A/N: This story takes place after 5.14 Rush to Judgment It's not set in my Flack Angell series.
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I don't own. The rest are figments of my imagination.
It had been a long week for Detective Jessica Angell. It started off with a murder investigation involving two rival drug dealers. A drive-by shooting had left an innocent bystander in a wheelchair for life. Then Jess had gotten food poisoning which laid her up for three days and Flack had to continue the investigation without her. It was then that things went from bad to worse.
Flack had gotten a search warrant for one of the drug dealers' apartments. In the bedroom he found ten kilos of cocaine. More than enough to put the guy away for a long time. The only problem was that there were no fingerprints on the package other than Flack's. The defense attorney was arguing that the detective had planted the cocaine under the bed.
Currently Jess was sitting in the office of Phil Lane, the officer in charge of the investigation into charges of planting evidence. Phil stood about six foot two, with a slight beer belly and receding hairline. His light brown hair had flecks of gray through out it. Jess couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about this man that set her on edge.
"Detective Angell," said the IAB officer. "I suppose you know why you're here."
"I'm assuming this is about the charges against Detective Flack," said Jess. "He didn't do it."
"You weren't there so you can't say for certain that he didn't plant the cocaine under the bed."
"I know Don. He'd never plant evidence. Never."
"You know, it's two time in less than three months that IAB has investigated your boyfriend."
Angell bristled at the way that Phil emphasized the word boyfriend.
"It seems to me that your involvement with him could have a negative effect on your career."
"Who I date is none of IAB's concern."
"Oh, but it is," said Phil. "I'd hate to see a good cop dragged down by who she associates with."
"Don Flack is a good cop."
Phil moved to closer to Jess. He was now in front of his desk half perched on it. "I don't doubt that, but an accusation of planting evidence can't be ignored."
Jess knew it couldn't be, but she fully expected that once the investigation was over Flack would be cleared. She wasn't quite sure why she was called into IAB. She had started off the investigation with Flack, but was out sick for the rest of it.
Phil leaned over and brushed his arm gently down Angell's shoulder. "You know, I can definitely see what Flack sees in you."
Angell pushed her chair back to get farther away from Phil. This conversation had suddenly take an uncomfortable turn.
"Jessica, I don't want to have to file formal charges against Don. He's a good cop, but I have to do my job. Unless..." Phil trailed off.
"Unless what?"
"Unless you'd be willing to work out a deal."
"What kind of deal?" Jess wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer.
"You meet me at my apartment Friday night."
"What?"
"Friday night, eight o'clock, my apartment."
Angell felt sick to her stomach. "And if I don't go to your apartment?"
"Let's just say that Flack should be exploring other job options."
"No way. I'm not gonna sleep with you."
"Well then I guess Flack can kiss his pension bye bye."
"I'm not going to let you get away with this!" growled Jess.
"What are you going to report me? Who's going to believe you? You'll just be a woman trying to help her boyfriend get away with what he did. Your career will be over."
Jess needed to get out of there fast. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she couldn't take another minute in the same room with Phil. She was halfway to the door when she felt Phil's strong grip on her right bicep yanking her back towards him.
"You want to commit career suicide, you go right ahead, but if you want to help yourself and your boyfriend, you'll be at my apartment Friday night." Phil pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and pushed it into Angell's hand.
Fighting to control her anger, Jess wrenched her arm from Phil's grip and ran out of his office.
oooooOOOOooooo
Once back at her apartment, Jess finally let everything out. Grabbing a mug off the counter, she hurled it at the wall, watching as it shattered. There was no way she was going to sleep with Phil. Just thinking about it made her feel sick to her stomach and there was no way she would betray Don. She thought about reporting him, but knew it would be his word over hers. And with the fact that he was a well respected cop, chances were slim that anyone would believe her. She didn't know what to do, but she had three days to figure something out because there was no way she giving up her career with out a fight.
After standing there for awhile, Jess moved to clean up the shards from the shattered mug. Then she decided to get a shower as she felt dirty from Phil's touch. After grabbing some clean towels, she made her into the bathroom. She gave a small gasp when she saw the bruise on her arm. It was shaped like a hand print and she could make out individual finger marks.
oooooOOOOooooo
It was just after eight when there was a knock on Angell's door. Opening it up she saw Flack standing there holding a bag of take out.
"Hey, baby." Flack leaned in gave Jess a kiss. He couldn't help, but notice it was rather one-sided. "You feeling okay?"
"I'm fine," lied Angell. She wasn't ready to tell Don what happened knowing how angry it would make him.
"Well, I hope you're up for some soup cause I got your favorite from Rosenberg's deli."
Ten minutes later, Don and Jess were spread out on the sofa eating soup and watching a movie.
Don couldn't help, but notice how quiet his girlfriend was. He hoped that she wasn't still worried about the planting evidence case because it was nothing, but a lawyer blowing smoke to get his client off. He was sure that the he would be cleared. The fact that he hadn't been put in desk duty showed that the higher ups didn't really believe the charges. Placing his arm around her, Don tried to move Jess closer.
"Ow!" cried Jess as Don hand came into contact with her bruised bicep.
"What's wrong?" asked Flack, voice thick with concern.
"It's nothing. I just bruised my arm."
"What happened?"
"It's nothing," said Jess, not wanting to lie to flack again, but unable to tell him how she got the bruise.
I'll be the judge of that, thought Flack. "Let me just take a look at it."
Before Jess could protest, Flack gently pulled down her cardigan sweater revealing the hand print shaped bruise on her arm. "What the hell?"
"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt that much."
"Jess, that's a hand print. Who did that?"
Jess remained silent not sure of what to say.
"Jess, who put their hands on you?" Don was seeing red at the thought of someone hurting the woman he loved.
Jess thought about lying and saying that a suspect had grabbed her arm, but was sure Don would see right through that.
"Jess..."
"Phil Lane."
"The IAB guy?" Don was perplexed. "What was he doing with his hand on you?"
No longer able to hold it in, Jess told Don everything that had transpired earlier in the day.
"That bastard. I'm gonna kill him." Don was furious. Who did this guy think he was messing with Jess like that? "You're not dong it, Jess. You're not sleeping with that bastard!"
"I wasn't planning on it."
"I know that, baby." Gently Don pulled Jess close to him. "Why didn't you tell me what happened?"
"I was afraid you'd be mad and try to kill him."
"Well I want to kill him, but I'm not going to. You, however, are going to report him."
"It will be my word against his and who do you think they'll believe, a cop with more than twenty-five years on the force or a detective whose boyfriend is being investigated for planting evidence."
Flack swore under his breath. "Well, we'll think of something because that jerk is not going to get away with this."
That evening Jess fell into an uneasy sleep; the usual comfort that Don's arms around her usually provided was not there.
More to Come
Thank you for reading! Reviews are always greatly appreciated! Please let me know what you think.