One Journey Ends

Tara tried to go back to work at the department store two weeks later but she couldn't keep her mind on her customers. Her jaw was released from its wires and her ribs were healing so she figured it would be a good time to return. The management at the department store had been patient but it was obvious that she'd gone back before she was ready. She was gently urged to take more time off. She'd given up her grocery job after she'd married. Now she sat in the kitchen of the home she'd briefly shared with her husband, drinking tea and wondering where she would go from here. She wasn't even sure she had the strength to go on at all. She sipped at her now-cold tea and contemplated what she would do. She hadn't been back to the cemetery since the burial and decided she would do that. The ringing phone jolted her out of her thoughts and she hesitantly picked it up.

"Hello?" she said softly.

"It's YOUR fault he's dead," hissed a woman's voice.

Although Tara had only spoken to the woman once before she knew it had to be Ben's mother. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered clutching the phone tightly.

"You should be sorry!" Mrs. Connors went on. "You ruined everything, you idiot! He had his whole life ahead of him. He never should have wasted his time on YOU."

"I didn't mean to . . ."

"No, you probably never mean to ruin people's lives," the woman said bitterly. "But that's all you know how to do, isn't it? You'll never get anything from us. Not one dime!"

"I never wanted your money."

"Don't lie to me, you little slut! What else could you want from Benjamin?"

"Nothing," Tara said sadly. "I just wanted to be with him."

"You expect me to believe that?" the woman said incredulously. "You wanted his family's money. I know how girls like you operate. You make everyone think you're only interested in the relationship and then you hit the family up for an expensive divorce. Well the joke's on you isn't it? He died before you could leave him!"

"I wouldn't have done that do him!"

"You won't now!" the bitter woman shrilled. "Why couldn't you stick to your own kind?"

"My own kind?"

"Yes, why couldn't you find someone from your own social circle?"

"Mrs. Connors," Tara said, now growing impatient. "I loved my husband more than anything in the world."

"I don't believe you . . . "

"Believe what you want," Tara said raising her voice for the first time in a long while.

"If you loved him so much why don't you join him?" Mrs. Connors spat before abruptly severing the connection.

Tara stared at the wall in stunned silence while the dial tone sounded in her ear. Why not,eed?eed?

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"Henderson's paper trail is quite long," Justin groused to his partner. "It appears he has been importing Asian girls for some time now."

Sven merely grunted as he sat in a chair and went over the information Justin handed him. The darker man stood over him, wondering if the Scandinavian would go out for another of his afternoon walks today in the hopes of seeing Tara. Sven hadn't missed an afternoon yet and was determined to keep tabs on the small woman. When she hadn't shown up for the first few days, the blonde man looked her up and went to her home everyday he didn't see her at the cemetery. Justin was hoping that she'd snap out of her trauma soon as Sven showed no signs of letting up until she did. The dark haired man continued his outward stoicism and kept working on the case.

"I see that he makes sure that the victims are from poor less connected families," Sven finally said. "I wonder how he selects them to supply to his clientele."

"I have wondered that, too," Justin agreed quietly. "We may have to take another trip to his office."

"I do not know if that is such a good idea," the blonde man contemplated carefully. "He has undoubtedly noticed this missing file by now."

"Not necessarily," Justin countered. "I photocopied the file and returned it to his office."

"When did you do this?"

"When you were out on one of your walks."

At the mention of his daily routine Sven looked up quietly. Justin instantly regretted the last comment, as he knew Justin would start in on a fresh round of lectures.

"You know, she is not looking well," the blonde man began. "She was sent home from her job after only two days. She has not left her home since."

Justin steeled himself against the wave of guilt that washed over him as he remembered her eyes when they wheeled her away from him. He knew he wasn't the right man for the job of saving her. Sven probably was but Justin selfishly wished his partner would keep his concentration on their case. He didn't know why this became important but it had. He wanted Sven's attention on what they were doing. A divided mind was a distracted mind and this case could ill-afford that right now. Henderson, left unchecked, would definitely bring about another innocent girl's demise, Justin reasoned. Tara was out of physical danger now, the unsuspecting Asian schoolgirls weren't.

"She will get past her loss in her own time," he said to his scowling blonde partner. "The girls are still in danger of becoming prey."

Sven pursed his lips, obviously chagrined at the predicament. Justin watched, feeling even guiltier for putting his new friend through this inner struggle. Yes, Sven had become his friend somewhere along the line. He would keep this to himself, though.

"I cannot walk away from her until I am sure she will recover," Sven said looking Justin directly in the eye. "And I know that beneath your façade you are worried as well. Do not think you can hide from me so easily, my friend."

Justin gawked at him openly for a tenth of a second before regaining control of himself. How his partner could read his mind that way escaped him.

"I am concerned for her welfare," he answered Sven. "But I know that this case is important."

"I am well aware of its relevance," the other man returned wryly. "I spoke to my good friend last night. He, too, is not doing well."

"You seem to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, Sven."

"You will find that this is not unusual."

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Tara gently laid her flowers on the grave and sat down next to it unmindful of the frigid weather. She stared at the ground mutely, noting the small sprigs of grass beginning to grow over the dirt and the remains of another bunch of flowers. That was odd. She wondered if Tony had left them. The tombstone hadnet aet arrived and she vaguely wondered if she'd have to call the company to inquire about its status. She sighed and sat back.

"I was wondering if I would see you again, sweet," a soft Scandinavian accent said piercing the silence.

She turned and looked up to see the blonde man she'd met at Ben's funeral glancing down at her with a gentle smile.

"Hello, Sven," she smiled softly. "I've been having a rough time."

"That is to be expected," he said sitting down next to her.

"You don't have to interrupt your routine for me," she said sadly.

"I am interrupting nothing," he smiled enigmatically. "It is a pleasure to pass some time with someone who understands."

She looked at him blankly for a moment before remembering what he'd told her about his wife and son. She wanted to ask about them to get her mind off of her own loss but didn't want to open any old wounds for him.

"You seem more trod thd than the last time we spoke, sweet," he said with a furrowed brow. "I know we do not know each other but it may help to speak with someone objective."

"It's nothing," she replied looking down at the plot of grass on which she sat. "I just had a disturbing conversation before I left the house."

"Is somebody troubling you?"

"My husband's mother never approved of our marriage," she said reluctantly, not knowing why she felt comfortable enough with this man to confide in him. But it did feel good.

"She is the one who called you?"

"Yes," Tara said still looking down. "She always assumed I was after Ben's money."

"Why would she assume that without knowing you?" the blonde man asked visibly annoyed at her mother-in-law.

"I guess because I didn't grow up with money," Tara shrugged unwilling to divulge anything further.

"Well, it seems to me that she should respect her son's decisions."

Tara shrugged again, looking back to the grave in misery. Ben would have known how to handle this situation better. He'd had a great deal of self- confidence about him that she'd envied.

"Have you been taking care of yourself?" Sven asked her tentatively.

"Why do you ask?" she replied.

"I just do not remember you being so thin."

"Well, I had my jaw wired for a few weeks," she sighed. "I guess it will take some time to regain my weight.

Sven nodded though he looked unconvinced of her sincerity. She didn't know whis sis should trouble her. After all, it was her life tontaintain.

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After another half hour of small talk Tara decided it was time to go home. Sven had attempted to keep her longer so that he could probe further but she appeared to be adamant, so he walked her to the bus stop and waited for the bus with her. After he saw her off he returned to his room where Justin waited impatiently.

"I still think we should go to Henderson's office," he said to Sven without preamble.

"Fine," the blonde man relented. "We will go back tomorrow evening."

"Will this cut into your time with the girl?"

"Her name is Tara," Sven answered in uncharacteristic annoyance. "And no, it won't. She appeared today at noon. I think she is a creature of habit and prefers to be out early."

"You seem even more troubled today."

"Her mother-in-law is bothering her with phone calls," he said through gritted teeth. "She did not tell me what exactly was said but it definitely took its toll on her."

"The woman blames Tara for her son's death?"

"Apparently."

"Something else you are not disclosing?"

"You seem most interested, Justin," Sven said evenly trying to draw his partner out. "She is much thinner than she was two weeks ago."

"Her jaw was wired shut for some time," the darker man reasoned.

"Yes," Sven muttered. "That is the argument she used as well. I will keep an eye on her."

Justin said nothing, merely nodding to his partner before returning to his computer. But Sven wasn't fooled. He knew the dark man was just as troubled now.