At least that was what she had told the police when they had asked her of Nicole's whereabouts. Nicole had been missing for about a month and Marvin had begun to tell everyone the girl had disappeared from her grandmother's side and run off. No one questioned it because everyone was aware of how bad Marvin treated her. It seemed logical, except to Ethan who had come to know the girl from what the customers and neighbors said. Nicole would never leave Nanna's side no matter how bad Marvin was. She would never leave Nanna for anything.
Cleo came late that afternoon when Nicole was still sleeping. Ethan had changed into some black jeans and a nice black silk shirt. Right before she had arrived he'd just gotten out the shower so his hair was still wet.
She seemed strangely alarmed at his disheveled appearance as she came in the front room. When she didn't see Nicole on the couch she became alarmed.
"She's up in the guest room," he assured her.
"I would like to see her."
He didn't feel very comfortable with letting her see the rest of the house. The front room was specially modified to block others from seeing what the rest of the house contained. It wasn't he didn't trust Cleo; he just knew the neighborhood he was in and couldn't go around showing off what kind of money he was investing into the home. Why he chose this side of town was only one reason -Nicole. In the end, he surmised it had to do with wanting to be closer to her. He had planned to sell the property once he had finished his revenge against Lynne, but now his plans were definitely going awry. How could he not care that something like this had happened to Nicole?
"Now, Mr. Black or I really will call the police."
"She's sleeping," he said stiffly.
"I don't care if she's dead. I want to see her."
He led her straight to the guest room making sure he closed the doors to the other rooms so she wouldn't see the other parts of the lavishly furnished home. Soon as she saw Nicole lying on the bed with the tube in her arm, she practically shoved him aside to get to her and see if she was still alive.
"How is she? The doctor really came?"
He nodded. "He said he was beaten repeatedly on different days and she was molested."
Cleo gasped. Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed the hair out of Nicole's. Reaching in her purse she pulled out her comb and brush. "I'll fix her up real pretty. She'll like that."