Chapter Three
Hello, my friend we meet again
It's been a while where shall we begin
It feels like forever.
Creed – My Sacrifice
"Carmen Devine, I never thought I'd see you walking down the halls of my crime lab." I glanced up from the rule leaflet that Mac handed me to see Danny Messer coming towards me down the corridor.
"Hey Messer, how are you doing?" I exclaimed, we fell into a brief hug before pulling away grinning at each other.
"You gonna introduce me to your friend?" I lifted my eyes surprised to see a dark head tall guy standing behind Danny, a welcoming smile on his face. I reached forward sticking hand out in a friendly gesture. I followed his lead, clasping his warm hand in mine. His grip was strong inviting.
"Carmen Devine, meet Detective Don Flack." I gave Flack a shy smile, as Danny introduced us.
"Pleased to meet you." I said withdrawing.
"That's quite a name." Flack said referring to the introduction. I shrugged, before rolling my eyes.
"It's just a name." Flack's face dropped a little, before he recovered quickly. For a second I felt bad.
"You've heard that a lot right?" he asked rising his eyebrow. I smiled playfully.
"A little." My gaze went back to Danny whose arms were now folded over his chest watching the exchange with a twinge of interest.
"So what are you doing here?" he asked with a genuine curious look. "Last time I saw you…"
The bulb went off in his mind I could see the word "Elliot's funeral" forming in his mind. I bowed my head pursing my lips together momentary. His hand touched my shoulder gently I rose my head my gaze fixing on him.
"How are you doing?" he asked frowning, his arms going back to their original position. I looked down at my hands, clasping them together before returning my gaze to him.
"I'm doing ok." I told him. There was a brief moment of awkward silence between us as either one struggled to find the right words. Danny had lost a friend too that day. In the end it was Flack's voice that broke it.
"Man, I could sure go for some coffee, do you guys want some coffee?" he asked stretching out. I knew what he was doing and I appreciated it. I shook my head, holding up my hand.
"I'm good." Danny snapped out of his reverie and stuck a hand into his back pocket tugging his wallet out.
"I'll take a latte, you sure Carmen, Flack knows this place that does the best coffee in New York." I shook my head again.
"I have more than one in the morning I'm set on high speed for the rest of the day." I told them. The corners of Flack's mouth twitched. Danny handed a handful of change to Flack who rolled his eyes.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Flack moaned. Danny grinned shaking his head.
"I swear I saw some dollars in that wallet." He said as Danny slipped the wallet back into his pocket. Danny shrugged with a wide grin on his face.
"Sorry Flack that's all I got." Flack narrowed his eyes playfully before turning to me.
"It was nice meeting you." I watched his back as he was confidently down the corridor, smiling at people as they went by.
"Nice guy." I said jerking my thumb in Flack's general direction. Danny tilted his head, his arms crossed over his chest again.
"Just don't get on the other side of the interrogation table to him; he'd tear you to shreds." I glanced at the happy go lucky guy who was now going through the set of double door at the end of the corridor that led to an exit.
"I'll bear that in mind."
"So really how are you doing? I haven't seen you in a while, what's going on with you? You managed to find yourself a guy yet or you still trawling for one." I punched him in the arm as he laughed.
"I'll take that as a no." he said pulling himself out of my way.
"I've been here two minutes, even I don't work that fast." Danny gave me a sceptical look.
"Besides I was saving myself for you." I pouted at him.
"You know I prefer the free and single life to the ranks of the committed, sorry Carmen, maybe in about ten years when you've worn me down."
"Get over yourself Messer." I retorted. Danny smiled to himself.
"So you're living here now?" he asked curious.
"Yonkers." I confirmed folding the rulebook and slipping it into my pocket.
"Near Flack." Danny told me, I raised an eyebrow.
"Eveie phoned ahead, told me to keep an eye on you." I bit my lip from making a curt remark. Danny moved closer, his eyes intent on my face. I crossed my arms over my chest, defensively.
"She's just worried about you Carmen, that's what sisters do." He was trying to explain. He didn't need to.
"I just… I don't need to be checked up on, we both lost our brother, and I'm handling it just fine. She thinks moving to New York was running away from the whole thing." I confessed to Danny, whose head was bowed listening.
"I'd been thinking about the move for a while, ever since Sonny got put away. Elliot's death just gave me the push I needed." I let out a deep sigh, looking up at Danny.
"I wasn't planning on babysitting you." He told me. I smiled grimly.
"Thank you." I opened my mouth to say more but was cut off by the urgent ring of Danny's cell phone.
"Hold on I need to take this." He said checking caller I.D. I nodded waiting patiently and trying hard not to listen to Danny's side of the conversation. I glanced up as he snapped it shut and slid it back into his back pocket.
"That's Mac I gotta call out, I've gotta get going." He said rubbing the back of his head with his left hand.
"We'll catch up later alright?" he asked backing off down the corridor towards the lab.
"Sure." I said waving him off.
"Hey is that Danny running away down the corridor?" Flack asked coming up behind me holding two steaming paper cups.
"Yep." I replied turning my body towards him.
"Damn it he always does this to me." Flack grinned good-naturedly despite his words. For the first time I realized how vivid the blue in his eyes was.
"You like Latte?" he asked offering one of the paper cups out to me. I shrugged.
"Why not?" I said taking the cup from his hands. The warmth of it reminded me of a few winters ago in New York with Danny when I'd slipped in the snow, spilling coffee all over the front of his shirt. I grinned at the memory before returning my attention to Flack, whose eyes appeared to be analysing me.
"What?" I asked without thinking. He shook his head at me sipping from his coffee.
"Just trying to figure you out."
"I thought you were practising for your undercover role as one of those guys down at the bus station." Flack laughed out loud.
"Hang around there much?" he replied, deadpanning. I couldn't help but giggle.
So how do you know Danny?" he asked focusing on me.
"We met in college doing the same course and hit it off from there." Flack raised his eyebrows.
"As friends." I narrowed my eyes at him. Flack raised his hands.
"Hey, I said no different." He chuckled. My cell phone went off suddenly making me jump, I slipped it out of my suit jacket and to my ear.
"Devine?" listening to Stella Bonasara talking I kept my eyes on Flack, who sipped his coffee while staring down the corridor at the people in the labs. If all people who worked here were like him I was going to get on just fine. I hung up the cell phone and returned it to the space it had previously occupied.
"I got my first call out." I said taking a final swig of the drink. I handed the cup back to Don, who instinctively grabbed for it.
"Thanks for the coffee." I said patting his arm. I turned away and strolled down the corridor I heard Flack calling after me.
"Good luck, this is New York, you'll need it."