Chapter 2
The empty car seat and equally empty desk greet Chief Jack Sinclair as he walks to Bog's desk. After Thomas alerted him to the situation and his partner's unusual behavior, he thought it smart to check the officer's progress but this was not what he was expecting.
"Where's Bog at," Jack asks?
"In the women's restroom holding a baby," Sam Kipps replies nonchalantly and loudly.
It wasn't often the station got deafening silent, hardly ever in fact. Jack and Thomas both turn to look at Sam as she walks calmly up to Bog's desk, seemingly unconcerned at the bomb she dropped. A wicked smile crosses the tall burly woman's face as she wiggles the camera around her neck.
"Don't you dare send that picture to his mother," Jack threatens, catching the forensic officer's hint. "I don't want that woman in my jail for disturbing the peace. She'd cause a riot."
A discreet cough alerts them to Bog's return, allowing Sam to give the camera to her husband, and Thomas to put it in his desk before they round into view. The baby now securely in his mother's arms and Bog walking closely, almost like a bodyguard.
"Those the reports, Sam," Bog asks, pointing to the files in her hand?
"Yeah but you're not going to like them," Sam replies, handing them over as he reaches the desk. "There are only two sets of fingerprints on those papers, hers and yours, and the car door showed no signs of tampering."
Jack notes that Bog doesn't sit down while reading the report, a trait Bog's father had when worried. The young women too, seems distressed at this news, clutching her baby while sitting in the chair Thomas pulls out for her.
"I told you that he was good at getting out of messes. I looked into getting a restraining order but there isn't any credible proof. He only shows up whenever I'm alone with no witnesses or in a public area with plenty of reasons for being there. I don't understand how he got into my car though, I keep both sets of keys with me at the same time," the woman explains, reaching into the diaper bag to show the spare.
"Sam, was there any evidence of a new key being used," Jack asks?
"Actually there was some mild scratches on the passenger lock, which were odd since new keys are usually tested on the drivers' side. Is the suspect you assume is guilty able to get your car information, Miss...," Sam asks?
Bog freezes as he realizes that not only has he not followed proper procedure but that he doesn't even know the young woman's name, despite it being the second time he's met her today. He swallows his groan of frustration, knowing there wasn't any use beating himself up when there is work to be done. He probably should've listened to his mother's nagging instead of happily getting ready for work.
"Oh, it's Marianne, Marianne Springs and this is my son, BB Springs. Yes, he would be able to get the information because I had the car when we were together," Marianne answers.
'There isn't much that can be done but maybe,' Bog thinks, not wanting to let them leave without any hope.
"We can at least open a file even with insufficient evidence. Filed as trespassing, harassment, stalking, and possible child endangerment, it'll stay active thirty days. If within thirty days, nothing else happens then it could be an isolated incident. If something does happen, then we can investigate it fully. Roland Grange will be placed as a suspect, as he has motive and opportunity. I'm afraid that is all we can do at the moment," Bog sighs out, placing the files on his desk.
BB takes that moment to grab a wayward pen off the desk but his mother manages to grab it before he stuffs it into his mouth. The watching adults chuckle at the baby's answering glare and burbling protests. Bog grabs the stress ball his mother snuck on his desk and hands it to BB, smiling at the answering squeal of delight. Giving his agreement to the assessment, Jack reassures the young woman that they will do all the can to protect her and the baby.
"By the way, Bog, who clocked you," Jack questions?
"Guilty," Marianne sheepishly raises her hand.
The nearby officers who were trying to hide their chuckles at Jack's question, stare in shock at the five-foot-four woman before looking at the towering man.
"One of Mam's blind dates. She set me up with her sister, her eighteen-year-old sister," Bog groans out.
"When he told my sister he wasn't going to continue the date, she got a bit hysterical and I thought he was bothering her, so,"Marianne finishes while miming her right hook.
"You're my new hero," Sam states awestruck. "No one can beat him in a match, not even Brutus."
"Well I think it was more shock that knocked him on the ground then just me," Marianne admits, quite bashful under all the amazed stares.
Jack motions Bog to follow him and walks into his office. The younger man excuses himself from the small gathering of congratulators, happy that it seems her fighting spirit is back.
"Alright. What is really going on," Jack asks as soon as the door is shut? "You're not usually this concerned over one person or this willing to disregard protocol."
"I don't know," Bog admits. "When I pulled her over and noticed how terrified she was, after feeling for myself how tough and strong she was this morning, I couldn't let her keep being afraid. Especially when I saw what scared her. It's a feeling, deep inside, and I just need to protect her and BB. I know I'm breaking protocol and I'll go by yer decision."
"I'm not going to pull you off this case, so stop worrying," Jack comments, noticing the relief rushing through Bog. "Like I said, I agree with your assessment. Get as much information as you can get about this Roland Grange and his relationship with Miss Springs. If she has had trouble with him before, I doubt we will have to wait long for another incident. Treat this like a stalker and inform Miss Springs of the precautions she can take."
"She informed me while nursing BB that she already takes all the precautions I mentioned to her. She never goes anywhere alone unless it's heavily populated and usually not when she has BB. This was the only time she went to the store alone in months," Bog states.
"OH, MY GOD! I COULD'VE KILLED SOMEONE!"
Jack's mouth closes as both men rush out the door to see Marianne wide-eyed and her hand over her mouth in shock.
"What happened," Jack demands?
"My thoughtful husband thought it was smart to answer Miss Springs' question of how much she was speeding," Sam answers, the man in question quaking under her dark brown eyes.
'Dammit, Thomas,' Bog thinks as he takes in Marianne's fearful position. Quickly he walks over and forces her to look at him, BB happily grabbing his dangling tie.
"It's alright. No one was hurt and everyone is fine. Ye only traveled a small distance and ye pulled over when ye were told," Bog's calm voice reassures her.
"Bog's right. You have no marks on your record and it was in trying to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. So protocol says a warning is all that is needed instead of a ticket," Thomas happily states, hoping to make up for earlier, his wife's facepalm suggests otherwise.
Marianne's lips quirk slightly at their antics and then helps Bog wrestle his tie from her son's very tight grip. Soon it's back to business as everyone heads back to their duties, a sullen Thomas getting the job of research on Roland, while Bog takes a seat at his desk.
"I'm going to need to know all ye can tell me of yer experience with Mr. Grange. Preferably from when ye met him and his behavior at that time, if ye can," Bog explains, getting his papers in order.
"I met Roland after I graduated from college and started working at my dad's business three years ago. He doesn't work for the company but with an associate business and I met him while meeting their managers. At first, I wasn't all that interested but after nearly a year of running into him quite a few times, I gave him a chance to his persistence. Stupid me had begun to think it was destiny how we always managed to run into each other nearly everywhere and it was romantic how he kept asking me for a date no matter how many times I said no," Marianne speaks bitterly. "Then when we were dating it seemed to get worse. He always seemed to know where I was and always wanted to know who I was with. He never did or said anything wrong when people were around but when we were alone, I was never good enough and...and."
"It's okay. Did he ever physically touch ye in a wrong or abusive manner," Bog asks, trying to keep calm himself?
"About a year and a half ago, I was having more doubts. I thought about breaking up with him and actually told him I wasn't sure a relationship between us would work. He convinced me to go to a party a friend of a friend was throwing, saying it was just the stress of work that was making me feel that way and I needed to loosen up. He gave me a cup of punch that he swore had no alcohol and took several glasses himself, so I thought it was safe. I actually don't remember that night, I woke in the morning and got the hell out of there. Dad was angry when Roland had the guts to show up hours later and actually tell him it was an accident, that he didn't know the punch was spiked and that he got drunk himself," Marianne's voice falters as she hears a pen snap.
Bog takes a deep steadying breath as he throws the now useless pen away and grabs another. Not trusting his voice, he nods for her to continue.
"Dad wanted to murder him more then I did but the guy who hosted the party, backed Roland's claim that the punch was not supposed to be spiked and everyone got smashed. I ignored him for a few months and then I found out I was pregnant," Marianne pauses slightly to kiss BB's head. "He came begging back, not that he really left, saying he that was a man and would take responsibility. He managed to convince Dad that me marrying him was a good idea and that he was planning on asking for his permission anyway before the incident."
"So yer da convinced ye to marry him for the baby's sake," Bog asks, knowing the answer?
"And I stupidly agreed. Dating him was nothing compared to actually being married to him. Everything was his business but his business wasn't any of mine. I held onto what I could when we moved into the gated community but it felt like another prison. Then one day I returned home right after I left for work. I was having labor pains and wasn't sure I could drive to the hospital, so I was going to have him drive me but," her voice catches and she swallows heavy.
Bog quickly gets her a glass of water and waits as she gulps down the whole glass, watching as she subtly wipes tears threatening to fall. Before hearing the whole story, he wanted to lock up the creep, now he'd rather shoot him.
"Anyway, I did manage to drive to the hospital and also got ahold of a divorce lawyer. Though they did refuse to let me file for the divorce till several hours after BB was born because apparently there have been women who actually filed just because of going into labor," Marianne chuckles out a bit watery. "I told the nurses not to contact Roland and not to put him as the father, giving BB my birth name. He didn't bother trying to find me anyway until I wasn't home by dinnertime and by then, the papers were filed. He was so angry when he found out, so much that the hospital security threatened to summon the police. The good thing about the whole mess was Dad actually saw the kind of man Roland was and had all my stuff including the baby things removed out of the house before the day even ended. The marriage was actually annulled because of circumstances and I moved into another house not that far from home. Since then he only shows up when there are no witnesses or in a public area with good reasons for being there, pretty much saying the same things as those love notes. He loves me, it was all a misunderstanding, I need him, I was overreacting, and my personal favorite, if it wasn't for something I did then none of this would have happened."
