Cagney and Lacey
"Everyday life"
*** Christine's apartment- moving day".
Christine Cagney woke up bright and early, especially for a Saturday. Today wasn't just any Saturday though. Her boyfriend was moving in with her today, and they had a lot to do.
She had spent the night last night organizing and cleaning out her closet so that he would have space to hang his clothes. They had bought a dresser that matched hers and it would be delivered today.
All that was left to do was to take the guest bed down, and turn that room into an office. For the time being, Christine had rented a storage unit in her building, and she would put the guest bed there, and a couple of other pieces, including the chair from the den, for safe keeping until they could decide what they wanted to do with it. She would most likely offer the bed to Bridgit, her niece.
Chris was up and dressed and moving by 7:30. David got there at 8, and had brought bagels and juice. Chris made a fresh pot of coffee. The movers were going to be at Chris' apartment at 9 to take the furniture to the storage unit. Then they were going to David's place to get his stuff and bring it back.
The movers were right on time, and worked quickly. It only took them about 45 minutes to move 2 chairs, an ottoman, and a queen size bed, mattress and box springs to the storage unit. Luckily everything fit on the elevator and they didn't have to take the stairs all the way up and down each time. The building manager had been kind and allowed them to use the service elevator so that everything would fit.
By 11, they were at David's loading the truck up. Christine was putting his clothes into hanging bags. David was stacking his boxes of books on the counter in the kitchen for the movers to grab. In the end, the movers only had to move about 25 boxes, 3 bookshelves, a desk and chair, and David's recliner. Christine took David's clothes, his kitchen stuff, and a box of pictures with her, and David wrapped his Tv and brought it in his car himself.
By 3 p.m., they were all back at Chris' place, and everything had been unloaded. David was going through boxes and unpacking them and putting them on the shelves. The move had gone very smoothly, and David's things would be unpacked before nightfall. He didn't have a whole lot to bring with him, considering Christine's place was stocked and there was no need for duplicates.
Christine finished hanging his clothes in the closet for him, and she added his pillows to the bed. She had bought some more towels, and put those in the linen closet also. She headed to the kitchen to begin unpacking his kitchen stuff. Between the two of them, they had every single kitchen gadget there ever was.
David emerged from the guest room, bringing several boxes with him. He placed them in the hallway, and then buzzed the desk downstairs and asked them to come get them. He joined Chris in the kitchen.
"Welcome home, counselor". She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"Thanks Lieutenant". He returned her kiss, and gave her several more.
"Your clothes are hanging in the closet, and your ties are all organized. I put your pillows on the bed, and added more towels to the linen closet. Is there anything else I can do?" She loved having him there, knowing she wouldn't ever spend another night alone again.
"Not a thing, babe. I am almost unpacked in the office, and I have the computer and tv all set up". There was also a couch with a couch bed that Christine had bought and placed in the office, just in case they ever did have a guest.
"How about we order a pizza tonight, from your favorite place?
Christine nodded. She placed the order from her phone- one large pepperoni pizza with onions, and an order of garlic bread knots with marinara. She ordered a deep dish sausage pizza for David before hanging up. It would be delivered in 30 minutes. David ran to the corner store for beer. While he was gone, Christine set the table and found them a movie on tv to watch.
David got back just as the pizza guy was coming up, so he paid for the pizzas and brought them up himself. They were going to have a nice relaxing evening, and probably go to bed early.
After dinner, they finished putting the last of the books on David's bookshelves, and made one last trip with the boxes to the dumpster at the end of the hallway. They snuggled on the couch and watched a movie, and eventually, fell asleep there. It had been a crazy, chaotic, but overall great day.
***Monday morning, Christine and Mary Beth's office***
Christine hurriedly said goodbye to David as she was leaving for work. They shared a kiss, and then he walked her to the elevator.
She drove to work, and walked into her office, and after she set her stuff down, she grabbed coffee. She was about 5 minutes early for work, which was pretty usual for her.
Mary Beth walked in right on time.
"Morning, Lieutenant. Good weekend?" Mary Beth set her things down and went to grab coffee for herself.
"Yes, actually, It was great. David moved in on Saturday, and it went better than expected. Sunday we were just lazy, which was nice". Cagney looked at Mary Beth. "How about you? How was your weekend?"
"Busy, but fun. Alice had some birthday parties to go to, and Harvey was busy making some of his famous spaghetti sauce, for the freezer. So he got to spend a nice day at home and I was busy running Alice all over, which is pretty typical".
"What do we have to work on today, Lieutenant?"
"Gambling ring. Upwards of $300,000 was deposited into someone's account, and the serial numbers matched those reported from the bank robbery last month. The person who's account it was says he won the money at a poker game, and his alibi checks out for the robbery. The poker game is held at the Blue Lion, and they have games every night. High stakes on the weekends, regular stakes on weeknights. However, the poker game yielded some illegal practices, and some high-level federal officials were found to be key players".
"Sounds interesting Sergeant". Cagney and Lacey set about trying to crack the mysterious code that was used to keep track of the winnings of each game and conceal each player's identity.
She and Lacey worked for a few hours, finally cracking the code. They dispatched detectives to go undercover and investigate who was playing in the poker games at the club each night. Cagney issued the orders. "I want pictures of the players and names if you can get them. If you can tell who the moneymaker and the money holders are, that would be a plus".
Cagney and Lacey worked till lunch, and then took a break.
David came by to see her, and tell her that he might have to work late, but that he would be home as soon as he could. She kissed him and told him she would have dinner waiting for him. He kissed her back and said he had to go, and left. Cagney couldn't wait to get home to him tonight. She loved having him back in her life.
The detectives who were undercover had set up an email for them to send pics and videos to. They texted it to Cagney, and then she set up an alarm with notifications to remind her to check it. By mid-afternoon, they had sent over 50 pictures.
The detectives sent Chris a text.
'Got a name for you. Working to confirm it, but we think he is the main person behind the whole operation. Word has it he uses the money he fleeces off the players to fund his lifestyle on the sly'.
Chris just knew this was going to blow wide open, but she had no idea how wide.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris was in the kitchen making dinner. She prepared her famous lasagna, and had made a salad. She was just waiting for the lasagna and the bread to cook. She had made herself a club soda with lime, and had changed into her comfy clothes that she always wore at home. She started some laundry for her and David, and was going through the mail when he walked in.
"Honey, I'm home" he said, as he closed the door behind him.
"Honey, I'm glad" she said, as she kissed him. She loved it when he got home and had a few minutes to spend with her before he was focused on work and other stuff.
By the time he had changed out of his suit and tie, dinner was ready. He had brought home some fresh flowers, and put them in a vase on the table while Chris prepared their plates.
"These flowers are for you, babe. Hope you like them". He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he passed her.
"I love them! Jasmine and Orchids are my favorite. What's the occasion?"
"No reason, just because I love you".
They ate dinner, and discussed their days.
"Mary Beth and I stumbled onto an illegal gambling ring and we are very close to busting it and nailing those running it". Cagney was proud of her work.
"I was retained today to represent a politician who thinks he is being suspected of using illegal funds to fund his campaign".
"That sounds interesting. If he really is guilty, are you going to try and get him acquitted?" Cagney looked at David.
"I will do my best to get him the fairest sentence possible, if in fact, he deserves one. So far, I haven't found any proof that he is actually guilty".
They finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen together. They froze the rest of the lasagna in individual portions, and loaded the dishwasher.
Cagney was wiping down the counters when David's cell phone rang. He took it to the office. A few minutes later, he returned.
'Good news babe, I got an offer on my old apartment. It's a good one, and it's one I think I should take."
"Well, if you think you should take it, then take it. Was it fair?"
David nods. "Yes, it's more than fair. It's almost $40,000 above what I was asking. Seems they found out that an NBA player was renovating the penthouse a few floors up and they will do anything to live in the same building with him".
"That's incredible! Accept it before they change their minds". She kissed him and he returned to the office to call his realtor back.
Her cell phone went off a few minutes later, indicating a text from Feldberg.
"The Gambling ring has blown open, and we got them. They have all retained counsel. Can you come to my office in the am so I can fill you in?"
"Yes" she replied.
Christine felt good about the work they had done that day.
***the next morning, Christine's office***
Christine hurried into her office, hoping to grab a cup of coffee before Feldberg got there. She grabbed her coffee and headed to his office, and saw that he was just walking in.
"Morning, Feldberg".
"Morning, Cagney. Sit down, would you? I need to talk to you about the gambling ring investigation".
Cagney pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Cagney, the investigation turned up the names of who is involved and we were able to arrest them last night. One of them…..I have no idea how to tell you this….. one of them is your ex-husband".
"Jimmy? That can't be. I thought he was living in D.C"
"He does. He comes up here 3x a week to collect the profits. According to his statement, the owner of the club did him some favors when he was drinking, by always calling him a cab and never calling the cops. He needed the funds to keep his campaign alive, and he and the owner, Jackson Stewart cooked up this scheme. They rigged the poker games, raised the stakes, and then took 20% off the top, as well as all entry fees. To put it simply, if you were to win $100,000, they would take around $30-$35,000 off the top and you got the rest, provided you agreed to play in another game the next night".
"I can't believe it. Where is Jimmy now, is he still in custody?"
"Yes, he is being held at the 8th, but he is going to be brought here today so that I can take his statement and ask him some questions. Would you like to speak with him when he gets here?"
Cagney nodded.
"Very well, I will send you a text when he gets here. I am very sorry, Cagney. Oh and as far as we can tell, you aren't in any way related to this. This started after your divorce".
"Thank you". Cagney excused herself and went back to her office.
"You alright, partner?" Lacey hadn't seen Chris look that glum in a long time.
"I don't know. Feldberg just told me that there are two masterminds behind the poker ring. Jackson Stewart, the owner of the club, and Jimmy…. My ex-husband".
"Chris, I am so sorry. Have you talked to Jimmy?"
"No, but I will soon. Feldberg is going to text me when he gets here and let me speak with him. I just can't believe it".
David sent Chris a text just then. "Coming by at lunch- need to speak with you. Love you".
"Ok, see you then. Have to tell you something too. Love you", Chris replied.
She managed to get through the day and was surprised to see David walking in.
"I brought lunch, can we go outside and eat while we talk?"
"Sure, sounds good." Cagney grabbed her phone, and a bottle of water and walked David out to the courtyard. They found a bench and sat down. Chris was opening her sandwich when David started.
"Chris, I don't know how to tell you this, and I don't want it to be a source of contention for us. I found out today who I am representing, and it's your ex-husband. I don't know yet to what extent he's involved, and I can turn it down if you want me to…."
"Oh he's involved all right. That's what I was going to tell you. The investigation into the poker ring turned up the fact that he is one of the ring leaders. And the money is being used to fund his campaign. I am going to speak with him later today, after he is brought here for questioning".
"How do you feel about that?"
"I don't know. The Jimmy I knew would have never done this, so I am at a loss as to what his motives were and how he got involved".
"Are you ok with me representing him?"
"Yes, it's different this time. We know that I am not involved in this in any way, this started after our divorce. He made his own choices, and he has to live with them. Just get him as fair a sentence as you can". She looked away for a minute or two, then looked back at him. "Are you ok with me talking to him?"
"I trust you completely Chris, you know that".
"I know, you do. I just want you to know that I wouldn't be talking to him without this investigation having taken place. He and I have had no contact since the divorce".
"I know that. I am not bothered by you talking to him at all, Chris, as long as you come home to me tonight". He kissed the side of her forehead.
"Oh you can count on that". She returned his kiss and then looked at her watch. They finished their lunch and went back to her office.
" Do you want me to stay while you talk to him, Chris?"
"No, I want to talk to him alone. He will talk to me, and I don't want to jeopardize that by having someone else in the room. Does he know you are his lawyer?"
"Not yet, but we are meeting tonight for him to tell me everything and his first court date is tomorrow afternoon. I am going to try and get him bail."
"Ok, well I will let you know what happens. Thanks for lunch. I will see you tonight at home"
She kissed him goodbye and went to her desk. She tried to concentrate, but it was hard. Finally, around 1, Feldberg texted her. 'Room 4, downstairs'.
"Mary Beth, I am going to talk to Jimmy now. I'll be back in a little bit".
"Hope it goes well, Chris". "Thanks".
Cagney hurried downstairs, and let herself into room 4. A few minutes later, an officer escorted Jimmy in.
He took the handcuffs off, and Jimmy sat down.
"Hi Chris".
"Hello, Jimmy".
"You look well. "
"Thanks, you do too. How did this happen Jimmy?"
He hung his head. "it just got out of control, Chris. I needed money for a campaign, and I called Jackson asking if we could host a benefit there one night. He called me back the next day talking about this idea, and I agreed to give it a go. I let him take care of all the financial matters related to it, because I wanted him to pay himself for having the benefit. I was blown away by the amount of money we raised, and I never asked him the specifics. We decided to have another one, and I showed up and made a short speech, and then I left. The money was so good, we kept at it, and after my campaign was over, I used the money to fund my research and policy funds. I am guilty of some of this, but not all of it, I swear. You gotta help me, Chris. I can't go to jail! What would people think?"
"Help you? You're outta mind! I can't help you. All I can do is tell you to get a good lawyer. You are for sure going to need one. And just tell the truth, because that's the only way the jury will believe you. You have changed Jimmy, you are a far cry from the person I knew and married."
"I know. Losing you was the worst thing that ever happened to me. If I could go back in time, I would do anything it took to keep you in my life Chris".
"Including not cheating on me in Washington?"
"Including that. I was wrong for that, and you were right to be upset and hurt and to leave me over it. That is my biggest regret, Chris, I swear".
"I don't want to go back in time and change it, Jimmy. I don't. I am very happy now, happier than I have ever been. I am sorry this happened to you, but I think you got greedy, and decided to get as much out of it as you could, and now you got caught. You are facing some heavy charges, Jimmy. Fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling, conspiracy- and that's all for one game. You will face the same counts for each game y'all had. My advice to you is to strike a good deal and hope your lawyer can get you some sympathy".
"I'm sorry, Chris, I really am. I am sorry for cheating on you, I am sorry for losing you, and I am sorry for getting caught up in all of this".
"Thank you. I am sorry you got caught up in all of this too. I want you to know something- I really loved you. You and one other man are the only people who I really and truly loved. I really and truly loved you, Jimmy, and it was hard getting over you. But now that I have, I will never make that mistake again. Thank you for admitting you were wrong". She stood up to leave.
"One last favor, Chris? Will you see to it that my things get packed up and sent to my sister's in Texas? There are some family heirlooms that I don't want to get thrown out".
Chris nods. "I will. Good luck, Jimmy."
She leaves the room, and Feldberg is waiting in the hallway. "You ok?" Every now and then he could be compassionate. It wasn't often but when it happened, it was genuine.
"I am fine, thank you. No special favors ok? I don't want the press to think that we are going easy on him just because he and I were married".
"NO worries there, Cagney. I will let you know what happens".
Cagney went back to her office, and sat at her desk.
"You ok, Partner?" Mary Beth was always concerned about Cagney. Like a good partner should be.
"I am fine, I suppose. That was very hard seeing him like that. Vulnerable, scared, just a little bit cocky. Do you know he had the nerve to ask me to help him get the charges dropped? Not happening. I can't believe he actually thought I would fix his charges! At least he apologized for cheating on me. He actually said he was sorry that he lost me and would change it all if he could so that he didn't lose me. Of all the things I never expected to hear today, those things top the list".
Chris grabbed her cell and sent David a quick text. "It's over. I am ok. He asked me to drop the charges, and I said no. Don't go easy on him, but do go fair. He doesn't know that I am the girlfriend of his lawyer. Love you". She hit send and opened up her laptop. She got her address book out of her purse, and found Jimmy's sister's phone number. She debated on whether to call her or email her, and decided calling would be best. She and Jessica had always gotten along, but hadn't really kept in touch since the divorce. She walked to the conference room on their floor, and found it empty. She called Jessica, and was surprised when she answered.
"Jessica? Hi, it's Christine Cagney, from New York".
"Hi Christine, it's great to hear from you!".
"Thanks. Jessica, I am calling because Jimmy is in a bit of trouble. He was arrested last night. He's facing charges of fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling, conspiracy. It's big".
"Is he drinking again, Jessica? Not that I can tell. And he isn't likely to get bail today, so if he has been, he won't be now. He asked that I box up his things and have him sent to you. It will be a few weeks before I can do that. I just wanted to let you know in case you wanted to come and support him during the trial".
"Thanks for letting me know Chris. When do you plan on boxing up his things? I hate for you to do it all by yourself, especially since you are divorced"
"this weekend, if he doesn't get bond. I haven't thought farther than that quite yet. I can let you know after his court appearance tomorrow".
"Does he have a lawyer? Does he need anything?" Jessica sounded helpless on the other end of the line.
"He has a lawyer. I don't know that he needs anything, or what he is allowed to have in prison".
Chris agreed to call Jessica tomorrow after Jimmy's hearing, and they would decide what to do then. Jessica thanked her for calling and for trying to help him. They hung up, and Chris returned to her office.
"Mary Beth, I think I am going to go home early. I need to decompress".
"Sounds good, Partner. Hope you have a good afternoon"
"I will. Call me if you need me, ok?"
"Will do".
Chris grabbed her things and headed for the car.
***Chris and David's patio***
Christine Cagney was freezing. She was sitting on her balcony, drinking coffee, wrapped in a blanket, and she was freezing. She had hoped the chilly air would clear her head. So far it wasn't working. She got up, went inside, and decided to take a hot bath.
She lit some candles, added some relaxing bath salts to the Jacuzzi tub, turned on the jets and hopped in. She was lost in her thoughts, when David arrived home.
He found her in the bathtub. "You ok, honey? Rough day, huh?"
Christine nodded. "One of the roughest. How did your meeting with Jimmy go?"
"As well as it could, I suppose. He has a bail hearing tomorrow, and he most likely won't make bail. He is ok with that, and is prepared to ask for a plea deal after tomorrow. I can't completely acquit him, Chris, but hopefully I can get some of the charges reduced or dropped".
He helped her out of the bath and handed her a towel. "I understand, David. Just do what you can to get him a fair sentence. No special treatment because of me".
"I am treating him just like I do every other client, Chris. I promise you that". She put her robe on and headed to put her pajamas on.
"I just didn't expect to feel what I felt after I saw him. Nothing he said to me was going to change anything, but I thought I would feel differently about him and be happy to see him, and instead, I felt like he was just another criminal with a cocky attitude."
"What did he say to you, Chris?"
"that he wished he had never cheated on me, that leaving me and letting me go was the worst thing he could do, his biggest regret, that he would take it all back. The look on his face when I told him I wouldn't take it all back was very sad".
They sat on the edge of the bed and he put his arms around her.
"I'm sorry Chris. This will all be over soon".
She nodded. "do you have to work this weekend, or next?"
"No, why?"
"He asked me to go to D.C. and pack his things to be sent to his sisters. I told him that I would if he didn't get bail. I don't want to go alone."
He nodded. "We can do that".
They hugged for a few more minutes, before he suggested ordering in for dinner.
They agreed on Chinese, and he even ordered her favorite- moo shu pork with Chinese Spare ribs and shrimp lo mein. He made her some of her favorite tea, and found one of her favorite movies to watch on tv. They cuddled on the couch until the Chinese food was delivered. Chris didn't have any idea how she got so lucky to have David Keeler back in her life, but she was sure lucky to have him. And thankful.
***Courthouse, downtown Manhattan, the Next day***
Jimmy's case was up at 11 a.m. Chris had texted Feldberg that she was going to attend his bail hearing. She and David walked into the courthouse together, and David gave her a kiss before going to find her client. She took her seat in the courtroom. Even though David is the man in her life, because of her job, she had to sit on the other side. David understood 100%.
The courtroom began to fill up, and Chris watched as they walked Jimmy in to the defense table. David walked in, found her, and after brief eye contact and a smile, continued to the table. The Bailiff closed the doors, and moved to the front.
"All rise. The Honorable Brooke Stevens presiding. You may be seated".
Everyone sat. The first few minutes of the hearing were formalities. Jimmy was asked a bunch of questions about whether or not he understood what he was being charged with, and if he had counsel.
Finally, the judge got to the meat of it. "How do you plead, Mr. Burton?"
"Not guilty, your honor". Chris had expected nothing less.
"Any recommendations from the prosecution in regards to bail?
"Your honor, the prosecution feels that Mr. Burton, being the well-known politician that he is, has the means and the resources to jump bail. We respectfully ask for no bail at this time".
David argued for house arrest with an ankle monitor, and the prosecutor pointed out that Jimmy didn't even live in town. It went back and forth for a few minutes until Judge Stewart stopped them.
"this court has declared that Mr. Burton is indeed a flight risk. No bail. Until trial, you will be held at Lincoln Correctional Facility. It's a minimum security facility. Do you need the court to provide you anything, Mr. Burton?
"No, your honor".
The bailiffs led him away, out a side door.
Chris felt her cellphone buzz in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out. It was a text from Feldberg. "Going to offer your ex-husband a plea deal today. 8 years, Minimum security prison. Just wanted to let you know".
Chris replied "thx" and hit send. The judge had just dismissed the court, and David was heading her way.
"I tried. Want a ride to work?"
"I know you did. It's ok. Yes, let's go". They walked out of the courtroom hand in hand.
In the car, Christine explained that Feldberg had texted and said he was going to offer a plea of 8 years. David thought that was more than fair, and was going to do everything he could to get Jimmy to take it. He was going to see him later that afternoon at the facility. If he took the plea deal, then the trial would be avoided, and everyone could get on with their lives.
David pulled in the parking garage at One Police Plaza. Chris didn't want to walk through the reporters on the steps.
They sat in the car for a minute before she got out, and he tried to put his arm around her.
"Thank you for helping him, David". She kissed him, a kiss that he more than returned, and then she broke it off. " I have to go in here".
"I love you, see you tonight". "love you, see you then".
She walked to her office.
***Christine and Mary Beth's office***
Mary Beth was waiting with tea and coffee to help Christine feel better. She had made a list of all the people who had been fleeced by this scam, and she had heard that the club was being shut down today.
Christine walked into the office, and sat down.
"Tea, or coffee?" Mary Beth asked Christine.
"Tea, thanks". Mary Beth placed a tea bag in a cup of hot water and flipped another cup on top of it to let it steep.
"Wanna talk about it?, she asked cautiously.
"Not much to say. He pled not guilty, judge said no bail and he's being held at Lincoln till trial. Feldberg told me he's going to offer a plea deal of 8 years, minimum security prison, and David is going to try and get Jimmy to take it. David and I are going to DC this weekend to pack up Jimmy's stuff and have it shipped it to his sister".
"Sounds like it went as well as it could have, Chris. David is a good man, and a good attorney".
"I was worried it was going to end up like it did the last time, when he defended Mansfield. It seems silly, but I was pretty worried".
"David's not going to let that happen again. He knows that was a mistake. Look at the lengths he went to in order to get back in your life this time, Chris. He isn't going to throw that away".
Christine nodded. "I know. Gosh, this has been stressful. I am so glad it's over".
Christine and Mary Beth did paperwork as Christine drank her tea. David sent her a couple texts telling her he loved her and that he had a surprise for her. He was picking her up at 5 in the parking garage.
At 4:45 sharp, Christine gathered her things and headed to the parking garage. She passed Feldberg in the hallway, who gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "I'm fine". He smiled at her and went on her way. David picked her up right on time, and promptly placed a blindfold over her eyes.
"David, what is the big surprise?"
"All in due time my love, you will see. I just have a few questions to ask you. Side by side, or top and bottom?"
"Side by side, I guess."
"Skinny side by side, or fat side by side?"
"Fat?" Christine had literally no idea what was going on.
"Single or double?" "Double."
"Ok, I am going to drop you off at home, take your blindfold off, and I will bring the surprise to you after a quick errand.".
He kissed her as he dropped her off in front of her building. She was still confused, but glad to be home.
She went inside, changed out of her clothes and took a long, hot shower. She had just changed into her pj's when she heard the door open.
"Christine? Where are you?"
"In here" she called from the bedroom.
"Stay there- just a few minutes I promise!"
A few minutes later, David finally came and got her and put the blindfold back on her, and led her to the den.
"Christine Cagney, here is your surprise".
He took off her blindfold, and it was a bunch of boxes.
"Your new fat, side by side stainless steel refrigerator, your new stainless steel double oven, and a brand new whisper quiet stainless steel dishwasher. What do you think?"
"David, this is too much! What made you do all this?" She was truly speechless, and surprised.
"Well, the money came today from the sale of my apartment, and I decided that you and I need a fresh start, and this was the best I could think of".
"I love it! You are so good to me, and I definitely don't deserve it". They kissed for several minutes.
"Next task- he pulled out a few coolers. We need to empty the fridge and unplug it so that in an hour when the installers get here, it will be easy for them to plug up the fridge."
David unloaded the dishwasher while Chris emptied the fridge into the coolers. She had just finished when the doorbell rang, signaling that the installers were here.
David let them in, and they quickly got to work. There were 4 of them, one to do the oven, one to do the fridge, and 2 to do the dishwasher.
"What are we going to do with the old appliances?" Christine hadn't heard David mention that part of the plan.
"One of the guys from my firm is coming to pick them up tonight. I am calling him when they get finished installing the new ones".
Chris and David sat on the couch and tried to stay out of the way. Chris was fascinated by watching them work. The whole process took less than an hour. As soon as they had the fridge running, Chris emptied the cooler into the new fridge. She was in love with it! Side by side fridge on top, freezer on bottom. The fridge had French doors, and tons of space. And it had the water and ice in the door, like Chris had long ago said was mandatory.
The oven looked really good, and would need some construction to finish the look, but David said he would take care of it. In the end, they lost a pantry, but gained some cabinets. So David worked up some plans and was going to show Chris later. With her approval, they would end up with a pantry where the oven used to be, microwave still up top, and he would have them build her another cabinet or two onto the end to extend the kitchen just a bit.
The ovens were working, and all that was left was the dishwasher. David thought ahead and padded it before they put it in, to make it even quieter. It was almost 7:30 by the time it was all done, and he and Chris were ravenous. He had ordered them dinner from their favorite sushi place across the street, and it was delivered just as the guys finished. David tipped them handsomely, as Chris was putting their dinner on plates.
They ate their sushi, on the couch under a blanket. Just as they were finishing up, Chris' cell phone rang. It was Jimmy's sister, Jessica.
"Hello?"
"Christine, hi, It's Jessica. I was calling to get an update on my brother".
"Hi Jessica. He had his bond hearing today, and he was denied bond. He is being held at a minimum security facility here in Manhattan. My boyfriend is his lawyer, and he and I made a deal. No special treatment just because he's my ex-husband. All that I asked was that he treat him like he would any other client, and get him as fair a sentence as he can. And my boss, the District Attorney told me that he is going to offer him a very fair plea bargain, in the amount of 8 years".
"I can handle 8 years, it's better than 20. I am going to fly to D.C. this weekend to help you pack up his stuff if that's ok".
"Great! David and I are going to take the train Friday night, and get started right after breakfast on Saturday".
"Sounds great1 See you then, and thanks for your help".
They hung up, and Chris filled David in.
They snuggled on the couch a little bit more. "thank you for my new kitchen. We are going to have to rearrange some cabinets to make a new pantry though".
"I have an idea about that". He showed her the plans he had made, where the space where the oven had been would be replaced with a cabinet that was a pantry the microwave would just be above it. It essentially just switched the oven and the pantry.
"But that leaves us without a stove top".
David hadn't thought of that. So back to the drawing board, but this time, Christine helped. She looked through a couple issues of Architectural Digest and found it. "Like this! "
She showed it to David. It was a picture of a kitchen that had a double oven on one end, and counters above it and coming out from it one side. The refrigerator was on the other side. The stovetop would stay where it was, and the pantry would be built where the fridge is now.
"That's one option. Or we could take the oven out, and build it next to the pantry, restore the pantry to where it was. Remove the stove top, and make it a counter space, and leave the fridge where it is, and double the size of the island, adding the stove top behind the sink".
"I am ok with whatever option is the cheapest, Counselor".
"I agree, Lieutenant". He decided to call his contractor in the morning and get his professional opinion.
They headed to bed after that. They were both tired, and Christine needed some cuddle time.
After a passionate, romantic love making session, they fell asleep and didn't move again till the alarm went off.
***Friday***
Christine took a ½ day, and David did too. They got home around 1, and packed a bag and changed clothes. They took the train to D.C. so they could pack Jimmy's clothes. Before they left, David and Chris went to see Jimmy at the facility. Christine didn't want to see him, but told David to tell him that she was still going to pack his stuff up for him. He signed a paper instructing the guards to give David his keys and his gate pass to his condo parking lot. He instructed David to use his Visa to pay for the moving costs of his items, and for their expenses for the weekend.
David and Christine left shortly after that. They caught the train to D.C. and checked into a hotel. David was trying to make this trip as easy as possible on Christine, so he got them the nicest room possible. They ordered in room service and spent a lot of time in bed. He gave her another one of his famous massages, and got her totally relaxed.
The next morning, she and David had a quick breakfast at the hotel, and went and picked up some snacks before heading to Jimmy's condo. His sister had texted and said her plane was landing at 11, and she would be there right after.
David and Christine had ordered lots of boxes and had them delivered to the condo, which a maintenance man had set inside. They were glad to see them inside the condo. Christine had brought several rolls of packing tape, and a dispenser. Jessica had ordered a roll of bubble tape to be delivered at some point Saturday.
Christine began by cleaning out the fridge. There wasn't much food in there, just bottles of water and several bottles of the beer that Jimmy liked. He had given up hard liquor but not beer. His pantry was mainly filled with single man foods- canned goods, and ramen noodles. She packed his dishes, and marked the boxes as "Fragile". By the time Jessica got there, the kitchen was completely packed.
Christine was packing his books in the den, when she walked in.
"Hi! So good to see you!". She and Jessica hugged, and she introduced her to David. Jessica thanked them profusely, and was ready to jump in wherever necessary. It didn't take them long to pack up the den. David began to work on packing his office and disconnecting his electronics. He was labeling all the cords with zip ties as he went.
Jessica packed his clothes into suitcases and hanging bags. He had told David he needed more socks and underwear, so David had set aside the amount he was allowed to have and would take those to him next week. They also found his eye glasses, and his medications. David ran out and bought more boxes and packing supplies and picked up a pizza for them for lunch. Jessica and Christine wrapped the furniture that was fragile in bubble wrap, and wrapped the rest of it in packing blankets. The movers were coming at 5, and she had the address of the storage facility she had rented in Dallas where it was going to go.
They were all finished packing at 4:30, and looked around at their accomplishments. Jimmy owned this condo, and the appliances were all brand-new. He could have taken them, but he chose to let them stay with the condo. Jessica was taking his bed to her house, and a few other family pieces. The rest was going to storage.
The movers arrived at 5 precisely, and had everything loaded within an hour. David paid them handsomely, and tipped them well. Jessica hugged both of them, and then headed to the airport. Her flight was leaving at 9, she would be home by midnight. Jimmy's things would follow in a few days.
"Thank you so much Christine. I regret not getting to know you better when we really were sisters. Thank you for not deserting my brother". She turned to David. "Thank you David for still helping him, despite the special situation y'all are in". They each grabbed the last bags of trash and walked them to the dumpster. David ran back to make sure the doors were locked. He left the keys and the gate pass in the drop box at the office. And then he and Christine got in the car and headed back to their hotel.
They showered and changed and went out for a nice steak dinner. The next day, they caught the first train home, and were back in their apartment by lunchtime. The contractor that David had hired was coming by at 2 to give them his opinion and an estimate.
Christine hit the gym downstairs while the contractor was there. When she came up, she grabbed a quick shower and threw on some yoga pants. She had plans to settle in with her novel on the couch. The contractor chose his own idea for the kitchen. He was going to take the stovetop off. Move the Fridge where the stovetop had been. Build two pantries- one to the right of the fridge where the fridge had been, and one to the left, filling in the space between the oven and fridge. He was going to move the microwave, to above the ovens, and put top cabinets above everything except the fridge. He added in a few extra plugs for convenience, and he was going to double the size of the island and the put the stovetop behind the sink, with a small lip counter running behind it to separate the stove from the sink. It was going to be the gourmet kitchen of Chris' dreams. She was going to end up with a lot more counter space as a result of this renovation. The whole thing was slated to take 3, 4 days tops.
Christine boxed up the cabinets and moved everything to the table. She and David could eat on TV trays for a bit, or go out. This was a minor inconvenience.
Now that she and David had dealt with the Jimmy situation, life was getting back to normal and she couldn't be happier. She couldn't wait to see what was coming up!