Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 41: Seeing Red

"When?" I asked Agent Park.
"Medical examiner estimates a week ago. She says she'll know more after the autopsy." He answered.
"Okay. Thank you. Keep me updated." I sighed.
"Of course, Director."
I hung up as Jonny walked in.
"Can I talk to you?" I asked.
"Of course. What's wrong?"
"Come up to the bedroom." I said.
After Jonathan and I sat on our bed with the bedroom door closed I said,
"Lucas is dead."
"What? When?"
"About a week. I have to go into the office. I have to figure out what's going on." I sighed.
"Are you going to tell her?" He asked me.
"I have to. I won't be someone who keeps her in the dark. I just wanted to talk to you first. I need you to stay here with her. I don't really want her alone until we figure out who did this." I looked up at my love.
"I agree. I'll stay. Promise me you'll be careful." He took my hand.
"Of course I will." I laid my head on his shoulder.
"I need to take a shower and get dressed. I'll be down in a bit to talk to her." I stood up and gently pulled my hand from his.
After a quick shower I dressed in a low cut red wrap shirt with three quarter sleeves and black slacks with my black ankle boots. I pulled my hair into a tight low ponytail and made my way downstairs.
"Jasmine. Come sit in the living room with me for a moment."
Once she sat on my dark blue sectional I turned to look at her.
"Did they find, Lucas?" She asked noticing I was dressed for work.
"Yes. They did." I said.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Jasmine. He's dead." I said as gently as I could.
"What? No. You're wrong."
"I truly wish I was. After the autopsy I'll call Jonny to bring you to see him. We don't think he was the one following you."
"Because he was dead before?"
"The preliminary estimate says he was. We'll know more after the autopsy."
I laid my hand on her shoulder.
"I truly am sorry, Jasmine."
"We've known for years that he'd end up dead but it's still hard to hear."
"I understand that. Truly I do."
"I know you do. Please, Alexia. Find who did this. I know you weren't close to him and he was just a common criminal but..."
"He was important to you. I'll do whatever I can to find who's responsible."
She hugged me tightly.
"Thank you, Alexia."
I held my sister for a long while until she pulled away from me.
I left Jasmine with Jonathan and drove out to the medical examiner's office.
When I walked in a short woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun greeted me.
"Director Carter. I'm Dr. Megan Bolton, Virginia's medical examiner." She said in a small voice.
I smiled at her as I shook her hand.
"Mr. Dorian is right through here."
She lead me into the autopsy room. On the table lay a tall man, thin and sickly looking from years of drug abuse. His deep brown hair thin and wispy.
"What can you tell me?" I asked.
"He was found in a warehouse on Hartford Road, estimated time of death was between 2am and 5am November 11th. He was shot at point blank range in the back of the head; execution style. His wrists and ankles show signs of being bound, likely with a zip tie."
She lifted his left hand to show me the thin bruise left by his bindings.
"His body also shows signs of torture. He was found naked; his torso covered in bruises and welts. His forearms were broken in two places. These bruises on his neck indicate that he was strangled likely as a torture method." She motioned to his neck.
"Thank you, Dr. Bolton. The victim was my half brother. I'm going to put in a call to my fiance to bring my sister to see him." I sighed.
"Truly sorry for your loss."
I walked out to the office and called Jonny.
Jonny brought Jasmine to see Lucas.
"Will you guys wait out here?" She asked us and we agreed.
Jonathan and I waited in silence, hand in hand until Jasmine joined us again.
"Tell me what you think." She asked me wiping her tears away.
"I'm not sure that...."
"Alexia. Please." She urged.
"He was likely tortured for information before he died. I don't know what information they were looking for, for sure. However it was likely information on you since his cellphone was used near the places you were last week before the brick was thrown through the window." I answered honestly but gently.
"I really am more trouble than I'm worth. What if something happens to one of you?" She asked clearly distraught.
"We'll gather the team at our place. We'll all stay together until we find out who did this."
She nodded and hugged me again.
"Jonny. Go ahead and call everyone. Ask them to pack a bag and meet at the house." I leaned over and kissed him before leading Jasmine out to my car.
Jasmine and I arrived at the house at the same time Jonny did. Cameron and Kay pulled in behind him. My 2018 Jaguar XJ, Jonathan's 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider and Cameron's Lexus LS lined up in our garage. Dina and her 2018 Mercedes Benz S450 pulled in with Jordan and Gunther in the back seat. Together we all walked into the house and up to the living room.
"What's going on, Lexi?" Cam asked sitting on the loveseat with Kay.
"Jasmine's brother was found murdered in Black Crystal, Virginia late this morning. I have some detectives from the Black Crystal police department doing a full investigation but I think it's probably best for all of our safety to stay together until who ever this is has been caught." I said sitting on the arm of the sectional next to Jonny.
"You're probably right, Alexia. Safety in numbers" Kay said from next to Cameron followed by nods of agreement from my family.
Jonathan and I went about setting up the other four bedrooms. Jasmine's room, aituated on the first floor behind the door on the left side of the hallway. The second first floor bedroom lay behind the door at the very end of the hallway and was slightly bigger; this would be where Cameron and Kay slept. Upstairs on the second floor three additional bedrooms where Dina, Jordan and Gunther would sleep for the foreseeable future. Jonathan and I slept in the master bedroom that spanned the entire length of the third floor.
After all the beds were made Jonny and I made our way down to the kitchen to start dinner. We found Cameron and the rest of the family already working on dinner. Jonathan wrapped his arms around me as I leaned against the doorframe watching Kay and Dina manned the stove, Jasmine and Cameron chopped vegetables at the island in the center of the kitchen, Jordan and Gunther did the dishes as the others passed them to them.
The next morning I woke up next to Jonathan and slid out of bed to let him sleep. It was the best night sleep he'd gotten since coming home from prison and undoubtedly for the nearly two years he spent in prison.
Sitting at the dining room table staring out into the backyard, lost in thought, enjoying my coffee, I didn't hear Dina walk in until she sat down beside me. I smiled at her.
"How are you, darling?" She asked with a reassuring smile.
"I hate things like this. Feeling like I can't protect my family."
"Isn't that why you asked us all to stay here? To protect us?"
"Of course but we still don't know who's behind all this."
"We've all seen you work cases. We all know it takes time. We all knew what we were signing up for when you asked us to stay here."
"This is why I asked you to be my maid of honor." I smiled.
"You always know how to make me feel better."
"Aside from Jonathan and Cameron I'm certain I know you better than anyone else." She laughed.
"That's surprisingly accurate." I laughed.
Dina and I started making breakfast before the others came down. Jonathan brought me my cellphone when he came downstairs.
"Agent Park says it's important." He said handing it to me.
"Thank you, love." I kissed him.
"Carter." I answered walking out onto my deck.
"Director. A family has been murdered in Stambridge, Pennsylvania. A mother, father and two children." He said grimly.
"Dammit." I sighed.
"I assume you've already made the identifications?" I asked.
"Yes, ma'am. Skyler and Amanda Dorian and their children, seven year old Jackson Peter Dorian and three year old Jasmin Mackenzie Dorian." He said and my heart broke.
"Have the Crime Scene Investigators go over that scene as many times as it takes to find the person that did this."
"Yes, ma'am." He said.
"And Director Carter... I'm sorry for your loss."