Ravaged // h.s. au

9.

Zayn

I stood in front of the crime board in my office, looking between pictures and words, attempting to find the missing link. Gypsy and Hazel were sitting on the couch, having a late breakfast, along with Louis. Niall and Liam were talking to the social service agent. Something didn't quite make sense. If Harry did kill her, then who was the associate? And why didn't Harry mention him in the investigation?

Cleo stood beside me, staring at the board hard, as if that would somehow crack this case open.

" Wait a minute," I walked towards the picture of Harry, written beneath it, out the door, " The neighbor said that the man who jumped out the window, had a limp. Harry doesn't limp." I tilted my head towards Cleo, who had gained a confident smile, nodding to my previous statement in confirmation.

" Also, there is the backyard to the building, and when we got there, the sprinklers were on, so that means that whoever had run through it, must have traces of mud in their shoes."

" Okay, lets go see Harry's shoes." I rushed out the office, followed by Cleo, and Louis. Liam and Niall saw us running through the station, so they excused themselves from their appointment and followed us.

" Harry, show me the bottom of your shoes." I demanded, as soon as he was in sight.

" What?" He questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

" Just do as I say." He sat down, taking off his shoes. My breath hitched, desperately needing the weight of the crime off my shoulders. His shoe was clean, and after I urged him to show us the other, I was certain that Harry wasn't the man who had jumped out the window. A sigh of relief forced its way out of my lungs, as I patted Louis' back.

" Release him, and get him to my office. We'll finish the paperwork tonight." I felt light, like for the first time in months, my shoulders weren't crushed beneath the weight of losing Harry to himself. We had a crime to solve, we had a murderer to find, but finally, finally, I had partially ridden myself from the undeniable remorse I felt towards Harry.

" Gypsy, he didn't do it. We can prove it."

" Oh my God." She breathed, putting a hand to cover her mouth, before she stood to her feet, throwing herself into my arms.

" Thank you, Zayn. For everything." I pulled away, smiling briefly, before I opened my arms, for Hazel to jump into them. She had gotten tall since I had last seen her. She giggled, as I lifted her off the ground slightly, holding her to me, and feeling her smaller arms holding onto me. I put her down, hearing footsteps entering the office, and I knew it had to be Harry and the rest of them.

" Welcome back." Gypsy said, with a small smile. The amount of love and care that still laced her voice, caught me completely off guard. After all this time, after all he had done to her. She still loved him. He still had that effect on her, that only Harry could have.

" Thank you." He whispered, slightly breathless. His eyes fell away from Gypsy, and onto Hazel, who was almost the same height as Louis now.

" Hey, kiddo." He lifted a single hand in the air, waving weakly. She had a stubborn frown set between her eyebrows, and he could tell, she was trying to hold her ground.

" I'm almost 16 years old now, I'm hardly a kiddo anymore." She crossed her arms against her chest defensively, as his eyes widened. It was almost as if it hit him, how much time he had wasted away on self-pity, and loathing. He had missed so much, and it almost brought tears to his tired eyes. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck.

" Yeah. I guess you're right." He breathed, looking down.

" We can get someone to take you home, we'll finish the paperwork tonight, but you're-" Before I could finish my sentence, Hazel had taken rushed steps towards us, wrapping her arms around Harry's waist reassuringly. His eyes widened again, before falling closed all together. It seemed to pain him, as much as it comforted him. He leaned down, resting his head on top of her own.

" God I missed this." He whispered, mostly to himself. Like a thought that had unintentionally escaped his mind and verbalized itself. They held one another for as long as he needed, before he lifted his eyes, to meet my own.

" I want to help, Zayn. I can help."

" You were a suspect, Harry, you're too close."

" They tried taking Hazel, Zayn. I have always been too close." Hazel's grip loosened, as she flinched away, and to her sister's side.

" This isn't all." I whispered, shaking my head slightly.

" Wh- what? What else happened?"

" Take a seat, Harry." I pointed towards the chair beside my desk, that Harry almost always occupied, whenever we were discussing a case together. He silently obliged, as everyone found their own seat.

" They've been sending Gypsy some threatening signs; anonymous phone calls where they would play her explosions sounds, letters on her car with a bloody "boom", emails to Hazel with footage from that explosion." Harry's eyes moved from my own, regretfully falling upon Gypsy, who was holding her sister, her features speaking so little of all she must have felt.

" Wh- who would do such a thing? Why didn't I know about this earlier? I mean, I know Rodriguez had cut himself some kind of deal, and that his wife was coming out with it, but I didn't know who the deal was with, or what its terms were. The only people at that explosion were- were us, and Joshua, and he's dead, so that-"

" He isn't, Harry. Joshua is alive. And he's after us all."

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A/N: dun dun duuunnnn

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