I knew you before
Fic: I knew you before
Author: de_cendres
Summary: Based upon my movie synopsis meme. During a murder investigation, PI Patrick Van Zedde (M.Fassbender) goes to a psychiatric center to confront a key witness. While he’s heading for the exit, he comes to meet a young man (J.McAvoy) flanked by two auxiliary nurses and captures his empty stare. His blue eyes seem to be so dead that Patrick is overwhelmed by sadness. Putting his feeling aside, he continues his path. In the following seconds, the young patient freezes and begins to come back, hurrying on Patrick, holding him with despair and whispering nonsensical words. The auxiliary nurses bring him under control and free Patrick. The PI leaves, more troubled than ever. Days pass by but Patrick can’t take this stranger out of his head. Moreover, he starts to make always the same kind of dreams. Dreams where he lives in the nineteenth century a secret and forbidden passion with the young man from the psychiatric center and ending in blood and death. Unable to stand this restlessness, he decides to search after the patient’s identity and is determined to find out if he’s drowning himself in madness or if a previous life may come to haunt him. Haunt both of them.
Note: I just want to thank californiacorps , my beautiful and amazing beta-reader. She started everything. I’ll never stop thanking you, young lady. This is for you.
“Hello everyone.“
“Patrick”, muttered Anna from her desk. “Not everyone here is at their best in the morning.”
Patrick offered her a broad smile before leaving a latté and her favorite muffin next to her computer. He took the opportunity to incidentally sneak his hand through her black short hair and made her hairstyle more chaotic than it already was. Anna made no remark, too mesmerized by the intoxicating aroma of coffee and the moistness of her morning candy. Meanwhile, Patrick kept on greeting his co-workers then his boss, handing out coffees with his natural joy and good mood.
“So what, no muffin for us? ”
“No, John. ”
“That’s discrimination! ”
“No, it’s my banker. “ Patrick replied with spirit and a wink.
Unlike most of his colleagues, Patrick Van Zedde had no sleep disorder. He did not have to drown what he would see daily in the amber-colored mirage of alcohol. He did not have to daze himself with sleeping pills in order to finally find the sleep that could pass by him. He was not scared of the night to come with its haunting demons for one simple reason: he had been doing what he always wanted to do since he was old enough to talk. It was not a family thing. His parents never were distantly related or close to this line of work. It had been ingrained in him since forever. It was what he wanted and nothing on earth would be able to distract him from that. So why fearing what he had always prepared himself to?
« Patrick, Anna. » He jumped slightly when Paul Swanson, his boss, appeared in front of him and beckoned him to join him in his office. The young man exchanged glances with his partner who rolled her eyes and took her coffee with her. She was far more unpleasant in the morning and it was forbidden to have a discussion with her until at least 10 am. If not, all one could receive would have been grunts. He kept the door open so she could enter the office and he could not help but smile when she muttered a vague thank you. It was unusual for her, especially in the morning. She was used to the fact that Patrick was a real gentleman. He closed behind her to protect them from eavesdroppers who would never miss an opportunity to come after a piece of information.
“Sit down.” They obeyed without a second thought and Patrick frowned as Paul passed a hand through his hair and on his face. He took a good peek at the room and realized that the man in his mid-fifties had certainly not gone home to sleep, even for a few hours. Another argument with Ms. Swanson. “Did you find anything on Rice’s case? “
So that was it. Anna and Patrick shared a glance that spoke for themselves and caused a deep sigh from the police Captain. “The prosecutor is getting involved, so do your best to have at least a strong hint by Friday. “The two inspectors simply nodded, aware that it was useless to try and make him see sense or to protest.
The case was named after Belinda Rice, a young arts student, who had been brutally murdered and found in the small forest next to the campus two weeks ago. It looked like she had been killed following a very special ritual, which had put the accident or the emotional murder aside. It had been well thought-out. Since then, a kind of psychosis was settled, especially since the police had not found any suspects or evidence that would have brought them to the murderer yet. Of course, they had many testimonies and some lunatics contacted them, pretending to be the author of the crime. But all of this had led to nothing. And criticisms began to put more and more pressure on them as the fear had spread among families who had their children studying there.
Patrick muffled a yawn as he closed down a file. He was trying to find a past murder that would bear some resemblance with the one which took place on campus. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand laying on his shoulder and raised his face towards his partner who was staring down at his desk. “Do you think the past can help us solving this case? “
He shrugged and fell back against the back of his chair while she took a sit on his desk, facing him. “Why not? We always say that everything is starting over and over again.”
“Yes, we said that about fashion, not for murder. “
He answered her with a smile.
“Ok. Let’s suppose he has committed this kind of murder before, don’t you think that someone, somewhere, would have pointed this information out to us? And why would he have stopped in between? “
“I don’t claim to be able to enter the mind of a killer. “
“Nonsense, you’re a PI, Patrick. It’s our job. “
He shook his head before standing up and coming closer to Anna, he put his hands on the desk, surrounding the young woman who bent her head slightly and raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to open his mouth. Patrick simply smiled for a moment, plunging his gaze in Anna’s until her pupils darken.
“No”, he muttered under his breath, their lips only separated by a few millimeters. “Our job is to catch them and put them in cages.”
“By using the past? “She said as she was approaching her lips so they can brush Patrick’s, causing a slight shiver down his spine.
They had been working together for five years now and the sexual tension between them had never been stronger. Patrick was an attractive man who was well aware of the power he could exercise on women. As for Anna, she was a gorgeous young woman who had all the qualities to attract any man. So why had they always put up with their professional relationship and friendship?
“By using the past if we have to. “He looked her moistening her lips and felt a desire roaring in every inch of his body. He felt the heavy breath of the young woman against his skin, her eyes darkening with desire. He finally closed the gap between their lips, but only to turn at the very last moment to put a tender kiss on her cheek. “See you, tomorrow, Anna. “
“Tease.” She laughed then threw him a paper ball when he shrugged away.
“Patrick.” The young man raised his eyebrows as he entered the office he had just left a few hours ago. There was excitement in the air and an agitation that left no doubt about its origin. Something had happened. And it was no good news.
“Let me remove my jacket, at least. “
After dropping off his raincoat on the coat rack, he approached the center of the room which seemed to be the epicenter of all the activity. He crossed eyes with Anna, who immediately came close to him, clearly not having resent feelings for the last night.
“We have a witness. “
“Reliable? “He frowned when she offered him a dubious grin.
“That’s the problem. “She sighed and scratched her neck. “Claymoore called this morning. “
“Claymoore as institutions Claymoore or Claymoore as a neighbor close to someone who has seen someone? “
“As institutions. “
“Oh. “
“Yes. It’s that sort of reliable. “
“Who is the witness? “
“A young woman who has been found a week ago, wandering and mumbling in the streets. She was covered in blood and had scratches all over her arms and legs which proved she fought back. “
“Paul wants us to go check if it is related. “
“It is related. The blood we found on her… It was Belinda’s.”
Patrick parked his car, grumbling. If there was one thing that could give him a bad mood, it clearly was having to go to a hospital, even more when it was a psychiatric hospital. The director of the institution, however, had been adamant on the subject. He did not want to see any cowboys coming and disturbing the tranquility of his establishment. “Peaceful, yeah, and my ass is made of monkfish,” he muttered as he closed the door with a sharp movement. A scream that looked vaguely like a dog being beaten up was heard and he froze. Why did he have to choose this straw and not the other one? Anna was the best when it comes to see and talk to the witnesses. After all, she was a girl, the witness was a girl, QED. He turned to the imposing building in front of him. With its dark facade and its many windows, it did not inspire confidence and stirred something in him that he could not clearly define, but which definitely made him uncomfortable. In spite of all that Anna could think, Patrick had always been a modern young man, firmly rooted in its time. He was never at ease when he had to visit historical places. For example, as a teenager, he had passed out on the Normandy beaches he was then visiting with his family. And the odd, hurting, feeling that came from the Claymoore institutions felt undoubtedly like back then. But a psychiatric hospital was not meant to exude joie de vivre, was it?