Objects of Virtue

Chapter 07

"Sure, yea let's do that," Louis replied as he stood up and walked out of the room.

"Liam, Niall will be with you momentarily to take you statement," Harry said as he turned and followed Louis out of the waiting room.

It was a couple of hours before everything had been filed up and cross referenced. The CCTV footage had arrived and nothing looked suspicious over the last couple of days. No unexpected people going in or out of Louis' room, nothing suspicious at all. It was just becoming a big tangled up mess that was now slowly but surely driving Harry insane. Louis sat silently lost in thoughts and well, Liam. He had fallen asleep. Bless him. It looked as if they boys' stories lined up but still the question remained. How did the gun leave the vault?

The police station was slowly starting to fill up and Harry realized that it was already light outside. Putting away his work, he stood up and made his way over to Louis and Liam. He looked so lost, in that particular moment, Harry just wanted reach over and hold him. There was this longing to protect him, he looked so delicate, so fragile in his worn-out t-shirt and sweats. But Harry couldn't do that. Not here. Maybe not ever. But that was just a heart break he had to deal with.

"Louis, Louis, we've got all that we need from you, you can go home. I can drive you if you want?" Harry said as he watched Louis stand up and stretch himself out. He just reached Harry's forehead on the tip of his toes, and his lips were in perfect aligned with his, Harry noticed. All just coincidences that he could make no use of after all.

"Sure, thanks, I'd like that." He replied rubbing at his eyes trying to get the sleep out of them and failing miserably. "What 'bout you Liam? See you at home in a couple of hours? Viewing's at 11?"

"Sure thing Lou. I'll be there by 10.30 to pick you and the girls up. Everything's looked after. We can sort the finances out after." Liam said standing up and patting Louis on the back. "Try to get some rest Lou, its going to be a long day."

Harry and Louis walked up to Harry's car in silence. The sun had just begun to rise and everything was beginning to look a beautiful shade of red, the sun a giant ball of orange hidden somewhere against the deep blues of the night sky. The drive back to Hertfordshire was uneventful, the boys cracking silly jokes, smiling tiredly at each other as the radio played in the background.

"Love this song, mate!" Louis said as he reached for the volume dial and turned it up. The sounds of The Fray filled the little car, and Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched Louis settle back into his seat, eyes closed, softly humming along. The words struck Harry, coming from Louis' lips, "you've begun to feel like home." And yet somehow. Harry doubted that Louis had ever really felt at home.

"You sound great. You should take up singing," Harry said, eyeing Louis as he drove.

"Yea, me old man would have loved that," Louis replied smirking at Harry. Was he being sarcastic? Or did he actually mean that? It was becoming harder to tell. He was good at masking his feeling when he wanted to Harry had to give him that.

"What was he like, your dad?" Harry asked, curious to hear his response. It was in fact a question that had plagues him for quite a while.

"He was alright, I guess? Pretty distant, provided well for me and my sisters. The usual, you know," Louis said, refusing to make contact with the forest greens that looked at him inquiringly.

There it was again. Vague responses that meant something but mostly meant nothing. What was usual about a father that was distant? Harry didn't have much experience when it came to relationships with fathers but from what he had seen with Niall, distant was not normal. Harry was beginning to get the feeling that the two didn't have a very pleasant relationship. He gripped the steering wheel hard in frustration as he focused on the road ahead of him, Louis silently staring out the window, sightless.