"I'm sorry aboutwhat happened at work with Diane. That was unnecessary and plain mean." Helooked around and took a seat on her lounge, gazing at her and no doubt waitingfor her to answer him.
"Fine. Is thatit?"
"No, actually itisn't. I wanted to ask you on another date. How about Saturday night? We can godancing if you like. Not that I know where just yet, but we can work onthat."
"Are you for real?I was involved in an apparent murder. My face was flashed over the newspaperthis morning, as you already know. Does that not mean anything to you?"She stared at him, sitting calm and handsome watching her lose the plot.
"No. Shouldit?"
Lizzie ran her handsthrough her hair, pulling the tie and letting the curls fall loose. Painthrobbed behind her eyes and she wished it was possible to dream it away. Thisconversation wasn't going as she thought it would. "Don't you want to knowwhat happened?"
"Only if you wantto tell me. Your choice Lizzie, but it doesn't make any difference to me."He stood and walked to her, taking her hands in his. "Look, Stevie trustsyou, so I do too. If you want to tell me what happened, then fine." Heshrugged his shoulders. "If it makes you feel better, get it out and letsbe done with it so we can move on. It's not important to me."
She was stunned. Thiscouldn't be right. Maybe if she told him the gory details he might run. Lizziehad to get it out in the open.
"I had a verycontrolling boyfriend. Funny how you don't think that way initially. I thoughthe was just protective and that was kind of sweet." She walked away fromRuss and stood with her arms folded across her chest, facing him from the otherside of the room. "We were like lost souls who suddenly found each other,at least that’s what it felt like. It was amazing how alike we were. I wastotally besotted with James. He did everything for me. If I worked late, hewould have dinner, a hot bath and a foot rub ready for me when I got home.Everyone thought I was the luckiest girl." She gave a bitter laugh.
"Things started togo wrong when we moved from Sydney to here. It was a huge step up in my career andI was thrilled to be offered the job at the hospital. James was all for it atfirst. He said he was ready for a change and got a transfer with his company,so it was all perfect. Until he decided he didn't like his co-workers or hisnew company car wasn't as nice as the one he left behind in Sydney. He wouldblame me. and slowly that blame turned physical. I'm sure you get the picture.Domestic violence and I should have seen it coming, but I didn't."
The tears flowed downher face and thankfully Russ stayed where he was. "Each day, there wassomething else that made him angry. I knew the only way to stop him was to getaway. So I packed my bags and told him I was leaving." She choked on asob.
Russ jammed his handsin his pockets and kept a neutral look on his face.
"He hurt me sobadly that time, I couldn't leave. I was in too much pain. He put me to bed andpretended I was alright. I wasn't. I had to stay in, hidden under the blanketsfor days before I could face the world. It took me another four months to pluckup the courage to try again. I think in a way he knew it was coming, but thistime he changed tactics. He brought out a gun." She took couple of deepbreaths before she could continue.
"He didn'tthreaten to kill me though. He turned the gun on himself, holding the muzzle athis temple. If I walked out the door, he said he would pull the trigger. I madeit to the letterbox when he did it." The vision of blood and brain mattersplattered over the walls of their flat came back with a rush. "It wasStevie who was first on the scene. He found me sitting stunned with the body,the gun in my hand. I'd taken it from James afterward. I wanted everything togo back to how it was, before the smell of gun powder and blood filled theroom." She bit her lip and glanced at him before continuing. "Rumoursflew around that I’d pulled the trigger and Stevie soon discounted that.James's family blamed me, of course, and the lies flew thick and fast. I gotimmune to them for a while and almost pushed it from my mind when you came onthe scene."
Lizzie, exhausted nowsank into a chair opposite Russ. "I tried once before to date again, butit was a mess. He was a nice guy and we got on well until some nice caringfriend told him who I was and what had happened. That was the end of that. Itwas easier not to bother. I can only be ripped to shreds so many times and keepmy head, Russ. I can't go through this again."
Russ stood up andwalked slowly toward her. Without saying anything, he held out his hands andshe grabbed hold of them. He pulled her to her feet and Lizzie fell against hischest, a sob wrenched from her throat. He held her while she cried out all ofthe pain and hurt from the last four years. The misery she’d gone through on adaily basis as a victim of domestic violence, and the aftermath of blame andincrimination.
He managed to steer herin the direction of the couch and they sat together, Lizzie leaning into himfor support.
"I guess now Ineed to come clean too." He smiled and took her hand. "I can't tellyou how sorry I am for what my ex-wife did the other day. It was unforgiveablebut very much in her character, I'm afraid. You see, my family are rather welloff and when she found out my father had died recently, I think she thoughtthere was more money around than there is. Luckily it’s all
