I watched the purple haze draw back gradually, realising at some point it was a reminder that the careless bliss wouldn't last forever. We were both in danger, and sooner or later Santana and her pals would find out about Gabrielle and come after us but of all the possible scenarios I played in my head I couldn't even remotely imagine what was awaiting us.
I couldn't fall asleep, although I loved feeling Gabrielle's naked breasts pressed against my chest and her purring in my ear. As soon as I saw the first beams of light falling through the window, I stood up and went to the kitchen.
I was making breakfast for her when I heard a soft tap on my window. I drew back the curtain and saw Tom, our community's police officer, standing outside. I gave him a sign to come in.
Tom was a good man. He took his job seriously, making sure he knew everyone who lived in the vicinity. He was one of those solid pillars of society. He treated everyone with respect, no matter if they were strangers or weirdos like me. He listened to everyone, came to the rescue, and helped people solve disputes. And if I ever had a friend in that place, I think it was Tom.
He walked in, taking off his hat.
"Good morning, Nicolas. How are you? You're up early today," he said.
"I'm fine, thank you Tom. I couldn't sleep. What brought you here?"
"The reason for my visit is quite ridiculous. I apologise in advance. You know that feeling when you're ashamed of something someone else has done? Well, that's how I feel right now. Do you know the lawyer's wife, the one who lost his daughter recently?"
"Santana."
"Yes, Santana. I don't know what's gotten into her, but she's spreading outrageous and nasty rumours about you. She's a crazy bitch, but still, you know how the locals are. I just want you to be careful. If someone threatens you, let me know. Okay?"
"Yes, of course Tom. I will. What did she say about me then?"
"It's mad talk. She claims she saw you digging out Gabrielle and now you keep her body in your house … Doing things to it. I'm telling you, she's psychotic!"
I pretended to find his story amusing and acted as if it didn't bother me. I had no clue of what Santana had in store for me, but it didn't promise to be any good. As soon as Tom left, I woke up Gabrielle and told her about my plans of hiding her in my apartment in the city. She didn't feel much for it at first, but when I told her about her stepmother selling lies about me, she agreed. We left at once after a quick breakfast.
Everything was closed; people were still sleeping, which was the perfect time to get away unseen.
We walked fast, hiding behind trees and parked cars, melting with the shadows on the asphalt. Every silent door, every sudden turn, every unsuspecting corner was a potential threat, concealing dark lurking eyes eager to betray us. The nearer we got to my apartment, the greater my anxiety grew. We were just a few meters away from my house, but that didn't mean we were closer to safety. And even inside those walls we were just as vulnerable as underneath the morning sky. A neighbour could recognise me, or a balcony spotter could perv on me through his binoculars. But despite my maddening stalking fantasies we managed to avoid unexpected encounters and weren't caught while running up the stairs to my apartment. I closed the door behind me with a frustrated sigh and sank on to the floor to catch some breath. My sweet little angel sat beside me, with her head resting on my shoulder, holding on to my arm.
Gabrielle was terrified of Santana finding out she was still alive, but she agreed with me that she couldn't hide forever. I reassured her she was safe in my house and as I took care of business, no one would harm her.
The first thing I had to do was to inform Tom. I blamed myself for not turning to him when he visited me earlier, but the events unfolded with such an overwhelming vehemence, it was hard to think ahead.
I told Gabrielle to wait for my return. She didn't let me leave, though. She barricaded the door by standing in front of it. I tried to persuade her with hushing sounds and sweet words, but she didn't want to listen. Tears were welling up in her eyes. There was only one thing for me to do.
I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, covering her face with kisses, licking away her tears. Our lips were slightly swollen from the previous night and felt tingly every time they touched the surface of the skin. I figured I would pass out sooner than her if I made love to her, that's why I pleasured her and massaged the back of her neck until I felt her body shock under my touch, and she told me to stop. I lay beside her, waiting for her breathing to go back to normal as my sweet whispers in her ear made her fall asleep. And then I left the apartment.
First, I decided to go back to the sexton house. We left in a hurry, and I suspected I forgot to close the door.
My suspicions were right. The door stood ajar, and someone was inside. I hoped it was Tom but got unpleasantly surprised seeing Santana ravaging my office. She wasn't even slightly embarrassed when she saw me walking in, busting her in the middle of her shameless activity.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I shouted.
"Look who's back! What do you think I'm doing? Trying to repossess what you've stolen from me. I know what you did. I talked to Mario. He's an asshole, but I tend to trust him more than you, you pervert! Now, tell me, where is it?"
"Where is what? Get the hell out of here, before I call the cops!"
"What a big threat for an impotent! I guess that's all that's left for you: threatening," she sneered, "Where are you hiding it?"
"What on earth are you talking about?!" My patience was reaching its limit. Her screaming and breaking things on the floor drove me to the edge. I needed just a little, just a poisonous word, just a glimpse in her evil eyes, to snap her neck in my hands.
"Do I need to make a drawing, you idiot? Gabrielle's necklace and ring of course!"
"You suspect me of taking something from her grave? I think you mistook my profession for your lack of dignity. I'm a grave digger, not a gold digger!"
Her face turned purple with rage, her eyes flaming with a silent hatred.
"Look, I don't care what you do to her body. You can fuck it, eat it, burn it. It's none of my business. I don't care. I never cared. Just give me the necklace!"
I forgot about the passionate desire to strangle her and started to laugh uncontrollably.
"So, that's why you tried to seduce me? For the necklace! But that didn't go as planned. Then you hired people to dig the coffin out, but they failed and now you pillaged my office thinking that I've hidden it. All that effort was for nothing!"
"So, you insist that you don't have it?"
She squeezed her eyes as if the sound of my voice hurt her eardrums. Mockingly, I shook my head in response.
"You underestimate me, sexton. I promise you that by the end of this day you'll regret your decision."
She hid her flaming eyes behind dark sunglasses and silently left my office. I contacted Tom and asked when I could meet him. I told him that I had something important to tell. We agreed to meet up later that day in the sexton house.
I cleaned up the mess Santana left behind and contemplated on how to reveal Gabrielle's miraculous return from death to my friend Tom.