The trip through hyperspace lasted less than a couple of minutes, and brought them right outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
It was another twenty minutes before they were scheduled to touch down in the town’s spaceport.  He chose this moment to speak to her. 
“Jessica.”
Her eyes widened, how was she supposed to reply without giving off an air of crazy in front of the two officers?
“Don’t worry, you needn’t talk, I have some information concerning your father.”
To say Jessica’s eye’s had been wide before would have been an understatement, she took a moment to control her features, checking that neither officer were observing her.  From where she sat, she could see neither, hopefully there was no surveillance equipment watching her.
“I know you’ve seen him?”
She nodded her head slightly.
“Then you will already believe him to be alive.”
Again she nodded.
“Then you would be incorrect.”
Her brow furrowed momentarily before resuming its unassuming expression.
“Don’t worry, you are not being watched.”
The frown returned.
“You now believe him to be alive, which strictly speaking is far from the truth, although he is also far from being dead.  Unfortunately I can’t tell you the full truth, just that he is not who, or what, you always assumed.  I can tell you no more on this matter.  What I really need to speak to you about is the murder and why he did what he had to do.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits, “what” she said under her breath.
“I mean just what I say.  When you find that you are in a more private setting just talk to me and I will tell you what I know.”
Jessica found her hands involuntarily screwing themselves once again into fists.  There was no more, once again the cabin was silent.
The ship started to shudder as it was lowered into the Earth’s atmosphere signalling their decent.  Jessica sighed and shook her head, releasing her hands, this time minus the blood.
The couple that ran the transport settled themselves in the nearest café only to informed by Jessica through the senior officer that this town was to be her final destination and they would only be required to return the senior officer to the voyage in more or less three hours time.  At this information the couple took off into town.
Outside the spaceport sat an unmarked police car, waiting for them.  The police officer took the wheel, as the senior officer waited for Jessica to be seated before closing the door and taking a seat in the front.
The journey to Hart Manor, a large house that governed a large estate of land near the centre of town, was made mostly in silence.
The two men in the front seats seemed to be having a contest to see who could keep from talking for the longest.
Unable to sit in the uncomfortable situation any longer, Jessica leaned forwards and, speaking to the senior officer, said, “Sorry to break this incredibly intriguing silence but I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family.”
He shifted his weight in his seat, turning himself so he could see her properly, “Don’t mention it, after all you’ve been through I figured that you deserved a hand with sorting out certain affairs.”
She smiled, “Well, I am very grateful for all of us.  I doubt my brother and sister quite realise what you’ve done for them.”
He gave a quick smile and turning back to face the road said, “I didn’t do it for them.”
Jessica would do nothing but stare in confusion at the back of his head as she slid back into her chair.  Before she had a chance to enquire as to who he had done it for, the car rolled to a stop and the two men hopped out rather sharpish.
Jessica waited patiently for the senior officer to open her door as it was locked from the outside.
He kept his eyes trained on the house as he helped her out.  Sighing lightly, she followed his example and put it from her mind.
As she lead the was to the front door, she breathed in the scent of the tulips and daffodils that had planted all over the garden when her father had left, then after he had died, or rather she thought he had died, she had gone into flower overdrive, almost covering the entire garden to the right side of the house.
Despite the old look of the front door, it swung smoothly open to reveal the deserted grand entrance hall.
“It seems like the staff have gotten wind of what has transpired and scarpered,” said the senior officer, “were none loyal to the family?”
“Not especially,” sighed Jessica, “after my father died,” she struggled not to choke on her words, “things became strained and we had to let a few go.  Not long after that, several more of them left due to my mothers rapidly deterioration behaviour.”  She took to the staircase, “By the time that we left on the cruise the only remaining staff were either very new or temp workers.  I’ll just be grateful if they haven’t taken anything that could be used to pay off my mother’s debts.”
They passed only one door before arriving at the corridor that lead to Jessica’s set of rooms.  She paused only to open a few sets of curtains, allowing them to see where they were going.
Upon reaching the rooms, she showed both men in a bid them to sit down in the lounge area. 
“If it’s alright I should appreciate a few minutes alone?”  With brief nods from both gentlemen she turned and entered her room.
Shutting the door quietly behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief, nothing appeared to missing.
She went quickly then to the door of her private study and, opening the door, was relieved to see that none of the bookcases had any unexpected gaps.
It was her favourite place to be, the study.  It had provided her shelter and peace of mind since before she could remember, but no more so than in this past year.  She had even, on occasion, allowed Anthony and Aurora use of it as Clarissa knew better than to bother disturbing her eldest daughter for fear of being harshly reprimanded for whatever misdemeanour she had recently caused or been a part of.
So the three of them had found a safe haven.
Now, with only herself to protect, Jessica entered her study for the last time.  A safe haven no longer, but it was more or less soundproof to the surrounding rooms.
None the less she forced herself to speak in hushed tones.
“Alright, I know you’re listening, I have one minute.  Tell me what you know.”
“OK” said a voice that startled her, she spun herself around to locate the owner and finding none.
“Firstly you must understand that at this time I offer no justification or explanation for what I am about to tell you, that is for you to find out on your own.  Further more, to understand the nature of what I am to tell you, you must open your mind to the impossible.  Do you understand?”
Jessica swallowed, “Yes.”
“And in knowing this, do you still wish to hear what I have to say?”
“Yes”
“Well then, it’s time I told you the truth, or at least as much as I’m allowed to.”
“Allowed to?”
“I get some of my orders from higher up, but that’s not what’s important at the moment.  What’s important is the man that you believe killed your mother.”
“My father.  What do you mean by ‘lead to believe’?”
“I mean that although Jared did slash her throat and made her bleed until she died, but he didn’t kill your mother.  You can’t kill someone who’s already dead.”
Jessica’s hands began to ball again, “Just because she wasn’t exactly a model person, but there’s no need to say she was dead…”
“Calm down, calm down, I didn’t mean like that.”  There was a pause, “Your mother died a year ago.”
“What?” Jessica sank onto the padded shelf in the bay window, the sunlight reflecting from the garden lake dancing on her face.  “How?  I don’t understand this.  I’ve been with her, she was alive!”
“No.” said the voice with a softened tone, “The body was hers but the creature that has recently inhabited it was not.  It was a parasite.  You saw it yourself, you looked into its eye and even now you are prey to its evil influence.  It tried to take your body for itself, and if it hadn’t been for Jared’s actions, it would have killed you and stolen your body as well.
“You know this all to be true.  The last time you really saw your mother alive was the day she went to identify your father’s body.  The parasite was attached then, we’re not sure how or why, but within moments of the creature infecting her system her spirit died and her soul was released.”
“Was she in pain?” said Jessica, finding that although the tears were inside of her, for once, they weren’t rising.
“I’d love to tell you she wasn’t, but the way that the parasite kills is by hollowing a person from the inside out, not only the organs and bones but that person’s memories and emotions.”
There was a pause, Jessica frowned, there were still no tears, barely any sadness.  Instead, she could feel anger and hatred bubbling to the surface.  She widened her eyes and glared them towards the water’s surface trying to calm herself.
“If it’s any consolation it was over in less than five minutes, and she is at peace now, I have it on good authority.”  Another brief pause before he added, “I hope that this has helped you on your path, as we’re about to be interrupted.”
There was a knock on the door, “Miss Faileas?”
She sighed and, turning her head from the window, called out, “Yes, you can come in.”
The police officer entered, shortly followed by the senior officer and, giving them a grim smile, Jessica begrudgingly stood and started to browse the rooms selecting items and placing them in a suitcase that the senior officer had opened on the bed.