100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 197: The Jacksons II

7 Eastbourne Rd.

Levi was already at the door, showing the couple out as fast as the two elder couples physically could. Mrs. Jackson gave Levi a peck on cheek which he wiped with his hand and gave her a forced smile.

Orla rolled her eyes at her son’s antics, then turned to the redhead "Oh, we’ll be here till Wednesday, dear. Before we go would you like to have dinner with us? Just to get to know you a bit more?" Mrs. Jackson asked Sam, filled with hope. Her eyes wide, and from what Levi could tell she was using all her charms just to make the redhead say yes.

Levi looked at Sam and shook his head at her, an action which didn’t go unnoticed by his parents, who were standing right next to him. The couple scowled at their son for half a split second, but they could play this game. So, they smiled at the redhead using all their elderly charms. The slicked blond glared after seeing her slowly melt onto his parents’ spells.

"I’d love to." the redhead replied defeated; she always did have a soft spot for older people. Levi groaned loudly like a child, while the couple high fived in victory.

"Wonderful! We’ll see you then sweetie." Mrs. Jackson said, giving her a motherly hug and a kiss on both cheeks.

Orla leaned towards her son, "She’s lovely." She added, patting him on his arm as the couple walked out the door.

Levi shut the door closed, watching the two get in a car sent by her sister through the window, when the vehicle drove away he turned to the redhead who was collecting the empty cups on the centre table, and he scowled at her. "you just had to say yes." He lectured, flopping down the vacant seat.

"I’m sorry." the redhead apologised. If she was honest, she really could not relate to everyone in the world who are embarrassed with their parents. She didn’t spend enough time with hers to the point that she was fed up with even their mere presence. She missed her parents, and she was actually very envious of what Levi has.

A whole Family.

"You don’t have to go. I’ll tell them you have an urgent case." Sam said, emailing Elle to clear her schedule after 5 PM on Wednesday. Her sudden concealed sullen state didn’t go unnoticed in the watchful eyes of the psychologist. "what now?" He asked, eyes narrowed at her.

Sam looked at him, baffled, "What, what?" She asked.

"You look....sad" he accused the last word sounding with a hint of disgust.

Sam rolled her eyes at his childish antics, "yata-yata-yata, I’m going back to work. See you Saturday." She said, walking out the door. His eyes followed her back as she moved, knowing full well he’d have to join them Wednesday. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He also knew that he’d have to share more personal information with her, one he knew may have crossed her mind already. After all, she was able to recognise that Anna was his sibling just by analysing her bone structure. Eh, reckon she had noticed too, that Orla Jackson is not related to him. His ’father’ though, would be another story to be told.

....

8 PM, Wednesday

Sam stepped out of the car and paused mid-step outside of the restaurant when she noticed the tall sharp-suited blond man standing. Their eyes met, and he approached her, scanning her usually bare face and taking note that she had made an effort to put on makeup and perfume just to satisfy his ’parents’.

"What are you doing here?" the redhead asked, wearing a simple cocktail dress and high cut black leather boots under her trench coat. "Thank you, would suffice." he replied, standing by the door of the restaurant clearly waiting for her.

"Thank you?" She said, unsure; nevertheless, he offered his arm to her, which she took, and the two walked in. They were ushered to their table, where Levi parents were already seated. Pleasantries were exchanged, and the four ate dinner.

Orla turned to face Sam, holding onto the younger woman’s hand on the table tenderly. "Do tell me dear, how you and my dear boy met." she asked, intrigued. She had called Levi many times before when she learned from the internet that she had gotten himself a girlfriend Now, of course, she was slightly disappointed that they had to learn it from a google alert many months ago while they were touring Asia.

Sam eyed Levi, who grunted audibly, "we met at Guy’s, Mrs. Jackson. In the Laboratory." She recalled, still remembering all the times they bumped into each other before they were even formally introduced.

Orla patted Sam’s hand, "Feel free to call me mother, or Ma whichever you prefer, dear." she offered, then turning to her husband seated beside her, "It won’t be long now--we’re finally going to be grandparents!" Her husband was grinning as excitedly as her.

She turned back to face Levi, and Sam seated across them, "We’d been waiting to be grandparents for ages." she confessed, causing Sam’s lips to twitch, both amused and surprised by the confession.

She turned to look at Levi just in time to see the embarrassment flash in his eyes. He turned to look at her, "This is why we shouldn’t have come." he told her, not even bothering to whisper in front of his parents.

"You weren’t forced to come." Sam pointed out, causing Levi to grunt in annoyance while earning an appreciative smile from his parents for sticking out for them.

It was hours later when Levi excused himself to visit the loo after sensing the nearing end of the night. Finally, he thought.

Seeing her son disappear to the loo, she leaned over the table, catching Sam’s attention, "My boy could be difficult" she started, causing her husband to chuckle. They were both aware of how difficult he could be, after all. They had raised him with his sister, decades before, trying to provide what was taken from them all those years.

And although their kids weren’t perfect, flawed. And sometimes clearly so. They were confident; they had raised them well enough to be the complete opposite of the man who initially raised them, their father.

"Be patient, dear. Underneath all that bravado and brattish layers... He is a good man." she continued, hoping the redhead could see that. Sam smiled, "I agree." She replied in a heartbeat.

The blonde smiled widely, enthused. "Wonderful." she said, recognising the glint in the young woman’s eyes. Perhaps, yes, maybe just maybe they really would get those grandchildren soon.

Levi and Sam escorted the couple to their waiting car, Levi refused the ride they offered instantly even before they could finish their sentence, saying they’d rather take a walk when in fact he just wanted to be spared the additional chitchat on the ride back. Goodbyes were made, Best wishes said, and the two were gone.

Levi expelled a sigh of relief seeing the vehicle drive away, "That was tedious." he said, buttoning his coat as the two decided to take a walk in the cold Wednesday evening.

"They’re nice. Your parents." Sam complimented, "Quite normal if you ask me." He commented, although knowing at the back of his mind, normal was precisely what he needed after all those years ago. HIs ordinary parents were precisely what he and Anna required at the time.

"I like them." Sam said, edges of her lips curving upward. "They’re good people." She complimented.

"That they are." he agreed, recalling how his mother, Orla. His adoptive mother instantly took him in her arms when the Gardai dropped him by their doorstep that one wretched evening. How she wiped the blood off his cold cheeks and held his tiny hands, repeatedly saying, "Its okay now, you’re gonna be okay now" the very same words he used to tell himself whenever he dreamed of him.

His birth father.

"What is it?" he asked, noticing the redhead opened her mouth and then decided to close it again during their walk. She wanted to say something but decided otherwise.

Sam sighed, "Your parents.." she trailed, and he nodded, knowing full well where she was heading. "Yes, not our birth parents." he answered, knowing it would lead to more questions.

"My father was a monster, Sam," he said, causing her eyes to widen at his choice of words. They both know their definition of monster weighed more than most people. And the way he said it meant, more.

"Jackson isn’t really my real last name. Same goes with Anna." he said, pausing in the middle of the empty pavement, looking at her under the moonlit sky. "I won’t be surprised if you recognise my father’s name immediately." knowing full well, his father shook the country back in the days. With his brutality. The man who abducted, tortured and killed children in his shed.

"He is after all called the Bogeyman’’ he revealed, causing Sam’s eyes to widen at the revelation. Of course, she had heard that name before, 47 children all under the age of 10 were found buried around his property in the mountains after all. And they knew there were more undiscovered.