"I thought we agreed that you'll stay in the car, what then were you doing with a stranger.... Wait, wasn't that the same lady from the scene at Cherim?" Clara asked, grabbing the steering wheel a little too tight.
"Well, yeah.." said Jane. "She drove to the hospital to find out know what happened, just like we did. Was that why you pulled me out like that. She was literally saying hi and you were acting bitchy, like some child that lost her biscuits"
"I didn't act bitchy."
"Oh yes, you did." Jane replied.
"Fine, I'm sorry if you felt that way. Just stop being too cozy with strangers. It could be dangerous" Clara said.
"Hello..." She waved trying to get Clara's attention. "Hello, over here." She tried again.
"I can hear you J."
"But can you see me?" Jane asked.
"From the rearview mirror, yes, I can."
"Very well. Now I want to let you know that I'm not a baby, and I can take very good care of myself. Have you forgotten that you literally forced me to join that karate class. Who in their right senses would even want to provoke or fight me." Jane blabbed in high tone.
"Nobody." Clara voiced out.
"I'm glad we share the same view, no wonder we're friends." She said adjusting to a more comfortable sitting position. "Besides, Elena is as harmless as they come. She was obviously intrigued by the whole scene."
"Elena is the lady you were talking to?"
"Yes, and don't ask me again. I told you her name like thrice already. You're beginning to act like my granny when she keeps forgetting a person's name no matter how many times you tell her." Jane fumed.
"Oh no please, not granny May. You can't make such comparison." Clara giggled.
"I know right." Jane laughed out loud. "But what's up with you though. You don't look cheerful. Does it have something to do with the dead lady, you feel guilty she's dead?"
"Of course not." Clara replied. "It's just that.... It feels wrong. They are saying it's a suicide, but I don't know, it just doesn't feel like it." She shrugged.
"If Ignas believes it's suicide, then I believe it is. Stop getting yourself worked up for nothing. You did the best you could. They should give you an award if you ask me." Jane tapped her gently on the shoulder from behind. "Let the police do their job, and focus on what we came to Bramhills to do. Speaking of that, do you think we can go back to the Nova for the ice cream now?" She made a cute face, pushing her head forward for Clara to have a closer view.
"Ew, Jane you are too big to make such a face."
"I can't help it, I'm pregnant." She said for thousandth time.
"I know, and that is why we'll be going to the Nova for more ice cream." Clara said, smiling as she watched Jane dance to an imaginary music.
***************************
Jane woke up to high voices coming from the sitting room, downstairs. After taking two more cups of sweet cream, she had gone inside for a short nap once the got back from the Nova. She waited for a minute, yet the voices didn't stop. Carefully, she came down from the bed and started climbing down the stairs to the sitting room.
Placing her right hand on the smooth railings of the stairs, she climbed down the staircase gently. Getting to the curve of the stairs, she saw Priscilla Noman having what seem like a heated argument with Ignas and Clara.
Jane had an idea what could be the cause of argument. Ignas had let Clara touch a half dead woman at what seemed like a crime scene and of course, Priscilla would obviously not have it.
"Mum please, it was me, all me." Clara pleaded.
"Would you go sit your stupid ass over there and allow adults argue in peace." Priscilla scolded.
Jane cleared her throat sharply, announcing her presence. "Good afternoon ma'am." She greeted.
"How are you darling?" Priscilla asked rushing to the foot of the stairs to help Jane down. "And how are you little one?" She asked, blowing a kiss at Jane's bump. "Come sit down Janey." She removed the throw pillow on the cushion, creating space for her to sit.
"Mum she can climb down the stairs. Jane is pregnant, not paralysed."
"Excuse me, I'm not complaining." Jane shot at her. "As a matter of fact, I love it. Thank you so much mum."
Priscilla smiled sweetly at her and turned to Clara with a hard glare. "I heard Clara and Ignas took you to a crime scene and a hospital against your wish." She asked Jane.
"Oh no, I wanted to go too. The poor woman looked lifeless, and we were all grateful that Clara could help. Although we lost her, but it feels good to know that we tried our best." Jane replied, happy as a toddler.
Priscilla looked from Ignas, to Jane, to Clara and back to Ignas. Please don't put my daughter in harm's way ever again." She warned Ignas who nodded.
"So, has the family approved her autopsy?" Jane asked no one in particular. She went over to the kitchen, demarcated from the sitting room by a wooden counter. Pouring a handful of cereal into a plate, she took hold of the milk can and almost emptied it's content into her plate of cereal. "Sorry, I just feel like taking a lot of milk." She said over the kitchen counter.
"Let me help you with that." Priscilla offered, and took the plate of cereal to the table in the sitting room. "You can take as much milk as you want. That's what the baby want!" She giggled happily.
"Yeah, as long as I don't get a shopping list asking me to get more milk." Clara whined.
"Oh come on Clara, if only you can make out time and go on real dates, you might get yourself a man, a marriage, a pregnancy, and finally a baby. But hell no, you are always busy. I'm not getting younger, I need a grandchild sweetie. Can't you consider giving some good man a chance?" Priscilla said with a doleful face.
"If you consider yourself old, then what about me? I know for a fact that I'm not old. Am I old?" Ignas asked nobody in particular.
"No, of course not, never." They all replied simultaneously, afraid to state the obvious truth.
"I'll get married at the right time." Clara replied, wishing not to discuss marriage at that moment.
"Ignas, the autopsy?" Jane interrupted, shoving a large chunk of cereal into her mouth.
"The family doesn't want an autopsy. They believe she comitted suicide." Ignas replied. "There were traces of alcohol in her blood, so she was obviously drunk. And she was said to have suffered severe postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter.
"What the hell!" Priscilla exclaimed. "They didn't get her help? Women go through a whole lot for these men and what do we get? A fucking lonely nine months journey..."
"Actually, some women carry their pregnancy for ten months if you decide to count by weeks. Nine months ends at thirty-six weeks and women are expected to fall into labour anytime from thirty-seven to forty-two weeks." Clara interrupted.
"Forty-two what? What the hell is that. I can't carry this bump for that long. That's going to kill me. I'm gonna die, oh my god!" Jane squealed.
"Here we go again...." Ignas murmured, taking a seat on a high stool beside her.
Priscilla rushed over to Jane and drew her into a hug. "It doesn't happen like that sweetie. Not all pregnancies last up to 42 weeks. Some women fall into labour way before that." She said kissing her curls. "You've got us honey, you'll be fine alright." Jane nodded, she sat up and continued her cereal, almost like nothing happened. Priscilla sighed and stood up. "Now as I was saying, why didn't they get her help?"
"According to the husband, they actually did. She kept missing her appointments. He had to get the psychiatrist to visit the house for her sessions, and she was said to be improving until recently."
"But it doesn't add up. How was she able to jog down to Cherim from the capital?"
"She drove. Her car was found parked at the town center. No eye witnesses, nothing. We believe she came to Cherim because she didn't want to be discovered quick and she knew getting medical help wouldn't be so easy. The two clinics here can only handle less complicated cases." Ignas explained.
"Still doesn't add up. But since the family thinks it's a suicide, so be it." Jane said while gulping down the excess milk from her cereal.
"We're keeping it under wraps. Mr. Lewin is aspiring for a political position, but word reaching me is that he just dropped out of the race, the reason he gave was personal. I think he wants to mourn his wife and maybe he doesn't want the world to remember her as a suicide case, the stereotype might affect the daughter in future."
Priscilla sighed, followed by Clara. "Poor man." Clara said, shaking her head.
"Yeah, poor man." Jane said. "Please, back to why I'm here. What fun place are we going tomorrow." She asked, looking at Clara, who had sad expression evident on her face. "What?"
"I was hoping to tell you when you wake up, I was called back to work. We need to leave first thing tomorrow morning." She broke the news and instantly, Jane started bawling.