Chapter 4

Mac holds the door for me and I walk in. Linc automatically moves to hug me. I put my hands up in a mess of not wanting to be touched. But acquiesce and hug him anyway. But then he goes to kiss my cheek.

"Linc, not here." I say, "I wanted to be the first to tell you that moms grave was desiccated. I didn't want the media to tell you first."

He backs up and looks at me before sitting. "What do you mean desiccated? Like smashed her head stone?"

I tear up, "Someone dug up her grave, changed her head stone. There were documents and evidence bags and all sorts of stuff in the casket. But she wasn't there."

"The other thing that we are concerned about is that someone who is claiming to have killed her mother is threatening and toying with Maggie." Mac watches carefully.

Linc looks at me and then back at Mac, "How can I help?"

"Mom was in that casket, right?" I ask watching him swallow conspicuously.

He nods, "Yes, it was an open casket. You know that."

Macs turn, "Forensics says no human remains have been in that casket. Not only that, but the date of death on the head stone was scratched out meaning she is still alive."

Linc pales slightly, "What?"

"Cut the bull shit." I look at him, "Thirty years ago Linc Ramone made his first appearance ever. Before that your name was Reese Smith. You were born in Iowa on a farm before you ran away, then when you were of age you opted to join the military. I'm assuming that your an intelligence agency won't be happy a regular cop found you out. Now spill your guts."

Linc or Reese looks at me impressed and yet scared.

"She worked with us, then she said she found something out and that when she had confirmation that she would bring it to the higher ups. She called me that day... she said she got confirmation but she was taking time off to spend with you just in case something happened when the bomb dropped on what she was working on. She never got to tell the higher ups. But she also never shared intel with me. The only thing that I can tell you was she got jumpy and started talking about a ghost and a person called...."

"Yūrei." I finish the sentence.

"The agency set up the funeral I was the one that walked with her the whole way. I checked before she was burried she was there!" He's panicking. "If he's after you.... you need to be put into protection. There's no way you should be anywhere near this. It puts you at just as much risk as she was."

I hang my head, "I can't... Mac..."

He nods and I leave. Going back to the office and sitting down. Thinking about how to make sure that nothing goes missing. I look at all the physical evidence and decide to double swab and cast everything. No chances that it'll be left alone. Keys looks at me and sits down.

"You okay?" He asks. "This is a lot for one person to deal with."

I shake my head, "Everything I knew, everything I was told. It was a lie. A well conceived deception. I'm on my own, with no family left, with only my brand new unit to trust."

He nods his understanding. The I bolt up right.

"Oh my god. There's someone else we need to talk to. Actually two." I think about how to handle this. "One isn't going anywhere, but the other? She might."

"Where are we going?" Night asks.

I look up to him and he gives me a small smile and a nod. I grab my bag and tell him where we are going. I send a text that Night is taking me home to Mac and we are off.

I get through the door just as Mish was checking she had all her luggage.

"I can't believe you'd lie to me too." I hiss.

She stops and stays still, "It wasn't like that."

"No? So where did mom work again? For a pharmaceutical company? And she was never in danger and that when she went on business trips it was boring sad conventions?" I'm livid.

"Sugar, reign it in." Night keeps me in check.

I nod, "Yeah, let's talk this out. All of it."

She slumps knowing that I'm not going to let this go.

"How did you figure it out?" She asks first.

"Moms grave was dug up. Then I called Linc and we had a chat. He made mention about it being an open casket... but I don't remember the funeral clearly. I remember the 'expired' apple juice and waking up in bed bits and pieces in between. You've been with us since before I was born. You had to have known." I growl.

She nods, "You always were a brilliant girl. I didn't understand why you wanted to be a police officer so bad. Then you would come home and tell me about how victims got closure, how happy they were when you could tell them justice won."

I don't move. I'm seething that I woman I trusted my whole life has lied to me.

"Your mother worked for the government in a secretive department. She would gather intel about domestic terrorism. Whatever it was she was working on, she knew that it was going to get her killed. But she wanted to make it safe for you. So even with all the warnings she continued. She said she wouldn't tell anyone for fear of getting other people killed before it could be dealt with." Mish explained. "She said she had an insurance policy just in case something happened but she didn't tell me where it was or what to do to get it. So I couldn't get justice for her. Neither could Reese."

"Yūrei is back and gunning for me this time. But... Mom was not in her casket. And the date of her death removed. Where is she?" I jump to point.

Mish shakes her head, "I don't know. Nothing happened like it was suppose to. She was never suppose to be killed when you were there."

My phone rings and it's Mac.

"Hey..." I answer.

Mac asks one question, "You staying at your place tonight?"

"Probably. Why?"

"I'll be there in twenty with food. And all the evidence we have. I assume you have your mothers case file."

I snort, "Of course."

"Kay, see ya in a bit. Let Night know he's getting relieved shortly." He instructs.

I do do as he asks and I tell Night. Then I look at Mish.

"What am I suppose to do Mish?" I ask. "If I take you in you're likely to be released. If I don't take you in it could be my job."

Night adds his opinion, "Alternatively if you can provide us with a number that guarantees that we can reach you, we don't have to worry about any of that."

I look at him, he smiles but looks at Mish who's nodding.

She gives us a number, and she grabs her bags and walks out the door. I look at my liquor cabinet and decide against it. Emotional and drunk don't mix. And with Mac coming over it's a worse mix.

Speaking of Mac, I look at the time and the doorbell rings. Night goes to answer it.

"Mac." Night nods at him.

Mac grunts, "Go home to your wife before she kills me for having you out too late."

Night laughs, "You'd have that problem too if you'd actually pay attention to all the women that flirt with you."

"They don't flirt, they're just being polite." Mac frowns.

Night leaves and Mac comes in with a bag of food. He looks me over and sighs. Before I know what he's thinking, he pulls out flowers from thin air. That nostalgic act of kindness leaves me smiling and tearing up.

"I'll cook, come talk to me about what's going through your head." He says as I walk him to the kitchen.

He whistles at the set up and looks back at me. Then puts the bag down and washes his hands.

"Would it be horrible to say that I feel betrayed?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "I'd be surprised if you didn't feel that way."

"Everything that I thought I knew is smoke and mirrors. I'm reeling from the reality that people who said they cared would lie for so long. I'm tired emotionally and feel conflicted about whether or not I can deal with this." I ramble on. "Actually, I think for everyone's sake this gets pushed to the side for a while and we do normal non-personal cases."

He chops up vegetables and throws them into a pan, "Is that what you want?"

I sigh, "For the time being? Yes, time to just let this all sink in. Time to think, calm down. The more emotional I get... the more unfocused about the case I get. Maybe look at this again later this year. I just don't see a good outcome if I push this to get solved now. Not matter what happens."

Mac plates the stir fry and hands it to me, and I start to eat the delicious meal. He looks at me and smiles.

"So, you're not opposed to putting this all on the back burner. Which is probably a good thing. We are wanted on other cases." He says, reaching out and placing a piece of hair behind my ear. "And Connors says there's a few more personas that need to come out of retirement."

I roll my eyes, "Which ones?"

"A Cassidy Moroe and one that Connors was down right giddy over, Lily Moss." He tells me.

I think back to all the times I've ever been Lily trying to find Connors in those memories.

"How does he know about Lily? Or should I ask, has he actually seen her at work?" I'm concerned. I don't really want any any of my coworkers to meet Lily.

Mac lifts his face to me and smirks, "I don't know if he's ever actually seen Lily in action... But I have."

I must have gone pale and he laughs. He tells me not to worry about it I was working and so was he. He understands.

"That's not the problem... I don't know how to face the others if they've seen Lily at work or if I'll be able to if they are around to see it." I mutter.

He looks amused, "You must know that is the best place for criminal information otherwise you wouldn't have that persona."

"Well of course. But that doesn't mean I want all my male coworkers and my bosses to have seen everything on display." I say with a sense of preservation.

I stand taking our empty dishes and wash them quickly. Asking if he'd like some dessert.

"What do you have?" He asks.

I go to the fridge, "Homemade cheesecake?"

He smiles and nods. As we eat the cheesecake we talk about our lives. And how things have worked out in our personal lives. He tells me that no one lasts long in a girlfriend position because they don't understand his job. I laugh and say that's a shade better than me just keeping people at an arms length away because I don't want to fall in love to have them leave or die.

As we talk something inside me warms to talking with Mac. I know that it's wrong. He's my commanding officer. However, I can at least be beside him as a friend and a subordinate. I tell myself to not even think of it.

As we finish dessert we talk about what was learned today. What we plan to do in the future about this case and I don't have immediate answers. But we sit on the couch together to talk these things out I've let my guard down and at some point I fell asleep. Warmth at my side and around my shoulders keeping nightmares at bay.