Unexpected Help 2
Once they had arrived about fifteen minutes later, after zigzagging through traffic jams, Horatio began to appreciate the motorcycle more. He could understand better now why Speedle liked riding one. He got off and handed the spare helmet back to Jack. A knot was forming in the red head's stomach. Not long from now he'd have to tell the other the worst moments of his life, spill his soul to a man he already seemed to trust, yet hardly knew. But it would be the same with any other lawyer he realised. One thing he hated doing more then anything else and the worst part, if it would really go to trial he'd have to do it in a full courtroom again.
Jack put his motorcycle in the garage of the apartment building and locked it. He could see the reluctance to do this, the pain and knowing he had no choice in the eyes of the other. His own family hadn't suffered such a tragic ending, fortunately. "Come on." Jack said as he led the lieutenant to the hall and the elevators.
Horatio merely followed the older man. He'd put on his sunglasses again even though it was pretty dark in the garage and it was getting dark outside as well. He wanted to hide his emotions from the world, it was the main reason he'd bought them to begin with. Right now he was in no mood to talk and merely let the older man guide him to his apartment
Jack usually wasn't uncomfortable with silences, but the tension was thick and one could almost cut it with a knife. He wanted to help, but it was with something that had to be so unpleasant that a tension like this was inevitable. The elevator ride seemed to be longer then usual and only lived on the seventh floor. As the doors opened he stepped out, the other man followed him. Neither one needed to say a word. Jack merely walked towards his apartment and opened the door. He let the other go inside first. Then his neighbour Ms. Sandd showed up. "Good evening Jack." She was an elderly lady, probably ten years or a bit more, older then Jack. "Same to you." Jack replied and smiled at her before closing the door behind him.
He took off his jacket, seeing Horatio was waiting for him. This seemed to be really affecting the man. He'd been taking the lead here while in his line of work Horatio usually did Jack knew. But this was a completely different side to the man, one very few people would ever see. He walked inside, noticing the red head followed him again. "Please, have a seat." Jack said. "Can I get you anything?" He asked, trying to be polite, trying hard to get the tension to drop.
Horatio took a seat on the couch. He'd looked around with his keen eye. It was what you would expect from a single work alcoholic man, not too much unlike his place. Some files were spread out over the coffee table and a cup of coffee, half full, probably from early morning or late last night was still standing there. "No thank you." Horatio said. He'd put his jacket away in the hallway as well, but he was dreading the moment that was coming closer and closer and that didn't add to the already tense atmosphere.
At this answer Jack took a seat in a comfy chair, next to the couch. He could see, well more feel the dread coming from the other, who to Jack's surprise was still wearing his sunglasses. And now the moment the other had been dreading was there Jack knew as he asked the question: "What happened that afternoon?" He then asked the other man. His voice was low, warm and gentle as he looked at Horatio.
Horatio looked for a moment at Jack, seeing those brown eyes. He took off his sunglasses now, knowing they wouldn't hide his emotion now, it would be futile. He put them down on the coffee table and this time looked directly at Jack as he thought back to the worst day in his life. "Well my mother was finally going to divorce him. I heard she was going to serve him the papers that day and it scared me. He wouldn't take to that well, it would be obvious. When I got home a few windows were open and I could hear them yelling. I went inside but as I walked towards the kitchen, where they were; it suddenly became quiet and…" Horatio then stopped for a moment, he rubbed his face with one hand, then let his head rest in his hands, this was the hardest part.
Jack merely sat there quietly, listening carefully. "Just take your time." The man said, trying to make this a little easier, but nothing could make this easy, he knew that much. He could see the other had tears forming in his eyes, but he said nothing of it. A few tears in court would actually help, the prosecution wanted to portray him as a cold blooded killer, which Jack knew Horatio wasn't.
Although sort of meaningless, the words were comforting, or perhaps merely the sound of the other's voice. "When I got there… she was lying on the floor." Horatio said, a tear slipping down his cheek now, his voice was becoming a bit of a mess and he spoke in barely more then a whisper when he continued. "My father was standing over her and he; …he pulled the knife from her. She may have lived if he'd left it in there." He added, looking back at the memory.
Jack blinked. "What do you mean?" Jack asked, although this was good information. The knife probably had kept her from bleeding too much, if an ambulance had been called then, she could have made it he realised, but he needed to hear it from Horatio.
"Well…When he pulled out … the knife she …eh, she started bleeding really bad." Horatio said. The choice of words no longer seemed to be one of a composed man, almost form the young man that had found her, or perhaps even the little boy that still lived very deep inside this man. Horatio felt the same pain as he had all that time ago. All those years he'd just tried to keep busy, not wanting to deal. But the result was that it was still an open wound. He tried hard to hold back his tears, to not just start crying, but it was very hard. It took a little while before he'd regained just enough of his composure to continue.
"I'm not sure what happened to me after that. All those other times I was just scared, but this time, this time I was so angry. I called him a murderer I'd barged in, pointing my gun at him, I told him to drop the knife and that he was under arrest. He told me it was my fault, he always said that, it always worked. It was enough to …to bring my guard down. I was dazed from those words, next thing I know he's coming at me with the knife, I just reacted, I aimed and shot." Horatio said. His words came out slowly, almost just one at a time.
Jack had listened carefully. He knew what it was like, his father had always blamed him too for anything, it was always his fault he'd get beaten or his mum. He understood perfectly. But the jury might not. "To make a jury understand why those words dazed you I'd have to call in an expert. I'm sure the prosecution wants you to talk to Dr. Skoda." Jack said.
Horatio rolled his eyes, great a shrink. "I suppose I don't really have a choice." Horatio said.
"I'm afraid not, I could fight the motion, but it might actually look bad on trial. There's no guarantee it will come to a trial, but I can't guarantee that it won't either." Jack said.
"I'm not too fond of shrinks, well at least not when I'm the patient." Horatio said.
"Makes two of us, nobody likes it. I'm just curious what he'll say, but I know one thing. You're not the cold blooded killer Mr. Conrad wants to portray you to be." Jack said.
Horatio smiled a little, though the sadness never left his eyes. "I guess he won't like the diagnoses then." Horatio said.
"But he's not obligated to call Dr. Skoda to the stand. If he doesn't like the diagnoses he simply won't call him, but then again I could call him, at least if the diagnoses favours our case." Jack said.
"Sounds to me like Mr. Conrad bit off more then he can chew." Horatio replied. This conversation made him feel like he had a good chance in court. But the sadness never disappeared, it was a sad reason this was all happening to begin with.
"Well I think I've got all the information I need to make it through tomorrow's hearing. I'm gonna prepare the guest room now." Jack said.
"Actually I think I should go. I know a little hotel, they usually have a room available. After all we don't want Mr. Conrad to think we're sleeping together or something." Horatio said.
Jack couldn't help but chuckle. The other man seemed to have regained his composure and at least some of the tension was gone. "Good point. Would you like me to give you a ride?" Jack then asked.
"I think it would be better if I took a cab." Horatio said.
"All right then I'll call you after the hearing tomorrow, but I'm going to need your number." Jack said.
Horatio didn't say anything, instead he reached into his chest pocket. He then handed Jack his card silently.
Jack looked at the card and put it in his pocket. "Let's just hope it ends tomorrow." He said.
"Indeed." Horatio said and walked to the hallway and put on his jacket again. This time Jack followed him. The submissive side seemed to completely have vanished now. The worst part was over, at leas for now.
Jack opened the door for Horatio now. "All right I'll call you tomorrow, let's hope that will be the end of it, if not, we'll have to meet pretty soon." Jack said.
"I'll see you anyway, either because it goes to trial, or because we have something to celebrate." Horatio said, although he usually wasn't one for celebrating, something like this was cause for a small celebration.
"Al right then. Bye, sleep well lieutenant." He said.
Horatio was a bit surprised about that. "Right back at you, See you." He said and walked to the elevator. If they didn't have to talk about this horrible event Jack was a nice man to hang out with, one he could feel at ease with. He seemed to understand. And as Horatio was waiting for the elevator it hit him. Jack's main motive to help him. The man had been abused himself. It made perfect sense now. Horatio turned back to look at the man, but then the elevator doors opened and he stepped inside. As he looked back the door of the apartment was closed.
