Redemption
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Saturday was a solemn day. Rain clouds hovered overhead, just threatening to pour down the icy, wet drops of autumn. Whether or not it would fall was anyone's guess though. It wouldn't have surprised any of the attendants of Robert Stern's funeral if it did. It would only show how terrible of a day this truly was.
The church the service had been held in was small, only in comparison to the number of guests who'd attended. Never before had the priest seen so many people and he was saddened that he had to ask many to leave because of fire codes and other nonsense. But, for those who were allowed in, few found seats and the rest decided to stand as they paid their condolences.
Danni sat in between Caitlyn and Bobby, holding each of their hands. Caitlyn gripped to her for support as she tried to understand that her daddy wasn't coming back; that he was gone forever. Danni, on the other hand, was holding onto Bobby for the same reason. A few tears had trickled down her cheeks, but the flood gates still had yet to burst open. She was holding back to not show weakness to Marie, Caitlyn, or to herself, but it was only doing more harm than good.
Bobby glanced at her as the pastor spoke his sermon, while an interpreter signed for the large number of deaf guests who'd been present. He saw how the dark circles under her eyes had only gotten worse. Two more nights had passed and she still hadn't gotten any rest. It was like she was blaming herself for what had happened, when she had no reason to.
He wrapped his free arm around her and hugged her closer. He placed a light kiss upon her temple and expected some sort of reaction in return, but he got none. There was no smile on her lips, no squeeze of the hand, not even a glance in his direction. Her eyes were set upon the casket, never faltering as more tears dripped from her eyes.
Next to Bobby was Sue who didn't seem to be as entranced at the sermon as she usually would. Her focus was on Jack, who was sitting next to her. He looked even more exhausted than Danni and that was saying something. He also had dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't been getting much sleep as he used to. Since the night of Stern's death, he'd been withdrawn from her and that frightened her. He'd been able to tell her anything, but he'd only pulled away more.
To show him how much he could trust her, she laced her fingers within his and gave a confident squeeze. She didn't care if anyone was looking. She wasn't doing it because she was his so-called 'girlfriend'; she was doing it because she was a friend who cared.
She smiled when he gently squeezed back, but when someone around them gave a cough—real or fake, he couldn't discern—he quickly pulled his hand away and focused on the sermon. She looked at him with a shocked expression, though she tried to hide it. He certainly wasn't acting this way because of lack of sleep, this went much deeper and she would find out what that something was.
Myles sat in between Tara and Lucy who were each crying. How he'd managed to be stuck with the two of them, he didn't know. He'd just sat down next to Lucy and Tara had sat down next to him. The problem was that because they were crying, he was. He tried his hardest to push the tears away, but he couldn't fight them. He'd hoped no one would notice, but there was no way that would have happened. Lucy was the one to notice and she handed him a tissue which he'd accepted with a tint of pink rising to his cheeks.
D was the only one who seemed indifferent about the funeral. He was neither happy nor sad. He was only there to represent the FBI in a dignified manner. He was another one who never trusted Stern. As Bobby would put it, to D, he was a 'drongo' of the worst kind. But, to keep up a good façade that he cared more than he did, he attended the funeral and listened to the sermon. He even was able to grin and bear it when the widow got up to speak.
Usually, he wouldn't feel this way about attending a funeral, but they were sitting on their butts while the people who did this were out walking free. He wanted to take them down and lock them up for good. Still, he was Acting Assistant Director and he had to keep up appearances. Maybe his appearance would even calm the public for a few days and show that they were doing all they could.
Marie looked appalling. She looked like she had neither slept nor ate in days, which she probably hadn't. She was only a shell, now. With her husband—the only man she'd ever loved—gone, she felt little appeal to life. She only remained to be the woman she was because of Caitlyn. She was all that she had left, now. She was her only remaining piece to the life she'd had only a few days ago.
The rest of Stern's team sat on the other side of the family, each with their own signs of grief. The rookies sat the closest to Marie and Caitlyn. At twenty four, Max Arbor was the youngest, but he was full of determination. He and Robert had made quiet a connection in the last year and he was very upset to see such a good man leave this world so soon. He knew he would do whatever it took to assist the FBI into solving this. Justice would be had for the family and friends of such a great friend.
Evan Price sat to his right. He wasn't exactly a rookie, but he was new to the team. He transferred from Los Angeles with his wife when she received a promotion in her company's DC business firm. He was more than happy to move, as long as she was happy. Laura Price sat along side him, her hands intertwined with her husband's. Both looked somber as they listened to the eulogy. Price had enjoyed getting to know such a wonderful man. He'd heard terrible things when he'd joined Metro, but never believed them. He was the kind of man to decide for himself whether or not someone was dirty. The rumors about Robert Stern were the farthest from the truth.
DeMarco resided on the end of the row. Out of everyone, he seemed to be the most depressed. He looked as though the very life of him had been sucked from his chest, leaving behind only a small part of his soul. He and Stern had worked together for a long time. He'd been taught everything he knew by that man and now he was gone. He hadn't just been a father-figure to Danni. He'd been one to him, as well. Dark circles were forming below his usually life-filled eyes. This was taking a toll on all of them, but he remained quiet and listless throughout everything.
Yet, his dejection may not have just been about the murder. Every so often, he would glance over his shoulder and a few pews back, which did not go unnoticed by those of the FBI who weren't so engrossed in the priest's words. His eyes set upon a pale, red-headed beauty with the most enthralling green eyes he'd ever set his sight on. A small smirk seemed to grace his lips before he saw her attention flutter for a split second in his direction. He quickly turned back around and tried focused his attention on Marie, who was just beginning her speech.
For the few seconds his gaze had lingered on the goddess sitting a few rows behind him, he felt his heart lift a bit. But, as soon as it did, it dropped back into its previous position. It just didn't seem right to feel his heart aflutter when there was so much sadness around him. He cleared his throat and fully focused on Marie as she glanced around at every face in the crowd before she began speaking.
"Good morning," she greeted with a sniffle. Her nose was bright red, which could have been from crying, but if anyone had gotten closer to her, the strong smell of alcohol on her breath could also have been the culprit. "I want to start out by saying how wonderful it is to see so many of Robert's peers congregated here, today. My husband was a good man, despite is past and let's face it, we all have things that we left behind in another life. It just seems he had a little more to leave behind. Nevertheless, he was good. He was a good husband, a wonderful father, and—pardon my language—he was one damn-fine cop." She smiled as she heard many murmurs of agreement.
She paused as she stared out among those gathered. So many people had come, but how many had really come for the right reason? "I just ant to say that whoever did this will be caught, because I have faith in my husband's team and the FBI. No one else shall have to suffer like I and the families of the other victims have had to. Because of them, my daughter—one of the greatest gifts of Robert's and my life—will grow up without and father and without knowing the man he really was. We will all miss him greatly, but we shall never forget him. Thank you."
She sniffled once more and left the dais to return to her seat next to her daughter as the pastor continued. She wiped her eyes with a tissue and glanced down at her daughter knowingly. She wouldn't have to suffer for long. Something was going to be done and Robert wouldn't have died in vain.