“I’ve been there, Will. Though I didn’t try to hide it behind cheap make up prodcuts,” Shane commented earnestly.

“This concealer costed 50 bucks,” she smiled. Shane’s face remained unphased. “I’m fine, Shane,” Will reassured and took her coffee to her lips once more.

Shane looked on unmoving, unwavering. Will, for once, with all her cool talk and unnerved exterior, seemed uncomfortable.

“You know you can talk to me right? Tell me anything,” Shane started again. Will shook her head this time, trying to focus on the foam attaching itself to the edge of the coffee cup.

“Of course, Shane,” she answered distantly.

Bette parked the pram in the shade before opening her book. She had decided to bundle Angelica up and take her for a walk in the park. Anything was better than spending yet another day trying to arrange nick nacks in the curio cabinet. Bette, however, couldn’t concentrate. She instead watched the kids play in the sandbox making various sculptures as Bette atributed each design to an artistic movement as only Bette could do. She watched as the kids played with coloured chalk and played jump rope and chased eachother around the park. She hardly even noticed the woman sitting down next to her untill she spoke.

“Which one’s yours?” the lady asked. Bette smiled for a moment and then turned to Angelica in the pram. The lady smiled. “Just the one?” Bette nodded her head. She seemed to proud to move her lips and utter a syllable.

“Wow, you did a great job getting the weight off,” the lady commented. Bette laughed.

“Well, my partner had her,” she said absently.

“Oh,” the lady said and suddenly had disapeared. Bette looked around vainley for a moment. She had just vanished. A fell wind chilled her and Bette got up pulling her coat tightly and pushed Angelica’s pram back to the car.

“Walk’s over Angie,” she whispered.

Officer Bryant looked around the study. There was something he had to have missed. Something obvious. The yellow and black police tape had gone unmoved since it was placed there a week ago. He had visited this scene so many times hoping the clue would jump out at him and present itself in obvious abundance. He walked into the kitchen rubbing his neck thoughfully, what could it be? The great dane in the corner barked once but lazily placed it’s head back down on the pillow in the corner next to the hearth.