1. Melissa Martin

CHAPTER 1

MELISSA MARTIN

LONDON - THURSDAY MORNING – A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

M y neck and shoulders ached from tension, and a headache was forming behind my overtired eyes.

Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I stifled a yawn as I made myself a large coffee.

I'd had a sleepless night, my mind whirling with a mix of emotions in a kaleidoscope of feelings ranging from denial to curiosity and anger to guilt, then back again. All of which were weighed down by a never-ending stream of questions that had my brain working overtime throughout the night, refusing to let me sleep.

Leaning against the kitchen worktop, with droopy eyes, I sniffed my latte, the aroma itself enough to make some of the tension ease from my limbs. Smiling at one of my favourite smells, I sipped the drink, savouring the feel as it slid down my throat, warming me from the inside out.

After fuelling myself with the best nectar known to man, well in my opinion at least, I grabbed a quick shower.

Not willing to go full blown cold water yet, I turned the nob to lukewarm. My pyjamas were tossed aside as I stepped into the cubicle and allowed the water to cascade over me, sighing as it slowly brought my body awake inch by aching inch.

When I finally felt awake enough to go for it, I turned the nob to full cold and squealed as the icy water hit me, making me shiver. It always amazed me that no matter that I knew it was about to get freezing, the change in temperature always shocked the hell out of me, anyway.

A couple of minutes was all I could handle, but at least I felt more alive and clearer headed than the zombie woman who'd got into the shower.

Drying quickly, I put on my usual morning attire of yoga pants and bra top and headed into the living room.

I chugged down a large glass of water with lemon and ginger and then began the next part of my regular morning routine.

My dad was a man of discipline and he had always encouraged me to create a good morning routine, which he said led to a productive day, healthy habits that lasted a lifetime, and an overall happier life.

Grief washed over me in waves, and I closed my eyes. A sob tore from my throat and tears pricked my eyes. Lord, how I missed him. I couldn't believe he was gone.

I could almost hear his voice cutting through my anguish telling me to "Hurry up, buttercup, get your exercises done. You've somewhere to be."

Buttercup had been his pet name for me, and it made me smile. Nodding to his imaginary voice, I did what he said, blinked back my tears, lifted my chin, and moved straight into my warrior pose.

Stretching through my usual yoga poses eased the tension in my shoulders, and I finished with the sun salutation.

I had practised gymnastics as a child and so had always been supple. However, as an adult who no longer took classes, I found that yoga helped me keep that flexibility and fitness I'd enjoyed as a youth.

By the time I finished, my headache had disappeared, and I was glad I hadn't needed to resort to medication to get it to go as I sometimes did.

Next, I sat in the lotus position and let my mind clear further with a short meditation.

Finally, I changed and put on some makeup before picking up the letter that had caused my world to tilt on its axis yesterday and resulted in my sleepless night.

The buzzer rang.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Taxi?" a male voice said.

"Be right down," I replied.

After grabbing my bag, I headed out to meet with the lawyer who held the knowledge his letter had hinted at, my stomach churning with both excited anticipation and the fear of the unknown.