Elena paced the walkway of her tiny terrace , she could not wait to see the policeman that had been her guardian over the time.
Henry has provided for her even with things that she did not ask , he made sure she got enough cash. Even though most of the money was hers, she was still grateful.
"He is supposed to be here today" she said to no one in particular, it's been eight days since his last visit which was so unlike him.
Henry insisted that it was a bad idea for her to own a mobile phone but at the level where things are, she will in fact be needing not just a mobile phone but also a laptop.
"A good spectra network will do the trick" she thought.
Just as she was about to head back in , a familiar voice spoke softly behind her making her jump.
She turned to see Henry smiling sheepishly at her.
"Why do you always do this ?" She half yelled.
"And you always act like your soul will leave your body" he teased.
Her relationship with the police man was one that you can describe as random, their friendship happened naturally and she finds herself always looking forward to his time to time visit.
She rolled her eyes at him "I thought it was my crazy neighbor. I finally met him."
He paused to look at her "the one you tell me about ?"
"Yeah" She half smiled as she led him into the small kitchen that leads to the backyard.
In her opinion the kitchen feels more conducive than the thick walls of the space that serves as her bedroom.
They settled down on the old dining table in the center of the kitchen , there was hardly space for other things to fit in the small kitchen but Elena was grateful that she at least has a dining table to remind her of how decent meals should be ate.
Henry handed a slice of pizza over to her like he was fond of doing.
"Here" he smiled .
She mumbled a reluctant "thank you".
" Are you bothered about finally getting to see who your neighbor is ?" He asked.
"Yes" Elena said as a matter of fact.
Henry laughed. The kind of laughter that lingers in the air for long.
"Why did you bring me here?" She asked all of a sudden.
Elena looked Henry right in the eyes hoping that he would tell her the truth.
There was no missing the shock in his eyes "why do you ask all of a sudden?"
Elena shrugged "I think it's not a big deal if I know what this place is. Henry this place is slowly killing me."
He sighed "This villa belongs to my family."
Her mouth opened in surprise, she didn't bother to hide how his confession had thrown her off guard.
"Your crazy neighbor might be a family member but I'm not sure which one" He continued.
"You didn't check?" She shook her head.
Something did not add up , her instinct tells her he's lying. But she would not bother about that for now , she just needs to know if she's safe in the Villa.
"Family can come here , it's been abandoned so no one comes around." He told her .
"The most important thing is that you are safe and that is why I brought you here"
"Safe ?" She wanted to scream. "Safe? When I have a crazy fellow living right next to me!"
But instead she just nodded.
"So you met him ? What's he like?" Henry inquired.
Elena shivered a little , the evening breeze was already descending upon the trees.
"His name is Dante" She replied with clenched jaw.
She could feel the cold all over her feet and hands.
"We can go inside, I think the kitchen is getting too cold for you" Henry smiled warmly at her.
"No I'm fine" she waved him off. "So who the hell is this Dante guy?"
"My cousin….. I'm as surprised as you are. I didn't know he was back in town."
Elena opened her mouth to speak but the right words could not find their way out. There is no way that Henry would not know Dante lives in the villa. One thing she knows is he would have checked thoroughly before bringing her here.
She relaxed a little, he would not have brought her to the villa if Dante is a threat.
Henry was already pacing up and down the kitchen in an attempt to stop himself from oversharing information.
If there is one thing he makes sure of , it is to protect her at all cost. It was an order from the higher ups. She does not know this but her being in this villa has nothing to do with the police force . Someone influential has taken interest in her since her testimony against her father.
He would not want her to get mixed up with the Moretti drama because it would only get her in a bigger mess. His family problem has no limit and he has learnt to ignore it as much as he could. He needs to warn Dante to stay far away from her.
Elena cleared her throat rather too loudly bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Asides knowing his name , what else do you know about my cousin?" He stopped to study her face in the almost dark kitchen. The only source of light was the dim lamp that rested on the wall.
"Nothing" She lied. "He told me his name and that was it."
Henry nodded in satisfaction. " just ignore him, it will be better for everyone that way. He hates to make friends by the way so there's no point trying to get him to talk to you."
Elena scoffed , slightly offended by the statement he made .
" I might be alone here but I'm not desperate for company" she fired at him.
Henry laughed , satisfied by the answer he got he pay her playfully on the head "be a good girl, you'll be out of here sooner than you expect."
"Bring me a mobile phone and a laptop next time" She told him.
He raised his brows in question.
"Do not give me that look please, I've been out of touch with the world, it's tiring. I will be careful." She said quickly before he could turn down her request.
"I'll think about it , I need to take my leave now. Be safe" he smiled as he made his way out of the kitchen towards the back of the villa.