Chapter 4

Dr. Emilia Gardiner had not slept last night. She had dreamt of a long black whip making red long tracks over her back and then she was staring down at the barrel of a gun just before it fired. She had woken up all sweaty then she had cried silently as she always did on such nights. Emilia had woken up with a resolution, she wasn't going to let her dark past destroy her new life.

She had dressed herself in the darkness and carefully tiptoed out of Margaret's house and driven like a bat out of hell towards her past.

The two hour drive to Mattapan had taken longer since she had gotten lost only a million times but she had finally reached the old building. The roof had collapsed and the cracks were now stretching their long fingers across the entire building but Emilia wasn't here for that cursed building. She walked towards the backyard and took a sharp right away from the overgrown forest and towards a thicket that was well trimmed and shaped. She walked right passed what she was looking for at first and then she saw it. The marble headstone, it was well maintained with a fresh bouquet of roses. Her throat choked up as she read the name on the headstone. The name in her nightmares.

Evan Barker

Born 5th August, 1988

Died 10th July, 2010

  She turned on her phone to take a picture, to prove to herself that he was indeed dead and almost immediately her phone rung. She picked it up and a panicked voice spoke on the other side.

  "Emilia, where are you?" It was the cop from yesterday. Archer Finn, the man who had peaked her interest and she had peaked his. She wasn't a behavioral psychologist for nothing. She was very observant.

Archer was the first man who had seen through her facade of happiness. He had penetrated her zen mask with his deep brown eyes. She could have thought of a future with him but a quick Google search had revealed that he was married. It turns out she had used her night for more than just crying and sweating.

  Archer was married to Rosalia Finn Grande, a model who spent her time travelling the world. She had seen her pictures on the Internet and crushed all hopes of a life with him. What would he want with a woman like her? Archer's voice roused her from her self deprecating thoughts.

    "I'm at the Mattapan Cathedral." She told him the truth because she owed him that much.

  "Wait right there I am on my way." He clicked off the phone and she  stood there holding her phone. She snapped the picture of Evan's grave and stood up to leave.

             ____________________

  Archer's squad car turned onto the church property and he dashed out before it even stopped. He was desperate to see her. He saw her long curly white hair before he saw her. She came out of a thicket. She was dressed in white jeans, a white shirt and a long navy blue coat. She completed the ensemble with navy blue heels and a thin gold necklace. She was clearly professionally dressed and looked more beautiful than Rosalia ever did in her designer dresses that cost a fortune.

  "I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm going to the hospital. I have important appointments that cannot be postponed." she said this as she walked past him to her grey Civic Honda.

   Archer held her hand and was about to ask what she was doing at this church when a movement caught his eye. A glint of light reflecting off metal.

  Crack

Archer threw Emilia on the grass and covered her with his body as a bullet zinged passed him to the concrete barricade next to Emilia's arm. Archer was looking everywhere now to see where the gunshot had come from.

  Another Crack

Archer noticed the curtain in the third floor window in the building across from the church shift and first checked that Emilia was fine, ordered her to wait for him in his squad car and then launched himself towards the building.

                  _______________

  Emilia was frazzled. She had taken off her coat which was now dirty and now sat in Archer's squad car. She had called her secretary, Dianna Ledford to say that she was coming in late. She had watched as more officers rushed in with their squad cars. Archer had clearly failed to catch the shooter. She knew this because she had seen the disappointment flicker across his face as he called backup and this was about two hours ago.

   Emilia was getting hysterical now. She giggled, snorted then launched into a full on laughter. She looked out the window to see Archer staring at her in mute horror.

  "Should I be calling your office to have them admit you." Archer said as he opened the door and entered the car. Emilia allowed herself to critically look at him. She noticed his dark hair. Too dark that it was almost navy blue. She allowed herself to imagine what life would be like had she been a normal woman who could love and be loved back. He stared at her too. His deep brown eyes boring into her soul. Emilia knew she would regret what she did next but she did it anyway. She kissed him and he kissed her back. They kissed each other like two starved people and then his phone rang. They broke the kiss both looking like two teenagers who had been caught. He answered the phone and his expression immediately changed. His brows furrowed he was clearly angry. He hung up.

 "Change of plans. You shall not be going to work today." he said as he prepared to drive.

  Like hell she was going to let this man boss her around because of one heart wrenching kiss.

"Why? You don't have to babysit me. I can go on my own. I have a car." She said as she started to open the door.

   "You can't go to work because the psychiatric ward in the Boston State Hospital is on fire."