Redemption of a Soul

Chapter 10

Claire reached the end of his driveway and stopped in her tracks, she stood shocked that she kissed one of patients. She sat on the curb kicking herself about how unprofessional it was but she liked it. She could still feel his cracked but soft on her lips, she could taste a hint vodka and mint, she still felt his hands roam her body. She closed her eyes to remise about the kiss that happened between them she smiled the way he looked at her after they kissed. But his eyes were quickly removed and replaced with the eyes of her attacker. Her eyes shot opened as the sweet sensations of Eli were replaced with painful touch of her attacker. Where she once felt Elis lips were now her attackers' dry and rough lips, she felt his forceful hand squash her cheeks together to causing her cheeks to ache a little.

Claire quickly stood and started to run home hoping that the faster she ran the farther she could get away from the memory. An hour later she finally reached her home and Edith was there waiting for at her door with a guy who Claire figured to be her new partner.

"There you are! Where the hell have you been?" Edith said pulling Claire into a hug, Claire shuddered a little "Are you okay Claire?"

"I'm fine. I just decided to take a run and I'm kind of dehydrated." Claire shrugged off and turned the topic to the new person "Is this the partner you were telling me about?"

Edith eyed her for a little bit "Y-yeah this is Billy. My new partner." Edith looked at her partner and rolled her eyes

"My name is actually William Thomas." he extended his hand towards Claire and she gave him a forceful smile

"Edith why are you here?" Claire asked looking for her apartment keys

" Well earlier someone called and said they heard a lot of noise coming from the parking lot of your job and I was wondering if you heard anything." Edith stood behind Claire as she opened her door, even though her apartment was cool she started to sweat a little. Edith and William walked in behind her and sat on her couch, Edith still eyeing her in a quizmal way.

"What time was the noise placed?" Claire asked as she poured water into some glasses for the three of them. She carried them over shaking slightly.

"The call was placed around lunch time. And when we asked some people from your office they said that you left." William answered claire noticed he had a accent.

"Yes i went to lunch with a friend. But i swear i thought it was possums or cats. Dr. Sanchez sometimes bring tamales and doesn't finish them and give them to the stray cats." Claire sipped her water and grinned at them

"Mmhmm whats this "friends" name?" Edith leaned forward on the couch taking a glass of water and sipping it but keeping the glass and swirls the water in it

"Are you interrogating me Edith? And it was a friend from the clinic where i volunteer sometimes." Claire said as she tapped her glass

"WE are not interrogating you Doctor. We just want to know if theres something that we need to contact the police about." William said reaching to comfort claire hand with she slid off the table

"You could ask our security guard Ryan Tethers. He may know more than me." She said slowly rubbing her knee. William jotted the name down in his notepad and Edith rolled her eyes at the mention of his name.

"Well thank you doctor for all your help." Both he and Edith got up and walked to door. She opened the door and edith left first leaving with a hug.

"Thanks for stopping by." Claire said before she shut the door William turned around to her. Claire flinched a little.

"Sorry didn't mean to startle you but next time you go for a run please wear actual running shoes that way when you lie it would be more believable. Plus those flats you "Ran" in can cause blisters." William smiled and left. Claire looked at the spot that he stood and wondered how he figured out that she was lying.

She then closed the door and proceeded to her room and gather some clothes and enter her bathroom, she turned her shower on and stood in front of the almost fogged mirror. She stared at herself until she didn't recognize the thing in mirror, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then proceed to the shower. A pit formed in the bottom of her throat, she leaned forward her head on the shower wall thinking what would had happen if she told the truth. Tell both William and Edith the noise came from Eli protecting her from ryan. Tears dropped from her eyes, as hard as she tried not to cry it was no use, she wasn't crying because she was hurting in fact she was crying out of frustration. She could have ended it right there in her living room.

"Why didn't I say anything?" She asked looking toward the ceiling "Aw Claire get yourself together. You could have said 'Listen Edith, the noise was me. Ryan was harassing me, but one of my patients stopped him before he could rape me' then everything would be fine. Right?"

~

"So are we going to interview this Ryan fellow?" William said pulling into Edith's building.

"I don't know. But did feel like... like there was something off with Claire?" Edith said the door partly opened and her foot was in the pavement.

"A little. But it could have been from her run." William turned the car off and turning towards Edith. Edith rolled her eyes and put her foot back in the car and shut the door.

"You and I both know that was a lie. The question is why would she lie about it?" She rubbed her forehead, she took a deep breath.

"Of course it was. I'm sorry to say but your friend is a bad liar. Maybe the reason she lied was because she didn't want to get tangled in this." William said leaning on his arm rest.

Edith leaned on the arm rest with him scratching the side of her head. "Billy, maybe you're... right. But why?" She faces him their faces inches apart

"Please don't call me that. And we will never know." William tapped the steering wheel breaking their eye contact.

"I will find out even if I have to for-" Edith was cut off by the the police scanner.

"Fire in progress, 207 Hamilton road." The radio repeated, them both Edith and William got a text.

"The Captain wants us there." William huffed, turning the key to start the engine. Edith groaned putting her seat belt on. "I guess I will never sleep" he chuckled

"I was looking forward to laying in bed eating popcorn while my dog snores." She says in a tiresome tone. William pulled from the building and head toward the fire.