The Tell-Tale Heart
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE SHOW, THE CHARACTERS, OR THE EPISODE. JUST BORROWING THEM FOR THE STORY.
Chapter 2: Heart to Heart
Gabe pulled the wide end of the tie through and adjusted the knot until he could feel the fabric tighten against his throat. It was nothing more than an expensive silk noose, he thought, maybe even one he deserved. He stood in front of the standing mirror in his room and stared blankly into it. Somewhere in the reflection was a man, but all he could see were the events of last night that had led him here…
Night of the Masquerade…
It was a long and lonely walk back up to the apartment for the young ADA. Gabe turned the key in the lock and just stood there for a minute. He had fought for so long to have Catherine be a part of his life, did everything she asked, and still it wasn't enough. The raw emotion and the sting of defeat were weighing heavy on his mind. Gabe took a deep breath, exhaled and opened the door.
The place was dark, cold and empty; just another reminder of the current state of his heart. He threw the mask on the kitchen counter and unbuttoned his coat. The only thing he wanted to do now was jump in a hot shower and wash away what was left of this night.
He turned toward his room when a light in the living room flicked on. Gabe stared at the man sitting in his chair, shock and confusion written all over his face.
"Hello, Gabe." A smile formed on the man's lips. He was perfectly comfortable sitting there as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
"District Attorney Simon? What are you doing here?" Gabe placed his keys on the counter and just eyed his boss. Something was definitely not right. He was dressed in a very expensive tux just like the one Gabe had on, with one little exception; a circular gold pin was fastened to his lapel.
"Did you have a nice time at the party?" Simon stood up and straightened out his coat.
"Uh, yes. You were there as well?" The slight crack in Gabe's voice was very apparent especially to the DA who was used to breaking down suspects on the stand.
"Of course I was and I'm guessing from the look on your face you know exactly why I was there. So let's stop all the pretense." He bent over the coffee table and picked up a folder.
"You're one of them aren't you?" Gabe backed up a little as his boss came closer toward him.
"Why do you think I hired you Gabriel? Sure your record was good, excellent even, but that had nothing to do with it. You were a pawn; a bargaining chip if you will."
"For what?"
"Well you and your little friends really went and messed things up for us and we can't have that. Obviously, I'm not going to prosecute myself." Gabe's blood began to boil as the realization of his boss being one of the very people who experimented on him as a child began to sink in. He trusted this man, looked up to him, and he was betrayed by him.
"You won't get away with this. Sam will testify…"
"Don't worry about Sam. You should be more concerned about yourself."
"Why?" DA Simon placed the file he held on the counter and opened it. Gruesome pictures of Curt Windsor's mangled body were staring right up at him along with an autopsy report and DNA labs.
"I didn't do that." Gabe quickly replied.
"No, but you were there and we know you helped cover it up. We've known for some time now. Just been keeping this trump card for a rainy day and that day has come."
"What do you want from me?"
"Right now, just some information. Starting with the whereabouts of Vincent Keller."
"Why would I tell you anything?"
"Because if you don't help us I will drag you and Ms. Chandler in and charge both of you with interference in a police investigation, disposal of human remains, conspiracy to commit murder… Do I need to continue?"
"No that's plenty." Gabe's head fell, his eyes once again returning to the photos on the counter. No matter how hard he tried, the beast part of his life was never going to let him go.
"So, it's your choice. Give us the beast and you and Ms. Chandler won't have to worry."
"After this, then we're done?"
"If only it were that simple. You work for me Gabriel and I'm the one calling the shots. In the future I will ask you to do something and you will without question or well, you know." He thought about his options and it seemed as if he had no other choice.
"If he's not at the boathouse, then he most likely will be Catherine Chandler's apartment."
"See, that wasn't so hard. You are doing the right thing Gabriel." Simon reached forward, patting Gabe's shoulder as he headed for the door. The right thing; Gabe didn't even know what that meant anymore.
The Present…
A knock came from the back door of the precinct locker room. Tess looked around to make sure no one else was coming in and went back to unlock it. "Cat what's going on?"
"What's going on is everything is falling apart." Catherine hurried over to her locker and pulled out the spare street clothes she kept in there. She quickly changed while Tess continued.
"Look, I know this can't be easy but you have to keep a level head. It isn't going to do Vincent any good if you go in there, guns blazing. Do you have any idea who's behind this?"
"I don't know. I thought it was maybe Gabe because we kind of broke up last night and he wasn't too happy about it, but I already confronted him. It wouldn't make sense for him to incriminate Vincent. He was part of it too."
"So who does that leave?" Catherine sat down on the bench and pulled on her boots.
"Maybe they have been building a case for a while now. Maybe we weren't as careful as we thought. Or…"
"Or what?" Catherine pulled her hair back, wrapping it in a bun and out of her face.
"Maybe Sam was right about these people, about them being above the law. I don't know what to do Tess. Wait, Sam, where is he?"
"They took his statement here last night and then they transferred him to Riker's early this morning."
Catherine stood up, different scenarios running through her mind and not one of them was any good. "You don't think…" Tess' eyes widened, her thoughts matching the fear she saw in Catherine's face.
"I don't know what to think anymore, but I'm not taking any chances." She slammed the locker door shut and charged out of the room, Tess following close behind.
Riker's Men's Jail: Protective Custody Sector
"Get up Keller. You have a visitor." The guard said as he unlocked the cell door. Vincent sat up on the thin mattress.
"Who?" he asked a little curious.
"He says he's your lawyer. Come on, I don't have all day." The cell door slid across and Vincent stood up, obeying the guard's orders.
The man who had come to visit him was a lawyer, just not one with any intention of helping him…
(A lot of "Heart to Hearts" going on in this chapter, but it explained some things that were important. Will try to update soon! Hope you enjoyed it!)