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The room seemed to close in around her, the weight of the case pressing down on her shoulders. She tried to focus on the task at hand, but her thoughts kept returning to the chilling image of Mary's lifeless body, her mouth filled with those ghastly, mismatched teeth.
Morgan's fingers flew across the keyboard, her focus solely on the screen as she combed through mortician profiles. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice Derik staring at her until he cleared his throat.
"Hey," he said with a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," Morgan replied tersely, unwilling to break her concentration. "Why?"
Derik hesitated before speaking. "I just wanted to say that I wish you hadn't gone after Lorenzo alone earlier. It was dangerous. I wanted to come with you."
Morgan clenched her jaw, feeling a flash of irritation at his comment. But as she looked into his eyes, she saw genuine worry there, and her anger softened, against her better judgement. "I just... I had to follow that lead. And it didn't exactly pan out, did it?"
"Doesn't matter," he insisted. "We're a team, remember? We've got each other's backs."
Morgan paused, her thoughts drifting back to their long history together. They'd been partners before her life had been ripped apart by that false conviction, even sharing a heated kiss one night when they were both vulnerable. When she was finally released from prison, Derik had been there for her, helping her pick up the pieces. They'd reconnected romantically, only for Morgan to discover the dark secret he'd been carrying – the blackmail by the very people who'd framed her.
She knew about the threats against Derik's son, understood why he'd kept things from her. But that knowledge didn't make the hurt any less real. Now, she wasn't even sure if Derik knew who those men were himself. Every time she felt herself soften around him again, maybe even consider forgiving him, she had to remind herself of what he'd done. His lies and betrayal... she just couldn't get past it.
"Derik," she began, her voice wavering. "I... just—forget it. I’m getting a coffee.”
She stood abruptly, leaving Derik to continue his research as she headed down the hall toward the break room. The sterile FBI headquarters seemed to close in around her, each step echoing off the linoleum floors. She needed a moment alone to gather herself, to remind herself why she was here – to bring justice to those who had been wronged, like she had been all those years ago.
The break room door swung open with a creak, revealing none other than Thomas Grady leaning against the counter, phone pressed to his ear. He spoke in hushed tones, his brow furrowed with concern. At the sound of the door, he looked up and met Morgan's gaze, his expression shifting to one of surprise.
"Hey, Morgan," he said, hanging up the call and slipping the phone into his pocket. "What brings you here?"
"Needed some coffee," she replied tersely, avoiding eye contact as she poured herself a mug from the industrial-sized coffeemaker. The bitter aroma filled the air, momentarily grounding her in the present. In truth, Morgan wanted nothing to do with Thomas anymore. He had been playing too many games and dangling information over her head, and she regretted asking him to find information on the men who'd framed her.
"Everything okay?" Thomas asked, genuinely concerned. "You seem... tense."
"Nothing I can't handle," she muttered, taking a long sip of the scalding liquid, welcoming the burn as it slid down her throat. "Just another day in paradise."
"Tell me about it," he said with a wry smile, trying to lighten the mood. "These cases don't get any easier, do they?"
"Unfortunately not," she admitted, her thoughts drifting back to the investigation at hand. The killer was still out there, and they were no closer to solving the mystery of the teeth.
She glanced over at Thomas, his easy smile a stark contrast to the weight that seemed to be pressing down on her own chest. For a moment, she envied him – his ability to compartmentalize, to keep his emotions in check even in the face of such darkness.
Morgan took a sip of her black coffee, the bitterness mirroring her current mood. She eyed Thomas, who leaned casually against the counter, his boyish charm evident even in this setting. Though he was an asset to their team, Morgan couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she'd made a mistake by asking for his help when it came to the men who framed her. It was time to end this game.
"Thomas," she said, her voice steady but cold. "I've been thinking about our arrangement, and I want you to stop looking for those names."
Thomas raised his eyebrows, his flirty grin faltering for a moment. "What do you mean? We had a deal, remember?"
"I know we did," Morgan admitted, her grip tightening around her coffee mug. "But it's clear that there's no room in my life for anything other than this case right now. I need to focus on finding the person responsible for the murder."
"Come on," Thomas protested, straightening up and taking a step closer. "It's not as simple as you think. I've spent a lot of time on this already, and I'm close to a breakthrough. And, besides" – he flashed her another smile – "we had a deal. You go on a date with me, a real one, and I'll get you those names. You still owe me that date."
Morgan clenched her jaw. She knew he meant well, but the stakes were too high for her to entertain any distractions.
"Thomas, I appreciate your efforts, but I’m not in the right place for that.”
Thomas sighed, his flirty demeanor replaced by a genuine expression of concern. "Morgan, I really like you, and I want to help you. Can't you see that?"
She hesitated, her annoyance softening as she took in his earnest eyes. She couldn't deny that Thomas was attractive, if not a bit young for her. But was this what she needed right now? Morgan's heart clenched at the thought of letting herself be vulnerable.
"Thomas, I –" she began, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of her phone. Snatching it from her pocket, she glanced at the screen and saw it was an officer from the crime scene.
"Agent Cross," she answered, her voice clipped and professional as she turned away from Thomas.
