This chapter is again very Liz heavy to show who Tim is and what his intentions might be. I hope you won't hold that against me. I'm just gonna focus on that story for now.
I hope you like this chapter.
I'll see you soon,
T73.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was like any other cases, crystal clear. Liz and Adam caught a case which involved a jealous girlfriend who figured out that her lover was married. So the mistress got rid of the wife so she and her lover could ride into the sunset. Such an ending might be conceivable in a fairy tale, not in real life. Not if Adam and Liz investigated the course of events.
Some of their colleagues even sometimes claimed that the two were as good as Jane and Maura.
Every time Liz heard that she only grunted and waved that statement off. She knew that she had a long way to go to become as good as one of her mothers.
She was about to put slices of the ordered pizza on three plates while Zane watched his evening cartoons and looked up as soon as someone rang the doorbell. „Did your or my parents wanted to come by tonight?"
Adam was about to sip his water and shook his head. „My parents still live hundreds of miles away and Jane and Maura said nothing."
„Are you expecting someone?"
„It's Friday, right."
„Yeah."
„Shoot, I forgot to cancel on my girlfriend."
Liz scowled at him and saw a movement in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to Zane, who was about to run to the front door and pointed at him. „Young man, what are you doing?"
Zane immediately froze and pointed to the door. „Answering the door?"
Liz quirked a brow and wiped her hands in her gray sweats. „Sit back down."
„But -"
„No buts," she cut the boy off and his shoulders slumped. „Sit back down. NOW!"
Zane muttered something under his breath as he marched back into the living room.
She rolled her eyes and went to the door herself. Her heart skipped a beat when she glanced through the peephole.
Adam tilted his head and hoped that this would this Russo guy
About whom everyone was talking about. If it would be Russo he'd probably be charged with murder. „Won't you open the door, Liz?"
She glanced at him with her lips pressed together. She took a deep breath before she finally opened the door. She immediately recognized the man. It was the one who lounged around in the driveway of her parents. The man who made her existence possible. She couldn't remember his name, though.
He wrung nervously his hands and smiled tightly.
She studied him thoroughly but blocked the door. „How can I help you, Sir?"
„Sir," the dark-haired man laughed. „Most people just call me Tim." He stopped laughing when he saw her confused expression. „Um, my name is Timothy Rubino. Technically, I'm your father."
She snorted and looked briefly over her shoulder just to see that Adam was now sitting with Zane and watching cartoons.
She took a deep breath and straightened up. „Technically, you are indeed my father. In fact, my mothers are my parents. They fed me, clothed me and raised me while you weren't even a peripheral figure. You didn't exist for me. You were only a sperm donor, literally." She frowned and licked her lips. „That's why I wonder why you show up on my doorstep, Dan. And how the hell you got my address."
The man stared at her almost in disbelief and blinked a few times, and reached his hand out. „I'm happy to meet you, too. Um, can I come in?"
Liz didn't even flinch and put her hand against the door frame to protect her home. „I have no reason to let you in, and I don't know you."
„I know that I was never and won't ever be a part of your life, I want you to know that."
„Thank you," the young woman replied but made no effort to invite Tim in. „I really appreciate that."
He smiled a little. „You're as stubborn as my mother."
Liz opened her mouth and wanted to reply something when her husband suddenly stood behind her.
Adam also recognized the man immediately and furled his brows as he chewed with pleasure his pizza. „Won't you invite the gentleman in?"
Liz stared at him in disbelief but dropped her arm and finally let the older man enter the house.
Tim smiled broadly at Adam and reached out his hand. „Thank you."
Adam shook the said hand. „You're welcome. I'm Adam Laverty."
Liz let the door fall shut and followed them flabbergasted. „This is Tim R-"
Tim realized that she couldn't remember his whole name and jumped in. „Rubino. Tim Rubino"
He looked around in the house, or what he could see of it, and frowned as he spotted the three plates on the dining table. „I didn't mean to keep you from dinner."
„Oh," Adam replied and waved the statement off. „we can reheat dinner later."
Tim nodded and cleared his throat. „So you two ... live together?"
„I hope so," Adam laughed and glanced at his wife. „We are married."
„Not for long anymore if you don't shut up," Liz growled through clenched teeth and went into the kitchen.
Tim raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat again. „You're married?"
She took a deep breath and nodded. „Yes."
„And do you want kids someday?"
Adam grinned broadly but that grin died when Liz scowled at him. „Um ... we have a son."
„Adam!" Liz said in a warning voice and then she turned her gaze to Tim. „So where'd you get our address?"
„When you know the names of the people who ... how shall I put it? Um, who -"
„Ordered your sperm," she asked when he trailed off and her impatience grew with every second.
„Yes," the man laughed nervously and frowned. „If you know their names, the rest is knickknack."
The younger man nodded slowly but then he paused. „Aren't such information confidential?"
„Actually, yes," Liz replied and fixed her gaze on Tim. „How did you get these data?"
Tim took a deep breath and swallowed heavily. „A very good friend of mine works at the sperm bank."
She looked at him almost stunned and licked her lips. „And why did you show up at my house? I can't imagine that my parents were the only ones who requested your inheritance?"
Tim paused for a moment and sighed loudly. „You're not the only one I got in touch with, Elizabeth."
She nodded slowly and furrowed her brows. „I guess the others weren't exactly thrilled when you suddenly burst into their lives."
Tim ran his hand over his beard and seemed to look for a good answer. „They didn't exactly welcome me with open arms."
„I'm shocked," the young woman grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. „And what do you want from me, Tim?"
„Why do you think I want something from you, Elizabeth?"
„Because I can't imagine you came by because you wanted to see what I made out of my life."
„You're right," Tim replied and walked towards her. „You're absolutely right. I'm not just here because of kindness." He pulled out his wallet and hesitated for a second before taking out a picture, showing it to Liz. „This is my daughter Keira. She just turned fifteen."
She looked at the photo in detail. It showed a girl of whom she couldn't deny that she was genetically related to her, but she didn't move. And why are you telling me this?"
Tim hesitated again for a moment and Adam furled his brows.
He had heard several times about sperm donors who suddenly appeared in the lives of their offspring and then turned it upside down. Most of their motives were selfish. In such cases, it was always about people who were in the public eye and who paid a lot of money for the fact that the donor didn't blare out that the people were the result of artificial insemination.
Liz was also a public figure, first because of her parents who weren't exactly unknown in Boston and then because of her sudden disappearance and her arrest.
He didn't know if he could control himself if Time would demand money now.
„Keira's a good girl," the older man said, pulling Adam out of his train of thought. „She ... she's just bad company. She's been smoking, drinking and stealing from time to time and I just can't reach her anymore."
Adam sighed loudly and nodded slowly.
Liz frowned and let the words sink in. She could've guessed why Time had shown up at her place. She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and furrowed her brows. „and what does all of this have to do with me?"
„Liz -" Adam started but closed his mouth again as she held her hand up to signal him to stay out of it.
Tim ran his hand over his beard again and smiled sadly. „It has absolutely nothing to do with you and I wouldn't be here, or at the places of the others, when I would know what to do. My wife Mary died a year ago in a traffic accident and after that, the problems with Keira started. I really try my best to psych her up again but she just doesn't listen to me anymore and has surrounded herself with friends who are -" he trailed off and sighed heavily. „Let's just say that they're shady and much older than my daughter. I asked the people who really made something out of their lives. However, you are the only police officer among them, Elizabeth."
She took a deep breath and raised her brows briefly. „You want us to arrest Keira's buddies? Do you really ask us to abuse our positions as police officers?"
Tim shook his head and came even closer to the woman. „No. No, for God's sake, I would never ask you for such a favor, Elizabeth. I am here to ask you to have a serious talk with Keira and make her understand what happens to people who live a dissolute lifestyle and become criminals to finance this way of life."
Liz looked long at him and lifted her shoulders. „And why should Keira listen to me? She doesn't know me and has no relation to me."
„That's exactly why," he replied and frowned. „And because you are a person to be respected. I'm sure Keira will listen to you."
Liz glanced briefly at Adam who's bringing the heated pizza to their son, gritting her teeth briefly. „I'll think about it."
Tim breathed a sigh of relief and placed his business card on the dining table. „Thank you. Um, that's my phone number and email address."
She nodded slowly and tried to smile a little before bringing the older man to the door and saying goodbye.
Adam stood again in the kitchen and frowned. „Are you really going to talk to Keira?"
She took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. „Yes, I'll try to talk to her."
„Because she's your sister?"
„I have no siblings, Adam, I grew up as an only child. Just because the girl and I have the same genes it doesn't mean we're related"
„Technically -"
„Yes, I know the concept of kinship." She went back into the kitchen and opened the cupboard to take out a wine glass. She filled the glass with red wine and took a deep breath. „Besides, as an officer, it's my duty to keep people from putting themselves and others in danger."
„Yeah, go ahead and tell that yourself," he replied and grabbed his and her plates. „could you bring two bottles of water and apple juice," he asked and marched into the living room.
The brunette rolled her eyes and opened the fridge. „Sure."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A few days later Liz stood in front of the big mirror in the bedroom and looked at her reflection skeptically with her head tilted while plucking at her shirt over again.
Adam came out of the bathroom and stopped with a grin. „Is something wrong?"
She didn't look at him and heaved a sigh. „Actually, I was hoping that my uniform wouldn't fit me anymore. Why exactly did you keep it?"
He laughed briefly and shrugged. „I'm a sentimental person."
She scoffed and looked at him with furrowed brows. „Since when?"
He ran his hands over the dress shirt of his own uniform. „You seem there are still things about me you don't know."
„Yeah, like how you actually look in your police uniform."
„I've worn it many times."
„Yes, your dress uniform."
He chuckled and raised his brows. „When I see you in yours, old memories come back."
„I hope only the good ones."
Adam made a face and raised his shoulders again. „Where's Keira supposed to be today?"
Liz checked her belt again and pulled down the corners of her mouth. „On a basketball court in Mattapan."
„And you think this outfit is good for this neighborhood?"
She glanced up and scowled at him. „We'll survive there half an hour, Adam."
„You sure?"
„Otherwise, Leslie and Chaz will have to raise two kids."
He laughed ironically. „Very funny."
„I know."
Adam took a deep breath and scratched his chin. „I have to admit, this damn uniform is a little tight."
Liz went to him and patted his belly. „I have to admit, you've gained some weight.
Adam gasped and followed her. „Hey!"
She laughed heartily but ignored him.
„Did you organize a patrol car, too."
„You know me, I never do things by halves."
He rolled his eyes and grumbled, „Of course not."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The young woman parked the patrol car with a sigh at the curb and stared through the windshield. She didn't really know what she was doing in Mattapan, she didn't know the girl and her personal circumstances, only the things Tim had told her.
She didn't know exactly why she'd gotten involved in something like this.
Yes, she was a police officer with heart and soul and yes, she would do anything to prevent someone from doing something stupid, but somehow this was different. She would burst into the life of a teenager and perhaps change it once and for all, after all, it was impossible to deny that the two looked alike.
„You okay," Adam asked and pulled her out of her train of thought.
Liz blinked a few times and unbuckled her seat belt. „Yeah, I'm fine."
He glanced long at her and frowned before he also got out of the car. „You know that you don't have to do this, right?"
She blinked against the sun and furrowed her brows. „Yes, I know," she replied and automatically placed her left hand on her gun as they were eyed by several people. „But I promised Tim to talk to his daughter, and I'll keep that promise."
Adam nodded slowly and kept an eye on their surroundings. He never liked Mattapan.
Several young men were in the middle of a basketball game when the two entered the court. They stopped immediately when they saw the cops.
Liz looked closely at the audience and spotted Keira immediately in the middle of a group of girls, saying a little louder, „Keira Rubino?"
The teenager looked in the direction of Liz's voice and rolled her eyes as she saw the cops. „You gotta be kidding me. Did my old man really put the cops onto me?"
Liz glanced at her with furrowed brows and thrust her chin in the direction of a quieter corner of the court. „This is Adam Laverty and I am Liz Rizzoli. Can we talk to you? Privately."
Keira almost looked defiantly at her and crossed her arms over her chest, but then she nodded approvingly and strolled in the direction Liz has suggested.
Liz quirked a brow and followed the girl.
„You still can turn around," Adam whispered to her.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
„What does my father want from me again," Keira asked and was about to light a cigarette.
Liz grabbed it and threw it to the ground, stepping on it.
„Hey!" Keira barked and drew unwanted attention to them.
Liz ignored her and the looks of the other people and furled her brows. „This ... this is bad for you, and you stop smoking right now!"
Keira gritted her teeth and huffed. „Who are you? My mother?"
„No, but a cop and you won't treat me like I'm one of your wannabe friends. Do you understand?"
„Yeah," the girl grumbled low.
„What?"
„Yeah, I heard you," the teenager replied reluctantly.
„Very well," Liz said proudly and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. „Keira, your dad is very worried about you. That's why he asked us to have a talk with you."
The teenager eyes them and laughed. „Since when does my father care about me? Since my mother died, he has busied himself with his work and only hired babysitters who followed me everywhere I go."
„Well," Adam suddenly said and Liz glanced at him. „Everyone mourns a different way. There are people who don't know how to help themselves so they rather distract them with work after losing someone they loved, Keira. Even though they should take care of more important things, or in your case, more important persons."
Keira looked long at him then smirked. „The only thing my father loves is money and himself."
Liz glanced long at the girl and frowned. „Why would you say that?"
The girl took a deep breath and lifted her shoulders. „The night my mother died in a traffic accident, my parents fought because she found out that my dad donated his semen a thousand years ago for money."
Adam cleared his throat and pursed his lips.
Liz's frown deepened and she swallowed hard.
Keira laughed amused. „What's the problem? That I said donated or because I said semen?"
Liz shook her head. „Neither of it. So you heard that your parents fighting about that?"
„Yes, loud and clear. Mom accused dad of being a slave to his boss and that he did this donation only because his boss wants him to and because of money, and then she stormed out of our house, yelling at him that she needed time to think. Two hours later, she was dead."
„So you couldn't really say goodbye to your mom," Liz stated and the teenager shook her head with a lowered gaze. She frowned and stepped closer to the girl. „I'm really sorry," she said almost gently and Keira looked up again. „I really am, Keira, but those people over there are no company for someone like you. They realize that you are sharp as a tack and use that to their advantage and in the end, they drop you like a hot stone just so they won't go to the big house. Believe me, they are not your friends, Keira, they are using you. And if you'll need your so-called friends, they'll let you down."
„They are the only thing that comes close to a family since Mom died," Keira replied and it seems like she'd let down her guard.
The older brunette shook her head with a faint smile. „No, they're not. Your father is your family. So you should give him another try and talk to him about how you're feeling."
„He won't listen."
„You can't know if you don't give it a try, Keira. I know what I'm talking about. When I was your age I also thought my mothers wouldn't listen and so I became mutinous. Long story short, I was grounded for a month but after that, my parents noticed that they actually were too involved in their work and backed down. Everything changed after my little revolution."
„Really," Keira asked and eyed Liz skeptically.
Liz smiled broadly and nodded. „Yes, really. You just have to give your father a chance to change."
The teenager took a deep breath and nodded slowly. „Okay."
„Okay," Liz repeated and placed a hand on the girl's back. „Come on, we'll bring you to your dad's."
The girl nodded once more and followed Adam. „He's cute," she whispered to the older brunette.
Liz took a deep breath and smiled a little. „Yeah, kinda."
Keira glanced at her and quirked a brow. „You're totally smitten by him, aren't you?"
Liz suddenly smiled broadly when the girl brought that up.
„I already knew it when I first saw you. And he likes you too, a lot," the girl giggled.
„What are you whispering about back there," Adam wanted to know and turned his head to them.
Liz turned serious again. „Girl's stuff, Laverty. That's none of your business."
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Liz was standing in the locker room and groaned when she finally stuffed her white dressing shirt into her dark blue pants.
Leslie stopped a second before she rounded the corner. „I was afraid I'd interrupt something that isn't meant for me to see."
The brunette grinned broadly shrugged. „No idea what you're talking about."
„Yes, you do," the redhead replied and opened her locker.
Liz laughed and hung her uniform in her own locker. „How can you spend the whole day in this straitjacket?"
„How can't you?"
Liz smiled broadly and put on her jacket. „Can you do me a favor?"
„Sure."
„Can you check the background of a Timothy Rubino?"
„Yeah, I can do that," Leslie replied and turned with questioning eyes to her friend when the brunette thanked her and was about to leave. „Liz."
Liz turned to her with a frown. „Hmm?"
Leslie furled her brows. „Why do you want me to check the background of Payton's investigator?"
Liz heard stopped when she heard the information and her thoughts tumbled. She frowned and glanced at the redhead horrified. „What?"
Leslie stepped closer to her friend when she saw that the news threw Liz off the track. „I checked Payton's entire staff, and Timothy Rubin is on his payroll." She paused when she saw Liz's horrified face. „Liz, what's going on? You look as though you'd seen a ghost."
Liz grabbed her phone from the bench and started writing a text.
„Liz?"
The brunette glanced up from her phone. „Tim Rubino is the reason why I stand in front of you today."
Leslie blinked a few times and didn't even try to hide her confusion. „Excuse me?"
Liz shoved her phone into her pocket and took a deep breath. „Technically, he's my father."
Leslie made big eyes now, too. „Oh, shit!"
„Yeah, that's right," Liz replied and started to leave the locker room. „Oh, shit."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Liz leaned with her arms crossed against her parents' kitchen island and watched Jane rubbing the bridge of her nose with a deep frown.
Maura stood behind the counter and felt like she was about to throw up any moment. She wondered how her ex-husband could arrange for her and Jane to choose his investigator as a donor so he could still have control over their lives.
She always thought Ben had left Boston right after their divorce was finalized. Now she knew she was wrong. She also realized that her ex-husband had been watching her for all these years.
„I'm gonna kill Ben," Jane growled low and Liz quirked an eyebrow at her mother finally looked up. „I'll strangle him really slow."
„I hope you are aware that a cop is in this room and can hear you clearly," Liz replied and went to the fridge to get herself a bottle of water.
Jane glanced her seriously and frowned. „I couldn't care any less."
„Charming," the younger woman stated, and Maura rolled her eyes.
Jane got up from the couch and clenched her jaw for a moment. „Can it be that we didn't get the -" She trailed off and thought about whether she should finish the sentence in Liz's presence or not. „That Ben made sure we got Tim's DNA instead of the donor we've picked?"
Liz lowered her bottle and raised her brows high.
Maura straightened up and took a deep breath. „Yes, that's possible."
„Perfect," the former lieutenant growled once again.
Liz smiled tightly. „I still can hear you, Ma."
„Why does it matter now," Maura suddenly asked when her wife opened her mouth to reply something. „Would you love Elizabeth any less if you know that Ben got the sperm donation swapped?"
Jane eyes her daughter long and her shoulders slumped with a heavy sigh. „Of course not, I still would love her the way I do. But maybe we would've had a son instead -"
„Wow," Liz laughed and placed her water on the counter. „I really do feel loved by you right now."
The older brunette rolled her eyes. „You know what I mean."
„Do I?"
„Now don't be ridiculous."
„Stop it right now, both of you!" Maura barked when Liz wanted to reply something.
The young woman tugged in her chin and Jane lowered her brows.
Maura went to her daughter and ran her hand down at Liz's arms. „We love you just the way you are, Elizabeth. You are our daughter, and that's all that matters. Do you agree, Jane?"
Jane exhaled loudly and nodded slowly but surely. „Absolutely."
„And nothing will that ever change."
Jane stepped closer to her daughter. „What exactly did Tim want from you?"
Liz took a deep breath and shrugged exhausted. „He wanted me to talk to his fifteen-year-old daughter Keira because she's marching to a different drummer right now."
Maura closed her eyes briefly and heaved a sigh. „Why isn't her mother talking to her daughter?"
„That's impossible, she died a year ago in a traffic accident."
Somehow, Jane had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and glanced briefly at Maura who seemed to have the same feeling as she. Jane could deduce that from her wife's facial expression. „I don't know, I don't like any of this."
Jane grunted amusedly and furrowed her brows. „Do you think a fifteen-year-old teenager would stab me in the middle of the day?"
„No," the older Italian replied and crossed her arms over her chest. „but Keira could be used by Ben and Tim as a pretense to stay damn close to all of us, too close."
Liz let the words of her mother sink in and she came to the same conclusion. Already the evening Tim had asked her for this favor, she had wondered if it wouldn't be better for Keira if a long time acquaintance would talk to her instead of her. She couldn't quite tell why had thrown all caution to the wind and assured Tim that she would talk to his daughter.
To be fair, at that moment she didn't know for whom Tim Rubino was working for. „I'll be careful."
„Please," Maura said gently now. „We just got you back. I couldn't handle it if we lose you again."
Liz glanced at her watch, rounded the counter and kissed Maura's cheek. „I've got to go now. Don't worry so much or you'll get gray hair, Mom,"
Maura smiled broadly and nodded with a sigh.
Liz smiled slyly, went to Jane and kissed her cheek too. „That goes for you too, Ma."
Jane rolled her eyes but smiled. „You should've warned me about that a few years ago." She paused and scrutinized her daughter long. „Take care of yourself, Liz."
The young woman nodded and turned to leave, raising her hand. „I will. See you tomorrow."
„Yes," Jane sighed low. „See you tomorrow, Liz. I really hope so."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Adam came slowly back into the kitchen and frowned when he saw his wife sitting at the dining table and shoving a fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth while reading something on her laptop.
He hovered over her and furled his brows. „Didn't we have dinner with our son an hour ago?"
Liz didn't glance up and shrugged. „Fish sticks aren't exactly my favorite dish."
„Since when," he grunted amusedly.
„I've never liked it."
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. „Okay. And what are you reading?"
She leaned back and wanted to protest when he grabbed her fork and shoved a portion of her eggs into his mouth, but then decided to answer his question. „I've been searching the net about Mary Rubino's accident."
Adam took a deep breath and scanned the article his wife was reading. He actually had hoped the two could spend some time alone together after he was forced to put Zane to bed and to read him a bedtime story. Not by Liz but by their son. „Found anything interesting?"
She looked at him, grabbed a piece of bacon and nodding while eating it. „Some really intriguing stories." She paused when she saw his puzzled look. „What?"
„You dig in like this is your last meal."
„Are you trying to tell me something?"
„No," he laughed and shook his head. He sat down on the chair next to his wife and frowned. „What caught your attention?"
Liz put her fork to the side and licked her lips. „Tim forgot to mention that his wife was a respected pediatrician and that she wanted a divorce."
He furled his brows. „How do you know that."
Liz cleared her throat and mumbled, „Tabloid."
Adam raised his brows, grinning. „What?"
She rolled her eyes and replied, „Tabloid."
He chuckled but turned serious a second later, scratching his chin. „I knew I'd heard the name Rubino before, I just couldn't put a finger on it. But ... what does that have to do with her accidental death?"
Liz furrowed her brows. „She had had an appointment with her divorce lawyer the day after her accident. The accident perpetrator, a truck driver, claimed that Mary's SUV was suddenly steered into the incoming traffic after it was swerving about. The investigators in charge asked to test Mary for alcohol."
„But there were no traces of alcohol in her system."
She almost smiled broadly. „Nope."
Adam opened his mouth to reply something when there was a knock on the front door. He raised a hand when Liz was about to get up. „I get this."
She nodded slowly and furrowed her brows, hoping that the nightly visitor wouldn't be Tim. She got up her chair and brought her plate to the sink. She knew that Adam was following her train of thought even though he was about to question it. She turned around and froze when she looked into the tear-stained face of Keira. She saw that a blue eye was forming under Keira's left eye and her split lower lip. She noticed the girl wrapping tightly her jacket around her body and thought the worse. „What happened," she wheezed and rounded the kitchen island. Hundreds of scenarios shot through her mind. First, she thought that Tim had tried to get rid of his own daughter after Keira confided in Liz. Keira's lower lip trembled when she saw the detective's worried expression. „My boyfriend ... He didn't like me talking to cops," she cried.
Liz went to the teenager and led her at the arm to the couch. „Oh," she breathed and frowned deeply.
„I didn't want to bother you," the girl cried harder as she sat down. „but you told me that I could come here anytime I need help, and if my dad sees me like this ... he'll kill Curtis,"
Liz glanced at her husband and he nodded. „I'll get the first aid kit."
Liz cupped carefully the girl's chin with her hand and furled her brows. „He's lucky if I don't kill him. My mother is a doctor, let me call her."
„No," the teenager replied louder and jumped a little. „No, it's not that bad. I just need a place to stay for a couple of days before I can go home." She saw the detective's deep frown and was about to get off the couch. „This was a stupid idea, you probably call my father right in the morning."
„No," Liz stated louder and pushed the girl back onto the couch. „No, I promise you, I won't call him. You can stay as long as you want."
The teenager eyes her skeptically. „Why are you doing this for me?"
Liz shook her head and shrugged because she had no answer for that question. Let's talk about this Curtis guy first."
