Love in the Shadows

Chapter Thirty-Two

(Sam's POV)

Whatever the Lawson's might have been hiding, I didn't find it on either their office computer or tablet. I shut the cover of the tablet and set it down, frustrated that we kept coming up empty.

The sweeper team had gotten here about half an hour ago and I had walked them upstairs, rocked to my core yet again by Dave and Sylvie's joined hands. There was just something devastating about them maintaining that connection in their last living moments.

What had they known and where was Brie?

Panic set in as I heard the front door open and I walked over to meet whoever was coming in. There was no doubt that we shouldn't be letting just anyone into this house but I really didn't want to have to turn officers away. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was Lucy, my breath catching a little bit at the sight of her bouncy curls.

The moment that she saw me a big smile transformed her face, letting me know that she was equally as relieved to see me. Something in my chest eased, knowing she was here with me. Whatever was going on with us, might be building fast, but everything about it felt right.

"How did it go?" I'd been worried all morning, knowing what a dick my dad could be.

"He's all bluster." She shrugged, and gave me a little grin. "It went better, once he had worked his way around to the fact that he's got no choice in the matter. He's simply resigned now."

"I left Lee trying to figure out what local officers we'll pull in." She pointed at the office that I had just come from. "You okay if I pull you from the tech? We'll let forensics know where you got to and let them take over?"

"What are you thinking is our next step?" The fact that we had a second missing girl and that her parents had somehow been involved, gave me my own idea of what we should do next. But, Lucy was more experienced with this kind of investigation, I'd already decided that I was following her lead. 

"I think we need to interview Tash's parents next, I'm going to have Trigg do a deep dive on them, when he gets here too." I nodded, comforted by the fact that I was on the right track.

She pointed upstairs and handed me a stack of sticky notes. Write down which tech you've already gone through. You find anything?" I shook my head and she gave my shoulder a squeeze, obviously sensing my disappointment.

"Allright, you leave records so they know where to pick up. Let me go up and get a visual of the scene. I'll talk to the team before we head out?" Unable to help myself, I watched her walk up the stairs and then made my way back into the office to pinpoint where they needed to pick up when they got down here. I had to hope that they would have more luck than I did.

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The closer we got to Tash's parents place, the quieter the truck became. My shoulders were tight with dread when I felt a squeeze on my thigh and looked over to see a reassuring smile on Lucy's face. "You okay?"

My "fine" almost popped out but I swallowed it down. The thing about whatever this was with Lucy,  was that I genuinely wanted her to know me, the same way that I didn't want her to hold anything back. I didn't want to lie. I shrugged, "It feels wrong to be thinking about my own shit, when we just left two dead bodies."

She kept her hand on my leg, giving it a little squeeze. "Dead bodies or not, you can't control how you feel."

"I know but they don't get to feel anymore." Glancing sideways, I found only sympathy in her gaze, no judgement and then the words just poured out. "There are pieces of being home that remind me of why I left. Tash's house, it feels like one of them."

I parked on their street, not wanting to pull into their driveway and end this conversation before I got a chance to explain myself. "Did you know that Tash and I dated?"

Lucy's reply was soft, "Yah she let me know, before telling me that you had the wrong bits and pieces for her."

My snort filled the truck and with the vehicle in park I let go of the gear shift and laced our fingers together explaining, "I can laugh about it now, but at one point it was the hardest thing in my life."

She squeezed our fingers, but stayed silent, listening to whatever I needed to get off my chest and somehow, I found myself feeling better just knowing she was here. That she cared.

"Tasha and I dated for two years and when she broke up with me, I was devastated. Driving home, after she ended things, I remember bawling like a baby the whole way home." The cop in me shook my head, considering the fact that I really shouldn't have been driving.

I paused, a little nervous because I'd never shared this part with anyone but as if she knew that I needed a little encouragement, Lucy lifted my hand and kissed it. Somehow, she realised that I needed an extra push.

"That night, I got home and decided I would take a break from Tash. From our friendship. Just a little space, till my heart could be near her. Until it recovered from her smashing it to smithereens."

I shook my head, caught up in the memories, "But, then she decided she didn't want to hide anymore. She told her parents too."

The words trailed off and Lucy finally probed, "They didn't handle it well?"

I winced, recalling. "I'd say that's putting it mildly. They kicked her out. I could hardly understand her when she called me, she was distraught. And when I got there, they were so mean. To her, to me. It was ugly and my hurt had to take a back seat because I couldn't turn away my friend when she needed someone in her corner."

Lucy undid her seatbelt and turned, her hands reaching up, caressing my face. I found the amber flecks in her eyes fascinating and then she was somehow closer. Her lips brushed mine before she whispered, "Sometimes loving someone means putting their needs and well-being above your own." She brushed my lips again, smiling against them before she pulled back and said. "You're a good person Sam Taylor and I'm really god damned lucky that you are in my life."

I felt my heart stutter and swell, needing to hear that. From her, especially right now.

I glanced towards the house. "Sorry. I know there are so many more important things to think about right now but I still can't forgive her parents for the fact that they couldn't support her. That they couldn't be there for her the way that she deserved."

"In a way they did me a favour, I didn't have time to wallow in my broken heart or pull away and ruin my friendship with Tash. She moved in with my mom, Natalie and I. Focusing on being there for her, reminded me that she was my friend before anything else." I looked over, realising that maybe Lucy would take this as me still having feelings for Tash but Lucy's face showed nothing but care and empathy.

"You and Tash are lucky to have each other." I leaned down and kissed her one more time, because it was Lucy and I couldn't seem to not touch her.

"We are and with hindsight, Tash and I would never have worked anyway. Our personalities clash too much, but it doesn't change the fact that Tasha broke my heart and  then this town..." I pointed at the house, "These people made it that much worse."

I reached down and rejoined our hands together. "Thanks for listening. It helped."

She tossed me a wink. "Good now let's go frighten the fuck out of these assholes for being such dickwads."

She got out of the truck and waited for me to step up next to her. Her gaze focused on the house before asking, "If they were willing to kick Tash out for being gay, I wonder how they were handling the naked pictures circulating of Tanya?"