Chapter 19
Carter's POV
Carter pushed open the heavy metal doors to the criminal examination room with a stoic and troubled expression on his dashing face. He wanted nothing more than to just go home, find Lola, cuddle, maybe catch a late night movie. He had already ditched her on her date, and when he'd tried calling her, her phone number was out of order or something. He didn't know why, but he didn't like the idea of her sitting around waiting, or the idea of having to 'seduce' Esmeralda Banks to get information out of her. It wasn't him, and he hated deception, but this job wasn't about him, it was about the truth and justice.

Glancing at a hand of perfectly nude manicured finger nails tapping on the glass table, carting groaned, as he looked into the face of a severely pissed off Esmeralda. "What the hell was that! I should be able to help! I shouldn't have to sit around like some useless rich prick! Ugh I hate this and you!" she spat at him, her heavenly blue eyes glowing in pure wrath and resentment. 'I've gotta do this, woo her, play calm nonchalant, sexy guy. I can do that right......play sexy.....ofcourse....' Carter thought to himself nervously. He could feel a light sheen of sweat break out on his forehead from his nerves, and he had to make an effort not to bolt out of the room, get some anxiety pills and come back in. He wasn't nervous about wooing her, it was the betrayal to Lola, he assumed that he loved her.....although Carter tended to become in love with and attached to a lot of things too quickly....often things that break his heart.

In a graceful masculine gesture, he swept a hand through his glossy bright blond hair and gave Esmeralda a charming, yet understanding look. It changed his whole face from the nervous guy, to a sexy, understanding heart breaker, who could charm at the worst moments and win. "I know, that's why I'm trying to get you in," Carter lied, he had to work hard not to clench his fist and slap himself when he saw her pretty face beam up and she glowed at him with happiness. "You did!Wow!" she said blissfully, then, catching herself, she relaxed, and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair she was on, faking nonchalance. "Yeah and I'd love to take you out to dinner tonight too, maybe to talk about things, help you cope. It's not my job, but I mean, my mom died when I was little, and it always hurt me," Carter was pulling on her emotional strings like a pro.....like ....Sky.....he thought, that made him want to puke...but he had to solve the case, and she was the missing link in that chain, she might have planned the whole murder, he had to know.

Esmeralda, flicked some silky hair, like a crimson sheet blowing in a graceful breeze over her shoulder in an elegant movement, and studied Carter skeptically, her eyes roamed quickly, but noticeably down his body, and her lossy cherry red lips set into a disapproving, but in there somehow delighted scowl. "Pity date or hit on the wounded girl dates are disgusting," she said glassily, but her tone did not convey she didn't want to go out with him. Carter smiled sweetly at her, making her eyes soften, as his face lit up into the cute guy who you wanted to kiss in the streets and eat ice cream with on a sunny day. "Please, I'm really a nice guy," Carter said soothingly, his tone carefully pitched to sound sincere, persuasive and delicious. Sighing, Esmeralda stood up, one fluid movement of porcelain delicacy and smoothed, her tight, naughty dress down. Carter found his eyes following the movement, as her pale glowing palms brushed her lovely thighs, and he felt....arousal....naturally...but something at the back of his mind told him, that although this was wrong....something right now, as he sat here was going on, something that would hurt him, and he was wondering, what exactly it was and why was that feeling was even there.

Eli's 1st Person POV

The world is a great black hole waiting to suck you up, it wants to tear you apart, leave you breathless until you're on your knees gasping for air, for something positive. Some people have wonderful lives, some people are dying to for life to end. I am one of those people. Ofcouse, I thought suicide is some conforming bafflement that I would never try, I mean surely there was a way out of the pain and torture besides hanging yourself or going on drugs! That was my mother's job! But my escape from the pain, was Lola, she was the one thing that was steady, on my tipsy topsy life of unbalancing issues. But she didn't care, didn't want me, didn't even tell me we had a fucking son! I sped up into the dark night on my motorcycle as the rain slashed down on my skin, through my shirt, a cold stinging needle kind of pain. The torn skin on my knuckle burned and throbbed, but it was better than nothing, nothing meant I might try to kill myself.....again.