Glitter and gold

*Chapter 9*

" Are we making it up?"

Clara and Natasha where sitting in the car singing along to songs that they could both remember off by heart.

"Was it all in my mind?"

The windows were frosted by the cold whisper that had fallen over London in the last couple of days.

"Where we ever in love?"

The heating was blowing in Natasha but it was starting to get to hot so turned it away.

"Was it all just a lie"

She tried to do it quietly but Clara noticed and turned down the volume of the the music. They sat in silence for a while until Clara broke the tension.

"Are you nervous?"

"Yeh, I guess"

"It's ok to cry you know"

"Yeh, I know"

"I'm sorry if the music was to much"

"No it's fine"

"I just wanted to keep you distracted and happy"

"Yeh, I... thanks" Silence overcame the car again and Natasha banged her hands against the dash board. Clara's grip on the steering wheel tightened and she started to hum a faint tune. The melody was unfamiliar to Natasha but her thoughts where interrupted by Clara announcing there arrival.

"Here we are" they pulled up to a big grey building and a billboard outside announced it's importance. They had arrived at a bleak looking  police precinct; walking in they were greeted by a man at the desk who was gossiping on the phone. He gave Natasha one glance and instantly hung up without saying goodbye. Clara and Natasha filled out forms and sat down waiting on the hard leather sofa's. The receptionist was still staring at her from behind heaps of paper work and had resumed his conversation obviously talking about Natasha.

Tyler had advised her not to read the newspapers because of the harsh language and criticism they could use. This story would defiantly make big time news (everyone knew it) but it was it was only a matter of waiting before it did. It was a Monday, Natasha was scrolling through Instagram until she came across a photo of herself walking out of her sisters house with the caption:

Natasha Bloom ,age 20, pictured above has had a stressful month judging by the lack of colour on her dull clothing.

Natasha scoffed and looked down at her over sized grey jumper that covers the top of her dark blue jeans and rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Her ex-boyfriend Alex Wilson ,then 18 and would now be 20, was found dead on a ditch with 13 bullet wounds inflicted into his back. This would be troubling for any sane human being but only 2 weeks later Harry Michaels (another one of her ex-boyfriends) was found poised by an unknown substance. The...

The article went on but Natasha didn't bother reading it. A boiling sensation ran through her veins and Natasha wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Now she realised why Tyler told her not to read the news. She called down and walked over to Heather's book shelf and reached for a random book. Scanning over the title and blurb it took her fancy so she sat on the sofa and became submerged in heavy blankets and pillows.

The receptionist stood up and walked over to them "Mr Arnold is ready for you". He pointed them in the direction of a office and slowly returned to his desk dragging his feet trying to get one last look of Natasha. When Clara and Natasha entered the room they were surprised as 3 other people sat alongside the desk. Each person equipped with a notepad that already contained various noted and a pen.

"Good afternoon Ms Bloom have a seat" he have a gentle nod at Clara as well and they both sat down on the opposite side of the 4 officers. Mr Arnold  noticed Natasha's confused face and chuckled which gave her the feeling of a blanket of kindness had been wrapped around her. "Ms Bloom, these 3 agents are my best officers and they are here because we need them. You see this is now not a normal case" he paused, possibly looking for the right words "we are dealing with a serial killer"

"I'm sorry but there have only been to murders this can't be evidence of a serial killer!" Natasha exclaimed but suddenly remembered who she was speaking to and recoiled into a ball on the chair.

"Yes... well we haven't told you something" Mr Arnold answered once again looking for the right words. "We...our department got a package yesterday... it contained ... human limbs." Natasha gave a timid shriek and Clara gasped but knew to keep quite. "We believe it to be" Mr Arnold started to speak but was cut off with Natasha's sobbing.

"No,no. P,p,p please do-do don't say it"

"We think it is Daniel Grey. One of your   ex-boyfriends." Mr Arnold continued in a stone cold voice trying hard not to look Natasha in the eyes. "We just need you to clarify that you dated a man called Daniel Grey"

Silence.

"Yes" the timid voice of Natasha filled the void of darkness.