So Long, Not Goodnight

Chapter Forty-Six

"Kristin," Gerard crouched down, stooping over the heels of his feet. "I would definitely help you, but I'm confused how I could. I don't even know you."

"He killed me and now I... It's like I see him everywhere... I can't get away from him even though I'm dead..." She was shaking more and more. "It's like it's part of his torture..."

"Who did this?" Gerard leaned forward, reaching over to comfort her only to remember that he physically couldn't even touch her. "Who killed you?"

"I don't remember," her voice trembled with her body. "Just how he looks. I feel him watching me. Even right now."

"Tell me," Gerard leaned closer to her. "Tell me what he looks like."

"He..." 

"Gee? Baby?" Frank called from down the hall, his footsteps urgently vibrating the floor.

Gerard sharply twisted his head towards the doorway and when he turned his back to Kristin she had vanished. Frank found Gerard kneeling on the floor, his hands on the carpet as he looked all around. "Gee? What're you doing?" Frank crept closer. "Did you lose something?"

"Do you know any girls named Kristin?" Gerard pushed himself upright.

"My ten year old cousin's name is Kristin..." Frank pursed his lips in confusion.

"Not like... Someone who went missing." Gerard slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. 

"No, sorry," Frank watched Gerard run to the closet and quickly dress, watching his boyfriend fold himself into the same outfit from yesterday. "Care to elaborate, Sherlock?"

"A girl was just here asking me to help her," Gerard fastened the buttons on his cuffs quickly, folding them properly as he turned towards Frank. "Telling me she was murdered and that he's the one haunting her."

Frank's eyes widened. "Holy shit. Do you think...?"

"I don't know, Frankie," Gerard walked around the bed and out the door, Frank following him downstairs. "But it sure as hell is some fucked up circumstance, isn't it?" 

"I'd say so," Frank tailed Gerard into the kitchen where he filled a thermos with coffee and then made his way to the door. "Where're we going?"

Gerard swung his arms around as he cloaked himself in his trench coat and wound a grey and black striped scarf around his neck, tucking it beneath the collar so it puffed out dramatically. "To find answers, Watson."

Frank grinned cunningly and grabbed his own jacket as he trekked behind his boyfriend and out the front door to the car. 

They found themselves at the library once again, Gerard on a mission as his boots echoed over the tiles to the computer desks. The librarian shot a look in their direction at the noise. Frank mouthed out I'm sorry and nudged Gerard. "Hey, maybe slow it down a little? I can barely keep up."

A slow, coy smile tugged up as Gerard eyed Frank in response as he took a seat at the bench and motioned for Frank to join him. The web browser loaded up and as soon as the homepage opened, Gerard's spindly fingers brushed quickly over the keys. "Pass me some scrap paper, will you?" Gerard pointed to the pile next to Frank. "And a pencil, please?"

Frank collected a few squares and a stubby pencil with no eraser and put them between himself and Gerard who was already glued to the screen and scrolling down a news article. The bluish hue from the pixels of the screen doused Gerard's face in a cool glow and Frank could see his eyes flit from one side of the screen to the other and down. He was completely transfixed in whatever he was reading and his mouth formed a thin line with each sentence that he read. He snatched one of the paper squares and the pencil and began writing without looking away from the website. "Frankie," Gerard broke his gaze from the computer and looked to his boyfriend. "You have to read this."