It was the next morning, Luke got out of bed feeling like crap. Pretty soon he was down stairs in the kitchen, already dressed for work and serving himself coffee before he left in a coffee mug. Soon after he was walking out the front door, pulling the dust bin to the side walk, it was collection day, he glanced straight at Syrena's driveway to see with dread filling his insides that it was empty still. She had never returned home.
"You knew her?" Agent Mercer asked him as she glanced back at him.
"I wouldn't say that I 'knew' her, she was just a neighbor." Luke replied with a sinking feeling in him that made it hard for him to focus on a possible murder scene before them. They were called to another scene, this one much more complex since everything was left to mere ashes, a body had been recovered though, bagged and taken in for autopsy if possible.
"A very good neighbor to have left such an impression on you, I bet you liked her." Only Erin could go there. She wasn't looking at him as she said this, was there something in her tone? Scorn? He was too numb to even try at figuring her out. Woman were hard for him to understand and yet he wanted her to keep talking. Even if she was mad or whatever. Why should it bother her what he thought of Syrena? Unless...? Nah.
"What do you think?" She asked, changing the subject, finding his quiet eerie. He was usually throwing sarcastic jokes here and there and now, that woman must of done something to him! Erin tapped her foot as she inspected the area, but what were they going to find in this cinder hole?
Luke started to walk out of the room, or what was left of it, "We're not finding anything here but remnants of a forgotten past, one that ended with secrets we'll never find. This one's cold, until we get an autopsy or something. What's next?"
"Guess you're right, though this one is a strange one. Who would mug a homeless person, then try to cover up by torching the place?" Erin asked, studying the photographs on her desk, everything was a bit more neater now than it had been the last time he'd entered her office. Both detectives were reviewing the file, maybe something could be found. Anything at least, while they waited for the report on the body.
Luke said rather urgently as the thought came to him, "A crazy nut job, on a killing spree, do you think this has anything to do with that last case that had sprung up two years ago? Maybe it's the same psycho, maybe he's targeting homeless beggars now. We need to find the creep before he strikes again."
He met Erin's gaze, her brows came together as she recalled that cold one and she smirked, "Heh, I doubt this anything to do with that."
"Oh you just never know..."
At the end of the day, Luke was home, more tired than he had ever felt, and yet his mind was racing. After he took a shower and changed into sweats and a plain white T, he started looking through the file he'd taken home, the one with that had been considered a "cold case" since there were never any leads to be followed. The case concerning the missing woman, he opened in out in front of him, inspecting all the gathered files and photographs. No one else at the office knew he had this, not even Mercer, but this one he couldn't let go. If only there was a way to find her killer, that bastard could be walking free now, killing again after taking a two-year hiatus and because the structure of these Laws drastic measures weren't allowed to be taken without an important reason to, a good one. If only he could have kept a grip on Aidan, he wondered where that man was anyways. Luke still had the strongest feeling that some how that man was a piece to this mystery, too bad there was no evidence to tie him to this. Sighing, he focused on the image of Nina Jade, he felt that he couldn't let it rest, not until her death was brought some justice, and at the same time he wondered if he'd be able to bring this back. Would Mercer care to? He highly doubted it.
Reviewing the files once over two years didn't awaken anything within him, nothing new, the thing about this was that it remained frozen, exactly as it had been closed before unless something new was added to it. That was the problem, there was nothing to add, that's what made it a cold case. And yet, he thought to himself, maybe they just quit, and stopped looking. What if he could contact the witnesses? Especially that guy who had sworn the woman had glowing eyes, was she blonde he had mentioned? What was she wearing? How did he "find" her? Maybe it could be... Or maybe not.
As the night wore on, Luke found himself strolling outside the house, a cup of hot chocolate in his hands, a pensive look in his features, he sat on the steps of his porch, taking a moment to enjoy the night air, the beautiful sky, and the forever empty house in front of him. Soon it would be put up on the market again, and another new face would greet him. However, it wouldn't be as welcome or warm as Syrena. Never would be.
He bowed his head, whispering a prayer for her, her soul, he wished that it would find its way to Heaven and that God would welcome her, she might even find his brother and they could share an interesting convo. The thought made him smile, he would have to let go of her, but never her memory no. She smiled like an angel, and he didn't know if he would've ever made it with her had she lived. She was a door opening, perhaps to many possibilities, yet since last night, swinging closed. Forever closed.
Then a light suddenly flickered on from the top left window of the bi-level house. It nearly made him jolt,placing down the mug he rushed into his house to grab his pistol off the side table, then he was running out the door. Crossing the deserted, quiet street, he reached the vicnity of the house, he drew his weapon and inched closer. Pressing himself against the wall, he strained to listen for movement from within, thieves...?
A loud thunk resonated, spiking his pulse sky high, he turned to the door and kicked it open, his bare feet pounded into the dark wood flooring as he entered, his eyes scanning the dim room, it was all empty from here. The source was coming from the second level above, he hugged the wall, pistol aimed up, finger on the trigger guard rather than the trigger, he could feel dirt, damp in between his toes as he ascended the steps to the second floor. Gray eyes snapped the the glow of light coming from the room farthest down the hall, listening, he made for it. Toes scrunching over the caked dirt carpet as he walked down the long corridor, he could feel his tension rising, what if it was... her? Had she survived...? Was he hoping to find her here?
Maybe.
Hesitating at the white door, he listened for a sound, after a beat he pushed the door open and aimed his weapon at the presence within. An auburn haired, pale figure stood there, at his sudden entrance, she looked up to meet his gaze. He was beyond speechless, the gun in his hand trembled, that never happened before.
Finally finding his voice he whispered incredulously, "Syrena?" Holy shit!
