Chapter 7

Raine took a sip of her now very cold cup of coffee before she stuffed her international driving license in her handbag. The thing was so bloody big. Her mobile rang unexpectedly, startling her. As she pulled the phone from her back pocket, she flung her handbag over her shoulder and made her way toward the door; her shiny black stilettos clicking on the over-white marble floors to the front door.

As she opened the door, Raine stopped on finding someone in her front yard, the sliver of a shadow passed by. Her heartrate fluttered.

“Hello,” she said. There was no reply. “Hello,” she said again, this time with annoyance.

There was still no reply. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself out of her paranoia. She knew her actions had consequences, but she was now seeing things? Locking the door, she stared down at her phone - something about the number nudged her but she was too busy to give it much thought. As she turned to make her way down to the car, the security guard with the dark intense eyes was right behind her.

“Holy crap!” she said, jumping at him being so near.

“I didn’t see …” She frowned, thinking what a mess she must look.

“I’m sorry. I thought you would have heard my car door. I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice held both smooth and rough tones.

Adjusting her handbag, she gave a sort of smile while shaking her head as if this held the explanation in itself. “I’m a bit distracted. I am on my way to the hospital.” She glanced at her watch while making her way down the stairs of the porch. The whiff of roses tickling at her nose.

“I just swung by to see if you wanted help with that window?” he followed behind her.

She shook her head, noting that if it wasn’t for his eyes, she would barely have recognized him out of uniform. “Ja, now’s not the best time,” she apologized.

“No worries. I can see you’re in a hurry.”

“Perhaps later?” she glanced at him from over her shoulder.

“Sure?”

She stopped at her SUV as she spoke. “Thanks…” she hesitated, not wanting to seem forward but asked anyway. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“No need to be sorry Mam,” her frowned. “It’s Liam.”

“Liam,” she said testing his name on her lips.

She unlocked the car and climbed in, flinging her bag onto the seat next to her.

“What time will you be back?” he asked.

Her frown deepened feeling a little pressured but also flattered that he obviously cared.

“Erm, I’m not sure,” she said with her hand on the handle; kind of wanting the conversation to be over.

He didn’t look like he was ready to go anywhere in a hurry what with his hands in his jean pockets and his sunshine smile.

“I’m only asking,” he said, “because I don’t mind taking a look at it for you whilst you’re out.”

“Okay, Liam,” she replied, trying out his name once more,

“I should be back by lunch time. And, thank you, I really appreciate your help. I don’t want to be rude, but I need to get going,” she said closing the door and rolling down the window.

“Come by for lunch?”

“Sure.”

She started the engine and began backing out, smiling as he gave her a small wave. Was he flirting with her? Gosh how would she even know? What with her parents’ death when she was just eighteen and having had to take care of her little sister for the last ten years, she’d never had much time for dating.

Adjusting the rear-view mirror, she noticed Mrs. Brandon watering her garden in her heels and tight skirt, but she was also talking to someone in a dark suit. She pointed indiscreetly towards Raine’s car as she drove away, causing Raine to take a deep breath. The woman was such a bitch! She turned the corner, passing another row of almost identical looking houses.

As she drove, her mind mulled over the small collection of events that had happened in the last twenty-four hours: the window, the shadow in her garden, now the suited man on Mrs. Brandon’s lawn. These were all small insignificant things to most people, but they had stirred something up in Raine’s mind and it refused to be ignored. She had always known that at some point, it would come to this. That someone would come looking. In a way, she was glad. Crimes should never go unpunished. Even if the means saved a life in the end.