Home Is Where The Heart Is (Revenge)

Kidnapping

City Morgue, Cleveland

When Emily and Charlotte entered the hall, they were greeted by a staff member of the morgue who politely inquired about the reason for their appearance and then led them to the waiting area, where Daniel was sitting alone on one of the chairs, with his head lowered and his face buried in his hands. Charlotte walked slowly towards him and touched his shoulder gently. "Daniel?" As he lifted his head up, looking at her, she noticed that tears were glistening in his eyes. It was not necessary that he confirmed it. She already knew that the dead body in the morgue was her dad. She bent down to him and hugged him while tears were running down her cheeks. For a moment they only held on to each other and tried to give one another solace when Daniel spotted Emily who had been standing motionless, watching them from the doorway the whole time. He cautiously disentangled himself from Charlotte's arms and rose slowly as he continued to gaze at Emily.

She didn't have to think for long. That was the reason she had come here. She took a step forward and put her arms around him. "I'm so sorry!" She muttered as she stroked his head and back. She noticed how his shoulders twitched and held him even more tighter to her chest. She couldn't remember when she'd seen him cry the last time. And it almost broke her heart.

"You... you shouldn't be here," he said in a low, faint voice when he had composed himself and looked at her with teary eyes. "And neither you," he turned to his sister.

"We're family," Charlotte said. "Emily reminded me of that on the way here. We should get through this together."

He nodded and then pushed Emily gently on a chair. "You still must look after yourself."

"That's so sweet that you're worried." She tried to smile. "But I'm fine."

"Was it... bad? I mean... seeing Dad..." Charlotte asked reluctantly.

Daniel nodded. "Until the end... I was hoping... that they were wrong," he said hesitantly. "That it wasn't Dad in the plane wreck... But then... then..." His voice failed and he shook his head. "I will never get this image out of my head..."

Emily reached for his hands and squeezed them. "I wish I'd been here sooner," she said softly. "We could have gone inside together."

He shook his head. "I'm glad that none of you had to see him again." He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears away.

"Dad is really dead..." Charlotte muttered as if she had to make it aware of herself again.

Daniel nodded. "They're just checking the jet, or what's left of it. They want to exclude third-party negligence."

"Or just the opposite," Emily interjected. "Are they still suspecting that someone tampered with the jet?"

"Basically yes," Daniel confirmed. "But the pilot didn't survive the crash either. That's why they can't ask him if he noticed anything unusual about the jet before the crash."

"And your mom was not in the wreck?" Emily asked.

"No." He shook his head. "And those from the search party also rule out that she could save herself in some way. The jet didn't even have an emergency parachute. How could she get out there alone? And even though I wasn't personally at the crash site, I've seen pictures. The jet was too destroyed that a person could get out alive."

"That's odd." Emily frowned. "That would mean that your mom wasn't in the jet when it crashed. But where is she now?"

Daniel shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea. They are looking for her. But so far without success. It seems she has disappeared off the face of the earth." He sighed deeply. "But now I have to take care of Dad being taken home first. And then preparations for the funeral must be made, and... "