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MYSTERIOUS WATERS

Chapter 2

Rosegalaxia

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"Don't be afraid. It's probably a power outage. The lift will start moving shortly as the generators kick in." A disembodied voice sounded from the darkness.

Serena pressed back against the wall of the lifts and prayed that shortly meant in a second. And sure enough, moments later, the lights flickered on again and the lift started to move.

Serena kept her eyes away from the man in the lift with her and she nervously bit her lip as she counted off the remaining floors.

Finally, the lift doors pinged open and she rushed out and headed towards the Secretary's desk. The cool, calm atmosphere of the office surrounded her and she immediately forgot about the man, and the lift, and business dominated her mind.

She smiled politely at the dark-skinned man behind the desk and hoped that he had a good grasp of English because her Italian wasn't even worth thinking about. "Excuse me?"

He looked up towards her and white teeth flashed in a smile. "How may I help you?"

She breathed an inward sigh of relief. Three cheers for language schools. "Uh, good morning. I'm Serena Williamson and I have an appointment with Mr Peters..."

The man looked down at some papers on the desk and then nodded his headed towards a door. "Mr Peters is waiting for you inside."

"Thank-you."

Serena took a deep breath and wiping her damp palms together, closed her eyes for a second to gather her nerve and pasted a composed look on her face. Then, without any hesitation, she turned the knob, opened the door and went in.

Two male heads turned simultaneously towards her and she froze as she noticed HIM. The man from the lift. What was he doing here? Surely he wasn't HIM was he? The man she needed...

Both men stood up and Phil Peters- the man with the untidy grey hair and rumpled suit, testimony to the four hours wait he had had to endure- smiled a little sarcastically as he said, "Nice of you to finally join us Serena." He carried on when Serena opened her mouth. "No no, I assure you we haven't been waiting for very long at all. You're right on time."

Serena gave a guilty little smile, her eyes still on the blonde who calmly leaned back on his seat, his intent regard also on Serena. "I am really sorry. If we have time, I'll tell you all about it. But for now... business?"

Phil nodded. "You're right. It can wait." He stepped sideways so that he could at the man as well and he gestured towards him. "Serena, this is Andrew Mitchell and Andrew, this is Serena Williamson."

Serena nodded to him and cursed under her breath as she once again felt the tell-tale warmth spreading across her cheeks. God the man must think she had a blushing affliction. He already knew that she was a wacko, crazy, plain out of her mind (for talking to herself when insulting the lift) and now he knew that she was not only that but also incredibly tardy.

Phil carried on, not noticing that Serena had run away with her thoughts. "Now. Introductions over, let's get down to the matter at hand."

He sat down and gestured to Serena to take a seat. She did, next to Phil, leaving an empty space between her and Andrew Mitchell. He noticed and gave her a small smug smile.

"Okay Serena. Would you like to start at the beginning for Andrew? I haven't told him much so... the honour goes to you."

Serena glanced at Andrew, and saw that his face had gone expressionless. Why WAS he here? "I don't mean to be rude or ungrateful if Mr Mitchell is here to help but I would like to know- why is he here?"

Phil propped his chin on his clasped hands and nodded. "A perfectly reasonable question. I haven't told her anything so... the honour goes to you, Andrew."

Andrew leaned forward in his chair and stared at Serena. "You need a private investigator Miss Williamson." He lifted a hand as if silencing any protests she might voice even before she had opened her mouth. "Phil seems to think you need a one and I happen to be one of the best."

Serena's mouth formed the word 'oh'. Best private investigator huh? Not only was the man as handsome as sin- to use an overused cliché, but he was modest as well. My oh my. How could anyone resist him?

"Serena?"

Phil's voice came as if from far away and Serena shook her head at him. "Let me gather my thoughts."

He subsided and the room was so silent that Serena could hear the tick tick of the clock on the far end of the room. She took a deep breath and tried to inject a formal note into her voice. But how could she? She had loved her father so much and to talk of his murder- yes, she knew it was murder- as if she was stranger was just so difficult.

"Okay. It was about two years ago. My father was-" She stopped and glanced at Andrew. "My father was Kennedy Lyle Williamson III and two years ago he was found dead. But I always knew that he was murdered. I tried to go to the police but nobody would listen to me. They just took me for a distraught daughter who was out of her mind with grief and didn't know what she was saying."

Andrew nodded and threw a glance towards the silently sitting Phil. "What do you want me to do?"

Serena took a deep breath. This was it. The wheels were in motion. "I need you to prove that my father was murdered and to find out who the murderer was so that he can be punished."

"Right. Well, I would like to ask you a few questions before we start anything."

"So you're going to take the job?"

Andrew smiled at Serena's anxious face. "How could I resist such a sweet maiden in distress?"

Phil nodded, apparently satisfied with the way things were going, before he spoke up. "If you two will now excuse me, I have to go. I put a hold on lots of things waiting for you Serena-"

"I was late too." Andrew interrupted.

"You have a valid reason." Phil dryly returned. "I doubt Serena does." He stood up, nodded to both of them and went out, leaving the two behind.

Andrew took out a notepad and a pen and leaned on the table. "Ready?" At Serena's hesitant nod, he tapped the paper with the pen. "Good. Now, the most obvious question. Why do you think your father was murdered?"

Serena opened her bag and taking out a file, slid it across the table towards Andrew. "This is the coroner's report. My father was found in a ravine and they said that he died to the fall down the mountain..." She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm absolutely sure that his fall was post-mortem, which means that he was dead before he fell. Here's the report. Have a look at it."

Andrew did as she had suggested. "That's not what it says."

Serena let out an infuriated sigh. "I know that's not what it says. All the coroner's done is mention the head injury. There were also a lot of other cuts on father's body and numerous broken bones but the head injury was ruled as the cause of death." When she saw the uncomprehending look on his face, she sighed a little exasperatedly and leaned forward in her chair in her enthusiasm to convince him. "I had a look at photos of father's body and especially his head. From what I could make out, the depression in his head looked to be a cylindrical shape. What I'm trying to say is that you don't get rocks that shape."

"Okay." Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "But let's also assume that an explanation for that is available. Is there any other evidence which has led you to believe that your father was murdered?"

This time, she sighed in frustration. "No real physical evidence which is what the police would need. But I knew him. He wasn't the outdoor type. Oh, he had a regular game of tennis to keep fit and golf for enjoyment but he didn't do stuff like rock climbing. So what was he doing in the mountains? Another thing, he was in London the night before the day he disappeared. I talked to him then and he said nothing about going away somewhere, and he told me everything. We've been really close ever since mother died."

Andrew sat, pen poised over paper, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"Father was a banker. He always took pride in his work and suffice to say, nothing escaped his notice. That night, he phoned me from London to tell me that he had found something serious at work and he wanted to show me. I asked him what it was but he wouldn't tell me as if he was afraid of being overhead. I kind of got the impression that whatever he wanted to tell me had something to do with work. Anyway, he was going to drive over the next day to show me what he had. But then... he disappeared."

"How do you know his death was related to whatever he had to tell you, which may or may not have something to do with his work?"

Serena gave him a wan smile. "Call it a woman's intuition if you like."

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Intuition?" He gave her a searching look and then nodded. "I believe in intuition. But have you thought of what you're going to do?"

Serena looked at him in exasperation. "Well, that's why I'm hiring you. Surely with the best investigator at my service I don't need to do anything do I?"

Andrew threw her a considering look. "The kitten has claws. How fascinating."

Before Serena could reply, he sat up straighter in his chair, wiped the smile from his face and composed his features into a formal mask. "Okay Serena. Do you mind if I call you Serena?" He didn't wait for her to reply. "I already knew a little bit about your father's death. He was a great man and his passing must have been mourned by a lot of people." Serena nodded. "Phil already told me that you thought your father had been murdered. So I have some initial ideas about how to get started. So, once again, you think that his death had something to do with his work?"

Serene hesitated and mulled the question over in her mind. This was the time for honesty. Any small information would help. She thought about her father's preoccupation a few days before the murder. The way he constantly phoned work, even when he was at home. So...

"Yes. Dad was murdered due to something at work."

Andrew nodded. "Good. So, the first thing I do... look through his papers at work."

Serena took a deep breath. "I already thought of that. I went through his offices about a year and-a-half ago. I found nothing. However... recently I found a small locker key within his papers."

"Recently? Not two years ago?"

"He kept these papers up in the attic. I only thought about them a couple of days ago. Anyway, I found a small locker key and I traced it to a vault in a building which provides private lockers. It's in Rome which is why I agreed to meet Phil here. Kills two birds with one stone."

Andrew nodded. "Give me the key and I'll go check it out."

He held out a hand but Serena shook her head. "I phoned there but you need an identification to show that you are the person who registered. So we obviously can't get in."

Andrew shook his head. "We can't get in by showing identification. However I can..."

"Breaking and entering?" Serena held her breath.

"Well, let's not term it that shall we?"

"Tonight?" Serena fired at him.

"I'll call you when the work is done. So if you just hand over the key and the address..." He held out his hand.

"Uh-uh." Serena smiled and shook her head. "You're not going to do anything without me. This case concerns my father and thus, me. You're not leaving me out of anything."

"It'll be too dangerous for you-"

"You're not immune to danger yourself you know. Besides, if I go, you'll have some back-up."

"Even if you don't go, I'll have some professional back-up."

Serena stubbornly shook her head. "You won't get the key until I'm sure that you won't leave me out of anything."

Andrew smiled at her. "Well, you won't get your case solved if you don't give me the key."

"An ultimatum huh? I think you're forgetting an aspect of this. I'm paying you."

He tapped the desk with his pen. "Your money doesn't give you the right to tell me how to do my job, Miss Williamson."

They both stared at each other until Andrew sighed and leaned back in his chair in exasperation. "As you wish then. I'll call you tomorrow to give you the relevant information." He stood up. "Until then."

He held out his hand and Serena, wanting to grin triumphantly but hiding the urge behind a polite smile, shook his hand. His large fingers enveloped her small hand easily and staring at the sharp contrast between her soft, female hands, and his dark, calloused hands made her heart start beating faster. Heat swept from her hands, up her arm and into the rest of her body. She quickly snatched her hand back from Andrew and without looking at him and seeing the most probably smug expression he would be wearing, she swept out of the room.

This- this... reaction she had to Andrew would have to stop. Nothing should be allowed to come between her and her goal. Nothing would stop her. But maybe, after justice had been meted out, she could think about... 'this' again. However, until then, 'this' would have to take a back seat. She had her priorities after all.

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Her eyes snapped open and she froze, as she stared into the darkness of her room. She didn't know what had woken her up but it must have been something. Something like... there it was again! A slight rustle in the darkness. Clothe against clothe. Her hand cautiously slid towards her side table in the hopes of reaching the tall lamp there. After all, it was a better weapon than nothing.

Her fingers touched the edge of the cool metal lamp-stand and she shifted that way a little more in an effort to be able to grab it. However, as soon as her fingers encircled the stand, cool metal touched the back of her exposed neck.

"Don't."

It was one word, only one word, yet the cool, calm, ruthlessly clear way it was spoken conveyed all the meaning needed, with all the threat a smart person would heed. And Serena was nothing if not smart.

"Who are you?"

Her question was met with silence but in response to her enquiry, a heavy weight slid onto the bed. Her breath hitched in her throat as the images of rape, torture, murder swept through her mind.

"What do you want?" This time her voice shook with the terror she was feeling. Her whole body was covered with clammy sweat and a ball of nausea was lodged in her throat. "Please. What do you want?"

The intruder leaned forward, over her and gripping both of her hands in one of his own large ones, brought her around so that she was lying flat on her back and staring up at him.

"The key."

Her heart stopped. She stopped breathing. She didn't move, didn't blink. The key. To the locker. Her father's locker. This man was... connected.

She wet her dry lips and looked up straight at the dark shape above her. Her mind was rapidly going through and discarding ideas on how to get out of this mess. She definitely couldn't give him the key now since it was obvious the locker must have something interesting in it. She also couldn't let this man get away without finding out more information. But what to do?

The silence inside the hotel room was broken by the swish of car tyres as it drove past outside the hotel. And in that brief movement, when the car headlights had been aimed towards the hotel and more specifically towards her room, Serena had seen something.

His eyes. They were blue. Huge pools of stormy blue. Blue. So blue.

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Rosegalaxia

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