Day three of Zayn's admittance to the hospital was also the day that he was going to be released. By then, Harry had been home and back. So he was able to bring clothes for Zayn to wear since Zayn hadn't had anything clean to wear. Zayn had been so nervous and restless the whole time too. No matter how much Harry kept telling him he would be able to go home soon, his only focus was that he couldn't wait to leave.
As for visitors, he had pretty much seen everyone who came to the hospital last time. Everyone except Louis. And because of that, Harry made it a point to tell everyone who was there that he wanted to be the one to mention Louis to Zayn and tell him about the major part he had in finding him.
At the moment, he had been asked to leave the room while they finished up the last of the tasks needed to get him ready to go home. So he went to the waiting room to sit. Only Amos was there. The rest of their family and friends were back at their home waiting to surprise Zayn.
"Finally able to go home, huh?"
"Yes. It's been a long time coming. He's so excited he couldn't stop blabbering to me even when I had to leave the room."
Amos chuckled. "Ah. Must be nice to love and be loved like that."
"You have no idea." Then he caught himself because he realized how that must've sounded. The last time he said something like that, Amos left. "But I don't mean that in a bad way at all. It's just something I said. It wasn't even supposed to come out that way."
"I know, Harry. And you're right. I don't have any idea what it's like."
Harry exhaled heavily. "I still don't know how you planned that in a way so you didn't lose your job but you're a fucking genius. We were able to get Zayn and our man."
"Yep. Who, thanks to Zayn, we found out was a murderer too. Still can't believe he murdered Kelly, stuffed her in a tin barrel and planted flowers on top of her. How cruel."
"Yeah. But it was thanks to both of you, really. Apparently Zayn only witnessed him kill her but you saw him with the tin barrel, so I was able to tell them that when I told them I was watching from behind the abandoned house. That's how they knew where to look."
"Behind the abandoned house? You mean you didn't tell them you were actually in it?"
Harry gave him a look that made Amos chuckle.
"Hey, what can I say, Harry? I am a genius."
"Yes you are."
"Excuse me. Mr. Styles."
Harry faced the entrance of the waiting room to see one of the police officers that had been guarding the hospital room. His name was Officer Langley and Officer Langley knew Amos very well when they were on the force together. So over the past few days, whenever he recieved any information on the case, he made it his duty to pass it along to Harry if he was allowed to.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to talk to you really quick. I have some news for you."
He folded his arms. "Okay."
"Would you like to talk about it in private?"
"Is it about Zayn's case?"
"Yes."
"Then no. Amos can stay and we can talk right here."
He tucked his hand in his pockets. "Alright. Well you do know that our main suspect was in the hospital."
"That's right. Because I put him there."
"Yes. But... last night he died."
Harry frowned. "What? Died? How did that happen? The doctors said he was going to make a full and speedy recovery."
"Yes. He was. But he didn't die from the head wound."
"Then how did he die?"
The officer looked around and then turned back towards him to whisper quietly. "Well, I'm not supposed to give you the details but he killed himself using the cords to the machines. The nurse found him too late."
Harry's mouth fell open in shock and Amos put two hands on him to hold him if he fell.
"That's all the information I can give you at this time."
"And he's been dead since last night?"
"Yes sir."
"And no one told me?"
"We couldn't. I was just now able to release this information once the cause of death was confirmed. So I did. I'm sorry."
Harry was still in shock when the officer left and for a moment, Amos thought he wouldn't be able to move his feet or his mouth for a while. Then suddenly, Harry inhaled deeply and became really angry.
"What a fucking coward! He'll hurt my husband all the ways he's hurt him but when it comes to owning up to what he's done, he can't do it?!"
"Harry." Amos tried.
"How is this any fair? Zayn is going to have to deal with the aftermath of all this! But him? Oh no, he won't have to worry about the consequences because he made sure of it!"
"Yes but that's the advantage we have. We can gain peace of mind because we know he was the one who hurt Zayn. We don't have to wait for a verdict anymore. It's swift justice."
"That's not true justice, Amos. True justice would be having to endure living in that ten by ten hell hole we like to call a jail cell so everything that happened to Zayn gets returned to him tenfold."
"No, Harry. Don't think like that. Think about it another way."
"And what way is that?"
"Not only did he hurt Zayn, he killed a woman. An eye for an eye, right?"
"It doesn't count if he takes his own life. It only counts when someone else does it."
"But he's gone. And that's one less criminal off the street. There is no longer a need to waste a judge and jury's time. And your family no longer has to be involved with a long drawn out case. This is a good thing, Harry. I just want you to see it too. It's sad that he felt compelled to resort to suicide. But it isn't all bad."
"I didn't say it was all bad. I'm just shit pissed that the man who took his life wasn't me." He huffed angrily and walked away from him towards the windows.
Amos put his hands in his pockets and softly shook his head. That was the last thing he expected Harry to say. At first he was only worried about how Zayn would feel, think and act after all this. But now he found himself being just as worried for Harry.
* * *
"Surprise!"
Zayn placed a hand over his chest. Harry had made him close his eyes when they first turned into the neighborhood. So he didn't see the cars in the driveway. He wasn't expecting any sort of welcome like this. So he immediately gasped and drew back into Harry.
But Harry placed a hand on his lower back. "It's alright, baby. It's just friends and family here to celebrate your return."
But he faced Harry with a soft shake of his head. "No."
"No? No what?"
Nema and Charlie suddenly came running at him from where they had been coloring at the coffee table.
"Daddy!"
"Missed you daddy!"
"Yeah. I know. I missed you both so much too. I don't ever want to be gone that long without you again."
"Me neither."
Nema stopped hugging him. "What happened to your face?"
It was then that Zayn remembered it and he looked downward at the floor, trying to hide it with his hands. "I fell down the stairs at the hotel while on my business trip."
"You okay?"
"Sure, Pumpkin."
"Why you have hair on your face now?"
But he turned toward Harry and whispered up at him. "Can you tell them to leave?"
Harry frowned. "Who?"
"Everyone. I'm not ready for them and... and I don't want them to see me like this."
"Zayn, they visited you in the hospital."
"So?"
"So that means they've already seen you like this."
But he scoffed and shook his head. "I don't care. Please ask them to leave."
He stepped around Harry and headed out of the room, leaving Harry with the task of sending everyone away.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose then held his hands out briefly before he let them fall at his side. "Well... my apologies if you heard that. But at this time I am going to have to ask all those here to leave."
Everyone in the room groaned and mumbled.
"Why?" Niall asked.
"Because it might be best for Zayn. He doesn't want you to have to see him like this."
"But I'm his mother."
"I know."
"So why is he asking you to put me out?"
"I don't think it's necessarily that, Ms. Malik. He's just not used to this. I'm sure when he heals, everything will be back to normal."
"When he heals physically, mentally or emotionally?" Niall asked.
But Harry hated the pressure of providing an answer. So he just repeated part of what he said earlier. "When he heals."
"And what about the good news we were going to give him about me and Maura actually wanting to move closer to you?"
"We'll be able to tell him soon. But for now, let's honor his feelings. Okay?"
"Yes. Of course. Just tell him we love him."
"I'm sure he knows. But I will."
Everyone began to get up to leave. Marie and Hannah did offer to stay and help, but Harry politely told them that any duties around the house would be taken care of by him. So they didn't stick around. As for Liam, he was the last one there and he came over to Harry.
"You wouldn't happen to have Louis' new phone number, would you?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Because I asked for it a couple nights ago at the hospital. He said he would text me from his phone but he never did. I think he chose not to on purpose."
"Then are you sure it's appropriate to call him? That could mean he doesn't want to talk to you."
"Yes I am. I know the only reason he's afraid to face me is because things ended so awkwardly between us and he thinks I'm still upset. But I'm not. If I can just talk to him and help him see how much I do still care about him as a friend, maybe I can be friends with him again just like you are."
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble but we're not friends again. However... I did feel like we were possibly moving in the right direction when we were both putting our heads together and looking for Zayn."
"Yeah. But at least it's a start. It's something I would like to have too."
"Yeah. I see."
Harry took out his phone and texted Liam the number, then bid his goodbye. As soon as he locked the front door and turned around, Zayn was standing there with his arms folded, looking very suspicious at him.
"You know they don't care about the way you look, baby."
"I knew he said Louis' name that night."
He paused. "What?"
"When you found me, you and Amos were talking. He mentioned Louis."
"Oh."
"And just now I was listening to you and Liam. You were talking about Louis too. Is it Louis?"
"Is what Louis?"
"Did he have something to do with this? Is me being kidnapped his fault?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Of course not. How can you think that? If you just overheard our conversation, then you know we were talking about getting on good terms with him."
"Oh, how convenient, huh? We lose all contact with Louis after that whole scheme he cooked up to get you and I to break up. Then suddenly six years later, he just so happens to come around when this happens to me? Not to mention, I have yet to see him since I heard his name two nights ago."
"What are you saying?"
"He still couldn't even face me even after all this."
Harry exhaled softly. "I'm almost one hundred percent sure it's because he didn't want to upset you if you saw him. Not because he hates you."
"Almost one hundred percent. But you don't know that for sure."
"Well, no. I didn't exactly ask to confirm."
"And neither did he tell you. Hmm. That doesn't strike you as odd?"
"No. It doesn't and you don't understand, Zayn. There's more to this. It's not just about the past."
"So what's it about then? And why was he anywhere near you while I was away?"
Harry sighed and then walked past Zayn, slowly making his way to the kitchen with Zayn following. The children were still in the living room coloring in their coloring books.
"Okay, listen. Yesterday, when you asked me how I found you, I lied."
"You lied?"
"Well... Not completely. I told you some things that were different from what really happened. Especially when I told you about the leads we used."
"Really? So... it wasn't my coffee shop clue that led you to the cameras and then me?"
"No. It wasn't. Not completely. We couldn't view those tapes without a subpoena. We actually needed a formal investigation to be able to do that but we didn't have one. So therefore no one ever saw the coffee shop footage to identify her."
"Then how did you identify her? What was it that led you to me? And is the story you told the police even true?"
"More or less. I told them your kidnapper intentionally led me to Louis and that Louis led me to Kelly and Kelly led me to the place you were being kept. I told them I staked out the house from the house that was across from you until I made a plan to rescue you."
Zayn was confused. "Why did you lie to them?"
"I didn't lie to them. Everything I said was true. I just left out Amos in all of that. Listen... Amos could've gotten fired or arrested and his reputation as a former police officer would be ruined if we had told the police everything. So I couldn't. You understand that, right?"
"Okay. So you told me a different story from the police but somehow, neither me or the police got the whole story. So what part of the story did you leave out from me?"
Harry opened a cabinet, pulled down two wine glasses and then grabbed a bottle of vintage port from the wine rack. He let the bottle stand upright for the sediment to fall.
"Those eight o'clock phone calls your kidnapper kept making to me. One night he told me that if I was wishing it was me instead of you then I should have thought about that before I fired him and chose you over him. After some thought, I realized it sounded like Louis. Louis was the only one I fired and chose you over."
"What?"
Harry held his hand out at him. "But I was wrong. I tracked Louis down and I found him. Your kidnapper framed him. Louis had nothing to do with it."
"And how is that possible? How would they know to frame him unless he was involved with them some kind of way at one point?"
"He was involved. But not in the way you think. He was involved with Kelly. He had a romantic relationship with her. Remember on Valentines day when I told you I saw him with a girl in the lot of the store?"
"Yeah?"
"She was the girl. Apparently Louis saw me too. So he told her the story about me firing him. When they broke up two weeks later, she went and shared it with the man they arrested and together they planned to kidnap you, get the ransom money from me and then frame Louis in the process. We are all victims. Not just you and me."
Harry was expecting Zayn to understand. But Zayn was more upset than he was before.
"Victim?! He's no victim! Did you not hear yourself? He led them right to me!"
"I know, Zayn. But he didn't mean to. He said he was sorry. And he was. I know it. I was there with him when he put himself in possible danger to help me find you."
"Don't even go there! Don't try to make him out to be some hero. Some good guy!"
"I will make him out to be one! Because he is! Yeah, I know what he did in the past to us. It hurt then and it isn't going to go away but you know what? I still forgive him because he brought you back to me!"
"Only for what to happen?! For everything to backfire and go wrong? Because as soon as the police find the holes and inconsistencies in your story, they are going to know you lied! What if he gets off because of it? Gosh, Harry, what the hell?!"
"I told you I didn't lie! And we don't have to worry about him because he's dead anyway! Okay? He killed himself because he didn't want to go to jail. So it's over! And you can stop trying to paint Louis as a villain and just focus on getting things back to the way they used to be."
Zayn walked over to him and stood in front of him. He was clearly unhappy with Harry. "Back to the way it used to be, huh? You mean back to when it was you and Liam and Louis when you were all buddies and you didn't even see Louis' knife coming?"
"No. That's not what I mean. I mean get things back to the way it used to be for me, you and two children who love you and have missed you."
"Whatever."
He shook his head and turned away. But Harry didn't want Zayn to be mad at him, so he reached out to place his hands on his shoulders. "Zayn, let's just drink some wine-"
"STOP!" Zayn suddenly yelled and he raked Harry's hand from him and took a wide step back from him.
"What did I do?"
He pointed at him accusingly. "Don't ever grab me like that again!"
"Zayn, I didn't..."
"NEVER!"
They stood there just looking at each other now. Harry didn't understand what happened but Zayn didn't even give him a chance to before he put his hands up to his temples and left the kitchen.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Charlie standing with a coloring page in his hand. He was just as confused by what just happened in front of him. But Harry didn't want him to think he'd just tried to hurt Zayn. So he came over to him and scooped him up in his arms.
"It's okay. Everything is fine. Daddy's just a little anxious right now. Okay?"
"Okay, Pa."
He kissed his son's cheek and looked at the coloring page he was holding up. "What do we have here?"
"Cat."
"Oh yeah. And he's very purple. Isn't he?"
"Yeah."
Harry sighed sadly. His children could live carefree lives, free of weighty responsibility, without the thought of harm or hurt. But because someone decided they wanted money, that had been stripped away from Zayn. And right now he had no idea what he would have to do to get it back.