Emily Rose

My eyes lingered on the screen in my arms.

Bonded to a chair was Tomas and he seemed to be smirking, but not just any kind of smirk. It was as if he knew something no one else knew, and honestly, it terrified me.

"Date: 3/6/13." Said a deep voice out of the screen.

5 years ago?

"Now, Mr. McCoy, my name is Stanley Richards and we don't need much, we just need you to help us." A lean, tall man appeared on the screen.

Stanley Richards?

"Please Mr. Stanley, we all know that's a fucking ploy." Tomas scoffed, raw anger shot through him. "Go play it on someone else."

The tall man in a boulder hat shook his head in disappointment. "Well, I think you've got us all wrong. You see, we don't want to hurt you, nor the people you work with. We just want what's right-."

"Bullshit!" Tomas interrupts. "You're not here to help me, you just want money; you all do!"

Stanley took a deep breath, "look, Tomas. May I call you Tomas?"

"No."

"Well look, Tomas, we both,"'Stanley gestured between the two, "we're the same, you and I. We all have one common goal. To help people."

Booming sounds of Stanley's heavy cowboy boots erupted around the room as he moved towards Tomas.

"Look, I'm trying to be nice here. You give us information and we lay you walk free, if you don't-."

The door knob began to turn.

Oh shit!

I quickly clicked out of the video and closed Parker's computer before it placing it back onto the counter.

"Hey, since you're up, I was thinking... we should watch a movie." Parker smiled as he walked through the door, a handful of envelopes in one of his hands.

He took a glance at me before stopping, his face clouded with worry. "What's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Okay, we got this in the bag.

I shake my head, running my fingers through my hair. "Nothing, you know, life."

Why am I terrible at lying?

Parker furrowed his eyebrows, "okay..."

I gave him a warm smile and his face scrunched up in disgust. "You okay? You look constipated."

Oh, great!

"Fine."

"Alright... so I was thinking about a movie. It doesn't matter what movie; horror, action-" He paused before continuing, "chick-flicks. Whatever you wanna watch, we'll watch it."

I began to rock on my heels, "well, actually, I think I'm going to hang out with Camara, today."

Parker stops, his face drops. "Umm... Okay... I guess what makes you okay." He walks towards his computer before picking it up. "Do you need a ride?"

I shake my head, "Nah, Camara can pick me up. You know since she's been asking to hang out recently, and she wants to know where you live."

That's not a lie.

Seriously, she's been blowing up my phone with text messages constantly; everyone has.

"Okay. I gotta some extra stuff I can finish off. Have fun." He leaves me in the room alone with only my thoughts and a newly formed plan.

*****

"YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?!" Camara asked in shock, her coffee cup shaking in her hands.

"Careful and low voices, please," I warn her before sighing. "Look after watching that video, I want to know more. I need to! Okay, I haven't been sleeping well and until I figure this out then I'll be fine."

"Um... you don't need to know anything to be fine; you need a therapist." Camara retorted as she brought her cup to the lips.

"Camara..."

"What?" She slams the cup back onto the table. "Am I wrong?"

She takes a deep breath before continuing, her voice calmer than before. "Look if you wanna go all detective on this, then all by means, I support it."

"Really?"

She drawls, "Yeah, I'm your friend and if I die, it might as well be for something stupid. Dying of old age isn't as interesting."

I smile and clap my hands, "Alright then!"

Camara crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Okay, so how do we find out what's going on? You gotta a plan?"

"Of course, and it all starts with Fredrick Dixon's sister, Amber Dixon."

"Okay and?" She shrugs, "where's she?"

"Maple Farms Hospital."

Camara scowls, "Of course. The nut house."

I winked. "Nothing better."

*****

Maple Farms Hospital is a cancer research center outside of Denver.

Once a farm in the 1910's, the owners sold it to a bunch of scientists during The Great Depression. From there, the scientist began to add additions onto it and boom! It became the town's weirdest places.

"You know, I've heard that people have actually died here and they also sell your kidneys." Camara informs me as we walk inside.

I shrug. "Those are just rumors."

All they do is test cancer cells and possible cures, while house patients.

Well, at least, I hope that's all.

Camara shook her head in disbelief but still followed me into the building.

White.

That's all that filled the lobby; white chairs, white walls, white tables.

"It looks like cocaine was poured everywhere in this room." Camara whispers to me as we walk up to the bored looking lady at the front desk.

"Hi Mrs!" I smile.

"Too perky." Camara whispers.

The lady slowly looked up from her magazine before drawling, "what do you want?"

Before a single word could come out of my mouth, Camara answered. "We're here to see Amber Dixon."

The lady scowled before typing a couple words down on her ancient computer. The computer beeped.

"Are you visiting?"

"Yes," I answered quickly.

The lady glanced at me as if I'd grown a second head before nodded slowly and typing down a couple more words.

"Okay, she's in room 235, just down the hall, to your right."

"Okay, thanks." I said before snatching Camara by her arm and drawing towards the room.

Secrets, here I come!

*****

Hey guys!

I know. Surprise! I decided to write an early chapter all to celebrate...

101k reads!!!

Like OMG! I didn't even think this book would get this far but thanks! You guys are really awesome!

Next chapter is going to reveal something things, not all though. 😏

Anyways, I hope you liked Chapter 20 of The Love That Is Parker Bowmen.

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