The Demon Hunter

3: "Not in front of the children!"

The sun that rose over Malthorn City would also set eventually. And after a long hard work day which didn't get any better once he had left the crime scene, David was finally free to go home.

He had always worried about the safety of his family, especially since Angela was born. That was one of the reasons he had become a cop in the first place. There was too much evil going around in this world, and he wanted to do what he could to protect the ones he loved. But at times like this, when he would face someone who killed in such a viscious way, he was constantly wondering if that was enough. Even when he pulled up the driveway to his home and saw this big, modern two-storey family house that would have easily made it on the cover of lifestyle magazines, he couldn't help but see a dangerously ill-equipped house without any safety measures that would stop a determined intruder from getting in and having his way with everyone inside.

David tried to surpress this feeling as well as possible when he stopped the car and got out. There was nothing that hadn't already been done to the house without raising suspicion or making his family uneasy. There was the burglar alarm that was checked every two weeks and had a direct connection to the security firm that took care of the neighborhood. There were those old-fashioned, but very effective window boards that could be closed in case of a storm, but also made it harder for an intruder to gain access. David had also a safe place where he had hidden a gun for emergencies, which only he and Lauren knew of. And Angela was totally fed up with his lessons about safety by now, being told not to talk to strangers or get into unknown cars. David could hardly wait for her to grow old enough to be taught self defense. But since she was eight years old, it was a little early for that.

He strolled over the freshly mowed lawn to get to the front entrance and then opened the door. The loud outcry of joy reached him even before the door was half open. "Daddy is home!" And a small energetic bundle seemed to jump right into his arms, squeaking of joy while doing it.

"Whoa, easy!" David tried to calm down his daughter, but Angela was unstoppable at this point. In the middle of this storm of hugs and kisses that his little daughter brought down upon him, he noticed that his wife was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, smiling and watching her husband being jumped at by Angela. and another little girl stood there, looking coyly. That was not his - at least he couldn't remember. But he recognized her as Gina, Angela's best friend from the neighborhood.

"It's good that you managed to come home at a reasonable time." David would have expected Lauren to address him in such a way, but that sentence came from the little girl in his arms. He looked into Angela's face and saw the broad knowing grin on it.

"Have you been watching Lethal Weapon?" he then asked her. But judging by the puzzled face she answered him with, she had not. He let her down, and she ran with Gina towards the bathroom to wash her hands, as prompted by Lauren. Dinner was almost ready. As the little rascals were out of sight, David and Lauren finally got to share a loving kiss. "Hi, sweetheart!" David greeted her.

"Hey, handsome!" Lauren responded. "How was your day?"

She noticed at once. Of course she did - she was a psychologist. And she had known David for some time by now. Maybe she understood way better what was on David's mind than David actually did. Because he still had mixed feelings about this day. Getting put in charge of a murder investigation of such a calibre was not a small thing. On one hand, it made him very proud that he was trusted with it. On the other hand, and that feeling got stronger by the minute, it might have been that Wilks just pushed him into it to avoid that kind of responsibility himself. David had enough reason to doubt the eagerness and engagement of Lt. Wilks at certain cases that might be big enough to damage his career.

But the girls came back, running and screaming. "Not in front of the children," David then decided, and Lauren nodded understandingly. He often had some topics to discuss that Angela and her friends were way too young to hear about. So they just went into the dining room, sat down at the table and enjoyed their dinner. It was Pasta Carbonara. At the beginning of the marriage David had always felt a little guilty about Lauren having to prepare dinner after her long hard work day, but Lauren had told him that cooking did have some relaxing effect on her, and she loved doing it. She was good at it, too. Also Angela loved her cooking. More than David's, who just managed to get a can of beans open and warmed up.