New York, New York! – Chapter 4
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When Emily and her new agent, Roberto Gonzalez arrived at the latest crime scene, there were a half a dozen police cars and crime lab vehicles as well as the ME vehicle. Emily showed the police her credentials before she walked further into the park in a brisk pace.
She immediately scanned for Det. Mac Taylor; she wanted to give him a piece of her mind for going against her recommendation but Det. Don Flack was standing before her as if bracing himself as a shield between them.
"I know what you're going to say, Emily."
"No you don't, Flack." She said. "Where is he?"
He turned to look down at a bench, then turned back to her, "He's looking under for evidence."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Well, he is under the bench looking for evidence," Flack gestured with his thumb behind him. Emily peeked around Flack and all she saw was a pair of men's black shoes stick from under the park bench.
"Is he under there?" She asked.
He nodded.
She turned back to look at him and then turned to look at her agent, "Bob, go and canvas around the area, and start interview …uh…anyone who found the victim."
Her agent nodded and moved away.
"New agent?" Don grinned?"Still looks pretty green around the gills."
Emily glared at him, "At least he's willing to work, most of the agents have jumped ship; it's almost like a ghost town on my floor. I have two other remaining agents left back at the building." She explained as they walked towards where the bench was, the latest dead body was still lying on the bench.
Mac was squatting next to it. "Glad to see you, Agent Prentiss." He greeted her.
"Likewise, Det. Taylor."
He held out a gloved hand, "I guess I owe you an apology."
She arched a brow at him.
"Mac?" Flack grinned. "Apologizing?"
Mac straightening and glared at Flack, "Don't you have police work to do?"
Flack chuckled as he nodded.
"Then get lost, Don." Mac waved him off.
Flack shook his head, "I'm going, I know when I'm the third wheel, see you guys."
Emily nodded as she watched Flack walked away from them.
"Don't mind him…but I need you to come see this, Agent Prentiss." Mac gestured.
"Look, if we're to work jointly, how about we shed our titles? It's Emily." She offered an olive branch.
Mac nodded, "Mac," he said.
Emily smiled and nodded, "There, harmless. Now what's this you've got?"
Mac beckoned and knelt down on a plastic tarp he had placed beneath the bench and shone a flashlight under the bench, "Tell me what do you see?"
Emily had to kneel close beside him and contorted herself and turned to look up above her and saw something that was stuck between the wooden bench slates.
"Got any gloves? And tweezers?" She asked him as he handed her a pair of latex and tweezers. "And could you shine the light closer and up?"
He handed her the requested item as he leaned in close to her, until he was practically on top of her now.
"Okay, it's wedged pretty tight but I think I got it…yup!" she pulled out and showed it to Mac.
"Looks like an engagement ring."
Mac held the ring in his gloved hand as he twirled around it; it was a single diamond ring.
She nodded as she looked up at him in an awkward angle.
"Well, this has got to be the fastest and strangest position to propose, Mac. Couldn't you find a more romantic place than under a bench here in Central Park?" Sid chuckled as he came into their view.
"Smile you two!" Danny snapped a picture of them with his evidence camera. "Aw! So romantic, I have to say, I thought I was romantic when I proposed to Linds but Mac!" Danny grinned and shook his head and walked hurriedly away.
"You will strangle him, after you destroy that picture, won't you?" Emily said as she tried to move but Mac was still in her way and he frowned after Danny. "Um, Mac? Please, before anyone else thinks otherwise?"
Mac nodded and hurriedly moved off and helped her up as he bagged the ring into the evidence bag. "Sorry, I'll get Danny to delete the photo."
Emily nodded. "By the way, I don't think this is our fourth vic."
"Yeah, that's my thought too, she's dressed." Then he turned to Sid who was standing next to him. "What's the TOD, Sid?"
The ME looked at the thermometer he had inserted into the victim's liver and glanced at the digital readout and nodded, "Time of death is about five hours ago, Mac. Pretty recent." He began to check between her fingers for the signature syringe mark and didn't see anything, he shook his head, "This is not the works of our serial killer. No syringe mark."
"Great. Just great. We have another new murder on our hands." Mac frowned angrily. He turned to Emily who was looking around the area and was squatting near a hedge and using a pen and sifted about the dirt and then stood up as she lifted up a black and torn bow tie and showed it to Mac.
He came over to her with another evidence bag and bagged it. "You're making us look bad?"
She shook her head, "Not at all, Mac. I want to solve this case before the Mayor…" her phone buzzed and she pulled her phone out and saw that it was the Mayor of New York on the line.
She showed Mac the Caller ID and muttered; "Speak of the devil."
She turned away from Mac and answered the phone, preparing herself for an ass-chewing.
Ten minutes she turned back and saw Mac was still standing there and she grinned at him, "Your turn, " and soon, his cell phone rang; it was the Mayor of NY.
He grinned at her as he answered the phone call, "Mr. Mayor."
Ten minutes later, he was off the phone.
"I see you survive." She grinned.
Mac shook his head, "I'm glad you find this amusing. He wants to see us both tomorrow in his office."
Emily nodded, "Yeah, so he could yell again, I guess he likes to do that a lot."
"You have no idea. It's his favorite past time."
She began to look around the area.
"You lost something?"
"Yeah, my agent…I send him to canvas and interview and that's a while ago. Oh! There he is…chatting to that old lady, I'll see you, Mac." She nodded at him before she left and headed off to Agent Gonzalez.
"….So you didn't see anything, ma'am?" he asked the old lady.
"Er? Speak up…can't hear you?" The old woman leaned in closer to him.
Gonzalez leaned away from her, wrinkling his nose. 'Um, okay….I'm done…good night. Ma'am….You can go now!" He almost yelled at her.
She nodded and walked shakily away from Agent Gonzalez.
He shook his head, "Old girl really needs to get some hearing aid and a walker…and shower once in a while, phew!" he waved his hands over his face a couple of times to dispel the odor.
Emily gave her a cursory glance before she turned her attention back to him, "Anything useful?"
He shook his head as he consulted his notebook, "Nothing, nobody saw anything suspicious."
Emily arched her brow, "As big as this place, nobody saw anything, how strange or nobody wants to talk to a Fed? Did you identify yourself as a Federal Agent?"
He nodded, "Of course."
Emily closed her eyes and shook her head and held out her hand. "Just stop right there. I'll be back.
He frowned at her.
She walked away from him and doubled back and began to talk to a few bystanders who were watching the crime scene.
Half an hour later, she walked up to Gonzalez and said to him, "Okay, two people said they saw a couple sitting on that bench and began a verbal argument. Soon it escalated into a physical altercation and the male strangled the female." She nodded at him. Emily gave him the look as she went to look for Mac. Her two witnesses followed behind her.
"Oh." He blushed.
Emily went over to Mac and told him what she found out with her interview and introduced her witnesses to him who then directed them to regular policemen who took down their statements.
"You're a regular Joan of Arc or something like that." Mac said.
"Then how come I can't figure our case?" She shook her head.
"Well, maybe tonight, I'll post a couple of cops here to keep an eye out." Mac offered.
Emily nodded. "Thanks. It's a start." They then heard a strange gurgling noise.
"What is that?" Mac began to look about him.
She chuckled, "That would be my stomach, I haven't eaten since breakfast in Virginia."
He smiled, "Then, I think we better get you something then."
"We?"
He nodded. "If you don't mind the company, I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast here in New York."
She laughed at his bland humor, "Funny. But I accept. If you know a good Italian eatery."
He arched a brow at her, "Are you kidding me? Here in New York City? Just walk anywhere, there's an Italian restaurant in almost every corner."
"Oh yeah, my bad." She shook her head. "But let me release my agent for the night or he'll be here all night. I'll meet you back here."
He nodded as he disposed his latex and put his kit away.
It was almost closing time when they entered the business establishment of Mac's old friend Giancarlo Ribisi's Mamma Mia's Spaghettis. They saw that they were the only ones to patronize the establishment.
"Mac! Mac Taylor!" Giancarlo greeted him fondly as he pecked on both his cheeks and a tight hug. "It's been…what? Over two months? Since you've been here?" He admonished the young man. "You promised to take my Carmen to the movies and dancing but she has been waiting since then! You breaking her heart, you swine!" He glared at him.
Emily grinned as she observed the portly restaurant owner's accusing looks
"Carlo, you know I have work to do?" Mac blushed. "I have been really busy."
Emily arched a brow seeing the stoic detective rendered embarrassed.
Then Giancarlo noticed Emily's presence and turned back to Mac and became even more incensed, "Then who is she?" in his heavy Italian accent.
Mac shook his head, "She just work with me, Carlo, not what you think."
Emily came forward to introduce herself and spoke in Italian.
Giancarlo, eyes opened and smiling wide began to chat rapidly back to her in his native tongue.
Mac was grinning as he found a chair and sat.
The owner was in his element as he was gesturing wildly with both hands, a couple of times Mac had to duck to avoid being hit by him.
Finally, about ten minutes of Italian rapid spitfire and hearty laughter, he began to call out loudly to his daughter, "Carmen! Get your lazy arse in here!"
"I'm coming, Papa, I'm coming…I thought we're closing?" A young heavy-set woman came shuffling her feet with a fresh basket of bread and set down where Mac, Emily and Giancarlo had sat down.
"No, Carman, this is my good friend Mac Taylor and Emily! Go get some Spaghetti and Meat balls! My beloved daughter!" He said cheerfully. "You have never eaten anything like my special meatballs!" He said heartily.
Mac and Emily exchanged amusing looks as Mac leaned close to Emily and whispered to her, "He has been trying to push his daughter to every available man that comes in here. We don't take him seriously at all."
Emily giggled as she nodded.
Mac then straightened and cleared his throat, "It's the truth, Carlo here is famous for his meatballs." Giancarlo puffed his chest out proudly as they munched on the breadsticks.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it. I'm starving and I can eat a whole house right now."
Mac and Carlo laughed together, "Oh, my dear," Carlo shook his head proudly. "This meatsa balls. You can eat maybe one or two the most. Most people cannot finish them, right Mac?"
Mac shook his head, "That's right. I have not been able to eat more than two of his meatballs, they are huge."
Emily's eyes widened, "That much?"
They nodded together again.
Carmen finally came with two heaping plates of Spaghetti and meatballs.
She sat one in front of Emily who eyed three giant meat balls the size of soft ball each!
"Bon appétit!" Giancarlo said cheerfully as he poured some red wine for them and left them and headed off to the kitchen.
"Big portion, huh?" Mac chuckled as he began to eat.
Emily nodded as she picked her fork and spoon and dug in with gusto!
Taking the first bite and began chewing the hot pasta and meat, "Oh my god!" She closed her eyes and savored the flavor. "That is the best spaghetti I've ever tasted! Even better than in Italy!"
"You've been to Italy?" Mac asked as he chewed his food.
She nodded and they began to talk about travelling and countries they had visited while they ate.
An hour later, when Giancarlo came back to check on them and to his surprise, he saw that not just Mac but Emily as well, they had both finished their Spaghetti and all three giant meatballs!
"Oh my mamma!" Giancarlo held his hand to his heart, "I have never seen anybody finished my meatsaballs!"
Mac glanced at his plate in surprise and smiled at Emily, "Well, I guess I was starving after all!"
She grinned, "That makes two of us. Thank you, Giancarlo, it was delizioso!"
"Grazie!Mio Caro!" He then picked up Emily's hand and kissed her knuckles.
She giggled at his gallant gestures.
"Okay, you old flirt!" Mac chuckled.
Giancarlo shrugged elaborately, "Hey, bellasima Emily enjoys my food and you said you're just acquaintances. I might make her my wife number 3!"
Emily widened her eyes and started to laugh, "Uh, no, no Giancarlo! I'm not worthy to marry you!"
Mac stood up, "I think we better leave or he's going to really propose to you on his knees. Carlo, it's a wonderful dinner, as usual, Grazie!" He hugged his friend affectionately.
Carlo shook his head and laughed, "Not a problem Mac! But don't be a stranger!"
Emily went to him and gave him a hug and kissed him on his cheeks. "Grazie, signor, it was a great dinner."
He nodded his head, "It was my pleasure, bella but you also come back and visit old Carlo, hear?"
She nodded, "Of course, now I know where to get your famous Mamma mia's spaghetti!"
He nodded gratefully. 'Ciao! Good night you two!" He waved to them with his white cloth fondly as Mac led Emily out of the restaurant.
As they left, Emily looked at Mac, "Hey, we forgot to pay him!" She stopped walking.
Mac shook his head, "No need, my treat."
"But …I didn't…?"
He grinned and said, "I owned half the restaurant with Carlo."
Emily smiled, "Oh….well, in that case, thank you Mac! It was great food. You sure know how to feed a gal."
"You're welcome…" He was interrupted by his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw the Caller ID.
"Taylor." He said brusquely.
What are you doing with that whore?
"Hello?" Mac asked again. "Who are you? Tell me your name again, quit hiding behind the phone and reveal yourself."
I saw you tonight, you were flirting with that FBI whore, you're mine Mac Taylor.
"Look, I'm getting tired of your threats and frankly they are not amusing and I'm not finding you attractive anymore. If you want to meet me face to face and we'll talk. Otherwise, quit calling me." Mac then pressed 'End' on his cell phone.
"Your stalker?"
He looked at Emily and nodded, "She knows who you're."
Emily looked startled. "Me?"
"Yeah, she called you the FBI whore…sorry." He apologized.
She shrugged, "I've been called worst."
He arched a brow at her.
"So, where can I drop you off?" Mac offered.
Emily looked around, "Oh, the nearest decent hotel but first I need clothes and well, things."
"Clothes? Did the airport lose your luggage?"
"Er, no, I came from Quantico like this," She pointed at herself. "Didn't have time to pack. My boss…well, former boss said it was urgent. So I rushed to get here this morning."
"Well, I know FBI are known to be tenacious but this is going slightly over board to not let you pack."
"Well, I usually have a go bag…it's a travelling bag that we have with us for a few days but it's in New Mexico with my now former BAU team." She said with a chagrinned look.
Mac shook his head. "Look, I'll show you to a local pharmacy and its nearby, it has um…neccessities…but as far as clothing. I don't think there's a 24hr ladies' place around here."
Emily grinned, "That's all I need, and I think I can make a go at another day on these outfit. Hey, we've done a few days' stake outs before where we have no breaks."
Mac nodded, "I know what you mean, same goes when I was in the military," he pointed to where the building was and they began to walk as well as he began to tell her about his they combat days in the jungles in Vietnam.
…..
End of Chapter 4