This story is written for entertainment purposes only. If you're under age, scram. And BTW, children's Internet use should be monitored by their parents, not me.
The Problem Revisited
J.T. Forbes taught Bio-Chemistry at Hunter College. He was known for being quirky, sarcastic and generally a smart-ass, but he was also brilliant and loved Vincent like a brother. The last ten years had become a quest of survival for the two men. They trusted no one but each other and J.T. was the voice in Vincent's head that kept him sane. Except lately he felt like he was having a conversation with a two year old from Pakistan.
"Vinnccent!?" He shouted.
"What?" He came out from behind a metal set of shelves with pair of pliers in his hand.
J.T. dropped his messenger bag on the table, shoved his hands into his pockets and began pacing around anxiously. "Remember that faculty retreat I told you about? They moved the date up. I gotta go, if I don't, I might as well kiss my tenure away."
Vincent looked non-plussed. "So go already, if you're worried about me, don't."
His roommate huffed and pushed his glasses up his face. "I have always trusted your judgment, however recently it's like your on crack, and Detective Catherine Chandler, aka Cat has become your drug of choice." The sarcasm returned to his voice. "Of course I'm worried about you!"
"I know what you're thinking, but she will be careful." Vincent watched J.T. wind himself up.
The incredulous expression he had perfected in the last week, reappeared. "Careful? Like in the tenth grade when we got busted for hacking the school's server? That didn't end well, and you know what, this is not going to end well either. Instead of Juvie Court, we end up dead." He gave him a serious look. "I get it. I may be socially awkward, but I have a pulse. Listen to me, you're the one who has to be careful. I know you care about her, and if that clouds your judgment, you're both screwed."
He knew what he said was true. He knew he was putting all of them in danger. "I don't want anything to happen to me, to her or you. I will be careful."
"Look man, I want to believe you, I do believe you, but that's not gonna stop Murifield." Remember that."
"I will." Vincent assured him. "I feel like I have a lot more to lose these days." He wandered back behind the shelves and left J.T. to brood about being J.T.
~o~
"I swear, even from the security video you could smell the cologne the men and women were wearing. Lots of bling too. I spotted the victim, but I didn't see anything that could lead us to the perp. The film doesn't show her interacting, arguing or leaving with anyone." Tess said tapping her pencil on her desk. The two detectives had returned to their precinct and were going over the case with Joe, their Precinct Captain.
Joe squinted at the case board and barked. "This isn't rocket science, you go back to the club and find out what happened." He turned away and went over to harass another set of detectives.
Tess leaned on her partner's desk. "You did however get a rise out of the club owner when you asked her if she had any customers who spoke Greek. Where did that come from?" She was genuinely curious and perplexed by the line of questioning.
"It was just a hunch. Wealthy foreign clients who like to hang out in glitzy nightclubs and spend money indiscriminately? I could have easily said French or Italian." Catherine answered in a confident manner.
"Or British." Evan added. The Medical Examiner walked in with a file in his hand.
"You know this place?" Tess gave him a surprised look.
Evan gave both detectives a sly look. "I've been there a time or two. You're right about the money, I felt like a mere pauper buying drinks that equal a weeks salary." He said cheekily. He took pleasure in teasing these detectives, especially Cat.
"My gut tells me whoever did this is a misogynist, someone with little or no impulse control and has never been held accountable for their actions," mused Catherine.
"Plus he has a little dick." Tess added and Catherine stifled a laugh at the comment.
Evan tried to look offended, but failed. He gave them both a sunny smile followed by an introspective look. "That is a broad assumption, much like trying to pin down what you Americans call a gold digger. I would agree that any male who beats up on a woman has control issues, and men from certain parts of the world have a history of treating women like chattel, but don't you need some kind of evidence to back up your theories?"
Catherine's phone rang and she picked it up.
"What? You mean we can't stereotype and make it up as we go along?" Tess added in a droll manner.
Catherine set her phone down. "That was the hospital, Stephanie Lee died an hour ago. Our assault investigation is now a homicide."
~o~
She parked well out of the way and out of sight but he knew she was there the moment he heard the gravel under her feet crunch.
Catherine walked toward the warehouse, constantly looking around making sure that no one was following her. She quietly let herself in and slowly entered the space Vincent shared with J.T.
"I won't even try to understand why you're here." J.T. gave her a hostile look, but let her in.
"J.T.'s just leaving to go on a trip." Vincent said in the quiet raspy voice that made Catherine twitch.
"Don't get any ideas. It's a faculty retreat, I'm not running away." He looked at the two of them. As much as he hated the idea of of Vincent going out into the real world, there was a part of him that knew his lifelong friend deserved better. And he knew, it was too late to stop either of them.
"In case you need it, my baseball bat is next to the fridge, which is next to the nuclear trigger that's needed to keep you apart." J.T. showed his disapproval of the situation by purposely bringing up the elephant in the room.
Vincent looked uncomfortable. "Would you just leave. I told you, I will be careful."
"I should be back in four days. Just try and lay low while I'm gone." He left the warehouse with his briefcase and backpack, dragging his attitude behind him.
Catherine smiled. "I think he likes me."
Vincent smiled back. "Everything I know I learned from him." She was charmed by the light hearted remark.
They stared at each other, wondering if what they thought the other was thinking, was true. Vincent broke the eye contact first and his expression turned to concern. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"
"Our victim, Stephanie Lee died this afternoon." She said solemnly.
He looked devastated. "I hoped she would make it." He gave Catherine a dark look. "I should have gone after that son of a bitch that did this to her."
"Hey, I didn't come here to upset you. I'm really glad you chose to help Stephanie. She deserved that more than having you go after her attacker. I came here to find out if there's anything else you can tell me that might help us find her killer. Can you describe him, do you remember what he was wearing or where he went when he ran away?"
He closed his eyes, lost in thought. "He was about six feet, medium build. He had on a brown suit. I caught a glimpse of a car that pulled away, it was a black town car." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Sorry, it's not more."
Catherine looked at him reassuringly. "No, we know more than we did before. You've been a big help." It was her turn to look at him with concern. "Are you going to be okay? You know, with J.T. gone?"
Vincent smirked. "I'll manage." He crossed his arms across his chest and Catherine mentally noted the size of his biceps. "If you want, you could come by later." He said awkwardly.
Catherine's face lit up. "I'd love to!" She said with a little too much enthusiasm and blushed with embarrassment. "I mean, we could talk about the case. I have to get back to the precinct and I want to go by the club and take a look at the security video and talk to the owner. It might be late, if that's okay?"
Vincent uncrossed his arms and involuntarily flexed his biceps. "Yeah, that would be okay, that would be great."
Returning to the Scene
Tess took a mouthful of chow mein right out of the take out carton with her chopsticks. "How'd you get a description?" She mumbled while chewing and swallowing.
"I stopped back in the neighborhood and talked to a guy at the bodega across the street." She lied. "He said he was hosing down the sidewalk when he saw a man in a brown suit run over to a black town car and get in."
Tess looked impressed if not convinced. She broke a fortune cookie open and shrugged at the little slip of paper, before tossing it away. "I'll check with car services in the area, see if any of them have a record of picking up someone with that description."
"I'd like to go back to the club and look at that security video again. I still have some questions for Simone James. You want to join me? I don't want to look to conspicuous, so I thought I'd go home and change into a dress."
Her partner sighed. The only appropriate dress she had was at the cleaners. "All right, but no comments if I look like my mother picked out my outfit, because she did.
"I promise to be kind." Catherine chuckled. She holstered her weapon, picked up her jacket and left the office.
Getting dressed up to go to the club wasn't really necessary, but when she was through, she would go straight to the warehouse to see Vincent. She liked the idea that he might like to see her in a dress, but she told herself she was dressing for the case not for him.
~o~
It was early by clubbing standards and the Kiss and Fly was practically deserted when Catherine and Tess walked in. They headed straight to the bar and each ordered a vodka and soda that they wouldn't finish.
"That's not so bad, you look very nice." Catherine commented on Tess's Navy Blue dress. It had a round neckline and was dotted with sequins. Over it she wore a matching jacket. A thick coat of lipstick and a pair of dangly hoop earrings completed her ensemble.
Tess rolled her eyes. "Mama-cita thinks I quit aging at eighteen and should dress like I'm fifty. She means well, but if you can't find me it's because I've disappeared into the woodwork."
Catherine chuckled. "We're working, remember that." She herself was wearing a maroon colored dress and with a black coat. A single diamond on a gold chain hung around her neck. Neither would attract much attention for what they wore, but both detectives looked stunning in their simplicity and still managed to keep their weapons well hidden.
Simone James walked out of the office and looked surprised at seeing them. "You're too early to meet any eligible men, why don't you come back in three or four hours." She said sarcastically.
"We were hoping we could take a look at your security tape again." Tess asked politely.
"Whatever for?" The Club owner asked.
"Ms. James, you may have heard this assault investigation has become a homicide. Stephanie Lee died this morning." Catherine watched the color drain from the woman's face.
"I'm sorry to hear that." She said with a slight quaver to her voice. "I hope you find whoever did this. If our clientele finds out, it will be bad for business. I have some things to attend to. Let me or my bartender know when you're done." She abruptly turned and walked away.
The two detectives looked at each other. "Nice lady. A woman dies on her doorstep and she's worried about what her customers think?" Tess looked disgusted.
"She is definitely hiding something, did you see how she reacted when I mentioned the victim had died." Catherine commented. "I'm going to talk to her, see if I can find out where she's going. You mind checking the video again?"
"Yeah sure, I don't really want to be seen in mom's dress anyway. I'll catch up with you." Tess entered the office and watched the video, fast forwarding through it until she spotted a man in a brown pinstripe suit. She wrote the time stamp down on a slip of paper and went to find Catherine.
She scanned the room for her partner but didn't see her. A few more men and women had shown up, but there was plenty of empty space that needed to be filled with people. She looked at the bartender. "Excuse me, do you know where my friend went?"
The bartender nodded toward the front door and Tess murmured a thank you.
She stood outside on the sidewalk and pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Catherine's cell, but it went directly to voicemail. Tess' intuition told her something was wrong, but the cop in her told her not to panic. She walked to where their car was parked and found it was gone. "What the hell?" she muttered to herself. Something caught her eye and she went numb. It was Catherine's diamond necklace, the chain was broken and it was laying next to the curb.
