It felt as though this moment would decide the rest of her life. She let her hands hang by her sides as she walked over the concrete floor into the interrogation rooms. It was late, late enough for everybody to have gone home – leaving the office eerily quiet.
She pushed the large black door open, letting it swing closed behind her as she made her way down the black and grey corridor. At the end, was another black door. But behind it was the truth, not a notorious criminal – her husband.
As she neared the door, she took a deep breath and paused. This was it. The one thing she wanted to know ever since she found the box underneath the floorboards. She'd always thought she knew her husband, but did she really?
Without a second thought she pressed her hand up against the metal door, pushing it open and stepping inside. All the eyes went to her as she stepped inside the room and she glanced around; catching the eyes of Cooper and Ressler.
"Are you ready, Keen?" Cooper asked, stepping toward her. She was frozen on the spot, staring at the man through the one-way mirror. He looked so worried. His eyebrows were furrowed and his hands were balled together on the metal table in front of him. "Keen?"
She was pulled from her thoughts, glancing away from Tom and looking up at Cooper. It took her a while to try to speak, but she just managed to nod. Cooper looked down at her, leading her to the door of the interrogation room.
Tom looked up as the metal door opened, his worried face turning into a small smile at her. She tried to return his gesture, but she couldn't force a smile onto her frozen face. She gulped and followed Cooper to the table, taking a seat beside him and looking at her husband.
"It's time to tell her," Cooper said, glancing at her before turning his attention to Tom. He looked down at his hands, tensing his muscles before looking back up at her. She saw his eyes; glazed over. The bright blue was now more of a grey, and he almost looked sad.
"I'm so sorry, Lizzie." He whispered, his worried voice raising the hairs on her back. "I'm so sorry I did this to you." It took her a few moments to realise what he had just said. He'd confessed; he'd killed Viktor Fokin. He's betrayed her, he'd lied.
She felt her breath get heavy; her eyes began to water with tears. Her chair scratched over the concrete ground as she got up, her hands running through her hair as she walked to the corner. Her whole life had been a lie. She had nobody. Tom had lied, her parents were dead.
She'd given everything to Tom and he'd just thrown it away like it was nothing. He'd killed someone; he'd had an affair with a criminal whom he killed Fokin with. And worst of all; he'd lied to her. He'd lied to the women he had told he loved, over and over again.
Her knees gave way and she fell to the ground, burying her face in her hands, sobs overtaking her body. She could feel herself shaking in disbelief. She felt weak, and vulnerable. Tom had taken all she had; he'd taken advantage of her. And she had no idea it was happening.
She never wanted to this to happen. She never wanted to have the only thing she loved ripped from her grasp. She had loved Tom. She had committed herself to her. She had been planning to adopt a child with him.
"Yeah, she said we were the only married couple she knows who don't totally hate each other so she's… she's giving us a baby." He'd said only three days earlier. Just hours before he found the box, hours before he'd asked her to take him in for questioning.
She stood up, gripping the wall for support and leaning against it, her shaking body still fresh with the sobs. Her tear-stained cheeks still weeping. "How- how could- how could you…?" She tried, her shaking intensified and she gasped for air.
Cooper crossed the room, grabbing her elbow softly and helping her toward the door. He pulled it open for her, slowly releasing her elbow as she walked outside where Ressler was waiting.
He walked back into the room with Tom, leaving her alone with Ressler. She couldn't believe he'd just confessed. That he'd ever do that to her, leaving her breathless with the thoughts of her life before her job became her life.
She felt the sobs overtake her body again, and her knees begin to give way. Ressler hurried forward, grabbing onto her elbows and steadying her before she could fall. He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her like he'd done after the stewmaker ordeal.
Her hands made their way to his back, gripping onto his suit and nuzzling her head into his chest. She felt safe in his arms, but it was slightly awkward. Usually, the two of them were arguing with each other or she was taunting him about how Red chose her over him.
"I'm so sorry, Keen." Ressler mumbled, pulling her closer to him and rubbing her back softly. It hurt him to see her like this; in tears and broken in two because of silly behaviour from her husband.
"I'm sorry too." She whispered, her voice barely audible against his chest. After she spoke she pulled away, leaning up against the cool metal of the wall and staring in at the man who had broken her heart.
She took a deep breath, tearing her glance away from him and looking down. "Sorry for what?" Ressler asked, taking a step toward her and turning to look at Tom and Cooper in the room beside them.
"Everything," She muttered, looking back up at Tom. He was talking to Cooper, his voice muffled by the soundproof room. "Why did he do it, Ressler? Why did he break my heart? Why did he lie to me? Why did he lead me on?"
Ressler looked down. She'd admitted to her being heartbroken because of the silly man in the next room. He sighed. "I don't know, but I do know that you deserve someone better than Tom." Like me, his conscience added. He shook his head.
"Thank you, Ressler." Liz said, her voice shallow. Pain was evident in her tone, and it almost made Ressler want to scoop her up in his arms once again. He was about to reply, but the door slamming open stunned them.
Cooper followed Tom out of the room, his hand gripping around Tom's elbows. "You're going to divorce me, aren't you?" Tom asked, looking down before looking back up to her eyes. She took a deep breath and nodded.
"H-how long will it take? To file the… the divorce." She finished, looking up into Cooper's eyes. Her blue eyes were glazed with tears, and the tear stains on her cheeks were now fresh again.
"I'm not sure, we don't work it out. But as soon as the divorce is finalised we'll let you know." Cooper said, beginning to steer Tom out of the room. He glanced over at Liz again, a frown forming on his un-shaven face.
"I'm so sorry, Lizzie." He said, before Cooper pushed him out of the door again leaving Ressler and Liz alone again. Her breath began to waver, before it hitched in her throat and her eyes began to water again. Tears fell down her cheeks and Ressler rushed to her aid.
He wrapped his arms around her and she fell into his aid, sobs beginning to wrack her body again.
