Whole Lot More

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three
Two weeks later...

4am.

Her phone was ringing at 4am.

Really?

She looked at the number reading across the screen, and didn't recognize it. Who in their right mind would call someone at 4 o'clock in the morning?

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I please speak with Brynne Matthews?"

Really? It was 4am. They were calling her phone, and asking for her? Of course she was going to be the one who answered!

Sleepily, "This is her."

"Ms. Matthews, this is Lt. Shepard from the Boston Police Department. You are listed as the owner of Fusion according to the city's records."

"Yes, I am the owner and operator of Fusion. May I ask what is going on?"

"Ma'am I would suggest for you to come down to the station please, so we can talk to you."

She bolted upright in bed. What was going on?

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I am not allowed to talk about it over the phone. We need for you to just come down to the station."

"I'll be right there."

She hung up, threw on the first set of clothes she could see and was out the door faster than anyone had ever been at 4 in the morning. Lucky sat by the door staring after her, wondering what could be going on.

*

A complete loss.

Those words echoed in her head as she sat in the slightly uncomfortable chair in the detective's office at the Boston Police Department.

The club was a complete loss.

"How? Do you know what happened?"

"Unfortunately ma'am, until the fire investigator's get done doing their job we won't know anything. And honestly, even after that we may not even know what happened."

"I left the club four hours ago. Everything was fine. We close at 2am. What could have happened in those two hours?"

She was more talking to herself, knowing that there wasn't anything more that the detective could tell her at this moment. But seriously, what could have happened?

"What is going to happen next?" she asked.

"There really is nothing else to do until the fire investigator's get done."

"How long is that going to take?"

"It could be 24 hours, it could be 5 days. It really just depends on what they find and how easy it is to compile all the information and send it to the labs and get the results back."

"Am I allowed to go down there?"

The detective sighed, "We aren't allowed to let anyone who isn't part of the investigation team on the property."

"But it's my club!"

"I understand ma'am, but as of right now the building is property of the city of Boston. We will contact you with any questions or when the investigation is complete. I'm sorry, about everything." And with that he got up and left the office, leaving her sitting there by herself in his office, a million different thoughts and memories running through her mind.

What was she going to do? The one thing she had left was now gone. Her livelihood was gone. What was she going to do?

*

Her coat lay across the chair as she walked into the apartment; her phone lay on the table next to her bed; and she lay in bed with Lucky shutting the world out.

The blinds were closed, keeping the sun out of her little world where everything was fine, her club was still standing and the man she loved was still there holding her. Where her life was perfect; before she found out the truth about Martin.

She was shutting everything and everyone out. This was how she dealt with things when they went wrong in her life. Right or wrong, this was how she always dealt.

Alone.

*

The tenth time her phone rang that afternoon she figured she ought to answer it. By now she was sure that news of the club burning was out and she could only imagine who all those calls had been from.

"Hello?"

"Brynne honey, why haven't you been answering your phone all day?"

"Hi Mom."

"I was worried about you! Today of all days I needed to talk to you this morning."

Brynne sighed, "I'm sorry that you had to hear about the club and have it not come from me, Mom. I'm in one piece though, at least physically."

"The club?" her mother asked, "What are you talking about sweetie? What's wrong with the club?"

"You weren't talking about the club? What were you talking about, Mom? Why were you so worried about me if it wasn't about the club?"

"Brynne! What's wrong with the club?"

"There was a fire last night," Brynne breathed, "It was a complete loss. They are still investigating it."

"A fire? Honey are you okay? Do you need us to come there? We'll come and stay with you! How could this have happened on today of all days? As if this day isn't already horrible enough for you!"

Today of all days? As if this day isn't already horrible enough for you? What was her Mom talking about?

Her mind flew, trying to think about what her mother meant. What was the date anyway? Things had been so crazy lately, her body was all out of whack from not leaving her apartment for as long as she had that she had lost track of what the date was.

She froze. "Oh," she cried.

How had this happened?

How had the club burned down on the anniversary of his death?

Why was this happening to her?

*