Disclaimer: Not Mine.
Summary: A case stirs up buried memories for Riggs.
o0o
Murtaugh and Riggs stopped at a burger place for lunch about noon. They were hungry but it was also a much needed break from the case they'd been working.
Having started a second day searching for a drug dealer named Bobby Bell, with the street name Blade. Who was their prime suspect in the killing of one of his buyers, Jack Moore. Whose death had left a teenage boy without a father, and a wife without a husband.
What made this case a tough one, was Jack Moore wasn't just a drug addict that put his wife and child through hell with his addiction, he also was a violent man. Murtaugh and Riggs digging through his history had seen the many emergency room visits his wife Julia and son Luke had made over the years, due to that violence.
A warm and breezy day, the partners took their food outdoors. Roger, not even seated before he began telling Riggs about his visit to his son's college. Which quickly led Roger to wondering how R.J. had become a man so fast.
"When Riggs?" Roger questioned, misty eyed.
"Kids grow up," Riggs stated, not good at the emotional stuff.
"You're a lot of help," Roger said, sadly.
"Hey," Riggs softened, offering a suggestion. "What about planning a few things for you and Junior to do together, you know when he comes home on break?"
"Hey, you know thats not a bad idea Riggs."
"Make suggestions, but more importantly be sure to ask R.J. what he'd like to do."
"Treat him like an adult."
"Exactly," Riggs answered, getting up to refill his drink, grabbing Rogers seeing it needed one too. "Remember, you'll always be his Dad, and that makes him one lucky kid."
"Thanks," Roger said, moved by his partners words and the effort made to help him deal with this.
o0o
"Here you go," Riggs said, moments later, placing the refilled cup down in front of his partner. Halting in place when he heard a distant but familiar tune being whistled.
Turning towards the sound, he caught a fleeting glance of a ghost from his past, the long forgotten fear attached to it shooting through his entire body.
"Hey! Hey! Riggs, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Riggs answered, reality settling back in, realizing it had been Roger who did so by grabbing hold of him, trying to get his attention.
"You're shaking," Roger said, holding his partner's wrist, reaching for the other, but Riggs pulled away, sitting back down.
"What the hell happened?" Roger shouted, scared and concerned.
"I'm fine," Riggs assured him. "Low blood sugar. Been cutting back on candy along with the booze, gives me the shakes, sometimes."
Roger didn't have a come back for the amount of bull shit Riggs was shoveling at him. "What were you looking at?" he asked instead.
"I thought I saw someone that was supposed to be locked up for good."
"Okay," Roger said, knowing whoever Riggs saw, it was not some criminal he jailed. Because he saw something in Riggs eyes hes never seen before and that was fear.
o0o
Murtaugh and Riggs spent the afternoon chasing leads that went no where. Anyone who had a connection to Bobby Bell, any place he might have frequented. But Blade aka Bobby Bell seemed to have disappeared and knowing the streets like he did, that wouldn't be hard.
"I'm having trouble figuring out who the hell the criminal is in this scenario," Riggs glanced over at Roger, behind the wheel, as they headed back to the station.
"I'm right there with you partner. I don't get how Moore or any man can do that to his family?"
"Thats because you're a good man Rog."
"He beat her Riggs and gave her a concussion because his dinner wasn't cooked to his specifications," Roger said voice raised in disbelief.
But for Riggs, Roger's voice began to fade as another grew louder.
o0o
Seated at the dinner table with his parents, 8 year old Martin Riggs knew what was coming.
"Did you do this intentionally?" His father angrily accused his Mom.
"Do what?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
"You know dam well, I don't like my meat overcooked."
"It's not overcooked, its how you like it."
"You calling me a liar?" He stood, flipping over the plate forcefully, sending its contents flying.
"No, I'm not!" His Mom answered, crying out, when he yanked her out of the seat by her hair.
"Stop it!" Martin yelled. The words just flew out of his mouth.
"Martin go to your room sweetie. Go to your room," His Mom urged him. Its what she made her son promise to do to protect him from his father.
"No! Hes going to hurt you again," Martin said, angry and scared. "Leave her alone!" he yelled, standing up, his small body shaking uncontrollably.
"Or what? What are you going to do big man?" His father taunted, seemingly amused at his son's first attempt to defend himself and his Mom.
"I'll be fine Martin, just listen to me and go to your room," His mother pleaded.
Martin backed up slowly as his father approached.
Then in a flash, Martin felt big hands grabbing him, the door quickly opening and then being flung out of it, over the steps to the walkway below, hitting the ground hard.
"And no, she won't be fine," he stated, coldly, from the top step, closing the door behind him, locking it.
Martin got himself up, finding it hard to put weight on his right foot, he climbed the few steps and began pounding on the door, his Mom crying out as his father began to hit her.
o0o
"Where did you go?" Roger asked, the look on Riggs face, saying it wasn't good.
"Just trying to figure out where the hell Bobby Bell disappeared to," Riggs covered. "This case bugs me too. The sooner we get done with it the better."
Roger listened, as his partner tossed out a few ideas, long shots at best on how to find their suspect. But he knew what was bugging Martin Riggs had nothing to do with any drug dealer.
o0o
Back at the station, having no new leads, they both worked on their paper work.
"Hey, you want to come have dinner with us tomorrow?" Roger asked. "Trish and I have a school thing tonight?"
"Okay," Riggs answered, without hesitation.
"Okay?"
"Yeah. Why?" Riggs questioned.
"That was uncharacteristically easy!" Roger told him.
"I like being unpredictable." Riggs said, with a mischievous smile.
Roger shook his head. "I didn't even get to pull out the Trish said you better get your ass there because she hasn't seen you in a while, threat."
"Tell Trish I miss her too. How's her new job going?"
"Its keeping her pretty busy."
"That's expected when you first start," Riggs pointed out. "But is it a good fit for Trish?"
"I think so, she does seem happy."
"Good," Riggs stated. "They are lucky to have her."
"Thats what I told her. Hey she is making something new for dinner. A surprise."
"She's a great cook," Riggs praised.
"She is," Roger agreed, looking a little slighted.
"However you are the king of the Barbecue, Roger. A king among Kings."
"Dam right," Roger declared, puffing up, basking in the compliment. "But you sir will have to wait until your next dinner invite for the magic I can do."
"I look forward to it." Riggs chuckled, knowing he was lucky to have Roger as a partner and friend. Even if he didn't always act like it. Roger really was the unrelenting buffer between the insanity in his head and the pain in his heart.
o0o
Roger and Riggs sat in Julia Moore's living room. When they last talked Roger had given Julia his card and told her to call if she came across anything of her late husband's that might help lead them to his killer. While starting to clean out his closet she had found a pair of slacks packed away in a box, and in the pocket an older wallet she'd never seen before, full of business cards.
Julia now handed that wallet to Riggs. "Thank you," he said, taking it. "I'll let you know if anything pans out. Then I'll get this back to you."
"No. Use what you want. Then toss out the wallet and what's left."
Riggs nodded and said he would. "How are you and Luke doing?" He asked.
"Taking it day by day."
Riggs then asked, "Is Luke here?"
"He's in his room."
"Would it be okay if I said a quick hello?"
"Sure. Upstairs second room on the right."
o0o
In the car Murtaugh drove, while Riggs started looking through the cards on the way back to the station.
"Anything yet?" Murtaugh asked.
"You do remember this is a long shot?" Riggs reminded him.
"I know. It's just...what?" Roger got a quick look at his partners face.
"I can't believe it," Riggs said, softly.
"What? Spit it out!"
"There's a business card, with Blade and a phone number written on the back."
"Alright," Murtaugh said, slapping the steering wheel.
"Hey, don't get your hopes up, we don't know yet if its anything," Riggs warned.
"I know. But it could be that thread that unravels everything."
o0o
Riggs made the call to Julia Moore, that they had just picked up Bobby Bell and that he confessed to her husband's murder.
Murtaugh had been right, that one lead on a business card, was like a thread that unraveled. It might have felt more like a maze for Murtaugh and Riggs, spending nearly a day full of endless stops and detours before discovering where Bobby Bell had been hiding out.
o0o
After hugging Trish good night and thanking her for the great meal and company, Roger walked Riggs outdoors.
"Any more ghosts?" Roger asked, stopping in place, at the bottom of the steps.
Martin turned to face him, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm your friend Riggs, I can see you've been struggling with something."
"I'm fine," Riggs gave him the standard answer.
"No, you're not and you don't have to tell me anything. Just know that you can."
"I do know," Riggs acknowledged, admitting Roger was right.
"I don't mean to invade your privacy Riggs. But like with my kids, it hurts to see you suffering. I want to fix it somehow take away the pain. But thats often not possible, but listening is. I'll leave it there. See you tomorrow then, okay?"
Riggs, didn't echo his okay, instead he opened up, surprising himself and Roger.
"My father used to whistle this one tune all the time. I would hear him whistling it coming up the walk way from work, or when he'd get home after drinking. And depending on his day before he'd beat the hell out of me or my Mom."
"Martin, I'm sorry," Roger said, horrified and teary eyed,
"I had it buried, all of it and for good I thought."
"Until this case," Roger said.
"Yes, and Luke."
"That's why you asked to talk to him, isn't it?"
"Yeah, to let Luke know he's not alone, and to call if he needs anything."
"You did a good thing Riggs, helping that boy."
Riggs, emotional and not having the words placed his hand on Roger's chest, where his heart would be, holding it there briefly before letting go with a few gentle pats. "See you tomorrow, Roger," he said, turning to leave.
"See you tomorrow, Riggs," Roger answered, standing there, watching, waiting, until his partner had driven out of view.