Chapter 44

After a little while the doorbell went getting up off the couch Brock got up and walked over to the door. 

Melissa sat on the couch, her head hanging and tears falling down onto her lap. Gritting his teeth knowing he feels helpless to stop this Brock opens the door. 

“Mr Milligan?” The detective asks.

“Yes. Come in. Miss Hartford is in the living room.” He steps to the side and in the detective walks past him, taking a seat on the opposite couch to Melissa. Shutting the door Brock follows him and sits next to Melissa taking her hand that’s now in her lap. 

“Can you take me through tonight’s events?” He asks. 

Melissa nods and starts to recall everything that has happened, including the phone call, the detective writes everything in a notebook. 

“Ok. I’m going to bag all the stuff and take it to the forensics.” Sliding on a pair of latex gloves, he disappeared into the bedroom. 

After a few minutes, the detective walked in with all the evidence in bags. “Ok. I will also need a copy of anyone you’ve been in contact with on a personal level over the last three to four months. We find this sort of behaviour is usually done on a personal level. An ex boyfriend, ex fling, ex friend.” 

Melissa rang  Sam, he answered after five rings, he had been sleeping and he answered “Yeah?” In a half awake tone. 

“Hey Sam, sorry to bother you so late. Do you have a list of contacts of everyone who has rang or been in the office for the last four months?” There was a silence for a while as Sam recalled every personal and professional meeting. 

The voice on the phone could be heard in the quiet room “Sure Melissa. I can have that list drawn up for you within a few minutes. Is everything okay? You sound upset?” Sam asked concern in his voice evident he knew that Melissa allowed her employees family time. And would never ring unless it was urgent. 

Melissa liked the fact that Sam kept immaculate records of everything. “I’m okay thank you Sam. You have. Brilliant. Can you send it to this email address?” Melissa gave out the email address on the detectives business card. 

“Thanks. See you in a few days.” Melissa hung up the phone. 

The detectives phone pinged as the email came through, opening the app he quickly scanned the list. 

There were a few names Melissa hadn’t had that many meetings. 

There were approximately ten names. With both Blake and Brock’s names at the top. 

“Mr Milligan your name is on the list. I need to ask you some questions.” The detective said looking at Brock, his face deadpan. 

“That’s absurd. Brock was with me when this happened.” Melissa interjected. 

“We cannot rule out that Mr Milligan may be working with another to do this. Would you be prepared to come and answer some questions?” The detective asked. 

“Yes.” Brock answered without hesitation. 

“Who is Blake Milligan? Is he related to Mr Milligan?” The detective asked

“It’s Brock’s twin. We dated for a little while.” Melissa said looking down into her lap. 

“I see.” The detective said writing in his notebook. The detective continued to question about everyone on the list before finally saying “Right I’m going to call everyone on this list in for questioning. Ah you’re secretary is great even providing addresses and or email addresses and telephone numbers.” 

“Yeah Sam’s the best.” Melissa responded. 

“Well that’s it for tonight. I will be leaving you. I will get this evidence to the lab. And I will be in touch. I will also need the phone which the mystery caller called on.” 

Melissa grabbed her personal cell phone and handed it over to the detective who was holding out an evidence bag. He sealed it and wrote on the front on a sticker. 

Getting up towards the door, followed by Brock he walked to the front door. Opening it slightly he turned to Brock and said “My personal opinion? Get her somewhere else. Where only a couple of people know. It narrows down the suspect list. Anyway I’ve got to go. Goodbye.” And with that his back disappeared out of the door. 

After shutting the door Brock joined Melissa, who was in the kitchen making coffee, “Hey, sweetheart, listen I’ve been thinking why don’t we get away for a little while? You have the gift certificate from my mom and dad. We could go away for the weekend to the spa, then if you want you could come and stay at my place. No one else needs to know. We can keep you safe." Although Brock never actually said it Melissa knew what he meant. She knew he meant him and Blake. And it made sense twice the protection. 

"I'm definitely on board with the Spa idea. But i don't know about moving in to your place Brock. Especially with Blake being there too." Melissa said and Brock nodded with understanding. 

Then Brock hit on an idea. “Listen, Blake has a cabin, he won it a few years ago in a charity auction. We could go there. No one else would know.” 

Melissa thought this was a great idea. “Do you think he’d mind?” Brock shook his head. Saying “I have his spare keys.” 

“I know it’s not you, you know.” Melissa said looking Brock in the eyes. “I know but they have to discount me as a suspect.” He said seriously. “Let’s change the subject.” 

“Tomorrow I mean today is Thursday.” Melissa said looking at the clock on her wall. “If you go to the cops first thing, give your statement and alibi, we could pay for an extra night or two and go Thursday to Monday morning and then we can go to Blake’s cabin from there. What do you think?” 

“Yeah that’s good. There’s one thing we have to do though before we do any of that.” Brock said. Melissa had been putting it off, she knew as well as he did that they had to break the news of their relationship to Blake. “He’d find out anyway, when the cops bring him in to question him.”

Melissa sighed “Okay. But I should do it in person. When you go to the cops.” 

Brock smiled although his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, something niggled away in his brain, he wasn’t sure what it was, so he pushed it down. 

“Sure. Let’s get some sleep. Then I will drop you at my place to talk to Blake.” Brock said as he pulled her towards the tidy spare room.