Family Secrets

Chapter Four

Everyone stood in the kitchen socked, they all knew Mr. Snow as being the best baker in Woodbridge, after getting fully recovered he promised to protect Maris at ALL costs and made sure Maris's life was half normal, the other half was up to her. So that half she stuck to finding her sister by reaching her goals. Michael was the sweetest, kindest person you could meet in their small town except for Mrs. Shang who worked at the orphanage on the north street every day, time, and night. Maris walked to her room and held a teddy bear her dad got her the second week he was home from the hospital, while in her room, she had gotten a call from her grandmother.

"Mickey hurry up and get down here we need to talk, it's about why your father was up here." When she hung up the phone, Maris got up grabbed her suitcase, and started packing. Soon after she gets another call on her phone, as she answered she heard her uncle's voice on the other end.

"They already called me, Maris, find the bastard who did this to my brother." She said nothing but meant all and Chris knew that so he hung up. Maris called out to the four in the room.

"Luke, Diana, and Cora get dressed and start packing." Maris grabbed her keys a popped the trunk. She walked back in and gave Neo the biggest kiss ever before hugging Jacob, "Please take care of Neo, also work with my uncle to keep a lookout for my mother, if you find her here call me as soon as possible." One by one they got the bags into the trunk and got in the car, Diana sat up with Maris and Cora sat next to Luke. Maris drove past the Woodbridge sign saying goodbye to the town she practically grew up in, even if it's for the time being.

"My father was found at the North Cove Marina; we might need Cora's skillset for this one. And well, New York is where Diana is from so she might be able to show us around." Maris looked at Cora and Luke talking in the back seat not paying attention to anything she was saying as she drove on. The car ride was mostly quiet except for the time when one of the others would drive.

"So, how are you holding up? And don't lie." Diana had gotten some sleep before everyone else so she was the one driving, she asked while the other two slept in the back. Instead of listening to music, she wanted to check up on the one person who had been quiet for most of the ride.

"Well, I am holding a lot in. After my mother, the men, and my sister's disappearance, my father and I were always honest with each other. It was just me, dad, uncle Chris, and Lilly, I remember when we would have movie night every Friday and Monday. I'm going to miss him." She said with a sigh as tears started to fall down her cheek, she was still incredibly quiet to make sure she did not wake the others up.

"We will find his killer, ok Maris? We will." Diana looked at her as she placed her hand on Maris's shoulder letting her know she was there for her.

"I know, thanks, Diana. I'm gonna get some sleep." Maris laid back in the seat her eyes becoming heavy, she was unable to keep them open. As she fell asleep Diana smiled at her sleeping. She looked in the backseat, Luke had his arm around Cora and her head was planted right on Luke's shoulder the both of them were sound asleep. It was about three in the afternoon by the time they made it to her grandmothers' apartment. As Maris, Cora, and Diana unpacked the car, Luke went up to her floor and knocked on her door.

"Mrs. Anderson? It's Luke, Maris's friend?" He knocked on the door and she answered smiling, looking around for Maris.

"Ah Mr. Mathews, you can call me Jessie, I've heard a lot about you from both my son and granddaughter, where is she anyway?" She opened the door as Luke walked in and went to the kitchen.

"Oh, she's unpacking the car, she had sent me up here to grab a few trash bags. Some of our stuff fell out of the suitcase because the zipper broke somehow." Mrs. Anderson came back with the trash bags and he went back downstairs, "Ok I have the trash bags, Mari can you hold the bag open so I can put the stuff in?" She smiled and walked over to Luke, taking the bag and after an hour of cleaning out the trunk, they finally got upstairs and showed everyone their bedroom. Maris and the others made it to the living room and sat down.

"Maris, first thing in the morning I'm going to head to the marina so I can get a head start so I'm heading to bed." Cora hugged everyone before going to her room. Once she went off to bed Luke said he had to use the bathroom, but instead of going to the bathroom he sneaked into Cora's room.

"We have to tell her Luke, she's my best friend and I think she has a crush on you." Cora placed her hand on his cheek as they whispered to each other. She felt bad for doing this to her best friend but, she loved the man that was in front of her, right at this moment, and was pretty sure he felt the same about her.

"I was planning on telling her at breakfast but then she got the call and everything, I just didn't think it was the right time. I'll invite her to dinner and you can meet us there and we'll tell her then, together, how's that sound?" Luke took ahold of Cora's waist pulling her in for a kiss, one of which seemed to last for hours, he started to move his hand but was stopped as Cora pulled away.

"Not yet babe, not until I'm ready and know for sure that we'll work out." He kissed her cheek and smiled which told her he understood, Luke and Cora got into bed and cuddled until she fell asleep while the rest were in the living room.

"A woman he had met online asked him to meet her here, when she came to my apartment to see your father something was off about her, I don't know why but she seemed familiar." Jassie got up and went to the kitchen bringing out a few glasses of water handing them out, "After talking for a few minutes they left and I hadn't seen your dad since then, actually wait I did get a text around about ten pm saying he was going to stay at her place for the night." She said as she sat back down in her chair.

"Grandma, tomorrow can you meet with a sketch artist?" Maris looked over at her grandmother waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I can, the five of us have no plans till about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon." Jassie took a sip of her water and smiled at her.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'the five of us'? Grandma, what do you have planned?" Maris looked at her as she got up and walked over.

"Well, I was thinking, you rarely come up so I made plans for dinner and shopping. I made sure to make sure they had room for five people." Maris just stood there in shock, how could she think of food and shopping at a time like this? Maybe it was her way of coping, her father and her grandmother were close due to them both being bakers.

"I love you grandma, but do you think this is a suitable time for shopping and dinner?" She looked at Jassie waiting for an answer, but instead, Jessie got up, walked to her room, and closed the door. Maris followed behind her and walked into her room before the door closed, Jessie was sitting on the bed crying silently to herself.

"Grandma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, it's just this is all so sudden I didn't-" Jessie cut her off quickly.

"I know dear, it's a lot I know. But I need you and you need me right now, your friends are here to help as well. We should take this time not to mourn your father, but to celebrate the life he lived and the people he touched." Maris walked over and hugged her grandmother, as she did, she could feel all of the emotions she had buried deep down and started crying uncontrollably.

"Hey, hey Mickey, it is going to be all ok I promise. You'll find the bastard who did this I know you will, you are a strong girl just like him you know that honey. You look like him too, when I look at you I see your father every time." Jessie patted Maris's back and called for Luke to come to get her. He walked in and grabbed her hand helping her to her room, however, once she was in bed she had asked Luke to stay until she fell asleep so he took Maris into his arms, and held her.

"You know Maris, there's something I've been meaning to tell you since breakfast." He looked down and noticed she was sound asleep already, he moved some hair out of her eyes and laid her head down on the pillow, kissed her forehead, and went off to bed. The next morning was an early start to the day, Maris woke up before anyone else and got dressed, after she did she got into her car and went to the department to meet up with the chief of NYPD to get her badge and maybe a gun. She parked and walked in as the chief was walking out, he stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Snow, I have a few things to take care of for your father's funeral, he was my best friend after all, so it's the most I can do. When you go in look for detective Kaleb Carson, he'll show you around the station till I get back." He chuckled and walked to his car. While walking in she bumped into someone causing her to fall to the ground so she closed her eyes and braced herself, however, she felt a tight grip around her waist. She opened her eyes and she saw a tall, light-haired brown-eyed man holding her, she stared at him for a few minutes before he coughed and Maris suddenly hit the ground.

"You should watch where you're going." The man sarcastically stated as he offered out his hand, he took it and hopped up dusting herself off.

"Excuse me? Maybe you should watch where you're going." She turned to see that the man was gone, looking around she spotted the man at a desk so she walked over, "Do you know where Detective Carson is? Chief Rodgers said he was supposed to show me around but I can't seem to--" She was stopped by a finger touching her mouth, Maris smacked the finger away, and made a scowl expression.

"I'm Detective Carson and I know who you are, I've read your Woodbridge Academy file, and I don't necessarily think you can make it into our district. Just because your daddy was best friends with the chief doesn't mean you have what it takes. Anyway, Miyu will show you around because I have work to do." She looked straight at him with a blank face.

"I am only here to solve my father's murder if I were to transfer here I would do the best of my ability to fit in, thank you very much." He turned his head this time facing her with a small smile across his face.

"So prove it Snowbell, prove that you can fit in here, then I will believe it as well. Oh, and you're welcome." He winked and turned back to his computer and just as Maris was about to open her mouth a woman walked up behind Maris grabbing her arm and pulling her away.

"Don't mind him, he's like this with all the newbies." Maris was quiet at first just looking at the young red-headed woman who just grabbed her arm, she was amazingly beautiful with her hazel-green eyes.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Maris looked at her kinda confused as to why she grabbed her arm, the woman seemed sweet so she didn't mind much.

"The names Miyu Chang, my father is Cheif and my brother works downstairs as a ME. But anyway welcome to NYPD hun. Kaleb is your typical playboy, just last week four different girls came into the station at the same time and got into a huge fight. We had to detain all four of them for the rest of the day." Miyu smiled and pointed to a door, "That's our little cafe, and oh! There's your desk, you're in front of the new cute girl, Diana." Maris noticed Diana silently watching from the doorway and waved to her as she started walking.

"I got here an hour before you, wheres's Luke?" Maris shrugged as Miyu spoke up, she was the type of person who doesn't stay quiet for long.

"The new coffee guy? He had arrived two hours before the two of you, I get a very odd vibe from him. But I mean he seems cool." Just as she was talking he walked over smiling until he looked at Diana who was giving him a death stare because she knew everything. Diana was asked to check on him while he was in the '"bathroom'" and overheard the entire talk, she knew very well that finding out would hurt Maris so she was a little pissed off at his red-haired ass.

"Maris, I was wondering if instead of brunch with your grandmother, would you like to get-" he was cut off by Chief Rodgers walking in and waving his hand towards Maris and the group to meet in his office. Luke went back to the cafe to work, once they all sat down he started talking.

"Ok, Detective Snow you've met both Kaleb and Miyu, Miyu is actually my adoptive daughter her brother should be here soon. Oh! Speak of the devil and he shall appear, come on in Leon." A well-built black-haired, blue-eyed man walked in wearing glasses and a lab coat. Maris immediately stood up and everyone looked at her weirdly, she noticed and quickly put her hand out.

"Leon this is Detective Snow, she will be working alongside us to find who murdered her father." Maris held out her hand while smiling hoping he would return her handshake, Leon took her hand in his and shook. His hands were extremely soft and the handshake was firm yet gentle, Maris spoke as soon as the Cheif was done.

"The name is Maris, it's nice to meet you, Leon. I can't wait to work with you all." Leon smiled and looked at her before looking at the rest of them.

"It's wonderful to meet you guys however, I come with some news about Mr. Snow." They all start heading down to the morgue to find out what Leon found.