Between Betrayal and Friendship
Author's note: I do not own any LOCI characters. Dick Wolf owns them and I thank him very much for making them so very entertaining.
Elizabeth Rodgers watched Captain Danny Ross walk out of the morgue. The sadness that enveloped him was palpable. Giving the results of Judge Feld's autopsy to the captain and his detectives had been difficult. She knew that Kathy Jarrowwas a close friend of his; that she had once been more than a close friend. She knew the implications of the results of this autopsy. It was unlikely that the judge would have taken V-Boost, knowing the risks it would involve because of his high blood pressure. Yet there was three times the normal dose in his system at the time of his death. While she usually reported findings and left the speculation of what it meant to the detectives, it didn't take extraordinary intuitive skills to realize that the judge had been murdered.
She watched the captain's face as Goren and Eames laid out their theory that Kathy had spiked her husband's morning coffee with the V-Boost, knowing that he was meeting with two male prostitutes, knowing that he would die while he was with them. She saw him flinch almost imperceptibly at her own comment that the toxicology report would have raised a red flag if an autopsy had been done, as he realized he had unwittingly helped to cover up a murder. His silence was painful as the detectives waited for his reaction. She had never seen him at a loss for words or unsure of the next step to be taken or the next order to be given.
Finally Goren broke the deafening silence with a one-word question, "Captain?" Danny told his detectives to check Kathy's cell phone records and GPS, and then he walked out of the morgue without another word. Elizabeth was tempted to go after him, to offer him support and a shoulder to cry on. But crying on anyone's shoulder was not Danny Ross' style. And she knew that he would not appreciate any such offer, especially in front of his detectives.
So Elizabeth Rodgers kept her professional face on in front of Goren and Eames. After they left, she focused her attention on her work for the rest of the day. Death was something she understood. There was no ambiguity as she searched for answers in tissue samples, toxicology reports, appearance of internal organs, size and angle of wounds. But as she worked she was haunted by the look on Danny's face as he realized that someone he cared about had killed one husband, and very likely had killed not only another husband, but the woman he was running away with.
Elizabeth knew that it had not been an easy transition when Danny took command of the Major Case Squad. Captain Deakins had been there for a long time, and he was well-liked by the detectives in his squad. It was made more difficult by the fact that he had inherited two troublesome detectives. Logan was known as a hot-head and it was no secret that his shooting of an off-duty policeman, while justified, had been the leverage used by Frank Adair to taint Deakins' reputation and led to his resignation. Elizabeth had always liked Logan, although she would never admit it to him. He was a good cop and she respected that. But she also had a soft spot for Logan because he had partnered with, and been good friends with, Lenny Briscoe. And Lenny had been very special to Elizabeth.
The other troublesome detective was Goren with his unusual investigative techniques and his unquenchable curiosity to delve into the minds of criminals. She knew that Goren and Ross had clashed several times in the beginning. Elizabeth herself found Goren to be annoying. The big detective had no respect for personal space. She hated it when he poked and prodded her dead bodies. She especially hated it when he occasionally picked up on something that she had missed. However, he had an annoying habit of being right and she had come to have grudging respect for him.
Time and the resolution of some very high-profile cases had helped Danny to adjust to his new command. He gained respect for his "problem" detectives. Last November, when Goren had undertaken an unsanctioned undercover mission far out of the NYPD's jurisdiction, Danny had put his own career on the line by going with Eames to get him out without notifying the Chief of Detectives. He had only received a reprimand and a notation in his jacket, but it had damaged his position with the brass.
Late in the day, she heard the rumor that the captain had helped Goren and Eames set up a confrontation with Kathy that resulted in her confession. She knew how difficult that must have been for him. She considered calling him to see how he was. But she thought he might just resent the intrusion. She wasn't sure that she had the right to approach him. She considered him a colleague and a friend. They had a shared love of opera and had been on a few dates (one of which was interrupted by his rescue mission of Goren). So far it was nothing serious and she didn't know if it ever would be. But she did care about him and she knew that this had to be very difficult for him.
As she finished up for the day she struggled with the feeling that she should talk to him. She wasn't comfortable with the role of comforter. She just was not a "touchy-feely" person. As she had told Goren once, there was a reason she worked with dead bodies. She could dispassionately exam the bodies, review labs results, and present her findings as to cause of death. She had always avoided, as much as possible, dealing with the families of those she performed autopsies on.
However, she couldn't shake the feeling that Danny needed someone to talk to. She knew he would never discuss his personal feelings with any of his detectives. Certainly he had no close friends among the other captains or those higher up the chain of command. He and his ex-wife were friendly, but not close. He would never burden his children with his problems. She didn't know of any close friends that he could talk to. He needs a friend to talk to, she told herself. But he won't want to talk to you, she argued back with herself.
Elizabeth picked up her cell phone and pulled up Danny's number on her speed dial. She stood looking at his name for a moment, trying to decide if she should call him or not. Finally she snapped the phone shut and went to her office to change out of her scrubs. She stayed in her office until the rest of her staff had left, except those who covered the night shift. She went over some reports but had difficulty concentrating on them. She realized that she wasn't getting any work done and decided to go get dinner and go home. As she got on the elevator she hesitated before pushing a button. Was she going to the lobby so she could leave? Or was she going to the eleventh floor, where the Major Case Squad was housed?
The lobby, she told herself. Just go home. Danny Ross does not need a nursemaid, and you aren't the nursemaid type anyway. He will just be embarrassed and resent your interference. Go home!
But still she hesitated. Then she angrily pushed the button for the eleventh floor. For the entire ride, she cursed herself for being an idiot. The doors opened on the eleventh floor and she stepped out. The squad room was quiet; most of the detectives had gone home for the night. As she walked towards Danny's office she could see the light was on. She stopped as she came into full view of his office. He was at his desk and Elizabeth stood and watched him for a moment.
He was going over some files, but it was obvious he was not really reading them. He had taken off his jacket and tie, and opened the collar of his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up. This was astonishing to Elizabeth. She had never seen him look so casual on the job. His appearance and projecting an air of authority were very important to him. That he would relax enough to even loosen his tie while at work spoke volumes about his distress.
He didn't look up or notice her walking through the squad room towards his office. She knocked on his door, but did not wait for an invitation. She opened the door and stepped in, closing the door quietly behind her. Danny looked up, surprised to see her standing in his office.
"Captain", she said formally.
"Rodgers", he acknowledged. "Is there something I can do for you?"
Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what to say. She sat down in a chair across from his desk.
"I just wanted to…to see if you are alright." Now that she had said it, the rest tumbled out. "I realize how hard this case has been for you, and I know that you must be……upset at how it turned out. I thought you might need to talk to someone….to a friend." She hesitated, then added, "We could go get some dinner, if you'd like."
Danny looked at her in silence for a moment. She shifted uncomfortably in the chair.
Danny said, "I appreciate the offer, Rodgers. But I'm fine. I'm a cop, Kathy's a murderer, we got our perp. That's all there is to it."
She used her best professional, unemotional voice. "Really, Captain? Because you don't look fine. You look like a man who has been punched in the stomach and can't catch his breath. Or like a man who just found out that a close friend of his has committed three murders, and that he helped to cover up one of them. I came to offer support and a listening ear. But if you don't need it, that's fine. I'll leave you alone and let you get back to work."
She got up and went to the door. Before leaving she hesitated and looked back at him.
In a softer voice she said, "Look, Danny, I don't want to intrude. But we're friends. And if you need to talk about anything, you have my number. You can call me anytime."
He didn't say anything as she walked out and closed the door behind her. She was embarrassed now and wanted badly to run away as fast as she could. But she held onto her dignity and walked to the elevator and pushed the down button. Just as the doors opened, she heard someone behind her clearing his throat. She turned to find Danny standing there.
"Liz, I….uh….I really do appreciate your concern. Is the offer for dinner still open?"
She smiled at him and said, "It's still open. How about Ryan's? My treat."
"Ryan's is great. I'll just get my things and be right back. Hold the elevator, will you?"
Elizabeth stepped on the elevator and pushed to button to hold the doors open. Danny came back with his jacket and tie. She smiled at him again as she pushed the button to the lobby. He smiled back at her briefly and they rode down in silence.
The end
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