Law and Order: Criminal Intent

High Maintenance

Chapter One

Nightmares

Alexandra Eames stood in front of the bathroom mirror quietly studying her reflection. Her skin looked slightly paler than normal and dark circles started to settle under her eyes. She woke ten minutes earlier, screaming from a nightmare she could not remember. It was the fourth one in as many nights, though the first to cause such a reaction. Sighing, Alex turned on the faucet and splashed cold water over her face. She leaned over, bracing her arms on either side of the sink as the water dripped from her cheeks and forehead. Her mind still clouded with fear and fog.

Slipping the strap of her tank top over her shoulder, Alex carefully fingered the red mark under her collarbone. Three similar marks had appeared over the last three days: one on her left arm just above her elbow, one above her left knee and the other on her right side. She could not explain the origin of the marks, remembering only the sharp pain that accompanied each after waking from her nightmares.

Alex mentally chastised herself for allowing the nightmares to affect her so strongly. Being a detective for New York's Major Case Squad, she had experienced far worse things than a trivial bad dream. Her latest case involved the gruesome murder of Mr. and Mrs. Waterton and their three small children. As a good detective, Alex carried the ability to separate herself from a good portion of the all-consuming emotions sired by such a case. This trait was important in maintaining a clear and focused mind throughout an investigation. Surely, she could retain this through her nightmares.

Alex looked to her side where her cell phone laid on the bathroom counter. Seeing the time on the small display, she smirked and grabbed the phone.

"Any second now," she chided. As if on cue, the phone buzzed in her hands. "Eames."

"It's eight-thirty. Do you know where my partner is?" Alex could hear the smile in the chipper voice on the other end of the line.

"Can it, Goren." She was in no mood for chipper.

"Good morning to you, too," Goren laughed. "Where are you?"

"Home. I just woke up." Alex opened the closet and grabbed towel.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah. I forgot to set my alarm." Truth told she slept through the alarm, drowning in the nightmare. "I'll be there in about an hour."

"An hour? You live forty minutes away. Don't you need more time to get ready?"

"I'm a low maintenance gal, Bobby." Alex hung the towel over the shower curtain rod and returned to the mirror. "Anyway, I'll be in soon. And I'll bring coffee."

"Good. I've been waiting since seven o'clock for some good caffeine. You know how the coffee here can be…well…"

"Yeah." Alex smiled and ended the call. Her smile quickly faded as she again stared at her reflection. The mark by her collarbone, still painful, was now starting to burn. Turning on the shower, Alex discarded her clothing and started what already felt like a long day.

0-0-0-0

Detective Robert Goren tapped his pen on the desk as he reviewed the latest case's paperwork. It always bothered him to have the hard work and emotion of a case trivialized in black and white. He would ensure the Is were dotted and the Ts were crossed. Yet in the end, no one would know the whole story. No one would know of the victim's last moment of life or of the family's sadness and healing. No one would know of the long, twisted and perverse line that led the detectives from point a to point b.

Goren signed his name with a sigh and neatly assembled the papers. He positioned a paper clip over the top left corner and slipped the stack into a manila folder. The folder would go to his captain for review and then join hundreds of other manila folders in a congested system of filing cabinets.

Looking across his desk, Goren stared at his partner's empty chair. Early in their partnership, Eames told him that being tired and somewhat distracted was normal. She was, after all, female and entitled to a few days of such. Understanding, Goren learned to deal with those days as they arrived.

However, Eames' behavior over the previous days was not her norm. He could tell from the pallor of her skin and by her slightly blood shot eyes that she was not sleeping well, if at all. Eames had become increasingly detached from the job in the last two days of closing their case. The talks they commonly shared to lead them to the light bulb moment of detective work were non-existent. Her dry sense of humor waned as well.

A straight-faced, non-argumentative Alexandra Eames was not his Alexandra Eames.

Goren's curiosity was peeked further with Eames' tardiness. She never missed a day of work, save the time she was on maternity leave. Even through the worst of the cold and flu season, the horrible snow-laden Northeastern winters and a handful of hangovers to which she would not admit, Eames was never late.

Rising from his chair, Goren grabbed the manila folder and proceeded to the captain's office. Though the door was open, Goren rapped lightly on the frame waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in, Detective. What can I do for you?" Captain Ross folded his hands and leaned his elbows on the desk.

"I have the Waterton report for you." Goren approached the desk and handed the folder to Ross. "It needs Eames' signature, but it's finished otherwise." Ross skimmed over the report as he settled it on the desk.

"Speaking of Eames, where the hell is your partner?" Ross' gaze shifted to meet the detective's eyes. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Goren gathered that Eames had not called to inform the captain of her hold-up.

"She's on her—" Goren stopped short as he heard the chirp of his cell phone. "Excuse me." He reached into his pocket and removed the phone, looking to Ross as he pointed to the phone's display. "It's Eames." Ross nodded for Goren to answer the call.

"Bobby, it's me. Could you…uh, could you pick me up?" Goren noted the agitation in Eames' voice and the rustling in the background.

"I can. It's going to cost you a donut though."

"That's all it takes? You are going to pick me up more often. Imagine the money I could save not having to fill my gas tank."

"Enough to buy me two donuts." Goren paused. "Is something wrong with your car?"

"Well, if not being able to find my car keys counts, then, yes, something is wrong with my car."

"Don't you have a spare set?"

"Yep. That would be the set you have."

"Oh." Goren reached into his pocket and grabbed his key ring. Fingering through the collection, he found Eames' spare car and apartment keys. "Okay. I'll be there in a…" Turning his back to Ross, Goren spoke softly. "Eames, are you sure everything is all right?"

"Yes, Bobby." Goren heard Eames take and release a deep breath. "I'm sure I just misplaced my keys. I can look for them after work tonight."

"All right." Goren closed the phone. He watched as the display flashed 'call ended' then returned to bare the time.

"Is everything all right, Detective?"

"I think so. Eames needs a ride," Goren answered. He ran a hand through his hair as he turned back to Ross. "I'm not sure. Captain, Eames has been…well…She hasn't been herself lately."

"I've noticed," Ross replied nodding slowly. "Do you know what's going on?"

"No. I don't believe she's been sleeping well and she has been…indifferent to-to just about everything the last few days. I would like to convince her to take a few days off. She has some time coming," Goren offered.

"I can't force it, you know that. Unless she becomes a threat to a case or endangers her life or that of another officer…" Captain Ross studied his detective carefully. "If you can get her to agree, I'll approve her time off."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Now, get out of here and pick up your partner." Goren nodded as Ross waved him towards the door. "Oh, and Goren?"

"Yes, Sir?" he asked turning back.

"Tell her she owes me a donut, too."