Betrayal of Innocence (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 1)

Several days later, Vanessa drove through the village for what felt like the hundredth time. She was tired, bored, and desperately wanted to change the route. Today, a sharp wind had blown in and stole all trace of warmth and happiness from her soul.

“Are you all right back there?” she whispered when she had reached

the point that if someone didn’t say something she was going to scream.

“Fine,” Justin grumbled, sounding less than all right.

“We won’t be long,” she murmured half-heartedly.

“You sound as fed up of this as I am,” he grunted.

Indeed, after that first journey with Justin, Vanessa had rapidly grown tired of the daily trip she had taken to a town she didn’t need anything from, carting Justin along with her. While they had now broken the awkwardness between them and were able to speak freely about themselves, their past, their likes and dislikes, it was difficult to have a proper conversation when one of them was bent at an uncomfortable angle which prevented even eye contact. Indeed, whenever they had alighted from the carriage at the end of their journey, a growing distance had started to emerge neither of them knew how to break.

That’s because I don’t think either of us is prepared to break it.

“What do you think has happened to them?” she asked not for the first time. “Why do you think he hasn’t targeted me yet?”

Vanessa knew she was the only woman out on the roads and had been for the past week. It was worrying that nothing untoward had happened.

“He may not be from around here. The others are working on speaking to the families of the missing, and have a few leads to follow,” Justin replied carefully. “It is going to take time to get all of the leads wrapped up.”

“How long?” she whispered, dreading the day when she would have to say goodbye to the man behind her. While the journeys had become tedious, her time with Justin was anything but.

“It depends on whether the kidnapper strikes soon or not. If he doesn’t do anything within the next three days we are going to try something else,” Justin informed her. “We can’t keep doing this.”

Vanessa closed her eyes as she contemplated the hidden meaning in his statement.

“I know,” she whispered.

“We have to admit that this is getting us nowhere,” he warned.

“What else is there?” she asked quietly.

“I have no idea. This is my job. I should know what to do.” It was clear from the frustration in his voice that he didn’t.

“Well, I cannot carry on like this. I have a life to live here, in this village, and I won’t be stopped from living it,” she snapped.

“You shouldn’t be expected to,” Justin sighed.

“What do we do now then?” she whispered.

“I have no idea,” Justin grunted.

For the first time in his entire life he had absolutely no idea what to do. He was lost in a haze of need, want, and duty that conflicted and collided to such a degree he felt battered by it all. His mind warned him that he should stick to what he knew and put his work with the Star Elite first. His heart, however, reminded him that he now knew enough about Vanessa to be assured that they would get on well if they chose a life together. Their backgrounds were not too dissimilar, their parents alike, although Vanessa’s mother had died from fever several years ago. He and Vanessa challenged each other and were not afraid to speak their minds. They both had a good sense of humour. He just preferred life somewhere more bustling. She refused to leave the village. There had to be some compromise somewhere – wasn’t there?

He didn’t see how there could be. Vanessa needed her father just as much as her father needed her. They were close and would become even closer if Geraldine was confirmed dead. The chances of that were looking more and more probable with each day that passed.

“I think we are going to have to move on and investigate each person who has disappeared more thoroughly. It is safe to say that we have investigated Geraldine’s disappearance as much as we can. Curtis is adamantly refusing to acknowledge he had a hand in Geraldine’s death. Questioning both Curtis and Lisa has given us no new leads. Lisa has proven stubbornly belligerent and is adamant she was at the house only to look for money. We have little to go on.”

“Good afternoon,” Vanessa called suddenly.

She slowed the carriage down but didn’t stop, not least because the last thing she wanted was to try to force a conversation with Reuben right now. She watched him lift a hand in a half-hearted wave. When he looked at her, though, there was something almost worried in his eye. She opened her mouth to speak again but he had already ducked his head and picked up the speed of his walk so that he was almost keeping pace with the carriage for a moment or two.

“Who was that?” Justin murmured when the carriage picked up speed again.

“Reuben,” Vanessa replied. “Have you asked him if he has seen anything?”

“Yes, but didn’t get much out of him,” Justin replied. “He is difficult to understand anyway.”