I do not own Cold Case.
Thanks a bunch to helpless.smile, White Wings and Things, Aniesa a.k.a Edwards baby, lux08, Cat 2, LME, Milena, springdreaming, RavennaNightwind, and Rhonda Rhoo for reviewing. Lots of cookies and cakes for you all. :)
Another man's folly is another man's success
"Hey Partin, can you come over here and look at this for a minute?" Jeffries signaled the detective with Lily Rush in tow over to a photo shining on the computer screen.
"Looks like your guy's been pretty busy since his release," Jeffries stated mildly, while catching an off-beat glance at Lily.
Her face paled under the lights in the room and her blue eyes had left their sparkle behind-perhaps at home? Anyhow, her shoulders sagged slightly and her mouth had been frozen into that same line of bitter contrite everyday for the past three months. The diagnosis: Partinitis. Jeffries couldn't help the smile playing on his lips. She was trying her hardest to be the best detective that she could and instead of being paired with a mentor who could accentuate those positive traits, like Scotty Valens...
Like Scotty? Hmmm. Maybe I can arrange that. He needs someone else to baby sit his moods for a while. He might even a make a friend out of her, Jefferies thought.
Lily quietly shuffled some stray papers on an adjacent desk more for behavioral therapy than entertainment. If she didn't get her mind off of that pompous pig, well then she just might have to make him disappear-it would be an accident of course. Nobody would miss his presence, that's for sure.
"I think I've already checked on his whereabouts for the past month Jeffries. Now go play with the other detectives at solving cold cases or digging up graves or whatever it is that you do and stay out of my way," with a collective smile, Partin grabbed Lily by the arm and ushered her outside.
Lily tried from the bottom of her soul not to seem like a sore loser, but the situation got the best of her and before her exit, a pure look of pity and terror had stolen her features.
Oh please, Jeffries, please shoot this man. I'll go on the stand for you. I'll even take the fall, but please don't make me have to listen to this goon any longer!
The words were there, but the chance to plead her case passed her by and now she had to force down another eight hours with this man. Oh, sheer joy!
"Nice," was all Jeffries could mutter for he was not to be her saving grace. It was just not his kind of thing, but another would soon come to her rescue.
(10:30 a.m., crime scene)
The poor guy was dead. Dead, and not coming back. His once useful testimony was now reduced to nothing, but ashes-literally. Partin and Rush had already been combing through a train wreck of potential evidence by the time Miller and Vera arrived.
Jumping from a still-moving car, Vera found himself approaching a certain detective with increasing speed, "What, you go and talk to our guy and now look at him!" Vera seethed as Partin took the gumption to step forward.
"He's not just your guy," He replied "He was just as much a suspect of ours," motioning to Lily "as he was yours-if not more so to us since he was tied to a recent murder."
"No. No! We've been lookin' for this guy for some eighteen years and you have the audacity to downgrade the importance of our investigation so that you could put his neck out on the line for some undercover crappy assignment!" Vera was now beyond reasoning, which left Miller to play goalie between the two advancing foes.
"It was an order from my boss to have him go undercover," Partin said testily "not mine."
"I don't give a rat's ass who gave the orders! We are now dead on the water because of your thoughtless, insensitive, and bullish attitude!" Vera now had Partin by the shirt collar, his hand raised in anticipation and would have succeeded in punching his target if Miller hadn't intervened.
She managed to place herself successfully within the line of fire before yelling, "Alright knock it off! Good grief you two are nothing, but little kids fighting over a toy. The suspect was important to the resolution of both of our cases..."
"Actually Kat, he only really was crucial for us-I mean, you could have solved your 57 year-old crime with...OUCH!"
"You stupid ass!" The one person who could have succeeded in calming the stormy waters was now throwing girly fists at Partin's face, while being held back by Vera.
"Calm it Kat-"
"Shut it Vera!" Kat commanded before turning to Partin with a pointed finger "And for the record Wally, you ever call me by my first name again and I will shoot you! Do you understand?"
His eyes widened at the thought of being mercilessly tied to a chair with Miller cackling, gun in hand.
Backing away in temporary defeat, Partin put his palms in the air, while pouting slightly before adding, "Awwww, that really hurt my feelings Kat and here I thought we were friends."
"Oh, friends! Friends. Like since when have we ever been friends? I had a one-minute conversation with you and now we're friends!" She shot back incredulously.
"Ha ha. You'll believe anything, won't you Miller," he stated before running inside the house.
Pay backs are hell, she thought, but making his life a miserable wreck would have to wait until a more opportune time presented itself. Vera, on the other hand, was not so willing to let Partin off scot-free.
"Let's waste him," Vera decided, but the attempt was once again thwarted by Kat.
"No. No, lets just wait. When the time is right, we'll be there. We'll be there waiting," Miller beamed at Vera
"I like the way you think Miller. What d'ya say we blow this scene and go grab a cup of coffee huh?" She threw him a look of dissatisfaction and began to walk away towards the car, however, Vera did not follow.
"My treat," His voice echoed from behind, "In fact, I'll even allow you to choose a donut. So how's that sound?" For that, he was rewarded with a shoulder punch and an arm squeeze.
"Now you're talkin'," Miller laughed as she and Vera lazily passed on down the street side by side.
(11 a.m., Inside the house at the crime scene)
Partin positioned himself between Lily and the body, an act of courtesy had it been anyone else, but for this man in particular, it was just another shining example of how tasteless he could be in woman's company.
"I just don't want you to see this. This isn't for the likes of a lady's eyes. I...I just couldn't let you and ever forgive myself should it do damage to your dreams," He concluded chivalrously.
What the hell. I am five seconds away from pushing him off the side of that bridge over there. Do damage to my dreams-my ass!, Lily fumed, but her anger quickly extinguished at the all-too familiar sound of one man's voice.
"What's this crap you're spillin' again Partin?"
"Well, shit Scotty! You too?" Partin sighed, but was not about to give up his cool exterior, "What, did they send the whole frickin' cold case squad after me? What are you gonna give me a hard time too for being the man with the most? For taking the initiative when it comes to actually finding-"
"You're an idiot. Excuse me, I've gotta a victim to look at here," Scotty shoved him aside so that he could bend down next the pile of ash and bones.
Lily, seeing an opportunity to satisfy a curiosity, placed herself next to Scotty, her shoes tapping lightly as she strayed over to his crouched form. He looked up momentarily, face expressionless, but eyes burning bright with inquisitiveness. Lily gave a half-smile and joined him on the floor.
"I overheard two detectives..."
"Vera and Kat," Scotty cut her off as he continued his analysis of the victim's body.
"Um, they said that he was," nodding towards the skeleton, "one of your suspects for a cold case. What all involves solving a cold case-"
"I'm done here," Scotty retrieved his notebook and without further adieu, exited the room.
Lily had not been, however, persuaded to stay behind. Standing up from the floor, she hastily followed Scotty out into the fresh air.
"Look, I just wanted to know more about what is that you do," She froze some few inches behind him, "I just-I just was interested. That's all."
Her admission broke his attention away from the case file that he was reading, but it only caused him to acknowledge her presence with a frigid stare before lowering his gaze back down to the words on the paper.
At a loss, Lily tried the next best thing: introducing herself.
"I'm sorry, I bet you don't even know my name," She held out her hand and stated confidently, "I'm Lily Rush."
Now, this gesture had earned her another glance from Valens, but his words would not be quite as benign.
"I know who you are," He voiced back calmly, stepping nearer to her shivering form.
For the second time that day, she smiled. He knew who she was. Brilliant!
His face lit up in a smile all its own as he added, "And I don't care."
Her heart sank into her stomach and the once joyous smile disappeared into a sea of confusion mixed with pain. Damn he was cruel. Luckily Partin came to save the day, if one could even attach such an accomplishment to his record, for his voice was calling over the wind for his long lost protégé.
The pig was hungry.
(8 pm, headquarters)
Lily put her face down on the desk. What the hell had she been thinking? She actually thought that he might be interested in having a conversation with her-the newbie, the rookie cop! Hell no. Everyone knows that veterans don't hang with much less want to be seen out in public with a rookie. He had been so heartless though. Maybe he really was a jerk after all.
(8 a.m., headquarters)
Lily was met the next morning with a frenzy of panicked detectives including Vera, Miller, Jeffries, and Valens.
Walking briskly towards Vera, she let out an exasperated, "What's going on here?"
"Didn't you hear? Partin's been shot. Got into it with a rather rough crowd last night. He had it coming to him." Vera rolled his eyes at the over-excited desk clerk before answering Lily.
"Well, I was gonna tell you the same thing, but it looks like nerd with the word here beat me to it. No worries though. He'll be out of the hospital in no time."
Miller shot him a sideways glance as he silently mouthed the words, I had nothing to do with it.
Oh really, she mouthed back.
"Oh great, now what am I supposed to do. My training isn't up for another-"
"Lily Rush. You're coming with me. We have training to do," barked Valens.
