Clean Criminal // l.s.

xvi.

[I don't do this often, but I think it must be said: there will be mentionings of sexual abuse in future chapters. I have looked in to it and I've tried my best to comprehend the content I have found. If there is anything that I seem to have gotten wrong, please tell me in a polite manner. :) Sorry this chapter is kind of short! -M]

Harry seemed to be stuck. He knew the killer, he had always known the killer, but finding out why he killed was the hardest question to answer.

"You can't just bring a guy back here and pin him as the murderer, Detective," Harry's boss had said, "tell me why he did it and then we'll talk."

"But sir, I can't figure it out. I don't--"

"Well, son, you better find out."

Harry had stormed out in anger, furious at himself because he was supposed to be good at this. He was supposed to be the best at his job.

Put yourself in the shoes of the killer.

Alright, Harry thought to himself, if I were him, why would I do this. Revenge. Revenge for what?

"Abigail, can you please look through the suspect's record to see if he had any health issues, any disorders, things of that sort," Harry spoke over the phone.

"Alright, looks like he has been receiving pills for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Other than that he seems to be very healthy," Abigail answered.

That explains the cleanliness of the scene.

"Check his phone records. Give me anything that's between the suspect and the victim."

"Right on it. I'll email them to your phone," Abigail typed away, stopping when she came across something, "sir, there's an audio from a text message."

"Send it to me separately. If you find anything else like it give it to me, too. Thanks, Abi." Harry hung up and began scrolling through his email.

"Hey there, baby. I just wanted to tell you how pretty you are. You were really good for me last night. So good for me. We'll have to do it again."

Harry listened to the audio trying to piece it all together. He called Cris over to take a look at the audio, "looks like Mr. Perfect isn't so perfect," Cris commented.

"I need you to look through these docs that Abigail sent us. I need to go somewhere."

"Oh fine, I'll do your dirty work," Cris said with a wink. Harry quickly walked throughout the building. Coming to the physiologist's office, "Hi, Smith. I need to know something."

"Alright, Detective, what is it?" Paul Smith had asked.

"If a boy is sexually assaulted by an older male, are they more likely to assault someone else?"

Paul thought about it for a second, "not necessarily, however, those who have been sexually abused may become abusers so they feel as if they have more control. Is this for the Malik case?"

Harry nodded quickly, "yeah...yeah, this is all making sense now. Thanks, Smith. I'll see you later, thanks so much." Harry ran out of the room back towards his desk where Cris had brought up the documents on the computer.

"Here's your phone, sir," Cris said, handing Harry the phone, "and I think you should probably see these." Cris brought up images that were sent to and from Zayn's phone.

"Shit," Harry commented.

"I think we know why now."

.

When Louis got a call, he was half tempted not to pick up, but he couldn't let his phone continue to ring. "Hello, Louis here."

"Lou?"

"Liam? Why are you...what are you calling me for?" Louis asked.

There was shuffling on the other line and it was hard to make anything out, "I just...I heard from a friend about the case about Zayn. I...I know they're making progress and I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here for you."

"Really?" Louis asked, his voice cracking at the end.

"Of course, Lou. I'll always be here for you."

Louis smiled, feeling soothed by Liam's words that washed over him and wrapped around him like a blanket, "thank you."

"I hope you...I hope you're okay. I just don't want you to be sad. I don't want to hear of another incident."

Louis thought of the last time he had a moment, the last time he was really bad and Zayn was there to help him out, lead him through it. Liam watched, confused as to what was happening, freaking out on the sidelines. 

"Well," Liam stated, "all I wanted was to make sure you're okay. I'll be leaving for a while."

"Yeah, okay," Louis replied.

"I'll see you later, Lou," Liam said, "hang in there." Then Liam had hung up the phone, leaving Louis to smile to himself, glad he had a friend of some sorts.

.

When Louis was younger, he'd always play with dolls. He liked them because he could keep their house as neat as he wanted. He also liked that dolls were something he could keep a secret, something that didn't need to be advertised. It was something only he could do, something he could do by himself.

He'd always dream that his doll house was his future home. Three stories high with rugs and hardfloors and nice, well cleaned furniture. It was just how he imagined his dream home to be. Zayn had always promised that he would get Louis a house like that and Louis hadn't believed him until Zayn's sister had dropped by with a dollhouse.

"Zayn kept it for you. He said that you always loved it," Zayn's sister had said. Louis had happily taken the dollhouse after making small talk with the pretty, young lady.

Louis was playing with his dollhouse when Harry started knocking on the apartment door. Louis rushed over to let Harry in, giggling as he pulled Harry inside.

"What's this all about?" Harry asked, laughing as he threw his things down.

"Come play, come play!" Louis squealed, "Zayn's sister had dropped it off today. She said that Zayn had kept it just for me. I haven't seen it in years."

"It's a lovely doll house, Lou. Is this what you want your dream house to be like?" Harry asked, helping Louis arrange the items in the doll house.

Louis nodded, grinning from ear to ear, "I've always wanted a house like this one."

"Maybe someday you'll have one like it," Harry commented. Louis looked at him, feeling more and more awkward. "Someday," Harry repeated.