Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty Two

To Tom Douglas, Sunday was just one day of the week.He never felt that weekends were any different, and criminals certainly wouldn't take a break just because it was Saturday and Sunday, so he arrived at the case room at 7:30 in the morning.He had wanted to go to Cheshire to find out what had happened to his cottage, but Olivia Brooks and her three children hadn't been found, which made him feel very wrong.He turned to Leo for the last bit of yesterday's seemingly endless day, but that only made him feel more tired and frustrated.Leo was full of sympathy for his cabin and offered to come over and do some tidying for him today.All he wanted was to take her to bed, make love to her, and sleep sweetly next to her naked body all night.And for a moment, he thought they were making some progress.

She bought his simple ingredients for chicken marinade in mascarpone and white wine vinaigrette.He can whip up this dish in a few minutes, and cooking is the most relaxing thing for him.He loved Leo's penthouse, for its emptiness and the warmth of a single wall of solid brick, and the strong beams that gave the whole apartment its sense of unity.There are a lot of converted warehouses in Manchester, but this refurbishment really made the style, and Leo is slowly building his own personality on it. While he was cooking, he talked to Leo, who was curled up on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, almost the same color as the dark mark her lipstick left on the rim.He hadn't seen her in anything brightly colored since he'd first met Leo, it was always black and white, but somehow it always looked stunning.The only exceptions are her lipstick, or the occasional chunky red necklace she wears, or the crimson nail polish she puts on her toes but never on her fingers.Tonight she wears white leggings with a black and white striped sleeveless top that fits loosely around her body but somehow clings to her body as she moves.Tonight, her long black hair was wavy, just the way he liked it.He browned the chicken in olive oil and told her about the day while she gave him her full attention.

"And your instincts, Tom? Leaving aside the evidence for now. You've always been good at seeing beyond the surface," Leo said. "There's something wrong with Robert Brooks. Well, honestly, not just Robert, but the whole thing. I met Olivia—the missing woman—nearly nine years ago." Tom poured white wine and a few bay leaves in a saucepan, and started cutting tarragon leaves, telling Leo how he met Olivia and her family, "The thing is, I never really believed her parents were dead. Because of the accident, Olivia didn't believe it either." "And what investigation did you do on that case?" Leo asked, not without reason.

"Nothing." He saw Leo frowning, as if to say that this didn't sound like the Tom Douglas she knew, "Listen, I tried. But as far as we know, there's nothing but O Livia, no one has anything to gain from their deaths. And she, in her agony, said it wasn't an accident, most emphatically. She repeated that her father was overly concerned with security alarms. What she said was Honestly. They have state-of-the-art burglar alarms and more smoke alarms than I've ever seen in anyone else's home." Tom poured the chicken stock into the pot and turned the contents over. "The lads who went to the crime scene found nothing. The burglar alarm was off, which according to Olivia is not unusual, they do when they're in the house. But there was no sign of forced entry. We had to settle for that. give up."

"Was Olivia married then?" Leo asked. "No. She had just seen Robert, but he was waiting for her at her old flat and called to ask why she was late. He found me on the other end of the line. When I told him what happened, He came right over to see if he could be of any help." Thinking the sauce was almost dry, Tom stirred in the mascarpone cheese and added the tarragon leaves, as well as some black pepper. "For some reason, I was never sure. We did suspect that the Iranian boy had something to do with it, but we couldn't find any evidence to back that up, and no one knew where he was."

Tom knew Leo was obsessed with everything to do with his work, especially since she made up her mind to go back to college.When he met her, she was a personal life counselor, and she was doing very well.Despite, or perhaps because of, her natural indifference, she has the ability to withdraw at any time and see things without emotion.This trait has extended to her personal life, making her appear cold and distant, but that's a digression.Leo finally took the advice and took some money from her sister—just enough to pay for one course she took at university—psychology.She has made up her mind to become a forensic psychologist, but she has many years of study to do so.Perhaps because of this, she always likes to listen to Tom and try to understand the psychology of criminals further.But dinner was ready and he wanted to relax. "Okay. Don't talk about work anymore, let's get started."

Leo has jumped up eagerly from the couch.She may not be interested in cooking, but she is very interested in eating.She glanced at her plate, then up at Tom, a provocative smile lighting up her face, leaning slightly towards Tom as she picked up the knife and fork. "You're the best, Tom Douglas. So much more than just a pretty face." It was a compliment he'd never received before, and if she complimented him he'd turn it down. Conversations over dinner are pleasant.Leo chatted about spending the whole day not being able to find a lamp that fit perfectly in the corner of her living room, and she poked fun at Tom's attitude towards buying generic items, seeing Tom's surprise at her wasting his time, Emphatically made fun of his attitude towards buying furniture.Tom was never afraid to show his ignorance about interior decoration.He paid someone to accompany him on house hunting in Manchester, as he did in Cheshire.Leo thought he must be crazy for doing this.Everything in her apartment has been carefully selected.

Hearing her gentle voice wafting in his ears, and the gentle banter continued, Tom laughed heartily, and the worries of the day began to fade.They inevitably talk about his home being broken into, but Leo promises to drive over tomorrow morning so Tom can put it behind him. The music kept playing so softly that he didn't even notice who was singing it, but it was soft and soothing.One of them caught his attention. He had heard it before, and though it was so long ago, the voice still haunted him. "Who's singing that song, Leo?" "It's Judy Zucker and the song is 'Stay With Me 'Til Dawn', I know it's really old, but it's always been my mom's favorite. She used to sing it while cleaning things Song."

The title of the song surprised Tom.He couldn't help thinking that this night was unusual, but somehow he knew how it was going to end, most likely like any other night they'd spent together.The attraction between them flickered fiercely, every touch sent ripples of tension through Tom's body, and he was sure it was the same for Leo, but she always pulled away at the last moment. He reluctantly got up from the sofa, ready to leave.Leo reached out a hand and grabbed his arm. "Stay here, Tom," she said. He looked down at her, reached out and wrapped her thick, silky hair around his fingers.

"Tomorrow too?" he asked. Leo just shrugged, feeling the moment of weakness sucked back into her body, the shield snapping back into place.He knows what that means.He could spend one night loving her, falling deeper into her trap, and tomorrow it would be as if nothing had happened, as if they were friends again, only staying overnight here and there on Leo's whim.It wasn't the first time she'd asked him to stay, and as tempting as it was, he'd forced himself to decline, so far. He bent down, wiped his lips from her brow, raised her chin with his hand, and kissed her tenderly on her mouth.He heard, more like felt, a moan escape from her mouth.He put his hands under her elbows and picked her up.She pressed her slender figure against him.

"What about tomorrow?" He asked again, his lips close to her ear. He felt Leo's back stiffen slightly. "Tomorrow's business will be done tomorrow. You know that." So he had no choice but to let her go.Although he could barely contain himself.This can quickly become unbearable.If he gave in, God knew he wanted to, it would forever be an unbalanced relationship between them, manipulated by Leo.He had to wait until she was really ready, or he would walk away, hard as it was. So now, on this sunny Sunday morning, he sat in the case room, aching inside, frustrated and knowing -- rightly or wrongly -- that he was utterly defeated by a woman who would never indulge for more than one night. "Good morning, boss. You don't look like you're thinking about it at all. Had a good night, didn't you?" Tom snapped back to reality.He should have known that Becky would be early too, and he swayed back to reality, glad to see some of Becky's naturally warm nature returning, along with her thick skin. "It was a confusing night, if I'm being honest. I've thought through everything we've got and I still don't know what to make of Robert Brooks or the whole thing. Well, maybe he's the kind of maniac who would seriously hurt her. But if that's the case, where are the kids? Can we check to see if he has any other properties? If they're not all dead, he's sure to hide the kids where." "Well, you know how I feel. I don't know what he did, when, why, but I think he killed her. I just want the kids to be safe." As Becky spoke, the room slowly filled with people, most of them yawning as they walked to their desks, knowing they'd be working overtime for a while before they found the kids.The computer was turned on, the email was checked, and the project room slowly came to life. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom sees Ryan Tippitz pumping his fist. "Whoa!" Ryan exclaimed, grabbing a piece of paper from the printer, waving it in his hand, smiling and walking up to Tom, who could see a picture on it. "Detective Chief Inspector Douglas. As always, good police work pays off." He had a smug look on his face. Tom just nodded, waiting, wondering if Ryan had done something of his own accord. "I spent most of yesterday afternoon trying to get in touch with the woman who took pictures of Olivia on Anglesey." Ryan nodded slightly and turned his head from side to side, as if performing of.Tom thought he looked like a skinny version of a bulldog lying behind a car window. "And what else?" Tom asked. "Looks like I've finally had a big hit." Ryan handed over a photo. Tom and Becky looked at the photo, then looked up at Ryan. "As you can see, the photo doesn't turn out very well. Olivia is turning her back and doesn't want to be photographed - this is what the woman who took the picture said - but three quarters of her face is still visible Clear enough to recognize her. So, we can give this photo to the media, can't we?" Tom stared intently at Ryan's smug face as he reached for the photo.He looked down to confirm what was on his mind. "Ryan, am I right that you met Olivia Brooks with me nine years ago and Detective Superintendent Stanley two years ago?" "Yes. This family always has accidents, doesn't it?" "Look at this picture, Ryan. Is this Olivia Brooks?" Tom asked. "Well, according to the woman who took the picture, yes. That's the picture she gave to the landlady, the one that Robert Brooks took." Ryan began to look a little confused, with a hint of confusion in his voice. The anger seems to have not understood the situation. "Is this the woman you saw two years ago, Agent Tippitz? Look again." Tom was on the verge of exploding. "Well, now that you're at it, she does look a little different—but women always dress differently, don't they?" Tom turned his head in disgust. "Hold your keys, Becky. I don't know who this man is, but I can tell you without hesitation, even after nine years, that this man is not Olivia Brooks."