ATONEMENT (THE BOOK) PAGE 12

Gianna sat crouched at the little space left,close to her dressing table;still wearing the pink stilleto and the black cotton dress she had worn a few days back when she had decided to confront Flora. Her hair damp from perspiration dangled at each side of her face,her eyes staring back vacantly,while her face was as pale as a sheet.The short man wearing the police uniform continued to speak quietly on his mobile phone, while two other people a man and a woman moved cautiously around the bedroom. The man was picking some items and putting them in to a transparent cellophane bag while the woman took pictures as she moved.suddenly the short man glanced towards them growling 'why is it taking forever, for the paramedics to get here,it's been tan minutes already' They both stopped for a moment he shook his head disgustedly."Sergean­t Umeh"he turned to the young man bagging the items 'go and speak to the press out there"the young man stared back bewildered. "I mean it"he continued "give them an excuse they can't come in here.trampling all over evidence"he barked. As he rushed out the short man yelled after him 'sergeant no pictures,there would be a press conference after we moved the body,one more thing" the sergeant stopped in his tracks "don't over do it". He took up the phone again "we are moving this one too to the facility it would be like a re-union from hell,the other one is there too,the goddamned thing is like a virus,maybe they caught something,both of them,he laughed at his own joke. Then he bent down towards her "yeah that doc of yours, sure got her hands full this time,I would get back to you as soon as we start the evacuation Director" Suddenly he heard her breathing her eyes fluttered open "help me"she gasped. He stared back "I will be damned,she's alive........