Alice

Leonard

Leonard,

I know what I have done to you is wrong; now I realize that I should have told you sooner of the events around mom and Riley. I'm sorry that I had hidden everything from you, you didn't deserve that. You had been nothing but honest, sweet, and kind towards me. Taking me into your home and showering me with the beautiful things that you had given me, as I write this letter I fight back the tears of betrayal for eight years. Well, I'm alone now, I made it to safety, or so I thought. Jarrod's men have been following me. For months I wasn't sure why. But it was two weeks ago that I had seen the man that we both thought had perished, I realize now that Jarrod McGee has made it out of the ashes of the mayhem and is after me. As I write this letter to you, I know I have little time; By the time you read this, I won't be among the living. But I had to apologize one last time, I know that we have moved on and remained friends.'

Looking at the bloody letter in my hands that I had found in the jacket pocket Annette was lying by the pile of clothes by her body, her soulless eyes, staring at me, staring but not seeing, empty of life, empty of emotions. I sighed, rubbing a hand through my hair, leaning back in my office chair. I looked at the letter once more. The splatters of blood soaking into the page made the letter difficult, if not impossible, to make out. I placed the letter on my desk; it had been two weeks since Annette's funeral. My memories of her played on in my thoughts. They played like a broken record. The part my mind focused on being that night I found her dead body. I had reported the events while I was putting her clothes back on her. I had sat with her until the police had shown up and they had taken my statements; it was Alice that had taken the steps in helping me expose Jarrod of the murder. If not for her being the witness of the crime I saw the look on the police chief's face, his unspoken words danced across his face as he took note of our statements, I never came closer to getting arrested for something I didn't do, than that night.

I know Jarrod had caused a lot of pain to those who knew him and those who dared cross him, paid a price; they paid the price that no one wants to pay their lives meant nothing to Jarrod. Like with Annette, his own daughter, terrified of him, and now she is lying in a grave. Thoughts of Nicolae and his close brush in with death; pounding a fist on my desk, standing up with a sigh. I walked over to the large picture windows of my home in Nantucket, the village-like paradise seemed dull, but bright, dull from my previous memories of Annette always going to the library and now with Alice, both women are drawn to this location, I can't say that I can blame them, the island beautiful and flourishing. 'What is it with women and Nantucket, that will forever be a mystery to me.' I took a sip of water, taking a bite out of my turkey sandwich, my office doors opened as a beautiful and familiar voice greeted me with excitement, "Don't you just love early morning markets, Leonard, the bread I bought just came out of the oven. The people are so nice here, no one has made fun of my accent. I feel like I'm home."

I turned to see Alice placing my half-eaten sandwich and empty glass on the table, "I see you had a successful shopping trip, I don't think I need to ask how your adventure went."

She smiled, "I got some new books, some new clothes, and I got you something too."

I looked at her shocked, "Really?" Not that Annette never bought anything for me, she had always brought me home something after her shopping trip, but that was three weeks after we had met, Alice was here for one week and every day she brings me something home, I smiled walking over to her to relieve her of her bags, but she looked at me with a grin.

"Oh, no you don't mister, no sneak peeks at early birthday presents, you wait like everybody else."

I looked at her with a smile, "Tell you what, you let me look at the cheapest gift and I'll take you out for some ice cream and give you a foot rub, a nice hot foot soak with that foot rub."

She looked at me almost caving then shook her head, "Nope, you almost had me, I won't lie, you almost persuaded me to show you all of them."

I sighed, walking over to my desk, "Very well then, perhaps I'll just have to wait until Thursday to show you your anniversary present, I was almost persuaded to give you early access to an early present."

"We've only been together for three weeks, you bought me a three-week anniversary present? That's really sweet of you Leo, can I have a hint, it doesn't have to be a good hint, it can be a one-word hint."

I looked at her, "It turns."

She looked at me with a smile, "A music box, a CD player?"

I laughed, "It's neither of those things, let's just say you said when you saw it, it takes your breath away and you need a new one." I picked up my sandwich and empty glass, "Stay out of the desk drawer, don't open the bottom right-hand drawer. Just a suggestion." I chuckled walking from the room, stopping at the cracked open door hiding behind it having full access to the view of the office hiding my laughter, I wasn't long in my wait until I saw Alice walk over to the desk looking around before opening the drawer, she pulled out the leather-bound Bible that she had been wanting since we moved here, she held it close sitting in the chair as I walked towards the kitchen, chuckling to myself.

Although Alice and Annette were different women, Annette more into fashion and romance novels, Alice however, once we came back to Nantucket and I was helping her unpack, I realized from the start that she was different; I pulled out of her briefcase a well worn out bible, crinkled pages, missing cover, several notebooks of notes. She was a student, in this past week I saw a change in myself and for the better. All thanks to Alice, who often when she read her Bible would read it to me until I fell asleep, I was a mess when I found Annette, and that night Alice had promised that she would help me, and she has helped me greatly. The pain of losing Annette was there, but it was more tolerable and after three long sleepless nights, I found peace in my slumber, and I found myself the next morning always in her arms. I often did the one thing I've never done in all my twenty-seven years of living, I thanked God for the short, fun sided girl that I have become fond of and have the privilege of calling my girlfriend.

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