Chapter One

Missed Opportunities

"Bobby are you alright you seem a little distracted?" Asks his new partner, Megan Wheeler.

Since Bobby and Alex have gotten engaged they both decided, after weeks of discussion on their part, that they wanted to be assigned new partners. They love each other very much but they both need a little time with other people, working together everyday and then seeing each other every night was a bit much. The new arrangement is working well. Alex however has become a liaison to Megan

He lifts his head slowly. "What?"

"I asked if you were alright."

"Yeah. I'm fine." He gets up from his chair and goes into one of the side offices and starts looking through some papers.

She has gotten used to his thinking stare but this is different. She decides she needs another cup of coffee. As she pours, coffee into her mug, Alex walks up next to her.

"Morning Alex."

"Morning, Megan. How is everything going?"

"Not bad."

"Uh oh what is it? I thought you'd be use to the stare by now."

She takes a long sip of coffee. "It's not that, I am. All day yesterday and now this morning, he's been ignoring me. Do you think it's because he thinks I'm too green to be of any help? I thought we were working this case well, maybe I ask too many questions?"

"No. He's been quiet since yesterday morning with me also. Don't let it bother you. It has nothing to do with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure."

"Thanks."

As the two women were talking, he has resumed his seat at his desk. Alex walks past the desk and knocks on it. "Got a minute?"

He looks up. "Sure."

"Follow me." He follows her back into the room that he just left. "What's up?"

"You tell me."

"Nothing."

"Well something's the matter. Megan is under the impression that you don't have any faith in her abilities."

"Why would she think that?"

Alex grabs his arm and turns him to face her. "How many words have you spoken to her in the last two days? As many as you've spoken to me?"

He looks away from her and sits down shaking his head as he sighs. "Ten years, it's been ten years today."

"What has been ten years?"

"Since my Dad died. For some reason, I don't know, it's bothering me."

"Why didn't you tell me about this last night?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I thought the feeling would be gone by now but it's not. It's not that I miss him. It's that I always regretted the fact that as an adult I never got the chance to have it out with him, stupid, huh?"

She walks behind him and puts her hands on his shoulders. "No, not at all."

They both stay quiet for a minute then she shakes him by the shoulders. "Go, talk to your partner, she's a good cop and she wants to help, don't ignore her."

"Yeah. You're right."

She gives him a quick hug. "Naturally."

He looks back at her and smiles. "Want to take a long ride on the elevator."

She pinches him lightly. "Not now maybe later."

"Oh promises, promises."

He follows her out of the room.

"I'm sorry Megan."

Wow is he talking to me?

"It's alright. Is there something bothering you that I can help you with?"

He pulls out his chair and sits down. "No thanks and it's nothing that should interfere with our work, I'm sorry."

She continues to read the paper in her hand. She looks up. "Bobby?"

"Yeah."

"I've been reading over the notes I took yesterday. I think we should speak to Truman again. If we are to believe his story, than there is an hour missing from his evening and in that time he could have committed this crime."

"Let me see." She passes the paper to him. He reads in silence. "Good catch Megan, let's go."

A proud feeling goes through her and she smiles.

That Night

Bobby has been home a couple of hours when Alex arrives. He has the stereo on and it is just a little bit too loud. She walks over to the receiver and lowers it. He looks up when he notices the volume been decreased. "I can't hear it." He yells from the deck outside.

She raises her voice. "You can't hear it." She says as she walks into the kitchen and opens the freezer. "The whole neighborhood can hear it." He does not answer. She takes a chicken from the freezer and puts it in the microwave to defrost. "When did you get home?"

"A couple of hours ago."

Alex opens the oven door and turns it on. She then joins him out on the deck. "What are you doing?"

He takes a sip of his drink. "I'm just sitting here. Can't I just sit here?"

Already she can hear the attitude. Bobby plus whiskey equals nasty.

She sits down next to him. Pointing to the drink in his hand, "How many of those have you had in that time?"

"Two, no, three." He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know, want one?"

"No thanks."

"Why not?" He asks then takes a sip.

She can hear the timer go off on the microwave. She stands up. "I don't feel like having a drink now. I'm hungry. I need some dinner."

She points toward him. "I'm making dinner." Alex walks back inside the house she turns to look at him. "I'm roasting chicken and you're going to eat it."

Alex returns to the kitchen and begins preparing the dinner. She actually likes to cook. One reason is Bobby will eat anything and she gets to decide what to prepare.

Alex prepares the chicken and after she places it in the oven, she goes into the bedroom to change her clothes. She doesn't notice that he is standing behind her in the doorway. As she takes off her bra, she catches his reflection in the mirror. For a second she gets embarrassed. "Jesus Christ, Bobby. You scared me. What are you doing?"

"Watching." He says as he leans up against the doorframe.

Alex opens her dresser drawer and takes out a T-shirt and shorts. He starts to walk into the room, "Why not just leave them off?" She ignores him and puts her shirt on. She runs her fingers through her hair and as she passes him, he grabs her arm. "What's the hurry?"

"Not now."

"Why the hell not?"

"I'm hungry and you're………" She looks away from him and moves forward.

He pulls her back. "I'm what?"

"Drunk."

"Not even close."

She turns to look up at him and she doesn't say a word. He lets go.

He returns to the outside deck. She gets a glass of wine and joins him. She sits next to him and says nothing. "What?" He says sounding irritated. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Alright I'm sorry."

She moves closer to him and taps him on the arm. "You can take that apology and shove it up your ass." She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "It's not what you said. It's the way you said it."

He swallows the remainder of his drink. Alex grabs the bottle before he has a chance to pick it up. "That's enough Bobby."

"Yeah, alright." He says feeling disgusted with himself.

She moves her chair closer. "Tell me why you're sitting out here and what you're thinking about."

He sets the glass down and slides it across the table. He sighs. "Did you ever have an argument with someone and after you go home you think to yourself, why didn't I say that or how come I didn't do that?"

"Sure I have."

"Well that's what I'm thinking about. I said before that I never got the chance to have to out with my Dad but…I had plenty of opportunities."

"What stopped you?"

"I had always hoped that one day he would pay attention to what I was doing. I may have had a big mouth and been a little arrogant when I was a kid but I never got into any serious trouble, I wasn't an angel either, I have to admit that I have done things that I'm not proud of but….I thought that if I didn't stir up old shit that things would change and that we could actually have some kind of a relationship."

"Did you have much contact with him as an adult?"

"Here and there, he was easy to find, that wasn't the problem. He hung out in two places Kasey's Bar or the track."

He shakes his head and sits back in the chair. "He wasn't always like that, I can remember a man who cared, taught me things and took my brother and I to really cool places but after she got sick he changed. He changed into an uncaring, selfish bastard only interested in what made him happy."

Alex links her arm in his. "When he got sick, guess who the asshole was that would visit him?"

She smiles and hugs him. "I hope to God he appreciated it."

He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know he didn't say, it really didn't matter to me."

"Don't lie to yourself, of course it mattered. Did he know that you were there?"

"Yeah. Sometimes he would wake up and we would talk a little but it wasn't about anything important. Mostly I would sit there and think of things that I wanted to say to him to let him know how I felt but he was so ill that I couldn't. He was only sixty-one when he died but he looked like he was eighty."

He exhales. "Just a sad bitter old man. Shit. Maybe I should have said something whether he understood or not. Maybe it would lessen the animosity I have for him now."

He suddenly stands up. Alex looks up at him. "What?"

"Something's burning."

Alex quickly leaves the deck and runs to the kitchen. He can hear her. "Oh shit, please don't be burnt." He smiles. "Is it burnt?"

"No something on the bottom of the oven is burning."

"That's good because that smelled good."

"Come in here and get it out."

After Dinner

"That was good."

"Thanks I know I'm not the best cook in the world but cooking for you is a breeze."

They get comfortable on the couch. "I'm really sorry for what I did before."

"I accept your apology but never again you got it."

He just nods his head as he puts his arm around her shoulder. He kisses the top of her head and then she looks up. He kisses her lightly on the lips then moves to her neck as they hear the phone rings. He nibbles her ear. "Oh that reminds me your Mom called before." He kisses her neck again. She gets up suddenly and answers the phone. He flops down on the couch. "Can't you just let it ring?"

"Hello."

"Hi Alex it me."

"Hi Laurie."

"Have you made the reservations?"

"Yes I have. Eight o'clock, Romolo's?

"Romolo's are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. They have the best Italian food."

As Bobby sits up, he chimes in. "Expensive."

Alex puts her finger to her mouth. "Shhh."

"Eight o'clock."

"Yes. What's wrong? Its Saturday night everyone is available at that time."

"Ok I just thought that it would be too late for Mom."

"I told her the time and she was fine with it.

Bobby lies down on the couch. "My God you think you were planning a summit meeting for nuclear disarmament, it's a birthday party."

She covers the mouthpiece. "Bobby, be quiet."

"Did you get him anything yet?"

"No. He's such a pain in the ass to buy for. Worse than the one I'm staring at right now. I'm going to ask Mom, maybe she'll come up with something."

"Ok Alex talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Laurie."

She hangs up the phone and quickly picks it up again. "Hi Mom it's me."

"Hi honey. How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Had a good day today. How's Bobby?"

"He's alright."

"I just told her that only hours ago." Bobby says as he clicks on the TV.

"Shhh."

"I just got off the phone with Laurie and told her that we were going to have the party at Romolo's."

"What did she say?"

"She was worried about the time and you."

"I'll be alright."

"Mom I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure what."

"Give me some ideas about a gift for Dad."

"I'll have to think about that a little. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Thanks Mom. Have a good night."

"You too. Goodnight."

They settle on the couch and it's Alex's turn to pick a movie, after about an hour Bobby is asleep. The movie is over and she turns off the TV. She shakes him. "Bobby wake up." He picks up his head and grunts and goes right back to sleep. She debates whether to leave him there or try waking him again. "Ah let him sleep he'll wake up as soon as his back starts to hurt."

Alex retires to bed and starts to read a book. She gets drowsy after about a half hour. She falls asleep soon after.

Early The Next Morning

"You never could handle your whiskey as I recall."

"Huh." Bobby sits up on the couch. He just stares at the figure standing in front of him.

TBC