Chapter 12.

Mark walked into his daughter-in-laws room next morning. All blood works had come back clear and so had no problem with allowing her to go home. Steve was with her and Mark hoped that once she was home his son would also to get some proper rest. He also knew that the fitter Rachel got the harder it was going to get to keep Steve away from the investigation. The more he thought about it the surer he got that somehow the Weston's were involved. Rachel looked at him with a smile on her face as he entered.

"Morning," She said to him. "Well?" Mark grinned back at her.

"The latest blood works have come back clear, so I don't see any reason why you can't go home," He told her, but then added seriously. "But only as long as you take it easy,"

"Good," She said with relief. Steve to smiled and then stood up.

"I'll get you some clothes;" He said relief evident in his voice. He lent forward and gently kissed her. Rachel watched him leave and she turned back to Mark.

"How are you managing to keep him on the edge of the investigation?" She asked him. Mark looked at her and sighed.

"A spot of emotional blackmail at the moment at least," He told her. She gave a wry smile and shook her head.

"It won't work for long," She told him.

"I know, but hopefully by the time your fit we should have found out who did it," Mark answered her.

"Are there any clues?" She asked. She couldn't keep the sound of fear out of her voice. Mark moved forward and sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.

"Cheryl is following a few leads," He told her. "Do you remember anything more?"

"No," She said with some frustration. "I keep getting flashes, but most of it seems blank,"

"That's the nature of what they gave you honey," He told her gently. "You may not remember any more than you do now," Rachel hung her head down tears making their way down her cheeks. Mark moved closer to her and embraced her. "Its okay," He told her gently rocking her. Eventually she managed to get her tears under control and pulled in a shuddering breath.

"Sorry," She said. Mark gave a smile.

"You've nothing to be sorry for," He told her. "And you've no need to put on a brave face all the time, not in front of any of us,"

"I know its just," Rachel shrugged trying to put into words what she was feeling.

"You don't want to bottle any of it up," Mark told her seriously. "And especially not from Steve," She nodded.

"I just worry what his reaction would be," She said softly. Mark gave a small smile to her.

"It would prove to him that you needed him more than him going and find out who did this," Mark told her. Rachel looked at him and thought there was more to all this.

"Mark what is behind this?" Mark sighed and looked at her.

"You know about Trainor?" He asked her. She nodded remembering the conversation on the deck when she and Steve had just met. "Well it stems from then. I just don't want to see him make the same mistakes that I made;" Rachel put her hand on his.

Cheryl got out of her car and looked towards the house she had come to visit. She walked towards the door and knew that she had to be careful in the way she handled this. She knocked on the door and an elderly woman answered it.

"Hello, My name detective sergeant Banks," She told her. "I'm in charge of the case concerning your nephew's murder;" the woman gave a weary smile at her.

"Yes I was expecting someone to call," She said. She opened the door. "Please come in,"

"Thank you," She replied. She followed the woman in to the house. She sat down in the living room of the house.

"Would you like a hot drink of something?" The woman asked. Cheryl shook her head.

"No thanks," She answered. "I have to ask you some questions about Danny;" the elderly woman sat down with a sigh.

"He wasn't always such a bad boy," She said mournfully.

"Did he say anything to you that might help us find out who killed him?" She shook her head.

"All he said was that he was on something big and he would be able to pay back the money he owed me;" She gave another small smile. "Though he always said that,"

"But he gave you no clue as to what it was?" Cheryl asked. The woman again shook her head, but then frowned slightly.

"He did go through his uncles papers mind you," Cheryl's ears picked up.

"His uncles," She said.

"Yes," The woman nodded. "The boy idolised his uncle," Again the woman sighed." Sometimes I think that is what led him astray to,"

" In what way?" She asked interestedly.

"Well," She said. "He had something of a shady life to,"

"Do you still have any of those papers around?" Cheryl asked.

"Oh yes," She answered. "I was going to throw them out,"

"May I see them?" The woman nodded and led her into a study. "They're all on the desk;" Cheryl moved over to the desk and started to quickly go through them. Her eyes went wide when she saw the different cuttings about different deaths and some bank robberies. She looked up at the woman.

"Would you mind if I took these with me?" She asked.

"No not at all," She told her. "It'll save me from having to burn them all," Cheryl gathered the papers and sighed inwardly suddenly realising the amount of work she had got in front of her. The elderly woman looked sadly at her. "I know that he must have done something pretty horrendous, but he didn't deserve to die like that," Cheryl looked at the woman sympathy on her face and wondering if Danny Thompson knew that the injection would have killed Rachel.

"We'll do everything we can to find out who is responsible," She told her truthfully. As she left the house she turned back to the woman. "If you do remember anything just give me a call," She handed her a card. "It doesn't matter how small it seems it could be important,"

"I will thank you," Cheryl took the papers and put them in the car and she sat for a moment. An idea was beginning to form, but she wanted a little more information before taking it to Steve.

Mark had come home with Steve and Rachel. He had wanted to make sure that they were both all right. They had eaten when Mark noticed that Rachel was looking tired.

"Why don't you go and get some sleep," He told her. Rachel gave a grin and stood up.

"Good idea," Steve to stood up and walked downstairs with her and pulled off her shoes as she sat down on the bed, pulling her feet up she laid down on her bed. Steve sat down next to her, his hand gently stroked the hair from her face and bent down and lightly kissed her forehead. He sat with her until she fell asleep. Moving gently as not to wake her he stood and went back up to his father.

"She asleep?" He asked. Steve nodded and sat down, then reached for the phone. "What you doing?" Steve looked at his father.

"I'm phoning Cheryl," A look of disapproval flashed onto his face. "Dad you may have blackmailed me into staying at home with Rachel. But I still want to know what is happening," He told him pointedly. Mark gave in knowing that his son was getting frustrated. He hadn't told him yet of his suspicion of the Weston's involvement, They had no proof of it and he began to wonder with the death of Danny Thompson if they would be able prove a case against anyone, unless they tried again, that thought made him shudder. Steve talked with Cheryl for a while then hung up.

"Well?" Mark asked him. Steve ran a tired hand up through his hair.

"She's following up a lead from his aunt and still waiting for the files from the sheriff 's department on the original murders," Then he added with a slight smile. "Then she told me to get off the phone and let her get on," Mark smiled.

"Why don't you go and get some sleep son," Steve looked about to protest but then thought better of it. He liked the idea of being able to cuddle up to his wife and sleep. After the problems of the last few days and the worries the idea appealed.

"Good idea," He said with a slight smile.

He sat down on the bed and removed his shoes and carefully cuddled up close to her. Rachel gave a soft sigh and moved herself against him as his arm wrapped around her. He buried his head in her hair smelling the soft smell of lavender. He closed his eyes and determined that if anyone wanted to hurt her again they would have to go through him to get to her.