𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 [𝟑]

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

"Hey, Liz, how're you feeling?" The strawberry-blonde sincerely asked, her eyes cast over the stack of cases.

The Forbes woman exhaled deeply. "Like I'm not gonna leave this job with unfinished business. I have all these open cases."

"Well. Let me see if I can help you close a couple of them." The Salvatore sat down and grabbed a few folders from her. He opened them and began to scan the pages with his eyes. "This one was me. Me. Also me. Ooh! This one was Stefan's."

"Stefan? Really?" The strawberry-blonde witch gave him a pointed look that turned into the smirk.

"Oh, wait. No. Me. Yeah." Damon agreed and threw the last folder into a box by the edge of Liz's desk until the stack of open cases had completely disappeared.

Liz glanced at the vampire with a light smile. "I always had a sneaking suspicion. What about this one?" She handed him another folder.

"Hang on." Riley's eyes glanced over to the side of the folder when she saw a familiar name printed onto the side. "Gilbert? As in—"

"—Elena's parents." Damon finished for his girlfriend as he turned his eyes back to Liz. "Didn't know there was an open investigation."

"Well, at the time, I was taking care of Elena and Jeremy, and I didn't want to drag them through more heartache. Then, when I was finally ready to reopen the wound, Elena had moved on and you and I had become friends, and I worried that—"

"What, that I was involved?" The Salvatore interrupted Liz with a sad look on his face. "Liz, no. No, I promise you."

The sheriff exhaled deeply then moved her phone to the middle of the desk. "Miranda left me this message two hours before they got in that car, two hours before they drove off that road for no reason."

"Liz, it's Miranda Gilbert. I have something urgent to talk to you about. Please call me back as soon as you can."

"Wait, so you think that there's a reason they drive off of Wickery Bridge that night?" Riley raised an eyebrow when she saw the look on Liz's face. "Something supernatural?"

"Well, they were a founding family." Liz carried on, which almost confirmed Riley's theory. "There's a lot of history there, you know?"

"Yeah." Damon breathed out slowly. "You know, this would be real fun if I had some—"

"—top right-hand drawer." Liz cut him off, immediately knowing what he was referring to.

Damon raised an eyebrow and pulled a bottle of bourbon from the top drawer of Liz's desk. "Well, look at that. This is why you are a terrible Sheriff."

"No. I'm a terrible Sheriff because one of my best friends is the perp in half my open cases." She snapped back toward the Salvatore with an unamused look. He then extended the bottle to her but she waved it off. "Not until I finish this."

"I'll take a sip," Riley smirked and pushed herself over the desk to snatch the bottle from Damon's hold. She took a sip of the bourbon and then handed it back to him with a loving grin once he had examined how much she drank "Oops, sorry."

"Can I ask you something about that night?" Liz finally turned back around to face the vampire. "You saw Elena, and Stefan pulled her out of the car."

"Yeah." He mused. "Stefan, always a one-upper."

"So, you both just happened to be in town the night her parents died." The Sheriff pointed out with a suspicious look. "Why?"

Damon shifted awkwardly. "Well, believe it or not, Liz. I once had a mommy, too. She died around that day. In the years that my emotions were on, I would stop by and leave flowers at her grave."