I hope that this chapter answers a lot of the questions I was asked, but just in case:
Yes, we went back in time.
I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: E.L. James came up with the names/characters, but the story is all mine.
As are the names of some minor chracters.
CPOV
Finally the Advil is starting to work and I'm just starting to relax a little when Taylor parks the car. We're there.
I walk towards the door of a small house in a nice quiet suburb-street.
As I knock on the door, I can hear somebody shuffling inside. After a couple of seconds an elderly woman opens the door.
"Yes?" she has a voice like she daily eats sandpaper.
"Mrs. Locking?"
"Yes, that's me. What do you want to sell me?"
"I'm here about your daughter".
"What about her? "she asks as she beckons me to come inside.
I follow her inside into a small room with a couch and matching chair, a coffee-table and a low cupboard with a big television on top of it. Everything looks old and worn, but although everything is slightly nicotine-colored it's appears to be clean.
"My name is Grey, I'm a business partner of her and I was wondering if you had seen her today".
"No, why are you asking? Has something happened?"
"I didn't want to worry you, but"
"Too late". The woman snaps at me.
"I know, I'm really sorry. But I need to find her soon".
"If you are a business partner of hers as you say, then you would know that she doesn't life here".
"Yes, I know, but she has apparently moved out of her appartement and hasn't told me where I can reach her. So I hoped you would know".
"Why would I".
Of all the irritating things Debby has thrown onto my path, talking with her mother is most definitely high on the list. I don't have time fort his.
I get up, give her my card and with a "let me know if and when she contacts you" I leave the house.
Welch will probably have found more information sooner than that this woman can give me. I'm done with this.
As soon as I get into the car Taylor is off. You don't have to know me very well to know by my facial-expression that I didn't get the information I wanted. So he doesn't ask.
"Welch is on it, sir". Is the only thing he says to me.
When I arrive at home twenty minutes later, my shoulder is killing me and I'm ready to snap some necks. Thankfully Welch has been busy and when I enter my home-office/library I see two Manilla envelopes on my desk.
One is filled with information about Debby. Most of it we already knew from her screening a month ago, but it has been updated here and there.
They're searching for her 24/7 and as I read in the note Welch has added, two men are going through all the security footage they can find. But at the moment they have no clue of where to find her.
The second Manilla envelope contains even less.
Two pictures and a note with a couple of words on it.
But as soon as I look at the first picture my heart skips a beat.
It's her.
From the information on the note I learn that her name is Anastasia Steele. That she is 25.
Is an only child and that her parents are divorced.
That she has a degree in English literature and that she works at Cottew. Which I find really funny as I have an appointment with them tomorrow.
And that's about it.
On the sticky note attached to the file Welch has written that he is sorry, but that that truly was the only information he could find.
This is even more frustrating than not finding Debby. I want to know more about this girl. I don't know why but I can't get her out of my head.
As I walk into the kitchen I pour myself a glass of wine. I find my favorite Mac-and-cheese in the freezer and after nuking it, sit down to have myself a nice dinner with a second glass of wine.
After two bites of the mac-and-cheese, I give up. I'm tired, my shoulder hurts like hell and the mac-and-cheese tastes like cardboard. The only wise thing to do is go to bed and try to sleep.
But I don't.
I go back to the pictures of Anastasia and just stare at them. I don't know for how long, but before I know it it's too dark to actually see what's on the picture I'm staring at. I don't need to see it though, I just have to close my eyes and she is there.
I shake myself awake. Bloody hell, what's wrong with me. I must have bumped my head or something because this isn't normal behaviour for me. Don't get me wrong. I like women, a lot. But not in a sappy dreamy kind of way. But now…
Ugh, wake up you fool! She will never like somebody like me, my inner voice tells me. And he's right. But it won't stop me trying.
I take a shower to relax me and the go to bed. Tomorrow I'll meet her properly for the first time and I plan on making it memorable.
With her beautifull eyes in mind I fall asleep.