Another Cold Case
Summery: A missing detective and a couple of cold cases helps the team reveal an outrageous secret. Sequel to 'Cold Case', WaT/Cold Case crossover, mainly WaT, though. Set just after 'Safe'.
Author's notes: When I asked for your opinion about writing a sequel to 'Cold Case' I actually had already made up my mind to do it a long time ago, and… here it is.
I admit the title isn't exactly very creative, but I think the story isn't too bad.
I always try to make my stories logical and as real as possible, but I don't know much about working for the police or the FBI, and all the research I've done is watching lot's of 'Without a Trace' and some 'Cold Case' episodes. (A very nice way of doing research…:-)
This story is set just after 'Safe'. I don't think it's necessary to have seen the episode or read my other story (Cold Case) to understand this one, but I think it could help. While 'Cold Case' was written to explain what happened between 'Showdown' and 'Safe', this story is meant to give an explanation to what happened between 'Safe' and 'From The Ashen' and why Danny is so down at the end of one episode and then in such a good mood at the beginning of the next. (Because I don't believe it's because of Elena joining the team...;-)
Disclaimer: The story is completely untrue, and its characters are all invented; some of them by me, others I had to borrow from TV shows 'Without a trace' and 'Cold Case'. I'm not making any money from this.
I.
It was seven a.m. and Special Agent Danny Taylor was standing in his bathroom, naked except for his boxer shorts, staring into the mirror above the sink while he shaved. He was tired, his hair was still wet from the shower and his back was hurting. No – not really hurting, but very uncomfortable. Scowling, Danny paused, turned and craned his neck to get a good look at his back.
"Damn you, Jack – thanks very much", he mumbled as he saw the large bruise that had formed where he had made contact with the car.
As if the last evening's events didn't keep replaying themselves over and over in his mind; the boy, the bomb, him thinking for a second that he was going to die, Jack losing it and slamming him into that car… now on top of that the damn bruise on his back was going to be a painful reminder for the next few days.
For a moment Danny considered not going to work today.
Yesterday had been one of the worst days ever during his whole FBI career so far; and he couldn't remember his boss – Special Agent Jack Malone – having ever been that angry with him before. He knew, though, why Jack had been angry. Danny should have listened to his orders. Looking back he couldn't even say for sure why he had done what he had done – maybe he had just not been thinking clearly? Had he wanted to prove himself, had he wanted to play the hero? Or had he just wanted to act up, like a pissed off child?
However, he hadn't been afraid – facing the boy with the bomb – and that was the part he really didn't understand, now. All he knew was that he had deserved Jack's anger.
Nonetheless it had hurt; and not just physically.
Although the physical pain was now something Danny was very aware of. He turned around again and finished shaving. When he was done he took a moment to just look over his reflection.
Damn it, Taylor, you've looked better!
He had tried to talk to Jack. After been paralysed for a few minutes he had followed Jack, trying to put things right. He had thought of all kinds of excuses, but none of them would work.
Danny swallowed hard when he remember the face Jack had finally pulled – a grimace, something indefinable, somewhere between anger, worry and exhaustion – when he had explained:
"Look, Danny, I have tried. I know you have had a hard time, lately, and I have tried to help. You wouldn't let me and I've had enough."
"Jack, I didn't need help, I…"
"Save it. I don't want to hear it anymore. I told you before that I was here for you, and so did Viv, and you kept denying you needed help. I don't care anymore if you want to ruin your career or your life or whatever. Just tell me if you intend to get your head straight or not, because one more stunt like that one tonight…"
"… and you'll fire me?"
"I might not have a choice."
Jack had nodded, almost sadly, but Danny had reacted angrily; had even tried to put up another fight. He did, however, regret that, now.
There had once been a point in Danny's life – ten years or more ago – when he had had made the decision to turn his life around. He could still remember clearly that morning; when he had thrown that last bottle of Whiskey into the trash can, ready to quit that stuff forever.
It had only been a symbolic gesture, though; Danny had known he wouldn't be able to quit drinking so easily and he would need help, and he had found help and he had sworn to himself that from now on he was going face his problems and he was never going to try push them to the back of his mind and deny them, ever again – and that should he ever get into a situation again where he found that he needed help he was going to get help.
He didn't know how he could have forgotten that, but he had. The bruise on his back would remind him for a while.
"Well, I think you know what you've got to do, Taylor", he told his reflection in a firm voice, yet pulled a face at the mere thought of it.
He wasn't going to forget again, though.
………………
Doctor Lisa Harris was busy organizing her files when a knock on her door interrupted her. Surprised she looked up to find Special Agent Danny Taylor sticking his head cautiously through her office door. It was before eight a.m. and she wouldn't have expected anybody to come to her office, first thing in the morning – let alone Danny. She motioned for him to come in. He looked bashful.
"Danny. How can I help you?"
"I… uh… I was wondering… if I could get an appointment with you… I… uh… might need your help sorting something out."
Now Lisa was really taken aback. Danny Taylor asking her for help – that was news to her. He'd had been at her office for a few sessions lately, after he had been ambushed while transporting a suspect during which his partner – Special Agent Martin Fitzgerald – had been shot. But he had been forced to attend to those by his boss – Jack Malone – and Danny had made no secret of the fact that he didn't want to be there.
"Does Jack know about this?" she inquired calmly. Maybe this was Jack's doing again, although, she had to admit, Danny's attitude seemed to have changed. She remembered the last times he had been in her office; sitting on his chair and glaring at her, sometimes in a very bad mood, but mostly just unwilling to open up to her.
"No, but I am going to inform him. As soon as I know that you will agree to see me for another…" he paused, thinking, "…maybe two or three sessions?"
"Okay, sure I do. But not now. How about this afternoon?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Three o'clock?"
"Fine."
He was almost out of the room when he stuck his head back in once more and smiled – a genuine smile that even reached his eyes. She couldn't remember him smiling like this before when she was around. "Thank you."
She smiled back. "It's my job, you know."
………………
Danny wasn't looking forward to seeing Jack, but he knew he would have to face his boss soon, because the longer he waited the harder it would become, and he was determined to make up for the attitude he had shown him over the past weeks. This wasn't just about keeping his job, he wanted to gain back Jack's trust – and that would be the hard part.
Jack didn't seem surprised to find him in front of his desk that morning. He greeted Danny in a somewhat cool, emotionless voice that he wasn't used to.
"Jack, I want to apologize; I know I screwed up yesterday…"
"That's true." Jack did still not seem surprised. "But I've heard this all before, Danny, so unless you have something new to tell me…"
"Yes, there is something." Danny paused for a moment. "I just went to ask Dr. Harris for an appointment. I think I will need her help getting everything back on track. I really… I really don't understand what is wrong with me, lately, maybe she can help me figure it out."
Jack sighed. "I hope so, too, because, as I told you before, I don't know what to do any more… and, quite honestly, Danny, you know, I'd hate to lose you from the team."
"Yeah, I know", Danny said, feeling a little confidence flowing back into him. "The first session will be this afternoon, until then, what d'you want me to do?"
"Catch up with your paperwork."
"Okay."
Danny turned to go but Jack stopped him: "Oh – and Danny?"
"Yes?"
"You think you're a 100 percent? Physically, I mean?"
Danny sighed. He knew what Jack was talking about – and it wasn't the bruise on his back. He remembered only too vividly how he had been slammed into that car, and normally – being surprised or not – he should have been able to put up more resistance against the sudden force, but it had felt like all strength had left him and he had been helplessly exposed to Jack's anger.
He was about to tell Jack that he was fine when he remembered that morning's resolution to start facing problems – and he decided to be honest: "I don't know…"
The expression on Jack's face remained neutral but Danny couldn't shake the feeling that his boss was suppressing a smile when he told him: "Okay, so I better put you on desk duty for a while, right?"
Knowing that this was probably a test Danny just shrugged and said: "I guess I'd be okay with that."
"Fine." Now Jack almost did smile. "And another thing…"
Raising his eyebrows Danny looked at Jack, wordlessly.
"I'm going to add sixth member to the team. – And now get out of here, I got work to do and so do you."
While walking to his desk Danny felt confused. A sixth member? Because of him maybe? Was Jack maybe still planning to fire him, and have him replaced by someone new? Or was he just trying to make Danny feel threatened – so he would do better in the future? He heard a female voice call out his name and turned around to see his co-worker, Special Agent Samantha Spade, standing right before him.
"Hey", she said.
"Hey."
"I didn't expect you to be here today…"
"Why?"
"I don't know, I just… uh… saw the dispute you had with Jack last night and I… uh… – I don't know what I was thinking, actually…"
Danny gently touched her upper arm, only for a second, though, before he pulled his hand back. "Listen, Sam, I know everything's been out of control lately, and I haven't quite been myself… but that's over now, okay? Everything's gonna get back to normal…"
"So… you're doing better?"
"Yes. – Is Martin in, yet?" he tried to change the subject.
Samantha was just about to answer when Danny's cell phone rang and interrupted their conversation. It was a number he didn't know. Putting on an expression of mock annoyance and motioning for Sam to wait a moment Danny answered the call: "Taylor."
"Special Agent Taylor…" It sounded almost like a question. A male voice that seemed vaguely familiar, but Danny couldn't place it.
"This is Detective Valens with the Philadelphia Homicide Squad. I believe you know my partner, Lilly Rush?"
Now Danny was confused. "Yeah, guess, you could… uh… say so."
He had worked on a case with Detective Lilly Rush from Philadelphia only a little over a week previously, and in the process he remembered having had a short telephone conversation with her partner, Scotty Valens, too.
Thinking of Lilly made Danny smile. It had taken a while until they finally got along but in the end – when they had parted – Danny had made his mind up to call her some time and ask her out on a weekend. After all, Philadelphia wasn't too far away.
But being honest, he had to admit that over the events of the previous days he had forgotten about that.
"What about her?" he asked, curiously.
"I'm not sure… I think she might have tried to get in touch with you…"
"Get in touch with me?"
"Listen, I haven't got much time. Could you please tell me if you have checked your email this morning?"
"I haven't – but why would you think she'd email me?" Danny was getting impatient. Being questioned but not getting any answers himself didn't please him.
"I found her cell phone. She must have lost it last night. It was displaying your email address when I found it."
"Okay, I'll check my email, but not unless you finally tell me what's going on!"
Detective Valens hesitated a moment before finally he said: "I think Lilly's missing."
"Missing? Are you sure? How long since you or anyone's heard from her?" Danny asked, now fully on board.
"I last saw her when I left the office last night. Usually we leave about the same time, but she wanted to complete something she was working on yesterday. But…"
Danny heard something that sounding like a sigh.
"… she must have called me last night. Twice. I wasn't on duty so I switched off my phone to get a good night's sleep. I had two missed calls from her this morning and a message asking me to call back as soon as possible. When I did she didn't answer…"
"What time?"
"Huh?"
"What time did she call you?" Danny asked, impatiently.
"Around eleven p.m., I think…"
"So it's been… what? Nine hours since the last time somebody heard from her…" Danny couldn't help his voice sounding doubtfully. Nine hours didn't necessarily mean somebody was missing – especially not when that someone was a thirty-five year old woman who lived alone.
"What if she's just late for work?" He suggested although he had to admit, that this didn't sound like the Lilly Rush he'd had come to know.
"Agent Taylor, I'm not at the office, I'm in her apartment. It's a total mess, like there's been a struggle here. It looks as if she was taken or something. Look, I don't want to waste your time, I just need to see if she emailed you something important that could help me find her."
"Are you assigned to her case?" Danny asked while sitting down at his desk and switching on his computer.
When Valens answered he sound very annoyed. "No. Actually, it's not even a case, yet. I haven't reported her missing because I wanted to make sure…" he paused a moment, "…hell – why am I telling you all of this?"
"Because you want my help – and that means I have a right to know what's going on. Listen, I'll call you back in a minute." Danny hung up his phone and concentrated on the computer instead.
"What's up? New case?" Sam asked. Danny hadn't noticed her following him to his desk.
"No, I don't think so", he said, absently. Looking through his inbox he was surprised to find that there was a message from Lilly. He opened it.
Danny, I know you probably didn't expect to hear from me so soon but I think I may be in trouble. I need you to help me and check if there are any missing person's reports filed between 1993 and 1998 on any of these people. I know, this isn't the way you would have liked to hear from me but I would appreciate it if you could do this for me. Thank you.
Added to that text there was a list of names none of which seemed familiar to Danny. With a sigh he shut down the computer, rose from his seat and with long quick steps he made his way to the file room. On the way he reached for his phone to call back Detective Valens.
