Sean steered his car on the highway while managing another glance at Kimber who sat completely tense in the passenger seat, "settle down! You are safe staying with us," he tried to calm her.
"I'm not thinking about my safety," she said slowly, "I'm thinking about Christian."
"Don't worry, we'll find him."
Kimber nodded. Sean's words made her look at it a bit more positively. She has stayed three weeks there in confinement before Quentin let her go. And Christian had not even been there for one week yet. She became quite numb thinking about what Quentin could have done to him already.
"Could you let me know please when we are at the right turn off?" Sean interrupted her thought process.
Kimber nodded, "only a few yards yet. It's not very far away now," she cleared her throat, "I think it's very nice of you to drive me," she said.
"My pleasure," Sean smiled, "have you called your friend?"
Kimber nodded, "yes, last night. She said she will start packing a few things for me," she released a sigh, "I'll miss her. Alicia is like a sister to me. Without her I would've not known how to start over when I came out from hospital."
"Can I ask you something?" Sean asked hesitantly.
Kimber looked at him from the side scrunching her eyebrows, "of course, anything you want."
"Do you love Christian?"
Kimber was secretly counting on that question, but having been put in a situation where she had to honestly face her feelings still startled her, "yes..." She said after some brief hesitation, "I think I've never stopped loving him."
"Why did you leave him then?" Sean didn't let himself be shaken off.
"Because I..." Kimber stopped helplessly. Suddenly the reason why she had left him just seemed so weird and stupid. She had made Christian indirectly responsible for what Quentin had done to her. After she had found out he was a plastic surgeon back then, she had went out with him with pleasure. She had almost begged him going down on her knees to make her the perfect beauty. Kimber hung her head. She had once told Christian that he had only used her. That was simply incorrect. She had used him, the competence of a surgeon to become what she wanted to be-an illustrious beauty, a carrier as a model, wealth and success...Kimber fought with her tears. She turned away towards the window and stared out.
Sean didn't let her out of his sight for a minute. He handed her a hankie silently.
"We have to turn off up there," she said quietly.
Sean turned the corner and parked in front of the house where Alicia and Kimber stayed, "this isn't really the greatest neighbourhood," he established cocking his nose after taking an inspecting look through the front window, "aren't you afraid of burglars?"
Kimber shook her head, "Mrs. Collins is rattier than any bulldog. If a stranger comes anywhere near the house, she hits the alarm."
"Mrs. Collins?" Sean asked scrunching his forehead.
"She owns the house," Kimber explained, "her husband died two years ago. She'd lived alone here since then. And she has so much time she's lurking around waiting for someone to come," Kimber rolled her eyes displeased, "when Christian came he could only come through because he bribed her."
"What did he do?" Sean asked confused.
"He gave her the equivalent of two months' rent," Kimber sighed, "Alicia still owed Mrs. Collins with two months rent and Christian paid it."
"Very gallant of him," Sean noted.
"Yes," Kimber held back from any further comments. She stepped out the car and went to the entrance.
Sean followed her timidly, "and are you sure that this Mrs. Collins has nothing against me coming up?" He asked uncertainly.
"It's beauty day today," Kimber said grinning, "she goes to the hair saloon every Sunday and then she is away for hours," she rolled her eyes theatrically, "if you ask me, there's something else going on, nobody has to go to the hairdresser's every week!"
Sean stifled a grin. Kimber had apparently got used to her new way of life pretty quickly. He would feasibly drop the idea of mentioning that he remembered how she and Christian would go for massage and to the fitness studio five times a week. He hesitantly followed her up the stairs. He noted with relief that nobody stopped them. Kimber was possibly right and Mrs. Collins, the landlady was busy with the hairdresser.
"So, that's us," Kimber took her key out her bag, "but the door is open!" She froze subsequently taken aback. She pushed the door slowly open with a queasy feeling in her stomach, "Alicia, are you there?"
Kimber crossed the narrow corridor palpitating, Sean followed her. She pressed the door handle of the living room door down and grew stiff. The walls were covered with blood, a piece of furniture was turned over as if it would've happened after a fight taking place. There were items of clothing all around the floor. Kimber muffled a scream.
"You stay here!" Sean ordered her when he got himself together after the first shock. He followed the trail of blood that led him to the bedroom. He opened the door and stared at the scene opening in front of his eyes utterly horrified.
The young woman lay naked and handcuffed on the bed. Blood was dripping onto her upper body and onto the white bed sheets from her deep stab wounds and cuts on her face and neck she was tortured with. Her eyes were closed and her head lay on her chest in an unnatural angle.
It seemed to Kimber as if an eternity would have passed till Sean came back from the bedroom. She stood in the living room quietly sobbing and staring staggered at the mess in front of her. She jerked up her head when Sean entered the living room again.
His face was white like chalk, "please don't go in!" He said hoarsely.
Kimber understood from Sean's facial expression that something dreadful must have happened. Not listening to his warning, she elbowed him out the way and pushed the door of the bedroom open. The sight of her dead friend was too much from Kimber, "Alicia..." She muttered before deep blackness encompassed her and she fell onto the floor unconscious.