The Lonely Widow (Completed) (Editing)

Chapter 23

        Daisy’s heart was beating ten to the dozen as she stared at the retreating back in front of her. The black hair, the walk; although she recognised it all, she couldn’t decide whether she was seeing things, whether it was all yet another figment of her imagination or whether he actually was in front of her. Thoughts of the phone call she’d received plagued her mind. She knew she’d heard his voice that day, yet everyone had been quick to persuade her otherwise. It just wasn’t possible.

        With her white face and her clammy hands, Lee looked over to her and wondered what had caused the sudden change in demeanour. “What’s wrong?” he asked with a light squeeze to her hand. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

        “I think I have.” She muttered and turned to Luke. “Did you see him? Please tell me you saw him. He was there.”

        “Saw who?” Luke asked bemused, looking around the room, which was empty other than themselves and the receptionist. “There’s no-one there. It’s just us and the receptionist.”

        “No, he… she… the receptionist… she was talking to him. Excuse me.” She intercepted the blonde sat behind the reception desk. “The man that just left, was he here for Jade? Jade Garner?”

        “Yep. Said he was family, asking for info.” She replied, not looking up from her nails. “Told him what I knew and he left.”

        Daisy scratched her forehead in thought before she turned towards Lee and Luke, shaking them out of her mind. “Come on.” She told them both with a sigh. “Let’s go and see Jade before visiting’s over.”

        They walked towards the lift and waited for the doors to open. Lee placed his hand on the small of Daisy’s back and bent down to whisper in her ear. “Are you okay? You looked a little freaked out back there.”

        Not wanting to speak for fear of not being able to stop once she started, Daisy replied with a nod and stepped into the lift next to Luke.

        “Who did you think you saw?” Luke asked curiously.

        Daisy looked at him and hesitated, sure that he would think she was going nuts if she told him. “It doesn’t matter now, it’s not even possible anyway, it was probably someone else. Just my imagination.” She faked a smile,  

        “You’re lying.” He told her abruptly. “The woman on reception said he told her he was family. You thought it was Brandon, didn’t you?”

        Daisy shrugged and looked away, pressing her body into Lee’s. “He’s dead, it can’t be.”

        “Exactly. It’s probably just your imagination running in overdrive after all of this with Jade. Brandon’s dead, it couldn’t have been him.” He told her.

        “But it really looked like him, and the receptionist, she said he said he was family. Who would introduce themselves as family? Whoever that was looked like him, asked for Jade and introduced himself as family. There’s no one else who would do that.” Her whole body was shaking while Lee pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

        “Shh” he soothed her, rubbing small circles on her back with his hand. “Calm down. I’m sure Luke will sort it, whoever it was.”

        “Kurt.” Daisy heard Luke say and looked around to see he was talking into his phone. “We’ve got a problem.”

        “Yeah, so have we.”

***

        “What do you mean he’s dead?” Luke burst through the front door where Kurt and Darren were waiting for him; Lindsay sat in between them, flirting shamefully.