Chapter Seven

Her blush deepened as they kept staring at each other. He looked serious for a while before a playful grin spread across his lips

“Relax, I was joking, I told her you were working on a case and that you’ll get back to her once you’re available”

“Did you tell her what case I was working on?”

“Yeah I told her you were working on the abandoned building. Any problem?”

“No, no problem. I have to call her back now, she’ll be worried sick”

She picked up her phone and called her mother.

__________

“Who were you with last night?”

Isabella asked eyeing her suspiciously.

Hadassah froze momentarily then tried to mask her surprise with confusion.

“Wh—what do you mean? I'm confused”

“Your mum called me yesterday, well midnight to be precise. She wanted to know if we were working on the case together. I told her no but that I'll ask Reynolds and Gerald…”

“And?”

“I called them but they said they weren’t with you but someone answered your phone and told your mum that you guys were together so who was it?”

Hadassah raked her brain trying to figure out what to say to the overly suspicious Isabella. After searching without any reasonable answer, she decided to tell her the truth… well not the entire truth but the half truth.

“Remember when I told you someone was after me?” She started.

“Yes” Bella gasped and added “oh my God, were you kidnapped?” She asked in horror and Hadassah chuckled.

“What? No. I was rescued actually. Someone attacked and knocked me out last night and some stranger rescued me. He was the one who spoke to my mum last night. I couldn’t speak in that condition or else, she’d have been very worried”

“Are you serious?” There was a look of absolute surprise in her eyes and Hadassah nodded.

“The great Hadassah Darby was knocked out?”

“I know right, it’s very unusual. Which is why I have every reason to believe my opponent is not human”

“This again? I thought you were going to see a shrink about this whole supernatural nonsense”

“I’m not having this conversation with you again!” She hissed furiously and began to walk away but Bella stopped her.

“Hey, wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off rude. It’s just strange don’t you think. There’s no such thing as vampires or supernatural beings”

If only she knew Hadassah thought.

“I know that but can you at least try to keep an open mind? And stop discouraging my investigations”

Bella raised up her hand in resignation.

“Fine, I’ll try not to doubt you. But did you see the person though?”

“I caught a tiny glimpse of his face but I completely forgot what he looks like when I woke up.”

“Oh, keep trying, I'm sure you'll remember soon”

“I hope so”

_______________

The image popped in her head, causing her to bolt from her chair.

“I need a pencil! Anybody got a pencil? It's really urgent” she yelled.

“I got a pencil, Hadassah” Jemma, her co-worker answered, tossing the pencil to her.

“Thanks Jemma” Hadassah smiled as she caught the pencil.

She rushed to her seat and frantically scribbled and doodled a rough sketch of the face that came to her mind. It wasn't exactly clear as she was terrible at sketching, she always had been. But she remembered the stitch scar on the right side of the man's unusually white face, his red eyes, browless face and death glare.

Staring at the sketch, she was satisfied that she had managed to capture those important details as she was worried earlier that she may have forgotten her assaulter's facial features.

Someone had to have seen him before, anyone. He couldn't possibly be a stranger in this town, she'll just have to ask around. Just then, Bella sat beside her, peering into her sketch, she frowned and Hadassah quickly covered the paper but Bella opened it.

“Do you know him?” Hadassah asked after noticing she stared a little too much at the sketch.

Bella laughed but it was to hide her nervousness and Hadassah could tell.

“How could anyone know him? This drawing is awful, it looks like something that would be a figment of your imagination. Don't tell me this is the person that attacked you…”

“It is the person that attacked me but why are you so nervous?” Hadassah interrupted, watching her face suspiciously and Bella froze.

“I'm not nervous!” her voice had a higher pitch as she said that making Hadassah more suspicious.

“Then why do you sound like that?” she asked again with squinted eyes and Bella stood up flustered.

“I don't know what you're talking about. A little piece of advice, stop watching those murder mysteries you always watch, it'll rot your brain.”

She said as she stormed off.

Now, Hadassah was really confused, what does her murder mystery shows had to do with this. Is it because the killer is usually the person they least suspect?

She was about to piece something together when her phone rang. It was her mother.

“Mum, don't worry, I promise I'll be coming home tonight…” she was saying but her mother sounded agitated on the other end.

“Hadassah, honey…?” her voice broke.

Hadassah suddenly stiffened, sensing something was wrong, her gaze hardened as her voice dropped.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

_______________

She rushed inside the house to find the house packed with some neighbours and family friend.

They all looked glum and her mother who was in tears was being consoled by some people. She looked round but didn't see her father.

“Where is he?!” she screamed feeling her emotions rising.

“Had…” her mother was saying but she interrupted her.

“WHERE IS DAD?!!” she screamed louder and as if on cue, some of the neighbors moved, creating a gap. In between the gap, was her father's lifeless body.

She walked slowly towards the body, feeling as if she was watching everything happen from a distance, she heard whispers, laughter, evil cackle. None of the voices belonged to anyone in the room, it sounded like it was coming from a distant but she was the only one who could hear it.

“I won!” the voice was saying.

She stopped over her father's body, staring at it for what feels like eternity, then gradually, she bent down to feel it. His body was ice cold and that same mark was on his neck!