"...you can use a rope to save yourself

or hang yourself..."

"You cannot kick me out of my house! This is my house! Mine! You get out!" I screamed at Nick's mother.

"You are a social climbing witch! You will leave this house! You will get out of my son's life!" She screamed back.

I came home four days ago to find her here. I have never met Nick's mother and I was not counting on ever doing so. Nick is at the table drinking in silence. He is not even hiding anymore. He is not troubled by the screaming battles between his mother and I.

"Julio throw her out!" She demanded.

"Julio of you throw me out I won't forget this!" I warned him. But I know where his loyalty lies. It's with Nick.

When Nick got up from the table, he came straight to me. "Get out Margaux. No one wants you here."

I smiled at him. "So you are all ganging up on me? Are you serious Nick? Do you think that you have any power left? You are nothing and you will soon realize that you are not in control of anything."

"What does that mean?" His breath is nothing but whiskey. This is not the man I married. He had better control of himself. He is drinking at 8am in the morning!

"Your life is about to crash and burn. I don't think ven want to be a part of the hell that is about to unfold. You need nothing less than a miracle to survive the storm. I am leaving on my own terms. I'm leaving because I want to leave."

I stepped out into the raining morning and the door slammed shut behind me.

It's a beautiful day!

At this moment, Detective Rowland is probably on his way to visit Keira. The pieces are set and are in motion. I can't wait for checkmate, when they both pay for fooling around.

The sweetest dreams are the result of rain pelting against the window in a gentle pitter patter and being underneath the warmth of the covers.

I just woke up with a smile on my face and I can't say for sure why I'm smiling but I know I am all fuzzy on the inside. My palm is rested on my stomach. There's a little miracle happening right now and it's thanks to Nick. He gave me something special and I'll take good care of it. I'll do anything to take care of it. Will it be a boy? A girl? I dint know but any is fine really. I'm now t fussy because my dream came true.

I wish Lorraine was here to share it with me. I wish Nick was here to share it with me. I have been thinking about him, wondering when I will be able to tell him and how he will react. But like he said, he's not at a good place in his life. He's heavily drinking. He is caught up in an ugly divorce. I understand and that is why I agree with him. I should back off.

We flew high, we burned hot and then we separated as fast as we got together. Nick felt like a scary rollercoaster that turned out to be thrilling and fun and now that the adrenaline is gone, I'm wondering if it was worth it. I learned that I can love. I learned that I could feel. I learned that I'm worth something. He taught me what happiness looks and feels like. It feels like someone to ripped a bandaid off and I'm reeling with a reality as dark as the day outside.

Like most dreams, Nickolas Bale was a dream too good to be true.

I turned my head when I heard something like a knock. I slid out of bed and made my way downstairs. It is a knock and whoever is knocking is impatient!

I unlocked the door and when I opened it, I came face to face with detective Rowland and he's not alone. It's been exactly three days since I found him waiting to for me. "Detective... Good morning." I van count about ten other officers. "Is there a problem?"

"Miss Ballard, I'm sure you're aware that Jason Burke is missing. We had this conversation, didn't we?"

"Yes we did."

He handed me a sheet of paper. "This a warrant to search for any traves of him in your premises as well as this compound. Move out of the way."

I stepped aside and they all entered the house with their wet shoes and jackets, trailing water and mud everywhere. I watched in horror as they started going through everything.

"I'm sure he is not under the sofa!" I told an officer who is taking the sofa apart. "Detective Rowland! What are you looking for really?"

"Any trace of him."

I was about to march off to get my phone when a female officer blocked me. "We would prefer if you stay where you are." She told me.

"I need to pee. Should I peel on myself?" I asked her softly.

She moved aside but she followed me upstairs. As soon as I reached the top, I ran off into my room and locked the door. I grabbed my phone and locked myself in the bathroom, letting all the water from the taps flow.

I dialled Nick's number with trembling fingers. The pressure of the officer banging at the door is making me crazy with anxiety. It rang and no one answered. I called my father. Same thing. When I was about to call Theo, the door to the bathroom caved.

"Hands where I can see them!" She pointed a gun at me. "What are you doing? Who are you talking to? Surrender the phone now!" I purposely dropped it on the floor. "Turn around, hands behind your back!"

"Why?" I asked her. "You can't arrest me without telling me why!"

"Officer, leave us." Detective Rowland addressed her. She put the phone in a clear bag from her pocket and excused herself. I followed the detective to the bedroom. "Miss Ballard... murder is not a stealing candy from the shop. You could spend twenty years in prison. Jason Burke was last-"

"Seen here. You have me mentioned that already. But what has that got to do with this warrant? What are you looking for? Why are your officers trailing mud all over my house and turning the furniture-" I heard things breaking. My mother will ha e a gear attack if it's her fine china. "Who will pay for that?"

"As I was saying. Jason Burke was last seen here and we have received an anonymous tip that his body never left this estate. There's your answer. I'm looking for a body and the gun that was fired on the same night he was here. Now Miss Ballard, this is where I demonstrate my genuine concern for you. You have obviously been caught up with the wrong man. You keep making poor decisions with Nickolas Bale and now the French billionaire. But I am throwing you a rope to either pull yourself out of the murk or use it to hang yourself. Tell me now what happened when Jason came here before I find out for myself.'

"I am aware of how these things work detective Rowland. I will not give you something to hang me by." I pulled my robe open. "I'm going to get dressed and you can excuse yourself or watch. I advise against the latter because I'll sue you."

"I'll step outside. Miss Ballard, in prison, you'll undress in front of the guards and you'll bathe in front of other inmates. Just saying."

He excused himself but stood at the door. I pulled on a pair of pants and a thick sweater to keep me warm from the chill I'm feeling. I'm cold not because of of the weather but because of the imminence of this situation.

I sat on the bed quietly, staring outside the window. There are dogs running around, men with shovels digging around. I know my father did not bury Jason. My father left that very night after cleaning the blood on the doorstep. Jason could not have died in this estate. It's a big place but not that big. Who called with an anonymous tip? Who?

"Miss Ballard, please come with me." He called me to follow him. We went downstairs and I must admit it is a mess! I followed him to the room my father uses as an office. My father says he is retired from the navy but sometimes he still works. I don't know what he does. I don't ask. "Please open the safe."

"Get a warrant for it. If I'm not mistaken the warrant was not for that particular safe."

"Can stop being so stubborn!" He shouted at me.

"It belongs to my father. Get a warrant." I held my ground. Im trying to still my voice. I really am.

"Explain these." He pushed a panel on the wall open. There are several guns . I have never seen this before. I dint come into my father's office.

"No comment." I told him.

"I am throwing you rope and you are hanging yourself by not talking!"

I kept my lips pressed tightly together.

I know how these things go. My father and I have watched crime shows since I was a little girl. I know that he wants me to incriminate myself. He does not have my best interests at heart.

"There's a riffle that is missing! Where is it?"

Silence. Silence. Silence.

"Detective Rowland! You have to see this!" Another officer came in. "Outside!"

He took me by the arm and dragged me out into the rain without any cover. I'm barefoot but I don't think he cares. He dragged me across the field in front of the house to the side of the barn where they have dug a hole in the wet ground.

My eyes widened in horror at the sight of Jason lying dead in there. I looked away immediately, hot tears running down my cheeks but being washed away by the rain.

"Miss Ballard." I looked at the detective. "You just hang yourself. Turn around, hands behind your back." I turned. "Keira Ballard you are under arrest for the murder of Jason Burke. You have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you. You have a right to an attorney-"

I zoned out and looked at the dead body of the man who battered me. Insulted me. Assaulted me and hurt me in every way imaginable. He wrapped me in a carpet to dispose of my body and now he's the one who is dead.

I slap hit my face as my hair for pulled by a screaming woman. I blinked repeatedly through the pelting rain to see Jason's mother being restrained and screaming curses at me.

Detective Rowland pulled me away at once. I don't know how my feet moved through the muddy ground but they did. I can't feel anything. Nothing. Not even the cold of the rain but I can hear my heart beating wildly in fear.

Who killed Jason?

It's not me!