fandom: lockwood & co | characters: anthony lockwood, lucy carlyle, george cubbins, inspector barnes | ship: lucy carlyle/anthony lockwood | trigger warnings: referenced parent death | content: set after the creeping shadow, lockwood has been framed for the murder of his parents | word count: 875
“Ah, good morning Inspector!” Lockwood says cheerily as he opens the door to Inspector Montague Barnes, who looks more somber than usual. “Come in, come in, George will flick the kettle on, won’t you George? Luce, some biscuits?”
Both George and I turn away to heed Lockwood’s order, but turn back when we hear the sharp edge to the Inspector’s voice.
“I’m afraid this isn’t a house call, Mr Lockwood,” he says, the ever present frown on his forehead creasing deeper than usual. “I’m here on business, and I’d rather get the unpleasantness of it all over and done with quickly.”
I see Lockwood’s dazzling smile drop for only a second, but he rearranges his face quickly again. “Of course,” he says. “What is it that we can help you with?”
Barnes rubs a tired hand over his face. George and I glance at each other nervously from behind Lockwood.
Ever since we came back from Aldbury Castle, where we’d destroyed one of the Rotwell Institutes and the Inspector had inconspicuously warned us that we’d gotten ourselves into a bigger mess than we could handle, we’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop. When Penelope Fittes had arrived to more or less threaten us, we thought that had been it.
Apparently that may not have been the case.
“Some evidence has come to light, recently, about your parents' deaths.”
I stiffen, and feel George beside me do the same. This time Lockwood’s smile fades and doesn’t return.
“I’m sorry?” he says quietly. “What sort of evidence? My parents were killed in a car accident before I was five.”
Barnes pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales. “Mr Lockwood,” he says, and I’ve never heard him so defeated before. This wasn’t a “Lockwood and Co have put themselves where they don’t belong” sigh, or a “I’m getting too old for this” sigh. This was a “I really don’t want to do this” sigh. “This will be easier if you cooperate with me.”
“What exactly am I cooperating with, Inspector?” Lockwood asks carefully, still leaning against the doorway. When Barnes removes a set of handcuffs from his belt and holds them up, Lockwood does stand upright, but to his credit, doesn’t back away.
“Anthony Lockwood,” Barnes says gruffly, unwillingly, and my insides go cold, “you are under arrest for the murder of your parents, Celia and Donald Lockwood.”
“He what?” George yelps beside me, and I make a choked noise from the back of my throat. It’s all I can manage. I can’t take my eyes off of Lockwood, who’s skin is pale normally, but who has gone ghostly white.
“What rubbish are you talking Barnes, you can’t-,” George begins furiously, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him surging forward. Lockwood and I make eye contact. Then, slowly, he puts his wrists out for Barnes to cuff. My ever unflappable friend’s hands are shaking. My heart is stuck in my throat and I want to do something, anything - scream at Barnes, dive forward and grab the cuffs off him - but I don’t. I stay stock still, frozen to the spot like I’ve been ghost-locked.
“Lockwood-,” I say, and my voice is trembling.
“It’s alright, Luce,” he says, attempting to give me a wan smile and Barnes cuffs him. “I’ll be alright.” None of his words convince me or even begin to comfort me.
“Inspector,” George says, voice weak. “You know that he couldn’t have - that he wouldn’t have-,”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss Lockwood’s arrest with you, Cubbins,” the Inspector says tiredly.
“But you have to do something,” I burst out, no longer able to keep my rage in, “you know! You know that she’s behind this-,”
“I would advise you to keep quiet about your suspicions, Ms Carlyle,” he says in the same voice he used when he spoke to us in Aldbury Castle. “You never know who might be listening in.” With that, he puts a hand on Lockwood’s shoulder and begins to lead him away. I run forward and come to a halt in front of them. I can see George still standing in the doorway, in shock.
“Lockwood,” I say desperately, ignoring Barnes and looking into my friend’s dull, defeated eyes, usually so full of light and passion. “Don’t - why are you giving in? You never give in,” I choke, my face hot.
Lockwood doesn’t smile. “I don’t know what to do, Luce. I don’t think it’s up to me.”
“Ms Carlyle,” the Inspector says, but I don’t look at him. I can only look at Lockwood, who’s pain that he keeps bottled up inside is being used against him. “You need to move.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, my voice cracking. His face blurs in front of me.
“Oh Lucy,” he says gently, still unsmiling, but his eyes searching mine. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
With that, Barnes begins to lead him away once more, and I remain rooted to the spot, watching the most important person in my life be taken from me. It feels wrong for the sun to be shining, for the birds to be chirping. Lockwood has left Portland Row - the world should have stopped turning in its wake.
DPD investigating officers after video shows alleged excessive use of force
A Bear Hug set them off grabbin guns and tryin to find a way to safely exit this crowd of family who they fucked with wrongly. This man was opening His Own Car. they coulda helped, but they decided to do the fuckery thing.
These cops were so off base. they did all this only to find themselves facing job loss, lawsuits from multiple people and a rep in the hood that might get they asses cancelled on sight. The D don’t play bout this..
“I just don’t understand how the mug shot is there but nothing about that arrest is listed.” To Inika it seemed like an obvious flag to anyone who would want to audit the records that something was amiss. Even if the Yagers had the charges cleared there’d be a paper trail of lawyer bullshit all the way through.
“Well… they do have a couple things.” Levi admitted after a few moments of silent skimming, “There is an assault on an officer here that was eventually dropped.”
“Oh yeah, I... that definitely happened.” Like most things about that day, had she not been staying in his room that night maybe things would have gone a bit differently for both of them. “He.. he had his reasons.”
Victoria pursed her lips as she stared down at the last known picture of Damien Kaminski, sitting at a piano with a nervous smile.
Behind him stood Patton Heart, looking down at Damien proudly.
The picture had been taken a few days before Damien was supposed to go to a piano competition.
A competition that didn't exist.
People should have connected the dots early, but the police's focus was on Roman Sanders and Virgil Meyer.
According to reports from the older Meyer sibling, Kai, Patton was close to the family, and often helped out with the family, as the siblings were on their own.
Virgil was last seen at a house party, that was all creepily recorded, to show the other children attempting to record Virgil and another party member going further than kissing. Luckily, the prank failed, and Virgil was seen on camera running out of the house.
Party guests recounted they had seen Virgil through the window on his phone with somebody, and later getting into a car without hesitation.
Roman Sanders was last seen by a waiter at a small tea shop, where Patton Heart had a small discussion with him.
They later left together, and Roman was reported missing from a book signing two weeks later.
One Logan Crofters mysteriously disappeared from work after taking two weeks of paid leave for a vacation, as did Patton Heart. When they never returned, the school principal reported them both missing.
A few days ago, Logan and Patton were both at Memorial Hospital, Logan with a gunshot wound in his lower chest that was removed by Doctor Barker.
Both Patton and Logan admitted to being married, and eloping together. They are now suspicious of being aliases in this case.
The two disappeared before they could be taken into custody.
"Vickky? I got the records for that summer house for you." Martha says shyly.
Victoria smiles grimly up at her assistant, grabbing the folder from her and opening it.
"Send as many people as possible to this location." Victoria hands Martha the address for Patton's summer house, grabbing her coat and pulling it on as she walks outside. "We know that they're armed, possibly dangerous."
"Yes ma'am." Martha nods, pulling her phone out of her pocket and sending the details to the officers on stand-by.
Soon, sirens were screaming through the air as at least seven police cars sped towards the summer house.
Virgil held a toy up, waving it enticingly as Sela jumped and barked below him. Virgil throws the toy and Sela races after it, almost running into Remus.
Ever since Remus had been brought to the house, and especially after the dinner, Roman and Remus had cut themselves off from Virgil and Damien, and rarely spoke to them unless they knew Patton was watching.
The same went for Logan. He had cut himself off almost entirely after his failed escape attempt.
"Hi Stela baby." Damien coos as the dog trots up to him, rubbing behind her ears.
Logan looks up with a jolt, were sirens getting closer to the house?
Were they being rescued?
Logan tries to lean forward and peer out the window, but the rope binding him to the bed pulls taunt, yanking him backwards.
"Open up!"
Patton's head snaps up at the scream, and the pounding on his door.
Oh no, no, no, no, no...
"Open up or we'll be forced to break down the door!" Victoria yells, her partner Harvey pounding his fist on the door.
Patton nervously opens the door, his eyes wide and panicked.
"Get on your knees and put your hands on your head!" Harvey barks. Patton drops to the floor like a sack of rocks, doing as he's told.
"Wait, wait, wait." Patton babbles as Harvey puts him in hand cuffs, the rest of the police officers beginning to search the house.
Victoria opens the door to Patton's bedroom, and Logan bursts into overjoyed tears.
"You're real...You're really here..." He sobs. "Behind...The b-bookcase. It's a door."
Victoria pulled the bookcase, revealing a long staircase leading down to the basement.
"In here!" She calls.
The rest of the police officers head downstairs, and Victoria unties Logan, noticing the bandages around his entire top half.
"Are you injured?" She asks.
Logan nods tiredly. "Patton's not good at bandaging. So he did it all the way around."
Victoria nods, grabbing Logan's hands and handcuffing this. "You are under arrest until the trial against Patton Heart for suspicions of helping kidnap Roman Sanders, Remus Sanders, Damien Kaminski, and Virgil Meyer."
