CONVERSATIONS
Chapter 4
They walked slowly back to the car and drove to Cecile's condo.
"Why don't you come in for a little while?" she said gently. "I think you're upset… I don't want you to go home like that."
"I'm not upset. But… okay… for a little while."
He sat on the balcony while she fetched coffee.
It was her turn to sigh. "I'm sorry, Horatio – I can't turn the 'psychiatrist' off. I can turn a pleasant evening into a 'getting at the truth' session without even trying… It was a pleasant evening, of course."
"And for me. You just made me say aloud what I've been worrying about."
"Do you want to go on talking about it?"
"Don't you mind?"
"Of course not. What I don't want is for you to go home miserable. Or doubting yourself. Look, my view about Calleigh… I think she's probably taken on more than she knows. She may be sensing that she's going to have to 'let you down' – oh, not really, but she might see it like that. I suspect that her loyalty to you has been at the top of her priorities for a long time."
"I was fairly brusque with her. Maybe I'm letting her down."
"No, you're not. You can't compete with her maternal instincts, and you shouldn't have to. Don't start making it your fault – in any way. It's her decision, for better or worse… But she wasn't obliged to clear it with you, and you have to work with it. She may feel like superwoman at the moment, able to do everything, and therefore feel you were unfair to imply she can't. She's likely to resent anything you do to lighten her load, because she'll feel as if she's not coping, but I think you must do that. Take it slowly, until you reach a balance." She sighed. "But I'm guessing, since I don't know her. I am sure your relationship with her is going to change."
He nodded. "I'm sure you're right… Cecile, I feel as if I'm using you. Would you rather make it formal?"
"No, unless you want to. Do you think we could be friends?"
"I do."
"Well, friends are allowed to 'use' each other."
"It's a bit one-sided."
"It might not always be." She smiled at his expression. "What? You think I can solve my own problems, just because I listen to other people's?" She gazed at him for a few moments. "Horatio… my lone warrior… Don't look so worried. I won't make demands on you – you've got quite enough people doing that. At my age, I'm not looking for a… partner, or a romantic adventure. But I'd like to stay in touch with you. See you again? The occasional meal in intelligent company?"
He smiled then. "I'd like that." He stood up to leave. "I'll call you, promise." He wondered whether to kiss her cheek, but decided not to, not this time.
The following day, after a relatively quiet period, the lab was summoned to a triple homicide.
As Eric joined him in the Hummer, Horatio explained. "All three were washed up on the beach – on the same tide."
"So we can assume they're part of one crime."
"We'll assume it when we've proved it," Horatio smiled. "But yes, it's likely. Frank's already there. Tom's on his way."
"No Calleigh?"
"I'm sure the two of us can handle it. Have you spoken to her?"
"Yes… Briefly. She's quite upset, you know. And… I don't know whether to tell you this… someone suggested she could challenge your decision formally… I don't think she will."
"I handled it clumsily, but if she does, she does. It can't be helped, Eric." He kicked himself for asking – the temptation to use Eric as a go-between or a spy was something he needed to resist.
"I know, but…"
"I hope you're not having second thoughts. I stand by my decision."
"I'm not, H. Really I'm not."
"It's difficult for you, I suppose – since you're close to Calleigh…"
"Well, it is, but I can live with it. It's just… so much seems to have changed lately."
"It'll settle down." He put more confidence into it than he felt. "Now…" They arrived at the beach. "Let's concentrate on this."
Frank Tripp greeted them.
"What have you got, Frank?"
"Three males – all shot, though not, I'd say, fatally – ME will have to confirm that. Sharks have had a nibble on two of them. All washed up with last night's high tide…"
They stood looking at the three bodies, all young, well-built men.
"Thoughts, Eric?" Horatio asked.
"Well… They haven't been in the water long… Frank's right, if those are the only shots – upper arm, shoulder… not fatal. There'd be a lot of bleeding, hence the sharks… but even they appear to have been discouraged – not that much damage. Last night's tide was a very high one, also a strong onshore wind… so maybe someone didn't expect them to be washed up…" He stopped speaking.
Horatio nodded approvingly, and caught Frank's slight grin. "Anything else?"
"Their clothes… They may have been dumped from a boat, but those are not boating clothes… More like… I don't know… clubbing? Or just on the town? They look expensive, so that rules out illegals on their way here. And they still have watches and jewellery." He indicated a gold chain, visible around one man's neck.
"Ethnicity?"
"Hmm… Latino… Probably…"
"Not certain?"
"Be fair, H. Two of them are face-down."
"Okay." He waved to the approaching Medical Examiner. "Tom…"
The ME confirmed Eric's thoughts. "Hmm… Shots weren't fatal. Two are through-and-through. I might find you a bullet in this one. I think they drowned… foam round their mouths… Shall I take them, Horatio, or do you need them in situ a bit longer?"
"No, you take them – I'm sure they'll be more informative on your slab."
With the bodies removed, Horatio and Eric searched the area. The unusually high tide had left a large amount of debris, and it took them a while. Most of it was almost certainly not connected with the crime, but on the principle of 'if in doubt, bag it', they filled the Hummer with potential evidence.
As they drove back, Horatio, thinking aloud, said, "If they came in on the tide… we could possibly work out where and when they went overboard… And find out how many boats were out in the middle of the night…"
"I could talk to my friend in the Coastguard…"
"Do that, Eric. After we dump this evidence on the others…"
Together, they gathered up the evidence bags and dumped them in the layout room.
Eric chuckled. "I bet not much of this is connected…"
"We'll see. Go and tell the others the good news."
"Where will you be?"
"With Tom." He jogged down the stairs, feeling more cheerful than he had for days. He knew he worked better in harness, with a case to get his teeth into.
"I'm doing all three together, Horatio," the ME explained. "If I find they're not similar, I'll do them separately."
"You know what you're doing, doctor…" He smiled inwardly as he watched Tom dart energetically between the three bodies. "Anything so far?"
"Not much… Everything suggests they drowned."
"No ID, I suppose…"
"Not that I've found, but I've sent DNA samples upstairs. And this one has a tattoo."
Horatio leant forward to look. "Hmm… not a gang insignia. It's nice work… Get me a picture – we might be able to find the artist. What about bullets?"
"There's no exit wound on number three… Haven't retrieved a bullet yet… Do you want me to call you?"
Horatio took the hint. "I'll leave you to it. Soon as you can, doctor."
TBC
