Thanks to those who reviewed. As usual, please R+R!
Whew... Things are picking up. I have a lovely whole week off school next week, so I should be able to post a bit more often.
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Lily sat on the kerb round the back of McDonalds. She was hungry, but didn't dare go in and buy anything in case someone asked where her parents were. It was still dark, but the sky was lightening slightly. Maybe in a few hours she could go get a burger or something.
She heard footsteps and flattened herself against the wall, but it was just a man who ignored her totally and walked to his car. More people would be using this car park soon, she'd have to move.
Lily stood up, checked her bag and slipped around the side of the restaurant. She wasn't quite sure where she was, though it might be the McDonalds she had sometimes gone to with her Mommy. They had been able to walk there, so it wasn't that far from her house. Not far enough.
Sooo… If they had gone that way to get home and that was nearly the way she came, the best way to go would be in the opposite direction.
She started up the road.
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"Get in," said Alex, gesturing to a white van. The back was open, and the doors hung off their hinges rustily. Usually Christine would never go near such an unsafe-looking thing, but it seemed necessary. She stepped up into the back and sat down, leaning against the van's side.
"You too,"
Horatio climbed in after her, and sat on the other side. He looked paler in the sunlight and there was a thin line of blood running down the side of his face.
Alex slammed the doors, and they were plunged into semi-darkness yet again.
"What is it with you and dark, Alex?" Christine raised her voice so Alex could hear her. "You'd almost think you wanted something going on…"
"Shut up," He could hear her then. Perfect.
"You know, you're breaking almost every hostage negotiation technique in the book," said Horatio quietly.
"He's my brother," she replied, also quietly. This was one conversation she didn't want Alex overhearing. "I don't think he's going to kill me,"
I don't THINK. Good one.
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"Crime lab,"
"Okay, just calm down. What's going on?"
"WHAT? Are you sure?"
"When?"
"What did it say?"
"Okay, I'll be round soon,"
Calleigh hung up and rushed out. She almost ran round a corner and went straight into Hagen.
"Whoa! What's the rush?"
"Anne Gardner just called. Lily's run away,"
"What?"
"Yeah. I'm going round there now,"
A short drive later she was in Lily's room at the Gardner's, holding a piece of paper torn out of a notebook. There was a short note written on it in large, clumsy handwriting.
Dear Antie annie
You and unkle rob and Kevin shud be ok now.
love Lily
"Why would she say Rob, Kevin and I should be ok now?" asked Anne, bringing in a cup of tea.
"She thinks it's her fault…"
"What? Milk or sugar?"
"No, thank you. And Lily might have gone to protect you,"
"But none of it's to do with her, it's just bad luck,"
"She doesn't know that. She thinks everyone she loves is going to die,"
"How do you know?"
"We had a case like this not too long ago. A little boy whose parents and brother were killed in a drive-by shooting. He thought it was all his fault and tried to run away as well,"
"Are you sure she just left? Maybe she was kidnapped!" Anne sounded hopeful, as if a kidnapping could shift the blame onto someone else.
"No signs of a struggle, no entrances forced. I'm sorry, Mrs Gardner, but it looks as if things just got too much for her,"
"I suppose…" Anne shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Do you know if you can find her?"
"We've got some people out looking right now. She was on foot, so she can't have got far,"
"Well, I really shouldn't keep you then. I'm sure you've got other investigations to run,"
Two missing persons. "Thank you for your time, Mrs Gardner. We'll do our best to find her,"
Calleigh went back down the stairs and out into the Gardner's front yard. Anne's son was sitting on a bike talking to another kid about the same age.
"That girl's gone at last. She was muckin' up my stuff,"
"What happened?"
"I woke up last night, I had to… you know… and there she was sneakin' out the door. I wasn't gonna stop her,"
Calleigh jolted out of the daze she'd been in. Kevin had seen Lily go?
"Excuse me. Kevin, isn't it?" Kevin turned round.
"You're a cop, right?"
"Yes," she said, not bothering to correct him. "So what time did you see Lily leave last night?"
"I didn't see nothing,"
"I know you did, Kevin, I just heard you tell your friend,"
"If I tell you you're gonna find her and bring her back, aren't you?"
Calleigh suppressed an impatient sigh. "But if we don't find her, Kevin, she might get in real trouble. She might get hurt,"
"I don't care," He turned to his friend, who smirked. He was trying to act cool. Calleigh suspected if she took him inside again with his mother she might get the information a little easier, but she didn't have time to be hanging around.
"Kevin, if she dies we might have to charge you with murder. Then you'll be in prison for the rest of your life,"
An outright lie, but Kevin didn't know that. He was staring at her, terrified.
"It was about midnight, okay? That help?"
She smiled at him. "Yes, it does. Thank you very much,"
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Lily sat on the swing in the park, rocking back and forwards. It was still early, so there was no-one else here yet. The hunger that had been nibbling her for a while made her stomach ache, and she was wondering if she could maybe go get some candy from the store opposite.
The latch on the park gate clacked. A little girl ran in, followed by her mother. Lily's heart twisted. The girl's mommy was laughing, like hers used to. Maybe she'd never hear her Mommy laugh again…
She could barely remember what she looked like any more. Her hair had been blonde, lighter than Lily's. She had had blue eyes, Lily knew that, but she couldn't picture a face. It was just a flesh-coloured blur.
Lily felt a tear drop onto her lap. She was crying.
"Are you alright, dear?"
It was the other Mommy, her daughter by her side staring at Lily curiously. Lily looked up. It was ok. This lady had dark hair and brown eyes, not like her Mommy.
"I'm ok,"
"Are you sure? Where's your mother?"
Lily had to hold back a sob when she heard the lady say that, but replied,
"She's… she's in the store over there. She lets me play on my own sometimes,"
"Why are you crying?"
"I- I tripped and hurt my knee,"
The lady frowned, but seemed to accept it.
"Well, me and Gabrielle were going to play for a bit, weren't we?" She turned to the little girl, who nodded, grinning, "and I'll look out for you until your mom comes. Okay?"
Lily nodded helplessly. How was she going to get out of this one?
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The van stopped, and Alex hauled the doors open.
"Out," he said shortly, scowling at them.
Allie got that look when he did something wrong, thought Christine. I wonder what he did this time.
They were ushered up the stairs into an old building, and stopped in front of an old oak door. It looked out of place in this dilapidated building.
Alex knocked.
"Come in," The voice was old, dry and sent a shock of recognition through Christine right down to the end of her spine.
Alex opened the door and shoved Horatio through. He didn't look as if any of this bothered him at all, though Christine didn't really believe that was how he felt about it. He hadn't spoken at all on the journey up.
The room was dimly lit, with grimy windows behind a massive desk that made the tiny man sitting at it look almost comical. Christine couldn't see his face, but she didn't need to.
"Dad,"
Alex flicked the lights on. She was shocked at how much older her father was. He had only been fifty when she left, but after ten years he looked almost eighty. He smiled. Either he'd been very good about looking after his teeth or these were fakes.
"My errant daughter has decided to return to the fold,"
"I didn't decide anything,"
"That is debatable, my dear. But we may address that issue later on. There are far more pressing matter on our hands at present,"
That was her dad, all right. Some people used two words where one would do. John Garroway used five.
"What issues may they be, father?"
Ah yes. The perfect son act. The room reeked of nostalgia.
"Him," John gestured impatiently to Horatio. "What were you thinking of, bringing a policeman here?"
"He was too close to solving the case, father," replied Alex carefully. "I made the decision to dispose of him,"
"Then why did you not do so when you had the chance? You did not need to bring him here,"
"I-" The statement went unspoken. I wanted to impress you.
"Actually, they know who you are," said Horatio, startling Alex. He was smiling slightly. "They know exactly what's going on,"
"Silence," John pulled a gun out from his desk drawer, and idly spun the chamber. He cocked it.
"The fact still remains that even though you would be a useful bargaining chip under other circumstances, I have no use for you now. You are, simply, surplus to requirements,"
BANG.