Luke nodded his head slightly, while taking the card the
Heather gave him.
“Is there anything else you need Detective?”
“No, thank you Heather you have been very helpful today. If I
have any further questions I’ll come back.”
“Okay, that’s not a problem. I’ll be here until nine tonight and back here again at eight in the morning for the rest of the week.”
“Okay great. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome and sorry again for your loss.”
He didn’t respond as he walked away from the morgue with Lelone following close behind. Heather began to add the identity information to the file. Hoping she wouldn’t have to deal with the cops when they find out that the body was already identified without their knowledge.
Chapter 5
Fears Unleashed
Luke and Lelone left the morgue and went directly to Lucian’s room. He wanted to check on him and his dear friend to see how they both were holding up. When they walked into the room, Tami was sound asleep in the chair next to the bed. She awakened as they entered the room completely.
“Oh, hey Luke. I didn’t know you were here. I guess Lee Lee told you about what happened huh?”
He nodded without verbally responding while looking down onto the face of his godson. Looking quickly over at Lelone to verify is she’d told him what she knew and getting the answer with a slight nod of her head Tami continued, “Luke have you gone to view LJ?”
“Yeah, I saw him. That was the first place I went when Lee
Lee came and told me that they were here.”
Nodding her head as the tears began to flow from her eyes she asked, “Are you okay? How are you holding up? I can only imagine how you must be feeling. I would’ve called you myself but I couldn’t think straight after I got the call and to find that both of my sons were here in the same hospital. One in a coma on life support and another lying in the morgue. I didn’t know how to process that let alone tell someone else about it.”
Luke walked over and hugged her gently. “Don’t worry. I understand. I’m just now finding out and I can’t bring myself to call Lela and tell her the news. I don’t know if telling her over the phone would be the right thing to do anyway. This is going to be very hard on her.”
Nodding her head in agreement Tami said nothing knowing that there was really nothing that needed to be said. They were all like family. It was Lela and Luke who helped her through the sudden death of her husband James and the adoption process that blessed her with Lelone. They had all been friends for over 30 years. So they knew each other well and took care of one another, with them most of the time words weren’t needed.
They released each other and he moved the cover back to look at the damage that was done to Lucian. “What did the doctors say?”
“They say he has great brain activity and that he should be up soon. In addition to him being in a coma he has four broken ribs as well as a broken arm and leg. He also had some internal bleeding from the muscle tear caused by the bullets. Thanks God they didn’t hit any organs. That probably would have killed him.”
“Okay. Keep me posted. I’m going to go home and tell Lela the news. I’m sure she’s going to want to come and sit with you until he’s awake so I’ll see you shortly. Lee Lee walk out with me, I want to ask you something.”
They walked out of the room and down to his truck. It was there that he turned to her and she saw the rage in his eyes. He had done so well hiding it up until that very moment.
“Lee Lee. I know you have the gift of vision. And knowing you like I know you I also know that you know more information about what happened. I know you don’t like to share what you see with your mother and godmother, but tell me. I need to know what I’m dealing with. Was this accidental?”
Meeting his gaze of rage with one of her own she responded, “No, it wasn’t.”
“So you’re telling me that someone purposely executed my son and tried to do the same to your brother?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“Do you know exactly what happened? Where you able to see that even though he’s gone and Lu lies in a coma?”
“Yes. I know what happened and I know that it was two of your cops that are responsible, but that is all I will tell you. Just know that it was done on purpose. It was done unjustly and they thought they would be able to get away with it if they covered their tracks.”
“Lee Lee. I know the pain you’re feeling but help me bring them to justice so that this will not happen again. I don’t want anyone else to have to bury their sons.”
“I can’t help you. But don’t worry Dad, it won’t happen again. They will get what’s coming to them and they will have no warnings to prepare them.”
Looking at the hell in her eyes he knew she was serious. He knew that she would do whatever she could to find out exactly who they were and get revenge. What he didn’t know was what her actual plan was and he also knew she would never tell him. So to catch them he would have to not only do his job but also keep a close watch on her to find out what she knew and use it to catch them before she did.
Shaking his head, he got into his truck and headed home to break the dreaded news to his wife. He knew that this would be hard for her, but the worst part was knowing that the people responsible were still out there with no care in the world about what they did; doing everything in their power to make sure they would never be caught.
He pulled up in the driveway immediately noticing his wife Lela in the front yard tending her garden. She stood as he pulled in, her brow pulling together in a look of confusion at why her husband was home so early. She shook the dirt from her gloves and removed them while dusting her clothes. She quickly walked to the truck to meet him.
“Hey honey. What are you doing home so early I wish you would have…”
Her voice trailed off as she looked up into her husband’s face. She knew without him having to say anything that something was wrong. In that moment she heard her phone ring and took a double look at her husband before rushing to the phone. Glancing down at her watch she noted the time 9am and immediately wondered who would be calling this early in the morning. Seeing her son’s home number on the caller ID, she automatically knew it was Della, his fiancé. She was still on maternity leave after having her twin grandbabies. She would usually call her daily but never this early so she assumed there was something going on with the twins. She was nowhere near prepared for the panic filled voice on the other end of the phone and the news that voice would tell her.
“Hello. Della is everything okay—”
She was quickly cut off by Della’s panicked voice. “Hey Ma. Is LJ and Lucian there?” They left around seven yesterdays to go to the nearby sports bar to watch the game and play pool. I thought that they would be back when the game was over but they weren’t. Then I assumed they went back to Lucian’s place to hangout for minute
but I’ve been calling them both for hours and neither one of them is picking up which isn’t like either one of them. I’m so worried. I have been calling everyone we know. I called the office thinking that he went to work from Lucian’s house but they haven’t heard from him. They assumed he was home with me and would be late. I called Lucian’s boss and they haven’t heard from him either. I’m so worried. I have this terrible feeling that something bad happened. Please tell me that they are there with you and that they’re okay.”
Frozen with shock, standing by the kitchen counter next to her husband Lela had placed Della on speaker phone so that they would both be able to hear what she needed. She didn’t have a response for what she was hearing. Della was right. It wasn’t like either one of them to go without answering their phone or calling to let someone know they were okay. LJ especially would’ve called and let Della know something if he didn’t plan on coming home, which would be out of the ordinary. He barely stayed away from for four hours since he learned she was carrying
his twins. He was very protective over her and the girls and would want to be near in case they needed him. So hearing all of this was more than odd, it was frightening. Because the only reason they wouldn’t have called is if something was wrong.
Breaking out of her trance she heard Della saying, “Ma, Ma are you still there?”
“Yes Della. I’m here. They’re not here darling. I haven’t heard from either one since early yesterday when they called to check on me on their way to work as they do every morning. I assumed they were running behind and didn’t have time to this morning. I didn’t want to think the worst. But hearing this, I don’t know what to think.”
Looking now at her husbands’ face she wondered if that was why he was home so quickly after leaving the house not too long
ago and why he now stood there with a look that said he knew his son was missing.
“Luke, do you know anything? Have you heard from the boys?”
Dropping his eyes, he immediately grabbed a chair for his wife. “Honey I think you should sit down. Della honey, I want you to sit down as well and make sure you’re not holding the babies.”
Hearing this both women immediately thought the worse. Della was already sitting but the thoughts rushing through her mind made her dizzy because she already knew what was coming next. Lela refused the chair, “Honey, you’re scaring me. What is going on? What do you need to tell us that we need to sit down?”
Taking a deep breath he said, “There is no easy was to say this. Lucian and Luke were attacked yesterday. At this very moment, Lucian is laying in the hospital ICU in a coma and LJ is laying in the morgue. I just left there. Lee Lee came and got me told me that they were there.”
Immediately Della began to scream, “NO! NO! There must be some mistake. It’s not him, it has to be someone else. NO! Don’t tell me that.”
Lela’s knees buckled and Luke had to catch her before she hit the floor. “Honey NO! No, not my boy. My only son. No, it can’t be. How could this happen? Why? God no! Please not my son. Not my boy.”
The two women wept together loudly. Unable to control their emotions and the pain they were now feeling. Just yesterday they sat on the phone planning the menu for the family gathering that coming weekend and now they were hearing they would have to begin planning a funeral instead.
Della looked over at the girls who were sleeping silently in their matching swings and wept more. They would never know their father. He would never get to see his girls take their first steps or say their first words. And she would never get to marry the love of her life. She lay on the couch and wept for their loss of the amazing man they had all come to love. She wept for the loss she was feeling and the moments that was stolen from her and her girls.
Luke placed Lela, who was also weeping hysterically, on her couch as well. She thought of all she had gone through to have LJ only to have him abruptly snatched away from her. She wept for her grandchildren who will now have to grow up without a father to protect them. She wept for her memories that would never happen. And then she sat up quickly as her mind begin to wonder what happen to her beloved son, who had no enemies and did wrong to no one. She heard her future daughter-in-law crying over the phone.
“What happened Luke? What happened to my son? What happened to the boys?”
Luke sat in the love seat quietly listening to the women cry and waiting for them to calm down. He waited for the part of the news that he knew would haunt them the most.
“I don’t fully know what happened to them. All I know is they were shot. LJ died immediately and Lucian was tossed into the river and found by some local fisherman who took him to the hospital. I don’t exactly know what happened or who killed them, but I promise you both that I will. I will get to the bottom of this and the person or persons responsible will pay for this.”
Hearing this news made Della pause. “You mean whoever did this is still out there? You mean that this could happen again? You
mean you can’t tell me if the person who did this did this on accident or planned this? Are we danger?”
“I can tell you this was no accident Della honey. Whoever did this did it on purpose and yes, he or she is still out there. I don’t know how much that person knew about them and I don’t know if you’re in danger. But I will make sure that everyone else is protected and safe.”
Lela held herself as a thought quickly crossed her mind. “Honey you said Lee Lee is here. That means that Tami has to be at the hospital and had to have called her when she got the call about Lucian. I can’t imagine how she’s dealing with all of this. I need to go be with her. I can’t let her go through this alone.”
Nodding in understanding Luke replied, “Yes they’re both there and Tami seems to be holding up okay. She looks exhausted like she hasn’t slept since she heard about it all and I can understand why. I’ll take you up there whenever you’re ready honey. Don’t rush.”
Turning to the phone Lela said, “Della honey are still there?” “Yes.”
“I’m going to go to the hospital. I want you to stay at home. Unless you would rather go with me to view the body.”
“No, no. I can’t see him like that.”
“Okay. I will have Lee Lee come stay with you so you won’t be there alone with the girls. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes that will be fine.”
“Okay. I will call you in a few to check and make sure you’re okay. I love you. Kiss the girls. We will stop by later and make sure you’re okay.”
“Okay.”
That were the only word Della could say before the phone went dead. That was only word that she could bring herself to speak, even though nothing about the current situation was okay. And in her eyes it would never be okay again. Because on this day all of her worst nightmares came true. Not only was the love of her life taken from her. But he was murdered and the person or persons that were responsible were still free. And they had the power to come to her and snatch the little bit of security she had in this moment. They had the power to come to her and take the only family she had left.
Chapter 6
Fog of Emotions
Lela slowly got up from the couch and walked to the door with Luke close at her side. Together they got into the truck and made the drive back to Hillside Hospital. They rode in silence as the tears began to slowly fall down her face. All she could think about as she passed all the places that she had once been with her only son was that they would never see each other again and immediately the tears began to flow.
They arrived at the hospital and walked to the morgue first. She wanted to look at her son’s face and know that this nightmare that she was facing was real and not just a dream she would one day wake from. Even though she wished it was, she knew in her heart that would never happen.
They walked past the desk and right into the morgue. Heather sat at the desk and didn’t bother to stop them, she knew why they were there and that was a moment that she didn’t need to make any more difficult than it already would be. She could tell by the look on the woman’s face that she was Detective Farmouth’s wife and the mother of the deceased. She couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling so she would sit there and allow them the closure that they needed.
Slowly Luke and his wife walked to the freezer currently holding their only son and opened the door. As the detective pulled the cold slab out his hands began to shake slightly. He knew what he was going to see. But that didn’t make this any easier for him.
He would have to show his wife something she should never have had to see. He would have to watch her heart break and he would have to console her with nothing but promises that he didn’t know that he would be able to keep, because the person responsible was still out there somewhere. He would have to console her while trying to hold himself together.
He pulled the sheet back from his dead son’s face and waited for his wife’s’ response. He didn’t get the response he thought he would receive. As he uncovered LJ’s face Lela stood frozen in
place and when his face was fully uncovered she immediately noticed that he was not as he was when she last saw him. She thought back on the few days before when he was sitting at her house with his fiancé and their newborn twin girls. She thought back to the look of pride he held on his face and the warm smile that lit up his eyes while holding his children in his arms. She thought about the warmth that flowed through his face showing more than just emotions but the life that was flowing through his veins, the life that was no longer present as she looked down at her son.
Rage Unleashed Page 4