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Fiona blinked at him, unsure where this was going.
"You remember the last case we worked together when we were talking outside the hotel?"
Fiona nodded. She did remember. She had sensed Jake had more to tell her about the darkness in his past, but he hadn't opened up.
Her pulse raced as she realized he was about to.
Then, he said: "My mom was murdered when I was a teenager."
The words hung heavy in the air between them, a shared darkness that seemed to swallow up the room. Fiona blinked, taken aback by the sudden revelation. "I didn't know," she murmured, her heart aching for Jake. But suddenly, so much about him made sense.
He nodded, his jaw clenched as he continued. "The guy who did it was never caught, and I was the one who found her body." The pain in his eyes was raw, unguarded, and Fiona wanted nothing more than to reach out and offer some comfort. But she remained still, knowing that this was a wound too deep for simple gestures to heal. "Learning that you were looking into your sister's case inspired me to open my mother's back up," Jake admitted, his voice cracking with emotion. "I haven't gotten far, but I want to help you however I can. I'm impressed with how far you've come on your own, and when this case is over, I want to help."
Fiona could hear the sincerity in his voice.
She felt touched that he had opened up to her about something so personal, and she could feel the bond between them growing stronger.
They sat in silence for a few moments; each lost in their own thoughts. Fiona's mind drifted back to her sister, the frustration of not knowing where she was or who had taken her gnawing at her. But there was something in Jake's words that gave her hope – they were in this together, and together they could make a difference.
She felt a wave of gratitude and admiration toward Jake, knowing that he had shared something deeply personal with her. She wanted to return the gesture, to let him know that he wasn't alone in his pain.
"I appreciate that, Jake," she replied softly, reaching across the table to place a hand on his arm. "And...I'm sorry for what you went through. I can't imagine how hard that must have been."
Jake gave her a small smile, his eyes finally meeting hers. "Thanks, Red," he said, his voice filled with warmth. "I wouldn't have told you if I didn't trust you. I know we can't let personal issues interfere with our job, but...we're still human, you know? Honestly, it changed everything for me. My whole family were firefighters. My dad, mom, brother. But when Mom died, I guess I started caring more about law, and, well, you know where I ended up."
Fiona's heart swelled. She was proud of Jake and could only imagine how difficult this had all been. Finding his mother like that must have been awful.
"You're a survivor, Jake," she said, her voice soft but strong. "I'm so proud of the man you've become, and I'm honored to be your partner."
Jake nodded slowly, looking away for a moment as he collected his thoughts. Then finally, he looked back up at Fiona and met her gaze.
"Thanks," he replied quietly. He gave her a genuine smile then, and Fiona felt confused by the emotions stirring inside of her – emotions she wasn't quite sure she was ready to accept. More confusion clattered through her mind. She felt even more drawn to Jake, even more bonded to him, and yet the knowledge that a romance between them was seemingly off the table made her heart hurt. How could something feel so perfect yet be so confusing at the same time?
Still, it was comforting to know that she wasn't the only one dealing with the aftermath of tragedy. She squeezed his arm before pulling away, her gaze shifting back to the whiteboard. "Let's focus on the case for now," she said, her voice firm. "We can't forget about Craig, Carrie, and Gary. They deserve justice. Just like my sister does and your mom does."
He nodded, understanding the need to keep their priorities straight. As they turned their attention back to the case at hand, Fiona couldn't help but feel a nagging sense of unease. They had found a connection between Craig and Gary through the therapy clinic, but what about Carrie? What was the missing piece that would tie everything together?
Suddenly, a thought slinked back into Fiona's mind. A memory. Jason... Carrie's ex-boyfriend. The guy who had been torn up by her dumping him.
Carrie hadn't abandoned a child, but hadn't she abandoned Jason?
And Jason--he mentioned going to therapy.
What if...
"Jake," she said abruptly, eyes widening as the gears in her head spun at full speed. "Remember Jason, Carrie's boyfriend?"
"Of course," he replied, furrowing his brow as he tried to follow her train of thought. "Why? Did you think of something?"
"Yes," Fiona answered, her voice filled with determination. "He mentioned being in therapy when we talked to him. We found the therapy clinic to be a connection between Craig and Gary, but what about Carrie?"
"Jason could be our link," Jake realized, nodding as the pieces began to fall into place. "We should talk to him again. Maybe he'll tell us if he went there or not."
"Agreed," Fiona said, pushing herself away from the table. The disheartened feeling from earlier was replaced by the spark of hope that came with a new lead. As they headed out of the briefing room, she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, she could solve both mysteries – the murder case and her sister's disappearance – if she held onto that hope and never let it go.
Jake nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I know, but we have to be careful. We don't want to spook the killer or give them a reason to escalate."
Fiona sighed, knowing he was right. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes now. Lives were at stake, and they had to act now.
