Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

I wish I could say this didn't feel like betrayal, but it did. Adam had been
my partner ever since I became a detective. I’d seen him at his worst and his
best. I considered him one of my closest friends. I truly thought we were on
the same line with this case.
“Listen, kid. Lemme explain before you start going off.” He gave me a
look and I listened, waiting to see what he had to say. “When… when we lost
Abel last year, I wanted there to be a reason.” I gulped and looked down on
my lap.
Adam rarely spoke of his sons, especially not Abel. When he committed
suicide last year, it came as a shock to all of us, not only because he was so
young, but because nobody could have seen it coming.
I guess that's the thing about suicide, though. You never truly know what
people are going through. They could be smiling, laughing, seemingly having
fun and loving the moment, while having the darkest thoughts you could
imagine.
“I didn’t want to believe that my little boy,” His voice broke slightly and
he cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to believe that my son was truly going
through something and I didn’t notice it. I wanted there to have been a reason,
so that I could blame it instead of myself for not seeing his pain.” My jaw
flexed and I looked out the window. I couldn't imagine the pain he was going
through. Losing a loved one was always difficult, of course, but such
circumstances made it even harder.
“I was so fucking focused on searching for this thing that I drowned
myself in work. There were nights where I didn’t even leave the precinct.
Junior had left for university, he was dodging our calls, Eva was going crazy,
she felt so lonely at home and I did nothing to help her. I was so focused on
my own pain I had all but forgotten about my family’s. Now my son won’t
talk to me, we have no idea where he even is and that witch hunt also almost
cost me my marriage.” I had no idea about any of this.
I mean sure, I knew his oldest had left for university shortly after Abel’s
death and hadn't set foot in Lakestone since then. What I didn't know