-chapter twenty
THE FILE LANDED ON THE DESK, and Maeve gulped, glancing at Mike, who sat in front of her. She took a breath before reaching for the file laid before her.
The picture of her father enveloped her as she opened the file. The names and details were unrelated to the man that painted the picture smiling.
She looked up at the chief, who sat on the desk with both of his hands interlocked, sighing and shaking his head. "Your father, he didn't deserve what happened to him," he began quietly, guilt lingering in the air.
"I saw everything, but I was scared to speak because I knew that what happened to them would happen to me," he admitted, and Maeve's heart dropped as Mike furrowed his eyebrows. "Can you tell us what happened?"
The chief looked up at them before letting out a breath. "Maeve, your father was accused of pedophilia. But it was never true," he said as Maeve's eyes started to water.
"Back then, a rumor went around town that your father had assaulted a ten-year-old girl, and ever since the entire town was scared of him hurting their kids. They hated him, and they wanted him dead."
"Of course, your mother didn't believe that because she knew he was a good man. I knew it too. But it was too late; the rumors went around until that man heard of it," he said, the words too heavy on his chest as Maeve and Mike listened carefully, their faces filled with grief.
The chief took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead before continuing. "He decided to take the opportunity and kill two birds with one stone. He kidnapped his daughter and killed him because he knew no one would go looking for him."
"But what about his daughter? Didn't they think anything happened to her?" Mike asked curiously as the chief bit on his inner cheeks. "That's the problem; it was never reported that Maeve had disappeared, so everyone thought her mother ran away with her."
"Which apparently isn't true now, as she is sitting with us," he looked at Maeve as she swallowed, looking at the ground. The information was too much to handle, and the truth too heartbreaking.
Mike noticed her discomfort and placed a hand on her knees to provide her support. She looked up at the chief, her face holding no expression before she spoke.
"tell me what happened exactly."
"Please listen to me, Steve. We need to tell the police my daughter is in danger. I'm begging you," the woman pleaded, her face scattered with tears and a broken mother's heart.
"You know we can't. The police thinks I assaulted a kid. What would they say if I told them my daughter disappeared?" Steve said, walking across the room as he shifted nervously.
The woman held the tissue close to her nose as she cried out. "I just want her back. I never meant to lose her there." Her voice cracked as Steve stopped in his tracks, looking at his wife.
His face softened as he took a few steps towards her, wrapping his arms around her, allowing her weight to lift.
"I promise you I will find her. What kind of father will I be if I can't find my own daughter?"
"Is anyone here?" Steve called out, standing in front of the pizzeria building, the last place his daughter was spotted.
He took a few steps towards the locked door, scanning the surroundings in hopes of finding someone to help him.
The place was silent; the early morning hours made it eerily quiet. Steve held his flashlight closer, extracting a crowbar to attempt opening the door.
Once he placed the crowbar, the door swung open effortlessly. Steve looked around, confused, before stepping into the building, the door shutting behind him.
Walking further, he gulped, pointing his flashlight around. The place was unnaturally clean, having closed just a few hours ago and set to open soon.
Steve headed towards the staff-only hall, entering it. The lights were off, his flashlight the only source of composure.
Stepping deeper into the hallway, he heard a noise around him. He turned but saw no one. "Hello? Is anyone here? Maeve, it's me, your father. Please come out if it's you," he pleaded, but there was no response.
Continuing down the hallway, he stepped on something that made him shine his flashlight on it.
Streaks of blood pooled around his feet, his face turning pale as worry started to take over. Before he could reach out to check the substance, a sharp knife made its way across his back.
"What a sad thing. Here to look for your daughter, yet not being careful enough to avoid getting killed," the voice chuckled as Steve fell to the ground, looking behind him, blood splattering from his torso.
"I did you a favor, you know. Your daughter will love it here," the voice said before removing the knife from Steve's torso only to thrust it again into his heart.
"WE FOUND HIS BODY THROWN INTO THE LAKE. There were no signs of a crime object, but the scene was disturbing," the chief continued, and by that time, Maeve felt the same knife passing across her heart.
Tears escaped her, her chest rising and falling heavily. She felt herself suffocating, her brain dead, her fists clenched in an attempt to cut her skin with her nails.
Blood dripped from her hands as Mike stood up fast once he noticed. He reached for her hands, opening them as he looked up at her.
"Maeve, stay with me. It's okay. I'm here," he said before interlocking his hand with her now-dripping one, holding it softly to prevent her from hurting herself further. The chief stood up and went to get water after noticing her state.
Mike reached for her face with his other hand, holding her still to make her look into his eyes. "Listen to me, we can leave if you want. I promise I won't leave you alone," Mike said, his face showing concern as Maeve stared at him blankly.
Mike swallowed as he remembered what the doctor told him earlier; her brain isn't conscious due to the stress she faced now. She is in a daze.
The chief handed Mike the water he got as Mike took it slowly, bringing it close to Maeve's mouth, but she didn't react.
Taking a nervous breath, Mike placed the water on the desk beside him. "Maeve, please wake up for me. Please," he begged, his eyelids forming tears as he looked at the girl.
The chief got out of the office to look for a first aid kit considering her hands that dripped with blood.
"Fuck," Mike said before connecting their lips. He kissed her urgently, his tears mixing with hers as she started to breathe again. Her fingers wrapped tightly around his.
The kiss sent a shock through her as she got out of her trance, her brain reacting to something that gave her solace and comfort, feeling safe once again.
Mike broke the kiss, looking at her as she blinked her tears. Mike let out a breath of relief before placing his forehead against hers. "I thought I lost you," his voice cracked, the weight still too heavy on his chest.
Maeve pulled back before wiping her tears with his free hand. "I'm sorry, I can't control it," she said to Mike as he shook his head. "No, no, it's okay. I'm here for you whenever this happens."
The chief entered through the door, placing the kit on his desk before getting out the supplies to clean Maeve's deep wound.
Mike detached their hands and reached out for the alcohol to clean her wound, but Maeve stopped him. "Wait," she said quietly.
"How did their files change?" She asked as the chief looked uncertain. He gave Mike a look as Mike looked at Maeve worriedly. "Maeve, are you sure you want to know now?" Mike questioned, and she looked at the chief instead. "Tell me."
He deeply sighed before looking at the desk. "He got one of the officers to do that for him and killed him after. He didn't want anyone to know his secret."
"But how do you know all this?" She asked as he bit his lower lip. "Because I was there. I saw everything."
"I need the rest of my money. You asked for me to exchange the identities, and I did," a man in his late twenties spoke as William looked at him deadly. "And I gave you your money."
"It wasn't enough. You realize I changed two whole identities," the man said, coursing rage through William.
He placed his hands on the knife in his back pocket before smiling. "How much do you want?" He asked as the officer thought for a moment. "At least another ten packs."
"How about this?" William exclaimed before swiftly getting the knife out of his pocket and passing it through the man's stomach before twisting it.
He grinned widely as the man's body fell to the ground, blood pooling around as he swiped his knife clean.
"You knew something you shouldn't; that's why you deserved death," he said evilly before walking away from the dark alleyway.
But what William didn't know is that the man he just killed made his friend hide to overhear them and witnessed everything that had ever happened. The mistakes were too big, and the consequences too huge.
-secreatmaniac
Sigh five chapters to go guys.. also opinions?