Here's the next update, not gonna lie this one was a little slow going because I didn't really know what I was going with here but thankfully I have the best co-plotter in the world and Em helped break me out of my stump. Hopefully I can work out some way to keep chapters rolling because I actually head back to school in a week. As always, all comments are loved and appreciated!
The call came in around 5 AM. Gil was startled awake by the sound of his ringtone. His heart thumps painfully in his chest when he sees the missed texts from Malcolm. He's wide awake when he answers.
"Malcolm? Are you both ok?"
"We're fine." The boy's voice is thin, drained. The words don't bring any sense of relief, there's a second meaning behind them. Physically. "There's another body. Mom found it in the kitchen almost half an hour ago. Agent Swanson and Edrisa are on their way now."
"Is she alright?" He can hear Malcolm swallow. Contemplating the answer and Gil knows. All those years that she'd hid everything she was feeling from her kids, all of it went to hell the moment she found the body.
"It was Freddy."
His eyes close in remorse for the stranger. The man had helped Jessica escape, it likely cost him his life. "Fuck." The word slips out, truthfully but he hears the humorless chuckle from the other end.
"That's what I said."
"Where is she at now?"
"In the other room with Ainsley. It was bad. I'd never-"
"She never let you see that side. Neither of you." Gil, however, had seen it all. When the children were safely asleep he'd hold her until she cried herself to sleep. When they were at school he kept her company so the empty house didn't swallow her whole. He even went as far as to limit the bottles that she kept in the home at certain points, especially around anniversaries.
Her wedding anniversary was the worst.
"I'm on my way now." It wasn't hard, he'd fallen asleep in the same clothes he'd come home in minus his coat and shoes. The exhaustion had worn on him enough that once he hit his bed he was out.
Out enough to miss those damn texts.
He shakes his head. "Make sure everything in the scene is the same. If anything even feels slightly off balance in there I want you to mark it. It'll be hard but ask your mother if she saw anything at all. If she heard something that startled her awake, anything. We're going to catch this guy."
"I know." Again, the words are distant. The question lingers bitterly in the silence.
But will it be too late?
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He arrives at the home soon after, blue and red light his way up the driveway. Emergencies beat him there, he spies Agent Swanson's car as well. He'll catch up with her after he talks to Malcolm and hopefully Jess.
The air feels chillier as he steps out, a sense of dread holds the chatter to a still. There will be no excited banter between Malcolm and Edrisa. No sarcastic commentary from JT or side discussions with Dani. Eyes fall on the sidewalk as he passes. His steps echo on the concrete, his mind racing as he steps inside the warmth of the home.
"I want to know how a serial killer carrying a fucking body got past three cops! One of which is a fucking FBI agent!" He hears Ainsley shouting as soon as he enters. He follows her voice rounding the corner to see her still in her pajamas and a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers absolutely laying into an officer. "How does that just happen? I don't understand!" Even in the ridiculous pjs she holds the same command that she does as a reporter, intimidating and driven to have every answer.
"Ainsley." She looks up at his voice. Her eyes give away everything, the fear hidden behind them is blatant, he assumes that's exactly why the officer looked unfazed. She comes over and he can see she got little sleep. The dark circles under her eyes showcase her troubles, alone.
"Thank god you're here." She whispers, pulling him into a short hug. He feels everything that he was thinking in that embrace. The guilt for leaving earlier that night, despite their agreement. The house was way too big, too many extra bedrooms for them to have gone home. Maybe then, one of them two would've seen something.
"Where's Jess?" He asks once she pulls away. Ainsley's gaze softens slightly at the nickname before wordlessly guiding him through the halls. The path to Jessica's bedroom is a familiar one.
The sight though, less so.
Malcolm sits in the chair staring blankly at the floor. His foot bounces at a rate that gives away his desire to investigate, but his reluctance to leave his mother alone. When he spies their movement it's enough for him to pop up out of his seat, ready to join Edrisa in the kitchen.
Jessica sits on the edge of her bed. Hands clenched together and all too aware of the amount of people currently in her home. She relaxes, only a little at the sight of them.
"Gil." She breathes, he smiles sadly at her. "Malcolm, go. You've been staring at the door for 15 minutes." He doesn't argue, but places a comforting hand on her shoulder as he passes. Ainsley lingers in the door behind him, eyes glued to the carpet.
"I'll go talk to Dani." She sighs, it's clear she wants to help more but she knows more than Malcolm that Jessica is putting up a front for the two of them. Gil won't get much out of her when her daughter is lingering in the room. She hardly cracked in front of them after Martin, she'd be damned if this bastard made her break in front of them again.
Right on cue as the door shuts behind her, Jessica is on her feet pacing across the room. "Gil," She sighs, running her hands over her face and through her hair.
"Jess, you shouldn't be moving around so much." She shoots him a wide eyed look, as if challenging him to stop her. He frowns but doesn't bring it up again.
"How, I don't understand." Her voice catches in her throat, threatening to tear away. "He was in my home. My home." Her fingers twitch, a tell tale sign that she wishes she could reach for the nearest bottle and pour herself a glass. Or reach for pills. Anything to quell her rising panic.
"Hey-"
"Don't." She spins around, faster than she should. He can see the pain resonate through her face the second she does. "Don't you dare tell me that it's ok."
"Jessica."
"He was in here. He was in the room with my son." His eyes widen, he hadn't been told that when he was briefed on the drive over. The way she's shaking he's certain she mentioned anything to anyone else either. The thought alone sends a bolt of anxiety through his stomach. "There was a cup of tea on my nightstand. I thought Malcolm made it before he fell asleep in the chair but-"
"But what?"
"Malcolm said he fell asleep an hour before I woke up." Her hands knot together, trying to stop the shaking. He goes to her, taking her hands in his slowly giving her more than enough time to pull away if that's what she wanted. "I don't know what to do." She whispers the confession. Her eyes shine with unshed tears and she bites her lower lip to keep them under control.
"Stay with me."
"What?" She blinks rapidly, caught off guard by his words.
"I want you to stay with me. My apartment has one entrance and the fire escape. Less murder tunnels, and quite frankly, I want you as close to me as possible."
"But Malcolm and Ainsley-"
"They can stay if they'd like too. Hell, I'd be shocked if they didn't." His eyes trace over her. The bruises are finally beginning to fade but the scratches still mar her normally smooth skin. With him, he can make sure she heals properly. "I'll keep you safe." He promises and he holds his breath. Not once in twenty years did she even entertain the idea of staying somewhere other than her home. Even with the threats of numerous killers, discoveries of tunnels leading to god knows where in her basement, and the blood shed it held more value in the good memories than the bad. He expects her to reject him again.
"Okay." She whispers with a short nod.
"You will?"
"It's closer to Malcolm's and I'll have Ainsley stay with him until you catch him. I want everyone close."
"I am still convinced both of them are going to be sharing the couch for the next few days."
"Even better." He chuckles at her attempt at a joke. She doesn't loosen but he can see the relief in her eyes, he doesn't imagine he could get herself to fall asleep in this room again. At least not for a while.
"Pack up your stuff. After I finish up here we can go back. I'll make you breakfast and we can sleep in."
"Oh now you're just spoiling me." She squeezes his hand with a small, reluctant smile. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me." He places a soft kiss on the back of her hand and leaves the room, ready to dive back into the case. His mind is cleared knowing that Jessica is safe and will be coming home with him rather than staying in a house that has far too many secrets for his own comfort.
He didn't even see her grab the note from the nightstand and slip it into her shirt pocket.