Part Seven

"Dad why do people lie when they know it's not a good thing?" He smiled at his son's innocent question.

"People always tend to choose the temporary ease Dave. People lie because lies are easy to tell and even easier to believe. While truths , my dear , are always hard to tell and even harder to accept."

"So you Dave ," Peterson wrapped his arms around his son. "Never be greedy to believe what pleases your heart. Don't ever refuse to accept the truth , for truth is like a bitter medicine , hard to swallow , yet the ultimate remedy to cure and relieve your pain."

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"So you are telling me that when you painted these you didn't know about the serial murders?" Disbelief , though hidden under confusion , was still evident in his tone.

Laura simply nodded. David was befuddled by the whole chaotic situation. A part of him suspected Laura , while the other part of him secretly wanted to believe her. There was enough evidence to prove her innocence but nothing about the paintings made sense to David. He had a lot of questions however there was no one to answer.

One thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't the kind to turn his back on things that demanded endeavour. He knew he had to find the truth himself.

"It's impossible" , he said , his eyes intently gazing the canvases before him.

"I know it's hard to believe."

"You said the last painting was unfinished. Where is that painting?"

"I destroyed it the moment i realised-"

"I don't know what to believe Laura." He paused.

"But i'll try to keep my promise."Silence prevailed.

"She- She wasn't my mother." Laura spoke after a while as silent tears made their way to her eyes.

"Mom's friend was my biological mother , she left me with mom when i was four."

David couldn't speak.

"My biological mother was running from someone , that's why she left me to mom. Maybe the people who were chasing my mother killed her." David's eyes widened.

"Do you have a clue about those people , Laura?" He turned his face towards her , hoping for something that could lead him to the killer.

Laura shook her head. "No. I didn't even know that she wasn't my mother." A tear rolled down her cheek , like a grief stricken rain drop , parted from the clouds , knowing that it will be shattered into a number of tiny pieces on reaching the ground , just like Laura.

"Until today," she continued. "I found a diary , she wrote it for me , she wrote it for this day." A multitude of tears made their way through her eyes , following the one that left before , as if trying to break free from her unfortunate soul. David placed his hand over her shoulder consolingly.

"All these years she worked hard for me , home schooled me , suffered for me when she knew she didn't have to. I wasn't even her child. She kept it away from me. She burdened herself for me. Why did she had to do that? Why?" Her voice struggled it's way through the sobs. This time Laura cried for herself.

"I want to find my family , Mr. David. I'm so terribly alone , going through all of this by myself is exhausting me. I need a lap to sleep on , a shoulder to cry on , I have too many questions yet to be answered. I need to find my biological mother before my whole existence dissolves into nothingness and I fade away."

"I'll find them , Laura." His tone was as promising and firm as his gaze.

"I'll find your family and the person who killed Miss Washington. Trust me I will." He sensed a sudden relief at an unidentifiably aching point inside him. As if somewhere in the gloomy , abandoned past a kid had stopped crying. A kid who lost his father to death. How he wished someone had told him this when Peterson died.

Laura looked in his eyes , a tiny ray of hope made it's way to her dark soul "I really hope you keep your promise Mr. David. I hope fate doesn't leave me deserted again."

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David didn't want to handle this case to another team. It was no more unrelated to the serial murder case , but it wasn't something he could explain to his teammates. He'll have to do it all by himself. But one thing he knew for sure was that he won't turn his back on Laura. Not now , not ever