Chapter 6 (Cecilia Feldman)
They came in and my husband closed our front door. Lindsey, my college roommate and my husband's cousin, was still in the kitchen and I hope that Sam was still sleeping upstairs.
"Would you like some coffee or tea?" I offered to these law enforcement gentlemen.
"I would take a cup of coffee," Detective Avery said.
"I would drink either one," said Constable Thornton.
All of us entered the kitchen where Lindsey was looking in the refrigerator for something.
"What are you looking for, Linds?" my husband asks his cousin.
"I'm looking for your eggs," Lindsey answers still looking in the fridge.
"Let me get them and the rest of the things you will need for our breakfast," Chris offers his help to his cousin.
Lindsey turns around noticing the law enforcement in uniform, "Hello gentlemen. May I ask why are you here?"
"We are here to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Feldman about the something that happen recently, and how do you know them?" Detective Avery replies.
"Umm, I am his cousin and she is my best friend, and she was my college roommate, which is how I know them," Lindsey confesses how she knows me and my husband.
"Thank you for answer, Miss…"
"Mrs. Lindsey Levins. No, Ballman," Lindsey says confusing her name.
"Forgetting you're married to Kyle already?" Chris taunts.
"Maybe, a little. I'm just used to saying Nurse Ballman not Mrs. Ballman," Lindsey replies shyly.
"Okay, now could I ask about how well do you know the Bensons, Mr. and Mrs. Feldman?" Detective Avery asks.
"Linds, could you get the coffee for these police officers?" Chris asks his cousin for help.
"Sure," Lindsey response.
I remember when I first meet Hannah and Jonathan at church with Chris, who was my boyfriend at the time.
"Welcome to Saint Thomas Aquinas! I hope you enjoy the mass," a church woman friendly welcome us into their congregation.
"I know we will," Chris replies confident.
The mass when smoothly with a homily that was so humble and spoke to us, moving, at least, my soul. After mass, there was a handsome gentleman handing out the church bulletin.
"Did you enjoy our father's sermon?" the gentleman asks.
"I did. It was moving and beautiful," I comment.
"It was well spoken," Chris add.
"Would you like to join my family for lunch?" he offers.
"Here comes my family now," he said.
"Meet my wife, Hannah and our son, Sam. I'm Jonathan," he introduces.
"I'm Chris and this is my amazing girlfriend, Cecilia," my boyfriend introduces us.
"Watch out, Ce," Chris states.
"Huh," I mumble while Chris gets the mugs out for the coffee, so I move out of his way.
"You okay, Ce?" Lindsey questions and pours the coffee into the mugs my husband has in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answer.
"Ce, here is the sugar and milk for your tea," Chris hands me the extras I put into my tea.
"Thanks," I took the milk and sugar to put them into my tea before he grabs the coffee mugs and hands them over to the officers.
"Here is your coffee Constable and Detective."
"Would you like some milk or creamer for your coffee?"
"No thank you, Mrs. Feldman," Constable Thornton said.
"Please call me Cecilia instead of Mrs. Feldman because it feels like I'm in the classroom teaching," I explain.
"You're a teacher?" Constable Thornton asks.
"Yes, I am, and so is my husband," I respond.
"Just like Thornton's fiancée," Detective Avery comments.
"So how long do you know the Bensons?" Constable Thornton ask this time.
"Almost five years we've known Hannah and Jonathan," I answer a little bum out that I probably won't see them again.
"How did you meet the Bensons?" Detective Avery ask.
"We met them at our church," my husband said.
"Before we decided to join their parish," I add.
"Let's move to the living room to be comfortable to continue," my husband suggests.
Chris leads us into the living room and offers the couch to the law enforcement officers, then he takes his chair, while Lindsey and I sit on the loveseat.
"Did you see the news this morning?" Constable Thornton ask.
"Yes, we had the nine o'clock news on," Chris answers.
"Did you hear about the house fire?" Detective Avery inquire.
"House fire close to where the Bensons live, yes we did," Chris again answers.
"It was the Bensons house that burned down this morning and possibly people were burned, yet we do not know yet how it happened or exactly when or where the fire started inside the home. So, where were you yesterday afternoon and evening?" Detective Avery inquire.
Before even my husband or myself could answer Detective Avery's question, my cell phone starts to ring upstairs.
"Excuse me, that's my cell," I said getting up and walk pass the chair that Chris is sitting.
"Go ahead and answer it but please answer my question before you leave your house," Detective Avery said.
"I will as soon as I come back downstairs," I reply before heading upstairs to see who was calling me.
I ran up the stairs and walk quickly into my bedroom to find my cell on my bedtable. I grab my phone and saw my cousin was calling. I answered quickly and saw the time was way after the time we agreed on to meet up today.
"Hey," I answered.
"Ce, where are you?" she asks.
"I'm still at home," I answered.
"Umm, why? I thought we had plans to meet up today," she stated.
"Yes, we did but some officers knock on my door about a half hour ago," I said trying to give enough explanation but not enough to give her all the details.
"Why is the police at your house?" she wonders.
"Amanda, I will tell you all about that when I finally get to your apartment, just now let me get ready to go," I said while picking an outfit for the day.
"Okay, but do you know where is Amy?"
"Darling baby Amy?" I ask putting her on speaker phone.
"Yes, baby Amy Dawson, my god-daughter," Amanda clarified getting annoyed at me.
"Someone has her, but I don't remember exactly who," I reply while getting dress.
"Who has her? Do I know them?" she was getting way too frustrated with me.
"Yes, you do, the Andersons or the Rulands have her. Why would you think I would let someone that you wouldn't know take care of her?"
"No, I trust you. I just thought you would know who has her," she responded.
"I remember Chris telling me that Matt texted him last night with who has your god-daughter but I have forgotten exactly who."
"What are you wearing?" she asks knowing that I was getting ready to go because I had her on speaker phone.
"A blouse and skirt."
"Wear jeans, you're not going to school," she suggests.
"Okay," I did what she suggested.
Got my jeans on in time to hear, "Is it still morning?" Sam comes into my bedroom rubbing his eyes. He looks like he could use more sleep.
"Is that who I think it is?" Amanda asks.
"Yes," I answer Amanda's question and Sam's question at the same time while taking her off speaker phone.
"I will let you go then Ce," she tells me.
"I will see you soon and will let you know where your god-daughter is as soon as I know," I said.
"I will just text my boyfriend to find out," she says.
"If that is what you're going to do then, go ahead, I love you," I said.
"Love you too, bye," she said before ending our call.
"I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?" Sam asks and plopped face down on my bed.
"Sam, come downstairs with me and you'll find out," I said grabbing my purse and shoes before heading out of my bedroom with Sam following behind me.
We went downstairs and Sam went straight to Lindsey and sat next to her giving her a hug. I didn't know that he likes to cuddle. Something new to learn about Sam.
"I didn't know he likes to cuddle," Lindsey comments.
"I guess he does," I responded.
"Are you Samuel Benson?" Constable Thornton asks.
"Yes, I am," Sam answers.
"You've changed," Chris whispers and hands me my mug of tea.
"Thanks, and yes I did," I whisper back.
"Where you with the Feldmans all afternoon and through the night, yesterday?" Detective Avery asks Sam.
"I was at swim practice until Miss Cecilia picked me up, which was my mother wanted her to do. From then on, I was with Miss Cecilia and Mr. Chris all evening and night," Sam states shyly.
"I have never seen him so shy before," Chris comments.
"Me neither," I replied.
"Was that Amanda on the phone?"
"Yes, it was," I answer softly.
"So, Cecilia, where were you yesterday evening?" Detective Avery inquired.
"After picking up Sam, we came here after I saw smoke coming from a house from where Sam's parents' live. Then I was with Sam and my husband all night," I answered and took a sip from my tea.
"Your husband told us that you got an email from Mrs. Benson yesterday evening. We would like to see it and have a copy please," Detective Avery said.
"Sure thing, let me just get my tablet," I said before Chris suggests, "Let me get your tablet."
"How long and often you pick up Samuel from his swim practices?" Detective Avery asks.
"I have been picking Sam up from his swim practices about six months and about once a week Hannah has asked me to get him," I replied.
"Here you go, Ce," Chris hands me my tablet.
"Thank you, Chris. I will just log into my email and let you read it," I said logging into my tablet and email.
"You should probably print out two copies so both can have a copy of the email," my husband suggested.
"That's a good idea," Constable Thornton agrees.
"Coming right up," I said and tap for two copies of my email from Hannah to send them to our printer in the study.
"Chris, would you be so kind to get the copies from the printer please?"
"No problem, Ce," he is so sweet.
"You have a sleepy Sam wrapped around you, Linds," I stated the obvious.
"I can't even move my arm because of him," Lindsey comments.
"Constable and Detective, here are your copies," Chris comes in and hands them the papers.
"I believe that is all we need. Thank you both for cooperating with us. We will be in touch if we need more and if you have any more information, please let us know as soon as possible. Here is my card," Constable Thornton hands Chris his card.
"We will," Chris assures.
"Have a wonderful day, gentlemen," I said while they leave our home.
"Time to make brunch," Chris said and I got my stuff ready to go to my cousin's apartment before he continues, "Where are you headed? I'm not letting you leave me until you have already eaten something."
"Okay, would you like my help?" I ask.
"Yes, that would be great," he responds.
"Can I see the email that you handed over the copies to the police officers, Ce?" Lindsey asks.
"Sure, Linds, but after Sam gets off your shoulder," I suggests because I didn't want Sam to wake up and start to read his mother's email to me.
"What's the problem with me reading the email with Sam sleeping on my shoulder?"
"I just don't want Sam to read it just yet," I replied.
"Oh, okay," she said.
I walk into the kitchen thinking that if Hannah and Jonathan are dead, how are we, my husband and I, going to take care of Sam while starting our own family in the near future.
"Excuse me, Ce," my husband said before I moved out of his way.
"I should just stay out of the kitchen because I have been in the way too many times this morning," I stated looking away from my husband.
Chris comes over to me and gently move my head so we were looking in each other's eyes before he says, "Ce, two times isn't way too many, and why do you just sit at the island and tell me what you were thinking these past to times that I had found you daydreaming. Also, why don't you tell me what your nightmare was about too while you finish your tea."
Hey, my fellow Hearties! I'm sorry that I have been so long since the last time I posted a chapter, but today I'm back with an all new chapter.
Let me know your thoughts on Jack and Bill's conversation with Chris, Cecilia, Lindsey and Sam. What's going to happen with young Sam?
I only own my original characters not the When Calls the Heart characters they belong to the creators at Hallmark.
If you want to read more, please leave me a review!
Thanks for reading! Love Debbie