Bloodshed - A Dark Star Tale Pt. 02

Emily's car, a Mini Metro, had also been missing until investigating officers had been informed by her employers of the basement car park that they'd been unofficially using and taking advantage of. Sure, enough the little green car had been found in the corner of the subterranean space. Intriguingly it had been unlocked, her bag containing her mobile and her purse had been sat on the passenger seat, more bizarrely the keys to the vehicle had been in the ignition of the car. Forensics had yet to forward any details, but this had to be the point from where Emily Winters had presumably been abducted from. Abduction was not a word they'd be referencing at the Media Briefing; this was an appeal for information on both girls. A launch pad appeal for public information and to ensure the story's circulated in the local rag over the last two days were dismissed categorically.

The media briefing seemed confused even to Callaghan and she knew the limited facts of the cases of both missing girls. Callaghan knew better than to make assumptions though. Two missing girls in the same City at the same time had rung alarm bells. Such an occurrence hadn't been known since the most famous of cases she'd worked in her time behind her desk. The glorious past of her Detective career at Central HQ in the eyes of those around her. The reason why her colleagues at least held her in such high regard, that case had taught her so much, not least to rely on her hunches but to never make assumptions. There were no parallels beyond missing persons to the investigation commenced around Stirchley Grange Mills, the only vague coincidence of Emily Winters having once many years ago worked at the Dark Star Night Club the only remote link to their current missing persons. There could be no comparison, not so far as anyone else was concerned because the perpetrator of those events, however guilty he truly was, sat at this moment serving the second year of a minimum thirty-year prison sentence. She hoped. She hoped that the past was not returning to haunt her.

Frustratingly records relating to the Dark Star and an eerily familiar case had somehow been lost from the both the online and offline hard copy records. The circumstance eerily familiar because this was the second time in her young life that Emily Winters had disappeared the first occasion over four years ago, on this occasion she hadn't returned home from her shift as Bar Manager of the Dark Star. Then eighteen months or so later as far as Callaghan could ascertain her parents received a call from their daughter asking to be picked up from the Airport with barely a couple of hours' notice. To this day neither of them could offer an explanation to her whereabouts and seemingly she'd not even confided in them what she'd been up to. Callaghan was suspicious and not dismissing the fact Emily's secret past could also have resurfaced.

The link to the Dark Star was weak, the link to Stirchley Mills then was weaker.

The Stirchley Mills Investigation despite only having been two summers previous was an investigation from a different lifetime it felt to Callaghan, still she shivered at the personal cost of the circumstances irrespective of how many commendations she'd received at the time. In two years, much had changed, and she couldn't risk dragging up the past until the one person who'd manipulated and subsequently managed to evade their investigation was proven to have resurfaced. Logan Hughes has disappeared himself from her life in the blink of an eye, leaving a trail of devastating personal circumstances. He'd also seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Callaghan couldn't forget her past, but she was happy to keep it buried. Over and over in her head she theorised as to the possibility but none of this felt like it bore the manipulative hand of Logan Hughes.

Rose Callaghan was suddenly welcome of the distraction of the office door swinging gently open and the enthusiastic fresh-faced smile of Detective Constable Naomi Myers entering the office she shared with Callaghan.

"Someone made an effort," Callaghan stated with a smile looking up at her once again. A seemingly new light grey fitted trouser suit worn over a cream-coloured blouse unbuttoned at the neck, her hair perfectly straight her face more heavily made up than Callaghan had ever seen. "Someone's excited about their first media briefing?"

"Thought I'd make the effort." Naomi smiled picking up and cautiously sipping from the coffee that Callaghan had bought her and set down on her desk. "I'm incredibly nervous as it happens."

"Just relax ...no offence I'm the one reading the statements ... you just have to look pretty ... it's a nice suit by the way."

If Callaghan hadn't known her and equally didn't like the protege she'd willingly adopted when she'd joined the fresh intake of Detectives at the start of the year she'd have been offended by the 'effort' comment. Taken it as a slight that she wasn't making an effort. Callaghan sporting a tired looking white Cami top over which she intended to slip her navy blazer over as her navy denims would be below the line of sight of the desk she'd be sat at anyway, function over style so far as she was concerned. Sadly, Callaghan had done too many of these media briefings invariably against a backdrop of a missing person or a victim, these days she couldn't muster the enthusiasm Naomi had.

This though was Naomi first big case, her first such exposure to cameras and journalists, Callaghan didn't want to discourage her. Callaghan saw in Naomi Myers a resemblance of herself. The reason she'd taken the naturally pretty girl, six years younger than her, under her wing and offered her guidance. Callaghan saw a little of herself in Naomi. More realistically Callaghan knew how difficult it could be surviving in the establishment and the pitfalls of then role that could weigh heavy on the shoulders of female Detectives in a predominantly male dominated environment, no matter how much diversity training was undertaken. There weren't enough like her and Naomi.

Callaghan could've seen Naomi Myers as a threat. Instead, she looked upon her as positive reinforcement. Callaghan was as determined that Naomi would succeed as the young Detective Constable was herself.

"Come on DC Myers..." Callaghan teased rising from her desk and grabbing her navy blazer, not even worried what her hair and makeup looked like "...let's go get you in front of the cameras."

**********

Kelly Marchant drained the last of the slender glass of cold crisp Prosecco and set the thin stemmed glass down on the dark marble surface of the bar.

"Are you going to be okay to drive?" Ellen Byrne said quietly so as not to be overheard in the busy bar of the Metropole Hotel, the bar to the side of the restaurant in which they'd just had lunch. Ellen had had several glasses herself and felt a little lightheaded, the small, exquisite delights of the renowned tasting menu had been beautiful but barely offered enough sustenance to absorb the three bottles of Prosecco they'd drained before during and after lunch.

Ellen had been reticent to stop or slow Kelly the mood she her friend was in, quaffing back the liquid as she spent most of the last few hours outlined the domestic troubles that had beset her in over the last few weeks, and the frankly seemingly unreasonable behaviour of her husband Will.

"I'll be fine," Kelly stated drawing a glance from the barman over her shoulder who was trying his best not to overhear their conversation.

"I don't think you will Kelly..." she broke contact away from her friend with a knowing glance. "Can we have a coffee, with an extra espresso shot please?"

"Just the one?" the smartly dressed bar tender said adjusting his dark waistcoat.

"Please..." Ellen confirmed before stepping along the bar a little surreptitiously away from her best friend, the Bar tender followed her. "...I can't stay with her I think she's had far too much to drink is there any way you can?"

Ellen gained a rueful look from the barman as he looked back at Kelly stood leant against the bar in a white dress with a slightly billowed pleated skirt and complimenting white heels. He shook his head. "I can't make her stay ...I can only offer my best advice ...would it not be best if you..."

"I can't I'm meeting someone else," Ellen grimaced not wishing to sacrifice her plans for the remainder of the afternoon.

The bar tender poured the double strength coffee into a large wide rimmed mug, "And this doesn't work you know."

"Can only help surely," Ellen offered a little dissatisfied by his reluctance to assist.

Ellen Myers sat Kelly down and insured she made progress on the cup of coffee she set on walnut coloured table before her. "Kelly, I want you to promise me that you'll drink all of this and you'll not think about driving home for some time."

Her advice was vague at best and unscientific given the volume of alcohol consumed. Ellen's need was greater in this moment. She moved away brushing her hand over her best friend's shoulder. "I'll call you tomorrow ...maybe we can head to the Spa on Friday?"

Ellen felt a little remorse leaving her sat there alone but her second meeting of her busy afternoon schedule with the man whom she'd met online only three days before hand proved a much more interesting prospect than an afternoon babysitting her best friend.

**********

Stubbing out his cigarette, his fifth of the day, under the heel of his shoe Will Marchant crossed the Car Park to the main entrance of Marchant House.

He'd seen Maya Cruz enter the building shortly before hand and as he entered the reception, she exited the Ladies toilets.

"That's a filthy habit you know," Maya scorned.

"What is?" Will said genuinely at a loss at what he was being accused of.

"I didn't even know you smoked," Maya replied, and he realised he'd been in full view as she'd crossed the car park.

"Stress,"

"I'd suggest healthier alternatives," Maya offered with a glint of a smile. "Like a shoulder massage."

"Would a massage from a fellow employee be appropriate though..." Will raised an eyebrow, trying to avoid her allure and the gently flirtatious nature, he was never sure if he'd misread previously such interactions as they headed up the flight of stairs to the atrium. "...actually, I'm glad I've seen you though as there's something I've been meaning to discuss."

"Sounds ominous" and he noted the concern on her face immediately.

"Nothing to worry about... not as such just something I want to address with you." Entering the admin office Will could tell he wasn't dispersing her fears "The Boardrooms free let's slip in there ... bit more privacy."

Pushing the left-hand side of the double doors that led into the boardroom open Will let Maya lead the way into the room. He couldn't help but let his eye line fall to the seam of her hosiery that ran up the back of her toned slender calves as she set her laptop case on the floor and took a seat at the boardroom table, the blinds of glass walled room were pulled down obscuring the from the prying eyes of the admin office.

Flick noticed the two of them surreptitiously slip into the boardroom as she returned from the kitchenette carrying two mugs of coffee. Sitting back at her desk she checked Will's schedule certain he didn't have a meeting planned with Maya Cruz, his diary indeed stating he was free all afternoon as she'd anticipated. Will had involved her with a recent chat with Greg Franklyn to talk through his year-end forecasts why wasn't he at least letting her observe the meeting with Maya, and why were they utilising the Boardroom?

Flick sat silently disgruntled watching as the coffee she'd made for Will sat on his desk turning from hot to warm, to tepid and then cold. Noting that it was exactly 73 minutes until Will and Maya Cruz left the Boardroom. Her anger stirred further by the brief hug and embrace he gave the dark-skinned girl before she headed out the office and Will made his way back to his own office.

Flick picked up her phone and pretended to dial a number to avoid having to engage with Will Marchant.

**********

The steam swirled around Kelly Marchant as she stood beneath the near scalding hot shower, she ran her hands over her naked body and held her face into the powerful stream of water.

The hot water washed away the sweat that had coated her body, while steam helped further clear her head of the fuzz of one-to-many glasses of the Prosecco she'd consumed at lunch time.

She lathered her hands, then the rest of her body with the complimentary high-end brand of shower gel attached to a dispenser on the wall of the shower. A delicate citrus scent that she couldn't quite place filled her senses as she cleansed her body, unable to cleanse her mind.

She smiled placing her face back under the jet of water. As the water washed over her body the thick lathered residue of the shower gel ran down her body to the tiled floor, before settling around the plug hole set in the corner of the shower.

She didn't need to forget what had just played out; she didn't want to forget what had just played out in the confines of the hotel suite.

The last of the shower gels thick white bubbles swirled down the plug hole as she shut off the shower and reached for the luxurious soft towel hung the opposite side of the glass wall of the walk-in shower. Patting down her body she dried off, casually observing her figure in the long mirror sat above the ornate wall mounted sink. She smirked to herself as she wrapped the towel around her body tucking it tightly under her left arm as she stepped from the warm humidity into the dimly lit but cooler main room of the suite.

She looked up into his dark eyes as he rose from the bed, the sheets of which were disheveled in testimony to the vigorous and passionate sexual encounter the bed had just played host to. Twice in quick succession Kelly had made intense love to the dark haired, tanned, slender yet well-toned man who walked unashamedly naked towards her.

Kelly not embarrassed in the slightest kept his eye line, his smouldering stare as he stepped close to her and pulled her up against him.

"I get the impression you're about to leave me," Marco Mancini offered with a lopsided grin.

"I've got to ... I've got to get back," Kelly offered in soft protest.

"I understand," his hand brushed through her hair, slightly damp from the shower, despite her best attempts not to drench her long blonde locks. "Maybe next time we can arrange a little more than a snatched moment?"

Her eyes didn't waiver despite her feeling of surprise, "Next time?"

"You don't wish to meet again Kelly?" He pouted a little although she could tell he was joshing with her.

"We'll need to be discreet," Kelly stated.

"Something I can excel at."

Kelly Marchant should have heeded a warning in the words of Marco Mancini, but her desire replaced the need for such caution. She trusted the Italian and the confidence he portrayed, the self-assured slightly arrogant persona. All doubts overridden by way he'd made her feel the climax that still sated her body as she stood before him.

She'd recognised him the moment he'd sat across the table from her earlier. Forgetting the Coffee that was before her she accepted his offer of a 'proper' drink and had topped up the Prosecco with a further two glasses. Seemingly much to the amusement of the beady eyed bartender. She not been intoxicated but she found an intoxication in the company of the softly spoken, perfectly turned-out individual. He held her attention, he complimented her. Kelly has felt no guilt at his suggestion of retiring to more relaxing environment, she knew what he'd meant and had willing let him coerce her away from the public lobby bar to behind the closed doors of this lavish suite. Her only pity was that their time together was over so soon. She held back on her emotion at how keen she was to meet up again, soon.

"Nice and discreet," she softly seductively whispered biting the corner of her lip.

Marco Mancini tilted her head back a little and she felt the warmth of his lips as they kissed passionately, the scrape of his five o'clock shadow on her pale skin concerned her momentarily as their passionate embrace continued.

The fingers of Kelly's right hand slipped around him she felt him already erect in the palm of her hand as her fingers gripped around and gently stroked his length.

Breaking away from his kiss the towel coming undone and falling to the floor at her feet. She kept her hand gently around him and kept eye contact as she dropped slowly to her knees before him. Running the tip of her tongue over his engorged length, she could taste her climax on him still.

Marco Mancini's right hand fell to the back of her head, but she kept her eye contact as best she could as his hand only followed, pressing gently forward as she pressed her lips down over him and willing took him deep in her mouth.

Minutes later she swallowed hard tasting the salty deposit she earned from him slip down the back of her throat.

**********

Will was furious.

Furious for a number of reasons, but as ever he was mostly furious at the carefree attitude of his Wife.

Having apologised profusely he watched their Nanny, come home help, Joanne Pinnock head out through the main doors as he turned back to the cherub little faces that sat at the bottom of the stairs smiling back at him, still dressed in their school uniforms. Immediately he neutralised his dour expression not wishing for Lexi and Tilly to pick up on his anger.

"Right, you two ...you've had a later night than normal can you both rush upstairs and get your toothy pegs all clean and bright for me ...and then get your Jim Jams on?"

"Yes Daddy," they both chuckled, but both looked incredibly tired and not surprisingly so given it was fast approaching eight o'clock and their usual bedtime was well over an hour past.

Joanne should have called him, as he'd told her directly, when Kelly hadn't arrived home by time, she was due to finish her working day for them at six o'clock. He'd have struggled to get back much earlier than he had but at least he would have been aware of the circumstances. He'd sensed Jo was uncomfortable, feeling like she'd landed Kelly in hot water. With that in mind he wondered how often Kelly had caused Jo to work past six o'clock in the evening.

"Daddy?" Lexi enquired pausing as she stood up from the bottom step "Does this mean you'll do our story time tonight?"

"If you're quick... quickety quick quicker than quick," Will stated as they both turned and scrambled up the staircase as quick as their little legs could manage.

"And you'll do voices?" Tilly qualified while stopping halfway up the stairs.

"And I'll do the voices."

Will briefly headed to the kitchen and set down his Laptop, his eye casts longingly at the bottle of Bells Whisky sat in the corner of the Kitchen, later he minded himself. In his trouser pocket his mobile vibrated a silent message being delivered. Plucking the phone from his pocket he turned it over wondering if this is a response to one of the seven missed calls Kelly would have received since he'd gotten home from work only around ten minutes earlier.

It wasn't the message was from Maya. Thanking him for his understanding and being so kind to her earlier. The fact she'd ended the message with a 'x' made it sincere if a little unprofessional for a work colleague. Although given the conversation they had earlier and the scale of the problems which she had alluded to sincerity was definitely how the simple addition of a 'x' to the message should be perceived.

He'd trusted her from the minute, holding back tears she'd described the difficulty of her home life at present. The worry it was causing her and the understandable distraction from her day-to-day responsibilities. It was little short of a miracle to Will that Maya Cruz held her composure to the outside world as well as she did, given what she had to face up to every minute she spent at home. His stomach twisted for her, he was glad he knew, glad he could keep an eye out for her knowing what he knew. Even his troubles paled to insignificance by comparison.