Love, in Progress

The 'Francesca' card

Ricky was very late home that night. When he had agreed to stay behind with Charlie, he hadn't envisioned the Detective falling asleep leaning against him- making him incapable of movement in case he woke the taller man up. Doctor Fear had completely forgotten about them, and showed up and hour and a quarter late to kick them out.

Ricky took off his jacket and hung it in the coat room, as the Mayor was out of hours (and probably asleep). He yawned quietly, making his way through the house in the dark. He opened the door to his room, but before he could turn the main light on- a lamp flicked on. Sitting in his chair, was his mother, not looking awfully pleased.

"Mijo, where have you been all night?"
"With Fran?" Ricky lied with a smile, knowing that the 'Francesca' card always worked.

Suddenly the second chair turned around.
"Try again" Francesca responded with the same unimpressed tone.
"Oh heyyy Fran! How did you get back so quickly..." Ricky asked sheepishly, trailing off at the end as he tried to continue the lie.

Lucy sighed, "Mijo, I'm very worried about you, you've been spending all of this time out of the house- and no one's had a clue where you are and I'd you're ok! I've been sat here all night worrying! Waiting for you to get back! Miguel left for Chicago hours ago Ricardo. You weren't even here to say goodbye!"

"Mamá, I am a grown man I think I can look after myself."

"Ricky..." Francesca trailed off nervously. That was the giveaway. If Francesca was anxious, something bad was about to happen. And Ricky knew that.

Then Lucy Goldsworth proceeded to yell an angry torrent of Spanish at Ricky, for a quarter of an hour, seemingly without taking breaths. Ricky was paralysed in sheer terror of his 5"3 mother who was shouting at him. He didn't think he'd ever heard his mother shout before, yes she had raised her voice a couple of times, but never like that.

Francesca was pressed so far into the back of the chair, that she might as well of been part of the furniture. She had known Lucy was really upset with Ricky- god she had been sat with her as she nervously watched the hours tick by, waiting for Ricky to get back! Listening to Lucy shout reminded Francesca exactly who the head of the Goldsworth family was, and by the look on Ricky's face, he knew it too.

After Lucy had stopped shouting, she slumped back into the chair she had originally been sat in, tired. Ricky, plucking up the courage, apologised quietly "I'm am really sorry, Mamá.'

Lucy sighed, "I just worry, Mijo, you know I do, I shouldn't shout at you for being young."
"I'm really sorry" Ricky repeated, even quieter than the first time.
"Just get some sleep Mijo, we can talk more in the morning."

Rather dejectedly, Ricky dragged himself into bed. With a groan, he remembered that his brother had gone back to Chicago, which meant he couldn't ask him to help find who attacked Miss Horsley.

Quite agitated, Ricky tried to sleep, but after hours of tossing and turning, he realised that it wasn't going to happen. Ricky threw on a shirt, and after a long moment of deliberation, climbed out of his window and headed in the direction of the Detective's house.