16 Where it All Started

At night, Hal was back in Ramsey's apartment, his injured hand was still covered by that woman's teared cloth from her dress, he was reading a newspaper and was going through another job listings in the area then Ramsey returned from his work.

"Hal! are you there?", Ramsey yelled as put his jacket on a hook along with his police cap.

"Yep", Hal replied aloud and was still looking at the newspaper.

"Hey! how are you doing?", Ramsey greeted then sat on the couch beside him then he noticed Hal's hand, "what happened there?", he pointed at the hand.

"There was an incident down the street this afternoon, I saved a woman who was almost hit by a car", Hal explained.

"Was the car speeding?", Ramsey questioned.

"Honestly, I don't know, it all happened so fast", Hal replied, "I just saved her but we fell and my hand was injured and then she helped me", Hal's tone of voice was different, like soft as he remembered that woman, Ramsey noticed it and was smirking.

"She sounds wonderful", Ramsey teased, Hal flinched and looked at Ramsey strangely.

"Yeah, she is", Hal realized, then looked at the cloth then he shook his head, "by the way, do you have a gauze by any chance?".

"Yeah, I do, I have a first-aid kit in my closet, I'll go get it", Ramsey said then he stood up and walked to his room to get the kit.

Marie and Alastair were still in Hal's house, Alastair was watching TV, Marie then came in the living room carrying a laundry basket then sat next to him on the couch, "Sweetie, where's your nightrobe?", she asked as she started to fold the clothes from the basket.

"My nightrobe?", he quipped to her while still focused on watching TV.

"Yeah, the one with the collar", she pointed, Alastair registered what she was talking about and remembered to what happened to that nightrobe.

"Uhmm... why are you asking me?", he stammered, "I'm not the one who did the laundry", Marie was taken aback by his mood at her.

"I'm just asking", she said to him.

"Well, I don't lose things", he defended, "so don't bother me", Marie felt dejected so she just continue folding laundry.

Later, Alastair was outside at the back of the house, Reese was just playing frisbee alone at the garden, she was throwing the it then chase it to catch it then just kept repeating and just laughing as she was playing the she stopped once she saw her dad so she ran to him, "daddy, let's play", she asked him as she pulled his arm but Alastair doesn't seem to be interest

"Reese, daddy is tired so just go play alone", he replied, Reese was dissapointed but she did want think it's a good idea to force him.

"Okay", she said to him so she just ran back to the garden and continue playing for sitting back and was reading a newspaper, as he was flipping through the pages, he suddenly noticed the article about 'Who Murdered Anthony Tarns' with a picture of the victim smiling, he started to stress out again and began sweating as he started reading the article, his hands was shaking like a chihuahua then he read that the victims family was at a financial loss after his death so then he felt guilty and scared. Alastair read 'the murderer is still out there. BEWARE' then he was out of breathe but then suddenly the frisbee came tearing through the newpaper and hit him on the nose and it made him fell on the ground then he covered his face then cried so loud in pain, Reese ran to him with a guilty look on her face as she watched her dad trying to get up, "Daddy, I'm sorry!".

"For the love of God, Reese!", He yelled at her the he was on his knees still covering his injured nose and blood was coming out of it then he look at his daughter's worried face with anger then he held her small shoulder so tightly that it was hurting, Reese began crying and screaming as she thought her dad was going to hurt then before Alastair could do anything to his defenseless daughter Marie appeared.

"What's going on?", she shouted and saw Alastair was kneeling down and holding Reese's shoulder so then he turned his head to her then she gasped as she saw his bloody broken nose, "Oh! my God, Alastair, come on, get up. You need to go the hospital", Marie made him let go of Reese then helped it him stand up. The couple managed to get to the hospital but Reese wasn't with them, they got out of the emergency room, Alastair's nose was covered with gauze but it looked swollen.

"I swear, will throw that toy the second we get home", Alastair expressed his anger, he had his nasal speech due to his nose were cast a bit tightly.

"It was an accident", Marie reminded to him, as they walk to the hallways, someone unexpected came out of a room, Ramsey and he stood there and was taken aback to see the couple and the same with them and it's not the happy friendly of reaction, "Ramsey... What are you doing here?".

"Nice to see you too, Marie", Ramsey sarcatically said to her.

"Is Hal here?", Marie said nervously.

"I'm here alone", Ramsey answered her then he noticed Alastair's condition then he started to smirk, "wow! what happened there? wait, I'm sorry, none of my concerns,".

"That's right", Alastair angrily said to him.

"It's Karma's", Ramsey pointed to him, the couple rolled their eyes. Alastair noticed that Ramsey was holding a document in his hand and it wrote 'Anthony Tarms Case'

"Anthony Tarns?", Alastair mumbled as he was still staring at the folder but Ramsey and Marie heard him and they turned their heads to him.

"Yeah, you know him?", Ramsey mockingly questioned him.

"No", Alastair defended.

"Enough!", Marie demanded,

"Marie, let's go", Alastair said to Marie with his nasal speech then grabbed her arm to pull her away, Ramsey started laughing just hearing him, the couple shook their head.

"Hope that still turns her on", Ramsey teased, Marie and Alastair then walked away. The couple was at the waiting area for their perscription. medicine

"That was humiliating" Alastiar scorned.

"Just forget about it", Marie told him as she was reading the list of medicine he needed.

"God! it stings!", he complained, then he reached his nose.

"Don't touch it!", Marie said, she took his hand then puts it down, "it might get worse. Lucky for you, were getting painkillers".

"Wouldn't have to in the first place", Alastair snided, they got the meds then they were outside ready to go back home but then Ramsey was still there with a detective having a discussion and saw the couple was about to leave and didn't know that he was there. Ramsey borrowed the detective's polaroid camera then he ran to Marie and Alastair.

"Excuse me", Ramsey tapped Alastair's shoulder so he instinctively turned to him then Ramsey took a shot at Alastair's face with his band-aid nose. the camera flashed so Alastair was stunned and was seeing dots, Marie's was having none of it and Ramsey said, "got it!", the picture was printed from the camera and Ramsey took it.

"Are you done?", Marie asked as she glared at Ramsey, the picture successfully shown Alastair's dumbfounded face with his injured nose and began chuckling.

"Yeah, I'm good", Ramsey laughed then showed the photo to them, Alastair was about to take it from his hand but Ramsey quickly grabbed his wrist then twist it so Alastair was moaning, Marie tried to let Ramsey's hand go of Alastair's.

"Tsk. tsk. tsk. Alastair, no", Ramsey teased him as he kept twisting his wrist and Alastair was suffering in pain.

"Ramsey, enough! let him go", Marie demanded him, Ramsey then let go of Alastair's wrist as he pushed him away, Alastair backed away almost falling down but Marie managed to catch him. Ramsey then turn around then left with a smirk on his face,"Alastair, are you okay?", Marie asked Alastair, he was rubbing the pain away in his wrist.

"Let's just go", Alastair said feeling defeated again to Marie and she agreed. They got back home, Reese was watching cartoons and was babysat by, Julie, the neighbour across the street.

"Great! your back", Julie greeted them then noticed Alastair's nose, "oh! that looks bad", he didn't say anything to her, Reese then approached her still feeling bad at what happened.

"Daddy, I'm sorry", Reese nervously apologized, Alastair glared at her again.

"You are grounded! go to your room!", Alastair snapped at her, Reese got upset and tears started to roll down her cheeks, Marie and Julie gasped at how angry he was at his daughter since it was an not intentional.

"Alastair!", Marie shout at him to stop, Reese then ran crying to her room, "what did you do?".

"Me!? she did this to me!", Alastair responded by yelling at her.

"I'll just check up on Reese", Julie interrupted them, Marie nodded at her then she went upstairs.

"Alastair, she didn't mean to do it", Marie argued, "she even said she's sorry".

"Sorry doesn't make it better", Alastair scorned then went outside again, Marie felt stress for the day and just let's him leave then she went upstairs to see Reese. Marie went to Reese's room and saw her crying from fright and Julie tried to comfort her.

"Reese, it's okay", Marie assured her, "your dad didn't mean those things he said", Julie cringed at what she was saying but just kept quiet. Later at the evening, Marie and Julie were downstairs drinking tea.

"Reese is really shook up by what happened, poor girl", Julie sighed.

"I feel bad", Marie replied, "hopefully by the time Alastair get back, he'll be calmer".

"He better", Julie respond.

"Julie, Alastair was just in pain plus if wasn't for Ramsey teasing him, he wouldn't be this way", Marie defended, Julie then had enough.

"How he reacted at what Ramsey did should not be taken out to Reese" Julie stated, "Reese is already feeling bad at throwing a frisbee at him so why should she be the getting yelled at again".

"I know that", Marie said defensively.

"It might be different if it was Hal..", Julie blurted and realized that he showed not be mentioned at all times, Marie was taken aback by that, "nevermind... it's nothing".

"it's fine", Marie respond. Julie left and Marie was alone and entered Reese's room and saw her sleeping then sat beside her bedside, her eyes where puffy and she was sniffling from her crying, Marie was rubbing Reese's head gently then she pulled a blanket to cover her but she noticed something by her short sleeve pajama top, there were blue bruises then she remembered that she saw Alastair held her once she got out to the backyard when she heard him cry out of pain and before she helped him got up. She heard the front door open and close so she ran back down, Alastair was back, he looked calm but he still doesn't look happy, Marie greeted him, "Alastair..".

"Hi!", he greated as he looked down on the ground, he seemed ashamed, "where's Reese?".

"She's asleep", Marie answered looking rather unsure, she doesn't want another arguement, "where have you been? are you okay?".

"I'm fine, I was at a friend's house", he said.

"I see", Marie said back to him then silence came, "are you hungry? I'll make you...", she was about to rush to the kitchen but Alastair stopped her as he grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry...for today" Alastair apologized, Marie hear him out, "I shouldn't have shouted at you... and Reese".

"Alastair", Marie sighed, he fell for his apology then he walked toward him and held both of his hands then looked at his eyes, "I know right now that things haven't been easy ever since we're out in the open about our relationship but we'll get through this together".

"Thank you!", he said to her then held her face, "I love you!".

"I love you too", she said to him then they kissed passionately.

It was late at night and Ramsey was in his apartment in the dining area investigating Anthony Tarns' case, he was going through some photo as to what happened to him, Hal then went inside and looked he just woke up, he was surprise to see him still awake at that hours, "Ramsey, don't you have to be in the station tomorrow?", Hal asked.

"Not necessarily", Ramsey answered, then Hal noticed the pictures.

"Is that the Mr. Tarns' case?", Hal asked again then he opened the refrigerator and took a glass at a shelf and pour a glass of water then down next to him.

"Yeah", Ramsey sighed, "dots are still not connected".

"What do you mean?", Hal questioned.

"In the autopsy, it said that the killer used a knife as the murder weapon", Ramsey said.

"And so?", Hal quipped, "you can tell from the fingerprints from the knife, can't you?

"But the problem is that whoever is this killer, he is smart but he can't hide forever", Ramsey said.

"Sounds hard", Hal commented.

"When killer use knife it means there's some personal shit of motive", Ramsey explained, "I asked his wife, who seem drunk that time, she claims that he doesn't have any enemies".

"Don't you think it might be just a psycho serial killer?", Hal asked.

"We can't assume that but If your a big boss at a company, what do you think is the reason that people want you... gone?", Ramsey asked.

"My first thought it could be business rivalry, possibly kill the competition, it could also be that he fired a bitter employee, or maybe he got too busy in the office", Hal said to him, "you know... CEO get's busy in the office, maybe too busy..", Ramsey didn't have a clue at what he meant, "maybe he's having an affair".

"From work? even if he did, that mistress loses her job like everyone else there", Ramsey theorized.

"Well... you never know, anything can happen", Hal shrugged, "hell hath no fury like women scorrned".

"My gut told me that's not the case", Ramsey told him as he lightly shook his head, Hal looked at him and see that he might be right and it got him thinking.

"There was this rumour not long before I fired back when I was working at stock exhange, not sure if it helps", Hal remembered.

"What was it?", Ramsey asked at him.

"He used to have this investor, I don't know his name, and Tarns' was pointed that he might've tricked to invest more, it said it involve his kids college tuition and the money was all gone", Hal told, "Tarn's was said to have bad luck dealing with investments after that".

"I can keep that in mind", Ramsey said, "thanks!".

"No problem", Hal said to him.

"By the way, I bumped into Marie and Alastair again in the hospital today", Ramsey told him, Hal just nodded at him just feeling neutral, then he took out something from his bag and put it on the table then Hal looked at it it was the photo of Alastair with his busted nose.

"Is this Alastair?", Hal asked trying to figure it out the photo, he started laughing.

"Yeah", Ramsey chuckled.

"I know I shouldn't care but he deserve it", Hal chuckled back.

"I heard it was Reese who did it, accidentally", Ramsey said.

"Thank you, goddaughter", Hal smiled then it slowly turn upside down, "I hate Alastair but I miss Reese".

"I know", Ramsey sighed, "it's sad that she's somehow a part of it".

"It's not her fault that that's her father", he replied.

"But I think she did you a favor", Ramsey joked.

"I guess she did", Hal snickered.

Marie was asleep with Alastair beside her and their naked bodies where covered by a blanket but surprisingly, Alastair couldn't sleep from that love making so he got up and put on his pajama then walked to the window and then he saw a man wearing a white shirt and black pants standing alone in the backyard of the house, he was facing the other way so Alastair couldn't see his face but knows however it was, it's an intruder. Alastair went down to the first floor then grabbed Hal's baseball bat for defense then he got to the backyard, he marched to the intruder, "hey! what are you doing here?!", he shouted but the man didn't move or speak so then as Alastair already stood behind him, he put his hand on the intruder's shoulder and made him turn to him but to his horror it was not any other intruder but it was Mr. Tarns, he looked pale and he was bloody like he was just stabbed a minute ago by his killer, he looked at Alastair with wide angry eyes, Alastair was in total shock and coudn't believe his eyes, he even drop the baseball bat, then backed away then fell on the ground.

"You did this to me", Mr. Tarns said to him sternly as he walked slowly toward Alastair.

"No..no..!", Alastair cried to him as he was crawling back to get away from Mr. Tarns, "I didn't, it wasn't me".

"This is all your fault!", Mr. Tarns angered his voice was changing as he was repeating what he just said to Alastair like a broken recorder and continued walking to Alastair who was in deep fear at the moment and was still lying on the ground.

"No, it's not!", Alastair told him.

"My life was in your hands and because of you my life ended", Mr. Tarns said to him, his voice was getting eerily deep, Alastair was confuse and he was shaking his head denying everything that he was accused of doing then his eyes where at Alastair's right hand so Alastair looked at his hand, there was a knife and he was holding it with blood all over. Alastair was shocked and screamed then threw the knife away.

"No.. it's not me! it's not! it's not!", Alastair shouted, Mr. Tarns was getting closer, "leave me alone! leave me alone!", then he stood up and ran to the door but as he turned the knob, the door couldn't open, Alastair was freaking out as he watched Mr. Tarns was about to get him, he shouted to call Marie, he knocked the door as hard as he can but still to no avail to open. Mr. Tarns was already standing behind him, so Alastair turn around and they were face to face, he was stuck and nowhere else to escape then he watched Mr. Tarns eyes was all black. Alastair eye's popped out just looking at Mr. Tarns eyes, he knew that he was face-to-face to a devil then Mr. Tarns then jumped at him, Alastair closed his eyes and started screaming his lungs out.