Convicted

Chapter 1

I got this written quite quickly so I thought I'd update rather than leaving it for next week. Hope you enjoy!

It had been a perfectly average, crisp, cold day in September, and the clocks were now striking seven. Jacob had been caught in the busy traffic of Holby City on his way back from work, and came home later than usual to find his two favourite girls curled up on their leather settee, in a divine white blanket, with a bowl of popcorn wedged between the two of them.

"Evening, muscles," Connie called as he entered, placing his bag and shoes on the floor whilst hanging his coat up on the coat stand.

"Evening beautiful," he replied. "Wind out there's really picking up. I bet it's going to snow at some point this week." He made his way over to the spare chair as he spoke, plonking himself down in it tiredly.

"Good shift?" Connie asked, and Jacob rolled his eyes, though she wasn't really watching him as she was focused on the film.

"Would've been if it weren't for a drunk patient spewing all over the floor in cubicles," he complained, and Connie just smiled. Despite most couples finding it boring, these two very often enjoyed to debrief regarding work, as even the smallest things often added stress to an already-hectic occupation.
"Ugh, I'm telling you, I'll be glad to-" he began to say, before he was hushed by Grace at the front of the couch, who was completely engrossed in the film. She didn't once move - her eyes were transfixed to the screen - and so he just chuckled and allowed the two girls to continue watching it, as he curled up and rested in the other chair. About half an hour passed, and the arrival of red and blue flashing lights penetrating through the windows caused them all to direct their attention away from the television. This was unusual - the police very rarely came to this area of Holby.

"Hm, wonder what's gone on there," Connie said, nosily, trying her best to see if she could see anything from outside without having to move.

"Probably drugs, or gang violence somewhere. Vandalism maybe," Jacob shrugged, and Connie agreed. That was why the three of them were all startled when there was a knock at the door, and they looked across to one another anxiously, before Jacob got up and answered the door.

"Sorry, can I help you, sir? Madam?" Jacob asked, addressing the two officers that were stood on his doorstep.

"Is Mrs Constance Beauchamp in? Or her daughter, Grace?" The female asked, and Jacob nodded, glancing to the doorway into the living room.

"Yeah, they're just in there, would you like to come in?" The two officers came through, and Connie and Grace had both sat themselves up. Jacob offered to make the officers a cup of tea but they declined politely, saying that they didn't want to stop long. The female took a seat beside Connie and Grace, and the male stood behind her, both of them looking scarily serious.

"Mrs Beauchamp, I'm afraid to inform you that your ex partner, Samuel Strachan, was found dead in his office apartment yesterday evening. I'm sorry it took us this long to inform you." Connie's hands clasped around her mouth, tears filling her eyes, whilst Grace just stared at the officer, unable to cry at all. Frankly, she couldn't quite believe it.
"I know this is a lot to take in for the both of you," the officer said softly.

"How did it, um, how did it happen?" Connie asked, sniffling, holding Grace close to her, rubbing her daughter's hair.

"I'm afraid this may be a little difficult to hear," the officer stated, prompting Connie to ask Grace if she wanted to hear it. Sam was her father - Connie wasn't going to send her daughter away if she didn't want to go. She nodded, as she wanted to know what had happened to her dad, and the two of them sat in a tight embrace as the officer proceeded.
"It was clear from the second we walked in that this was a murder case that we were dealing with. I'll spare you the harrowing details, but it was very clearly premeditated. He suffered from several stab wounds, but after the murder, the entire apartment had been torched. The killer clearly went to visit Sam with criminal intent, as they were smart enough to take nail polish remover with them, which is what we believe was used as an accelerant for the fire." Connie and Grace were in a complete state of shock. Things like this never happened in this area, and Connie didn't know anyone that would go to such lengths to kill Sam.
"A passerby observed the fire quickly, and so called for help. If it had been left much longer, all evidence from the body would've been completely insufficient. As it is, we should be able to work with it to convict the killer."

"Do you have any suspects?" Connie asked, and the two officers looked to one another.

"We have a list of people to investigate, yes, but no evidence can be placed against anyone thus far. We can't really discuss much else with you." Connie nodded, slightly upset that Sam's killer was out there. "I assure you Mrs Beauchamp, we are doing everything in our power to catch the person who did this." Connie nodded again, and the two officers left shortly later. Jacob took a seat beside Connie and Grace, allowing them both to break down in his arms. Grace excused herself a little while later to go to bed, and so Connie tucked her in, before joining Jacob in their bed.

"I hated him," Connie told him as she curled into his side. "At one time, I wanted him dead for what he did to me. How awful does that make me?"

"It makes you human, Connie. God, I wanted the man dead when you told me about the abuse. He was an arse, but it's certainly taken me by surprise too."  Jacob tried to comfort her, also feeling completely confused, and it seemed like forever before the two of them were able to fall asleep. They both just lay there, facing the ceiling, clinging to each other desperately for comfort, but the thoughts that were swirling around their heads created a deafening ringing amongst the silence of the night.