Authors Note: Lee writing a proper chapter fic? Yes I am!
The leaves fall down, and so do I into the arms of a friend.
- The All American Rejects
The street was empty leading up to the cul-de-sac where his car was heading and this kind of eerie calm always unnerved him. It was two o'clock in the morning and the phone beside Matt's bed had rang a half hour before to tell him that a body had been found which meant he had to then do the same to Jackie, which was fairly painless, and Robbie who sounded as though he had just got home. After that he had called Jackie back to ask her to pick Robbie up as he didn't trust the other man to have been completely sober.
Matt stepped out of the car and watched as curtains began to twitch once more this evening, the close-knit community desperate to know exactly what had happened, or just a rough idea which they could exaggerate and twist to suit their conversation. He saw a paramedic putting one person on to a stretcher while a fatality had been covered with a plastic sheet and body bag.
A young constable told him both the victims had been attacked and the one entering the ambulance was seriously injured. He was continuing to talk and was just about to say they had been unable to search for ID because of the volume of blood when Burke stopped him mid-sentence as he looked to the injured man, "No! Shit, this is not happening! We don't need to search that one for ID, I know him."
Jackie and Robbie had were stood next to him by this point and were looking from the young adult to their boss, confused as to any connection. "His name is Steven Campbell," blank looks stared back at him, "Chief Superintendent Campbell's youngest son. He is twenty-one and I will be the one to inform her."
Quickly turning to the younger officer, "The other one, what does he look like?"
"Err, black hair, kind of floppy style to it, he was quite short but bulky."
"Right, I was just making sure it was not her other son Tom, which it is not." Running a hand over his face, sighing deeply he looked back to the kid whose head and neck were in a brace to prevent further damage, and his face and torso had been kicked so forcefully that he would have been recognisable had Matt not known Steven since his birth. He had no clue how he was going to tell Karen, he simply knew it had to be him that was on th other end of the phone - he had considered driving over to her place to tell her but knowing her like he did she would not want him to see her in quite such a state.
The SOCOs had got to work blocking off the area so he moved to the corner of the street and took his mobile from his pocket.
"Urgh, Campbell speaking, who is it?"
"Karen, it's Matt. I'm sorry for waking you but this is serious. We just got a call out to a murder and attempted murder-"
"Okay, I still don't see why I need to know this for another four hours."
"It looks like the two males were walking through this estate together... Look Karen, I hate that I have to tell you but the injured boy - it is Steven, your Steven." There was nothing but silence on the other end for some time.
"What? Matthew, tell me how he is right now, is he there?!"
"He is away to the Royal just now, I won't lie to you it is bad and they are unsure if he has sustained and damage to his head."
"Oh god, oh my fucking god! Where were they? Who is the other boy?" "I don't know his identity yet, I recognised Steven. They were in the new development complex."
"Why? Can I meet you at the hospital?" She had not realised he had not actually told her that her son was unconscious when he was taken away.
"Of course, please get a taxi or a lift from a patrol car; I really don't want you to drive tonight. Kar, promise me you won't drive."
"I can't drive, I promise, I'll phone a taxi."
He hated hearing her like this - not that he had ever heard her quite this distressed before this event - but it felt as though he had been the one who had been kicked in the stomach several times.
"Wait, Karen, I'll come by in my car and drive you over." H didn't care about her feelings on the matter, he wanted to protect her.
Even long before she was his direct superior they had known exactly what the other thought about a particular case and were the first one they called if they were up for a promotion or just a quick brainstorm. He had been the first - and so far only - person to question whether or not she wants to be behind a desk every working day, a thing she was still not entirely sure of herself but outwardly she only chastised him for not being pleased for her. He was pleased for her, he couldn't imagine being prouder of anyone but he could tell she missed being out on the streets.
At least since she was in management it would be easier to keep her out of this case, he hoped.
"Sir, should we start the door to doors?" Jackie asked, interrupting his thoughts to which he snapped a yes back at the two beside him which he instantly regretted but couldn't bring himself to say this whole thing was already troubling him.
He began to think about other relatives to phone - he surmised that he would have to ask Karen to phone her ex-husband which he could put money on her hating every second of - he realised it would be quicker to pick Karen up and somehow ask her for the details rather than stopping off at the station on the way to grab numbers after a quick record search.