CHAPTER 37

30 minutes later…

"You expect us to believe that you have no idea how David Karofsky ended up dead in yout trunk?" The I.A Agent asked Finn and Quinn.

"That's not what I said." Finn groaned in annoyance. "I said I'm not a forensic scientist, but my guess would be the bullet to the head scrambled his brains."

"Who would have the motive to kill David Karofsky?" The I.A agent asked. Finn laughed.

"Uh, I don't know. He's the head of one of the biggest cartels in Mexico, so I'm guessing it's a long list." Finn remarked.

"Would you put yourself on that list?" She asked. Finn didn't answer and the lady raised an eyebrow. "Did you not go down to Mexico with the intent to kill Mr. Karofsky."

"I think you're overstating that." Quinn chuckled. "Uh he went… we went down there to arrest David Karofsky, which we did successfully."

"Here's a voice mail lifted from David's phone." The agent said and he clicked the play button. Finn's voice filled the room.

"David!" Finn exclaimed in the voicemail. "Hola, amigo. You know, when I woke up this morning and I thought the sun is shining, what a great day to put a bullet in your head. Right between your eyes."

Quinn glared at Finn and Finn just shrugged and smirked faintly. She sighed and turned to the IA agents.

"Don't lump me in there with him." She told them. "I was down there as the voice of reason."

"It's true. The only reason I did not kill David was because she told me she loved me." Finn added.

"I'd like that stricken from the record." Quinn snapped.

"This isn't a trial." The I.A agents stated, rolling their eyes.

"Okay, well, I want my lawyer present because my brain is still a little foggy. It's a residual effect of pain medication. So I am not responsible for the things I might've said."

"Well, I'm an open book. So ask away!" Finn exclaimed, cheerfully.

"Why were you hunting David Karofsky, Detective Hudson?" One of them asked.

"Because he killed my wife. Next question."

The three I.A agents looked at each other. Finn was really not looking too good and they all knew it.

"Effective immediately, you're both on administrative leave. We'll need your badges and guns. Unless otherwise notified, you are not to go anywhere near this case…"

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Finn and Quinn stormed out of the precinct moments later and Quinn ran over to Finn.

"Wait a minute, what's the matter with you, man? You got us suspended!" Quinn spat angrily.

"I don't know why you're upset, I just told the truth. Plus, bonus vacation days!"

"Yeah, well, you know, I was thinking, while I was doped up, I might've told the nurse that David was in the trunk. I say we start with her."

"Uh, we're on leave, madam." Finn stated. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but they always say that and then we never listen. It's kind of our move." She replied.

"Not anymore. I am done."

Quinn stopped walking.

"Woah, woah, woah. What do you mean, you're done? You want to find out who killed David?"

"I mean, look, obviously, it should have been me. But I'll tell you what: you find him and I'll buy him a beer."

Finn then started walking away but Quinn wasn't done yet. She ran after him.

"So that's it? No more being a cop? What are… what are you gonna do? You're gonna go back to your trailer and drink yourself into oblivion?"

"That, Lucy Quinn Fabray, is the best idea you've had all day!" Finn exclaimed and then he walked away.

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Quinn slowly walked into her house for the first time in three weeks, prepared to face the anger of her entire family. But what greeted her was an extremely weird sight. There were random people all over her house, all holding red solo cups. Quinn stormed over to the speaker which was blasting music and she unplugged the phone from it. Unfortunately, that didn't do anything.

"The party is over! Over!" She shouted. Nobody heard her though. Haley turned around and saw her.

"Mom, it's wireless." She laughed. She then walked over and gave her mom a hug. Luke walked over moments later.

"Hey, mom, welcome home!" He exclaimed.

"Don't 'welcome home, mom' me. What's going on here?" Quinn snapped. "I leave town for a couple of days and you guys decided to throw an unsupervised party? Oh, wait till Santana finds out about this!"

"Quinn!" Santana exclaimed, cheerfully, walking into the room, a plate of barbequed food in her arms. "Oh my god! Welcome back!"

"San, wh-what is all this?"

"Well, the kids wanted to throw a post-graduation party and I'd rather them throw it here, where I can see them.

"Who is manning my barbeque?!" Quinn exclaimed. Luke smirked at her and winked. "You? You do not have a license to operate her. That is not a toy."

"I'm going to college in a few weeks, mom. I can manage a grill."

"You picked a school without me?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, yeah. Claremont."

Quinn looked at Santana, incredulously.

"San, isn't that a decision that we should make together as a family? Why wasn't I consulted?"

"Really? I tried calling and calling you, Quinn. One time you were at a mariachi bar, one time you were at a spa. And the oth… you know what? When you went to Mexico, I supported you; I didn't ask any questions. And I'm asking you to do the same for me now, okay?"

"You're right." Quinn sighed. "Maybe I came in a little hot. You know, it was a long day. I'm just happy to see my family… and what the hell is that?" Quinn shouted, pointing to right under Haley's crop top, where a small ring was pierced.

"Oh, it's a belly button ring. Cool right?" Haley smiled.

"No, not cool!" Quinn spat. "The only girls who wear belly button rings are the ones who get paid to show it!"

"Mom!" Haley exclaimed in horror.

"Quinn!" Santana shouted. "That is not okay."

"Okay, can you guys please take it upstairs. This is social suicide."

"I know what's wrong." Quinn snapped. "You're just mad because I went to Mexico for a couple of weeks."

"I'm mad because you came back acting like a horse's ass." Santana responded. She then noticed the bandages on Finn's finger. "Quinn, what is that?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Quinn stammered in reply. "I-I lost a piece of my finger. They found it, put it back, everything is fine."

Santana took deep breaths to control her temper.

"And you didn't think to call me when a PART OF YOUR BODY GOES MISSING?!"

"Can we start over?" Quinn asked.

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Finn poured himself a glass of scotch and he sat down on his trailer table. He was then greeted by the side of his open David Karofsky file. As he looked at the man's face, he felt a surge of anger that he wasn't the one that pulled the trigger. He sighed. Nothing he could do now anyways. Finn dumped the file in the garbage and he took a swig of alcohol. Suddenly, there was a knock on his trailer door.

"Are you decent?!" He heard Doctor Pillsbury call.

"Nope." Finn replied. Dr. Pillsbury rolled her eyes.

"Let me rephrase… do you have pants on?"

"Yes." Finn sighed. She then opened the door and stepped inside.

"Wow." She remarked as she looked around his trailer for the first time. "This is not as bad as I expected."

"You must have extremely low expectations." Finn laughed.

"I came by to check on you." She said. "I'm not sure if you remember, but you sent me this note before you left."

"That is a thank you note." Finn explained. Dr. Pillsbury smiled faintly.

"Not to get all shrink on you but it read to me like a suicide note. So you're done, huh? No more being a cop."

"Well, you know, they accused me of killing David Karofsky, if you can believe that."

"But you didn't kill him. How do you feel about that?"

Finn sighed.

"Well, I think the world's a better place without him in it so I'll take one for the team." Finn replied.

"What about your partner?" She asked. "She followed you to Mexico to save your life. Sounds like she may have ruined her career to do it."

"Well, I didn't ask for her help, so… that's on her."

"You didn't have to." Dr. Pillsbury remarked. "That's what it means to care about someone. She wanted you alive more than you did. Well… I for one am glad you're back. The world's a better place with you in it."

With that, she walked out of the trailer and into the night.

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The following evening, Quinn walked into the hospital she had gone to by the U.S/Mexico border to question the nurse who had treated her. The door was locked when she tried to walk in but the nurse saw her and her eyes widened.

"Hi. I was in here earlier with a missing finger!" She exclaimed.

"I know who you are, we're closed." She stammered as she flipped the switch to a secret alarm that called the police. "You need to leave."

"It's okay, I'm a cop." She said. "I need to know if I said anything on that medication, anything unusual."

"You kidnapped David Karofsky and then you killed him. I saw the news! I already hit the alarm. Cops are on their way." She exclaimed. "Real cops."

"Honey, I am a real cop."

"Let me see your badge then." She snapped. Suddenly, Quinn heard the brakes of a car squeaking outside. She turned around to see two SUVs full of cartel men readying their machine guns.

"Denise. Is that your name? Okay, Denise, there are some very bad men out there with automatic weapons coming to kill you." Quinn shouted. Denise's face filled with confusion.

"Why?" She gasped.

"Wh-Who did you tell about David?" Quinn yelled.

"I called my brother, he's a Border Patrol agent."

"Okay. Open this door. OPEN THE DOOR!" Quinn shouted. Terrified, Denise quickly unlocked the door and let Quinn in. Quinn quickly shut off all lights in the hospital and opened a small storage cupboard.

"I need you to stay in here until I return, got it?" Quinn spat. Denise nodded and stepped inside. "Wait, I need a weapon. Do you have anything? Uh, uh… nurse… scalpel."

Denise quickly handed her the tool and Quinn smirked.

"I always wanted to say that." She grinned. "Okay, I'll be right back. Don't worry. Industry professional."

With that, Quinn slammed the door shut tiptoed through the hospital to take cover and she prepared to take out the men one by one. She listened silently as the men smashed through the glass doors and entered the building. Quinn waited until they split up and she prowled silently until she approached one of them. She jumped out of her hiding spot and stabbed him in the neck, causing him to cry out and collapse on the ground. Suddenly, five guns cocked and trained on her.

"HANDS UP!" One of them shouted in a thick, Hispanic accent. Quinn slowly raised her hands but before they were even fully up, five gunshots rang through the air, burying into the temples of the five gunmen. It was incredible accuracy from the shooter… Navy SEAL accuracy. Quinn smiled and let out a sigh of relief when she realised who had made the shots. She had no idea where he was, but given the distance the bullets travelled, he was probably outside the hospital building. Sure enough, Finn called to her from the entrance of the hospital.

"Hey, Q, you dead in there?" He shouted.

"Yes!" She replied.

"Lucky bastard." Finn muttered before walking into the hospital to meet her.

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Half an hour later, the police had made it and Denise had finally left her hiding spot in the cupboard. She sat in one of the stationary ambulances, a shock blanket draped around her shoulders, and Quinn walked over to her.

"Who were those men?" Denise stammered.

"Probably members of David Karofsky's cartel." She replied. "Now, you said you told your brother we had Tito in the trunk?"

"Yeah. Gordon works for Border Patrol. I didn't know you guys were cops. I figured he'd know what to do."

Quinn nodded and took out her phone. She called Tina.

"Hey, Tina." She said. She could practically hear Tina smiling.

"Quinn? Thank God. Do you have any idea how dead this place is without you and Finn?"

"Listen, for a concerned citizen, could you put out a BOLO for one Gordon Barnes, born 7/30/79."

"Sure. Who is he?" Tina asked, looking at a picture of him.

"A person of interest in the David Karofsky killing. Since we're on suspension, we have to do this under the radar."

Suddenly, Tina felt a knock on the edge of her desk. She looked up and her eyes widened.

"Got him." Tina said.

"You looked him up?" Quinn asked.

"No, he's standing right in front of me." Tina murmured. "Sir, can I help you?" She asked.

"Yeah." Gordon replied, walking over to her. "I'm here to confess. I killed David Karofsky…"