Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kate's POV

"Anything you can tell us" Kate asked Lanie and looked at the victim.

That key is either in this apartment or with the killer.

"I found something" Johanna's voice came out of nowhere and Kate looked around with a surprised face.

"Johanna?!" Kate exclaimed and went towards behind the counter.

Johanna looked at her with a frightened facial expression, she definitely didn't mean to get caught.

"What are you even doing here?!" Kate asked still not believing her eyes.

"I... found something?" Johanna said with a small and guilty smile.

Kate looked at Rick. Her surprise were reflected back at her in his face. He had no idea what their daughter might do at a crime scene. Kate's surprise slowly turned into anger and worry.

"Johanna, let's go" Kate said and took Johanna's hand to drag her out of there.

Rick snapped out of his frozen pose and followed them.

"Don't you wanna know what I found?" Johanna asked and Kate looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Johanna raised her hand and showed her mother the key she found under the counter. Kate looked at the key and then on Johanna.

"Ryan!" Kate called out and he came towards her.

He first looked at her then at the girl standing next to her.

"What's she doing here?" he questioned and Kate shook her head.

"Don't ask. Johanna, give the key to Ryan" Kate said and Johanna did as she was told.

The second she had given the key to Ryan Kate dragged her out of the building.

"Kate, easy" Rick said but Kate ignored him.

She went to their car and told Johanna to jump inside. Johanna did as she was told cause she knew there was no idea fighting her mother when she was angry. At least it never lasted that long. Rick jumped into the car too and Kate started to drive towards the precinct. "How did you even find wait... You heard Esposito on the phone this morning, didn't you?" Rick asked and turned around in the seat to look back at Johanna.

Kate saw her daughter nod in the reflection of the rearview mirror. Kate sighed loud.

"Mom... I... I" Johanna didn't know what to say.

"Johanna, you shouldn't be there. Not only cause it's a crime scene with a lot of blood but because we never... ever know what can happen there, the killer might still be there and we can't have you there putting yourself in danger" Kate said her anger starting to disappear and turn into worry.

"Like her mother" Rick mumbled and Kate's head snapped at him.

"Shut up" she mumbled. "Not helping".

"But true" Rick mumbled as quiet as he could be not quiet enough.

Kate sighed and looked on the road. She had to figure out what to do, what to say, to make Johanna understand that she can't follow them to crime scenes. What if Johanna had done it before? They hadn't noticed her if she hadn't said anything. What if she had sneaked behind them the whole way to the apartment? Sure, that meant she was great on being quiet but it could also mean she had done it before. They arrived at the precinct and Kate took Johanna's hand to lead her to the elevator. Rick followed and Kate wondered why he hadn't tried to tell Johanna that it was wrong. Did he agree with Johanna on this one? Did he really think it had been a good idea for her to follow them? They went out of the elevator and Kate thought about where they could talk without anyone else eavesdropping on their conversation. She definitely didn't want Gates to find out their daughter had been at the crime scene. She looked at Rick and his eyes directly told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"The coffee room" they both said at the same time and Johanna looked at them with confusion.

They lead Johanna into the coffee room and closed the doors to make it more private.

"Mom, dad, I can explain" Johanna said scared cause they had caught her.

"Johanna, how many crime scenes have you sneaked into?" Kate interrupted her.

Johanna looked down and avoided the question.

"I was helpful, I found the key. You probably would have found it much later, therefore I think you should thank me for..." Johanna was cut off.

"Thanking you? You could have been hurt, the killer could have been right there! You are a child, a crime scene is not a proper place for a child to be!" Kate said loudly.

Kate was angry but most of all afraid that something could have happened to her daughter. She would have never forgiven herself in case something would have happens. Since Johanna didn't answer Kate went on with her questions.

"How did you even ditch school without the principle calling us?" Kate asked with eyes narrowed.

She could see Johanna really didn't want to tell her but she needed to know.

"Johanna, how?" Kate pushed.

Johanna took off her backpack and started looking for something in it. Kate first thought she was going to ignore her question but when Johanna took out some papers and with eyes full of shame she handed the papers to her mother. Kate took them and looked down at them. Her eyes widened.

"You signed this?" Kate turned around and gave the papers to her husband.

Rick looked at her with wide eyes, since her voice had suspicion in it, before eyeing the papers. Kate saw the look on his face that he had nothing to do with it.

"Don't blame dad, he didn't really knew what he signed" Johanna said with a small innocent smile.

"When did I sign these?" Rick questioned.

"A while ago" was Johanna's answer.

Rick gave Kate a look and they both said at the same time:

"How many?"

Johanna got uncomfortable and started squirming her body.

Rick counted the papers he got in his hands. 1, 2, 3, 4... 111, 12, 13..

"13? Did I really sign all these? Cause I have no memory of it" Rick exclaimed and Kate looked at Johanna.

"I made copies, you actually only signed one" Johanna mumbled.

"How many did you copy, Johanna?" Kate asked agin.

"About 20?" Johanna said unsure.

"20?!" Kate gasped.

She was shocked. How could they not have noticed this before?

"That means you've used at least 7!" Rick exclaimed, he was shocked too.

Johanna looked on the floor and nodded slowly.

"Have you been to other crime scenes without us knowing?!" Kate asked.Kate got uncomfortable and started walking around the room, like she do when she's upset.

"Kate, calm down" Rick said and reached for her arm.

She didn't avoid his hand but let him take her arm and he put his arm around her waist. His scent and the feeling from his arms were comforting and calming.

"Ok, how many of these have you left?" Rick asked Johanna.

"I only have those I had in my backpack and right now you're holding them" Johanna said truthfully.

"Good, from now on you never follow us to a crime scene, understood?" Rick said and Kate could see on the look on Johanna's face that she was disappointed.

Kate could relate to that, that's how she had felt every day since her mother's murder.

"Johanna, please, just promise you'll never do it again. We just don't want you to get hurt, it's for your own good" Kate said and left Rick's side to stand in front of Johanna.

Johanna looked down and Kate put her hand on Johanna's chin to raise her head up. Kate carefully stroke away the hair that was in Johanna's eyes and smiled hoping Johanna would do the same.