went back and forth, back and forth, scanning the letter. He thought about it, he decided to make arrangements to take the jet to Zurich. He decided that when he returned, he'd hand over the evidence, and the letter, and once and for all, set David Clarke free, set his wife free. Emily set her head on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair with his hand. Emily took her head off of his shoulder, and said 'I'm coming. You can't be alone right now.' Daniel squeezed her hand and thanked her, before taking the letter again, and handing it to Emily.

Emily eyed the letter. She picked up the landline, exhaled loudly, and handed the phone to Daniel. Daniel told her that he couldn't call the police before he had retrieved the safe deposit box. Emily set the phone back into the cradle, and started up the stairs, closely followed by Daniel.

In and out, like a piston, they went, in and out of the walk-in wardrobe, collecting clothes to put into the suitcases on the bed. They zipped them up, and headed to Daniel's car.

The drive was long and tedious. Daniel was being uncharacteristically quiet. Emily quickly made the decision to get to the root of the problem. 'Daniel, what's wrong? You're not usually so quiet.' Daniel replied with sad eyes 'My father, the man who raised me is dead. Evil as he was, he didn't ever turn me away. No matter how many times I left him, or the company, or even ran away from home as a kid, he'd always be there to welcome me back with open arms. And now he's gone. I thought at least you'd understand.'

Emily thought she'd better stay quiet, so as to avoid a further unpleasant confrontation. She loved Daniel, and wasn't ready to become the Victoria-esque wife who rubs salt in the wounds she created.

She listened to thespians of the engines, as they took off. She stared intently out of the window, at the world, the world that didn't yet know of her freedom, and wouldn't for some time yet.

She noticed a black sedan, with blacked-out windows. It hadn't been there before, and seemed suspicious. She watched closely, and intently, waiting for some form of movement within.

Inside the car, a vehement Aiden sat, seething in his own anger, rubbing bump on the back of his painful head. 'Oh, so you think you'll get away that easily, do you? If I can't have you, Emily, no one can.' Aiden wasn't giving up so easily, and wasn't prepared to let Emily go without a serious fight.

© Sarah Egan 2013 - 2014 This story is subject to copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the author.