KapCan & Macho World Tour

Chapter 46 - Together / Apart

When Emre left the police station, it was well into the afternoon. The gusts of cold wind were chilling his bones and he raised the collar to protect himself from the temperature. Heavy clouds covered the sky. He looked up and sighed. This weather was starting to wear him down. He missed the sun.

His cellphone rang as he sat in his car and the Bluetooth connected it to the loudspeaker. Leyla's name appeared on the screen.

– Hey. – She started. – I was curious to know how it's going.

– I just left the station. She's being interrogated by the officers and she'll definitely be staying in jail tonight. I spoke to the prosecutor and told him to accuse her even of jaywalking, if he pleases. Anything to make sure she actually spends time behind bars.

– Are you OK with that?

– Honestly, I don't know. – He rubbed his temples. – She's still my mother and I don't have this ability Can has, to just cut people off. But after what she's done... Anyway, have you called Sanem to tell her about it?

– Yes, but she's not picking up. Neither is Can. So, you're on your way home?

– I am. Be there in twenty.

Leyla disconnected the call and dropped her phone on the bed. She didn't even realize that she hid in her old bedroom to talk to Emre in peace. Her parents and in-laws were all downstairs, discussing the whole ordeal of the arrest and contemplating what's going to happen with Hüma now. Leyla was tired. She sat in that leaving room with them for nearly two hours and they were going round in circles. One thing she did notice, though. Her mother, who disliked Hüma hanım since forever, seemed to have softened towards her a bit. She even tried to defend her, but was quickly set straight by Aziz bey, Mihriban abla and even her own husband. There was a time after Can left, when Hüma and Mevkibe became inseparable for a while, which could explain this sudden change of heart.

– Never mind – Leyla told herself. – Hüma is in jail, just as she deserves.

With the corner of her eye she noticed that one of the drawers in the nightstand was ajar and she opened it. She saw her wedding album. With uneven hand she took it out and sat on the bed crossed-legged. The first picture was taken on the day of their actual wedding. Just her, Emre, Can and Sanem and Hüma and Mevkibe, both unconscious and held up. And their uncle. It was so ridiculous that he was there, so random, she thought. But she remembered how happy she was that day, even though mom and dad were angry and Hüma called her a gold-digger. Next photo was from the wedding Can and Sanem organized for them. She was so nervous on that day and she didn't even know why. They were already married, after all. In the third picture she was standing with Sanem, both of them smiling. In the corner she noticed Yiğit – funny how she never spotted him before. He was staring at her sister with a predatory look in his eyes. And a little farther away, partially covered by CeyCey, was Can, staring with equal intensity at Yiğit. What a mess that was. Thank Allah he left and never came back. She turned the page again. A portrait of her and Emre, their faces close, her eyes closed and him, kissing her forehead. She was so happy then, dreaming of a new life with the man she'd been in love with for years, of two kids running about the house, their hair blond and their eyes blue, playing with their cousins... She traced Emre's profile with her finger. Her own children were no longer in the cards. For the first time since it happened the thought of it didn't crush her. The little prick she felt in her heart passed almost as quickly as it came and Leyla took a deep breath. There were many ways to become a mother, she told herself, and apparently her heart finally accepted that.

– What do you mean you lost him? – Special agent Nick Norton from the FBI Field Office in Tampa pinched the bridge of his nose. He was a middle aged guy who at the first glance was as average as they come. His height was average, his built and looks were average too. The only thing that was not average was his mind. He's been working for the bureau for nearly thirty years and has managed to build a reputation of a brilliant agent. His specialty were kidnappings and abductions, which is why he was now here, in Orlando. Three hours ago he got a call from Orlando PD. Somebody had seen a young woman being taken from the street by a man with a gun. When the officers came to investigate, they found frantic Can looking for his wife, asking everybody if they'd seen her. They checked the footage from CCTV cameras and everything became clear.