Disclaimer: Not mine. More's the pity. I treat 'em right.
Chapter 3 - Frying Pan/Fire Paradigms
Fraser overheard every single word of Ray's conversation with Louise St. Laurent, even through the closed door of the interview room. The fiery redheaded woman was still on a tear as she spoke to Ray.
"I'm really not comfortable releasing Constable Fraser until we have another suspect in custody." she said after listening to Ray's account of the evidence so far. "We don't know that he didn't steal the wrong disc by mistake, for one thing. Detective, we still have over 65 hours before we need to either charge the man or release him. Give me one good reason why we shouldn't keep him in custody."
Ray rubbed his face. He was too tired to mince words. Sure, St. Laurent was kind of hot when she was all fired up like this. He'd always had a soft spot for a woman who could get angry with the best of them. But this was Benny she was messing with.
"St. Laurent, you know full well we have basically nothing here. On top of that, we got a guy who has a completely spotless track record, and we got a good chance of pissing off our friends to the North by hanging onto him when he's innocent."
St. Laurent weighed her options. If the man was innocent then the Canadians probably would put up a fuss later about his treatment. On the other hand if he was guilty and ran, they'd complain about that. But in spite of her general distrust of Vecchio, and her dislike for being woken in the middle of the night, she had to admit that her gut feeling was that he was right about the Mountie. The vague motive just didn't add up, and the whole thing stank like three day old fish. Very well, time to put the fear of god into the Mountie one more time, then cut him loose.
"Fine." she said, and she was back in the interview room before Ray had a chance to react.
Any other time, any other suspect, Ray would have admired the way she leaned over the table and managed to menace in spite of her small stature.
"All right, Constable Fraser, you're going to be released. Detective Huey will process the paperwork. But I want to make myself entirely clear to you. You remain a suspect in this case. I do not want to hear that you have been interfering in the investigation. I do not want to hear that you have made any attempt to leave the state. In fact, until this case is concluded, I'd advise you to be exactly where we can find you at any time. We don't have the evidence to press charges against you at this minute, but this investigation is far from over, and if you do anything to jeopardise its progress, I will have you back in here for obstruction of justice so fast it makes your head spin. Do you understand me?"
Fraser nodded tiredly. "Yes, Ma'am." He understood. He was being released, but that didn't mean his name had been cleared, and he wasn't supposed to do anything about clearing it.
St. Laurent left as quickly as she'd entered.
Ray shook his head and shrugged.
"Don't worry about her, Benny. The important thing is you're free to go, and we'll find whoever framed you."
Fraser stood up and smiled tiredly. "I hope so. I believe so. I wish I could help."
Ray rolled his eyes. "You will. Just because she says stay out doesn't mean we're not going to pick your brain to figure this one out."
"My brain seems to have decamped back to the Northwest Territories." Fraser said. He reflexively looked around for his hat before remembering that it was in the hands of the forensics staff, or already stashed in an evidence locker.
"Yeah, let's get you home." Ray said. "You look done in."
They strolled back to the squad room and found Huey typing on a form.
"St. Laurent see you?" Ray asked.
Huey stood up. "Yes, she did. Listen, Fraser, you know I didn't want to arrest you." His deep voice sounded troubled.
"You did the right thing." Fraser said reassuringly, with a particularly genuine smile. "Although I am glad to be released."
"I'm just getting everything in order, then we'll get your effects back and you can go." Huey said, sitting down to finish his typing.
Huey sighed and pulled the paper out of the typewriter. "Sign here, and initial here." he said, handing it to Fraser. "You know, I'm glad you're off the hook, but this puts us back at square one, and we don't really have any other leads."
Ray smirked. "I think we do. Not much, but I have a feeling about one of Benny's fellow dinner guests."
Fraser's eyebrows went up. Ray was really serious about clearing his name. Ray had listened to what he said and found a clue. He wondered if Ray's suspicions pointed in the same direction his did.
"Do you still have Breckinridge down here?" Ray asked.
Fraser nodded unconsciously. Good. Yes.
Huey shook his head. "No, we got done with the interviews a half hour ago and sent everyone home, or back to their hotels in his case. What makes you suspect him?"
Fraser said, "He seemed to maneuvre to make me appear in the most suspicious light, quite early in the dinner party."
Ray added, "And he was the one who contaminated the evidence at the scene. No one seemed to think it was deliberate, but in ripping off the duct tape that held the minidisc to Fraser's hat, he obscured any chance that we'd be able to get prints from it."
Fraser's forehead wrinkled. "I know it's not much, but it's all we've got. The attempt to frame me seems to have been quite haphazard, and I assume was not so much a personal attack as misdirection. I think that we should talk to Mr. Breckinridge as soon as possible.
Then he blushed. "Or, rather. You should. Obviously, I can't."
Ray shook his head slowly and smiled.
"And you shouldn't, anyway, Benny. Between the stakeouts and tonight, you're dead on your feet."
Fraser pouted stubbornly. Sometimes Ray seemed to treat him like a child. "Ray, I assure you, I'm really not that tired." Even as he said it, he noticed the whine in his voice.
Ray snorted, his mouth contorting with ill-concealed laughter. "What are you, six? You sound like Maria's kids when they're up past their bedtime. C'mon. No more arguments. Jack, you got Breckinridge?"
Huey nodded. "Yeah, Ray. We have the hotel he's staying at, the downtown Hilton. I'll go over and see him myself. Fraser, I'm sorry about arresting you, you know, just go take it easy."
Fraser walked over to Ray's desk and crouched beside it. Diefenbaker opened one eye and looked at him lazily.
"Are you coming?" Fraser said clearly, making sure the wolf could see his lips.
Dief whined slightly and shifted, making himself more comfortable. He opened the other eye and lifted his head to give Fraser a distinctly baleful glare.
"Well, I wasn't neglecting you on purpose, it's not as if they allow wolves into holding cells."
Diefenbaker gave a grumbling noise and settled his head back on his paws, closing his eyes.
Ray smiled tiredly at Fraser. "He'll be fine here. His loss if he won't go home."
"I suppose so." Fraser said. Arguing with the deaf wolf was counterproductive, and the station was warm and safe, and even after such a short time in Chicago, the wolf seemed to be a favorite among the officers of the 27th. He wouldn't go hungry or be stuck without someone willing to take him outside.
"We'll talk tomorrow. Or later today, rather." Fraser said firmly to Diefenbaker, and then shook his head at the futility of attempting to communicate with the wolf once he'd rolled over and played fast asleep.
Fraser sank into the passenger seat of the Riviera gratefully. He'd been given back his belt and boot laces, and he was relacing the boots as Ray drove, but of course, the Stetson was still evidence. Still, he'd worry about that tomorrow.
As Ray pointed the big green battleship of a car toward Fraser's neighborhood, a sudden though occured to Fraser, the flash of an image from earlier in the night.
"Ray, Detective Huey said the Hilton, in central Chicago, didn't he?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It's just that, well, earlier tonight, I recalled-" Fraser rubbed his temple. He was very tired, but he felt a rush of adrenaline stirring through him, bringing him back to alertness.
"When Breckingridge was talking to Dr. Gaffin over coffee, she wanted to show him a diagram. Breckinridge took out a notepad, hotel stationery, from his jacket pocket."
Ray stopped at a red light, and turned to stare at Fraser. "Not from the Hilton, huh?" he said. Damn it, like they needed a complication.
"No, Ray. A Four Seasons in Oak Lawn."
The light turned green. Ray performed an illegal U-turn, and pulled his phone out. He dialled Huey's cell-phone number, but there was no answer. Ray left a message to the effect that they thought Breckinridge was at a different hotel, and it was really Huey's job to investigate, but given that he wasn't answering the phone, Ray was going to drive on out to Oak Lawn right now and Huey should call him back when he got the message.
Huey, having struck out at the Hilton, had in fact decided to call it a night, and presuming that Ray and Fraser were safely on their way to bed, had not bothered to call and let them know. He didn't get the call because he was in the shower, on the way to an uninterrupted four hours sleep, without an intervening stop to check his cell phone's voicemail service.
Arriving at the hotel, Fraser described Breckinridge to the sleepy night clerk, and suggested that he could only have arrived back a half hour or so before they arrived. The night clerk shrugged, scratched his head, and told him what room the man fitting that description was in. He seemed in no hurry to take them there, so Ray just walked on to the elevators.
"Come on, Benny."
"I can't come in to the room, you know. State's Attorney St. Laurent was quite clear-"
"You can wait outside then. If he is the guy who stole the disc and framed you, I don't want to give him time to get away." Ray rejoined.
Fraser shrugged. "Very well."
Arriving at Breckinridge's room, Ray knocked, waited, then showed his badge when Breckinridge opened the door a crack. Breckinridge let Ray in. Fraser stayed out of sight of the door. That was fine and good until he heard the ominous words "Get your hands where I can see them, Detective," in Breckinridge's voice.
Fraser stalked forward, waiting for the crucial moment to burst in and disarm Breckinridge. Between him and Ray they should have no problem.
"I can hear you out there. You had better come in, Constable." Fraser was startled by a second voice from within the room. It was not Breckinridge's. It was female, light, pleasant. Dr. Zhang. Evidently the theft was the work of more than one of his dinner companions.
Fraser entered the room to find Breckinridge holding Ray at gunpoint.
"This is an unpleasant complication." Zhang Xiaoxu said. She still sounded urbane and collected, as if she were discussing sending back a corked bottle of wine at a restaurant. "It's lovely to see you again, Constable, but I would wish for better circumstances. If you don't want your friend shot, you'll do exactly as I say."
Fraser met Ray's eyes. Breckinbridge's hand was steady, and he was holding Ray by one arm. The gun had a silencer, and Fraser felt that Breckinridge would use it if he had to.
"Yeah, sucks, Benny." Ray grumbled, acknowledging the look shared between them. No easy way out.
"Don't be foolish." Fraser said. "You don't want to kill a police officer."
Breckinridge laughed, an unsteady sound. He didn't seem as calm with the situation as Xiaoxu was. "We don't want to kill him, not if we don't have to." he said. "We're not stupid. Just do as you're told and he doesn't get hurt."
Xiaoxu said, "Your reputation precedes you, Constable. We know if we kill him, you won't rest until you've achieved vengeance. And everyone knows if we kill a Mountie, your government will hunt us to the ends of the earth. That would be inconvenient. So you see, it would be our preference that you both live. I think that would be your preference too. All you have to do is obey. We're leaving tonight, and we're taking your friend as insurance that you won't follow us. If you do as you're told, he'll be released safely. Otherwise...."
Her voice was knife-sharp. Still calm and urbane, but with a lethal edge of cold amusement. Fraser licked his lips. Ray's life was in balance. He was sure that the two thieves were telling the truth, they'd rather not have to kill anyone. But he was equally certain that if it was necessary, Xiaoxu would have no problem with finishing off either of them. He shifted his weight minutely on his feet, looking for an opportunity to break the stand-off and get Ray out of danger.
"Stand still!" Xiaoxu's command was like the crack of a whip. She knelt in front of Fraser, running her hands down the inside of his legs. Even though he knew she was only searching him, Fraser's face turned a blazing crimson at the unneccesarily sensual way her hands moved.
"Get your hands off him." Ray barked.
"Shut up." Breckinridge said. "Shut up. Don't talk unless you want me to have to shoot you, then your partner."
Xiaoxu found the knife sheathed on the inside calf of Fraser's leg and removed it, holster and all, setting it away from him on the floor.
"Naughty." she murmured, then stood up and repeated the process on his torso. She found the empty holster and her lips twitched with wry laughter.
"All right, now lie down on your back, on the bed." she ordered briskly.
Fraser hesitated.
"Do it, or I'll shoot him." Breckinridge snapped. He was getting more and more anxious the longer Fraser was unrestrained. His partner in crime had briefed him about what she'd found out about the Mountie and none of it was reassuring. That was why they'd had to set him up in the first place, and yet here he was, large as life and twice as dangerous.
Fraser reluctantly lay flat on the hotel room bed.
"Arms over your head." Xiaoxu said. She pushed up a leg of her loosely cut crepe pants, and Fraser saw, to his surprise, that she had a wide roll of duct tape pushed up her slim, shapely leg like a garter. She slid it down, along with some plastic cable ties that had been secured under it.
"I always believe in being prepared, don't you, Constable?" she said. Another time, Fraser might have been amused. At least it answered the question of who had the duct tape that had been used to tape the minidisc to his hat.
With the plastic cable ties, Xiaoxu tied Fraser's hands tightly to the slatted headboard of the bed. He tested the bonds and found the rigid plastic bit into the skin of his wrists at the smallest move.
"Open wide." Xiaoxu ordered. She pulled Fraser's handkerchief from his uniform pocket and stuffed it into his mouth, gagging him. Then she wrapped duct tape over his mouth, running it all the way under the back of his head and around again. It was totally secure. Apparently she wasn't taking any chances of him raising an alarm.
"There. You look quite good enough to eat. Don't you remember what Dr. Raine said about we Guandongese?" She smirked, a hungry glint in her eyes, and let her hands roam Fraser's chest.
Fraser looked up steadily at Xiaoxu. How had he so entirely misjudged her? She presented a very good front, a civilized veneer. But with the veneer ripped away, she was feral and predatory. She made the bold advances that women in Chicago had made on him seem demure and maidenly.
Bound as he was, he couldn't do anything about the uncomfortably intimate touch of her hands as she ran them over his tunic.
"It's a shame that we're in a hurry." she said, with a gleaming smile. "You were such a charming dinner companion, I've no doubt you'd be equally pleasant in other arenas."
Her hands moved to his belt.
Ray saw the infinitesimal change in Fraser's bearing. A tiny flicker of anger appeared in Fraser's eyes, and then he stilled himself deliberately. Ray felt a raw fury, just as if he'd been watching some creep paw at one of his sisters. Not that Benny was in any way less than a man, but he was a private man, not given to free demonstrations of affection, less still this sort of invasive touch, and this was against his will. Ray growled, and Breckinridge pressed the barrel of the gun more firmly into his temple.
Xiaoxu saw the change in Fraser's bearing too. She gave a satisfied laugh that made a mockery of her friendliness over dinner. "Oh yes, I could have made this so good for you."
She unbuckled the belt. Ray said, "Stop!" urgently, since there was no way for Fraser to show his objection.
Xiaoxu turned a look of warm amusement on Ray. "Don't worry. I just want this."
She pulled the belt loose and held it up as a trophy. "It's very good leather, and I should like to have something to remember the handsome Constable by."
Slinging the belt over her shoulder, Xiaoxu picked up the duct tape again. "That, and our intelligence report suggests that Constable Fraser is a man of infinite resource and sagacity. No point in missing anything that might help him come after us."
With that, she pulled out another length of duct tape, and to Ray's horror, wrapped it once more around Fraser's head. This piece covered his nose, and she pressed it down over his nostrils. Fraser's eyes widened involuntarily as his source of air was cut off.
"No, you'll kill him." Ray struggled with Breckinridge, earning a tap over the back of the head with the gun. He sagged in Breckinridge's arms.
"Oh, I don't think so." Xiaoxu said, even though a third of her audience was now unconscious. She looked into Fraser's eyes. "I'm sure you'll find a way to breathe." She leaned down and brushed her lips greedily against his forehead. Xiaoxu stopped to pick up Fraser's knife, another souvenir, he supposed, before sashaying out of the room behind Breckinridge, who was headed to the fire exit, supporting Ray as if he were a drunk friend. Fraser kept his face impassive, but he knew that Xiaoxu had seen how he had reacted to her unwanted touch, and she had been excited by it.
As mortifying as that was, it didn't matter, couldn't matter right now. What mattered was getting his friend out of the hands of the thieves and bringing them to justice. Fraser strained his senses to listen to catch anything the two thieves said as they made their way to the exit.
"... hurry... airport... Tri-State ... no traffic..." That was Breckinridge's anxious voice.
In spite of his extraordinary lung capacity, Fraser needed to breathe, soon. The way his arms were pulled up tight behind his head was not helping. He would have to stop listening and work the duct tape loose. His concentration grew ragged and he couldn't make sense of the last words he heard from Xiaoxu before Ray's abductors left the building. "...better class of CSIS..."
Author's Note: Eesh. I am so snowed under right now. I know I'm usually more reliable than this but I hope you're enjoying the story even with the long delays. (A bear walks into a bar and sits down. He says to the bartender, "I'll have a... ... ... ... ...whiskey, please." The bartender says, "Sure, but why the big pause?" (Yes, that one works better out loud.)) As ever thanks to my lovely and gracious readers and reviewers and those against whose foreheads I bounce ideas.
