A Sunrise advertisement flashed across the TV screen when I switched it on the next morning.

Coming up after the news, an exclusive interview with Victoria's Police Minister on the latest dramatic drug busts across the state and how one woman lost forty-five kilos eating chocolate."

I laughed, wondering how the weight loss lady felt about being in the same headline as a drug bust. I clicked on the kettle and went to the loo.

The newsreader was telling the first story when I returned. I made a cup of tea, popped some bread in the toaster and focused on the TV. The top story of the day was about a raid by police on ten homes in the Northern Suburbs in connection with the making of amphetamines.

I lifted my cup of tea to my mouth. Nat continued to say nine men and four women had been taken into custody for questioning. A cameraman had caught footage of some of the offenders being ushered into waiting police vehicles.

The camera must have been moving or knocked because the footage wobbled like someone's home video. I gasped and dropped my cup as the camera caught a man's handcuffed wrists.

The cup hit the bench and then smashed on the floor. Hot liquid splashed on my leg, but I didn't feel it. Adam's intricate tattoo flashed across the screen, then disappeared as the camera zoomed out of focus.

The newsreader went on to talk about the results of David Bowie's autopsy. I gasped for breath and tiptoed through the broken china to slump into the recliner.

Nausea gripped me. I ran to the toilet where I dry-wretched. When my stomach finished convulsing, I lay back on the cool tiles to try and get my head around what I had seen. A tattoo as intricate as Adam's, barbed wire, vines and flowers that wound around the man's wrist exactly the same as Adam's. I concentrated on how the man's hands had been crossed to work out if it had been the right wrist or the left. I was sure it had been the right one. The voice-over came through the TV once more, announcing the interview with the police minister.

I waited in front of the screen, assuming the camera footage would be shown again.

It wasn't.

The police minister went on to tell the interviewer that the Federal Police, in conjunction with the State Police, had been working on this bust for six months. He said both police departments were dedicated to halting drug trafficking in the State of Victoria. More raids had been planned, and so far, both the government and police were happy with the results.

When the story finished, I tossed my toast and cleaned the mess. I didn't want to eat, but I made myself another cup of tea to drink while waiting for the news to be repeated. Different, clearer footage was shown. By the end, I was questioning what I had seen. I forced myself to get on with my day. I couldn't do anything about it anyway. If it had been Adam, he would be in gaol and wouldn't come to Melody's engagement. If it had been Adam, and he was guilty, he would have been kept on remand. Two days. Two days I repeated over and over in my head. In two days, I will know the truth.

Those two days seemed to drag by. I was glad when Friday night came. Work made time pass faster. I'd wake on Saturday, get organised and catch the train to my parents to help get things ready for the party. I'd be busy and be able to keep my mind off Adam.

I was putting some dishes in the dishwasher when Robert came into the kitchen. "Jasmine!"

I looked up and smiled. "Hey, Robert."

"I've managed to swap you back to days starting Monday with one catch."

"That's great." I grinned. "What's the catch?"

"I need you to work next Saturday night." He cocked his head and grimaced.

I laughed at his expression and said, "I can do that. It'll be my way of thanks because I appreciate the changes you've made for me over the last couple of weeks." I added, "I'm sorry if I've been a pain."

Robert cuddled me. "Like I said, you're one of my best. I just don't like your boyfriend too much."

"Robert, on Monday you said something about not wanting the shit he's into around here. What did you mean by that? By his shit."

He gave me a confused look. "You don't know?"

I sighed and shook my head. "He keeps stuff from me. Do you know?"

Robert took me by the upper arm and led me into the storeroom. "Jasmine, you're a nice girl. I wondered how you could be caught up with someone involved in what your boyfriend is mixed up in." He paused, then said, "My advice would be to get out of it. The star on his neck is the symbol of the Skar*ma*. An exclusive bikie gang." Robert rushed on, "Not all members have the star symbol. Only the top guys. They're into drugs. Not small stuff but heroin, amphetamines, cocaine and methcathinone. They kill people, Jazz." He frowned and added, "I've heard stories that they torture people to get what they want."

I hyperventilated, crouched and held onto one of the shelves for support. When I got my breath back, I whimpered, "He said he doesn't do that. That he doesn't hurt innocent people."

"He's probably right," Robert said as he shrugged. "Most of the people involved in drugs and shit aren't innocent, Jasmine." He shrugged again. "All the same, that's what they do. Not a good scene to be in." Robert rubbed my back, then scoffed, "I might be wrong. For all I know, he might be out of it, but that's what the star means, Jasmine."

I took a deep breath to compose myself. "Yeah, thanks. My brother said much the same thing, but not as graphically. He's never hurt me or involved me in anything like that." I put my hands to my face and wiped my damp cheeks. "I don't know what to think. It's so hard to believe."

Robert patted my back again as he said, "Take ten minutes."

"Yeah...thanks."

I couldn't get my mind off the night Adam cried in my bed, and hearing about a man getting his fingers cut off on the news the next morning. I was certain the two were connected, but I had vowed I wouldn't read things into anything. I had promised Adam to give him a month.

More anxiety for Jasmine :(

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