Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I do not own. The rest are figments of my imagination.
After finishing the last of his paperwork, Flack headed into the locker-room to get ready to leave work. He was finally able to close a case that had been bothering him for several days and he was taking Angell out to dinner. All in all, it was shaping up to be a great evening. Once done, Flack headed straight for Angell's desk. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. He had been spending a lot of time with Jessica Angell. Long chats over Irish coffee had led to walks in the park and lingering dinners by candlelight. Flack was falling hard for the raven haired beauty, but he still refused to admit it. They were just friends, hanging out and having a fun time.
"Ready to go, Jess?" asked Flack.
"Okay, Missy. I'll see you guys at seven," said Angell, just before hanging up her phone.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were on the phone."
"That's okay."
"So, you ready to go? I picked a little Italian bistro not to far from here. The chicken fettuccine is supposed to be out of this world."
"Ah, Flack about dinner. Something's come up."
"What?"
"My best friend, Missy, is in town for a couple days. Her husband Peter has a business conference to attend. It was a last minute thing. I haven't seen Missy since she moved to Oregon three years ago and she asked if I wanted to meet her and Peter for dinner tonight. They're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Oh okay. We can do Angelino's another night." Flack tried hard to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"Why don't you come with us?"
"That's alright. You go and have fun with your friends. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
Flack nodded. He didn't want to feel like the odd man out.
"If you change your mind, we'll be at O'Malley's." Angell hoped he would change his mind and show up.
oooooOOOOooooo
O'Malley's Pub and Grille fancied itself to be an authentic Irish Pub right down the Guinness on tap and the shamrocks on the cocktail napkins. Angell was currently sitting at the bar having a drink with her friend. Missy stood just about five foot two with short dark hair cut into a chin length bob. She had known Jessica since she was six and her family moved in down in down the street. Growing up the two were inseparable.
"Peter sends his love," said Missy. "He was so wiped out from the conference today, he crashed as soon as he got back to the hotel."
"That's okay."
After several minutes of catching up on what was going on their lives with work and family, the conversation turned to their love lives. Specifically Jessica's, as Missy was already happily married and was four months pregnant with her first child.
"So who's the mystery guy you've been seeing?"
"Mystery guy?"
"The one that's making you glow"
"How do you know I'm not glowing because of work?"
"You're a homicide detective. You deal with dead bodies and murderers all the time," said Missy. "I don't think that puts a glow on your face. Its definitely a guy. Now what's his name?"
Flack's face popped into Angell's head and she couldn't help, but smile. That happened a lot lately whenever she thought of the handsome detective. If she really admitted to herself how she felt about Flack, she would say she was in love with him. However she constantly pushed those feelings away. "I'm not dating anyone, Missy."
"What about your friend, Don? The guy you're always out with."
"I'm not always out with Don."
"Every time I call, you're either heading out to have a drink with him or your coming back from dinner with him. That sounds like dating to me."
"We're just friends. We work together and sometimes we hang out away from work. That's all."
"Thou doth protest to much."
"Okay, maybe I like him, but he sees me as friend."
"Yeah, that's why he always wants to spend time with you. He wouldn't want to spend all of his free time with you if he didn't like you as more than a friend."
Angell didn't know what to say to that. Did Don see her as a friend or something more? She knew she wanted him to see her as something more.
"Speaking of guys, don't look now, but that guy at the end of the bar has been checking you out for the past five minutes," said Missy.
Angell did a quick glance and saw a tall guy with light brown hair that was almost to his shoulders. There was something about him that immediately set the detective on edge.
"What did I say about looking?"
"Why did you point him out then?"
"He's coming this way."
Suddenly the guy was standing in front of Jess and Missy. "Ladies, can I buy you a drink?"
"That's okay," said Jess. She really didn't care to have a drink with the man.
"Come on what's one drink?" prodded the guy.
Missy gave her friend a nudge and whispered "Its just a drink. What's the harm?""
"One drink," muttered Angell.
"We'd love to have a drink with you," said Missy. "I'm Missy and this is Jess."
"I'm Joe. So what would you ladies like?"
"Ginger ale for me."
"Ginger ale?" Joe quirked his eyebrow up. "Are you the designated driver?"
"Actually, I'm the designated mommy to be," said Missy with a smile.
I bet the daddy to be wouldn't be happy that you're having a drink with a strange and creepy guy you just met, thought Angell. God, I have got to get my mind off of work. Not every guy I meet is a criminal. However she couldn't help, but think I gave up dinner with Flack for this. "I'll have a Guinness."
Joe couldn't believe his luck. He had been scouring the bar for a while looking for someone to entertain himself with. The pickings were slim then she walked in the bar. He knew as soon as he saw her she was the one. He had to have her. Now to figure out a way to get her friend to leave.
oooooOOOOooooo
Don Flack was bored out of his mind. One hundred and two channels and nothing on. After spending a good half hour channel surfing and picking at some left over Chinese food, he threw the remote down in disgust. He was supposed to be out with Angell right now. Instead he was at home going stir crazy. He could have taken Angell up on her offer and joined her, but he would have felt out of place. They would probably be spending the whole time catching up and talking about people they know, but he would have no clue who they were. There would be inside jokes he wouldn't get. So instead he was sitting at home bored. What was he thinking? Getting up off the sofa, Flack grabbed his coat and headed towards the door.
oooooOOOOooooo
No sooner had the bartender served them their drinks then Joe knocked over Angell's purse sending all of the contents to the floor. Both she and Missy were too busy picking up the contents to notice Joe pouring a white powder into one of the drinks.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. I can be such a clumsy idiot sometimes. I can't believe I did that. I'm sorry," babbled Joe.
"It's okay," said Angell. "It was an accident."
"Okay." Joe picked up his drink. "Let's make a toast. To new friends and to a new baby."
After clinking glasses, Angell practically guzzled her drink. The sooner she finished, the sooner she and Missy could get away from creepy Joe. Her initial feelings about him had yet to change. As she swallowed, Angell couldn't help, but notice that her drink tasted strange. "This tastes funny."
After a few minutes, Angell was beginning to feel light-headed. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"How about another round?" asked Joe.
"I don't know. I think maybe we should get going," said Missy. "What do you think, Jess?"
Angell was feeling even more lightheaded than before, but it felt good like she was floating on a cloud. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. "One more drink, then we go."
Missy couldn't help, but notice that her friend looked a little out of it. She was even swaying a little. She couldn't remember Jess being such a lightweight with alcohol. "Jess, I don't think that's a good idea."
"Come on Missy, its just one more drink." Joe signaled the bartender for another round.
"Yeah Missy, don't be a spoiled spot, I mean a spot spoiled," said Jess with a giggle.
Joe gave a little chuckle. "I think you mean spoiled sport, sweetie. And yeah Missy don't be one."
Missy just glared at Joe. "I'm tired and you're drunk. We're gonna leave now."
"Missy, if you're tired, you can leave and I'll see to it that Jess gets home safe," suggested Joe as he signaled for another round.
There's no way in hell I'm leaving Jess with you, thought Missy.
"Yeah Missy, go home. Patrick's waiting for you." Angell was more out of it, but she didn't even realize it.
"Yeah Missy, Patrick's waiting for you." Joe parroted Angell's words.
"It's Peter!" Missy was beginning to worry about how she was going to get her friend out of the bar. She had never seen her friend act this way before and it was beginning to unnerve her. Jess had only drunk a couple of beers. She was way too out of if for a couple of beers.
As Missy was distracted with Madison, Joe slipped more of the white powder into Jess' drink right after the bartender set it down.
oooooOOOOooooo
God, I hope I'm not intruding, thought Flack as he walked through the front door of O'Malley's. He was also hoping that they hadn't left yet. Once inside, he immediately spotted Angell at the bar. She was sitting with a man and woman who he assumed were her friends. He smiled to himself and headed over.
Angell spotted Flack heading her way and began frantically waving. "Donnie, over here, Donnie."
Donnie, what the hell? Since when does Jess call me Donnie. She hardly even calls me Don.
"Donnie, you came! You said your weren't coming, but you came. I'm so happy." Jess tried to stand and nearly fell over. Joe's hand around her waist steadied her.
She's drunk, thought Flack with a scowl. He used to date a girl who liked to drink a lot. On more then one occasion he had to carry her out of a party as she was to drunk to stand up, let alone walk. Ever since, Flack swore he would never date another girl like that again. He was going to be seriously disappointed if Angell was one of those girls.
"Donnie, this is my friend Missy," Angell pointed to her friend.
Thank God, thought Missy. Something was not right with the current situation and she was beginning to think it had to do with Joe. Don was a cop, he would know what to do.
"You must be Peter," said Flack to Joe who still had his hand around Angell's waist.
"No silly. He's not Peter. He's Joe. He's my new friend. He bought me this drink." Angell picked up her glass. "I like this drink. Maybe you should have some." Angell held it out to Flack.
"No baby, I don't think he wants your drink." Joe took the drink from Angell's hand and set it on the bar.
"How much has she had to drink?" Flack asked Missy, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
"Two beers," answered Missy.
Two beers? There's no way she could be acting this way from a couple of beers. Flack leaned in close to Jess and got a good look at her. He could tell that there was something wrong with her. Her pupils were blown wide and her face was flushed. If he didn't know any better he would say that Angell was high. Except she didn't do drugs. What the hell is going on?
Flack pulled Missy aside. Since she was sober, he hoped she could fill him in on what was going on. After hearing about Joe knocking over Jess' purse and her drink tasting funny and the way Jess was acting, Flack realized that her drink must have been drugged.
oooooOOOOooooo
With Flack distracted talking to Missy, Joe decided to use it to his advantage. Leaning over, he whispered in Jess' ear. "Hey baby, what do you say we leave the two party poopers here and go have our own fun?"
"I don't wanna leave. I like this place. They make good drinks." Angell grabbed her beer and started chugging it.
"Slow down, baby," said Joe. "If you like that, I can get you something much better. Its back at my place. But we have to leave quick."
Moving his arm from around Angell's waist, Joe grabbed Angell's arm and started to pull her towards the exit.
"Wait, we should say goodbye to Donnie and Missy and Donnie and Missy. And where's Peter?" Jess tried to pull away from Joe, but he held tight.
Joe gave chuckle. Oh yeah, his plan was working perfectly. Jess was his for the taking. "Baby, we don't have time for goodbyes."
oooooOOOOooooo
A white hot fury was running through Don's veins and he wanted to pummel Joe's face. His anger turned to pure fear the moment he turned around and saw that Jess was gone, along with Joe. "Oh God! Where's Jess?"
More to Come
Thank you for reading! Reviews are always greatly appreciated! Please let me know what you think.