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His words rang true, and Morgan couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. She knew all too well what it was like to be wrongly accused. Taking a deep breath, she nodded, trying to keep her disappointment in check.
"Alright, I believe you," she said, offering a small smile. "I appreciate your cooperation. If you could provide me with your boyfriend's number, that would help corroborate your alibi."
"Of course," Chet agreed, scribbling down the number on a piece of paper and handing it to her. "I hope you find whoever did this to Melissa. She didn't deserve it."
"Thank you," Morgan replied, pocketing the number and rising from her chair. As she turned to leave the backroom, her mind raced with thoughts of what her next move should be in this increasingly tangled investigation.
CHAPTER SIX
Derik stood near the now-empty alleyway, talking to some of the officers about clearing out the crime scene and getting Melissa Grayson's body transported for the autopsy. The team nodded in agreement; they were ready to move forward with the case. Derik, especially. It was never easy to deal with a crime scene, especially when a young person's life had been cut so short. Derik could remember being Melissa's age; the thought of never making it as far in life as he did made his gut clench. But all he could do now was look for answers and hopefully stop more people from dying.
Still, he needed a breather. From the crime scene to dealing with Morgan, he found his mind unable to think straight.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Derik told the team, heading down the street to take a walk and clear his head. He needed a moment to process everything he had seen and heard this morning – from the gruesome crime scene to Morgan's troubled demeanor.
As he walked, he couldn't help but worry about Morgan. She had been through so much, and her time in prison had left its mark on her. Despite her tough exterior, he knew she was struggling with something deeper. He wanted to be there for her, to support her, but he didn't want to push too hard and risk losing what little trust they had rebuilt between them.
The sun warmed his face as he strolled along the sidewalk, lost in thought. He hoped that together, they would be able to bring justice to Melissa Grayson and find the answers they both desperately sought.
Once up the street, Derik pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply as he walked. He found solace in the steady rhythm of his footsteps on the pavement and the taste of tobacco against his tongue. He wasn't a regular smoker, but lately, it was helping him keep off the booze. One poison for another. But for him, anything was better than drinking himself into a coma. At least cigarettes kept him sober.
His thoughts drifted to Morgan again, and he couldn't help but worry about her well-being. He could tell that something was bothering her earlier, something bigger than the case. But he knew better than to push his luck – Morgan was a fiercely private person, and he didn't want to risk alienating her further. Still, he thought he might be close to earning her trust again, and he hoped that was true. He cared about her more than she knew.
As he continued down the sun-drenched street, his thoughts shifted to his son and his ex-wife, who had gone to live with his ex's cousins in the UK. There was a certain bittersweet relief in knowing they were safe now, far from the danger that had threatened them before. The men who had once blackmailed him hadn't contacted him since their departure, and Derik clung to the hope that they had given up or lost interest.
Maybe I can finally prove to Morgan that she can trust me again, he mused, flicking ashes onto the ground. And maybe we can find some peace.
Derik took another drag from his cigarette, watching the smoke rise and dissipate above him. In his heart, he knew he would do anything to regain Morgan's trust and protect those he loved – even if it meant facing the ghosts of his own past and confronting the darkness that still haunted him.
The vibrant colors of exotic birds through glass caught Derik's eye, drawing him towards a pet store on the street, only two blocks from where Melissa's body had been found. It was a small shop nestled between a bakery and a boutique, but the display in the front window was impossible to miss. A sudden memory flickered in his mind – the feather Morgan had found on Melissa's body. If it was a clue, it might have come from a bird like these.
He hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door, which jingled softly as he entered. The store was filled with the cacophony of birdsong, and rows of cages lined the walls, each one housing a different species. Bags of seed and other supplies were neatly stacked on shelves, giving the space an organized feel despite the chaos of color and sound.
"Can I help you?" came a voice from behind the counter. A portly man with a nametag that read "Sam" looked at him, his eyes darting nervously around the room.
"Hi, Sam," Derik said, trying to appear casual. "I'm looking for a bird with a distinct orangey-red color. You got anything like that?"
Sam's eyes widened when Derik flashed his FBI badge. "Uh, no, I don't think we have any at the moment," he stammered, glancing around the store as if searching for an escape route.
"Really?" Derik raised an eyebrow, studying Sam's face. He could see beads of sweat forming on the man's forehead, betraying his unease. "You seem to have a wide variety of birds here. Are you sure there's nothing with that particular color?"
"Positive," Sam replied, his voice shaky. "We haven't had any in stock recently."
Derik frowned, considering his next move. If the feather was indeed connected to the case, they needed to find the source. And something about Sam's nervous behavior made him think there was more to the story.
"Can I take a look in the back, then?" Derik asked casually, trying to keep his tone light. He could sense Sam's growing anxiety and didn't want to push him too far. It was best if he had Morgan here with him, he figured.
"Uh, now's not a good time," Sam stammered, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. "I just got a big shipment of animals, you see, and it's dangerous to go in there and freak them out. Can you come back later?"
Derik nodded, sensing that he wouldn't get any further without raising suspicion. He didn't want to deal with it without backup--without Morgan. Trouble always had a way of finding him, and he'd rather have her support. "Sure, I understand. I'll come back another time," he said, turning to leave. "Thanks, Sam."
With that, Derik walked away, feeling Sam's anxious eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. But Derik had no intentions of actually leaving. As he stepped out onto the busy street, he knew he couldn't leave the matter unresolved. He pulled out his phone and dialed Morgan's number.
"Cross," Morgan said through the phone. It was always good to hear her voice, even when she was unhappy with him.
"Hey, it's me," Derik said. "I need backup at a pet store two blocks from the crime scene. I think we might have a lead."
***
