Uprising

Chapter Fourteen

The woman’s sudden appearance, like a ghost coming out of nowhere, startled Joel. For what seemed like an endlessly drawn-out moment, he stood there speechless.

There was something mesmerising about her, and it wasn’t just her stunning beauty –

the thick auburn curls that tumbled about her shoulders and bounced when she moved, the willowy figure and perfect, pale skin, like porcelain. It was the wry, knowing look and the enigmatic little smile on her lips, as if somehow she could read his thoughts.

That look…it just seemed to hold him there.

He forced himself to snap out of his reverie and was about to say something when the staff nurse returned in a hurry, followed by a tired-looking male doctor in a green smock. The nurse shot Joel a pointed stare as she curtained off Dec’s bed and she and the doctor attended to the agitated, sobbing teenager.

Joel turned back towards the strange woman, but she was already gone.

He trotted out of the ward and spotted her a little way down the corridor. She was hanging around as though waiting for him. As he approached, he felt his heartbeat quicken and cursed himself for it.

‘Are you a relative of his?’ he asked her. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

She shook her head. The smile was still there, teasing him.

‘So what were you doing in there?’

‘Listening,’ she replied coolly. ‘Interesting, don’t you think?’

‘This is a police enquiry,’ he said. ‘I was taking a statement from a witness, and I’d like to know what you were doing there eavesdropping.’

‘My name’s Alex. Alex Bishop.’ She dipped a hand in the pocket of the long, elegant coat she was wearing and handed him a business card. The momentary brush of her fingers against his was like a million volts of current jolting through his body.

‘DI Joel Solomon,’ he said. Doing his best to look composed, he glanced at the card. ‘So you’re a journalist.’ He noticed the landline number at the bottom and added,

‘London got too dull? A teenager crashing his car out in the Oxfordshire sticks isn’t exactly what I’d call a scoop for a hotshot city reporter.’

‘Except it’s not just about a teenager crashing his car, is it?’ she said.

He made no reply.

‘Are you interested in vampires, officer?’

‘What did you say?’

‘You believed him, didn’t you?’

Joel blinked. ‘What makes you so sure of that?’

‘I saw the look on your face,’ she said. ‘Have you got time for a drink? I’d like to talk to you.’

‘I can’t discuss police business with you.’

‘Like vampires are official police business now?’

He looked at his watch. ‘Fact is, I’m in a rush.’

‘Shame.’ She smiled. ‘Maybe I could have helped you.’

Before he could reply, she’d turned and was already walking away. He watched her all the way to the lifts; then she was gone, without looking back.