𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 | 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

CHAPTER THIRTEEN | STAY

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

EVEN THOUGH KAI'S SIPHONING HAD WORKED, LIZ WAS STILL DYING. Every single day was precious to the Forbes woman, and she wanted to make sure that she had absolutely no unfinished business when she finally left the world. Damon and Evelyn had offered to assist, whilst Stefan and Caroline were busy preparing the Forbes' family Lakehouse for Liz's visit.

"Not to be blunt, but I think dying gets you a ticket out of work," Damon spoke with a light smirk as he and Evelyn entered the Sheriff's office. "Just saying. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm not gonna leave this job with unfinished business." Liz sighed, then motioned to the files pile up on her desk in front of her. "I have all these open cases."

"Well, that's why we've come to see you. We're here to help." Evelyn spoke with a genuine smile whilst Damon began flicking through some of the files.

"Uh, yeah! This one was me." He informed her, then tossed the file aside and grabbed another. "Me. Also." Damon smirked and studied the picture of the victim. "Ooh, this one was Stefan's."

Evelyn glanced over his shoulder and quickly scanned the police report. "Uh. You're such a liar."

"Oh, wait. No. Me. Yeah." Damon agreed with his fiancé, then tossed the file away from him.

"I always had a sneaking suspicion." She chuckled softly, then picked up another case file. "What about this one?"

"Wait, hang on. Is this what I think it is?" Evelyn's eyes widened when she saw the contents of the folder. "Elena's parents? That's an open investigation?"

"Well, at the time, I was taking care of Elena and Jeremy, and I didn't want to drag them through more heartache. Then, when I was finally ready to reopen the wound, Elena had moved on and you and I had become friends, and I worried that—"

"What? That I was involved?" Damon finished her sentence for her, and the Sheriff's silence was deafening. "Liz, no. No, I promise you."

Liz nodded and exhaled deeply, then she grabbed her phone from the middle of her desk. "Miranda left me this message two hours before they got in that car, two hours before they drove off that road for no reason."

"Liz, it's Miranda Gilbert. I have something urgent to talk to you about. Please call me back as soon as you can."

"That sounds— intriguing." Evelyn trailed off with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll be damned." Damon mused. "Looks like you've got a good, old-fashioned, sheriff-y whodunit on your hands. You know, this would be a lot more fun if I had some—"

"—Top right-hand drawer." Liz immediately cut him off. almost as if she knew what he was alluding to.

Damon raised an eyebrow as he walked toward the drawer and pulled out a bottle of Whisky. "Well look at that. This is why you are a terrible sheriff."