"I did not kill Paul Craig. I have no reason to" she said to the police officer before her. A man she was with barely an hour ago had just turned up dead, and she was a suspect.

He turned his laptop to her, showing the CCTV footage of the café where they met earlier.

"You poured coffee on him" he pointed out.

"That is because he was being a dick"

"Language" he warned. "And that could be a motive"

She smiled incredulously. "You think I'd kill him because of that?" She had to remind herself that this was a police station.

She had already written all she said in her statement so why was it so hard to believe?

"I didn't kill him" she insisted.

"Do you have an alibi?"

"I don't, but I went straight home immediately I left the café. You can check the time on the footage, and I arrived home twenty minutes later. How could I have had the time to go to his house and off him? I don't even know where his house is"

"You want me to believe you just because you said it?" He received a call. She could not hear what was said on the other end, but she guessed the caller was his superior.

"Yes sir...... I understand sir" he put the phone down and turned to her.

"The chief called me now. He wants me to let you go immediately so you are free to go"

She pursed her lips. That was her father at work. He had that much influence, but she had to prove her innocence.

"I'm not leaving here until I'm acquitted" she knew this officer was not convinced it wasn't her.

He beckoned to another officer and instructed him to go to her house and bring some of the domestic staff in for questioning to check the validity of her words"

They were questioned separately by the same officer while Cressida waited.

He returned thirty minutes later. "Their statements matched yours. You are free to go"

She raised her chin. "Are you disappointed I'm not guilty?" She said haughtily.

"It's not over yet. It's too early to rejoice" she scoffed at him and left the place.

She met her father in the living room. "Why would they think you killed him? Did you do something?"

"Dad please, not now" she said without stopping until she got into her room. She could not wait to find a house and not see him anymore. She was about to call the number of a real estate agency she had found on the internet when her phone buzzed. It was a message from the creep. Her heartbeat almost spiraled out of control.

"DID YOU LIKE MY GIFT?"

What gift? Did this person have something to do with Paul's death?

"Did you kill him?"

She waited but did not get a reply.

"Who are you?"

She got a reply in seconds.

"SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU"

"Why are you hiding? Show yourself, you fucking coward!"

Once again, she was left hanging. She angrily threw her phone at the wall.

There was no one she could tell this to. Amy was only going to get worried.

She felt flat on the bed with her eyes glued to the ceiling. She had no idea how long she stared for before she fell asleep.

A knock on the door woke her up. Glancing out the window, she realized it was dark outside.

"Mr Jones would like you to come down for dinner"

"Tell him I'm not interested"

"He said there is a guest he wants you to meet"

"Tell him I am not interested" she repeated.

"He warned me not to return without you"

Cressida groaned angrily and followed her to the dining table. There was her father, Kevin and.......

Her eyes met the man staring at her. Their eyes met.

She felt a seizure of pain right there as she came face to face with her nemesis. One of the reasons she had refused to come home all these years. Could today get any worse. Gavin Clark. Her father's close friend and business partner. A fifty years old sleazy old man with potbelly, crooked nose and disgusting oily and ugly face. He was no stranger to their house.

His lips spread into a smile, revealing his brown teeth.

"Have a seat" she stood rigid.

"You said you wanted me to meet someone. Is it him?"

"Yes. Don't you remember him?"

"I do. How….could I …forget him?" She was almost out of breath.

"Sit down"

"I'm not hungry"

Before he could get angry, Kevin spoke.

"I'm going out" their father turned to him and chastised him giving Cressida an opportunity to leave. In hurried steps, she went into the garden and bent over, panting with her hands on her chest.

There was no way she would be at ease when that monster was here.

"Are you alright?" She froze when she heard his voice. She turned and when she confirmed it was him, she took a few steps back.

He seemed to take pleasure in knowing that she still feared him.

"There's no need to be afraid of me" he approached her.

"Stay away from me" she warned, memory of the night playing in her mind. She was just a child and this monster had.....he had.....

She didn't let the tears fall.

"I can't even say hi to you?"

She glared hatefully at him.

He chuckled. "I'm sure we'll see each other again pretty" he winked and walked away.

She collapsed on the cold ground, staring into space. She tried to forget memories of that night, and she had been partially successful when she was in California. She stood up assuring herself that everything was going to be fine when she leaves this house and doesn't see him again.

*************

This was the sixth apartment she was looking at, but they all were not what she wanted.

She went back for the day after the real estate agent promised her they were going to look at more the next day.

Morning came and Cressida sent a message. She waited for almost an hour, but the agent was not responding. She tried calling and she wasn't answering either. It continued till the next day. She wondered why the agent suddenly ghosted her.

She sent her another message threatened to report her to the agency, and she finally replied asking to meet at a coffee shop.

"I didn't ask to see you because you threatened me, but because I felt it was only appropriate to tell you"

"Tell me what?"

"Someone called the agency and warned us to stop working with you, and it was not just anybody"

"Who was it?"

"Your dad"

Cressida burst into her father's study, anger evident in her eyes, but it did not faze him at all.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I don't understand what you mean"

"Why did you call the agency?"

"I see you found out"

She had no idea he knew she was getting an apartment but why was he trying to sabotage it.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I had to do something to make you listen to me"

She narrowed her eyes. "Go on another blind date. I promise that after this, I won't disturb you again. I chose a good man for you this time"

Her father showered him his picture. She could hardly believe her eyes.

"Henry? Gavin's son!"