Chapter 7

"He went deeper into black..."

Derek walked into his apartment thinking that Lily would be asleep. He tossed his coat on a chair and turned on the lights. Before he could take a step towards the bathroom though, Lily's raspy voice stopped him.

"What happened?"

"We have the murder weapon," he replied. She was looking at him through the shadows, sitting in the kitchen and waiting silently for him to go on. "Well, I can't discuss the details since this is an ongoing investigation but we are actually pleased. Real progress has been made and in a few days we'll have the bastard."

"Really?" Skepticism was evident in her voice.

"Yes. This will be over soon."

"Don't lie to me Derek," she said sounding pissed off. "I'm an expert on lying. I'm an actress, remember?"

"What do you want me to say Lily? That even though we found the knife there's no way this will help us catch him? This case doesn't need a detective, it needs a damn miracle!"

Lily approached him and touched his hand cautiously. "Even if we never find him, Derek, it's not your fault. Do you realize that?"

He stared at her. His whole adult life nobody had ever said such a thing to him. It was preposterous but she really believed it. Lily was absolving him or something like that. For a man that had spent most of his life trying to prove to a very demanding father that he was perfect it was an absurd notion. Still he wanted to kiss her so bad that he felt his hands shaking. He was about to actually do it when a phone rang.

Lily looked guilty. "It's mine. I'm sorry." She picked up the phone while Derek took deep calming breaths. This woman was driving him mad.

He went in the bathroom to give her some privacy but when he got out she had a guilty look. "Now what?" he asked.

"Well, that was my cousin Jennifer on the phone. Have you met her?"

"I don't think so."

"Normally she lives in France but she's here for a few days and she asked if she could see me."

Derek was startled. "At three o' clock in the morning?"

"She's in trouble Derek."

"It's out of the question Lily. She'll have to wait. In the morning I'll take you to her hotel and you can talk then."

"It can't wait. She would have never called me unless it was an emergency. You don't know Jen. She has survived through a lot and she has never asked for my help, not once. I can't let her down now."

Derek wanted so badly to refuse but it was important to her and he just didn't have the heart to say no. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll take you there but if you need me you'll call me right away, ok?"

...

Lily was sitting on a very comfortable sofa next to Jen. Her cousin was staying in a very cute hotel near Piccadilly. She looked really pleased to see Lily. Jennifer's life had changed dramatically when she Alex Devlin hired her to help with his daughter. Jennifer had fallen in love with him and admittedly he was not an easy man to love. But he adored her and that was all that mattered. Jen deserved to be happy. However, the moment Lily stepped into the room she realized that there was something wrong that Jen didn't know how to explain.

Lily decided to cut to the chase. "I'm really glad to see you Jen but-"

"I'm sorry for calling so late. I just got here and I didn't want to be alone."

"Is everything ok? Are you ill?"

Jen looked sheepish. "Not exactly."

Lily stared at her. Her cousin was a strong girl who until recently lived alone trying to prove that she didn't need anybody in her life. The fact that she had arrived in London without Alex was alarming. "I don't get it. You're obviously upset but you don't look sick. And where is Alex or Hannah? Is your mother alright?"

Jen smiled and offered her a soda. "I have no idea where my mother is. I spoke to my brother yesterday but I didn't ask about her. If she can pretend that I don't exist I figured that I could do the same."

Lily sipped her drink. "Then what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Alex?"

"I'll tell you," Jen promised, "but first you'll tell me all about the murder."

Lily sighed and recounted the events of the previous days. The only thing she left out was her reaction to Derek's kisses because Jen was aware of the embarrassing fact that she had been in love with him in high school. They had discussed it for endless hours in the past. If she told her that Derek Evans wanted to have sex with her now it would become to real and Lily preferred to pretend otherwise. Talking about Jerry's death made her feel better though. It was not so unbearable anymore.

"Oh my God! Lily you're in a big mess. Why didn't you say anything? We could have helped. Alex-" Jen checked herself and stopped abruptly.

"Ok. That's enough. What happened with Alex? Did he cheat on you or something?"

Jen looked appalled. "No. Why?"

"Because when you mentioned his name you had such a painful look on your face that made me think that he hurt you somehow."

"I miss him," she admitted. "We had a fight and I left. He must be looking for me right now."

Lily shook her head. "You're not a girl anymore Jen. You don't have to run. Did you try to talk to him?"

Jen hugged her knees curling herself into a ball. "You weren't there. I tried, I honestly tried but he was so strict and domineering that I couldn't get through to him. I hate it when he behaves as if he knows what's best for everyone. It is my choice and I won't be swayed."

Lily touched her hand carefully. "What is your choice Jen? I don't understand."

Jen took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Lily shrieked and hugged her cousin kissing her cheeks. She felt so excited. Jen had been so disappointed in the past by her family and now she had the chance to have her own family. She would be so happy and she deserved it. "But then," she said the moment she calmed down, "why did you have a row with Alex? Doesn't he want the baby?"

"He wants me more. Sit down Lily. I have to explain some things in order for you to understand. When I left home all these years ago I was pregnant."

"I know," Lily confessed. "Your brother had told me. And I thought that you had an abortion back then."

"No, I had a miscarriage," Jen corrected.

"But Aunt Marie always said-"

"I don't know what lies she told you but the truth is that I almost died. My parents renounced me and even when the doctors called home they refused to come to the hospital. Anyway, they told me then that the possibility of ever conceiving again was slight. And now this miracle has happened and Alex wants me to..." Her voice trailed off unable to utter the words.

"Honey," Lily began understanding finally dawning on her, "is this dangerous for you?"

Jen hid her face behind her hands and nodded. "There is a chance I won't survive if I decide to go through with it."

"And Alex prefers to have you than a baby." Lily's previous joy had vanished.

Jen nodded again. "What am I going to do?" she wailed. "I want this more than anything. And I believe, I have to believe that everything is going to be fine," she stated firmly.

"But you can't know that, can you?" Lily asked. She was sure that Jen wouldn't like it but the truth was that she was inclined to agree with Alex. "I realize that you must feel very protective right now. You can't agree to anything that will hurt this child. You feel the need to keep it and offer it the chance to live-"

"Exactly," Jen interrupted. "And if that means that I'll be in danger I'll accept that."

"But he can't accept it, can't you see? The man is obviously in love with you. Do you think that he will agree to something that might cost you your life?"

Jen touched her belly softly. "Lily, I feel that this is important. I am sure that I am supposed to keep this baby. I don't know if I can explain it without sounding like an idiot but I have faith. She is mine and I won't give up."

Lily put her feet on the coffee table. Her cousin was stubborn and it was obvious that she had made a decision which would not be altered. "What about Alex?"