What Tears Us Apart(Sequel to What Brings Us Together)

Chapter Thirty-Two: Partners

We headed to Tannhauser, the company Caitlin's Mom works for, to talk to her about the forged death certificate.

"Mom, I know it sounds crazy, but we think someone forged Dad's death certificate." Caitlin said. She sat across from her mother at the desk, with Hannah beside her, and I stood with Ralph behind them, both of us just kind of looking around the room.

"Have you any proof?" She asked skeptically.

"No, well yes, sort of. It's complicated but I just thought you should know."

"Unless I already knew."

"I didn't say that."

"Defensive." Ralph whispered subtly in my ear. "Sketchy?"

"Possibly." I replied. Hannah glanced at us, silently confirming she had the same suspicion.

"It's why you're here, isn't it? If this is some elaborate, possible nefarious cover-up, it must be Mom's doing. It's not like she's ever had your best interests at heart."

"You always do this."

"Common behavior." I whispered.

"Caitlin just want to know the truth, Ms. Snow." Hannah added.

"I think I deserve to know that."

"Caitlin, your father is dead. And if you care about my feelings at all you'll just let this be."

"Dismissing it with a guilt trip." Ralph told me.

"Thanks, Mom. Pleasure as always." Caitlin went to grab the certificate, but her mom put a hand on it.

"Don't become obsessed with the past. Your father had that flaw, it nearly led to his ruin even before his death. I trust you know the way out." She stood up, leaving and Caitlin and Hannah met us in the middle of the room.

"I'm sorry we came all this way for no reason." She said.

"No, I'm impressed," Ralph said. "I think we all are."

"Your mom is an impeccable liar." Hannah explained.

"Yeah, I know she forged this death certificate, I just-She's never gonna tell us why. We've hit a brick wall."

"Ah, but where you see a wall, the Dibnys see a brick door with no handle." Ralph told her.

"Meaning, he knows exactly how to get what we came for." I translated.

~~~

"When you said you had a plan Ralph, I didn't think you meant breaking and entering into my mother's company's files." Caitlin whispered. The three of us crept through the dark hallway, Ralph holding the flashlight.

"I have to agree, and as an employee of CCPD, I'm very uncomfortable with this." I whispered in agreement. We reached the record room, and Caitlin tried the door.

"Reinforced steel. It's times like this I really miss Killer Frost."

"Oh, don't you worry. Ralphie's got it." He began to stretch his arm, but I stopped him.

"Wait," I whispered, "You have no clue what kind of reinforcements they've got in there." I pressed my ear to the door, listening. "Sounds like lasers."

"So, what do we do?" Hannah asked.

"Let me try something." I stated.  I put my hands on Ralph's shoulder, releasing force field energy without concentrating it into a set shape. The light purple energy began to creep down his arm, until the whole thing was glowing purple.