Romance: Duke Romance: The Duke’s Search for a Wife (Marriage Romance First Time Romance Historical Romance) (Royalty Wedding Regency Romance) (7 page)
Authors: Rachel Brant
Here is a preview of another romance story MIDNIGHT SISTERHOOD: Catching the Call Girl Killer by Anna West.
Midnight Sisterhood
It was 6PM and I was late for work, as usual. I took out the trash and fed my annoying cat, a creature I only put up with since it was crazy enough to still live with me. I called for a cab, as you can rarely find one on the streets in this quiet part of the city. By the time it came to pick me up, I was able to get to the Vale Street on foot. The driver was an old man, one that a person could not simply get mad at. Painfully slowly was a weak expression to depict the real torture of his driving down the cobbled road. As we headed towards the Vale Street, I knew that Sandra, my so-to-call boss, would be quite pissed again. When we finally got there, I paid the old man, thanked him for his kindness and rushed up the stairs of Sandra’s place, an old house from the Victorian Era, where me and several others girls of the “sisterhood” used to gather.
I rang on the doorbell nervously, as I was surprised that Sandra wasn’t right at the door to unleash her ten-minute-contained anger due to my delay. I stood in front of the wooden door, confused that I wasn’t able to hear the usual noise from inside. As soon as I started searching for my cell phone in my purse, the door opened. It was Bianca, one of the sisterhood members, who opened the door. Her face was pale and her make-up slightly off. I immediately realized that something wasn’t right, and an awful feeling which made me anxious started troubling my stomach.
“Is something wrong?” – I asked Bianca before she was able to say hi.
She made a gesture in order for me to follow her as if she couldn’t talk. She did this so lifelessly that I believe that a trash bin with four-months-old garbage has more life in it than Bianca’s face.
Bianca rushed up the wooden stairs, leaving me alone in the hallway. I took off my jacket and turned around to close the door behind me. I could see the mesmerizing glance of the sun, setting behind the large nearby hill. I left my jacket on the counter in the hallway and looked up the stairs.
Awkward silence was filling the space, and this was not its usual habitat.
I climbed the stairs, annoyed by the cracking sound they made, cutting the sharp silence. I finally heard some sounds from the big room, the one where we usually gathered, as all of our bureaus were in there. Sandra was sitting on the one sofa right next to the window, while Bianca and Estel were making small irregular circle movements around her. Estel noticed my appearance and forced a smile when she met my confused eyes.
“Kate, you’re finally here.” – She said in a low voice. Her face seemed brighter, compared to Bianca’s or Sandra’s.
“Will any of you tell me what’s going on?” – I cried out, as the suspense was unbearable.
“Come child, sit next to me.” – Sandra finally spoke with her melodious voice.
I approached them, placing myself on the sofa right next to Sandra.
“I’ve been in this business all these years, and such thing has never happened to me before.” – Sandra said looking in the distance outside the window, slightly off.
“Did something happen to one of the girls?” – I asked anxiously, as I have never seen this mature woman being so desperate looking ever before.
Sandra was the elder member of the sisterhood, being somewhat over forty, though she still looked like a goddess. All of the other girls were around twenty, with Bianca being the oldest amongst us – 24. This is why Sandra was somewhat like a boss, or more like a mother figure to us, as we were using her place and facility in order to work. This was compensated with a small sum each of us paid to her after a successful ‘meeting’, a term we used to refer to providing sexual services for our clients. Sandra loved every single one of us, and guided us into the many tricks of this dangerous business, as she had been in it ever since she was our age. In more than one ways, she felt obliged to protect us from the villainy roaming the dark streets.
“Kate, one of your sisters...” – Her voice cracked. – “The police called this morning. They found Rose strangled in a motel nearby. One of the FBI agents came here and wanted to know if she had any association with us. All of the other girls are in the station at the moment, as they wanted to speak with each of them separately. The three of us were there as soon as we learned about Rose, and went to identify her body. I believe that horrid picture will haunt me for the rest of my life.” – Her voice broke again, as she rushed to hide her tears.
Bianca hugged her in order to comfort her, while Estel looked at me saying, “You should head towards the station, Kate. They will want to speak with you as well.”
I opened my mouth in order to answer but no voice came out. I couldn’t make a sound as I have never been more shocked, in all of my twenty-two years. Tears slowly started going down my cheeks while I struggled to say a word. I have known Rose for a couple of years now, and I really grew fond of her. She was this cheerful girl that always made all of our miseries appear much lighter than they really are. It will never be the same in here, without her playful laughter and witty comments.
“Come on Kate, be strong now.” – Estel said, looking worried about me.
“Do you want me to make you a cup of tea? It will make you feel better.” – She added.
“No.” – I immediately found the force to pull myself together. “I better get going. I want to go the station right away.”
I ran out of the room and almost tripped since I was looking at my phone, in order to call a cab while going down the stairs. I slammed the wooden door on my way out, and it seemed bitterly cold outside as I forgot to pick up my jacket.
I was waiting for the cab again, only that now the sun was long gone, and the new moon was rising across the horizon.
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