Cold Death by S. Y. Robins

the shop, you weren’t there. There was a letter on the floor with this address on it. I came here. I knew you were in trouble.”
    “How?” Asked Hannah. She hadn’t been able to get to her phone; she had no idea how Adam knew she was in danger.
    “This.” Adam said simply, holding up a sapphire earring. “Jay got you these and I found it in the grass outside this house. I knocked but nobody answered. The door was unlocked. I could hear muffled shouting so I came inside. I’m so glad I did. Are you hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?”
    “I’m fine. Thank you so much for saving my life. I suppose we ought to call the police though.”
    With that, Hannah filled Adam in on everything that she experienced, from the men in the car park to the antics in the cellar. She wasn’t afraid to hold back; she finally had the sibling she had always wanted. Adam gasped with horror at all the right places and still she carried on.
    “I had no idea that’s what Jay did.” Adam whispered. “He always looked after our parents; I was happy and proud of him. What do we do next?”
    “Well, I think we need to tell the police everything Mr. Chamberlain told me. If it’s true, then there are lots of families out there affected. I don’t think I can bear the thought of someone else dying or another family suffering. Hopefully they can find everyone and put a stop to it. I assume the money will be confiscated; I don’t know enough about that. But I don’t want to profit from what’s happened. Do you?” Hannah asked Adam.
    “I agree. Maybe we can do something to help the community as well though, I’d like to… after everything.” Adam ventured.
    “Like what?” Hannah was so impressed; Adam’s first thought was to help others, she was so glad she had told him. He was stronger than she thought he was.
    “Well, when I got to the shop, I looked through a couple of other papers. You know we thought it was leased? Jay actually owned it outright. He must have bought it with the cash that was coming in. It would be nice if we could use the premises. Maybe offer advice to people training and bulking to avoid steroids, or have an outreach programme for young drug addicts. What do you think?”
    “I think that is an amazing idea; I’d love that.”
    With that, the pair went to the police station to tell the police everything they knew. They weren’t scared; they had each other.
    *** ***
    Six months later
    “Remember, don’t avoid complex carbs, they’re great for training. Avoid sugary cereals; think more of sweet potato and wholegrain pastas. You’re in great shape, keep up the work!” Hannah beamed at the bodybuilder in front of her. She was in her final year of nutrition and was getting some excellent work experience in the drop-in centre her and Adam had set up.
    “Nice one, Han!” Adam called over. “Want to give me a hand with this display?”
    “Sure; we’re getting so busy now, I love it!” She replied.
    It was true. Since setting up the centre, they had a lot of interest. Adam focused on helping the young drug addicts, encouraging them to join sports teams or take up a hobby. Hannah often watched fondly as Adam spoke with teenagers. He was so good at understanding them. She worked with the reformed steroid users, teaching them about the benefits of a good diet while exercising. She could see the results before her eyes and felt pride; they were natural results and they were fantastic. She had second thoughts about Australia; after everything that happened, she realised family were the most important of all. She didn’t want to leave her mother.
    Instead, Hannah and Adam were going into business together. Legitimate business this time: a sort of Kupcake mark two. They were selling her delicious muffins and bars, using the money to keep the centre open. They had already expanded in the six months they had been in business, and both were extremely happy.
    Hannah felt she had finally found her place in life;