Turn Off The Dark (Frerard)

Part Twenty-Six

-Gerard's POV-

I know, I know. Why be concerned with the noise downstairs.

In all honesty, I wasn't about to tell Frank, but I was aware that the resident directly below me was Miss Jean Hatherley, who, despite her young spirit, was elderly and fragile. The sound of a possible fall immediately made me worry about her lying helpless on her apartment floor, and I needed to know she was alright.

And so I dragged Frank by the hand out of my home, down the staircase, and to the door on the floor directly below.

I knocked. "Miss Jean? Are you okay in there?"

I felt Frank's hand tense up in mine. "Miss Jean lives here?" His voice oozed worry.

I nodded and knocked a bit harder, but to no avail. I still received no answer. Loud thuds and rustling could be heard from within.

"Gee, do something!" Frank's voice tapered into an unintentional whine of worry.

I quickly pushed open the unlocked door.

The main room was ransacked, a tall bookshelf thrown down, papers scattered all over the floor, things like lamps thrown around and broken.

"Shit" Frank choked.

"Miss Jean!" I yelled, darting into the adjacent rooms. Frank hurriedly did the same.

The whole place had clearly been robbed, but there was no visible sign of the old woman.

"Boys?" I suddenly heard her voice.

"Miss Jean!" I heard Franks scramble back to the main room, as did I. Miss Jean stood in the doorway, unharmed.

"What happened here?" she asked, obviously confused.

"I think you've been robbed, Miss Jean. We came down to check on you since we heard all the banging around and- whoever it was must've gotten out a window or something" I explained, wiping sweat from my face with relief.

"Oh- oh, well this is a shame, isn't it. Did you s-" she stopped short.

"Did we see what?" Frank chimed.

"Oh, nothing, dear." She seemed troubled, but didn't elaborate.

I went to Frank and took his hand.

"Well boys, thank you for being concerned for me. I'll stay downstairs with Gemma until I can get everything fixed up here." Miss Jean scurried out.

----

Back up in my apartment, the robbery downstairs still troubled both of us.

"She seemed too- aware? Just not surprised" Frank observed.

"She definitely wasn't acting like herself" I concurred, sipping the coffee I'd just made.

Frank and I watched the two police cars out my window, watched them talk to Miss Jean and a few other people. The sight of them made me uneasy.

I don't have a very pod relationship with policemen. No, I didn't commit crimes on a regular basis- but I did have two murder attempts under my belt.

Though they knew I was reclusive, I was not naïve enough to believe I wasn't under suspicion for the robbery.

"Gerard? What's wrong?" Frank squeezed my had and I realized I'd been physically frowning.

"Ah, nothing. Just thinking" I lied, turning my gaze back out the window.

One of the cops looked up at the building while leaning on his cruiser. Squinting, I could see his face. My stomach did a backflip as I recognized him- one of the officers that had pulled me away from Mikey years ago.

Looking up at the building.

Up to my window.

Smirking?

Shit.

This definitely didn't bode well for me.