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Chapter 45

Clara was immensely grateful when John reached out to take her hand as they walked into the police station a short while later and his touch brought her back to reality. On the way to the station, Clara had gone over everything that had happened. The attack. Her feelings for John. All the things she had never told him. Starting over with John seemed like a wonderful dream and up until today, she hadn't even been aware that she was thinking about it. A part of her wanted to give him an honest chance even though she still thought about Danny every single day, but maybe that would all be over soon. John had said it, hadn't he? There was enough evidence to put Ciaran O'Neill behind bars and that was what Clara wanted most of all. There was a way for her to get what she wanted without hurting John. He would never have to find out what really happened. If he did, John would probably never forgive her.

"Hey, are you okay?" John asked gently and Clara turned her head, trying her best to smile at him. He was always so sweet, so kind and she knew that he wasn't like that to everyone. It made it all the more special.

"Yeah," Clara breathed in reply. "Just a little shaken, that's all."

"You just have to answer a couple of questions, then we can go home."

"We?" she asked, but she never got a reply because all of a sudden, an angry voice resounded through the corridor.

When she looked up, Clara spotted Kate as she approached them, the impatient clicking of her high heels betraying her fury. "DI Smith, you are lucky I am not arresting you for theft!" she shouted towards them. "I want to see you in my office immediately! Alone!"

"It'll have to wait," John replied determinedly when Kate came to a halt in front of them. "Clara was just attacked by Ciaran O'Neill."

Clara watched Kate's eyes widen as she looked at her and obviously spotted the plaster right under her jaw. At last, the meaning of what John had said seemed to dawn on her. "Oh my God, are you alright?"

She nodded. "I will be," Clara confirmed. "John showed up at exactly the right moment."

"Which I wouldn't have if I hadn't stolen the car," he mumbled next to her.

"Quiet, you," Kate hushed him in a harsh manner. "We'll talk about that later."

John obviously knew that he was defeated because he lowered his head while Kate turned her attention back towards Clara. "I know it's not a good moment, but do you think you could give a statement? The sooner you do, the sooner we can use it against O'Neill. We have men searching for him, but it might speed things up if people know that he's a threat."

Once again, Clara nodded. "Of course," she said and then cleared her throat. The determination was back in her voice. "I want to see him locked up."

Suddenly, John let go of her hand and Clara turned to frown at him when he did. "I'll see you after the statement," he said, smiling a little.

"Aren't you going come in with me?" She had thought he would. He had been there last time.

Yet John shrugged, an apologetic look on his face that immediately told Clara he would not be joining her in the interview room. "I witnessed the attack. We can't risk influencing each other's statements, but you'll be fine. Just tell Kate what happened. I'll wait right here."

Knowing that she didn't have another choice, Clara looked at John one last time, memorizing the smile on his face before Kate gently placed her hand on Clara's shoulder and started leading her away. It was going to be fine. She just had to tell Kate exactly what had happened with O'Neill.

The interview room was the same she had already been in before and they hadn't made any efforts at making it a little more homely. A table, a few chairs and the tape recorder. Clara thought it could have done with a framed picture or at least a plant. When Kate gestured for her to sit down, Clara suddenly felt a lot less nervous. John was right, she only had to talk to Kate about what had happened earlier and this time, she had nothing to hide whatsoever. Yet when Kate started to speak, Clara was surprised at her choice of topic.

"You and John are very close, aren't you?" she wanted to know.

For a moment, Clara felt a little taken aback. She hadn't expected to be questioned about him. "Yeah, um," she paused, "he's been a great help. A great friend."

Kate smiled. "Are you two romantically involved?"

Clara's mouth fell open. So much for just answering questions about the incident with Ciaran O'Neill. Yet when Clara took a closer look at Kate's smile, she realised that the detective hadn't asked out of malice or because she thought it had something to do with the case. No, this time, Kate was merely curious.

"I, uh," Clara attempted to say, but broke off. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably not."

"It's okay, I don't mind," Kate reassured her in a kind manner. "I mean, I wasn't thrilled at first when I thought you might have been involved in Bonnie Moore's death somehow and as John's boss, I think it's sort of my duty to make sure he doesn't get too friendly with a suspect."

"I get that," Clara replied and it felt as if a weight dropped off her shoulders the moment Kate let her know that she had been a suspect but was no longer.

"He's not the most sociable person, but once you're his friend, you can always rely on him," the detective told her before she put on a more stern expression. "Be sure you appreciate it."

Clara wanted to reply and tell her that she definitely would, but she didn't have a chance when Kate suddenly turned around and switched on the tape recorder without giving Clara a moment to brace herself. They covered the formalities. Name, occupation, consequences of lying and eventually, Kate got to the point.

"Why don't you tell me what happened today?"

Clara took a deep breath. Once this was over, she could go home with John. "Well, it was right after school. The students had left and I was clearing up and taking some notes and suddenly, O'Neill was there," Clara began and told Kate everything that had happened up to the point where John had stepped in and saved her. When it was over, Clara leaned back in her chair with a sigh, feeling as if she had just gone through the entire attack a second time.

"And O'Neill got away?" Kate wanted to know.

Clara nodded. "I'm afraid that it was my fault. John was so busy making sure that I was alright and-"

"Don't worry about it," the detective said immediately, cutting her off. "We're on an island and we're monitoring the ferries and airports. Ciaran O'Neill won't be able to hide forever. We'll find him."

"Good to know."

Yet a small frown appeared on Kate's face as she leaned a little closer. "And you have no idea what he was after? No clue at all?"

"No," Clara denied, shaking her head to underline her statement. "I think it had something to do with Bonnie, but he didn't say anything else. Just that it was important to him and his friends."

Kate hesitated for a long moment and Clara was already beginning to dread the next question when the detective suddenly blew the air out between her teeth. "Alright," she said eventually and reached out to stop the recording. "You can go."

While Clara was being questioned by Kate, John gave his own statement to another colleague, describing in detail how he had found the pictures of Clara in Ciaran O'Neill's hideout and concluded that she was in danger. He described how he had shown up at exactly the right moment, overpowered O'Neill with a cricket bat and let him escape while the tape spun and around as it recorded. Finally, the detective let him off the hook and when John stepped out on the corridor, he spotted Clara as she and Kate walked towards him. He was glad to see that she looked a little less pale by now and the relief was visible on her face.

"Hey, how did it go?" John asked when he had reached them.

Clara smiled at him. "Well, I think. I don't think I forgot anything."

"If you remember anything else, don't hesitate to call me or tell John, okay?" Kate asked.

"Will do," Clara confirmed and John turned his head to watch Kate leave. At last, she seemed to finally have given up on the idea that Clara was a suspect. Well, she would have been incredibly stupid to still hold on to that theory now they had proof of Ciaran O'Neill stalking her.

"How are you feeling?" John wanted to know, eyeing Clara a little more closely now, but to his surprise, she started to chuckle.

"Actually, I'm feeling pretty tired right now. And also a little hungry. I just want to go home and put my feet up," she admitted.

"Yeah, about that-" John broke off when he watched Clara raise her eyebrows and suddenly, he wasn't quite sure how she was going to react to his suggestion. But he had thought about it all the way back to the station and his mind was made up. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I don't want you to go back to yours on your own, not while Ciaran O'Neill is still at large."

Her response was exactly the one he had been expecting. Even though John had only known her for a while, he already knew that she was a proud woman, one who hated to show even the tiniest amount of weakness. Clara rolled her eyes. "Where else would I go?" she asked. "Or are you going to post a few armed guards around my house?"

"You can stay with me," John suggested immediately. "You know I have a guest bedroom, you've already stayed in it. And instead of armed guards, you'd have a furrier protector. Please, Clara, just for a few days. I hate the idea of you in that house on your own."

Clara took a moment to consider it and it was obvious she was searching for an excuse as to why she couldn't. Yet apparently, she couldn't think of a good reason why she shouldn't stay with him. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

John shook his head.

"Fine," Clara growled eventually, glowering at him. "But at least let me go home and get a few clothes."

John wanted to sigh in relief, but he had a feeling that Clara wouldn't appreciate it. Not that it mattered very much because she had made the right decision. John would keep her safe.