Disclaimer: Of course I don't own the characters, just taking them out for a spin.
Cindy walked up behind Claire and Jill standing near the railing that overlooked the homicide unit. "So we ready for dinner?" She asked as her friends turned to greet her.
"We are but it looks like Lindsay may be out," Jill motioned below them. "She's bringing Rachel Dawson's boyfriend in for questioning on her disappearance."
Cindy moved to the rail, "does she think he had something to do with..." she broke off when she saw Lindsay escorting a tall dark haired man towards the interrogation room. Claire and Jill both noticed how she tensed at seeing him, gripping the rail so tightly that her knuckles whitened.
"Are you okay?" Claire asked as she placed her hand on Cindy's. When she got no response she just looked back to the man.
As if the man could feel eyes burning holes through his skull he glanced around, finally making eye contact with Cindy. He watched her for a few seconds before giving her a knowing, and somewhat creepy, smile. Lindsay, noticing this strange interaction, ushered the man into the interrogation room and looked questioningly up at her friends.
"I have to go," was all Cindy managed as she turned and walked away. Leaving her friends to just stare at each other in utter confusion. When Lindsay finally went to question the boyfriend Jill turned to Claire, "I'll go," and she went out to find Cindy. Once outside she saw Cindy at the bottom of the steps having an argument on her cell phone. As Jill walked up behind her she heard Cindy say, no Mickey you stay home. Don't worry about it, I'll see he's taken care of this time. She ended her call and turned to go back inside when she ran into Jill. "What are you doing?" Cindy asked angrily as she tried to brush past.
Slightly taken aback by her tone Jill reached out and grabbed her arm, "hey. That guy seemed to upset you and I wanted to make sure you're okay." When she realized that Cindy was not calming she let go of her arm. "Are you going to tell me who he is? And why you need to take care of him?"
"What? Were you listening to me?"
"You weren't exactly whispering. So?"
"Look, he's just someone I knew a long time ago. And if he has a missing girlfriend there's a good chance he's involved, I just want to make sure he gets caught. Okay?"
"There's more that you aren't telling me," Jill glanced over Cindy toward the steps, "maybe you'll tell Lindsay."
Cindy turned to see Lindsay and Claire walking towards them, then she did a quick scan of the steps. She saw the young man was also leaving the building walking down the other side of the steps. Once again as if he knew she was there he stopped to look giving her a quick wave before he headed up the block away from them. "Where the hell is he going?" She asked Lindsay.
Surprised by the question, and the tone with which it was delivered, Lindsay responded, "it was just a questioning. There's no reason to hold him."
Cindy could see the confusion in the three pairs of eyes that studied her, waiting for some clarification for her uncharacteristic behavior. But she was not in the mood for explanations. "I have to go," she said as she backed away.
"What?" Lindsay made a move to stop her but Claire grabbed her arm.
"Let her go, she'll tell us what's bothering her when she is ready." After Cindy turned the corner Claire continued. "Okay, now tell us who this guy is."
Lindsay waited until they were seated in their booth before she filled them in on her earlier interview. "The guy's name is Eric Milton and he has been dating Rachel for a few months now."
"Do you think he had something to do with her disappearance?" Claire asked
"He came in voluntarily, the girl's parents love him, her friends say he's great to her. I honestly just asked him in for some background information, hell I don't even know if there is a disappearance. He said they had an argument and he thinks she just went away for a few days to sulk." Lindsay said as her frustration with the whole situation seeped through.
"Speaking of that, why are you even on this case?" Jill asked.
"The girl's father is a friend of the chief. So he says 'jump' I say 'off which bridge'."
"Given Cindy's reaction to this Milton guy, you going to look into him?" Claire asked.
"That was weird right?" Jill and Claire both just nodded, "What did she say when you caught up with her outside." Lindsay asked Jill.
"She was on the phone fighting with some guy named Mickey and then she said..." Jill trailed off not sure if she should finish her thought eventually cracking under Lindsay's glare. "She said don't worry I'll see he's taken care of this time." Jill finished in an almost whisper.
"This time? There was another time?" Claire's confusion turned to concern as she looked between her two friends. "Did she say anything else?"
"Just that he was someone she used to know and if he has a missing girlfriend that he is probably involved."
"Well after Cindy's outburst I asked Jacobi to do some digging on the guy." Lindsay stated as their dinners arrived, they sat and ate and made small talk but they all clearly had their minds elsewhere.