Or it.
If there was one thing about Ethan she had learnt in the short time they had together it was that Ethan was true to his word. "10 minutes then the police" he had said.
Silently opening the front door she let herself out to go it alone for the first time.
David was lounging outside on the limo. He straightened when she approached his shrewd gaze narrowing when he noted the pallor of her skin, the lost look in her tear drenched eyes and the grip she had on the teddy.
'Anywhere I can take you, Miss……?'
'…Kate today, David.'
'…Miss Kate? The boss didn't give me any instructions for the rest of the day, just shrugged when I asked, so I thought I'd just hang here until quitting time.'
Since David didn't have set hours Kate suspected that he was troubled by Ethan's arrival at home in the middle of the day and the lack of instructions. Ethan was very particular about his traveling needs and often gave the loyal employee cum friend the day off if he wasn't needed. Not knowing Ethan's plans and not wanting to cause problems for his driver she declined his offer.
'Just let me out the gate….Oh and David?'
'Yes my dear.'
'Thanks. And take care of Ethan, will you?'
'That I will.'
For the first time Kate walked out onto leafy Wentworth St and a few minutes later braved the noise and bustle that was Edgecliff Road. Like her room the excitement she had felt the few times she had ventured out into public was gone to be replaced with fear of the unknown. She stood, a forlorn figure that drew pitied glances, unsure of what to do next when a taxi stopped and offered his services. Kate climbed into the front seat and indicated the driver to just drive on. Without a clear destination the driver was reluctant so when pressed as to a place that a lot of people from the suburbs passed through, ostensibly so Kate could people watch, he suggested Central Railway Station. A nod and a sign got the now happy driver to nose the car out into the flow of traffic the main transport hub as his goal.
Kate was unaware that David had followed at a discrete distance, his gaze thoughtful as he watched the taxi disappear before returning to his self imposed vigil.
Traffic was congested and the continual delays meant that the taxi meter inexorably crept towards Kate's $50.
Try as he might the driver, a chatty man in his 50's, couldn't get his stricken passenger to join him in pleasant conversation about trivialities. Lapsing into the silence he jumped when with the limit almost reached she asked him to pull over short of their destination, eager to pay him his fare.