Chapter Three - Batman and Robin

London 7 years previously.

"The police?!"

The laughter which reverberated around the McDonald-Venturi dinner table was pretty much what Derek had expected. He had spent his teenage years challenging most of the rules he met, so the idea that he might suddenly at the age of 21 embrace the role of rule-enforcing was a little…unique. He waited for the laughter to die down.

"You're serious?" George said eventually, wiping a tear from his cheek. Edwin was having his back slapped after choking on his meal.

Derek nodded. Looks were exchanged around the table and George didn't bother to hide his surprise.

"Why?"

Derek shrugged and played with the food on his plate. Casey, he noticed, was the only person not to laugh and he was grateful when she spoke up.

"We had a recruiter on campus a few weeks ago." She explained simply. "She made a compelling argument for the job."

Edwin snorted. "She? Was she hot?!"

George, who might normally have been his wingman and joined in the joke, threw him a look that said "Shut up, Edwin. This is important." Edwin became very interested in the plate of broccoli in front of him. The rest of the family were still processing Derek's announcement.

Casey continued. "There's a really good training programme, lots of opportunities to move into different branches…you know, forensics, cyber crime etc."

Derek rolled his eyes at Casey's emphasis on the educational aspects of the role. Derek's own reasons were slightly more basic.

"It's a job and the money's not bad." He explained. "Beggars can not be choosers. And as we all know, neither can washed up college hockey players."

"Derek…" Casey began. "Don't put yourself…"

Derek turned to her. "Come on, Sis. Let's tell it how it is. I bust out of the hockey programme, and the academic majors I still have only give me a few options. What else can I do?"

Casey sighed. "You could have transferred to my course. We took similar course modules. Your grades are good."

"A lawyer?!" Derek snorted. "Really? You want me to switch from being a washed-out hockey player to an uptight keener in a suit." He glanced at his father. "No offence, Dad".

"None taken." George said with the usual degree of resolution.

Lizzie piped up. "So now you're going to be a tool of the establishment, controlling the masses with a baton." If this wasn't a serious conversation, Casey would have called her sister out on the revolutionary principles which seemed to be emerging in her character aged 16.

"…and a gun!" Edwin chipped in cheerfully. "Don't forget he gets to carry a gun!"

Nora groaned. "That's the part I'm trying very hard to deal with." She admitted. Derek smiled softly at his stepmother.

"I'll probably never fire it." He tried to reassure her.

"That's what I'm worried about." She complained. "That we'll get a phone call in the middle of the night because some lowlife manages to pull his gun out faster than you can."

Derek snorted. "Faster than quick-draw Venturi?"

Nora sighed deeply.

Marti, quiet until now, spoke up. "Have you told Mom?" she asked softly.

Derek shook his head. "She's next. I was hoping that I could tell her that you guys agreed." He looked directly at Nora. "If I could say that you, at least, understood…"

Nora exchanged looks with Casey.

"What do you think, Case?"

It was funny how, when it came to the serious stuff raised around the table, the casting votes were always Nora and Casey, as though they were the rational side of the family. Actually, it was the three of them: Nora, Casey…and Derek. The latter having an in-built sensor for skimming along the edge of trouble and whose rationale for actions left him on a different plane to everyone else. He was often the best person to assess risk.

When Derek had told Casey his career plans a week ago, it was this aspect of his personality and character that had eventually persuaded her not to talk him out of joining the police force. Derek was right, he needed a job. But he also needed a job that would challenge him and give him a degree of excitement and controlled risk. Derek would never settle for a job that required a suit. He needed variety, a challenge…and an element of danger. It had taken her three days to come around to the idea, but eventually she had.

When Casey gave her tentative blessing…that was when Derek knew it was going to happen.


Toronto, Present Day.

"So, Detective Sergeant Venturi, when does the third degree begin?" Casey fixed her eyes at Derek over her complimentary glass of water while they waited for their food to arrive.

Derek smiled. Very occasionally, the old Casey emerged from the gaunt face with the sad eyes. He hoped it was a good sign that today it happened the moment he got her out of the family home. The McDonald-Venturis were a close and loving family, but they were over-compensating when it came to Casey. It hadn't mattered in the early days, but now it was definitely holding her back.

The smile disappeared as he remembered why this meeting was necessary – namely to tell Casey someone she possibly knew was dead. Plus, they had an argument to get out of the way.

Casey noticed his expression. "That bad, huh?" Her left hand started to shake, a sign of stress within her which he had come to hate. Derek reached across and put his own hand over hers in reassurance, but he couldn't resist a quip.

"I'm so sorry, Case. I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest you. They found out about that time you cheated in the fourth grade spelling bee."

Casey gave him a resigned look. "Moron." She muttered.

He met her gaze and for the first time in forever the twinkle was back in her eyes. Derek squeezed her hand. "You need to get out more." He stated swallowing through the lump in his throat.

Casey chuckled. "So you thought you'd arrest me?" She pulled her hand out from under his and placed it in her lap.

"What? Getting you out of the house? That wasn't an arrest. That was me springing you from the joint."

Casey pulled a face. "It feels like a prison sometimes." Derek gave her a pointed look and she amended her statement. "Ok. It feels like a prison all the time. I love our family but…" Derek sat back in his chair with a flourish.

"…can we say 'over-protective'?" He suggested

Casey nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

"I get it Casey, I do. Why the hell do you think I'm moving out? It's painful to watch the way they behave around you." Derek explained. Casey snorted and pointed a finger at him.

"You can leave any time you want. Some of us…" She started, pointing at her own chest. "Some of us don't get a choice. Me, I don't get a choice."

Derek interrupted with a wag of his finger.

"You can leave any time you want, too." He told her. "You don't have to live there and if you moved out then they'd back off." He flicked his hand dismissively.

It was Casey's turn for the disparaging look. "I'm not supposed to live alone, Derek. You heard what the hospital said. I'm still far too prone to falls." She pulled at the lanyard around her neck with its unattractive red panic button. "Go me!" She huffed.

"That won't last forever." Derek stated with force, nodding towards the alarm. "You're getting stronger every day. Physically at least." He smirked. "You've never been mentally very strong."

Casey snorted. "Gee, thanks, Bro."

Derek missed the stinging retort that Old Casey would have thrown at him. Her sarcasm would have to do. Sure, she'd come a long way, but not quite far enough. That was why…

"The accident changed a lot of things, Derek. I just need to learn to deal with it. And so do you."

He hoped they were still talking about her mobility and not other things. He pulled a face. Casey narrowed her eyes at him. "Just drop it, Derek."

"No."

Casey stared at him without blinking.

Derek met her defiant gaze with equal determination. "It's not going to last forever, McDonald and I will get you out of that house. I got you out of the hospital, didn't I? I got you out of the fucking wheelchair!" God! He hated that wheelchair.

"Don't swear."

"Don't. Make. Me."

They glared at each other a while longer. Then Derek relaxed slightly. He liked how she was standing up to him. It wasn't a regular occurrence and it showed the spirit and person he lov…knew was still in there. Despite everything she had been through.

He decided to get to the point. "It's time to move on. Why the hell do you think I bought a two-bedroom apartment?!"

Casey was confused. Derek went on.

"I bought two bedrooms because I thought it was time you moved out too."

Casey was stunned. "What?! As in me move in with you?"

Derek nodded.

"In fact, I think you are duty-bound to come with me, since it's only a matter of time before Ralph realises I've got a spare room – or worse…" Derek pulled a face. "…Edwin!"

Casey laughed but there wasn't much humour in the sound. "Don't be ridiculous. We can't live under the same roof, we'd kill each other."

"Casey, we live under the same roof now and as I recall, that's the only reason both of us are still functioning and otherwise sane. Do you think either one of us would have survived spending most of our twenties living at home otherwise? You know…shared trauma and all that."

She knew he wasn't talking about her accident, but he clarified. "I meant the 'rents, not your accident."

Casey's face softened.

"They aren't that bad." She protested weakly.

"Really? Case, your mom would still be sleeping at the end of your bed if I hadn't called her out on it. You can't fart without her asking if you need help to go to the bathroom."

"Don't be vulgar."

"There's nothing vulgar about the truth." He pointed out.

"Mom and George would never go for it – me moving out. They'd never give their permission." She said slightly sadly. The idea of leaving behind the constant nannying was quite attractive. Even if it meant putting up with Derek. She'd been putting up with Derek for a long time. Why change things?

Besides, he gave her room to breathe and he was right. His coercion had got her out of the hospital and back home with the family. His bullying had forced her to put one foot in front of the other and learn to walk again. The day they ditched the wheelchair had been a victory for both of them.

Derek leaned forward. "Screw the parents. We're 28, honey. Who gives a damn what they think? Besides, I'd be doing that protective step-brother thing they wanted me to do in High School. How could they not approve?"

He had a point. Well, up until the 'step-brother' bit. Casey began to consider the idea properly. She glanced around the restaurant which was pretty quiet for a lunch time. A few tables had small groups at them, mainly couples. One guy was trying to casually slide his arm around the edge of his booth to where a rather bored, but attractive girl was sitting. It sparked a thought.

"What about your…erm…social life?" Casey asked hesitantly, bringing up a subject which had always been a little distasteful to her.

He frowned. "My 'social life'?" Then it clicked. "Oh! You mean my sex life?" He grinned. "I'll buy you a pair of noise-cancelling headphones."

"Der-ek!" Casey screeched a bit too loudly and the couple nearby looked up. Derek waved their concerned looks away and grinned.

"Sorry, we're re-enacting that scene from 'When Harry met Sally'." He lied. "She's a bit of a screamer."

Under the table, Casey kicked Derek and then she stuck her tongue out. Derek chuckled. Yes, leaving home was exactly what Casey needed. He tried to look sincere and failed. But his words rang true anyway.

"I'm a cop, Casey. I have no 'social life' right now. Surely even you've noticed that? You wouldn't exactly be cramping my style, since there's currently nothing to cramp. And we can talk about this later on, when and if it becomes an issue. The important thing is to get you some independence from the bubble wrap brigade." He beamed at her.

"Whaddya say?" He leaned forward. "The second bedroom has an awesome view."

"Please tell me it doesn't involve a hockey stadium."

Derek laughed. "How did you guess?" There was a moment's silence while she processed the proposal.

"As a short-term solution?" Casey suggested, sounding more than a little hopeful.

"One year, tops." Derek promised. He wondered if it was childish to cross his fingers under the table, because he couldn't promise how long it would be for. All he knew was she needed this.

Actually, so did he.

Then he really was sincere.

"You see, Case. No need to give me the silent treatment. I wasn't deserting you. This plan was for us."

Casey looked Derek in the eye. "Us?" She queried and for a second Derek was transported back five years – or a lifetime, depending on your point of view. For a second, he could almost see the ghost of… He blinked and pulled himself together.

"Us, partner. You know, the dynamic duo."

She tilted her head to one side, thoughtfully.

"Ok, Robin. But, you can figure out how to tell the parents."


"I think I've eaten enough for an army." Casey groaned, a while later, pushing away her plate. "I thought I'd picked something light and not filling, but if I keep eating like that I'll be a blimp in no time."

Derek reached across and pinched the fries from her plate. "S'ok, I'll eat the rest."

"'Hoover Venturi.'" Casey pondered. "Yup it has a good ring to it." She wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Do you think you'll ever stop with the 'growing guy' excuse?"

"Hey, parts of me are still getting bigger." He protested.

Casey leaned forward. "Oh yes. That would be your stomach – and your ego." She grinned.

Derek shrugged. "Nothing wrong with a large…ego. And I'm surprised you noticed my six-pack."

Casey threw her napkin at him. "Cut it out, D. Isn't it about time you told me why I'm really here? I know you didn't bring me here to argue with me."

"I did too." He disagreed.

"Childish." She muttered under her breath. "My teenage years all over again."

"Always." He winked at her.

"Der-ek". This time it was said softly. "Stop putting it off and just come out with it."

Derek's face lost the grin. He sighed. "Yeah. You're right. I am…putting it off, I mean." He picked his jacket up from the seat beside him and reached into its inner pocket. His fingers drew two folded pieces of photographic paper and placed them face down on the table. He paused while he worked out how to handle this. Eventually, as it was Casey – who saw through every smoke screen he'd ever put up - he told the truth.

"I was on my way home last night when I caught a new case." He began. Casey nodded.

"I guessed as much when I didn't hear you come in."

Derek frowned. "You still not sleeping?" He asked, momentarily distracted.

Casey waved his question away. "Mind on the job, Venturi."

He shook his head but there was a small smile on his lips.

"I take it this new case is relevant?" Casey asked.

"You could say that." Derek sighed and began to describe the alley and the body, the processes they had followed and the lack of leads. "So right now, we don't know who she is." He finished. Casey nodded.

"Where do I come in?"

Derek shrugged. "There's a chance you'll know her." Casey was taken aback.

"This is a Toronto case?" She clarified. Derek nodded. "A recent death?" He nodded again. "Derek, I can count on one hand the number of people I've met in the last five years who you haven't met. I go nowhere and I do nothing. Why the hell do you think I might know her?"

"I think this goes back further than five years" Derek explained. "I think she may be someone you met while you were at Queens. Obviously when I wasn't around."

Casey shrugged. "Ok. Do you have a photograph?" Derek hesitated.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, suddenly. "I mean the picture was taken in the morgue. She's…erm…dead."

Casey glanced skywards.

"Now who's being over protective?" She pointed out. "I've seen pictures of dead bodies before." (In magazines, necessarily sanitized.) "Besides, I almost was one."

Derek wondered if it was worth having the argument with her. He shrugged his shoulders and slid the first picture across the table. Casey regarded the picture in front of her, reverse side up. Part of her wondered if, when she turned the photograph over, she would see a friend, a good friend. The accident meant she had drifted apart from all of her college friends…except Derek. Even so, she didn't wish anyone she'd been close to dead. Except maybe Truman and cousin Vicky…

Derek and Casey both held their breath as Casey turned the picture over.

Casey looked at the picture carefully. The victim was pretty and they had cleaned her up well: Blonde hair, eyes closed and the pale skin of the dead.

It was a relief to be able to answer honestly.

"I'm sorry, D. There's nothing there."

Casey didn't say, 'I don't know her', because they both knew that she couldn't honestly tell. There was a whole six-month period of Casey's life over which she had little or no recall. She handed the photograph back to Derek.

He shrugged. "It was a long shot." He admitted. "I mean, I knew most of your friends at college and she didn't ring any bells with me."

Casey chuckled. "Oh, I'm fairly sure if you'd known her there would have been plenty of bells rung." Derek's eyes widened. Casey hadn't come up with something that…spot on since… He grinned a genuine grin and wiggled his eyebrows. Casey gazed skywards and shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked.

"I thought we'd already discussed that, Batman." Derek quipped, still happy with his earlier victory.

Casey's face became more serious. "Why did you think I might know her?" She asked, with genuine curiosity. Both their eyes dropped to the remaining photograph on the table.

Derek shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"When we found her body there was a photograph in her…erm…bra."

"Coyness, Derek? About women's underwear?" Casey teased. He shrugged.

"I like my bodies warm." He responded and then his manner became more serious. "It was folded and tucked away as if she was trying to hide it. This is a copy." He added. The original is being examined back at the lab."

Casey nodded. "Ok." She reached forward and turned the picture over, drawing it close to her.

If Derek had hoped for a prompt exclamation and an immediate solving of the case, he was disappointed.

"It's some sort of garden party." Casey said, thoughtfully. "Early summer though. The flowers aren't out and they are wearing warmer clothes." Derek hadn't noticed that. He nodded for her to continue. "Ah! I've spotted the victim." She announced. "She's a bit younger, but not substantially. Less than ten years younger, I'd say. She's not blonde here, either." Derek let her thought processes flow.

"I'm still not seeing why…Oh!" Casey glanced up at Derek and their eyes met. "Ok. I get it. Wow! I was so young then! What? Twenty two, maybe?"

"Twenty three was my thought."

Casey put a hand to her throat absentmindedly. "Definitely twenty three." She confirmed. "Not long after my twenty third birthday I'd guess. I know for certain because of the necklace."

Derek's eyes widened. Casey looked up at him and smiled softly. "You don't remember the necklace?" She asked.

"Of course I do!" He protested.

"You gave it to me." Casey reminded him, though it wasn't necessary.

Derek sat back in his seat. "I remember. I'm just surprised you do. I mean the picture has to have been taken within the window of your memory loss, what, three months before…"

"Two or three months before the crash." Casey confirmed. "I remember my twenty third birthday and the crash was just three months later. This party must have been somewhere in between." She tilted her head to look at him. "My memory is so patchy of that time. Pretty much non-existent."

Derek met her eyes for a second and then had to look away. He took a deep breath through his nose. "I know." It was a loaded comment, but if Casey understood the weight of that admission, she didn't show it above putting her hand on Derek's.

"I'm sorry, Derek." She apologised, and then a moment later. "I still don't recognise her."

He nodded. "Anyone else in the picture?" He asked more in hope than expectation.

"Well I recognise Jessie, of course. But only because I have so many other pictures of him, not because I remember that party. What do you think we were doing there?"

Derek ran his hand through his hair. "Well, you look like you were a couple,…but…I don't think that was the case because the timings don't match." He half-explained. "Plus, I seem to remember you guys always walked around arm-in-arm like that. Didn't you break up fairly early on?"

Casey agreed. "We didn't start seeing each other until my second year at university, and it was all over and done with inside a month or too. None of my relationships ever seem to last." She pulled a face. "Now they don't even start."

"Can you remember why you split up?" Derek had always wanted to know.

Casey sat back in her chair. "Mr Nosey, much." She chided and then blew out a breath. "We didn't last because Jessie met Stuart."

Derek looked confused. "Stuart?"

Casey played with the hem of her shirt. "Stuart. Fellow dancer who joined the company during our first tour. Remember that vacation when I toured with the dance company?"

Derek nodded. "Of course, I do. It was the quietest vacation the Venturis ever had. I had to go out and find someone else to prank."

They both laughed. Casey dropped her hem and looked purposefully at Derek.

"Anyway, Stuart was the love of Jessie's life. As soon as they met it was 'Bye bye Casey'. In the nicest, politest way possible of course, otherwise Jess and I would never have stayed friends." Derek's jaw dropped.

"You're saying Jessie was gay?!" He exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Bi, actually, not that it matters or is really any of our business."

Derek had been there for the break up. He didn't remember anything about Casey being dumped for another guy. Casey watched the wheels turn.

"I didn't tell you at the time because I knew you turn it into something and I wasn't in the mood."

Her step-brother snorted. "No. You were a snivelling wreck. I never did get the mascara out of that t-shirt."

Casey wasn't listening, which was probably a good thing. Instead she had, once again, picked up the photograph of the party. She was scanning it intently. Eventually, Derek noticed.

"What have you got?" He asked sitting forward.

There was silence for a moment and then Casey sat back with a smile of victory. The suspense was killing Derek.

"What?" He demanded. Casey put the photograph down on the table.

"Well, I was just thinking, Of the three people who we do know in this photograph, two are dead and one has a mind that leaks like a sieve. No information there then."

Derek gave her a look.

"And…" He pushed. Casey grinned.

"So… Jessie and I were only ever really about dance. We went to a few things outside of the dance company, but not much."

"Ok…"

Casey pushed the photograph back towards Derek. "This has to be about the dance company, so if Jessie and I are no use, talk to someone else from the dance company. Maybe your victim was one of the company too."

It wasn't a bad thought process. Derek pondered her words.

"Does the dance company still exist?" He asked Casey.

She shrugged. "No idea. Probably not. I mean, it was Jessie's thing. When he died, I suspect the company died too."

Derek rubbed his hand through his hair in a manner Casey remembered from school when he was handed a complex question in class and no option to escape it.

"You're wondering how we track down someone from the company if it's no longer there." Casey told him. He nodded. She smiled. "We could try finding Stuart."

"Stuart?" Derek asked blankly.

"Jessie's partner." Casey clarified. "He was a member of the dance company too, remember? That's how they met."

Derek's eyes widened. "Is he in this picture?"

Casey glanced. "I don't think so. Mind you, I can't remember what he looked like."

"Can you remember his name?"

"Lewis. Stuart Lewis." Casey announced triumphantly.


"What time will you be home?" Casey asked softly as the car pulled up outside the family house. Derek switched off the engine and turned towards her.

"God only knows." He admitted. "But, hopefully, you've given me something to work on so it won't be hours of staring at a phone waiting for it to ring."

Casey reached up and ran a finger under Derek's eye. Years ago, the gesture would have cause him to flinch. Now he just closed his eyes at her touch.

"You have bags under your eyes, Derek. You need some sleep."

Derek opened his eyes and mirrored the movement with his thumb under Casey's eye.

"So do you. Is the pain that bad?"

"It's just an annoyance." Casey commented. "Painkillers would help but I hate the way they make me feel."

Derek nodded. "I get it. I do." He combed two fingers through her hair. "Maybe a new bed would help."

Casey smiled. "Then start working on the speech for Mom and George."

Derek grinned and dropped his hand back into his lap. "You come up with any good ideas on that and I'm listening." He said and leaned towards her. "Sleep well, princess."

He planted a kiss on Casey's cheek and she surprised him by slipping her hand into his and leaning her head towards his own.

"Be safe out there." She murmured before kissing his cheek in return.

They watched each other as they pulled apart. Casey smiled and reached for her bag.

As Casey walked slowly up the path to the front door, Derek pondered the way things had changed in just a couple of hours. Now, more than ever, he was convinced getting Casey out of the family home was the best thing for everyone.

The front door opened two steps before Casey reached it and Derek spotted his anxious stepmother begin the fussing process.

Definitely.