S T A L K E D
By: IncoherenThought

Disclaimer: This story is based on the CBS series Cold Case; to which I own no rights.
Note: This story is not likely to follow Cold Case to an exact tee. Somethings may be different, while somethings may be ignored.
Update: I have made some changes to this story up and through the currently posted chapter at this point (chapter 11). Nothing major, nothing that requires a reread and nothing you'd probably really notice. But, I wanted to make note of it anyhow. (04-05-10)

Chapter One: Worth a Game

"Valens," the homicide detective spoke into the phone. When there was no response from the other end, he became annoyed. Anonymous tip line, he thought to himself, if you don't want to talk to a cop then call the anonymous tip line. "This is Detective Scotty Valens," he tried again. "How can I help you?"

The caller suddenly laughed. It was a short laugh and from someone with a deep voice. It did nothing to stunt the detective's irritation and he thought about hanging up. "Who is this?" he demanded instead.

"Is Lilly there?" the question was unexpected. Referring to his partner as, Lilly, would indicate someone who knew her personally. Anyone else would have asked for Detective Rush or, at the very least, Detective Lilly Rush. Scotty looked over at his partner's empty chair. He had a feeling this caller didn't know her.

"Detective Rush hasn't come in yet," he said, choosing to keep things professional. "If I could take a message..." Another laugh interrupted where his words were going.

"Do you know where she is?" asked the voice and Scotty grew more irritated.

"As I was saying," he ignored the question asked of him, "I'd be glad to take a message for her and as soon as she comes in..."

"Do you know where your partner is, Detective?" the voice was ever calm and it was as though he had never heard Scotty's words or simply didn't care about them. Scotty sat up straighter in his chair and stared over at Lilly's empty desk. It was nearing ten o'clock in the morning and she should have been to work by then.

"Who the hell is this?" Scotty repeated his earlier demand.

"Because... I do."

A chill ran through the detective and for a moment he found himself unable to speak. His mind raced to comprehend what the words meant, while his heart already knew. Scotty seemed unable to form coherent thought and his eyes wouldn't leave Lilly's empty chair.

"Scotty," his name spoken broke the spell and made the world move again. Scotty looked up to find Nick Vera standing beside his desk. A look of question was plastered on the older detective's face. "Is everything okay?" asked Vera, nodding at the phone.

"Are you still there, Detective?" questioned the caller and Scotty grabbed for a pen and a pad of paper. Get to Lilly's!, he scribbled on the pad and shoved it at Vera with a look that would tell the other detective that he was dead serious.

"If you know where Lilly is, then why not tell me?" Inside, Scotty was panicking. Outside, he was playing the cool and calculated detective he knew he had to be. He watched Vera rush out of the squad room, stopping only to retrieve his gun from its locker.

"That wouldn't be much fun, would it, Detective?" the voice remained calm, as before, and that unnerved Scotty.

"So, this is fun for you?" he asked. "Are we playing a game?"

"Only if you think her life is worth a game."

"If you've hurt her..."

"When I do hurt her, Detective," continued the caller in a much more sinister tone or, maybe, that was Scotty's imagination, "I'm going to bury her body so deep that in twenty years from now it will be a whole new set of detective's who find it and open up her cold case."

The line went dead.

End Note: I know this chapter was very short but I've planned this story to be posted in a bunch of short chapters (although, maybe, not this short). So, while there may not be much to have thoughts on, if you could leave a review anyhow because, well, I like reviews!