Seven

CHICAGO;

'Detective Sophie, you are welcome.' The doctor greeted her as they took their seats in front of him.

'I know it has been weeks, I apologise but things have not been easy.'

'What did you get, what are the results of what we asked you?' Nick cut to the chase.

The doctor opened the drawer by his side and brought out the reports.

'The man was poisoned.' the doctor reported, putting the report in front of them.

'Yes, so I've been told.' Nick told him.

Sophie looked at Nick; he should take it easy on the doctor. 

'He was injected with the poison in his thigh.'

Nick nodded as he opened the report, scanning through it.

'Can you tell us; if it was a female or male that did it?'

'If anybody could so bloody and heartless, it would be a man but the reports shows a female fingerprints on the syringe, but how could a female do that to a man who is her husband?' the doctor continued.

Sophie shrugged. 'She must have a reason to do what she did; there is always a reason for everything.'

Nick turned to her. 'Why are you siding her, that murderer?'

'There is a reason why she did.' Sophie remained defensive.

Nick nodded. 'That is why there is a court, a judge and jail, if innocent, she is sent free, if guilty well...I would say I'm sorry.'

'What will happen to her daughter, think like a human, Nick?'

He shook his head. 'She will be given to a guardian or taken care of by the court, she does not deserve it.'

'Nick…..'

He stood up, taking the reports with him. 'Thank you doctor.' And he walked out.

Sophie looked at the doctor. 'What kind of poison was it?'

He shook his head. 'Still working on that.'

She nodded and stood up. 

'She must have looked for a very rare toxic or perhaps she must have worked in a hospital.'

She nodded and was about to take her leave.

'Sophie, do you know her?'

Sophie nod. 'She was my friend in high school.'

'Why did she turn herself into a murderer?'

She shook her head. 'I don't know if that is true; but Pearl was my friend.'

'Does Nick know?'

She shook her head. 

'When will you tell him?'

'I don't know......goodbye doctor, thank you very much.'

The doctor nodded as she took her leave.

She met Nick in the car; as soon as she entered he drove off.

'What took you so long?'

She shook her head as she lean against the window.

'Where are we going?'

'To Pearl's in-laws.' He told her and sped away.

William smiled as the kids hurry off to the toy shop, he took his seat on the bench and Pearl sat by him, he relaxed back to watch the children, and then he smiled.

'How long has it been?' He asked himself smiling.

Pearl looked at him, he asking himself not her.

'Five years.' He told her.

'To feel this contentment, this freedom, this laughter, it has been too long.'

He turned to her with the smile registered on his face. 'Have you ever felt this free and happy, have Katherine ever felt like this?'

She looked at him and then turned to the children; she looked at Katie; she was happy indeed; she had a friend, someone who was willing to care for her and she was happy. When last did she let her daughter feel like this; even between the both of them when Richard was not around, she have never been this happy. She had to let this last for Katie, it will last, her daughter will be happy and she will make sure of that. 

'It has been long, so long.' She answered him.

He looked at her and this time, his gaze remained on her, and Pearl shifted on her seat.

'Pearl, I have not just brought the children here to enjoy themselves; I brought you here to know more about you.'

'William....'

'I know I haven't asked you anything, I avoided it deliberately but I will like to know about you.'

She looked at him; she owed him that especially after what he did for her, he deserved her explanations.

'Tell me, the truth about my son's teacher.'

She sighed. 'Well, I will like to tell you the story, but I rather prefer you ask questions.'

He nodded.

'Why did you really divorce Katie's father? When you spoke about him, you sounded like you must have loved him.'

'Richard….'  She stopped and suddenly remembered the name; she told them.

'Damien was my brother's friend; we got married and were very happy but Damien had an hidden agenda; I found out he was involved in human trafficking....when I told him to quit, he said he was doing it for us, for his family, so I decided it was enough, I told him to pick between us and his job....instead the bastard picked his job, that was why I left and decided to build a new future of Katie and I.' She told him.

Everything she said; she hoped he believed her; she couldn't bring herself to tell him, the real truth.

'I'm sorry, that is what happens when you marry the wrong person.'

'I was in love with him, we were a family. I thought he valued us too.'

He looked at her; 'I'm sorry.'

She nodded.

'I guess it must have been hard for you, fine...... let's talk about me.'

She nodded. 'Jacob's mother?'

'She passed on when he was a baby; she had kidney problems, we couldn't save her.'

'I'm sorry; it must have been hard for you to bring up Jacob by yourself.'

He smiled and turned back to them. 'Although, it was hard, nanny helped me, even Jacob's nanny helped too; he is a loving child, my son.'

She smiled. 'William, why you do always have this problem with Patrick; he is your brother?'

William nodded, paused for a few minutes before answering. 'When dad died; nanny would always protect me but Patrick was very angry with me, Molly loved me but I guess Patrick loved me in his own way.'

'He has no right to be angry with you.'

'He does, I was there when dad died but I was too shock to do anything, Patrick only saw dad dying in my arms, maybe he wished that I had saved him from having that attack but I wasn't able to and I'm sorry.' William said as he bowed his head. Pearl placed a comforting hand on his shoulders.

'You don't deserve such treatment from your own brother.'

'Maybe he was right, at least now things are changing, Jacob is happy, everyone is happy, I am happy you came into my life.'

She pulled her hand from his shoulder.

'William, I'm...'

He looked at her, seriously this time. 'I was serious when I said I am responsible for you and Katie for your happiness.'

'William, I don't want...'

He smiled at her. 'I have no control over what my heart feels; I only have to control my body from reacting.'

'William….' She called him as he stood. He had such right to say it like it was from a script, those words he said had meanings attracted to it; didn't he know the effect of what he did to her?

'I will like to take a picture with the children.' He said smiling like they didn't just speak.

He moved to them.

She stood and looked at him.

 'I can't control my emotions either.' She told herself softly. She wished she could stop feeling what she felt.