The Stranger
THE STRANGER
Hugh and Sarah were walking along the path, it had been nice exploring the city with each other. Finding little shops down the alleys and having coffee in cosy cafes. She looked over the river and saw a man, she knew she recognised him, but she was sure he was dead.
Sarah looked to where the man had seemed to have melted into the city. She knew they had only two more days in the city, then they would be leaving. It was unlikely she would ever be back again, she couldn’t face not knowing if that was him.
When they got back to their hotel, Sarah collapsed on the sofa. “I am a little tired Hugh. I still haven’t bought your gift or my parents. Maybe tomorrow we should separate and go our own ways for the morning.”
“You’re right sweetheart. I will have to get your gift too. I think rest will be the advisable to thing to do.”
Sarah smiled and got changed for bed. She lay down and felt Hugh kiss her on the brow and say good night. She had never told Hugh about Liam, never felt any need. Liam was dead and she had done all her grieving years ago. Liam was going to propose, but died in a car accident just before the romantic dinner.
She slept restlessly, kept on reliving the moment that she was told Liam was dead. His body was burned beyond all recognition. The only things they could use was dental records and a little lapel pin that he always wore. It was a special gift from Sarah.
The next morning Sarah and Hugh parted with plans to meet each other just up the road for lunch. Sarah set off for the place where she had last seen Liam the day before. She felt the wind whip up and rain start to fall, as she was in a mall there was no cover. She quickly ran into a bookstore.
Normally Sarah never read many books, unless they were psychology texts. Her reading for pleasure had stopped the day Liam had died. That is why she hadn’t been in the car with him. She had stayed up the night before reading a novel, so he went without her that day.
She walked through the shelves to the back where the book store looked and felt more like a library rather than a book store. She read the titles as she passed the shelves. She smiled when she realised most were old classics, many that she had read. Most of the books at the front were the current bestsellers and had bright and shiny covers. She felt as if she had almost stepped back in time
She saw a man coming down a set of curly stairs that led to a mezzanine floor. She stepped to the side, but then saw his face. She stared at a man that looked like Liam. She touched his arm and as he turned she saw the little scar on his forehead that split his eyebrow in two.
“Can I help you Miss?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember me Liam. Sarah Jane Campbell, but I was Baker before. Liam tell me it’s you? I recognise the eyebrow with the scar.”
“I’m sorry Miss, you have me mistaken.”
“Then can you forget this kiss.” Sarah put herself at risk kissing a man that could be stranger. She placed her lips on his and was sent back to time when she was happy and loved reading for pleasure.”
“No,” the man said against her lips and then pulled her closer. He kissed her like a man drowning in desperation. “Oh Sarah Jay” He said roughly.
Sarah’s heart soared and she knew it was Liam. He was the only one who ever called her ‘Sarah Jay’. He was the only one she had ever allowed. “Oh Liam, I thought you were dead.”
“Sarah you married? I thought you said I would be the only one you could ever love. We promised to never marry anyone else.”
“I thought you were dead, but I needed someone. Hugh was nice enough to love me, even when I couldn’t fully love him.”
“Sarah I told you I would never leave you for too long. The case is coming up in two weeks and then I am free to come back. How long have you been married?”
“A year, we are expecting a child in 6 months, I never imagined you coming back.”
“I only went into witness protection for you Sarah Jay, and now it doesn’t matter. I will be back in few months, but don’t worry I won’t bother you and your new husband.”
“But Liam,” Sarah looked at him imploringly. “Please don’t leave things like this.”
“No please don’t leave things like this Liam Turner. Tell you girlfriend how you feel before it is time to meet you master.” The man was holding a gun, the barrel was protruding from the folded newspaper. “It would be a pity to ruin all these books.”
Sarah edged away but felt a hand on her neck and voice saying “No you don’t sweetheart.” It was Hugh “I knew you would eventually lead me to Liam, it was just a matter of time. You were a nice little diversion.”
“Hugh! How could you?”
“Funny how people get so hurt in cars, or maybe we could have you go bush walking. We have some poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions back in our lab.”
Liam had been given an emergency alert bracelet and he touched it as soon as he saw the man holding the gun. He heard the men coming and heard the command “Drop” and with a lunge at Sarah put them both on the ground and a few bullets whizzed by them.
She turned and saw the blood stains on the two men who had held them. She was safe and with the man she truly and forever would love.
Hugh and Sarah were walking along the path, it had been nice exploring the city with each other. Finding little shops down the alleys and having coffee in cosy cafes. She looked over the river and saw a man, she knew she recognised him, but she was sure he was dead.
Sarah looked to where the man had seemed to have melted into the city. She knew they had only two more days in the city, then they would be leaving. It was unlikely she would ever be back again, she couldn’t face not knowing if that was him.
When they got back to their hotel, Sarah collapsed on the sofa. “I am a little tired Hugh. I still haven’t bought your gift or my parents. Maybe tomorrow we should separate and go our own ways for the morning.”
“You’re right sweetheart. I will have to get your gift too. I think rest will be the advisable to thing to do.”
Sarah smiled and got changed for bed. She lay down and felt Hugh kiss her on the brow and say good night. She had never told Hugh about Liam, never felt any need. Liam was dead and she had done all her grieving years ago. Liam was going to propose, but died in a car accident just before the romantic dinner.
She slept restlessly, kept on reliving the moment that she was told Liam was dead. His body was burned beyond all recognition. The only things they could use was dental records and a little lapel pin that he always wore. It was a special gift from Sarah.
The next morning Sarah and Hugh parted with plans to meet each other just up the road for lunch. Sarah set off for the place where she had last seen Liam the day before. She felt the wind whip up and rain start to fall, as she was in a mall there was no cover. She quickly ran into a bookstore.
Normally Sarah never read many books, unless they were psychology texts. Her reading for pleasure had stopped the day Liam had died. That is why she hadn’t been in the car with him. She had stayed up the night before reading a novel, so he went without her that day.
She walked through the shelves to the back where the book store looked and felt more like a library rather than a book store. She read the titles as she passed the shelves. She smiled when she realised most were old classics, many that she had read. Most of the books at the front were the current bestsellers and had bright and shiny covers. She felt as if she had almost stepped back in time
She saw a man coming down a set of curly stairs that led to a mezzanine floor. She stepped to the side, but then saw his face. She stared at a man that looked like Liam. She touched his arm and as he turned she saw the little scar on his forehead that split his eyebrow in two.
“Can I help you Miss?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember me Liam. Sarah Jane Campbell, but I was Baker before. Liam tell me it’s you? I recognise the eyebrow with the scar.”
“I’m sorry Miss, you have me mistaken.”
“Then can you forget this kiss.” Sarah put herself at risk kissing a man that could be stranger. She placed her lips on his and was sent back to time when she was happy and loved reading for pleasure.”
“No,” the man said against her lips and then pulled her closer. He kissed her like a man drowning in desperation. “Oh Sarah Jay” He said roughly.
Sarah’s heart soared and she knew it was Liam. He was the only one who ever called her ‘Sarah Jay’. He was the only one she had ever allowed. “Oh Liam, I thought you were dead.”
“Sarah you married? I thought you said I would be the only one you could ever love. We promised to never marry anyone else.”
“I thought you were dead, but I needed someone. Hugh was nice enough to love me, even when I couldn’t fully love him.”
“Sarah I told you I would never leave you for too long. The case is coming up in two weeks and then I am free to come back. How long have you been married?”
“A year, we are expecting a child in 6 months, I never imagined you coming back.”
“I only went into witness protection for you Sarah Jay, and now it doesn’t matter. I will be back in few months, but don’t worry I won’t bother you and your new husband.”
“But Liam,” Sarah looked at him imploringly. “Please don’t leave things like this.”
“No please don’t leave things like this Liam Turner. Tell you girlfriend how you feel before it is time to meet you master.” The man was holding a gun, the barrel was protruding from the folded newspaper. “It would be a pity to ruin all these books.”
Sarah edged away but felt a hand on her neck and voice saying “No you don’t sweetheart.” It was Hugh “I knew you would eventually lead me to Liam, it was just a matter of time. You were a nice little diversion.”
“Hugh! How could you?”
“Funny how people get so hurt in cars, or maybe we could have you go bush walking. We have some poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions back in our lab.”
Liam had been given an emergency alert bracelet and he touched it as soon as he saw the man holding the gun. He heard the men coming and heard the command “Drop” and with a lunge at Sarah put them both on the ground and a few bullets whizzed by them.
She turned and saw the blood stains on the two men who had held them. She was safe and with the man she truly and forever would love.