The Girl that Fled (Bliss Book 3)

by Veronica Soliman

  He wouldn't stay there all night, would he?

  ***

  Lavela was probably the most welcoming person at Clearwater. It was funny actually- those who were the saddest actually put on the happiest smiles. Even after losing her son, her flame was never diminished- maybe dimmed for about a few weeks before realizing he was in a better place and her sparkle was back. But, just because Lavela's mood was lifted, did not mean the town of Clearwater was suddenly rainbows and unicorns all over again. Quite the opposite.

  The town fell back into its original routine and Adam and Eleanor became a part of it. They had rented the apartment that Josiah used to stay at, reserving his room by keeping the door shut at all times. Instead, they slept in Eleanor's room from when she had lived with him, while Adam slept on the couch that extended to create a bed.

  It brought tears to her eyes; she had liked Josiah so-very-much. He was her sunshine on cloudy days. He helped her forget her pain of leaving Adam, he was a doctor after all.

  Nevertheless, he was gone, and she needed to get her life going, even after all she had been through, she couldn't deal with a simple death of someone she cared about. But this was different- the person she'd killed was someone she had no attachment to- someone she hated. Herself and Mr. Carnegie were the victims of her crimes, except she didn't actually die, and Hank Carnegie hadn't actually lived.

  She still didn't understand why Adam had stuck around so long- or how he even knew Josiah. But she didn't question him. In spite of everything they had been through, it took one event to shed all trust for each other. Now Adam was skeptical of her every move, unsure if she was doing it for her selfish needs or if she genuinely meant what she did. She couldn't hide the fact that this might've actually been worse than her relationship with Christian Anderson. Christian was all fun and games, Adam was serious, and it scared the hell out of her to know that she had so easily manipulated and destroyed the beauty of being with Adam. And then again, he deserved better- he deserved someone better than both her and Magdalene.

  "Adam!" Eleanor awoke with a shock as he walked into her room wearing nothing but a towel that hung dangerously low on his hips. In his hand was a toothbrush. His hair was dripping with water at the tips and a strong masculine scent enveloped the whole room.

  "Eleanor." He replied, staring at her staring at him. She wanted to do nasty things him, he had definitely increased a bit in muscle mass and Eleanor was impressed staring at him now. But they weren't in a state to even consider any of that.

  "Why are you here?" She cleared her dirty thoughts and pursed her lips as she looked at him. She sat up now, light flowing through the blinds filling whole room, so bright. She felt like she was sitting on the sun as it was getting hotter and hotter in the room as time went by.

  "I pay the rent, so I technically own this place, real question is- what are you doing here?" He smirked; a playboy move that he had never used before.

  "Why the hell are you being like this Adam!" Eleanor finally said, her bottled thoughts leaving. She could hardly think when that towel was so close to coming off.

  "I have no idea what you're talking about." His smirk seemed glued to his face as he put his toothbrush aside and walked over to her. Her eyes traced his body as she kept trying to remind herself that she was supposed to be angry at him.

  Two can play at that game. Eleanor thought, sitting herself up and leaning toward him. Sometimes, she wanted to blame Christian for her perverted ways. But how could she when he only influenced her, and she remained the same way he had basically trained her to be.

  "Why not take off the towel?" She whispered, her fingers tracing the towel. She saw his muscles stiffen before the smirk was wiped off of his face.

  "You were literally mad at me two seconds ago- now everything's fine?" Adam asked seriously. Eleanor's shoulders fell. Her eyes searched his for answers, yet all she got was the blank brown gaze. She looked away, wanting to just go back to sleep and never deal with her problems- especially when she had caused them.

  "Look Adam- I don't know what you want from me."

  A long silence filled the room as they both continued to look anywhere but each other's eyes.

  "Do you still love me Eleanor?" He asked earnestly, a contorted painful expression filling his face. He looked so hurt. Her mind was jumbled with a million thoughts, she wondered why he suddenly burst into her room half naked, seduced her (unintentionally), and then decided to ask her the most relevant question on earth.

  Do you still love me Eleanor. Her mouth hung open in shock as she continued to stare at him with wide eyes. He was in doubt- and why wouldn't he be, she had hurt him so badly.

  They had too much to talk about, his father, her lies, her manipulation of the whole world- believing Allison Cooper was some new person. And then there was Zac, the detective that somehow befriended Adam and also knew their secrets. It was messy, but it could've been worse.

  "What do you mean? Adam! Of course, I do" She quickly hopped out of the bed, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him, "we might get into fights, but we will make up eventually, won't we?" Her eyes began running with tears as she held onto him tightly, "Adam, you're too good for me- too damn good and sometimes I can't comprehend why someone like you would ever want someone like me." She cried as he stiffened at her words.

  He stood silently, letting her cry on his freshly bathed chest. She wanted to blame the world for making her who she was, but victimizing herself wasn't an option, especially not when she had done so much evil and expected forgiveness.

  Her touch burned, he was in a shallow pit of destruction and he felt like he had been swallowed whole. The nerves built inside him made him feel like a schoolboy with a crush.

  He cleared his throat. "Eleanor, I think we need to talk." He could barely say, his voice cracking as she continued to cry and say her apologies.

  She nodded. Too many cuts and wounds and bruises had been made and one band aid couldn't fix everything.

  But it was a start.

  Chapter 29: The Look of Betrayal

  When you know you have totally and royally screwed up, there's only one thing left to do. Apologize. Beg for forgiveness, get down on your knees and cry out your feelings.

  The emotions are insatiable.

  Even if whoever the apology was fired at doesn't accept your apology, you tried and that is all that matters. You tried so damn hard, and forgiveness is so hard to earn once you mess up. What's even harder to regain is trust. Honestly, Eleanor did more than screw up. She destroyed her reputation, her life, her love. She was left with nothing. But how do you even begin to apologize for killing the father of your husband. How do you apologize for killing a tyrant. Why were emotions so difficult to down. How do you apologize for leaving your husband in the worst way possible.

  They sat like civilized people on the couch in Josiah's old home, the television silently playing in the background as a cartoon quietly displayed. Both their faces were blotched with tears as they continued to talk. His hand was on her face, wiping away the tears as she occasionally did the same for him. Their fingers were intertwined as Adam softly rubbed her hand. They sat so close, hugging each other and whispering their apologies.

  Adam admitted Eleanor was his father's demise, knowing full well that she hadn't originally believed him when he said the old man died naturally, an unlikely story considering Mr. Carnegie would rather watch the world burn than die. As much as she would've liked to think Karma had it coming for him, it just wasn't true.

  He knew the poison she used; he knew the entirety of the process. Of course, he knew, he had been looking into the case for almost eight months. They continued to cry into each.

  "On the airplane, when I was trying to wake you up..." he took a deep breath, "Eleanor I'm going to be honest with you, I'm so insecure in this relationship and I don't know if you feel that way too, but I love you. I've always loved you and, on the plane, while you were asleep..." he couldn't seem to get the words out as sh
e shook her head at him. How hard could it be to tell her

  "Adam, I disappeared because I'm a selfish bitch. I deserve to go to jail. I could've saved us so much time just by telling you instead of running away. I couldn't trust you! Adam- you killed our baby and tried to annul our marriage. Adam, I loved you and you hurt me so badly- I felt it was right to return that, but I was so wrong Adam." She whispered. It was a cascade of unfortunate events as they continued to talk. Unveiling so many aspects of their broken relationship.

  "Maybe a break..." she began to suggest as sadness filled his eyes.

  The room grew stuffy as Adam shook his head. His hair had gotten slightly longer than before, now reaching just below his ears and shaking along with him.

  "You don't understand Eleanor..."

  Neither could finish their sentences as hiccups and tears would do that for them.

  The doorbell suddenly rang, and Adam stood up to answer it.

  "Adam wait." Eleanor tossed him a pair of sweatpants that was left on the couch from god-knows-how-long ago.

  He quietly slipped on the pants and went to open the door for the Saturday morning visitors. He took a deep breath before opening the door.

  Before Adam got a chance to greet the four men at the door, they each pulled out a badge and a search warrant and walked into Josiah's home. Three of them approached the couch that Eleanor was on, her eyes puffy from tears that matched those on Adam's face.

  "Eleanor Carnegie, you're under arrest for the murder of Hank Carnegie and the falsification of your death. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." One man recited, pulling out handcuffs and wrapping them around her wrists. Eleanor's eyes filled with tears and shock as she searched the room. The four men had taken control over Josiah's quaint home. There were three men around her, one holding a taser in his hand in case she had decided to make a run for it. She stood breathlessly, panting in fear as her eyes searched for Adam. She spotted him, still standing by the door, talking to one of the men as the other three began to drag her out. She shouted his name, asking for help, but he refused to look her way as they stuffed her into the car.

  Another man walked over to Adam and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you, Mr. Carnegie."

  Chapter 30: Official

  April 31, 2023, 6:17 p.m.

  Case #: 162.386.445–001

  OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM 30142

  ————-////—————////————////————

  OFFICER: I am Officer Stan Mathews at the precinct in downtown New Jersey. For the record, it is April 31, 6:17 pm. I am sitting here with Mr. Adam Carnegie. Is this correct Mr. Carnegie. This is being recorded. Do you understand this?

  CARNEGIE: Yes

  OFFICER: For the record, please state your full name, occupation, and your consent to being interrogated.

  CARNEGIE: Am I going to jail?

  OFFICER: Please answer the questions Mr. Carnegie.

  CARNEGIE: My name is Adam A. Carnegie. I'm the new owner of Carnegie Hall Law Firm... it was my grandpa's original creation back in... the thirties? What was the last thing?

  OFFICER: Your consent to this interrogation. You're being recorded.

  CARNEGIE: Yes, where's Eleanor? What're you going to do to her.

  OFFICER: That is disclosed information. We need to hear a few things from you first Mr. Carnegie.

  CARNEGIE: Is she okay?

  ___

  He killed our son. Tell them he killed our son. Then he will go to jail and you can get a shorter sentence.

  Tell them. All the Carnegie's deserve to rot! Tell them! TELL THEM!

  The thoughts repeated themselves as Eleanor sat with hands chained together. She was exhausted, but mostly confused. She couldn't believe that Adam had ratted her our- after everything she'd gone through to hide. After revealing her identity with high hopes and expectations. It was all for not.

  She stared at the ceiling, ignoring the door that opened and the footsteps that approached her and sat across the table.

  "You don't look like a cold-blooded murderer." Whoever had entered spoke jokingly, she kept her eyes trained on the wall. Her mind suddenly wandered to Josiah; he didn't deserve what happened to him. He didn't deserve her entering his life and destroying it.

  "Right then," the man cleared his throat. "I'm officer Stan."

  "The most unoriginal name ever." She looked him dead in the eye as he stared right back.

  "Excuse me?"

  "Your name... it's unoriginal... so first I get arrested and next I'm getting interrogated by some unoriginally lame cop named Stan. Couldn't I have had someone with a cooler name?"

  "Excuse me?" He stared at her, confusion embroidering his features.

  She shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to the ceiling. The light pierced her emerald blue eyes, creating a whiteness in them that wasn't there before.

  "Okay Mrs. Carnegie..."

  "That's not my name."

  "So, what is your name?" He was playing along, probably humoring her until she decided to spill the truth. He had all night after all. All week if he must, and if anything came up- she'd be taken to trial and such a pretty face might end up in jail or on death row.

  "Allison Cooper, also known as Eleanor Undead."

  "By our records, Allison, you don't exist..."

  "Yeah I'm illegal... throw me out if you must." She turned her attention back to him, no emotion on her face as she now glared at the metal around her wrists.

  "I can take those off for you... if you take a lie detector test."

  "Lie detector test..." she repeated, perfect. She didn't even know what was real or fake any more than the lie detector machine would be able to tell. "Tell me something Officer Stan... are you married?"

  "I'm the one who asks the questions here Eleanor." A malicious snare curled on his lips and quickly disappeared. She might be a murderer, but she is still a human. He kept reminding himself.

  "Well. Innocent till proven guilty right Stan?"

  "Officer Stan."

  He could tell he wasn't going to get anywhere tonight. He shook his head and walked out of the room.

  Eleanor glared at her hands, wanting nothing more than to slip off the uncomfortable metal that was scraping her wrists. She was alone in a white room with nothing to entertain her besides a table, chair, and walls. "Can I talk to Adam?" She shouted into nothingness.

  A moment later, Stan reappeared in the room. He trained his eyes on her, forcing himself to view her as a human. Innocent until proven guilty right? Her words replayed in his mind. He agreed, a smile twitching on his lip. He was new to this detective-interrogation business. He hadn't yet learned not to smile or trust the possible liars in front of him.

  He took a seat across from her once again.

  "Can I talk to Adam?" She asked again, her eyes staring holes into Officer Stan.

  "Sure," He said as her expression instantly brightened then fell immediately, "after you answer a few questions."

  A long silence filled the room and she'd made up her mind.

  "Fine." She stared at him, wanting nothing more than to find out why Adam betrayed her then to flee to Mexico or the middle of the ocean.

  Officer Stan left the room for a few moments, then reappeared with a blank expression. He set up a machine and attached it to her. It felt cold against her skin, yet all she wanted was to suffer.

  She had fought evil with evil and these were the consequences.

  "So... in case you didn't know already, this is being recorded."

  "Don't I get the basic right of consenting to it...?"

  "Sure. Do you consent to being recorded?"

  "No."

  "Then I can't do the lie detector test and you can't move forward in any spheres of the law. So, I ask again, do you consent to being recorded?"

  "Fine."

  A victory for Officer Stan. He mentally wanted to step outside and do
a victory dance, but that wasn't acceptable.

  "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. If you tell the truth, there's nothing to worry about. However, if you lie, you'll feel a small sting and I will ask the question again. I'll record this data on my computer here." He had a computer attached to a corner of the room that was hardly noticeable. "Do you consent to this?"

  Eleanor wondered how many other cops were on the other side of the one-way-glass. It hardly mattered. She may not have dealt with authority before, but she'd easily handle it.

  She nodded.

  "I need to verbally hear you say yes. For the recording."

  "Yes." She whispered. Stan wasn't a fan of these games, but he continued on anyway.

  "Question one. Where were you at three am on Friday February 18?" The night of her fake death a year ago.

  "I was running." She said. Half a truth.

  "At three in the morning?"

  "Yes. Wasn't that made clear by the previous question."

  "Right." He said, a light turning green at the corner of his screen. He wondered why she was running at three in the morning but realized he could just ask the questions.

  Eleanor contained her smile. This was too easy.

  "Question Two..." he began.

  "Three actually. You already asked two questions." Officer Stan did all he could to avoid rolling his eyes.

  "Question Two." He spoke, ignoring her, "Did you fake your death on February 18th of last year?"

  No, I was running. Running away. She convinced herself.

  "No." She lied, she awaited a shock to hit her, but nothing happened. She felt a small tingle on her forearm, wanting to scratch it.

  "I'll ask this again; the next shock is going to be more painful than that one." Stan said, "Did you fake your death on February 18."

  Of which year?

  "I already answered. No." Her heart rate began to spike as she stared at Stan expectantly. She prayed the lie detector would be on her side.