One Dark Hour
It was late; nearly ten o'clock on a Friday night and Captain Sharon Raydor found herself sitting at her desk finishing the last of the reports for their latest case. The rest of her team had gone home hours ago and Rusty had asked if he could go to a movie with some friends, so there really was no reason for her to rush home to an empty condo. As she dropped the last report into her out basket and prepared to leave, an officer from Traffic Division appeared in her doorway.
"Excuse me Captain Raydor"
"Yes...Officer Hicks isn't it?" she said flashing him a tired smile "How can I help you?"
"I hate to ask, but do you own a late model, tan Volvo?" he asked, the sense of urgency in his voice causing her to become concerned
"Yes, My so...Rusty, Rusty Beck, my ward is driving my Volvo, why? Is there a problem?"
"Ma'am, I regret to inform you that this vehicle was involved in an accident in Mulholland Canyon which resulted in a fatality," he said
The color suddenly drained from Sharon's face as she picked her cell phone and immediately dialed Rusty's number
"Damn it! Voice mail, Officer Hicks, I'm sure there has been some sort of mistake" she said as she tried the number again
"Sorry Captain, there is no mistake. Do you have a description of Mr. Beck or a recent photo we can use for identification purposes?"
Sharon looked at the young officer as though he had grown a second head.
"A DESCRIPTION! It's Rusty Beck. He has been here almost every day for the last two years. He was a witness in the Philip Stroh case...Ringing any bells?" she snapped thru clenched teeth
"Sorry Captain, Traffic Division doesn't have much to do with Major Crimes as a general rule" he replied apologetically
Sharon dialed Rusty's number a third time and again got his voicemail
"That's it!" she said as she quickly dialed a different number
"Hello"
"Lieutenant Provenza?"
"Captain, don't tell me you are still at the office dotting our I's and crossing our T's. It's Friday night for God's sake. Why don't try to do something a little daring like going home and relaxing" replied Provenza in his usual grumpy tone
"Lieutenant, it's Rusty, Officer Hicks from Traffic Division is here, and there has been an accident...The car...I can't reach him..." said Sharon, suddenly unable to form a complete sentence as she bit back the tears that were forming in her eyes
"Hold on Sharon," replied Provenza in a concerned tone "I'll call the team and we'll all be there in a few minutes, you just hold on" he said as he hung up.
Sharon clutched the phone to her chest and leaned against her desk as one by one the tears that had been threatening to fall began to slip down her cheeks. "Where is he? There has to be some mistake," she thought to herself as she desperately attempted to remain calm.
Detectives Flynn and Provenza were the first to arrive, rushing straight into Sharon's office where she was still leaning against her desk. Provenza gently put his arm around her and guided her to her chair while Andy stepped outside and spoke with Officer Hicks.
"Captain, where was Rusty going tonight?" asked Provenza as he looked up and waived the rest of the team into the office
"A movie" she said in a tone just barely audible "He wanted to go to a movie with some friends"
"Where?" he asked as he looked as his now nearly distraught Captain, who was lost in her own thoughts "CAPTAIN!" he said again in a more forceful tone "Where was the movie? What theater?" he asked again
"I don't know" she replied shaking her head
"TAO!" shouted Provenza "I need you to work your magic and track Rusty's cell phone and give us his last known location. SANCHEZ, SYKES...I need you to go with Officer Hicks to the scene of the accident...BUZZ, as soon as we have a location, you and I will go to the theater..."
"What do you want me to do?" asked Andy as he put his arm protectively around the back of the Captains chair
"Stay with her," shouted Provenza as he headed out of her office "I'll call you when we know something"
"Louie, wait a minute," said Andy as he met him at the door "There is something you should know"
"And that would be?"
"According to Officer Hicks, the description of the driver matches Rusty...I just thought you should know"
"Look Flynn, Just because it walks like a duck and acts like a duck doesn't automatically make it a duck, so let's not get ahead of ourselves, Oh and do me a favor and don't mention it to her until we're sure"
"What do I look like? A complete idiot?" replied Andy with a perplexed look
"I've got it!" shouted Tao as he excitedly began to write down an address
"Let me see that!" Snapped Provenza as he snatched the paper out of his hand. Andy and the rest of the team could tell from his expression that the news was not good. "What was the last location before this one?" he grumbled as he stared at the paper
"Give me a minute," said Tao as he began tapping away on his keyboard
"What was the address Lieutenant?" asked Sharon as she came to stand beside Provenza
"What? Oh...well it doesn't mean anything, I am sure there is a logical explanation for all of this" replied Provenza as he shoved the paper into his coat pocket and attempted to avoid the question "Andy, Get her out of her...Take her home!"
"I am the Captain of this department..." she started to say angrily before Provenza cut her off mid sentence
"No, at the moment, you are a parent of a missing child, so you can either go and wait in your office like a good little Captain until we know something OR Andy can take you home and we will call you" he said as he escorted her away from the teams desks "Rules are rules and we all know how you love to follow the rules"
"But..."
"He's right Captain," said Chief Taylor as he rounded the corner "You are personally involved in this incident, therefore you cannot be involved in the investigation. Lieutenant Flynn, why don't you take the Captain home and we will call with any news"
"Sure Chief. Come on Sharon, let's go," he said as he gently put his arm around her and guided her to the elevator
"You will call?" she said over her shoulder
"Yes, we will call, now get her out of here" replied Chief Taylor as he returned his attention to the team
"How is it that we are so blessed with your presence Chief Taylor? I wasn't aware that you monitored Traffic Division in your off time," asked Provenza suspiciously
"I received a call from Traffic Division when it was determined that the vehicle involved in the accident belonged to Captain Raydor"
"I see"
"I thought she might fight you on staying out of the investigation so I decided to stop in and help, plus I like Rusty, he's a good kid"
"Yes...he is" replied Provenza quietly.
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The ride to Sharon's condo was quiet, with Sharon wringing her hands and biting her bottom lip as she occasionally glanced at Andy.
"He's alright Sharon, I can feel it," he said quietly
"How can you be so sure?"
"After so many years on this job, you can just tell in your gut when the fish stinks from the head down, and something just doesn't seem right about this" he said flatly as he reached over and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze "I know it sounds like a generic line, but try not to worry"
"Easier said than done," she replied with a hollow laugh as she looked vacantly out the window
When they arrived at the condo, Andy opened the door and escorted her in and thru to the sofa. He helped her remove her suit jacket and put on her favorite cardigan before she curled up on the sofa with her feet tucked up underneath her.
"Are you hungry? I'm sure you haven't eaten since you were still at the office," he said as he put her keys on the table
"No, not really"
"Come on Sharon, you have to eat. Let me at least fix you some toast"
"Fine, toast will be fine," she said rather absently
Andy headed into the kitchen and returned with a rather odd expression on his face
"Is there a problem?" she asked
"We only have a problem if you don't have a toaster"
"I'll get it," she said quietly as she pulled herself up and headed toward the kitchen.
As she was taking the elusive toaster from the cupboard she suddenly stopped and turned to Andy with tears in her eyes
"Oh Andy, what if it really is him?" her voice trembling with fear
Andy opened his arms and encircled her in a protective embrace as he leaned down and placed a kiss to the crown of her head while she quietly cried into his chest.
"It's going to be alright Sharon. It's not him, I can feel it"
TO BE CONTINUED...
