Caleb rode quickly down the deserted streets, aware that he only had an hour for lunch. He had not intended on leaving school so abruptly and he suspected Boone was suspicious of his sudden departure; however, he had experienced a strong urge to go, so he instinctively jumped on his bicycle and left.
It had been a calm morning in class and Caleb had been making an effort to listen to his Substitute Teacher, wanting to continue to show his step mom Gail that he could be trusted; however, when Miss Coombs sauntered into the classroom and smiled confidently at them all while she announced her planned return after this coming weekend, his darkness had flared up and he felt an overwhelming need to leave.
Caleb was not scared of his Teacher, far from it and it did not bother him that she was fully aware of what he had done to her. He was more worried about being unable to control his desire to continue hurting her and he had not wanted to throw away the progress that he had made with his step mom Gail, now that she had visibly relaxed around him.
So here he was, throwing away his lunch hour to ride to his secret spot in the hopes that it would settle his desire to play with his Teacher. Visiting this place always eased his darkness and he was hoping that it would calm him after seeing Miss Coombs for the first time in weeks. As he neared his secret place, he felt himself becoming excited. This is not something that he could share with Rose or his friends, this was his private getaway and he smiled as he got closer to his spot.
When he approached the area of the fence that Poppy Bowen had initially spotted him using years earlier, he jumped off his bicycle and squeezed through the loose board of the fence effortlessly. He rushed to his desired location smiling excitedly, feeling his heartbeat racing; however, his smile faded when he spotted the yellow police tape around his favourite area and he quietly moved closer to the commotion, in an attempt to survey what was going on.
'I wondered when you would show up' Lucas said casually, leaning against an old ford escort behind him and watching his son carefully.
Caleb froze at the sound of his fathers voice, then forced himself to turn around and face him like a man should.
Lucas stared at Caleb for a moment, curious as to how the boy could truly believe that he could keep this a secret from him. The body was not well hidden by any standards and Caleb had been lucky that he had stopped Gail from snooping around around the crime scene too much, as she would no doubt have found something incriminating. 'Cat got your tongue?' Lucas mocked, spotting Caleb's feline friend appear from underneath a burned out car.
Caleb's heart was racing and he was unsure of the best move here, so he inhaled deeply and forced himself to address his father, hoping that he could contain the disaster that this had turned into. 'It ain't what it looks like-' he started to explain.
'Oh you mean to man you hacked away at with a knife and let your little cat use as a scratching post?' Lucas interrupted sarcastically.
Caleb thought for a moment, realising that he had well and truly been caught, then just shrugged. 'OK, it is what it looks like but I don't need to explain anythin'...you don't' he stated defensively.
'You think Gail is gonna see it that way?' Lucas asked, amused at his son's willingness to want to be like him but wondering how he was going to address this with his wife.
'She don't need to know!' Caleb exclaimed moodily, suddenly considering his step mom's inevitable disappointment over the matter and how this would effect all that he had accomplished with her over the last few weeks.
Lucas saw the panic in his boys eyes and shook his head slowly, knowing how hard he had tried to be good for her recently. 'She's taken on the story son and you have no idea how hard she is gonna push to solve this, it's in her blood and she's gonna keep diggin' until she find's the truth...I get your desires, hell I live with them every day but you ain't good at coverin' your tracks yet boy, what were you thinkin' doin' this on your own?' he asked seriously, a part of him disappointed that Caleb had not come to him with this.
'So your gonna tell her just so she ain't mad at you? Again choosin' her over your first son' Caleb snapped accusingly, feeling the anger in him rising and unable to stop himself from projecting it at his father.
Lucas did not appreciate the attitude that he was getting or the accusation, especially when he had waited around for the boy to help him after speaking to the victims wife and piecing this together effortlessly.
Between his interfering wife and his moody adolescent son, Lucas stood no chance of getting any actual common sense and he let out an exasperated laugh, deciding to remove himself from the equation to protect his own sanity, so he did not lash out himself due to his irritation with his family. 'You know what, I'm done. You believe what you want son, I ain't gonna defend myself to anyone let alone a stroppy child. You have fun coverin' your tracks on your own for change, you're old enough to deal with the consequences of your actions' Lucas advised smugly, not allowing the boy to get under his skin and then walked back towards his Deputies.
Caleb watched his father leave and cursed himself for letting his emotions cause an unwise reaction from him. When his father was completely out of sight, he let out a long sigh and supposed that he would have to figure out his next move on his own.
Gail sat in her large office inside of the Trinity Guardian Headquarters, staring at her blank computer screen. Most of her morning had been taken up with greeting her work colleagues upon her return, as she had not been here officially since several months before she had given birth to her daughter and now that she had her own space to run through what she had found at the Junkyard, her mind was blank and she could not decide where to start.
'Your mind's clouded' Christie said frankly, appearing in front of the large window in Gail's office, overlooking the busy street at the entrance of the building.
'I'm just a little rusty, that's all' Gail replied sharply, then got up from her seated position and started pacing the office. 'It's been a while since I've seen you' she said suspiciously.
'After what happened with your husbands candidate for Mayor, I needed to step away for a while' Christie shrugged nonchalantly.
'You mean after what I did to that parasite?' Gail asked quietly, without any emotion in her voice.
Christie glanced over her shoulder cautiously at her pacing friend, then let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'If you're looking for vindication Gail, you're not getting it from me'
'Does it bother knowing what I truly am?' Gail asked curiously, ignoring the statement.
'It bothers me knowing what you've become since resigning yourself to this cursed town and the man who controls it' Christie advised honestly and turned back towards the window.
Gail let out an amused laugh and joined her dead friend at the window. 'He doesn't control everything and he certainly doesn't control me-' she started defensively.
'But you allow him to believe that he can, don't you Gail?' Christie asked accusingly, truly confused as to why her friend entertains the over dominant sociopath that she is with.
Gail stared at Christie curiously and chose to remain silent, sensing her friend was here for a reason.
'Of course you do' Christie answered for her bitterly. 'Why would you step on that mans turf when he would happily give it to you, believing you would never turn against him'
'And I won't turn against him' Gail advised sweetly, her mind going back to previous games Joshua had played which she suspected were to test her loyalty to her husband and his cause.
'Even with the beautiful children you have, you'd still risk them and remain with a monster? The man murdered your oldest friend when all she wanted to do was protect you' Christie stated sadly and began pacing the room.
Gail thought for a moment and bit her lip in frustration, not wanting to think about what had happened to her friend. Christie was going to publicly accuse Lucas of something terrible and Gail knew her husband did not react well to being backed into a corner. She did not condone his actions, but she knew that Lucas truly believed that he was protecting his family, otherwise he would not have targeted someone that was close to her. 'We've been through this Christie, I'm not going there again...You said my mind was clouded' she stated seriously, not allowing her friend to rehash old arguments.
'When isn't it Mrs Buck?' Christie asked judgmentally, then disappeared abruptly.
Gail stared at the empty space that Christie had just been occupying and let out a long sigh, then ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation. 'For once can't I just get a straight answer from somebody?' she asked to the empty room and shook her head in irritation.
Her mind was always clouded these days, Gail was fully aware of that fact and being cooped up in this office was not going to assist her in her investigation; therefore, she reached for her bag and jacket, deciding some fresh air may provide some clarity and headed out of her office.
Caleb sat on his bicycle not far from his Teachers house and watched the empty street casually. After he had established that his secret place had been raided, he decided to ditch the remainder of School and had rode straight here, trying to figure out his next move.
He had offended his father, that much was obvious and he suspected that he would use this to teach him a lesson, such was his fathers way. Caleb did not care, he knew that his father was secretly proud of him for embracing his darkness and that only made him more determined to fix this without his assistance.
'You're either dim, or you like pain' Malcolm said from behind him, as he watched his grandson amused.
Caleb froze at the sound of Malcolm's voice, then forced himself to remain cool and turned towards him. 'How ain't you gone yet? I thought Gail well and truly had your hide for the stunt you pulled at the hospital'
Malcolm laughed and leaned against a tree not far from Caleb's position. 'I have a lot of friends boy, that heathen ain't got the strength to take us all on'
'Yet you still lurk in the shadows and hide from her?' Caleb asked knowingly and smirked when Malcolm shifted uncomfortably.
Malcom was about to challenge the young Buck in front of him, when a strong wind forced him out of the shadows and he spotted Joshua watching them from a secluded porch. He may have friends but he also had people to answer to and he knew better than to step on Joshua's toes, especially when Joshua had found a new pet to play with.
'You called me dim, why?' Caleb asked curiously, when Malcolm remained silent.
Malcolm let out a small laugh at the boy's intelligence and took a few steps closer to him. 'I didn't outright call you dim boy, I'm merely pointin' out that bein' at the initial scene of the crime when your Reporter step mom is investigatin' the story may not be the brightest move'
'I know that, I ain't stupid!' Caleb snapped, not appreciating the insinuation.
'Then what are you doin' here Caleb?' Malcolm asked curiously, wanting to understand his grandson more than ever now that his darkness was beginning to grow.
Caleb knew that talking to his grandfather was not the best thing after what he had done; however, Malcolm had not aimed any of his animosity at him and Caleb was curious about why his father was so secretive about him. He thought for a moment about the best course of action here, then let out a long sigh and shook his head. 'I just wanna see how far she's gotten is all, before I decide what to do next' he advised honestly, resigning himself to Malcolm's company.
Malcolm smiled at the answer, sensing the boy had accepted his presence and nodded to Joshua to confirm he was completing the task that he had been given. 'Alright boy, this is when the real test begins...let's see how well you do when hunted. I'll be right here with you each step of the way' he advised reassuringly and forced his demeanour to remain soft in order to gain the boys trust.
Matt stood at the large window in his office, peering out of the blinds at the quiet hospital corridor. It had been a fairly quiet few months and there had been no weirdness with the exception Selena's accident, and he had been enjoying the quiet. Matt had just started to let his guard down and allowed himself to enjoy his mundane appointments; however, he should have known better and he had been reminded of where he truly resided when he got called out to the Junkyard.
It was always strange when the Sheriff's Department called him out, especially when it was obvious the person he was checking on was dead; however, he could not question orders which came from his superiors and he had given his preliminary findings directly to the Sheriff, then handed the body off to the Coroner to perform a full report after his autopsy.
Matt had received a visit from the Sheriff not long after he had left the scene and Lucas had questioned his take on what had happened. He would have usually suspected Lucas of the murder had the body not been so carelessly placed, he knew Lucas would have covered his tracks better than this if he was involved. Still, Lucas' eagerness to find out what he thought was suspicious and the old inquisitive part of Matt wanted to investigate the matter further.
'That's what you have me for' Gail smiled sweetly as she perched on his desk, wondering how long it would have taken for him to notice her if she had not spoken.
Matt gave off a small jump and cursed himself for being so preoccupied that he had not noticed the intrusion. 'Not that it isn't always a pleasure to see you Gail, but I'm guessing this visit has something to do with dead body at the Junkyard?' he asked knowingly.
Gail was about to protest against his insinuation, then saw the knowing look on his face and let out a small laugh. 'Am I that predictable?' she asked, feigning innocence.
'Only to me' Matt smiled and perched beside her on the desk. 'Ben mentioned you showed up before he got there, I'm assuming you got a look at the body?'
'I didn't touch anything, but it's in my nature to be curious Matt' she advised calmly, sensing his slight disapproving tone.
'You get anything off Lucas?' Matt asked, wondering how she worked these days.
'If I'd have chosen to take advantage of my husband I wouldn't be here would I?' Gail stated defensively, then relaxed when Matt placed a hand on her knee affectionately.
'I've got to check Gail, you can't blame me for wondering whether you'd take a quicker route to get back to your children' Matt advised, sensing instantly that he had offended her.
'You should know me better than that' Gail said moodily, unimpressed at the accusation.
'So you have no questions for me, seen as I was called to the scene?' Matt asked suspiciously.
Gail stared at him angrily for a moment, then let out an irritated laugh. 'Your Coroner can't hold his tongue bestie, I've already gotten the identity of the body, the cause of death and his suspicions on the matter...I guess wanting to check in with my best friend before I head out must be so uncharacteristic of me' she said sharply as she stood up, unable to hide her irritation of his accusation.
Matt watched for a moment when she got up to leave, then stood up and grabbed her arm gently. 'I'm an idiot, I'm sorry...It's just been a long morning and I didn't think' he explained, hoping she was not too mad at him.
Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. 'I suppose having a Reporter as a friend may complicate these matters, especially when she's been out of the game for so long' she said, unable to remain mad at him for long.
Matt smiled warmly and gave her a big hug, squeezing her tight when she tried to wriggle free. 'Now that I'm forgiven, how about some late lunch? I've got a few hours free and I'm gathering you missed your lunch due to your busy schedule'
'Well, I'm happy to swing by a food joint on the way to visit the newly discovered widow. I could use a sensitive Doctor to ensure I don't overstep the boundaries like I usually do' Gail smiled sweetly, hoping Matt would accompany her to interview the widow.
Matt glanced at her suspiciously for a moment, wondering whether this had been her plan all along, then placed his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the office. 'I suppose I could lend a helping hand, seen as this random request has only just been thought of' he mocked suspiciously and locked his office.
Gail had intended on testing the water to see how Matt would feel about helping her like this, knowing his presence with her would ensure that she played nice. When the look on his face turned from suspicion to affection, she knew that he was on board and smiled warmly at him, lining his arm as they exited the hospital together.
-To be continued-