𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥; 15 — 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥
𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘯
"Cassandra, hey" Oliver Queen greeted the blonde woman that was standing at his door "Is everything alright?"
Oliver Queen would admit that he was starting to consider Cassandra Winter a friend; however, it was strange for her to show up at his house, specially alone.
"I just came to check up on you" she admitted, entering the house as the blond man took a step aside inviting to come in "How are you all doing?"
"My mother hasn't left her room ever since Walter went missing, and Thea is trying to act tough but..." he sighed, guiding them to the living room where the TV was on, both sitting on the couch.
"I can't imagine how hard it must be to be in this position again..." the blonde lamented. Walter Steel had gone missing the night of the Christmas' party, and the police only seemed to be hitting dead end after dead end "I've talked to every contact I have, none knows anything"
"Either my step-father doesn't want to be found, or someone doesn't want him to be found" Oliver concluded, not wanting to admit the most likely truth.
"Oliver..." the woman sadly commented, Oliver shortly meeting her gaze, knowing exactly what she meant. She didn't want to sound insensitive or harsh, but the facts where there.
"I know, it's been six weeks" he looked down, closing his eyes "No contact from the kidnappers, no ransom demand, no proof of life" he started enumerating, shaking his head "We both know he's more likely dead"
Cassandra sighed, putting a hand on his knee and slightly squeezing it, in a poor attempt of comforting him; she's never been known to be good with feelings.
"I'll keep putting his face at the front page of every paper" she assured, as she had been doing ever since the man went missing, in hopes that someone knew anything about his whereabouts. Oliver gave her a nod, grateful for everything the woman was doing for his family.
"So where has he been for the past six weeks?" the voice of the woman on the news channel filled in the silence, as a drawing of the vigilante showed up on the screen.
"Looks like everyone's disappearing" Thea Queen muttered as she walked into the living room, sitting next to her brother "Hey Cassie" the youngest Queen smiled at the woman, who returned the gesture.
"Maybe that one is for the better" Oliver Queen replied, leaning back, Cassandra noticing something weird about his tone.
"I don't think so" the Winter woman found herself one more time defending the vigilante "Ever since he showed up the crime rate has dropped. Assault, muggings... even the murder rate went down. I really think this town needs him"
Oliver Queen looked at her. It has always amazed him how she defended the vigilante. He guessed that if someone as Cassandra thought of him like that, then he must be doing something good.
However, after everything that happened with the other archer, he wasn't ready to come back. And he didn't think the town missed him as much as Cassandra assured they did.
"Are you staying for dinner, Cassie?" Thea commented, changing the subject, not aware of the thoughts running through her brother's mind "Ollie bought some take out. Mom says she's not hungry so there's plenty"
"I think I'll leave you two to watch that masterpiece of Zack Galafinak..." she replied, getting up and reading the title of the movie Oliver Queen had chosen to watch with his sister. She knew the siblings needed some family time.
"Thank you, Cassandra" Oliver Queen truthfully smiled at her, the woman unaware of the actual depth of his words "For stopping by"
"Whatever you need" she assured to both siblings with a smile "You know where to find me"
________
"I'll get it" Tommy Merlyn sighed as he heard a knock on the apartment door he shared with Cassandra. Things were back to normal between the two of them, or so it seemed.
They were currently watching a film, one that Cassie stopped as she saw her boyfriend lazily get up from the couch and go to the door.
"Is Cassie home?" she heard a female voice filled with sorrow asked, and she recognized it instantly.
"Joanna?" the Winter woman asked, looking at the door frame where the woman was standing "What's wrong?"
Tommy took a step aside to let the lawyer come in, and after closing the door he took his seat next to Cassandra, as the just arrived woman sat in front of the couple.
"I need your help" she breathed out, looking at Cassie. She could sense her anguish, and she would do anything she can to help her "I don't think what happened to Danny was an accident. I think he might have been murder"
Danny de la Vega was Joanna's brother. Earlier that day Quentin Lance had to stop by the firm, and give the woman the worst news possible; he had been killed on duty. Cassandra was there to witness the scene and to comfort her, and now she was at her house, asking for help.
The couple shared a look, both thinking the same; she refused to believe that her brother was dead, and was looking for an explanation, one that probably didn't even exist.
"Joanna, I know this must be extremely difficult for you, and I'm really sorry but..." the blonde started saying, only to be interrupted by her friend.
"Look, I know what this looks like" she desperately ran a hand through her hair, sighing "But I really think there's something deeper here. I once handled a case for a clerk in the Coronor's Office. He passed me a copy of the incident report. Said that Danny's turnout coat was doused in turpentine. But I checked, and the plant owner said that there wasn't any in the factory. A turnout's supposed to withstand temperatures in excess of 500 degrees. But the coroner said that the fire did not exceed 250. How did my brother burn hotter than the fire that supposedly killed him?"
__________
"Do you really think Jo is right?" Tommy Merlyn asked, positioning himself behind Cassie, who was currently at her desk, searching for anything that could help prove what Joanna was implying before.
"I've done some digging" she admitted, as she felt Tommy bending and resting his head on her shoulder, looking at the screen of her computer "Last week, another firefighter, Leo Barnes, was killed in action, same circumstances. Traces of turpentine, and ignition temperatures hotter than the actual fire. There's definitely something going on here"
"Maybe you could talk to Quentin Lance" he suggested "See if he can do something about it"
"The fireman department has his own investigative unit" she shook her head, taking a deep breath "They don't answer to the police. I don't there's much that he can do"
"I'm sure you'll figure out something. You always do" he assured, regaining his posture and leaving a soft kiss on her hair "But can do it tomorrow, let's go to bed"
"I'm gonna stay up a little bit more, see if I can find anything else" she lamented, making the man pout "You go ahead, I'll join you in a few"
Not happy with the answer, but knowing Cassandra well enough to know that trying to change her mind was useless, so he gave her a quick kiss and headed to their bedroom.
Once she made sure he was on the other room, she got up a closed the door. Once she sat back, she opened the second drawer of her desk, taking out a phone. She opened the contact list, and pressed the only one that it had saved.
It was a long shot, considering the circumstances, but she had to try.
After a few beeps, she was starting to think that he wasn't gonna pick up; but just as she was about to hang up, and sound came from the other end of the line.
"Hey, it's me" she muttered, trying not to speak very loudly "I need your help. Can we meet?"
________
"I get the whole secrecy thing, but it looks like I'm gonna get shot in this alley" Cassandra commented as she arrived at the dark alley the Vigilante had set as their location to meet. She made sure that Tommy was fast asleep before she left.
"I'll put down a suggestion list next time" his modified voice sounded through the quietness of the night, and she could hear the wittiness in that robotic sound.
"I'm sorry — did you just crack a joke?" she questioned, astonished, but with grace in her voice "Look at us, we are already best friends" it would always amaze the Hood how casually Cassandra talked to him, as if they'd known each other forever. She wasn't scared of him, she never was.
"What do you need?" he firmly asked, he didn't want to waste anytime.
"We are gonna have to work on your social skills" she funnily commented, a smirk appearing on the man's face, although going unnoticed by Cassandra due to the darkness and distance between them "My friend's brother, he died in a fire two days ago. The police and fire department say that he died in the line of duty. But my friend, she thinks he was murder"
"So you are asking one killer to find another" he stated, repeating the words he had heard Laurel say not that long ago.
"Takes one to bring one down" she shrugged, taking a step closer to the man "I don't you're a cold blood killer. You do more for this city than most people think"
"Or put it in danger"
"Starling City is already a dangerous city" she assured; it wasn't Gotham, but it didn't fall much behind "You help making it a bit better, even if they don't notice it"
"Give me the file, I'll look into it" he stated, dropping the subject, and gesturing at the thin file the blonde was carrying. She extended it, the man grabbing it, and ready to leave.
"Thank you for coming" she truthfully said "I wasn't sure if you were going to show up. Nobody's heard from you in six weeks"
"You said it was important" he simply replied, and that made Cassandra smile.
"This city really needs you, Arrow".