Title: Careful
Author: Lauren / Running Up Fawn
Rating: PG, for now
Disclaimer: Jack, Samantha, Vivian, Danny and Martin belong to CBS, Steinberg and Bruckheimer; the characters are not mine.
Author's Note: This is a work in progress. I apologize in advance for inaccuracies regarding FBI procedure, etc., because I'm sure there will be many. Also, the title really has nothing to do with the story. I couldn't think of one, so I borrowed a song title from Guster. I'm sure this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. Finally, so much thanks to everyone at Maple Street..you all are so amazing.
Jack Malone strode purposefully to the large white board in the front of the room and clipped a glossy photograph to the top. He turned to his team of agents, who were sitting around a table and looking expectantly up at him.
"Darien Blessing." He nodded toward the picture of a pretty, smiling teenaged girl, with short, shiny brown hair and large dark eyes. "Sixteen years old, junior in high school. Didn't come home from her basketball open gym last night, which went from six to eight. Mom, Jayne Blessing, called it in."
Danny Taylor glanced briefly at his watch, which read 7:15.
"Eleven hours missing," he commented.
"Genius, Danny," Martin Fitzgerald smirked briefly at the other agent.
"We have to get right on this." Jack's voice commanded attention, and the gentle banter stopped.
"As of now, the only lead we may have is the absent father, and even that is probably a huge stretch. He lives in Chicago and hasn't seen Darien or Jayne since he left them when Darien was eight. Sends child support every month, but that's their only contact. If we need to, we'll pay him a visit, but something is telling me the father has nothing to do with her disappearance. Let's start with the people who saw her last. Martin and Danny, head to Brennamen High, her high school. Round up all the girls who were at the open gym last night, see if they noticed anything strange about Darien's behavior or anything that happened after the open gym was over. " Jack handed a piece of paper with the school's address to Danny.
"Viv, I'd like you to talk to the coach. I called the school, found his place of business. He's an environmental safety engineer, works at Trenton Corporation." He handed Vivian a slip of paper with the man's name, business address and phone number. She glanced at it and nodded.
"He's not a suspect right now, but we can't rule anything out. Question carefully, okay?" Jack smiled briefly at his trusted agent and friend; he knew he didn't need to give her instruction, and only did it out of habit.
She smiled back. "Got it."
Jack turned to his remaining agent.
"Sam, you and I will talk to the mother, search the house." The blonde woman nodded, and Jack could see her already processing what little they knew.
"Let's go."
The five agents gathered their files and, with a glance at the smiling face of Darien Blessing, headed out.
Jack pulled up next to the curb in front of the Blessing's home and, after turning the car off, he and Samantha briefly took in their surroundings.
"Typical suburbia," Samantha commented, noting the green lawns and two car garages, many of which were open.
"One of those towns where nothing bad is supposed to happen," Jack agreed, as the pair left the car and began walking up the driveway to the Blessing's door. It was a sunny, warm morning in late September, and Samantha took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.
After a few seconds it was opened by a small, dark haired woman whose eyes were red and watery from crying. The skin around them was dark, and Samantha assumed the woman hadn't slept at all.
"Jayne Blessing?" Jack began, his voice low and gentle. "I'm Agent Jack Malone, and this is Agent Samantha Spade. We're here about your daughter.." He trailed off as understanding crept into the distraught woman's dark eyes.
"Of course, I'm sorry," she opened the screen door and allowed them inside. "I can't even think straight."
Jayne Blessing lead the agents into her living room, where a woman with dark blonde hair sat next to a slender girl with long, curly red hair. Both looked up as they entered the room, and their faces were identical to Jayne's: tear-streaked and exhausted. The tall woman with blonde hair stood up and shook hands with the agents, introducing herself. "I'm Mara Jennings. Darien and Jayne are family to me.." Her voice broke, as tears again formed in her deep blue eyes. She shakily smiled an apology before taking her place beside the red haired girl, who began to speak softly.
"I'm Grace McNamara. Darien is my best friend..it's my fault she's missing." Grace furiously rubbed away tears with clenched fists, and Mara gently rubbed the girl's back.
"It's not your fault," Jayne spoke automatically, decisively, to Grace, then to the agents. "It's not her fault. Please, sit down." She gestured to the chairs that sat opposite the coach, and Jack and Samantha did. They glanced at each other, and, with no words spoken, communicated how they would handle the questioning. 'Divide and conquer' flitted briefly through Samantha's head as she gently began speaking to the distraught Grace, while Jack turned to Jayne Blessing.
"Grace? I'm Samantha." She waited for the girl to look at her, understanding brown eyes meeting bloodshot green ones. Samantha pulled out her notebook and smiled, almost apologetically. She began with basic questions, allowing Grace time to relax.
"Were you at the open gym last night?"
"Yes."
"Where was the open gym?"
"At our high school. Brennamen."
"Do you have them often?"
"Almost every Sunday. We're not allowed to practice until the season starts, but Coach Duncan likes getting us some playing time before that."
Samantha nodded, noticing that as Grace talked, her voice grew less shaky and her green eyes didn't look so lost. Sam figured this was because the girl felt like she was helping, bringing them closer to finding her friend. Which Samantha hoped was true.
"Tell me about last night, Grace. Everything you remember, even if you think it's not important." Samantha gave Grace a reassuring smile, and Mara slipped an arm around the girl's shoulders, offering silent support. Grace took a deep breath and looked directly at Samantha.
"The open gym started at six. Coach Duncan likes us to be everywhere ten minutes early, so Chic-" Grace shook her head. "Sorry." A shaky smile. "Chicago is my nickname for her, since that's where she moved from. Darien and I left around 5:45. I live next door," Grace clarified quickly, and Samantha nodded for her to continue.
"I drove. I don't usually. Most of the time we walk, since the school is close and it's still so nice out. We got there around 5:50, and warmed up. There weren't many of us. Eleven, I think. Alot of the girls are still playing fall sports and can't come. Anyway, we did what we do every open gym..shot for teams and scrimmaged. There was nothing different about last night." Grace's voice sounded strained, but honest.
"How did Darien do?"
"You mean, how well did she play? Oh, she was great. She always is." Tears formed again in Grace's big green eyes, she took a deep breath and continued speaking. "When it was over, I was supposed to meet my family at my cousin's house, for his birthday party. They live about twenty minutes from school." Grace's voice shook, and she looked pleadingly at Samantha. "I told her I would take her home, that it wasn't a problem at all. I wanted to! But she wouldn't let me..she said she would be fine walking. She didn't want to inconvenience any of the others, and the walk is so short...it was still light out..I thought she would be okay! I should have insisted..." Tears again streaked her cheeks and Grace dropped her head into her hands, red hair spilling everywhere.
Sympathetically, Samantha touched the girl's knee. "It's not your fault, Grace. Not at all. And you have no idea how much of a help you are."
Grace nodded, almost to herself, and finally looked up.
"Besides you girls and your coach, was anyone else at the gym last night?" Samantha asked.
Grace frowned in thought.
"I don't think so..there was nothing else going on. Oh, the cleaning staff may have been there." Grace shrugged. "There's usually a few of them there to close up the gym after we're finished."
"Do you know who was there last night?"
Grace shook her head apologetically. "No, sorry. I don't see much of them..I don't even know any of their names."
Samantha nodded, making a note before continuing. "Is Darien dating anyone? Any ex-boyfriends you know of?"
Grace shook her head without hesitation. "Not here, and she didn't mention anyone from Chicago." She shrugged again. "She didn't really know anyone yet, except me, and everyone from basketball."
"Okay. Did Darien ever mention her father?"
Mara flicked a gaze Samantha's way, but Grace answered before Samantha could speculate. "No, not really. She told me that her parents were divorced, but that's about it."
"One more thing. What was Darien wearing last night?"
Grace's face contorted in concentration. "Um..a yellow T-shirt and navy blue shorts, I think. The shirt had the name of some camp on it, and the shorts were plain." She nodded to herself in confirmation.
Samantha nodded, and closed her notebook. "Thank you, Grace." She patted the girl's hand. "You should get some rest. We're going to find her," Samantha assured her, hoping like hell she could deliver on that promise.
While Samantha was talking with Grace McNamara, Jack had been questioning Jayne Blessing.
"When we spoke on the phone, you said that you and Darien had just moved here in July, from Chicago. How was she adjusting?"
"At first, Darien wouldn't even speak to me, she was so angry about leaving Chicago." Jayne smiled briefly."After we got here, though, she adjusted almost immediately. She met Grace, " Jayne nodded to the redhead on the couch, "and they became almost inseparable. She spent most of the summer with Grace, and occasionally other kids from school, playing basketball, swimming, things like that. I was a little worried about how she would adjust to the new school, but everything has been wonderful. Just a few days ago she was telling me how glad she was that we moved here."
"And you hadn't noticed anything different about her behavior over the past few weeks?" Jack asked.
Jayne shook her head. "Nothing. I would have noticed." She looked right at Jack, her eyes almost pleading with him to believe her. "Ever since her father left, Darien and I have been extremely close. I know her, Agent Malone. I would have noticed," she repeated, this time to reassure herself.
"You mentioned Darien's father..David?" Jack glanced down at his file and then back at Jayne for confirmation. She nodded.
"David left Darien and myself when Darien was eight." Jack searched Jayne's eyes for any indication of anger or resentment, but there was none. "Things..weren't great, with our marriage. He was always working, we were constantly fighting, and finally David couldn't handle it anymore. He sends child support checks every month, but other than that has had no contact with me or Darien. I know he remarried, and lives in Chicago; that's it." Jayne shook her head. "David wasn't a great father or husband, but I can't believe he would take Darien. He never gave any indication that he wanted to see her, especially since he hasn't even talked to her for eight years."
Jack nodded. He couldn't completely rule out the husband as a suspect, but he also wasn't sure a trip to Chicago would prove fruitful.
"Do you or Darien have any enemies, Mrs. Blessing? In Chicago or New York?" Jack always hated asking this question, it sounded so cold, but it was necessary. To her credit, Jayne Blessing took it in stride.
"No. We left on good terms with everyone in Chicago, and we honestly haven't met all that many people here in New York. I spend most of my time working at the pharmacy with Mara," she nodded at the tall blonde woman," or here with Darien. I've known Mara since I was a little girl. I used to live here..that's why I wanted to move back."
"Okay. Tell me about last night."
Jayne took a deep breath; she had been composed so far, and Jack hoped she would be able to get through this part.
"I left around twelve in the afternoon to go to work. Darien was reading when I left, and said she didn't have any plans except open gym later that night. Work was normal. I called Darien around five to make sure she had eaten something, and was still planning on going to basketball. She sounded okay, completely normal. She told me she was going to walk home, and I figured that was fine, because the school is so close and it's still pretty light out at eight. The pharmacy closes at seven on Sundays, but Mara and I were planning on staying later so we could fill prescriptions and make sure everything was ready for Monday..well, today. I left around eight-thirty, and Darien wasn't here when I got home. I figured the open gym had gone a little late, so I didn't start to worry until nine, when she still wasn't home." Tears gathered in Jayne's dark eyes, and spilled over, traveling down her already-streaked cheeks. Jack waited patiently while she pulled herself together and continued.
"I called one of the other girls on Darien's team, Sleater Christie. She told me the open gym had ended at eight, and that she had seen Darien walk out of the gym with Grace. I thought maybe she had gone with Grace to her cousin's party, although I guess I didn't really think that because Darien wouldn't go somewhere without telling me first." Jayne wiped a tear away with the back of her hand, and to Jack she suddenly looked very young, like a lost little girl. Which was, he reflected, kind of ironic, since they were here to find her own lost girl. Jayne continued, "At nine-thirty, the McNamara's came home. I went over and talked to Grace. She said that Darien had left the gym at eight, to walk home. I drove back and forth to the school at least three times..I thought maybe she'd gotten hurt and couldn't walk."
Jack nodded, noting the times Jayne Blessing mentioned in his book.
"Did you speak to Darien's coach, Robert Duncan?"
A look of genuine bewilderment crossed Jayne Blessing's face. "No..no, I didn't even think to call him." Her tone was confused. "I..I don't even think we have his number."
"Okay. We're in touch with him. Mrs. Blessing, what about any boyfriends, or ex-boyfriends? Of yours or Darien's, here or in Chicago?"
Jayne shook her head. "Both Darien and I went on casual dates in Chicago, but nothing ever lasted longer than a few weeks. I haven't dated since we moved here, and I'm pretty sure Darien would have told me if she had. She's not the type to sneak around."
Again Jack nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Blessing." He glanced at Samantha, who was wrapping up her questioning with Grace.
"Can you show Samantha and myself Darien's room, please?"
'Why' seemed to be on the tip of Jayne Blessing's tongue, but she swallowed the question and nodded mutely, standing. She led the two agents up a flight of stairs and into the first room on their right. Both Samantha and Jack smiled at her.
"Thank you.." Samantha trailed off as she and Jack began looking around the room. There was nothing atypical about it at first glance, Samantha decided. A double bed with a deep green comforter and a pile of clothes on the end was positioned against the wall, next to a wooden nightstand that matched the wooden set of drawers on the other side of the room. A rather large CD player sat on top of the dresser, next to a stack of CDs. There were a few articles of clothing thrown haphazardly around the room, but Samantha knew this meant nothing; the clothing in her own room was even more scattered.
"Do you see anything out of place here, Mrs. Blessing? Anything missing?" Jack glanced up at the woman before going back to his search of the closet.
"No. I put those clothes on her bed before I left for work, and it looks exactly the same in here." A rueful smile. "I asked her to clean it before basketball, but she usually ignores me when I tell her to clean her room."
Jack moved from the closet to the window, glancing at it briefly for any signs of disturbance. Finding none, he walked over to Samantha. "Anything, Sam?" He asked softly.
She shook her head. "Nothing. I don't think she made it home last night, Jack," She answered just as softly.
"Okay. Let's get back to the unit, see what Viv, Martin and Danny found out."
As they left, Samantha hugged Grace briefly, handing her a white card. "Call me if you think of anything, or if you need to talk." She gave the girl a reassuring smile.
Jack gave a similar card to Jayne Blessing. "Call anytime, Mrs. Blessing. We'll be in touch as soon as we have something new."
The agents walked back into the bright sunlight together.
"There hasn't been a ransom demand, Jack," Samantha looked troubled, as she fiddled with her notebook. A ransom demand wasn't usually a good thing, but in this case, since the Blessings didn't appear to be particularly affluent, receiving one may have suggested an amateur, or a spontaneous kidnapping, which would probably have made their search easier.
"I know." Their eyes met, and Jack's voice was quiet, resigned. "It doesn't look like a runaway, either." He started the car. "All we've got are more questions." He touched her arm softly. "Let's hope the others have some answers."