I hated feeling unsettled, like waiting for the other shoe to drop. As long as Casey was running around out there I would be carrying this emotion around with me; I wanted to be rid of the millstone hanging around my neck.
I was trying to gather my thoughts and notes from the meeting I had just finished when Stella knocked on my half-closed door.
"Come in" I said. I knew something was wrong because standing behind her was Detective Chance and he wasn't smiling; his face was taut and grim.
"Thanks Stella, that'll be all" I said dismissing her. I waited until she had closed the door to assault him with questions. "What's wrong?" was the first thing out of my mouth.
"I don't want to say anything until you get the Silvano's over here; Angelo, Adrian and Aiden. They need to be included in on this" was his response. My hand shaking now, I picked up my phone and dialed Angelo's number. He answered on the second ring.
"What is it my dear?" he asked. I told him that the detective was here and wanted to fill us all in, to get the twins and get over here quickly. "We are on our way" he said and then hung up.
I felt awkward with Chance just standing there, consulting his notes and practically ignoring me. I blew out an irritated breath and paced around my office waiting on my family to get here. Finally I heard Stella tell them to come in.
God there was so much testosterone in the office I thought I might suffocate. "Good, now that you all are here I have an update but first I need to ask you" he said looking at Angelo. "Have you spoken with Peitro Marcelino any since your party?"
Angelo shook his head no and added "I spoke to him at the party but not since. Why? What is going on?" he asked, as we all wanted to know. Chance exhaled and began.
"We received a call late last week notifying us of a body down by the pier; it was pretty decomposed but the autopsy revealed that it was Bella Marcelino; she was murdered."
I felt extremely dizzy and light-headed as my hand gripped for my chair, finally finding it I fell into it, my hand fisted and over my heart. I didn't like her, at all, but I would never wish death on anyone. Angelo, Adrian and Aiden both looked affected; how could they not be.
"You think...you think Casey did this?" I addressed the elephant in the room; inquiring minds wanted to know.
Detective Chance nodded and said "We have every reason to believe that he did. I can't speak as to the evidence because this is an open investigation but yes, we think he killed his wife." My head went down on my desk as I sobbed.
"Dear God" I cried out. The office was silent except for my anguished cries.
"I'm sorry to do this but I need for everyone to account for their whereabouts for the last couple of weeks and if during that time any of you saw or spoke with Mrs. Livingston" he asked.
I spoke up first. "I saw her the night of my accident but we didn't speak. I was leaving a club when we saw each other. Prior to that the first time was at Angelo's party."
Angelo and Aiden said that they saw her at the party and then once at the hospital the night I had my accident and then all eyes were on Adrian.
"I saw her at my father's party, she stopped by, unannounced, at my club the night of Chelsea's accident, trying to break us up and then I saw her at the hospital when she told everyone that she showed up hoping to catch Chelsea there so my girlfriend would think I was cheating on her. She called one more time after that but I didn't answer the call; I deleted her phone number" he said with finality.
Detective Chance seemed good with everyone's accounts and turned to leave when Angelo asked him "I'm sure her father has been notified, yes?"
Chance nodded yes and said one more thing. "All of you need to be careful, especially you" he said pointing at me.
"Like you said, he's not a stable individual and his reality is very convoluted. Stay safe, Chelsea."
After he dropped the bombshell and left, the four of us sat in silence; I was leaning my head back against my chair, eyes closed, thinking about Bella. I was praying that somehow he'd shown her mercy and killed her quick because thinking of her suffering was almost more than I could bear. He and Christian got off on making people suffer, it was what they did and they got off on it.
"Chelsea, I have already spoken to the family about this and we were going to ask you anyway, but now it's kind of 'time is of the essence', but move in with us. Make our home, your home...permanently" this from Adrian. I had been hoping and waiting for them to ask so I didn't even have to think about my answer.
"Yes" I said. "There is nothing for me there. I am going to put it on the market and be rid of it. It hasn't really ever been a home" I finished. This brought a smile to their faces and deep down I was very happy but the nagging words of Detective Chance Bella Marcelino was murdered kept coming back and playing over and over in my mind.
What I had been fearing all along was coming to fruition...Casey had no qualms about killing anyone; and that meant that me, my family and my friends were in danger. The only way that he would leave us alone was from the inside of a body bag.