Missing
Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N: I've got up to chapter 35 written, hence the daily updates even with the new semester. I will say that my writing is slowing down XD. Also, it is close to chapter 30 the raid on the mansion takes place, brace yourselves and enjoy this chapter. (The raid is more than one chapter)
Chapter 22 (Weight of the World)
"Who do you suppose will be the more emotional of the families?" They were first driving out to see Tom and Rebecca Shapiro. Tori was driving and watching the road through the shades that concealed her intense stare. "The Shapiro family or the Valentine family?"
Jade's elbow hung from the window and her hair was being blown back by the wind. "I don't know. It depends on what we have to tell them, I think." With Cat, they were positive she was to be considered kidnapped. Robbie was a little bit different, his family was going to have to hear that he was a suspect in a kidnapping case. Not to mention that by routine and protocol, Tori was going to have to inform the family to contact them if they saw him.
"The Shapiro's already suspect something is wrong with their son because we had to impound his old jeep. That is, unless they think it has to do with their daughter's murder." Based on what Cat told them over the phone, Robbie wasn't the one that pulled the trigger on Megan. Victoria also opened up enough to confirm Cat was not the killer and that it was Cat who watched over her and kept her from having to witness the crime.
Megan Shapiro was murdered by Andre Harris. This also meant they had to explain to Tom and Rebecca that they may have identified the killer, but that he too is involved in the same abduction as their son, and that Megan's death might have been a direct result of something Robbie either did or did not do.
"Tom and Becky are going to be the hard ones." Tori frowned and slowed the car down at a stop sign. She looked to Jade and shrugged. "Unfortunately it's our job to notify, not sugarcoat and make the lives of the survivors any easier."
"Yeah, and to tell them their lives might be in danger…" Jade pushed her fingers into her hair and brought her head to rest no them. "This just keeps getting better and better for them, I know."
"It's unfortunate." She pressed down the gas and drove across the intersection. Every time she had to notify family, she felt like an inmate walking to the executioner. There were times where she felt she was the executioner herself. "I feel more for the family than I do their son, though. I'm going to tell you that."
Jade's eyes dropped and clouded with emotion. "I know. I understand." The woman looked away and pressed her lips together. "They were my friends too. Even if I wasn't as close as you were." Tori slanted her eyes and turned left onto a small street. "Seeing how I was in high school I always thought it would be me that was capable of something like that. Kidnapping Trina, doing all the bad shit, and even I wouldn't have done it back then. Not once did I ever believe Robbie or Andre could have done this."
She tilted her head and glanced at the side mirror. Frown lines formed around her lips as stress marks stretched like cracks from them. Jade dropped her hand and turned a worried gaze onto her.
"I'm really sorry, Tori. I know I don't say it enough. You're taking it hard, Beck's taking it hard, we all are. Andre and Robbie, they were Beck's greatest friends. I'd been with him two years before meeting you, and he was friends with those two long before I even met him. Bear in mind you can talk to us, we get it, we know what you're going through."
"This is something I can handle." She parked alongside the curb and peered out at the Shapiro home. There was a curtain in one of the front windows that shifted upon their arrival. "They know we're here." She took a deep breath and turned to Jade. "I'm fine, Jade. Really.
"Beck and I aren't fine, and Trina's your sister. Holly was your mother-there's no way in hell you're 'fine'."
"I'm fine." She threw open the door and got out of the car. "You know, Holly didn't go after you or Beck. You two are too strong to manipulate. Cat and Robbie I understand, they're easy to threaten and manipulate, but Andre? How in the hell could she get him to do her dirty work? The only thing I can think of is that he went willingly, and I want to know why."
"I still don't think it was willing. Beck's been wondering the same thing, because he's certain Andre wouldn't be willing to do all of this." Jade stopped her and put a hand to her shoulder. Tori removed her glasses and made eye contact with the girl. Jade's eyebrows meshed together and drifted up in the middle. "Tori, we're here for you. You know you can trust us. We will get to the bottom of this, we will figure it out I promise."
"Trust?" She held her breath and turned away to the house, letting Jade's hand fall off her shoulder. "Let's just get this notification business done." She wasn't sure there was anyone left in the world to trust, save for a small handful of people. "You can try and make me optimistic and sympathetic to Robbie, Andre, and even Cat…but all I can do, all I have been able to do for the last several weeks is think about what they've been doing to my sister. All I can do is think that three people I trusted completely, even someone I trusted with my heart at one point has been torturing my sister for nine years. I'm not sympathetic, Jade…Do you know what I am?"
"What?"
She pointed to the Shapiro home and her voice started to rise. "I'm the Shapiro family. I'm the Valentine family. I'm the survivor of a victim." Her heart began to pound as the tears she fought for so long finally broke from her eyes. "I feel the guilt of letting those people in my house, I feel the shame of trusting them. I'm angry, I'm bitter and resentful, and as much I want revenge and justice, I still have to be a cop!"
"It isn't your fault."
"Isn't it, Jade?"
"It's not. It's your mother. She's responsible. Her jealousy, her anger and fears."
"Until I find proof that all three were forced and under duress, I still have to assume they were willing. That goes beyond my own feelings, Jade. Any court of law is going to see them there for nine years and say 'prove they were under duress'."
There had to be proof beyond a shadow of a doubt, and any suspect in a crime could say they were forced. That was why a verbal claim often meant nothing in court without evidence to back it up.
Without that crucial evidence, all three would very likely spend the rest of their days in prison. Right now, Cat was the only one where it seemed plausible to suggest she'd been kidnapped. There was no evidence of direct involvement in any kidnappings or murders on her part, where they had that involvement on both Robbie and Andre.
"Then I guess when we get Trina out, her testimony is going to be the strongest thing that courtroom will have."
"Unless we find evidence supporting your theory. Right or wrong." She rolled her eyes and started for the front door. Jade blew out and struck the doorbell. "You lead."
"Why?"
"You're better at being objective in this case."
"Fine."
That evening, Tori was with Rick. She was in the bed with her back against his chest. "That family fell apart," she muttered while remembering the reactions of the Shapiro family. Jade hardly got a word in edgewise before Rebecca was on her knees, crying about her baby. Tom had to console his wife, and of course the surviving grandparents that were living with them looked petrified. "We had to tell them that Robbie was a suspect, that he might be involved in a few crimes and that his involvement likely put their lives in danger."
"It's difficult, I know." He pulled her bangs from her face and she turned her head with his fingers. "How are you holding up, though?" Her lips curled up and her eyes closed.
"Not easily, to be honest. I wanted to join Rebecca on the floor. I think I'm losing it."
"No, you're not. You're just bottling your emotions inside." He kissed her forehead and hugged her tight. "You're trying your best to find your sister, but in a case like this you're expected to be emotional. You should be able to discuss it."
"I know you're right. I lost it today, got upset with Jade, and I know she means well. She and Beck are going through the same type of grief and emotions, it's just hard for me to see it through their point of view."
"In their defense, they're struggling with the fact that friends they knew well committed such a crime. In your defense, your sister was taken from you by people who never should have betrayed either of your trusts." His arm hung loosely over her waist and he gently kissed the back of her neck. "Did you manage to notify the Valentine family?"
"No." She dropped her head to the pillow. "They were not at their home, so we will have to try them another time." Cat's family moved back to Los Angeles several years ago. She had two brothers, one older that was in the armed forces, and the younger brother with the mental problems. "Cat's parents have always paid more attention to her younger brother, and that's fine, but should we get her out alive…she will need her family more than ever. That's what I feel."
"You are confident that you can claim her as kidnapped as well?"
"We've found no evidence to suggest otherwise. That said, we've found no evidence to suggest she was just simply kidnapped."
"Have you visited their last known whereabouts? Perhaps there is evidence to be found."
"Maybe." She had her doubts about that. Just like Trina, there wasn't a whole lot of physical evidence besides what was in the jeep. With nine years a lot of physical evidence may have been destroyed. "All we really can do is get witness accounts to try and piece together their final moments. The rest is circumstantial."
"You can still build a case off circumstantial evidence, dear."
"I know, but it's much harder to do and harder to prove."
"How is your niece holding up?"
Tori thought of Victoria and laughed, remembering a joke Jesse was sharing. "She's having a lot of fun since Jesse started coming over more. I think it's good she's able to smile and laugh as well as talk to people more."
It was a shame that Sinjin wasn't there, but she didn't want him involved or knowing anything right now. She'd leave it up to Trina to decide, but she was more nervous of Haley rejecting Victoria.
She didn't know Haley well enough to judge her completely, but she didn't like the thought of Victoria being around that woman. "Jesse might be a better father figure for her. I don't know if he'd be better than her birth father or not, but I'm scared of that woman he's got with him. I know she doesn't like kids."
"A person may not like kids and still think the child should have time with their birth parent-or are you more worried she would do what Holly did?"
"Partially." She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her chin between the kneecaps. "I don't know if she can be trusted or not." As bad as Haley was, she never gave any implication of true malice the way Holly did. "She might not be like that-but I don't know. This whole case, everything, it's got me all confused. I thought I had good powers of observation, but…now I just don't know. I'm too stressed out."
A dry chuckle fell from her and she quickly looked back to Rick. "Maybe I should take a sabbatical. I can't though, my sister needs me, and I don't want to make her wait any longer."
"A break could be good, though. Also, you're not the only investigator on the case. I believe even Deputy Vega is stepping out of retirement just to help solve this?" She glanced to the side, then turned over to face him. "I'm working closely with you, Jade knows everything that's going on, and the two narcotics officers are also on the case."
His hand caressed her cheek, creating a spark at the touch. "You do not need to concern yourself solely with the weight of the world." She moved her eyes into his and leaned forward. A strand of hair fell beside her face and he gently took it between two fingers to slide it back in place. "You have so many willing to back you up, willing to stand beside you. Everyone would understand if you wanted to take a day to relax, someone else can take over the case. The case, the world, it will not stop just because you stop to catch your breath."
"I don't know how to do that. I-I guess you're right though, all this stress is bad for my health." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"It got bad enough that you went out and drank until you were falling over." Tori chuckled nervously and opened her eyes halfway. Jade had all the evidence, all the statements, and everything she needed to head the investigation. Plus, the woman's head was clear right now when hers wasn't.
"Maybe I can let Jade take over for a day or two." Her arms slid around his neck and she melted into his body, kissing his lips softly. She felt his protective embrace tighten around her and relaxed her body as a result. She pulled her head back and gently caressed his face. "Yeah. I need to relax. I trust Jade-and she may get further than I am because she's not as…emotionally charged as I feel." She tilted her head to the right and shifted her eyes to his lips. "You'll still be here? Maybe I can stay?"
"I'll be wherever you need me, my love."
Her heart skipped and her smile grew. "Good to hear." There was nowhere she'd rather be right now than in his arms. After a few days, she hoped that she could return to the case with a fresh and clearer mind.
Well, what are your thoughts?