A/N: Get used to seeing this author's note as most, if not all, chapters of this fic include scenes taken straight from the movie. I'm just covering my own ass. ;) I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work.
Thin tendrils of smoke danced above Dani's head as they snaked from the cigarette in her hand. With squinted eyes, she watched over the city of Boston, her thoughts always on one thing. One man. Sometimes she cursed him for staying in her thoughts constantly for the past eight years. Sometimes she embraced the thoughts, taking comfort in his memory. The memories were particularly vivid when a rainbow showed up in the sky. Ireland was known for rainbows in a way, right?
She took a deep breath and finished her cigarette, stubbing it out on the ledge of the rooftop before tossing it over the edge. Deep down, she was glad she came back to Boston. New York had never been a good fit. She needed home. It was where she and her brother had grown up, it was where her brother had died, it was where she fell in love. Her hands jammed into the pockets of her jeans, she headed back inside, down the stairs to her apartment. Upon walking in, she heard the television she'd left on.
"--inside the Church of the Holy Saints..."
Dani's heart leapt at the word "saints." Her full attention was turned to the local newscast.
"--we have confirmed that the body was ritualized with pennies in the eyes."
She grabbed onto the back of a chair to stay standing. "Murphy..." she breathed.
"Many remember this as the grisly calling card of the prolific vigilante killers known as the Saints who went on a murder spree here in Boston. A rampage that ended eight years ago when the Saints brazenly walked into open court and executed mafia don Poppa Joe Yakavetta before a courtroom of terrified witnesses and then simply disappeared without a trace."
"Oh my god..." Dani whispered, her mouth dry. She hadn't caught the whole story, but she could tell that the reporter was standing outside a church. And he'd been talking about a body... "No..." Her grip on the chair loosened. "No, it can't be...they would never..."
"--have yet to confirm the Saints' possible involvement, the ominous question hangs heavy in the air: Are they back?"
Dani stood straight, her eyes narrowing at the tv screen. "It's not them," she said out loud, shaking her head slowly. "They would never. Not in a church." Her memory flashed to news reports about priests abusing altar boys, stealing from the church coffers, her mind reminding her that even religious men are fallible. "No." She shook her head hard. In spite of the possibilities, she somehow knew it couldn't be her Saints.
She pressed her lips together in thought, crossing her arms over her chest. Then, taking her cell phone out of her pocket, she quickly tapped out a text message: "Can we talk somewhere tonight?"
She didn't receive an answer for an hour. When she did, her lips curled into a small smile at the response: "Coffee shop on 4th, 9:30?"
She responded with a quick, "Yes."
xxxxxxx
Dani sat at a table in the coffee shop, tapping her fingers against her cup. She picked a 24 hr business on purpose; she knew he wouldn't be on time. Checking her watch, she noticed it was close to 11 PM. Her head snapped up every time the bell over the door jingled to announce someone's arrival. Finally she saw her man and rose to greet him with a smile on her face. Duffy saw her and grinned, walking quickly to her and hugging her tight. "Sorry I'm late, sweetheart," he said as he sat at her table.
"I understand. Probably a big work day for you." She noticed he was still wearing his suit and tie under the trenchcoat he'd removed and draped over a chair. Although the detective looked tired, he was as neat as always.
"You have no clue," he said with a sigh. He rubbed a hand over his face as if to emphasize his point.
"So?" Dani asked. She couldn't wait to get straight to the point. "Is it them?"
Duffy glanced around and motioned with his hand for her to keep her voice down. He leaned closer to her and said quietly, "Not a chance. We've got several pieces of evidence that proves it's not." Dani breathed a sigh and leaned back. "But you've gotta understand something: this was a priest that was killed. And whoever did it is trying to make it look like the boys did it. How do you think they're going to react to that news?"
Dani shook her head slowly. "I don't know how long it'll take 'em to find out, but I have a feeling they will." Duffy nodded silently. "And when they do, especially since their whole reason for being has been twisted into something ugly through this? Yeah, they're gonna come take care of it." As the words came out of her mouth, her heart began to beat a little faster, as if speaking the words aloud made them more true. Murphy would be coming back...
Rubbing a finger over his lips in thought, Duffy gazed at a spot on the wall beyond Dani. "Yeah...I know," he said with a sigh finally, letting his head drop.
"What's the matter?" Dani asked.
"The feds are involved already," he said, not looking at her. "They sent this woman because of how it looks like one of the Saints' jobs. She knows that this isn't them, but she's still sticking around, and I don't know why." Duffy finally looked up and saw the concern in Dani's eyes. "She's smart. Practically a new Smecker."
"Fuck..." Dani whispered, her eyes dropping to the tabletop. "So when they DO come back..."
"She'll be on 'em like flies on a dead body." Silence fell between them as Detective Duffy's words echoed in their thoughts.
Dani clenched her teeth. "God, if only they'd left some way for me to contact them... I could warn them..."
Duffy slid a hand over hers to comfort her. "All we can hope is that they come and take care of business and leave again before Agent Bloom has a chance to collar 'em." She looked into his eyes, and he tried to smile to make her feel more confident in his words, but she was still scared. If Murphy was living free in Ireland, at least she had the smallest chance of seeing him again. If he's locked up...
Bringing her out of her thoughts, Duffy patted Dani's hand and sat back. "I need to be gettin' home," he said, stretching his arms over his head. "Probably gonna be goin' over this one over and over tomorrow."
Dani smiled at him and stood as he got up to put his coat back on. "Thanks for comin' to talk."
He smiled at her and motioned for her to come closer so he could hug her again. "You know, you can contact me to talk anytime. Doesn't have to be if there's trouble. Okay?" She looked into his kind face and smiled, nodding. "All right. You need a ride home?"
Dani shook her head. "Nah, I'll be fine. Stoppin' at Doc's on the way to see if I can help him close up."
Duffy smiled again. "Okay, sweetheart, take care." With a small wave, he walked out of the coffee shop, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She shrugged her coat on and left the shop, her eyes darting back and forth as she walked down the street, staying aware of her surroundings on her way to the bar where she worked. It was her night off, but she loved the old bartender, and she'd always stop to help out if she was in the area.
xxxxxxx
Two nights later, Dani was wiping down the bar after closing. Doc was bustling around, taking inventory and restocking the bottles that were running low. "Doc, it's only Wednesday," Dani said with a chuckle. "We can do that tomorrow."
Doc looked up at her and shook his head. "No, we need to have things r-r-ready." He shuffled over to another section and began counting.
"Ready?" She tossed the rag she was using in a bucket of bleach water and leaned against the bar. "For what?"
The old man's eyes seemed to light up when he looked at her this time. "I'm gonna be tellin' you a secret, d-d-dear." He motioned for her to come closer. She frowned, walking closer to him. "The Lord be tellin' me I'm to have things ready. FUCK! ASS! And th-th-th-they WILL be ready!" He smiled brightly at Dani.
"But ready for what, Doc?" she prodded. "Surely the rapture isn't happenin', and Jesus told you he wants a shot when he gets here."
Doc chuckled. "N-n-no, my dear. Ready for the boys!"
Dani's mouth dropped open. Then she shook her head. "No, Doc, what happened at the church the other day, that wasn't them..."
"Fool girl, I know it wasn't th-th-them. FUCK! ASS! But they be comin'!" Dani chewed at her bottom lip as the old man shuffled away, wondering if he was right. The Lord had spoken to the Saints; who's to say He wouldn't talk to old Doc as well? "You go on home, Dani," Doc called from the store room. "I'll g-g-get things f-f-f-finished here."
"Come on, Doc," she said, beginning to smile as she followed his voice into the store room. "You know I...can't..." She noticed something different in the store room. It was tidier than normal. Still with the dusty pool table in the middle and old pinball machines along the side, but... Looking around, she noticed some blankets piled up on top of some boxes. "You really think they'll be coming here?" she asked.
The old man looked up at her with surprised eyes. "Of course. The Lord told me so."