The Lake House (Love Heart Lane #5) - Christie Barlow Page 0,2
a real doctor. We aren’t sure that’s even his real name.’
Ella felt the burn of bile in the back of her throat, and an uncontrollable shudder swept through her entire body. Her breaths were now coming in short sharp bursts. The initial shock of what she was hearing just didn’t make sense.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ Callie reassured.
‘It’s not, though, is it?’ Ella knew she was being sharp, but she couldn’t help it.
‘Ella, please can you start from the beginning. How did you meet Alex?’
‘Take a deep breath,’ encouraged Callie, handing her a glass of water from the coffee table.
After taking a sip, Ella exhaled. ‘I’m the owner of the gift shop on the corner of Barton Square next to the City Hospital.’ She noticed that Constable Price was tapping away on an iPad whilst the other officer was writing in his notepad.
Barton Square was home to small boutiques, coffee shops and a deli which was popular with the medical staff from the hospital, and that was where Ella had first spotted Dr Alex James, sitting outside at a wrought-iron table, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. The second Ella clapped eyes on him she knew there was something about him – the way he carried himself, his Mediterranean olive skin and deep hazel eyes. He was drop-dead gorgeous and even though he was a stranger to her, Ella had a feeling that this man was going to be in her life. And she was right.
‘My parents had passed away…’ Ella let out a long shuddering breath and the tears slipped down her cheeks.
Callie quickly passed her a tissue. ‘Take your time,’ she soothed gently.
‘Their deaths made the local news but that escalated to the national news.’ Her voice quivered.
‘What happened?’ asked the policeman.
‘Carbon monoxide poisoning,’ replied Ella, ‘given off by the old gas fire in the Edwardian property they were living in. There was an article in the newspaper and I was sitting in my shop reading it, when Alex walked in. I was mortified, all blotchy-faced from my tears, with greasy hair,’ Ella reminisced. ‘But he introduced himself, asked if I was okay, and as soon as I explained about my parents’ death, he insisted on making me a cup of tea. He comforted me for an hour, the whole of his lunch break. I felt dreadful – he went back to work not having anything to eat.’
‘And he said at that very first meeting that he worked at the City Hospital?’ asked the police officer.
Ella nodded.
‘And when was the first time you picked him up from work?’ asked Constable Price.
‘Literally a week after. His flat was on the outskirts of the city and he used to ride the bus into work. He didn’t like crawling through the slow city traffic, so it was easier for me to pick him up, as I live closer to the hospital, and for him to come back to mine. It was a couple of months before we moved in together.’
‘And what’s the address of his flat?’
All eyes were on Ella.
Ella’s voice faltered. ‘I… I don’t know.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed both policemen raise their eyebrows. ‘I know saying that out loud, it doesn’t sound very good, does it?’
‘Did you think it was strange that you never went to his home?’
Ella looked towards Callie who gave her hand a little squeeze.
‘No, I didn’t think about it. It was just easier for him to come to mine when he finished work.’
‘When he moved in, did he bring his belongings?’ the policeman probed.
Now Ella felt like she was under investigation. Why were they questioning her like this? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Her only crime was to fall in love. She shared a look with Callie, raising an eyebrow. ‘Do you think it’s weird I never went to his flat?’
Callie hesitated. ‘If you thought it felt right and he was being genuine…’
‘Alex is genuine! What are you saying? He could lying at the bottom of the river… murdered… anything! And you’re asking me ridiculous questions about his clothes, what he moved in with.’ Ella was bordering on hysterical now. She didn’t want the police sitting there asking her stupid questions. She wanted Alex to be found and brought home.
‘Ella, I’m on your side,’ reassured Callie, ‘but I can hear what the officers are saying. Alex James is not who he says he is and doesn’t work at the hospital.’ Callie’s voice was calm.