Death on the Net

Moving on

Alex had accompanied me back to school when she was happy that her hair had grown back and that the cut on her face was nothing but a scar, so that no one asked about blood, which she told me wasn't the easiest to hide with make-up, a scar she could work with.

Everyone had sent her curious glances, everyone asked questions and Alex knew what they were all whispering about in the lunch room, however one person she looked at didn't ask questions, one look from Alex and he was cowering away he did his best to avoid us at all cost and later that week we found out why, Zac had handed himself in, apparently he had told the police that he couldn't deal with the guilt.

It was him who was involved with the death of Grace, he helped in the kidnapping and murder, Alex was more relieved than anything which I was surprised about, I expected her to go into hiding again but she didn't she worked harder than ever at school and studied every night having me help her with her maths and certain subjects of science, my mum told me that it was her coping mechanism and to thank the stars that study was all she wanted to do.

Once we had both finished high school, both achieving high levels in our GCSE's, Alex and I were accepted straight into college however Alex took another path, she went for an apprenticeship at the police station, she worked long hours with Julie and John.

After years of searching she finally found what she was looking for; evidence so that the families who also lost their sisters and daughters could be in peace, I can remember it crystal clear like it was only yesterday, she came home wearing the biggest smile I have ever seen, she told me it was because although the families had mourned they all thanked her for doing this for her and gave her the most ego boosting compliments they could manage which is why when she got home she looked like she was walking on clouds.

One day Alex had come home with Zara, I overheard their conversation, not that I was eavesdropping, Zara had been proposed to by a man she met at her own beauty parlour which she had started up in college, at first she just did things like nails and hair but then she went on to study more in college and now she does makeovers for weddings, models and red carpet celebrities, the guy she was marrying was there to pick up his sister; a great friend and regular customer, apparently they started talking and he asked her out, things proceeded quite quickly between them but to be honest it seems like that between me and Alex as well.

Zara asked Alex to be her maid of honour and when Alex had jumped at the question, they started talking about dresses and cakes and anything that is anything to do with weddings.

Zara got out a bundle of magazines and they were both flipping through the pages like there was no tomorrow, they cut and stuck down on a piece of paper, the colours and themes they thought fit.

At that point I had left to finish off dinner, when I had returned to alert them about dinner being ready, I managed to hear Zara asking Alex, 'so when do you recon Cam will pop the question?' I froze and pressed my ear to the door.

'I don't know Zara! We have only been together for like...' she paused while she thought about it, 'forever?' Zara had offered, 'yeah well...' Alex began before Zara shushed her, 'well nothing! you seem in your element her Alex, you and Cam already act like a married couple so what's stopping you?'

I listened intently at the door, gripping the frame, 'we're too young!' she said, 'so you think me and Ryan are too young?' she said accusingly, she knew she could wind her up easily, 'no! I didn't mean that, its just that...' she trailed off, 'you want it Alex, I know you do' Zara said.

No more words were exchanged so I knocked on the door and opened it quickly watching as the two girls jumped nervously crossing their fingers that I hadn't heard.

I proposed to Alex while Zara left on her honeymoon, seeing the happiness on her face when she walked down the aisle with Zara, anyone could tell she couldn't wait for her turn.

When she had first come into view on the aisle, I couldn't speak, white cream material folded around her shapely figure, she looked as radiant as a princess under her veil.

A small crowd of family and friends watched the ceremony, it was held at the church in the village the one her parents and Grace were buried, she was not going to get married anywhere else, even John and Julie attended the wedding, they smiled at us both encouragingly and congratulated us at the party afterwards, Alex had become very set in her ways to make sure that she made them proud and she definitely had when she made all those families lives easier.

We found out that Alex was pregnant only a short while after we got married, we honeymooned in Florida, we visited her uncle as he was unable to make the reception, to make up for it though; he bought us our honeymoon, a roundtrip for two weeks in America, to say that we were amazed was an understatement, we were absolutely flabbergasted!

Alex reckoned that it was because he felt bad about not being there for her through both her parents and sisters deaths.
When Alex had our beautiful baby girl, everything was great, although we were both already happy, the look on her small face when she took her first look at me and Alex, brightened us both and we have been like that ever since, I would never forget the day our baby girl lit up her mothers face brighter than I had ever seen her before.

"Momma!" the little girl screeched, Alex laughed happily, and ducked behind a bench, "momma, I can see youuuu!" she giggled.

The small girl rounded the bench and yelled, "Boo!" at her mother, Alex jumped up and faked a scream, "I didn't see you there!" she said dramatically.

The girl giggled cheekily, she skipped away from Alex, "my turn" she sang, her yellow floral dress flew out behind her and her golden hair was in two pig-tails down her back.

"1... 2... 3... coming! ready or not!" Alex shouted, glancing around the park and dismissing her daughters obvious hiding place behind the slide, "where are youuuu?" Alex coaxed, you could hear the little girls laughter echoing through the summer breeze.

Alex bought her hand up to shield her eyes and looked around boldly, "hmmm..." she thought aloud, after sticking her head around a few of the other park amusements, she headed towards the slide and shouted, "found you!" the little girl ran out screaming and I laughed as I watched her.

My beautiful wife made her way towards me, and as soon as she was close enough she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me on the lips, I held her waist and wiped my tongue across her bottom lip, she pulled away and shook her finger and head at me.

I smiled evilly and gave her a big hug, "we're so lucky" I whispered as we both looked out at the little girl chasing her shadow, "yes" Alex said and then let her arms fall from around my back.

"Come on! we're going!" she shouted, the little girl abruptly stopped running around in the circle she had created and looked at her, she stuck out her bottom lip and it trembled, "I want to stay!" she whined, I was about to intervene when Alex said, "Okay, you stay, me and daddy are going to get some ice cream!"

The girl immediately screamed, "no! wait for me!" she stumbled up to us, "daddyyy!" she yelled, I bent down, crouching on my knees and spread my arms out wide, my little girl flew into my embrace, I picked her up and spun around on the spot making her short legs fly out behind her, she screamed and laughed and I stopped.

I rested her on my hip and she wrapped her arms around my neck, the resemblance between her and her mother was remarkably uncanny.

"I want a strawberry one with sauce... ooh and lots of sprinkles!" she screeched in my ear, I laughed and said, "okay Grace" she smiled at me extraordinarily, "come on you two!" Alex called from ahead of us, "coming!" we both said and I took big steps towards her.

I wrapped an arm around her waist, she did the same and we both tickled Grace's sides, this was the happiest we had ever been and ever will be.

It was perfect.

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I hoped you all enjoyed reading this book, I have loved every minute of writing it for you all.

It feels great to finally finish this book and I hope I did the Mystery/Thriller title proud.

Make sure to look out for my other book 'Try Again.'

Thank you all again!

And for now adios!