Hiding Within The Betrayal

Chapter Thirty Nine: I Miss You

Things between us didn't get the chance to escalate as the main door opened and the rest of the staff made their way in. Whether we calmed down because we had to, so that couldn't hear us arguing or if we cooled off by coincidence, I'm not too sure. On their arrival, I was quick to inform them of our discussion, the part I wanted them to know about at least...

Coming from the office to join them, I asked that we all join together, including Tess who tried to take herself away, so that we could discuss my new theory on Ethel Donson's disappearance. Given that everyone was eager to get the case off the ground, within minutes the entire company was seated to hear what I had to say.

Patrick was last to join the team and awkwardly lurked around the other side of the circle.

Ignoring our fight, "This morning, Detective Callaghan and I came in early to go over the evidence that everyone has been collecting for Ethel's case. Since we have no motif and no clue who the abductor might be, we turned to look at it from a different angle." The team was invested in everything I had to say. Patrick himself had even stopped to listen to what I had to say, "I have reason to believe that we might be dealing with a Flesh Monster victim."

Their faces changed. A few murmurs raised. I cut them off, "Just like with every child we search for, even if this is part of a serial kidnapping, we will find Ethel and return her home safely before anything bad happens to her."

"That's the aim at least Detective Degarmo." Patrick snarled.

I hadn't expected him to speak, least of all the spiteful comment that he made, when I looked up to see him staring at me with the same jumbled expression he had presented in the office, I knew we weren't making up anytime soon. Not without talking about what had happened anyway.

Separate members of the team began to spring up, mentioning things that they had heard about the other Flesh Monster victims. The cases ranged from the present day to two years ago and there were thought to be a dozen cases. Only nine of those were found which is the reason behind knowing the gruesome ending that met the children.

Since I had shied away from the cases, I set tasks for pairs to find out everything they could on the dozen cases, or at least the first six.

By the end of the day, Patrick left. On time. Without saying so much as goodbye.

Though we didn't spend every single night together, the way that he left without even trying to speak to me hit more than I thought it could. Sure, I hadn't tried to make amends with him during the day like I could have but it wasn't my fault, he had brought up something he knew was deeply personal and although he didn't say it as such, it felt as if he was accusing me of framing Ethel's abductor on the Flesh Monster to steer the blame.

I wasn't going to apologise. He needed to think about how harmful his thoughts were.

Coming in the next day, the same routine came about. We continued to look into the Flesh Monster cases, the ones that had already been solved and not the ones that had been suspected to be part of it. My hope was that when Patrick came in, we would act like grown ups and step into my office to discuss what had happened between us. The way that we barked at one another like mad dogs with rabies or the way his comments hit home. To be more specific, the way that from the moment he brought up Jennifer to the minute he went home, how he seemed to accuse me of having a suspicious link to Ethel's case which was clearly untrue, I deserved to know what was going off in his mind to dare bring up my past in such a vulgar manner.

The only issue was that Patrick didn't turn up to work...

Not at nine o'clock when his shift started. Not fifteen minutes later like you would if you were running late. Not even an hour late like I used to when I had been involved with someone the night prior. I waited until ten before going over to Tess.

"You need to call Detective Callaghan."

She simply sat back and smugly responded, "I already have. It's not like him to be late. I called him half an hour ago."

Irritated by her hubris, "You haven't called him in the past fifteen minutes though have you?"

She didn't say anything. Picked up the office phone and selected his name, she turned it over to loud speaker and together we stood waiting. It rang out and she placed the phone back on the hook.

"Any idea why he isn't in today?" She asked me.

Rolling my eyes, "Why would I have any idea?"

I didn't allow her the satisfaction of making any comment. Walked away as soon as I gave the rhetorical question. Though I was wondering why he hadn't, I had to dismiss my personal concerns so that I could do my job. I would deal with him later.

Going about my day, I had made it about three hours in before I gave into temptation. I slipped away from one of the pairs that I had been speaking to about one of the cases so that I could go into my office. I locked the door behind me and took out my phone. As expected, there were no texts or missed calls. I went onto my call history and clicked the last name that came up. Detective Callaghan. Just as with Tess, the call wasn't answered. It went straight to voice mail.

Frustrated by Patrick's ignorance, I hung up only to call again seconds later with the same fate.

It was odd not to hear from him. If he had a genuine reason to be off I'm sure he would have informed either myself or Tess, this couldn't just be a coincidence after what had happened in the office. Patrick had become my go to, falling out with him meant I had no one to turn to about the situation. I left the office that evening feeling deflated.

Having combined the entire team to work on the the case should have been a big help but it just seemed that even while I felt that we were making huge strides, without my co-partner there agreeing that it was the right decision, I, for the first time ever, was doubting myself. I had pairs coming back to me with evidence that mimicked evidence from another case and so on, things that were reoccurring in the known Flesh Monster cases were the same things that we had found with Ethel's case. There was so much that we had to do and without him there to help differentiate tasks it felt like a lot of weight on my shoulders: I had gotten so used to the way we did things together that I forgot how to manage everything by myself.

By the time I arrived home, I felt quite shit about myself.

Before getting out, I considered trying again. So I did. I was stupid enough to believe that this time, he might answer. When it rang out, I hit my fists against the steering wheel and swore.

Though we had made vast strides on the case, nothing mattered more than knowing why I was being ignored by him. Like an infant child missing her father, I craved nothing but the sound of his voice. I probably shouldn't have, but I called again with the intention of leaving a voicemail, I was hiding my true feelings when I spoke with a calm tone, "Hey Patrick, I'm just calling as I am concerned. What happened today? Why didn't you go into work? It's been a hectic day in the office." I held back my head and let out a low breath, feeling oddly unnerved. An emotion I hadn't felt in a long time, "give me a call back when you can alright? I'm worried about you. I miss you." I ended the call and instantly regretted my last three words. He didn't need to know that part. It made me vulnerable to even think about it.

I told myself not to get attached. What had I gone and done?

Getting out of my car, I made my way inside the building. I took the handrail and began the trek upstairs. There was an unusual sound coming from further up as if there were people moving around. My flat was up on the fourth floor. By the time I got past the third floor, I could tell that the movement was coming from my floor...

I rounded the corner to see that the door to my place was open. That people were in my flat...