Chereads / Rule and Law / Chapter 13 - Part 13

Chapter 13 - Part 13

Adeline played the tape for the team and they all listened to what Johnny said.

"Thompson, we need to talk. Now" Jack said walking off towards her office.

"Fuck" Adeline cursed under her breath, following after him.

"You gave a serial killer your private number! And you fucked him!" Jack yelled at her "What were you thinking!?" Jack yelled. Adeline opened her mouth to talk but Jack cut her off.

"You don't think do you!? Take names, think later. One day that is going to get you killed!" Jack yelled.

"And you will dance on my grave" Adeline said meeting his angry eyes.

"I get that your hurting Adeline I do, but you can't keep putting yourself in danger like-like... I don't understand you anymore" Jack sighed.

"I am under no obligation to make sense to you" Adeline almost muttered and Jack scoffed.

"You are infuriating! God!" Jack growled, grabbing her shoulders "I love you. I don't want to see you hurt" Jack held Adeline's gaze.

"There are days when all I can do is breathe. Everything piles on top of me. It crushes my soul to live. Seeing you, not being able to be with you, it kills me. I'm still here. I'm still trying" Adeline said meeting his eyes.

"You need to be careful" Jack said, holding her waist, his fingers lightly squeezing her sides.

"If I can still breathe, I'm fine" Adeline told him, leaving her office and him standing there.

"Ma'am, where have you been?" Taylor asked as Adeline re-entered the office.

"Getting DNA swabbed" Adeline told them, a look of grimace across her face.

"How bad can a DNA swab be?" Abbot asked.

"A woman, that you don't know, harshly swipes the inside of your body. Then she-"

"Ok I don't want to know anymore" Abbot let out a deep breath in disgust.

"Good. Now what did you find?" Adeline asked taking a seat at the head of the table.

"He was calling from a shopping centre, it will be impossible to find him" Pierce sighed.

"He froze when you mentioned his daughters, he loves them. He is also captivated by you" Abbot told her.

"We can use that against him. Every press conference we do, I will wear his nail varnish, I will belittle him. Make mention of his daughters where we can" Adeline told them.

"Why did he give you his name?" Pierce asked.

"He's being cocky. He thinks we won't find him, but that attitude is what will get him caught" Adeline said looking at their board of evidence.

"Thompson, your victim is awake. We have a sketch of the suspect" Jack said entering the conference room, handing her the pencil drawing.

Adeline sat in the hospital room with Samantha, an air of awkwardness between them.

"I've interviewed victims of rape before and I don't think they felt worse than when they had to recall the details to me" Adeline told her.

"I only remember his face. I don't even remember how I felt or what I was doing. I just remember his eyes, they were so full of hate. Hate for me" Samantha said, breaking off into tears.

"Here" Adeline said handing her the hair bobble off her wrist.

"What is this for?" Samantha asked, wiping her cheeks, as new tears fell in the old ones place.

"Whenever you feel overwhelmed, snap it against your wrist. It worked for me a long time ago" Adeline told her, giving her a soft smile.

"Why did you need it?" Samantha asked, snapping it hard against her wrist.

"I was hurt by someone that I trusted. It helped me. As well as keeping a dream journal" Adeline told her.

"I would end up writing down everything. It all overwhelms me, and I don't even remember what happened" she said, her voice shaking.

"Do you want to know?" Adeline asked, seeing her hesitation at the question "You don't have to know" Adeline told her, taking her hand.

"What did you do?" Samantha asked.

"I already knew what he did. But admitting that to myself took years" Adeline admitted "Many painful years" Adeline said solemnly.

"What did he do to me?" Samantha asked, her hand shaking under Adeline's hand.

"He stalked you, then when you we're alone he broke in. He took you by surprise on the landing. He tied you to the bed and raped you" Adeline said slowly, letting it sink in "He strangled you but as you lost consciousness your friend Amanda came in. He killed her" Adeline told her and Samantha broke down in floods of tears.

"I know that it hurts now but pain shapes a woman into a warrior. You are a warrior, Samantha. Don't forget that" Adeline told her, pulling her into her arms, holding her tightly, protecting her from the evil of the world.