Repaying the debt.
This is my challenge fic, I had Terrance Davis and Jo Danville and it was quite a challenge! Though when I started I realised I could of course legitimately bring Flack into it :) Hope you enjoy – please leave a review on you way out...
Jo Danville faced Terrence Davis across the desk in the office of his club.
"Look again Mr Davis" she urged "We know he was here last night"
"I don't spend as much time out front as I'd like" he replied politely "Have you tried the staff?"
"They don't remember him" Jo returned "But he came to see you, specifically you, the meeting is in his diary"
Terrence sucked air through his teeth "He never made it"
"I think he did" Jo retorted "And I think that meeting is the reason he's dead"
"Lady" Terrance stood "I am clean, my club is clean, and although I like to help out the police where I can as a good citizen, I can't help in this case"
"Come off it" Jo said, humour in her tone "I've seen your rap sheet"
"And you will have noticed that I've been a law abiding citizen for many years now" Terrance replied "I had a bad spell"
"Quite a bad spell" Jo murmured.
"Which is in the past" Terrence said firmly "I have never heard of, or seen this guy, so if there's nothing else?"
"There is actually" Jo said "We'll take this downtown"
Terrance gave her an amused look "I don't think so"
"Are you refusing to co-operate?" Jo challenged "We can make it official?"
Terrance slowly reached for a desk drawer "I ain't pullin' nuthn'" he said, holding his other hand out passively "I have somethin' you need to see"
Jo's hand twitched at her gun holster, relaxing as Terrance handed her two cards. She recognised the NYPD insignia on them.
"Get outta jail free cards" she said, holding her hand out "Let's see who you've done a favour for then"
Terrance merely smiled as he handed them over "An' I got as many of them as you need"
Jo frowned, the first card detailed Mac's credentials, the second Don's. Looking up she saw Terrance slip two small bundles onto the desk.
"I have no information" he said quietly "That I can help you with.
"How did you get those?" she asked.
"Long story" he replied "And I don't like using them, but you gotta step outta this loop lady, and now"
"Why?" Jo looked interested rather than put off "Are you working for them? Detective's Flack and Taylor?"
"No" Terrance told her, tucking the wads of cards back into his desk "Not them"
"Then who?" she challenged.
"No one" he replied pointedly, handing her the two cards again "I can't help you"
"How did you get them?" she asked, her voice wavering with interest "Why so many? What you do, save their lives?"
Terrance laughed carefully "In a manner of speaking" he replied "You know them?"
"Both" Jo nodded "If they gave you this many free passes, it must be good. Flack'd arrest his own Grandma if he thought she was guilty"
"He's a good guy" Terrance replied "He had a bad time, and your man Taylor? He's good too, rare in your line of work"
Jo thought on what Davis had said, she was new, making headway into the city and she didn't want to tread on toes.
"Will you tell me?" she asked "Off the record"
"No" Terrance smiled at her "All I can say is that you take me downtown and I'll be out as soon as one a them notices I'm there. Oh they're straight, but they know I am too, because I proved it"
"How?" Jo couldn't help herself.
Terrance sighed "Flack, ah lost his way a while back" he said, remembering the day in the car, the phonecall, the news afterwards. He also remembered the information he'd given Flack, and why. Because he knew what it was like to lose your girl, he owed Flack nothing, it wasn't an information trade, the woman didn't deserve to die, Flack didn't deserve to go through that.
"I heard" Jo frowned "What do you know about it all?"
"That he lost someone an' it stung, deep" Terrance nodded "An' he was against it for a while, but he came through. I had his back, and he has mine"
"And Detective Taylor was also grateful enough to give you a free ride?" Jo asked.
"He was involved" Terrance shrugged "And yes, he was grateful"
Jo regarded Terrance as he thought, she could see he was reliving a memory she could only guess at. This man wasn't going to elaborate.
Terrance remembered the day on the subway, how it had saddened him to find Flack like that, how he'd had to do something. Speaking to Taylor had felt disloyal somehow, but he'd had to, there was no other way than to let the man deal with the situation. Apart from the implications of having two cops, well known cops too, in his apartment, he feared if Flack just left of what would happen.
"Thank you Mr Davis" Jo tucked the cards into her bag and turned to leave "I will pass your regards on to Detective's Flack and Taylor"
"You do that" he smiled "Like I said, good guys"