Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

'Thank you, Julia. Please keep me updated if you find anything else,' Barnes said, hanging up the phone. He turned his attention onto Ally. 'Julia Higgins has just informed me of what we feared. Jack Roberts' DNA has been found on Hannah's body, problem is, the blood on her body isn't a match to her or Jack,' he explained.

'Then who does it belong to?'

'We don't know. I need to phone the lab myself and find out if the blood on Hannah's body is a match to Jack's clothes we found inside the bins.'

He marched out of the briefing room and into his office, leaving Ally pondering more about the case. Two killers? Are they working together? Is Jack involved in something bigger than what we thought?

It was nine-thirty in the morning and Jacob hadn't slept a wink, with thoughts about the previous night floating around his mind, keeping him awake. A glass caressed his lips as a touch of whiskey poured down his throat. Jacob had lost count of how many sips of whiskey he'd consumed that night. His vision blurry and the room spinning, Jacob crawled to his bathroom, needing to throw up. He lay against the toilet and let the vomit release itself.

All he could think about was how much he'd hurt Kate, and the words she said. She hated him because he kept his father's secret from her. Saying they were not related hurt Jacob. He cared for her like a sister, she always was, even when he found out his father's lie. She'll understand one day. But it was the hurt that drove Jacob back to the drink.

Lifting himself away from the toilet, he stumbled to his bed and dropped his body on top, blacking out into a deep sleep, dreaming of happier times from his childhood. The way his mother read him and Adam stories at bedtime, baking in their kitchen, and the loving, warm embrace, she caressed them with. He missed her deeply and with every passing day, his memory of her began to fade. Then he was surrounded by darkness.

'I'm proud of you, my son,' her voice whispered.

'Mum?' Jacob called out.

His mother came out of the dark, still the image he remembered.

'Hello, Jacob.'

'Mum? I've missed you so much.'

'I miss you too, my boy. But this is still not your time. You are dreaming and you'll soon wake up.'

'But I don't want to,' he cried, staring into her eyes.

She caressed his cheek with her hand. 'You'll get through this. Just like last time. Better days are coming. Just look through the storm and you'll see the sun.'

She started to fade away as Jacob began to wake, knowing he was back to being alone and full of self-pity. Death and misery followed him, clinging like a reaper in the night. Unseen, but causing havoc wherever he goes. Quietness filled the apartment, nobody home to make the place feel lively and warm.

The craving for another drop of alcohol returned. What am I doing with my life? Beginning to cry, he lifted his heavy head from his pillow, letting the tears drip from his eyes and down his cheeks. The betrayal of Lily to her murdering his father, Jacob's life wasn't improving, even now. All he wanted was to be happy, but that was turning out impossible.

Ally started calling him, but his phone was across the room, plugged into the charger. His blurry vision made it nearly impossible for him to attempt to reach it as well as his state of mind. He just sat crying silently, thinking about everything he'd been through in his life. Tears flooded down his cheeks, dripping on his legs below as he remained seated on the bed.

A knock on the door surprised him, his hands wiped away the tears as his groggy voice told them to enter. Belle opened the door to see Jacob perched on the edge of his bed, as she grasped a fresh brew of coffee.

'I brought you a fresh cup of coffee,' she said gently.

'Thank you,' Jacob answered, still sobbing slightly.

'Are you okay?'

'I'll be fine.' His head didn't move, just remained looking against the wall.

'You know I'm here if you need me.'

'I know.'

Belle couldn't bear to see the man she admired look so down and depressed. The light barely peered through his blinds, making the room dim and gloomy. She walked over to the window and lifted the blinds up, releasing the sun into the room.

'I'm not going to just let you sit here and be all depressed,' she yelled with a forceful tone. She decided it was time to take action to cheer him up. 'Get up, we're going out.'

'Belle, I don't...'

She stopped him mid-sentence. 'I don't care if you don't want to. I'm not going to let you mope around in this apartment, feeling sorry for yourself. So what if your sister has fallen out with you. She'll come around. I know you've had it hard,' she started to be sympathetic before rising back to being forceful. 'But it's not doing you any favours. Now get dressed and meet me in the kitchen.'

Belle left the room, allowing him the privacy to get ready. Not knowing what Belle had planned, he had no idea what to wear. Maybe just the usual, he thought as he picked out jeans and a black t-shirt. Sitting on the bed he placed on his black trainers, hoping he'd appear decent for what she'd planned. Belle's face was full of glee as Jacob stepped out of his bedroom.

'There he is!' she smiled.

'What have you got planned?' he asked without a clue.

'You'll find out when we get there.'

'We'll have to take a taxi,' Jacob told her, not wanting to admit why.

She just smiled, already knowing the reason why.