Found Obsession

Chapter 41: Obsessed

Rose had been sent home that night, but sleep had been impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Erin Miller's petrified face and felt the lingering fear of being trapped with a faceless man. She tossed and turned, another nightmare to add.

By morning, she was exhausted, emotionally raw, and her frustration spilled over. Her parents, worried and protective, tried to comfort her, but the conversation quickly turned tense.

"You're safe here, Rose," her mother insisted, her voice calm but firm. "You don't have to go back to all of that. You're not a detective anymore-"

"Safe?" Rose snapped, cutting her off. "You think I'm safe? Last night, I thought I was safe too! With all the security, all the precautions, and yet, I was drugged! Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Her mother stiffened, eyes widening in shock at Rose's outburst. "I'm just trying to protect you-"

"Protect me?!" Rose's voice shook with frustration. "I can't sit here and pretend like everything's fine. I need to figure this out before more people end up like Erin."

Her father, who had been silently watching, stepped in. "Rose, we understand you're upset, but you're place belongs here, with us and being a Hansley."

Rose sighed, rubbing her temples as the weight of the conversation bore down on her. "I tried to be the daughter you guys wanted, I really did," she said softly, her voice cracking under the strain. "But I can't live like this anymore. I need to do what I do best... and that's finding answers."

Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but Rose continued before she could. "I can't just hide behind walls. That's not who I am."

Her father glanced at her mother, unsure of what to say, while Rose's mother finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly. "We just want you to be safe, Rose. We don't want to lose you... again."

The room fell into a tense silence, her parents looking at her with both fear and reluctant understanding. Rose swallowed hard, then stood up, her resolve hardening. "I'm going back, and I'm going to figure this out. I have to."

Rose left her parents with no choice.

Her mother reached out, her voice soft but filled with concern. "Just... promise us you'll be careful."

Rose nodded, though she knew being careful might not be enough. "I promise," she whispered before heading towards the door, her mind already racing with the next steps she needed to take.

Rose hurried back to the station, her heart pounding as her feet carried her toward what felt like an inevitable confrontation with the truth. When she arrived, Riley was there, leaning casually against the wall, as if he had been waiting for her all along.

"Took you long enough," Riley stated, his voice steady but with a faint edge of impatience. He extended his hand, holding her badge and gun.

Rose hesitated for a moment before taking them, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as her fingers closed around the familiar weight of the gun. For a brief second, she felt a sense of normalcy.

Riley turned to walk back inside, but he stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't accept tardiness," he added, his tone half-serious, half-teasing.

Rose allowed a small, determined smile to form on her lips. "Won't happen again."

Riley called everyone to a meeting, his expression grim as he gathered Rose, Morgan, Will, Paula, Mira, Javier and the forensic expert into the room. The tension was palpable, each of them knowing that what was coming wouldn't be easy to hear.

The forensic expert began, his voice steady but with a weight behind it. "It's confirmed. It's him. We still can't identify what he uses to petrify the body, but this unique method of killing is unmistakably his."