The Ties that Binds Us

Chapter 16 "Realizations"

My apartment building was surrounded with police and photographers. As we stepped out of Luke’s car, the police approached us and introduced himself to Luke and myself.

“Ms. Grant, Mr. Graham, I’m Officer George from the NYPD. I’m afraid we cannot let you in. You’re apartment has been breached and the insides are, well, destroyed. Fire consumed everything that’s in it.” The police calmly explained to us what happened in my apartment.

“What do you mean fire? Everything was shut off when I went out for office.”

“Ma’am I don’t think that this was an accident. We think its arson.” The police officer shrugged his shoulders.

“Arson?”

“Yes ma’am. There was a video footage shown to us that showed the last minutes before the fire started. We would like to show it you.”

“Okay.”

“Follow me.” Luke and I followed the officer to the minivan, which contained few television sets. A video was playing on one of the television. We watched the person on the screen carefully, trying to figure out who it was. A petite figure of a woman in black came into vision. She had dark brown hair, which falls down to her waist. She was a wearing a mask on her face that hides her face completely.  I looked suspiciously at figure that was not just standing in front of my apartment door. She suddenly took out a pistol with a silencer on the tip. She pulled the trigger pointing at the doorknob. She looked the surveillance camera above her for a second and went inside my apartment.

The video was cut off and the police started questioning me once more.

“Ms. Grant, I know you do not recognize the person in the video, but do you know someone who might to this you? Someone who held a grudge against you.”

“Not to me, but to my husband. My husband died a few years back from an accident, but we all suspected arson. A colleague of ours from Yale had a huge grudge on my husband. We never knew why.”

“Would you mind giving us a name Ms. Grant?” The officer held out a little notebook.

“Matthew Wilson. But we didn’t have enough proof that he was the one who committed the crime. The case was immediately dismissed.”

“We would be investigating Ms. Grant. We’ll keep tabs on this man you’re talking about. And of course we’ll be keeping an eye on your case as well. For now we suggest that you stay with someone for the time being. Someone that you think the perpetuator won’t find.” The officer puts his notebook away and stepped away from us.

“Who would do this?” I turned to Luke and he just pulled me into an embrace. “Luke, can I stay?”

“Of course. Come on. Let’s go back to my apartment.”

As we arrived back in his apartment, I sat down on the couch once more and leaned my head back. Luke was heading towards his study when the doorbell rang.

“That must be Adam and Alex. They will be staying with us.” Luke opened the door inviting Adam and Alex in.

“Ms. Grant.” They both greeted me in unison as they head towards their quarters. I gave them a warm smile and turned my attention to the fireplace.

“Are you okay?” Luke was now seated beside me drink a glass of borboun.

“Yes. I’m just thinking about what I’m going to wear while I’m staying here.”

“That’s not going to be problem Syd. Come on, let’s go buy you some clothes.”

“I’m paying for this. Not you.”