Trying to come down from the crushing disappointment of maybe never having the truth about what happened with his daughter, he took a deep breath as he looked at the pain on Liz’s face as she also confronted the possibility of not knowing. Needing to be strong and not murderous, he changed his tone. “Come in,” Max offered to Serena moments in. “We do have guests, so you might as well join us, and you can fill me in on what happened with Davidson,” he muttered as Serena entered the house and noticed a whole group of people in the living room. “Everyone this is my partner at work, Detective Serena Franklin.”
“Hello…” Serena said as she eyes the group.
“Serena, I would like to introduce you to my sister; Isabel and her husband Kyle Valenti” he smiled as Serena was introduced to the tale blonde and the shorter man with brown hair. Next to them is my one of my great friends, Michael Guerin, and his wife Maria Deluca Guerin who is Liz’s best friend and their eight-year-old; Betty. Serena has been my partner since I joined the force five years ago. She also has been very helpful in Bella’s case and was the first to discover the truth.”
“Oh, nice to meet you” Isabel smiled. “We talked on the phone but it’s nice to put a name to a face.”
“Same here,” Serena nodded as she wouldn’t have suspected that Isabel and Max could be siblings because they were so different in looks but it was evident, they were once very close. “Did you all come in because of the location of Isabella?”
“Yes,” Isabel nodded. “My husband wanted to be here for Bella, and so we came along for moral support.”
“I am sure Max and Liz are happy for the support.”
“Most times,” Max quipped as Michael just hung back and surveyed the newcomer to the midst. It was evident Max trusted her, and Liz seemed to be okay with the woman. “You might as fill in everyone. Everyone, Serena came to tell me that the man who had Bella in his house for the last year has been found dead.”
There was gasps in the room. “What do you know?” he asked Serena who only nodded.
“I am sorry for the added pain. But last night a body was located at the outskirts of town. We got confirmation from CJ; our forensics specialist this morning that the body was that of Mark Davidson, Sr the man whose house Bella was found in.”
“He disappeared in the hours before I found Bella,” Max explained to the group. “Serena and I were called into a domestic dispute or, so we thought. We arrived to find four scared teenage boys, led by their older eighteen-year-old brother who said their father had just left. We believed Bella who then was believed to be their sister Molly was off somewhere or, so the boys said. I found her in a room in the basement, almost dead. Serena and I had suspicions about the house being odd, but we never expected to find who we did… The boys had run before I found Bella, and we had been looking for their father and the boys ever since. The brothers were located earlier this week and that is why I came back to speak to the older one to question him.”
“How long has he been dead?” Michael asked immediately.
“This is the punch to the gut” Serena muttered and turned to Max. “It looks like from the preliminary results that he has been dead since before we found Bella.”
“What!” Max groaned as he connected the dots. “So, he never ran off… or if he did, he didn’t get far”
“Nope,” Serena shook her head as she revealed the rest of the news she had to deliver. “We do have a suspect…”
“Oh god who…” Max asked as he knew the answer.
“The oldest son,” Serena admitted. “The blood matches with what we found at the scene, and the fact he’s been dead since before we found Bella and that Junior his brothers and ran…”
“Where is he now…”
“He’s coming in for questioning. They are bringing him that safe house we had him and brothers in until we finalized Bella’s case.”
“God, what a mess…” Max muttered.
“Max if you want to be there… I can go to the hospital and you can meet us there,” Liz asked coming into the conversation as she knew Max would want to go and check in on the situation personally.”
“I am not sure my boss will be happy to see me. He wasn’t too thrilled with my detour to New York,” Max muttered as he tried to keep in check his desire to go to the station and figure out if the son was guilty.
“Gibson in Phoenix at a chief’s conference,” Serena admitted. “He won’t be back until Monday.”
“Perfect,” Max thought as he didn’t relish the idea of mixing it up with his boss until he knew more about the future, and what it entailed. “Isabel and Kyle, could you take Liz with you to the hospital?”
“Sure,” Kyle said. “If Davidson is dead, then how will we get answers?”
“I need to talk to the son first,” Max muttered. “I was already suspicious about the father’s behavior regarding Bella, so I don’t know how much he was involved in with what happened to Isabella.”
“I hope we get answers,” Liz muttered as they group as she went and got her jacket and watched as Max and Serena headed back to the station as Liz prepared to head to the hospital with the others.
Once the front door was closed and Max was gone, Kyle turned to Liz as he was concerned about his ex-wife. “So, tell me, are you okay?”
“Sure,” Liz smiled with a confident smile. “I am fine Kyle truly. I am just anxious to see Isabella,” she sighed as she thought of her little girl. “I need to see her…”
“About Max,” Kyle asked.
“Don’t Kyle, okay, don’t. I didn’t question your love life when you and Isabel were getting together or figuring out what you were, so don’t with me and Max okay…”
Maria smirked while Kyle nodded his okay because he knew his ex-wife was correct, but they all prayed that she could handle wherever it may end up going with Max especially since as of now, they lived in two very different states. He prayed she was being cautious… “Do you know how to get to the hospital?”
“Yes,” Liz nodded. “Does your car have GPS?”
“Sure,” Isabel nodded. “We used it to get here…”
“Perfect,” Liz said as she tried to divert from any talk of her love life because like Kyle she had worries about the future, but she also knew she didn’t want to know the unanswerable answers yet, as she just wanted to live the life she had now and not stress out. “Let’s go…” she asked of the group. “Isabella should be our first priority.”
*
“So, they are your family?” Serena asked as she drove to the station as she glanced at her partner who was glum. “Did you expect them?” she asked as they drove. She was curious about the group she had met at her partner’s.
“No, they surprised us, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise I guess…” Max said as he sat and contemplated the sudden change in his life. “Kyle is Bella’s stepfather.”
“Oh,” Serena asked as she drove.
“Yeah,” Max nodded as he stared at Serena. “Liz married him a number of years ago, yet they divorced months before Bella disappeared.”
“So, she’s single?” Serena asked.
“Yes,” Max nodded. “And before you go there, I don’t where we are going yet because there is certainly a lot of complications.
“What ever makes you happy is my advice,” Serena smiled. “You have a rare chance my friend, and I hope you don’t blow it.”
“Me too,” Max said quietly, and me too again silently as they pulled into the parking lot of the station and went and found their suspect.
*
“Okay Davidson start talking,” Max said as soon as they got the boy in the interrogation room. Happy to skirt his boss, Max didn’t need a visitor’s badge, so he just stood there after Serena brought the boy into the room. “Sit down and start talking because we have to ask you, do you know anything about your father?”
“Look I told you I don’t know where he is,” Mark Davidson Jr. snarled. “And that still goes,” as he just sat at the table and looked with contempt.
“You might as well let me go.”
“I had hoped I would have seen the last of you too Davidson, but I guess not since you didn’t tell us that your dad is dead…” Mark remarked.
“What,” Junior went blank.
“Don’t give us that Mark because your father’s body was found last night, and your DNA was all over his remains, so spill… tell us what happened will you”
“Why should I?” Junior asked.
“You go to jail otherwise…” Serena answered. “Look I know your father was a horrible dad, and lousy human being who kicked you kids around but we need to figure out why he died.”
“If he’s dead, I am not about to miss him…” Junior murmured.
“We realize this,” Serena said. “But we need to know why you did it.”
“Who says I did it,” Junior murmured.
“It’s all over your face, so we’re not going to anywhere until you tell us what happened.”
“I want a lawyer,” Junior murmured.
“Fine, but you will talk…” Max murmured. “For now, I am asking, you said the sister you had in Molly disappeared and was gone for a few days and you never noticed.”
Serena took notice at the change of subject and went with it as she stood and watched as she knew Max was on edge for numerous reasons and he needed answers.
“I told you I took notice because Dad told me she was off at a party…”
“In the middle of the week when she was supposed to be at school. She was in summer session, right?”
“Right,” Junior admitted as if it a red flag registered in his brain and he got more guarded. “She was in some special school that did that year around thing…or something.”
“Then how could she have been at a slumber party and you and your brothers didn’t seem to question.”
“I tried to stay away from my father, and I didn’t ask many questions okay” Junior allowed. “I wasn’t about to antagonize my father nor were my brothers as they were already in his line of sight most of the time when he was drinking. When by chance he was sober, I kept low to try not to incite him into anger because when he did, he would go after my brothers.”
“Why did he keep the girl who you were told to treat as your sister?” Max asked.
“How should I know?” Junior asked.
“I think you’re a bright boy and know more than you are telling us” Max asked.
“I don’t know anything about the girl okay,” Junior muttered. “She just showed up one day and she was just there from then on…”
“How did she show up?”
“I told you, Dad went out and came back with her…” Junior groaned. “He was meeting a friend, and suddenly he had this girl.”
“What friend?” Max asked.
“I forget his name, but he was a big guy or something. They tended to go out and drink together. I heard him on the phone with him in the days before but never thought of anything and then suddenly he shows up with Molly.
“Did your father see this friend again…” Serena asked.
“I actually don’t know,” Junior considered the question. “I don’t think so, but I was out of the house a lot in those days. Seeing someone you know…”
“I see,” Serena muttered.
“Do your brothers know…” Max asked.
“Hell no,” Junior muttered. “They were too young for that kind of thing…” he said with obvious attachment to his brother. “So, are you going to let me out of this room?”
“Nope,” Max said. “You’re still need to answer for your father’s death…”
“I didn’t do,” Junior said.
“I don’t believe you. You worried for your brothers, so I can see you being pushed to do something drastic to protect them after they became punching bags. I just want to know whether he did anything to a little girl.”
“I told you Dad left Molly alone…” Junior demanded. “He could care less for that girl once she came to live with us, so I don’t see how she would have been made a punching bag by him.”
“How was he acting those last days?” Serena asked. “We know there was fights, loud enough to bring us around but how did he react to you all…”
“I told you he was drunk a lot,” Junior muttered. “Other than that, it wasn’t unusual…”
“Okay, enough for now…” Serena muttered. “You’re being taken to holding… and we’ll contact a lawyer for you on that other matter.”
“Go ahead, I am not going to tell you anything. I didn’t do it” Junior muttered as he got up and was led out which left Max alone in the room. Still nothing to know why Bella had ended up with Davidson.
Once Serena came back, “I know I know.”
“I need answers!” Max demanded. “I wish we knew them…”
“I wish that too for you and for Liz. I have called Legal Aid and asked for someone to come and be with him when we interview him next. Do you want to stay for the next round?”
“I better get going. Let me know if he confesses…” Max muttered.
“You think he did it?” Serena asked.
“Yeah, he is too concerned for his brothers to think he didn’t become fed up regarding his father’s behavior. He finally was pushed to his limit.”
“I’ll let you know if he talks…”
“Thanks, Serena for everything…” Max sighed. “Do you know anyone going near the hospital for any case…”
“Check with Tessa…” Serena nodded as Max walked away and she sighed at all that was on her partner’s mind. She wondered how much longer he would be around because more and more he seems drawn to his old life in Roswell, and especially if he had Liz there along with his daughter.
Soon he was getting a ride to the hospital while Serena went back to investigation the eldest Davidson boy for the death of his father.
*
Bella was sitting by the window as she got some sunlight, and she also was doing some drawing. She had slept in and had tried to eat as much as she could but found her throat was still tender, and her arm was annoying being inaccessible, so she didn’t eat as much and finally the nurse came back and took the food away, and now she was doodling on paper when her doctor came in. “No testing, right?” she asked.
“Nope,” the doctor smiled. “I just wanted to see how you are doing?”
“Good,” Bella muttered.
“So, you are drawing again,” the doctor asked as she saw what the girl was drawing despite the limitations of her arm. “Wow Bella, very impressive.”
“Isabella, that is my name isn’t it?” Bella asked as she observed the nurse. “She was still getting used to her new identity. It felt right, but still was very weird to think she used to be someone and now they expected her to be the person she once was…”
“They don’t expect a lot of you, you know…” the doctor asked. “They are just happy to have you back in their lives” the doctor smiled as her patient seemed to be more assured of herself since the discovery of who she truly was and the depression she felt had lifted but still wariness of the unknown was clearly going to be a process in overcoming in the days and time to come.
“Yes, they do,” Bella observed. “It’s weird” she thought as she continued to draw. As much as it made sense and she felt it made sense still it was odd because she was different, and they were different, and she didn’t know if she could overcome that difference.
“Is that why you draw within a Cinderella type fantasy?” the nurse asked. “Because you wish you were in one?”
“Why do you say that?” Isabella asked as she observed the drawing, she had spent the last day or so working on.
“That drawing, and it’s not the first but it seems very much like Cinderella and Prince Charming,” the nurse asked. “Is it their wedding?”
Bella looked at the picture, of a bride and groom on their wedding day. Before a flower arch, and it seemed familiar to her, but she didn’t know why. As her doctor looked at the picture more closely, “Isn’t that your mother and Detective Evans?”
Bella only shrugged because she knew it was true. As much as she wanted to see her Daddy. She knew her mother and Max were bonded, and she was bonded to them. She wanted her mother to be happy. She had sense that Max was looking for something too…
“You’re very talented,” the doctor smiled. “Maybe one day the fairy tale might come true.”
“I hope so,” Bella muttered as the door opened and her mother appeared. “Mom” she said in awe that she could see the truth about her life and she didn’t have to live a lie.
“Isabella,” Liz smiled as she came inside the room. “Good morning…”
“Ms. Parker, it’s nice to see you” Donna West smiled as she saw how Bella lit up when she saw her mother. She knew the little girl would be okay in the end. It would be a tricky transition but still it was going to work out in the end.
“How is my daughter?” Liz asked.
“She’s strong and she’s doing excellent,” Donna nodded.
“Is Max here with you?” Bella asked as if she was looking for Max to be there with her mother.
“He had some business to conduct, but I have someone else you might want to see and who definitely wants to see you…” Liz said with a big smile as Bella went wary.
“Who?” Bella asked.
“How about…” Liz said as the door opened and again, and in came Kyle.
“Daddy…” Bella whispered in awe as she saw Kyle come through the door as if final pieces were coming together.
“Isabella,” Kyle whispered as he finally glanced on his daughter and knew once and for all she was back in their lives and life had righted itself again. “We have missed you so much…” he said in whispers as he walked towards the little girl. “Oh my god…”
“Daddy” Bella asked as she went for as much as she could muster with her arm out of commission, a hug. “I’ve missed you so much…”