to have forever | scarlizzie

Chapter 12

The ride to the office was in tense silence. But Lizzie reached out her hand, which Scarlett quickly grasped, her other hand placed on her lap. Lizzie risked a glance away from the road as she glanced at her girlfriend, for once wishing she could read minds like Wanda. Sometimes she wishes she would be able to take away all of Scarlett's worries for her, but she knew she never could, so Lizzie tried her best to always be there for her instead.

After Lizzie parked their car in front of the office, which was about a two hours drive, the two of them sat in their car.

"You know, it's okay to not be okay. This is a huge thing, a lead in fourteen years," Lizzie whispered, turning around to face Scarlett, who had an unreadable look on her face. It felt as if her girlfriend had closed herself off again, and Lizzie wanted nothing more than to be able to know what she's feeling. She knew that she would never be able to stand in Scarlett's shoes, but she's trying.

"I know," Scarlett's words sounded nonchalantly, and Lizzie let out a sigh as she opened her door, stepping out of the comfort of their car. Scarlett got out a second later, and Lizzie tried to ignore the way her heart seemed to drop when Scarlett pulled her hand away when Lizzie tried to reach for it. "Let's just... get this over with."

The walk to the office was almost dreadful, and the hallway sounded with echoes of their footsteps. Before they knew it, they were knocking at the door of Leanna Lawrance, who greeted them with a smile and a firm handshake, gesturing for them to come into her office. And that was how Lizzie found herself seated before the investigator, sipping on her coffee, which is definitely not as good as the ones Katelyn made.

"So, leads," Scarlett spoke up, her foot tapping impatiently, or anxiously on the floor, Lizzie wouldn't know at the moment. Maybe both. She found herself playing with her fingers again, which was a bad habit she had unfortunately picked up when she was still a teen. Glancing down at her lap, she found herself twiddling her thumb anxiously as well. "You said you have leads."

Leanna hummed, then nodded, before taking a seat in her chair, glancing at Scarlett's untouched cup of coffee. "Yes. I know the police had long given up on ever finding your child, but I had my eyes out for a while. Police found the video footage of the night at the nursery in a burn down house. I managed to get a hold of it, and the date, time, and location fits the place your daughter was born. So then I traced down the last owner of the house, and it took me to the name Tina and Elias Griffin, and their two daughters, Calia and Kate Griffin. But unfortunately, that was the furthest I can get."

There was a tense silence, before Scarlett spoke up again, anger evident in her voice. "So this was just a, I don't know, false lead then? Because I don't have time for games like this."

Lizzie reached out a hand for Scarlett, who took it. Glancing at Leanna, she spoke up. "If you called us in, there must be a reason, right?"

"Yes," Leanna agreed, taking out another file from under her desk. "I went to the hospital near their house, and I got their medical records. All but Kate's medical record was there."

Lizzie took the medical record placed in front of her, quickly glancing through it, still unsure where this whole thing was going. So if this couple had kidnapped their daughter, where are they now? And why are they found after so many years? What made Lizzie pause in her steps were the personal information of Tina and Elias Griffin.

Died: September 13, 2012

Scarlett glanced over her shoulder, her hands placed over her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips. "They're dead?"

"They were found at the car crash site. Kate and Calia were the only survivors," Leanna explained, glancing at her notepad. "When the paramedics found them, Tina and Elias were already gone. Calia, fourteen at the time, was the one doing compressions on Kate, who just turned five years old. Tracing Calia's medical record, her last doctor visit was somewhere in New Haven, Connecticut. Police ran her name through the record and it seems like she's currently attending Yale Medical School, second year. And since your daughter was born on September 13, 2007, there was no way that could be her."