Chapter Text
Lost
Chapter 1
Night had fallen on Sunset Beach, but the heat of the day was still overwhelming. Both annoyed and worried, Ricardo ran a hand through his messy brown hair and sighed. The loft blinds were down. Any passer-by might have thought they were already closed, but the police inspector was convinced: they hadn't, in fact, been opened all day. He pushed open the door with a sigh and found that nothing had changed since the beginning of the afternoon, or even since the evening before: Gabi was still there, on the bed, lying on her side, her knees tucked up against her belly as they almost crushed her chest. It would have been easy to think she was asleep. But if his fiancée's eyes were indeed open, the sparkle that usually animated them was completely extinguished.
In the corner of the room, Vanessa stretched before leaving the armchair she'd settled into.
“Sorry, I was held up a little longer than expected," Ricardo murmured. “Thanks for looking after her.”
“It's nothing," she replied in a voice tinged with concern. “She hasn't moved all afternoon," she added sheepishly. “I managed to make her eat some soup, but... that's it”.
Ricardo heaved a deep sigh.
“Did she say anything?" he asked, hopeful.
“No, not a word.”
“What the hell's going on?" he said, rubbing his face.
Touched by her friend's despair, Vanessa laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.
“Do you want me to ask Tyus to come and see her?”
Ricardo closed his eyes and, after a silence, replied:
“Thank you. I'll try to talk to her again tonight, and if I don't get any results... I'll let you know.”
In response, Vanessa nodded and offered him a look of compassion. She turned, knelt near Gabi's bed, stroked her friend's cheek and said in a gentle voice:
“Whatever happened, honey, I want you to know that all your friends are here for you. You're not alone. Come back to us soon.”
Gabriella Martinez's eyes caught her friend's for a second, as if to let her know she'd heard her, before fading away again. Sadly, Vanessa walked away, saluted the police inspector and left the loft.
Ricardo removed his suspenders and unbuttoned the top of his orange shirt. This time, it was he who knelt beside his fiancée. His eyes welled up with tears, which he did his best to erase.
“My love... Please, tell me what's wrong.”
No answer.
“I know we've been fighting, I know I've probably said things that were beyond my comprehension. I shouldn't have left like that. I don't know if it's because of that, but please, talk to me…”
No answer.
“The last thing I want to do, Gabi, is hurt you. You mean everything to me. These last few weeks have been strange and tense, for sure, but I know we'll get through this. Tell me what's going on... Tell me it's not my fault…”
His voice faded into a sob. He still had no verbal answer, but a hand came to rest gently on his. Ricardo suddenly looked up at Gabi. It was the first reaction she'd offered him in almost two days, and his heart ignited in a second. A tear rolled down his cheek and made its way to the corner of his lips, on which a shy smile appeared.
“Gabi, Gabi, are you there?!”
He placed his free hand on his fiancée's and caressed her gently, desperately trying to rekindle the sparkle in her eyes.
“Please, darling, talk to me... No matter what happens, you can tell me anything.”
Gabi's eyes finally locked with Ricardo's, but no sound came from her mouth. The police inspector's heart was about to explode against his chest. In a burst of hope, he continued:
“Please... Tell me what's going on. I'd do anything to make you feel better. Tell me what you need, Gabi...“
Ricardo let his head hit the mattress. He hadn't realized it, but his last words echoed in the young woman's head, and she gave her fiancé's hand a gentle squeeze. "Tell me what you need...". Her mouth parted, and, as if it took a superhuman effort, she finally managed to articulate a word. A name. A prayer for her, a cold shower for him.
Ricardo's gaze grew incredulous as his eyebrows arched in surprise. A few seconds passed, just enough time for him to digest this request. He heaved a sigh, placed a kiss on the forehead of the woman he loved, then rose to his feet. He consulted the time on his watch, grabbed the phone and isolated himself outside the loft, hoping that on the other end of the line might be the outline of the end of his nightmare.