Chapter 4
In the motel, in the early morning, a lot of police cars were in the parking lot. They had been called about the three murders which happened yesterday night. Axel walked in on the scene, putting on latex gloves. He crouched beside Frank's dead body. A sheet covered a big part of the corpse but not the head where the injury which caused the man's death was. Axel took the sheet's end and covered the head, sighing. Then he stood up and looked at Martin who watched him sadly. The latter knew this affair was sensible for the sheriff. After all, one of the three victims was his ex-girlfriend.
Axel watched him for a moment before walking towards a motel room then he got in. He discovered the room was destroyed. His eyes fell on the small electrocuted body of the manager of the motel. He sighed and moved towards the bathroom. The sigh which greeted him was horrible. He barely prevented himself from pucking. He had never seen that before. In the red heart-shaped bath was Irene's body lay. She was in a uncomfortable position, blood covering almost every part of her body, and she was disemboweled.
"Jesus, Irene," Axel murmured, horrified. Seeing her dead ex wasn't pleasant, especially in this condition. "He took your heart." Martin took off his latex gloves.
"Jilted lover with a screw loose ?"
"More than one screw, wouldn't you say ?" the sheriff said, his eyes on Irene. Even though they weren't together since a long time, he was shocked and upset. They remained good friends after… after what it happened ten years ago. "Irene never did the jilting."
"I'm sorry, Axel. I know you two used to be an item before this evening." Axel lowered his head.
"Yeah, it was a long time ago, Martin." He sighed and he left the room, followed by Martin. They went to the reception.
"We checked the motel registration," Martin said showing a book. "There's a couple of fake names. Not too many people use their real name around here if you know what I mean." At this moment, Axel couldn't prevent himself from feeling uncomfortable. His thoughts went to Megan for a moment before coming back at the reality. He looked at the registration and read the names. His finger stopped on a familiar name. Tom Hanniger.
"All right. This name is real."
"Tom Hanniger ?" Axel didn't have the time to speak for a police woman came.
"Sheriff, we got a video camera who could interest you. You ain't gonna believe what's on it."
Megan came fast into the grocery shop. She was late. Again. But it wasn't her fault. His alarm clock hadn't rung. Besides, the traffic in the town was difficult.
"Sam, I'm sorry I'm late again." Sam gave a gag at a patron and thanked them before turning around to see her. "They found someone dead at the Thunderbird. There's cops everywhere. Have you talked to Axel ?" Sam stopped her calling her name.
"Megan, stop. Work waits for you. Go stock the display."
"Sorry," the young woman said then left. Sam sighed and turned. However he didn't expect to see someone he thought he would never see again. He opened his eyes wide whereas this someone smiled.
"Hi."
"T-Tom ?" he murmured as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. He had the feeling he was dreaming.
"Sam." A moment went by. They stared to each other. It was ten years and they didn't see again. Sam tried to believe it wasn't a dream but the reality whereas Tom gazed to him. Sam had grown up but he was become more beautiful. He eventually spoke again. "You're still working for your folks, I see."
"Tom," Sam repeated, tears in his eyes. No, it wasn't a dream, it was the reality. Tom was standing in front of him and talking with him. He wanted to jump in his arms because he missed Tom very much but the cash register prevented him from doing that. "What are you doing here?"
"I… I had to come back into town to clear some things up." Sam seemed to be embarrassed.
"Oh. I'm so sorry for your father." Tom smiled but the younger knew it was a fake one.
"Thanks." Knowing Tom was ill-at-ease with the subject, Sam changed it.
"Tom, where did you go ? It's been…ten years." Since you left me, Sam added in his thoughts but didn't say that out loud. He ignored the tears that this thought caused but, apparently, Tom noticed them because he changed the subject. He had never liked to see his love cry.
"You look even more beautiful than when I left," he said to try to comfort him, to see him smile, but it didn't work. At the contrary, Sam seemed to be more sad, more tearful.
"Left ? You just vanished, Tom. Your dad didn't even know where you were. You didn't tell anything to somebody. Not even to me. We all started to think that you were dead." Sam didn't add he had worried so much for his ex-boyfriend that he had fallen sick. He had been so shattered after what it had happened in the mines and after Tom was left. Nobody had been able to help him to bear Tom's absence. Until he learnt something. Something so important and so unbelievable he had decided it was useless to mope and he should continue to live in spite of the events.
"I'm sorry," Tom said ashamed. He hadn't wanted to leave him but he didn't have a choice. He just hoped one day he would be able to tell everything to Sam so that the latter could forgive him. He wanted to say another thing but nothing came. Until his eyes fell on a picture stuck to a wall. It was a picture representing Axel, at the middle, holding Sam and a boy. A fair-haired and green-eyed boy. They were smiling. "That's a beautiful family you have there. I guess it's not Sam Winchester anymore."
"No. It's Sam Palmer now." Tom didn't show that but this sentence didn't please him. Before the… events ten years ago, he had always thought Sam Winchester would become Sam Hanniger, that they would be together forever. But he would have known Sam would continue to live his life after his leaving, that he would have a family he had always wanted. However he was angry that Sam was married with Axel. Axel, the one who had always wanted to be with the younger, to have him.
"I never thought Axel would settle down, but he always did like you," he said. Then he moved around the cash desk to be beside Sam. The latter looked at him, his heart beating faster. Having Tom at his side always affected him. Today was the case in spite of the ten last years. The older suddenly took his face in his hands and looked at him seriously. Sam barely kept from closing his eyes to feel the warm of Tom's hands. "Sam," the only Hanniger left murmured softly. "You know I don't really like Axel. When we were together, he always flirted with you, and I don't really like the thought of you with him so I'd like to know if he makes you happy, if he treats you as you deserve."
For a moment, Sam didn't know what to say. He was lost in the different emotions who were in his ex's eyes. "Yes, Tom, he treats me correctly," he eventually said. Tom nodded.
"Good because if it wasn't the case, I'd kill him." Tom was so serious when he saw that Sam shivered. He knew the latter didn't lie. Tom took off his hands. "I should go."
"What ?"
"It's good to see you, Sam." Tom kissed Sam on his head and left. Just before getting out, he turned around to see a last time Sam who didn't move. The latter was so lost by the last events he didn't notice Megan's look.
