A/N Thanks to Shergar for checking this story over for me.
Disclaimer
I do not profit from the characters from "The Streets of San Francisco" I am not the creator of the series, that is Quinn Martin.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
When Mike Stone arrived back at Bryant Street after having to question some witnesses the day was turning to dusk. His return to Bryant Street started off with a very loud bang for Mike Stone in the form of Captain Rudy Olsen. He had arrived back at work in a very mellow mood along with his partner Inspector Steve Keller. Not ten minutes after his arrival at Bryant Street and homicide squad room he received word he was wanted in Olsen's office.
Not expecting any trouble he went there in the same mellow mood and curious as to Olsen's reason for requesting his presence. Well the mellow mood and the curiousity lasted only until he heard what Olsen wanted to talk to him about.
Mike saw that Captain Olsen's office looked almost like an earthquake and tornado had hit or possibly someone had ransacked Captain Olsen's office.
"Rudy, what in the world happened here?!"Mike inquired incredulously.
"Well, you are a detective! What does it look like?!" Olsen snapped perturbed.
"I was thinking either a quake and tornado both hit or someone ransacked your office." Mike responded calmly.
"Right on your second guess. I ransacked it. Any more questions, Michael?!" Olsen spoke testily.
Mike knew he would probably regret asking, but he found that he did have other questions. He gave Olsen a minute before going ahead with his next question as he sat down in the chair in front of Olsen's desk.
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I am afraid I do have another question. What are you looking for? Your tone and the disarray of this office indicated you have lost something." Mike spoke trying to exude calm.
"Your partner the one you refer to as the boy wonder was supposed to have delivered three reports up here. They were due to me three days ago, I have yet to find them. When I asked him about them he claimed he had brought them up. If he did where are they?! I know you think the world of that boy, Michael, but just because he is your pride and joy does not mean he should get by with not following through on his job!" Olsen barked furiously.
"I will go speak with him, Rudy. I am sure there is a perfectly simple explanation for all of this. I will get to the bottom of it, I promise you." Mike stated emphatically.
Mike left hurriedly noticing that Olsen's secretary was not at her desk and wondered if she had fled to the lady's room to escape the tirade her boss was making. He hurried back to homiicide and was stopped by Bill Tanner as he came in.
"Mike, I have to head home a bit early if that is okay with you. My wife needs to go to the doctor and I promised I would go with her. We have a sitter for the kids just she is a bit worried about this visit. If it is not okay, I will tell her to ask her sister to go with her this time." Bill Tanner asked respectfully.
"No, that is fine you go with your wife, Bill. I hope everything is okay." Mike spoke genuinely concerned.
"Thanks, so do I. Thanks again." Bill Tanner exclaimed gratefully.
Mike continued to his office and at the door he turned toward Steve's desk and made a slight hand motion that he was to join him. Steve got up and headed into Mike's office wondering what was up. Mike had him close the door and sit down he watched Mike and waited.
"What's wrong, Mike? You look like you are about ready to choke someone." Steve said not realizing how close to the truth his words were.
"Steve, I pride myself on knowing that my men know their jobs and can and will do them when I am not here looking over their shoulders. There seemed to be some reports you were to have taken to Rudy three days ago that he said never got there. Do you have any explanation for this?" Mike asked a bit heatedly.
"Mike, I promise I did those reports and I did deliver them to his office. He was not there when I took them. I had to leave them with his secretary as they were cleaning his office." Steve spoke truthfully.
"Come on, I will go with you up to his office. He is fit to be tied." Mike stated seriously.
They both went to Olsen's office and when Olsen saw Steve he got very red in the face. Steve honestly thought he was about to have a heart attack right there and when he was able to speak Steve knew he was in trouble.
"KELLER! I DEMAND YOU TELL ME WHY YOU HAVE NOT TURNED IN THOSE REPORTS YET?!" Olsen bellowed at Steve.
"Sir, I finished them and brought them up here, I swear! I..." Steve was interrupted by Mike.
"Hold it now Rudy. I spoke to the boy downstairs and he told me the truth. He came to bring them to you but you were gone. He left them with your secretary as there were cleaners in your office at the time." Mike defended Steve. "He has never lied to me, not once since he has started. Granted he might have only been with me less than a year but I trust him completely. Now we need to ask your secretary where Steve's reports were put I would think is the next step."
Just then the phone rang on Olsen's desk Olsen was glaring at Steve and almost didn't answer it. When he finally did pick it up he was told some information by the caller that caused him some embarrassment after his tirade against Steve. The caller was Olsen's secretary.
"Rudy, it completely slipped my mind and I am very sorry. Inspector Keller had brought up some reports for you a few days back and they are in my lower right hand desk drawer. I did not want to chance anyone looking into them that was not authorized. I just now remembered and thought I had better call you as I knew you had expected them." Olsen's secretary announced apologetically.
"Oh, well that is quite alright you had a lot on your mind with your mother's heart attack. Don't give it another thought thank you for calling and letting me know. I appreciate it." Olsen spoke as lowly as he could and then hung up after the good byes." Well, looks like you were being truthful, she had put them in her lower right hand desk drawer. Thank you for bringing them up here. You can go back to work now."
Steve looked at Mike and then left. Mike and Olsen retrieved the reports from the desk drawer and Mike seeing Olsen's embarrassment decided to leave it alone right now. He knew later though he was going to have to talk to Olsen about his false accusation and owing Steve an apology. Although he knew the chances of Rudy Olsen apologizing to anyone was a snowball's chance in hell. He left and caught up with Steve at the elevator and seeing they were alone in the elevator he spoke quietly and apologetically.
"Buddy Boy, I am sorry you were falsely accused. Not only by Rudy, but in a way by myself. I hope in time you can try to understand he was just under pressure." Mke explained quietly.
"Sure, Mike. I understand no worries." Steve reassured him calmly but feeling a bit miffed as well.
As they got back to homicide the phone was ringing in Mike's office and he hurried to answer it. The caller on the other end sent a broad grin across his face and Steve seeing the grin knew it was Mike's daughter, Jeannie. He too smiled as he had enjoyed the times he spent at their home with both of them.
"Listen, I think tonight Steve could use a home cooked meal. We should be there within thalf an hour. No, I will explain all of it to you later. I love you too sweetheart. Okay, I will tell him. See you soon." Mike responded before hanging up and going to Steve's desk. "Come on, buddy boy we are going to the house ourselves. Jeannie has dinner almost ready for us. And don't think you are getting out of coming to eat with us, she specifically said you owe her a Twister rematch."
"Oh, man, I was hoping she would forget about that!" Steve exclaimed grudgingly. "I can't make it tonight thanks but really it has been a long day. I just want to go forget the storm we just had tell Jeannie thanks but maybe another time."
"Buddy boy I am not brave enough to tell my daughter that the young man she is making googly eyes at would not come home to eat her cooking. And I know you aren't so..."
"Alright Mike you win, let's go have some fun for a bit. Maybe Jeannie can help with my mood."
"That's the spirit and I am sure she can. That is, within reason." Mike reminded his handsome young partner.
Soon they were on their way to Mike's for an evening of escape...