flashback—
" with the information the kids gave me. I could nail this guy, detective." grabbing the case file from my desk.
" then let's nail the weirdo." we both enter the interrogation room.
" you already know us, right, Michael." he doesn't say anything. " we already know you too. Your mother died in an incident when you were 3. Your father, well, your father was an interesting fellow, wasn't he?" He starts to look agitated.
" Multiple child abuse claims, but none were investigated. That made you feel powerless, right? So, you decide to get back at the system for failing you? is that it?" Finally, he speaks.
" Wrong." that's all he says; those words bring me back to the denied letter I got from the bau earlier. Detective Derry jumps in.
" Then, help us make it right, man. I know, you ain't mean nothing bad! You just wanted to help these children." He says.
" Chionophile," once again, only one word.
" what, you're blaming all this on an obsession?" I slap Mason's picture on the table. " This is what you did; you killed an innocent boy! because of an obsession." I say, sitting back down in my seat.
" He wasn't strong enough," he says, laying back into his seat, touching the boy's face.
" you wanted them to be like you?" he looks up and then looks back down.
" lawyer." this man knows how to get under someone's skin. I leave the room and leave it up to derry to call a public lawyer; what is this man doing? Probably, I'll have a better take at the wife. But, before I do, I walk into the office to see how the kids are doing.
they're both coloring and as silent as mice, " How are you, guys doing?"
" Good." they both say in unison. Then, my phone chimes it reads.
𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
"Liam's coming back soon, are you guys excited?" I ask, sitting on the couch with them—each opposite of me.
"where are we gonna go?" Molly finally opens her mouth and says.
" I don't know, but somewhere way better than the Craigers." she goes back to her drawing, and I head to the analyst desk.
" umm, excuse me- officer Prentiss?" I turn around to see a rookie cop with a file.
" yes, what is this?" flipping through it, I can see a woman and a man. It's a case file.
" We found the parents of Molly wu, Ashton, and Gia wu." I look through the file, a wealthy family of two. It seems like they're young too. Probably mid to early thirties.
" why is molly in foster care, then?" then, I hear a lady coming into the station, speaking loudly on the phone.
" yes, yes. I'm here; I'll call you back." she comes rapidly to me.
" I guess you're about to find out." the rookie cop says before walking away to the break room.
" do you have, Molly?" she says with tears on her face.
" Ma'am, please calm down. have a seat." she sits down and wipes her tears.
" We have a child named Molly with us. May I ask how you know about her?"
" yes, I grew up in a strict Chinese household. When I went away for college. I was finally free, and I got a little excited; I got pregnant." she pauses. "I thought I could handle a kid because I practically raised my three little siblings. But, I was trying to become a pharmacist, and it took 24/7 devotion. After a month, I gave her up to social services.
" thank you, but how did you find her? that was the question," I say most sympathetically.
" Sorry, we've been looking for her for months. But, there is a surprising amount of Asian Mollys in foster care. But, when I saw a picture, I knew it was her. Especially with the scratch under her eye, my cat gave it to her, you see." she pulls out a baby photo which does look like molly, even the scratch.
" her DNA matches mine." she looks through her bag and pulls out papers.
" Ok, Mrs. Wu, a counselor will go over everything you need to know and understand about re-introducing." I smile and guide her to the office. I walk into integration two, where Mrs. Craiger was residing. She looks sweaty, and her feet are shaking irrefutably.
" We already have you for conspiracy to commit murder, child neglect, accomplice to murder. would you want a lawyer, or should I just bring you to central booking?"I throw the papers of the children's cold flashes and Mason's corpse.
"I did not neglect my children!"
" then, what do you call it love? Mason, FROZE to death." I bring the picture to her face. Was this lady delusional? She cries over his picture and brings it to her heart. For a second, I saw someone who cares.
" he wasn't strong enough." she says, still looking at his picture. " he was going to do big things. Probably cure world hunger with a mind like his." she laughs to herself before going back to crying. If I didn't know any better, she was showing actual remorse. Maybe, she didn't mean for him to die. Just maybe. I look back at her; she was looking at his third-grade promotion photo.
" Just tell me how he died?" I make my way to the chair to listen.
" he was due for extra freezer time, 15 minutes because he had been misbehaving. But he was already blue from playing in the snow. But it should've just given him more tolerance. Right? That's what Micheal said. Right?!" she says, shaking my hand.
" wrong." she exhales into a big sob.
" he went into the freezer silently and didn't make a sound. Until I opened the door, and he was lying there. Lifeless -." she stops and looks back at his picture.
" is freezer time how you punish your kids?"
" No! it was just something we need to do."
" why?" she closes her mouth, " why?" she shakes her head. " why, do you feel the need to put your children in freezers, open the windows in the night and give them no jackets in the snow?!"
"I want a lawyer!" she says, throwing the pictures on the floor.
Son of a bitch, I walk out and into interrogation one where it seemed like the lawyer was wrapping up. Micheal seemed at peace,
" he pleads guilty to child neglect, conspiracy to commit murder, and man three. 50 to life ."
What?! Why would he confess? What is he hiding? Who admits to murder? I look him in the eye and sit back down with him. he lets out a smile.
" we'll take it," Derry says tactically. " did he write his statement?" his lawyer hands me the paper. Derry leaves, and it's just them and me.
" Why did you confess? we know it wasn't an accident."
" my wife will say anything to save herself; aren't you gonna arrest me?" he smiles and then lets out a huge cough. I pull out my cuff and wrap it behind his hands, making sure to make them extremely tight. Finally, he lets out a grunt. But then it turns into a laugh.
" Micheal Craiger, your under arrest for child neglection, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder in the 3rd degree." I escort him out of the station into the police van.
" tell me, do you sleep with your window open?" he says right before I slam the door closed.
Chills run down my spine as I head back inside to see the children. I can see Gia getting ready to introduce herself to Molly. I open the door and let them in. " molly, there's someone here to see you." I say in a caring tone.
" who is that?" she says, walking up from the couch.
" you know how Micheal and Lucy were your temporary parents. Well, this is your forever mom. Your real mom." with those words, even I let out a tear.
" she looks like me." she walks toward Gia.
" cause I'm your mommy." Gia squats down and gives her an affectionate hug, " I'll never let you go!" she says, sobbing into her shoulder.
I grab Jessie and head towards the snack room.
YOU ARE READING
the girl who lost things
Fanfictionjessie is trying to adapt to her life as a daughter of the bau after her mother gets a job there. She finally wants a normal life after everything that happened when she was younger. but, her secrets can only stay hidden for so long. this is a crimi...
