Halsey - Castle
"I'm heading straight for the castle, they wanna make me their queen"
•••
I woke up by shots in the hallway, before I could even think straight, still half asleep, I grabbed my gun and headed towards hall, where I saw Turner holding a gun to an officer's head
"DROP IT!" was yelled from every direction "I wanna talk to my lawyer! NOW!" Turner commanded, pulling the trigger tighter
"We will let you talk to him, when you let go of the man" I spoke walking up to Turner "you need to cooperate, we will help you. I promise."
Turner started laughing, lifting the gun from the officer's head to his own "I do not cooperate. Ask my daughter about the murders." Then he pulled the trigger and I closed my eyes, when I heard the sound of his insides being spread against the wall.
I turned around breaking down
"DAVIDSON!" I saw Holder running down the hall "are you okay?! What happened here?"
I threw my arms around his shoulders and he lifted me up into his arms
"Get me out of here...please..." I whispered to him and he gently wrapped my body into his jacket "It'll be fine, just fine."
He brought me into his car and we drove off. I didn't say a word during the whole drive. I was too shocked. Too shocked about the way Turner looked into my eyes right before he pulled the trigger, ending his life. The last thing he ever saw was me holding a gun into his direction.
"...he has a daughter." I whispered under my breath, trying to get myself back together
"Who? Turner? Did he tell you that?"
I nodded softly in response "yes. I can't get the way he looked at me out of my head. It was as if he wanted me to pull the trigger. But, then he..." I started crying
"Shhh...we, I...I will bring you to my apartment. If that's okay?" I didn't answer. I didn't care in the slightest where he was going to bring me as long as it's far away from this place. And he knew that.
Usually I don't run away from my responsibilities but this time was different. I first realised that it was not my responsibility to risk my life. It was a choice.
_______
I couldn't remember what happened the next few hours. All I remember is that I woke up with my head rested against Holder's chest.
I hadn't felt this comfortable in a long time, I felt safe. I never wanted to leave this bed. I was too scared of what was ahead me, returning to the station, continuing my work on this case as if nothing happened.
I had seen Holder in this goddamn grey hoodie nearly every day the past few months, and as silly as this might sound, it felt amazing, so soft.
"Are you awake?" I whispered
"Yeah..."
I looked up to him "thank you. Thank you for everything..." We made eye contact and we both felt it, something two partners should not feel for each other.
He moved closer and my heart started beating faster than ever. We were only a few centimetres away from each other, our lips almost collided but we didn't do it. We couldn't.
"...I'm sorry.." I said getting up "we...must concentrate on this case, now that Turner is gone we're back to the beginning."
"The case? Is that all you care about? Maybe you should wake up from your daydream and start caring about the people around you for once, Davidson."
He then left the room but I saw so much pain in his eyes. I wanted to go after him, but something held me back. Was it my pride? Or was it my doubt? I couldn't lose Holder, not now. I can't do this myself.
I couldn't let this case be threatened by two people who couldn't undermine whatever it was that had us both so confused.
______
I called him a million times. It went like this for 2 whole days. I got worried. He didn't show up at the station, he didn't return any of my calls.
He left me alone, with Linden and a case she had no clue about.
I kept staring to the door, hoping for Holder to finally return. I felt guilty
"He will return. Give him time." Linden spoke looking up from the stack of paper in front of her
"I'm not sure... You don't know..."
She smiled "advice 101: don't piss off Stephen Holder."
"Linden, I'm worried. It's been days."
"Like I said, he needs time for himself, no matter what happened between the two of you."
"I..."
She shook her head "look at this. I found Turner's daughter. Before he blew his head off, did he mention that she killed herself two years ago?"
I looked up the file Linden handed me "no, all he said was that I should tell her that he's sorry for being a shit dad."
"I guess we'll do that then."
"What do you mean by that Linden?"
"We'll go to her grave, idiot. Grab your stuff."
As soon as we entered my car, Linden threw a judging look into my direction "your car smells like a astray."
"Don't you smoke, too?" I asked lighting up my cigarette
She didn't reply and got onto the passenger seat
"Just drive, Davidson."
Linden was a complicated woman. She was quite funny, probably. But she seemed cold and mysterious, the kind of person I couldn't get along with. But Holder left me here all by myself with her to my temporary partner.
"Have you found a connection between Brianna's tattoo and the tattoo you found on the other girl's body?"
I nodded "yeah. It's a voodoo thing, like a formula."
"A formula for what?" Linden asked
"Life. Legend has it that it brings death back to life. Me and Holder found out that both tattoos were made post mortem, which brought us to the conclusion that whoever killed them probably wanted to bring them back to life at some point."
Linden breathed out "isn't that a bit too easy? Why killing someone when you want to bring them back to life?"
"You don't understand voodoo and its power. Voodoo isn't just a bunch of weirdos poking needles into dolls, it's a culture. And apparently, Brianna and the other girl were part of it."
At the cemetery, Linden went to talk to the priest while I went to see her grave. Someone had laid roses down only recently. Black roses.
"Jessica Turner
09/30/1998 - 02/28/2014"
Then, I discovered the triad carved into the gravestone. The same triad Brianna and the unknown girl had tattooed.
Linden came along the path "she shot herself just like Turner did."
"He found her." She continued
"Linden, look. It's the triad." She drove her fingers across it "where's the connection? Do you think it was Turner and he killed himself to escape the consequences?"
I shook my head "I think it's a bit bigger than just a guy murdering two girls and shooting himself because he wanted to break protocol."
"Then, what do you think?"
"I don't know, Linden."
"Maybe we were chasing the wrong guy the whole time. Maybe the whole thing is a bit more than just a guy murdering girls."
______
