Hey dolls! Hope you didn't think I forgot about this story. I've just been extremely busy with school. Hope you all are still interested in this story!
Huge thank you to my beta, Hana, for beta'ing this chapter!
Also, don't forget to leave reviews. I always love reading them.
Enjoy!
Caroline hopped into the car seat as the driver held the car door open for her, just as she did the past few days. She wondered if Rebekah, Kol, Elijah, or Finn knew that Klaus loaned his driver to her for a few days. Halfway on the path to the department, she received a text from the dispatcher. She shook her head disapprovingly when she saw the location and report.
Everyone was already there when she arrived. Rebekah gave her a curious look when she got out of the car. She walked over to Caroline and gave her a pair of gloves.
Turning her back on the blonde, she walked back to Katherine's side.
This time the crowd was larger than before.
The reporters tried to sneak behind Caroline, but she would weave through, making it hard for them to trail behind.
She approached the grandfather tree planted in the middle of the town square. This tree was sacred and there were a lot of historical events that had to do with it.
This morning, there were two men and woman hung by the neck.
The rope was tied around a long branch, while the other end looped around the victims' necks, suffocating them to death.
Rebekah took the camera from the curly-haired brunette and quickly snapped a couple of photographs.
Katherine walked around the area and analyzed the bodies.
Caroline looked to the sergeant who just looked back at her with a blank expression on his face. She was about to say something to him, but then Matt showed up.
"These three live in the house near mine," he said. "The man on the left, Fred, and the woman, Sandy, are siblings. The man on the right, George, is Sandy's boyfriend."
"Is it the same killer as those that perished a short time ago?" Caroline asked him curiously as her eyes ran across the bodies.
Kol nodded. "They tied a knot to each of their ankles, with one word each. 'Tick. Tock. Six down. More to go.'"
"Same handwriting as the other notes," Katherine informed them.
"Where are they now?" Caroline asked them as she eyed her colleagues.
"Packaged in evidence," Klaus answered. "And you would have known that were you to get here on time."
Caroline rolled her bright blue eyes at him. She guessed the nice Klaus disappeared over night.
"Go find people for questioning!" Klaus ordered everyone.
Caroline and Kol were able to find one person for questioning: Janice Ravens.
She was passing through the town square last night at 4 AM, on her way to her job site, which was the next city over. Janice claimed that she saw two men carry big garbage bags in the town square. She didn't think twice about it, so she didn't spare them another glance, and she was still trying to wake herself up considering that she was still exhausted.
Janice had brown hair that reached her shoulders and she had dark brown eyes. She was of average height and she had a high voice.
When Janice was asked to identify the men, she could only give a general description of the two.
Both were Caucasian, had dark hair, were of average height, and were possibly in their late twenties to early thirties.
"Who do you think it is?" Matt asked Caroline and Kol as he played with a paper ball.
"My money is on Damon Salvatore and Mayor Lockwood. They fit the description," Kol replied as her reached for his mug of coffee.
"What do you think, Forbes?" The blonde haired and blue eyed man asked her.
Caroline didn't respond. She was too distracted with her own thoughts.
"Forbes!" Kol shouted, louder.
"Huh?" Caroline responded, pulling away from her thoughts.
"Who do you think are the culprits?" Matt asked again.
Caroline shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "Umm, I'm gonna go and get some air." She told them.
Caroline excused herself to go outside because she needed to make a private phone call that her colleagues at the precinct wouldn't hear.
She didn't want to risk anything. When she was sure no one was around her, she dialed her best friend's number.
"Stefan," she said once she heard him on the other end of the line.
"What's up?" The forest-green eyed man asked her as he poured himself a glass of scotch.
"Have you decided yet?" She asked him even though she didn't want to be a bother.
Caroline heard Stefan sigh through the phone. "Yes," he answered. "I'll help you."
"Thanks, Stef. It really means a lot to me," she told him truthfully.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm doing it for Elena's sake. If Jeremy is brought down, she'll be crushed," Stefan explained. "But umm… try… umm…"
Caroline furrowed her eyebrows with a concerned expression on her face.
Stefan never stuttered, she realized.
"Look… I know Damon and I don't get along and stuff, but he's still my brother, you know? I don't want him to ruin Jeremy and Elena's life, but I also don't want him to rot away in a jail cell. We both don't know if he's really the murderer." He finally clarified.
"Don't worry about it, Stefan," she td him as she tried to reassure her best friend.
Stefan made a point. They didn't know for sure that Damon was the murderer.
"So… anyway…," he continued, "last night, I heard Damon up around 1 AM. When I looked, he was stuffing a gym bag with some tape and rope. I didn't see anything else that he put into the bag, though."
"Thanks, Stefan. That's good enough," she replied. "Elena's coming back tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. She said she wants to have dinner tomorrow at her place. Can you come?" he asked.
"Of course I'll be there," she answered. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
She hung up on her best friend, and turned on her heel. She was about to step forward, until her body was blocked, causing her to lose her balance. She looked up from her phone and found Sergeant Mikaelson standing there.
"What the hell?!" She shouted at him, as she fixed her disarranged clothes.
"So Damon Salvatore was busy packing a bag with tape and rope last night," he said to her.
Caroline wrinkled her forehead at him.
"Were you eavesdropping on my conversation with my best friend? I hope you know that eavesdropping isn't something that I forgive easily."
"I came to talk to you, but I overheard your conversation," he explained, ignoring her last sentence. "You really should turn down the volume on your phone. I could hear it from more than a foot away."
"Whatever!" Caroline cried out as she stepped to the side.
She attempted to walk past him, but he blocked her again. She stepped to the other side, but he did the same thing.
"Seriously?!" she yelled, her voice laced with irritation. "What is your problem?"
"Come with me. I'm about to interrogate those that were present when the murders occurred."
Caroline got in Klaus' car. He told her that they needed to bring Damon Salvatore in for questioning. She gave him directions to the Salvatore boarding house.
Caroline was nervous as Klaus pulled into their driveway. She was afraid of what Stefan would think she he realized that Caroline chose her job over him.
She didn't want to play bad cop, but she'd actually be playing good cop if Damon really killed all those innocent people.
Klaus got out of the car, and Caroline followed him to the door.
Using the side of his fist, he pounded on the door.
Seconds later, the pale skin, black haired Salvatore answered the door with his stupid smug smirk.
"What can I do for you, officers?" he asked, casually, like Caroline and Klaus were his friends.
"Damon Salvatore, you are under arrest," Klaus said.
"For what? And do you have a warrant?"
"We have reason to believe that you are involved in the murders of Piper Reid, Savannah Cot, and Gracie Hopper," Klaus explained. "Turn around, and put your hands behind your back."
Damon obliged, still smirking even though he knew that they couldn't arrest him without a warrant.
Caroline didn't expect for him to act so nonchalantly towards this.
Unless of course this was a part of his plan.
She questioned if they were being set up.
Distantly, she heard sirens. It wasn't long until Matt and Kol pulled up in a police car. She assumed they followed because Klaus' car was a coupe.
"Care, what the hell is going on?" Stefan asked, approaching them.
Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but no words formed. What could she say to make this better? There was nothing.
"Care?" he said again, trying to get her attention. "Why are you arresting my brother?"
"Don't worry about it, little bro," Damon told Stefan.
From Caroline's angle, she was probably the only person from her side to see Damon wink at Stefan. She grew more suspicious of Damon's calmness.
She convinced herself that this was a trap, or they were being set up. Something just didn't seem right.
Matt and Kol sprinted to them. Kol handcuffed Damon, as Matt recited his Miranda rights. The two escorted him to the police car, placing him in the backseat. Matt gave them a nod before driving back to the station.
"Have a good day," Klaus said, before turning around to walk back to his car.
Caroline stood still for a moment and she looked up into Stefan's eyes, afraid.
"Care… Did you know all along that you were going to arrest him?"
Caroline choked up, and froze. She couldn't shake her head or nod, but that didn't matter, because she didn't know the answer.
She asked Stefan to be her informant, knowing they were going to take Damon down. It was hard to grasp that she had just arrested her best friend's brother.
"Care," Stefan spoke up, trying to break the silence.
Caroline still stood silent. She opened her mouth to say something but only air came out.
"Forbes!" Klaus yelled from his car.
His yell took her by surprise, causing her heart to leap against her chest.
"Let's go! Now!" He demanded.
Caroline bit down on her bottom lip. She didn't know what to do. Should she have been there for her best friend or prioritize her work. Her mind settled on her work. She couldn't deal with Stefan right now. She walked backward a few steps, before hurriedly walking over to Klaus' passenger seat. As soon as she closed her door, Klaus put his car in reverse and sped away from the Salvatore boarding house.
Klaus noticed that Caroline was quiet and disturbed. Her mind was preoccupied and he assumed it has to do with the unsettling feeling of arresting her best friend's brother.
"You're doing your job, Forbes. No need to fret," he told her, breaking the silence.
Caroline rolled her eyes. Of course you wouldn't understand! She said in her head, but stayed quiet.
"Don't let your friendships get in the way of your work," he stated like a teacher teaching his student.
"Why? Are you going to dismiss me again?" She challenged.
She truly didn't want him to take her up on that challenge. She was just not in the mood to be lectured by him. The blonde had unsettled thoughts and feelings about this case and her friends' involvement.
"Don't test me, Forbes," he warned. "Stop being so emotional and do your job!" He ordered, sternly.
Caroline was already fighting some battles internally and she really didn't need to hear him rant on about what she should and shouldn't do.
"So you're telling me you've always put work first? You've never been in a situation where you had to choose between your loved ones and work?" She questioned, turning to him.
She observed that he pressed his lips in a hard line, while his jaw clenched. His grip around the wheel became tighter, and his eyes stayed on the road. She raised an eyebrow at him, and then she realized she struck a touchy subject. Although his expression was hard and tough, his features were softened. His eyes looked reflective instead of hard.
Did this have something to do with that girl Katherine and what they were talking about the other night?
It was then that she realized that he has probably been through something that he never wanted to talk about, but Caroline really wanted to know. Now was not the time, though.
Caroline threw her head back against the wall. They made no success in interrogating Damon. His alibis confirmed that they were out camping and they needed supplies. They've been heading to the woods. It wasn't a surprise that he had some lackey's play his alibis and lie for him. As far as evidence, though, there was nothing.
Klaus exited the questioning room, frustrated, with Matt and Katherine behind him. Katherine just took Damon's samples for testing.
"I'll go bring this to the lab," Katherine told them as she walked towards the forensic lab.
"No," Klaus said, bringing her to a halt. He saw his sister passing through, and beckoned for her.
"What's up?" she asked, when she reached them, with a manila folder in her hand.
With her lab coat and glasses, she looked like one of those smart girls Caroline envied in lab classes.
"I need you to run to the lab and then come straight back." He instructed.
"Why can't Katherine do it? I have work to do on the murder!" She whined, like younger sisters usually did.
"Rebekah, enough!" he said, more sternly now. "I need Katherine here just in case we have more people coming in as Damon's alibis."
Rebekah groaned, but took Damon's sample from Katherine. She handed the folder to Katherine, before returning to the lab to pick up her bag and keys.
"We're never going to crack this bastard. He has a bloody army to back him up and prove his innocence!" Kol complained.
Matt, Caroline, Katherine, and Klaus didn't say anything, but they agreed with Kol. They had nothing on him. It was the same way with Mayor Lockwood.
"Come with me," Klaus told Caroline, jerking his head toward the door to the questioning room.
Caroline followed Klaus into the room. Damon sat at the other side of the table, with a video camera on him and a sinister smirk on his face.
"Hello, Blondie," Damon greeted her. "Your mom would be disappointed that you still haven't cracked the case." He mocked.
"Shut up!" She ordered, through gritted teeth.
She released a breath to compose herself, even though she wanted to kick him in the balls and lock him up behind bars.
"I really don't have to be here. You guys have absolutely nothing on me. If I call my lawyer, then it will only be even more difficult," he taunted. "Drop the charges!"
"You were not out camping," she stated firmly.
"Wasn't I? Did Stefan tell you I wasn't? Hmm. I wonder why he would decide to help you over his own brother?" He pretended to act hurt.
Caroline glared at him. What was he up to? What was he suggesting? Was Stefan on his side? Was he tricking her?
"Stefan realized how much his brother is an ass and decided to help his friends!" She spat.
"Really? Or is he helping me by making you believe in him and trust what he says?" He challenged.
"You fucking bastard!" Caroline shouted. "Don't you dare taint my friendship with Stefan. You –"
"Enough!" Klaus interrupted as his voice held an authoritative tone.
Up until now, Caroline had forgotten that Klaus was also in the room. He was standing behind her and approached the two of them. He grabbed the key out of his pocket as Damon extended his handcuffed wrists.
"You're letting him go?!" Caroline shouted in disbelief.
Before Klaus stuck the key into the hole, his phone vibrated. He quickly looked at the screen and saw that it was his sister. Putting the key back into his pocket, he answered the phone.
"What is it, Bekah?"
Klaus' face went pale as his eyes widened.
"We'll be right there," he said, before ending the call.
As soon as he ended the call, he grabbed Damon by the neck and lifted him up. Klaus glared furiously at him.
"You set this up!" He said through gritted teeth. "You set it up so Rebekah could get shot!"
Damon smirked down at Klaus. "What could I have possibly done? I was here the whole time. Your cameras can prove it and there are a lot of witnesses. I had no phone – no form of communication."
Caroline tugged on Damon's shoulders, telling him to let go. Matt and Kol rushed in after they saw what happened through the monitor from the camera feed. They helped Klaus let go of Damon. Once Klaus let go, Kol pulled him away while Matt held Damon back.
"Go to Rebekah. She needs you. I'll handle it here," Matt said to Klaus.
"Let's go, Nik!" Kol told him.
"Take the patrol car, Kol. We might need to arrest someone," Klaus instructed his brother. He turned to look over his shoulder at Caroline. "Come with me, Forbes."
Caroline nodded and followed quickly. They ran to the cars. Klaus took the lead, with Kol following. Klaus was definitely driving above the town's low speed limit, but no police officer chased after them. She thought it would be best to stay quiet. His sister was just shot. There was nothing she could say or do to change that. Silently, she wondered why he told her to ride with him. After all, her partner was Kol, and it seemed like she was spending more time with her sergeant than her partner. Though, she'd never admit it, she kind of liked being around him, even if sometimes he just drove her nuts. He challenges her like no one else does. He makes her want to be the best – not just to prove him right – but to be the best because she is the best and she should own up to it.
The ambulance arrived the same time they got to the forensic lab. Caroline followed after Klaus and Kol. They rushed to either side of Rebekah's bed. Rebekah looked weak and pained. She was shot n the shin. With the little strength she had, she explained that she saw the man driving in a black SUV. He came out and casually walked toward her. She saw the gun as soon as he pulled it out. She tackled him to the ground at the same time he fired the gun. With the close contact, the gun was pointed down, away from their upper bodies and the bullet ripped through her shin. He ran off and she managed to make two phone calls to Klaus and 911.
"We'll come with you to the hospital," Kol said, following the EMT who was pushing the gurney into the back of the ambulance.
Rebekah shook her head slightly and grabbed Klaus by the collar. "Nik… he's… he's still here."
Klaus let his sister leave with the ambulance. Meanwhile, Klaus and Kol looked around for any suspicious people. Caroline turned around to get a good look at the parking lot. Her jaw dropped when she noticed a familiar black SUV driving out of the parking lot – the Gilbert's SUV.
Overtaken with shock, Caroline stood still, as Klaus and Kol began searching. Her brain was still processing what she just saw. The Gilbert's black SUV was just here. Elena and Jeremy weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow, even Stefan confirmed it. Rebekah said it was a man who shot her. She didn't say he looked familiar. If it was a man, then does that mean it was Jeremy? No. Then where was Elena? Are they helping Damon? No. This can't be right.
"Forbes!" Klaus shouted, pulling Caroline from her reverie.
She looked at him attentively.
"Let's go inside and ask the security for the camera tapes. Then we can find out who it was," he explained.
Klaus requested footage of everything in the past hour. They forwarded to the part where Rebekah was exiting the building and heading to her car. Caroline couldn't believe it. The man who shot Rebekah, was indeed Jeremy. She gasped at they zoomed in to get a clear image of his face.
"That's Jeremy Gilbert," Kol stated the obvious. "Katherine showed me the picture of the guy matching the prints on the gun. He is involved in this."
"So it seems," Klaus replied, before turning around to give Caroline a dark glare.
From there, the three of them drove to the Gilbert residence. Caroline's body trembled. This all couldn't be true. This is all some big mix up. But why was Jeremy there? Why did he shoot Rebekah? Why?
When they arrived at the Gilbert residence, the infamous black SUV was parked out front. Caroline hesitated as she approached the Gilbert porch. She wanted to run. She wanted to run away from all of this. Nothing made sense anymore. Were her friends really the bad guys? She shook her head. They were good people. They were innocent. There was a reason for all of this. There had to be.
Klaus knocked on the door, and Caroline gasped as both Stefan and Elena answered the door. From their view, Jeremy stood slightly behind them.
Klaus was taken aback at the resemblance of Elena to Katherine. Katherine mentioned they were distant cousins, but the resemblance was uncanny.
"What the hell is this, Caroline?" Stefan demanded.
"Caroline, what's going on?" Elena followed.
Klaus pulled himself together. "We have proof that Jeremy Gilbert has intentionally wounded a civilian. We must bring him in for questioning and he is under arrest," he explained.
Caroline zipped her lips. It was best for her not to talk. She couldn't explain this.
"Kol, go handcuff the Gilbert boy," Klaus ordered.
Kol listened and stepped forward to enter the house, but Stefan and Elena defensively blocked the entrance.
"Let him in, or we will bring all three of you in," Klaus warned.
Elena sighed and let Kol pass through. She didn't say anything, but Caroline could read it all over her face – her heart was breaking from seeing her little brother arrested. Kol escorted Jeremy to the patrol car he drove, as he recited the Miranda rights.
"You can't arrest him! He's a minor! I'm his guardian!" Elena yelled at Klaus.
"Very well. You must also come to the station. Hire your lawyer if you must," he replied, not fazed by the tears in her eyes.
Elena glowered at Caroline. "How could you, Caroline?"
"What are you guys even doing here so early?" Caroline asked. "You said you would be gone for three days and would be back tomorrow."
"You wouldn't understand," Elena said to her, before slamming the door in her face.
In the car, Caroline kept quiet again, distracted by her thoughts.
What the hell was going on? Were Jeremy, Stefan, and Elena helping Damon and Tyler? Were they all conspiring together? If her friends were a part of some serial killing scheme, then she would know it, right?
"It's hard isn't it?" Klaus said, interrupting her thoughts.
"Huh?"
"It's hard to learn that the ones you love are involved in crime and murder."
"My friends are not criminals or murderers!" she stated defensively.
"Living in denial will only hurt you in the end, not anyone else," he replied. "Trust me."
Is Stefan, Elena, and Jeremy working with Damon and Tyler?
Why did Jeremy shoot Rebekah?
Why is Klaus spending more time with Caroline?
Stay tuned to find out!
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