Wendy hadn't been drinking heavily recently, she told herself. She'd been drinking just enough. What else can you do when you find out your own brother is a crazed killer, having murdered five women, your lover and tried to murder you?
She had cried all the tears she could cry in the last six weeks. Now, she felt almost no pain at all; it had been replaced with a feeling of complete numbness. Red wine helped numb what pain was left. She knew that Michael's court date later in the year would open up the wounds once again, but for now she was happy to feel nothing. She didn’t know how she’d be able to face Michael in court, but she knew she had to. After he’d confessed everything to her, she knew she had to take to the witness stand when his court date came up.
She’d not yet had time to grieve for Robert, Michael’s last victim and the man who she’d loved and her own brother had tried to set up as the serial killer. That had made things a hundred times worse. Anger and disbelief kept her grief for Robert under a watertight lid. For now, at least.
In those six weeks she had left her rented place and moved into a small house in a quiet residential area of Mildenheath, not far from the home of Danielle Levy. Her new one-bedroom mews house in Archer's Close was certainly cosy, as the estate agent had described it. Wendy hesitated to use the word 'cramped' as it was certainly spacious when compared to the space she had moved out of. What’s more, she owned this place and could call it her own. Most importantly of all, though, the new house didn't hold the bad memories the old one did. She had her creature comforts here: a cul-de-sac location, a front lawn and enough space for her to spend her days away from the office.
Wendy stared at the box and ran her fingers over the raised lettering as she took another mouthful of wine. She was sure it wouldn't be necessary — it couldn't be necessary — but she was better safe than sorry. Putting the glass of wine down on the coffee table, she took the box into the bathroom and closed the door.
Emerging minutes later, Wendy picked the wine glass up from the coffee table and emptied its contents into the sink.