Page 15 of Not Another Rockstar
August, sitting quietly in the corner of the room, was a small comfort, even if he didn’t look up from his book during the interview. He’d refused to leave, and the officers didn’t argue. Her brother had made him and Axel promise to stay with her. They’d become especially protective after the accident.
“He’d been drinking the night before. I didn’t know he’d been drinking that morning, otherwise I wouldn’t have let him drive. We were fighting, but him drinking that morning was the last thing on my mind. He has never…” She caught herself. She’d forgotten Cillian was in the past tense now. “He’d never drank and drove before.”
“We’re sorry to go over this again, but since the car was a rental, we have to file a separate report for insurance purposes,” the officer said, jotting down details on a notepad.
Anita will probably pay off the rental company too,she thought.
“You’re free to leave the country. Our investigation is closed.” The officer closed his pad, as though the worst moments of her life were nothing but a task to tick off.
“Can I have my belongings from the car? My bag, Cillian’s things? Do you have them?”
Nick had brought her suitcase from the hotel, but she needed to make sure she had her notebook. If someone found out what it contained, Cillian’s legacy would be ruined. Even with all the heartbreak he’d caused, she couldn’t do that to his memory. She needed her phone as well. She was sick of borrowing Nick’s.
“We collected everything for our investigation. What was recovered we gave to the nurse when we arrived. They’ll be returned once we’ve left.” The officer smiled, but his gaze reeked of pity.
“Thank you,” she said, rubbing her forehead as a headache crept in. It was time for her afternoon painkillers.
She hadn’t been the one driving, but she felt like this was all her fault. If she had stayed home, she wouldn’t have discovered Cillian’s cheating and they wouldn’t have ended up in that car. Axel and Nick had told her repeatedly that Cillian had chosen to drink and drive. Yet her grief settled between guilt and anger.
“We’re sorry for your loss,” the officer said. “As his next of kin, his fiancée, the body will be released to you.”
Fiancée. A wave of nausea caused her to swallow. The thought of being responsible for Cillian’s body made it all feel real. The hospital had put her in a cocoon, and with the others keeping her company every second, she hadn’t had time to stew in her own thoughts.
“His mum has made the funeral arrangements,” Phoebe informed them. She wasn’t in any state to help with the funeral of the man who’d broken her heart, only to then shatter it by dying.
“We’ll leave you to rest.”
The officers left with a sympathetic nod. Moments later, a blonde nurse came in, holding a brown paper bag with an evidence seal.
“How are you doing? I’m sure you’re glad to be done with them. I’ve brought your things and some painkillers.” Seeing August, she blushed, and handed Phoebe the bag.
“Thank you, my head was starting to pound.”
Phoebe took the painkillers first, then broke the seal. Seeing her bag inside brought her some comfort, but the glimmer of her engagement ring in a clear evidence pouch stung. She guessed Cillian’s items were with Nick or Anita. She put the engagement ring in the pocket of her bag, not wanting to look at it.
Her cracked phone was long out of battery. She’d been using Nick’s phone to talk to their parents and keep them updated. She hadn’t found the strength to talk with Cillian’s family yet. Hearing his grieving mum’s voice was too much for her to contemplate.
Phoebe frowned. Her notebook wasn’t there. The songs for the next album were in it. The last album she’d written with Cillian was gone.
The nurse watched her cautiously. “Are you alright? Is there something I can get for you?”
“There was a notebook. Did the police take anything from the car? It was a purple leather notebook with butterflies?”
“I’m sorry, this was all they gave us.” The nurse shook her head as she administered some antibiotics into Phoebe’s IV.
What if the guys asked about the album that Cillian promised them? The thought of telling them the truth made her heart ache. She forced a smile, not wanting August to worry.
“Let me get you some tea,” the nurse said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You look pale, and stress isn’t good for your recovery.”
“I’m fine, I just lost something that was important to us.” She tried to stifle her tears.
Us. There is no us, and never will be again.
“You’ve been through a lot. Why don’t we put these things away for now.” The nurse helped her put everything back in her bag, but Phoebe held on to her phone.
“Do you have a charger?” she asked. “It’d be nice to use my own phone instead of using my brothers.”
The nurse smiled softly. “I can ask at the nurse’s station. I’ll be back in a bit.”
