Chapter One

For the past six weeks Dani had been paired with Det. Jane Seever. Both women had partnered with Charlie Crews, so some of the other homicide detectives took to calling them Crews' Exs which didn't go over well with either woman. With her eidetic memory Seever was getting on Dani's nerves more than even Charlie did with his talk of Zen and fruit.

"According to his record Bobby Manning two parking tickets and one speeding ticket. He's hardly nefarious. I'm not sure I make him as our killer," Seever said.

A sincere smile broke across her attractive African American face. Dani snarled at her. She missed Charlie and his tangents that led to breaks in the case. Releasing a pent up sigh, she looked around the squad room then notice ADA Constance Griffiths and several police captains in uniform and Police Commander Morton Hall, a friend of Dani's father, Jack Reese. They headed into Captain Tidwell's office. The door was shut and a heated discussion ensued.

Next, two people Dani saw entered the squad room area was Mickey Rayborn and his security specialist Amanda Puryer. Mickey, who once red hair had plenty of grey lightening it, had his usual unctuous smile plastered to his face. When he saw Seever, who took credit for his so-called rescue from Roman Nevikov, he and his pet security specialist came over to their desks.

"Det. Seever, have you made sergeant yet for rescuing me?" he chuckled. "I heard it should happen any day."

Seever looked slightly embarrassed but answered him: "There has been talk."

"Why have you crawled out from under your rock, Rayborn?" Dani spat the words at him.

"Oh, if it isn't daddy's girl Dani Reese," he smiled.

It was a predator's smile, which sent a chill down Dani's spine.

"Have you spoken to Jack lately? I've been wanting to talk to him," said Rayborn.

"I haven't seen him," she said coldly.

"Have you seen Charlie?" the smile crept across his lips like a black widow smile.

"No," she said.

"You will be seeing him soon. He's coming here today with a high priced lawyer trying to get his suspension lifted in front of a board of inquiry. I'm a character witness," he laughed.

Dani hoped her face remained un-flushed and calm, even as she heart beat increased. The last time she saw Crews he was standing with his face pointed towards the sun. This was one of his habits basking in the sun for a moment or two before or after dealing with something difficult or violent. His years in prison had given him an appreciation for fruit and sun, two sources of vitamin D, not vitamin D was the reason he was obsessed with either the sun or fruit. The denial of both for twelve years was his inspiration.

"Why is the board being held here?" asked Seever.

"In order to keep the press away," answered Puryer curtly.

"It seems, Charlie, still wants to be a detective. Shame really. He's capable of so much more, as Roman Nevikov found out," chuckled Rayborn then he noticed the man of the hour and his lawyer entered.

Wearing a Tom Ford blue suit, a Tag Heuer watch, Charlie walked into the squad room looking more like a jetsetter than a plainclothes detective. He was newly groomed and sans goatee and Dani even thought she could detect the scent of Bulgari Aqua in the air. To Dani he held his six feet and one inch frame calm, contained, yet on edge, as if he was ready for violence. For a cop Charlie doesn't trust cops. She smiled. He took off the pair of Tag Heuer Curve sunglasses he wore exposing his green eyes to the light of the room.

Dani was trying to will him to look over at her, but he seemed hell bent on keeping his focus in front of him. It was almost as if he wasn't the Charlie she knew but then he reached into his pocket and took a perfect purple plum and bit into it. She wanted to laugh at this because he was still Charlie. Just then the crowd of brass and ADA Griffiths marched out of the Tidwell's office and towards the large conference room. Charlie and his lawyer followed after them.

"Mickey, we should be going in now," Puryer said in her clipped English accent.

"See you later," he said to Dani. "I have to help Charlie get back on the police."

Rayborn and Puryer marched over to the conference room and entered then the door was shut. Dani looked over at Tidwell, who was standing in his doorway with his arms crossed looking pissed.

"I wonder what's wrong with the captain," said Seever.

"I don't know but I bet it involves Charlie Crews," smiled Dani.

She may be angry with Charlie Crews for disappearing from her life right when she needed him most, yet she understood his reason. Now that he was back she had to deal with her feelings for him.

"I hope they put him back on the job," said Seever. "He was fascinated to work with."

"Really," Dani said to her erstwhile partner.

"I mean he could be frustrating sometimes, but he'd find unique insight into cases," she said.

Dani looked at Seever and suddenly wondered if she had been one of Charlie Crews' conquests. He had become legendary among the boys in blue for his appetite for women. After twelve years of enforced celibacy, he was tried to sample as much carnal pleasure as he could to make up for it. She heard the whispers: Hey, did you hear Crews banged twins. Yeah, they weren't even badge bunnies.

She ignored those whispers mainly because who was she to judge her partner's sexual habits. When she wanted to blow off steam or hurt herself, she'd skip an AA meeting, go to a bar for a few drinks, and pick up a guy whose name she didn't want to know. Anyway as time over the two years she worked with him she knew his appetite for conquest lessened. His appetite for just sex seemed to be satisfied.

Dani shook her head. Charlie and Seever would never hook up. Seever had a plan with her life and Charlie lived his without a plan but with a goal: he wanted justice. He wanted justice for himself and for others. She was being unnecessarily jealous. Jealous? Dani surprised herself to think she was being jealous over Charlie Crews.

"Should we pick him up for an interview?" asked Seever.

"Yeah, sure," said Dani. "Let's pick up Manning."

LIFE

Charlie zoned out the proceeding. While waiting to enter the conference room in his peripheral vision he had caught a glimpse of Reese. She was sitting at her desk staring, no glaring at him, with eyes that were on fire. He wanted to turn his head and look at, no, stare back, but he knew he'd get lost in her and he couldn't afford that right now. Yet, here he was sitting in front of the board paying no attention and thinking of Dani Reese.

"Mr. Crews," Constance Griffith spoke.

She had fallen in love with Charlie when she worked on his case for years in her effort proving he was innocent. After he was released from prison she never consummated that love with Charlie because she was married and Charlie respected married. She knew this was because his own wife had abandoned him and divorced him when he was in prison. A lot of women paid a price because his wife abandoned him. Charlie didn't allow many, if any, passed all his walls, though Constance as she looked at him staring at her with an expressionless face.

In some ways she became and ADA to protect him. She knew Charlie wanted vengeance for his lost years and he needed to be protected from himself. The people he was going after had connections and more, and all Charlie had going for him was hate fueled determination in her opinion. He should just enjoy his second chance at a life. But her choice to protect him had cost her his friendship and love.

Charlie was pulled out of his Dani reverie. He looked up at the attractive woman he once had feelings for. Unlike Dani, who had dark, smoldering brown eyes, Constance had light, inquisitive brown eyes.

"Yes," he said.

"Why do you want to be a police detective?" she asked.

Charlie offered the board his lopsided grin, the one that most people read and underestimated him.

"How can you escape from an inescapable net?" he asked them in turn.

"Mr. Crews," she said trying to hide a smile, "what does that mean?"

"I think what it means," he said then paused for a moment to think about his answer. "I think what it means is that I am supposed to be a cop. It's what I'm meant to do right now in this moment. Maybe in some other present time I will be supposed to do something else, but in this now I am meant to be a police officer."

"Oh, kiddo, I think you are meant to be so much more," Mikey Rayborn spoke up for his own amusement.

Charlie turned in his seat and looked at the man he knew was behind so much evil, yet he seemed to be obsessed with Charlie becoming his successor of the syndicate he had built. One of the reasons he wanted to be a cop again was to untie the knot that Mickey Rayborn.

"Mr. Rayborn, please no more outbursts. You'll be given your time to speak as you requested on behalf of Det. Crews," said Captain Hal Lowry.

Charlie turned back in his seat and ignored Rayborn.

"We have an affidavit here from Special Agent Bodner that you saved his life from a FBI special agent working for Roman Nevikov. Yet you didn't follow procedures, but instead left the scene of a crime," said Captain Janet Castro.

It was a question but a statement. Charlie understood that facing him were a great many land mines, yet he ventured forward.

"My partner was still in danger. I needed to find her," said Charlie.

"Only you could find her, Charlie?" asked Constance.

"Yes," he said and stared at her.

Gone was the lopsided grin and hint of goofiness. Instead staring back at her was a man who suffered through 250 stitches, many broken bones, and countless fights in prison and remained unbroken.

"Why?" asked Lowry.

"Because Roman Nevikov wanted me," he answered.

His lawyer leaned over and whispered into his ear to be careful like he needed to be told that. He knew the big question was coming up and he needed to handle it just right.

"Did you kill Roman Nevikov?" asked Castro.

Charlie smiled. It was his cold, lizard smile.

"Roman Nevikov killed Roman Nevikov,' he said.

"What does that mean?" asked Captain Lowry.

"It means that when Roman Nevikov decided to become the cold blooded killer and manipulator of people he destined himself to die violently," said Charlie.

"Someone crushed his Adam's apple and esophagus, much like a guard was killed in Pelican Bay while you were a prisoner there," said Captain Lowry. "Did you kill Roman Nevikov?"

"No," Charlie smiled.

Having explained that Roman destined himself to die violently in essence killing himself Charlie could answer no without a problem or even a hint of apprehension. He set down the logic, the precedent: Roman killed Roman based on his choices in life.

LIFE

When Dani and Seever returned with Manning, the conference room door was open and the room empty. It was over. She had missed Charlie's exit. She had missed Charlie.

"Take him into interview room A," said Dani. "I'll be right there."

Seever marched their suspect towards the interview room, while Dani made her way to Tidwell's office. He was sitting behind his desk throwing a baseball up in the air and catching it.

"Other than to get away from some ex-wives and a few kids, I have no idea what compelled me to come to Los Angeles," he said as she his office.

Ever since Charlie Crews saved her, their relationship had been teetering on the precipice. He didn't blame Dani; he blamed Charlie Crews.

"What happened with Crews?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, the inquisition," said Tidwell.

He may have a problem with Crews but he didn't like the way he was being treated. The man saved and FBI agent and Dani and for that he got suspended and some wanted prison time.

"So what happened to him?" she asked.

"Time will tell. The board has to meet again and come to decision. He's in limbo for now," said Tidwell. "So, where are we, Dani?"

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"You and I, our relationship, where do we stand?" he asked.

"We don't stand; you sit on the bench by yourself for now" she said then walked out of his office.

He started tossing the ball up in the air and catching it once again.