To Kill An Artist
Summary: Peter's ex-girlfriend shows up and asks for Peter's help, a man from their past is out of prison and trying to kill her. Then he goes after Peter.
Warnings: A few bad words and mild on screen violence. Talk of past torture, not real graphic.
Note: Set in season two.
Disclaimer: Story is just for fun, I own nothing.
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Peter and Elizabeth were snuggled together on the couch, enjoying their Saturday evening. The tv was on, but neither was paying attention to the program. They were too busy looking into each other's eyes.
"We should really do this more often." Elizabeth said.
"I agree."
Ring Ring Ring Ring The phone on the end table started blaring.
"No." Both moaned in unison.
Ring Ring Ring Ring
With a deep sigh, Peter reached over and picked up the receiver.
"Peter?" A frightened sounding voice asked.
"This is Peter."
"Thank God."
"Who is this?"
"Annalyse, I need your help." The voice said, in a pleading tone.
"What's wrong?" Peter asked, untangling himself from his wife and standing up.
"He's out."
"Who's out?"
"York."
"Where are you?" Peter asked, worry evident in his voice.
"A hotel on Marks Street, room ten. Please Peter, I'm scared."
"I will be there in about twenty minutes."
"Please hurry."
"Hang up, and then call back to 555-2635. That's my cell number; I will stay on the phone with you until I get there."
"Okay."
Peter hung up the phone and grabbed his cell.
"What's wrong?" His wife asked.
"I've got to go, a friend is in trouble."
"Be careful."
"I will."
Peter leaned over and kissed his wife, then quickly left. His phone started ringing as he walked out the door.
"Anna?" He asked, as he answered.
"It's me."
"I'm on my way. What happened?"
"I got home and I smelt cigarettes and beer, I thought I was imagining it again, but then I felt someone in the house with me. I ran to the door, but it slammed shut before I got there. Then I felt someone behind me, and the stench got stronger. Then he grabbed me from behind…." She stopped talking.
By that time, Peter had made it to his car and was currently driving down the road.
"Anna." He said, but she didn't answer. Peter could hear her breathing and knew she was still there.
"Listen to me, Anna." Peter said, his voice soothing. "I am almost there, I will protect you. He will not hurt you again, I promise. I always keep my promises, remember?"
"I….I remember." She said, her voice strained. He could tell that she was trying desperately to control her emotions. "I was wearing high heals, I jammed one into his ankle and he let me go. Then I kicked the shoes off and ran as fast as I could up the stairs and locked myself in my bedroom. I called the police, but I heard him leave. So I left the house before the police got there. I caught a cab to the hotel and called information to get your number, there is only one Peter Burke listed in the directory."
"You did good, Anna." Peter said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I am almost there."
"I know it was him." She said. "He didn't say anything, but I know it was him."
"I'm here." Peter said, as he pulled into the parking lot of a small hotel. "Unlock the door." Peter hung up the phone and rushed to room number ten. He got there, as the door was opened.
"Peter." Anna said, throwing her arms around his neck and clinging to him. Peter could feel her body shaking with fear.
Peter wrapped his arms around the distraught woman, holding her tight.
"It's okay; I won't let him hurt you." Peter said, releasing her. He draped a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her into the dark hotel room.
It took Peter's eyes a couple minutes to adjust to the darkness, then he found the light switch and turned the lights on.
"I didn't know who else to call." Anna said, trying to stop shaking.
"You did right calling me." Peter said, leading her over to the bed. They both sat down, Peter's arm still around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay."
He held her for a few moments, then he released her and turned to face her. "I need to make a phone call."
"Who to?"
"A couple friends of mine, I won't be long." He stood and walked a few feet away, then started dialing a number.
"Yeah, Peter?" Jones' voice said trough the receiver.
"Sorry to interrupt your Saturday." Peter said. "But I need a favor."
"Okay."
"It's a personal issue, not related to the white crimes unit.
"Not a problem, just let me know what you need."
"I need you to check to see if Nathan York is still in prison."
"Okay."
"And send a forensics unit to." He covered the phone with his hand and looked at Anna. "What's your address?"
"Twenty-three Fisher Street."
"Twenty-three Fisher Street." Peter said into the phone. "There was a 911 call earlier about an intruder, but the caller left before the police showed up."
"Anything else?"
"Not right now, thanks Jones."
"Anytime."
Peter hung up, and then dialed another number.
"Hello Boss." Diana's voice said.
"I need a favor, non job related."
"Name it."
"Can you come to the hotel on Marks Street, room number ten?"
"I can be there in about fifteen minutes."
"Thanks, sorry to intrude on your day off."
"I was getting bored anyway."
Peter hung up and turned his attention back to Anna. She was a year younger then Peter, and about a foot shorter. She was slender with light brown hair. She was wearing a flower print dress and no shoes. She also wore a pair of dark sun glasses.
"You're staring at me." She said. She had stopped shaking.
"Sorry." Then he smiled. "It's amazing how you can tell I was looking at you."
"Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I can't use my other senses." She said. "I can tell that you are still is pretty good shape, I felt your muscles. I can also tell that you are married."
"How?"
"I felt your wedding ring while you were comforting me."
"Been married for ten years, how about you?"
Anna twisted the wedding ring around on her finger. "Tony was killed three years ago in a plane crash."
"I'm sorry."
"We were married for five years."
Peter sat back down beside her. "If York is out, I will find him and put him right back in prison. And if it wasn't York, then I will find whoever it was and put him in prison."
"It was him." Anna said.
Peter's phone rung and he answered it, after checking the caller id. "Hey Jones."
"Nathan York escaped three days ago." Jones informed him. "Killing the prison psychiatrist and two guards in the process."
"We have to find him."
"I'll start looking."
"Thank you, Jones."
"I didn't really need a day off." The younger man said.
Peter hung up and sighed.
"He escaped?"
"Yes."
She started shaking again and Peter wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. "He won't get near you, I promise."
"I can't go through it again."
"He won't touch you." Peter said with determination. "You are safe. Me and my people will protect you. Diana is on her way over, I trust her with my life. We're going to move you to another hotel."
"I ran out of the house without my purse, I had fifty bucks in my pocket. That's how I rented this room."
"Don't worry about that, I'll use my credit card."
"Thank you, I will pay you back."
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Two hours later, Peter was sitting at his desk at the bureau. He was going over every file he could find on York, but wasn't having any luck in locating him. He looked up when he heard a knock on the door.
"I hope you know I was at the opening of Goldmine's new art gallery when you phoned." Neal said, as he entered.
"How'd you get an invite to that?" Peter asked. "Never mind, I don't want to know." He shook his head. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that Neal managed to get an invitation to one of the most elegant events within his two mile radius.
"New case?" Neal asked as he sat down.
"It's not a white collar case, at least not now. I asked Hughes to pull some strings and assign me to lead the investigation. He's looking into it."
"What's the case?"
"Twenty years ago, a young woman was kidnapped and tortured." Peter said, his voice low and his eyes took on a distant look. "That bastard had her for three hours and forty-seven minutes. When the police finally arrived, he killed an officer in the shootout. He turned state evidence against a few other bastards and made a deal with the DA. He would spend the rest of his life in prison, but the death penalty was taken off the table."
"Who is she?"
"My ex-girlfriend, Annalyse Madison. She called me a couple hours ago and said that he came to her home. I had Jones check, he broke out of prison three days ago."
"Where is Annalyse now?"
"At a hotel with Diana."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Help me find him."
"Where do we start?"
Peter slid over a pile of file folders.
"Let's get to work." Neal said, picking up one of the folders.
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Elizabeth was sitting on the sofa, when she heard a knock on the front door. She answered the door, but saw no one there. She was about to re-close the door, when she saw a manila envelope laying on the step.
Elizabeth picked it up and went back inside. She opened the envelope and pulled out a picture of Peter hugging some woman in front of a hotel room. She laid the picture down and pulled out a receipt showing that Peter rented a hotel room with his credit card. She laid that down and pulled out the last piece of paper. It was a picture of a very young Peter and a younger version of the woman in the first photo. They were kissing in front of a fountain.
"Okay, Peter." She said, putting everything back into the envelope. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" She grabbed her car keys and left, heading towards the bureau.
Elizabeth knew her husband wasn't cheating on her, she trusted him. She knew Peter would never betray her. The picture of him kissing the woman was taken before she had even met him. She was curious about the picture of them hugging, and the hotel receipt. But she knew there was a reasonable explanation.
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TBC
Please let me know what you think. I will have the next one up today or tonight.