Letting in Light ✔️ [Completed] [Book two]

Chapter 58

Watching Daniel sleep peacefully is the perfect start to our first anniversary. He lies on his side, facing me. His eyes flutter gently like he is lost in a dream. I fight the urge to trace his sharp jawline with my fingertips because I don't want to wake him. His long legs are intertwined with mine as though a part of him needs to touch me to know I'm safe, even when he is sleeping.

Rolling slowly and silently, I get out of bed. The whitewash floorboards creak and moan as I pad softly towards our bedroom door. I cautiously wrap my silk dressing gown around me. Daniel mumbles something inaudible, making me freeze in my tracks. Turning my head, I make sure he is still asleep before I continue to tiptoe out of the room.

With the navy dressing gown billowing behind me, I rush down the marble stairs towards Ben's office. My hand reaches for the door handle of the closed door. A flashback of the sight I witnessed the last time I entered this room without knocking surges into my mind, causing me to withdraw my hand with flushed cheeks. Instead, I choose the safer option and rack my knuckles against the oak door.

"Come in," Ben answers robotically.

I open the door to see Ben deep in concentration at his computer. His one hand controls the mouse, while the other rubs at his jaw. My eyes flick to the screen to see grainy CCTV footage. My eyes adjust quickly to the dark screen before I see a woman jog across the bottom of the image. Ben's eyes squint towards the screen, studying the grainy footage intently.

"That's not Fay." I say simply, immediately knowing why he looks so serious. Although I can feel the pounding of my heart reverberate through my body all the way to my fingertips, I keep my tone neutral.

Ben turns to face me. "You sure it's not her?" He asks squinting again at the screen. "She's only on there for a second and the camera angle never shows her face completely."

"It's not her," I reply with a sharp shake of the head. "The way she's moving, I'd know Fay anywhere." I don't even attempt to hide the disgust from my voice. I have committed every inch of her to memory since I discovered she had tried to murder me, so I would literally recognise her in a sea of people. "Where is this?"

"Outside Euston train station, taken last night. Fay has disappeared from the face of the Earth for months, and the only reason this has been flagged up as a possible sighting is because the woman has to walk around a drunken guy." Ben points at the screen at a man who stumbles into the woman's path, forcing her to quickly jog around him, right into the angle of the camera. She keeps her head down, but the camera just catches the side of her face.

I rest my hand on his shoulder, and give it a gentle squeeze. "It's not her," I repeat softly.

Ben's shoulders sag beneath my fingers. "I know," he whispers. "I just wanted it to be."

"You'll find her," I comment reassuringly, knowing that I trust Ben with my life.

Ben takes a deep breath before minimising the footage on the computer. "Anyway, happy anniversary." He grins up towards me.

"Thank you. So, we still OK to head out straight after breakfast?" I whisper excitedly.

"Yep. Rhys is there now, and Lawrence will be here in about half an hour to drive us to the cottage."

"Brilliant." I turn to walk out of the office, but stop myself. "Please don't mention that footage to Daniel. We both know it's not her, and any mention of Fay today will ruin everything."

"My lips are sealed." Ben replies immediately.

As stealth like as possible I peer round our bedroom door. A soft snore greets my ears as I see him sprawled on his back. Once I've managed to silently return to the bed, I perch on the edge just watching him. In the light the creases of his laughter lines radiate from the corners of his eyes as though they tell their own story.