Chapter Two - Seeing Things

As the name left his lips he sucked in a lungful of salty air, stuck in one spot he realised she was moving toward the boardwalk. He had to find out if what he was seeing was real and somehow willed his legs to move him forward after her. She didn't look the same as when he last saw her, but then when had last seen Jo she was still full of the pain from their break-up. Her hair was longer and sun bleached, he had to admit it, she looked wonderful.

At that moment he checked himself, this couldn't possibly be Jo, she was dead and she certainly wasn't coming back. Let alone be frolicking around a beach in Brisbane. But there was a part of him, the part that still held hope, which forced him to continue on. He could see with all this contemplation that he was losing ground on her, so he quickened his pace to catch up. As he got closer he was even more sure that this woman was Joanna Parrish, the woman he loved and who he had let slip through his fingers.

He followed her up the boardwalk and then she suddenly disappeared. PJ's chest tightened as sudden despair overcame him. Just as he was about to give up hope, the woman appeared from a shop only metres away from him. It was her, it was really Jo, he couldn't believe what was happening.

She soon exited the main street and headed into a high-rise hotel and before he knew it she was gone again. PJ silently cursed himself and then came up with an idea.

He approached the service desk with a certain amount of authority about him.

"Excuse me, I'd like to know if you have a Joanna Parrish staying with you at this time" he said almost casually.

"I'm sorry sir, but I am not obliged to give out that kind of information" the short stern man sitting on the desk informed him. PJ smiled, in annoyance, time to try plan B.

"My name is Senior Detective PJ Hasham and I have reason to believe you have a Joanna Parrish staying in this hotel" a smirk made its way onto PJ's face as the look of horror appeared on the mans face.

"One moment sir" he began furiously tapping on his computer "I'm sorry Mr...er..Hasham, we have nobody of that name here". In that moment PJ's face fell as the energy that had come from seeing 'Jo' drained from him. He could barely form the words to thank the desk attendee and turned slowly to left the hotel.

The walk home was possibly the most agonising that PJ had ever experienced. He felt as though someone had just ripped the last bit of hope left in him. But the further he walked and the closer he got to their apartment, he was able to convince himself that hope was not lost. Just because she was not booked into the hotel, as 'Joanna Parrish' didn't mean that it wasn't her, he told himself. After all if she was who he thought she was, she would be lying low for whatever reason it was that she had faked her death. By the time he had reached the apartment building, dripping with sweat and swaying slightly as he walked, he was convinced that it was Jo and he was going to find her again.

Back at the apartment

Susie and Jonesy had arrived back at the apartment after at least an hour of walking along the beach, expecting to find PJ sitting in the room waiting for them. What they found, however, was an empty room and no sign of PJ anywhere.

"That's odd" Susie remarked, "PJ didn't give any indication that he would be leaving the room", as she began to look under the bed, Jonesy interrupted her thoughts.

"You know Susie I really don't think PJ is going to be under the bed" he said with a smirk "he's probably gone for a walk I wouldn't worry too much". He sad down on the bed with a flourish and patted the spot next to him, gesturing for her to sit down. He flicked the television on but couldn't really concentrate on it for long and quickly switched it off again.

"Hey! I was watching that" Susie exclaimed playfully punching him on the arm.

"Oh sure Susie, cos I know how much of a fan of 'Days of our Lives' you are" he said with a slight grin on his face.

"I might be" she said firmly and then tried to punch him again. The attempt was apparently not completely thought through as she lost balance and nearly fell off the side of the bed. Susie squeezed her eyes shut expected to hear a thump and pain to shoot through her. She was surprised when the pain didn't come, so surprised that she appeared to forget to open her eyes. When she did, she noticed Jonesy was holding onto her very tightly and gazing into her eyes. He was just lowering himself to kiss her when the loud scratching sound of a key being turned shattered the moment. PJ waltzed in looking more than a little worse for wear. In a moment of blind panic Jonesy gave Susie a hard shove back onto the bed and made his way over to PJ.

"Are you alright mate? You look as if you've just run a marathon? What happened?" The questions flowed out of his mouth before he could even think about what he was saying.

"Come on Jonesy let the guy sit down and get his breath back before you ask him the other 17 questions" Susie said softly offering PJ a chair.

PJ had been sitting there with his head back and his eyes closed for nearly half an hour. Jonesy decided he and Susie had waited long enough to here his story.

"I think its time you told us what happened PJ, you looked like you'd just seen a ghost" a crease firmly cementing itself to his brow. PJ just looked up at him with a certain spark in his eyes that Jonesy was sure he'd never seen there before. After 5 minutes or so of silence PJ began to speak in a dry raspy voice.

"I saw Joanna, she's still alive".