A few years prior
It's could be true. His baby girl couldn't be dead. Yet, she was. She was in a hospital morgue, body unrecognizable. He didn't understand how a child no older than fifteen could do something so unspeakable. So vile.
Those kids were nothing, but babies. They had their whole life ahead of them. They still needed to experience things.
His child still needed to experience things. At the thought of his precious baby being brutalized until she was completely unrecognizable had his body shaking in what could be perceived to others as sadness.
"Sir, please focus a little longer. We need you to identify your child's body." Officer Tanner murmured quietly, hand on his shoulder.
He sneered, he shouldn't have to identify his child on her birthday. A birthday that was planned for months.
A birthday that they were especially ecstatic to celebrate this year.
He knew sooner, or later that he had to face reality. That the worst has come. The devil has delivered his child's dead body to his door step.
He could no longer delude himself into thinking that his daughter was-
Choked sobs left the man's mouth. He couldn't stop the tears that fell unceremoniously, his hands trembling as he covered his mouth effectively silencing the sounds that left it.
He couldn't be so weak. He had to be strong just a little longer. Not for himself, but for her. She deserves more than to be a body among the masses. She deserves to be recognized. She deserves to have a proper funeral.
The feeling of arms wrapping around him silenced his crying completely. He looked at the cop holding him as if he was breakable. Maybe he was. He couldn't be too sure anymore.
"We're sorry for your lost." Officer Tanner whispered, embracing him more tightly, rubbing his back in what he probably thought was soothing. It did nothing, but anger the man more along with his empty words.
He scoff at his words, a bitter laugh leaving pass his lips. Sorry? They're sorry? His anger and hatred reared its ugly head, ready to lash out at any unsuspecting person. He never was able to control his anger properly.
"If you're sorry how about arresting the bastard who did this!" The man shouted, shoving away officer Tanner to properly look at him; to see the guilty look on the man's face. They can not just come to his home, and act like they didn't actively let that monster go.
"You failed those kids. You not bringing their murderer to justice has failed them." He snapped, showing all his disdain and low regard for them in his eyes. They didn't understand how it felt to lose a child.
The expectation of seeing them come home for school one day just to have cops at the door delivering the news of their death.
They didn't understand the helplessness a parent felt knowing that their child's killer is roaming free, while they couldn't even identify their damn child.
Officer Dage interrupts him before he could let more of his thoughts, and anger be released on them. "Mr. Laerum, please focus on the matter at hand. This is important. None of us is at fault for what happened. I understand how you feel, but identifying your child is more important than taking out your senseless anger on us."
Laerum closed his eyes briefly not wanting to look at them any longer as he tried to calm himself down. He knew it was important.
Still did she have to sound so indifferent about what happened. That this was just another case for her to move pass.
The man reopened his eyes looking at officer Dage with his best blank face, showing none of the turmoil he felt inside.
Looking in officer Dage eyes made it clear to him that she didn't care. She truly was indifferent to what was happening. To what occurred. To what was lost that fateful day.
Laerum wiped away his remaining tears, straightening his back as he prepared himself for what he was about to see.
He looked down at the photos; he immediately felt bile rising, forcing him to cover his mouth, swallowing down the feeling. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was seeing.
A new round of tears fell from his eyes, falling onto the photos before him. How could one prepare to see countless children open for the world to see?
The last photos that will ever exist of them made them look so inhumane. They looked like an art project. A performance for the world to see.
They didn't deserve what they got. How could anyone deserve that?
He looked more closely at the photos, searching for the child that belongs to him.
How each child died was different. The one thing that stayed the same was their open bodies. Open for the world to see what laid in them.
He could only describe them in one word.
Seen.
The killer wanted them seen. As if he wanted the world to see what made them, them.
Very few of the children had their shoes on. Very few had feet at all. The only way he could identify his child was by her pierced ears that showed the dangling colored dinosaurs.
Laerum was thankful that his child was wearing them that day. If she weren't he wasn't sure he could have recognized her so easily.
He tapped the picture of his daughter that was closer to officer Dage, keeping his eyes on her smiling face. "That's my daughter. That's my Bea." His voice cracked on her name, showing his sorrow and grief.
Officer Dage smiled lightly, eyes kind and pitying. "Thank you. Your cooperation has been very helpful."
Officer Dage stood not bothering to talk more after finishing her business. Officer Tanner softly patted his back a caring smile on his face.
"This isn't the end." Officer Tanner words came out like it was the truth, a way to bring comfort to someone who has lost.
He was right about one thing it wasn't the end.
He wanted justice. No that's no correct. Justice wasn't the right word for what he wanted done.
It was wrong to think such thoughts about a child. To wish to do such harm to them. He knew it, but in this moment he didn't care; like Rue didn't care for the life he took that day.
"We'll take our leave now. Thank you for your cooperation for this case." Officer Tanner kindly thanked with a slight bow, showing his sincerity.
Sincerity that went unwanted.
Laerum stood outside long after they've driven away out of sight. Away from a now quiet home. A home that was previously filled with joyous laughter.
The pale yellow door closed again, locking a dying him inside. Silencing his cries that no one would ever hear. He can finally break down after days of staying put together. Hoping for a better out come.
His tears poured down his face like rain, showing no signs of stopping no matter how much he wiped them away.
Without much thought his feet dragged him down the hallway to a room that was once filled with life. A room that he's been in a million times over.
The coldness of the room was the first to greet him. The second was the lack of presence that would be there around this time.
Everywhere he went he still searched for that bright smile. The infectious laughter Bea carried like a shield.
Inside of the room was messy. Showing signs of rushing long after he went to work. For once he was glad she didn't clean her room. It showed signs that she was here.
His feet carried him to the bed before his knees finally buckled underneath pulling him down to the grey carpet floor.
Laerum's tears blurred his vision as he gripped the bed sheet, his head resting against the bed that was filled with enough pillows to hide a body.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bea." He apologize asking for forgiveness. For what? He didn't know.
His apologies fell short, the only one listening to his endless apologies was the worn down dinosaur laying on the bed.
"I promise he won't get away with this. I promise he will suffer for what he has done. After I make him pay…" 'I will join you.' His last words went unsaid. A silent reminder and promise to himself to not leave Bea alone.
They've never been separated. So why would they start now. He could never leave his baby girl alone.
'Wait for me Bea. Wait for me.' He thought, hands clenching into fist.
Laerum was a dying man, but he was a father first.
A vengeful one.