Christmas Down on the Streets

Chapter 4

It was getting late. A coldness had swept the city when Mike and Connie left the 2-7. By now, evening had settled in. Despite the frigid temperature, New York City was in the mood to welcome the holidays. The city was busier, brighter and more embellished with colorful lights and decorations that put visitors, shoppers and locals in a festive mood.

And though Mike and Connie were not exactly in a festive mood, they were pumped up regarding the investigation.

Thanks to the young intern at the precinct, they have another clue as to how to proceed with the Central Park Strangler case. Lupo and Bernard were busy at the scene of a different crime, so Mike and Connie had decided to wait until morning to discuss their discovery with them. Meanwhile, they talked about the case between themselves.

"All three victims had purchased older style of shoes," Mike concludedd, as he walked Connie to his vehicle, "so, what does that tell us?"

"It tells us," Connie followed his train of thought, "that perhaps they didn't buy it at a major department or sporting goods store."

Mike agreed, his mind racing, "If that's true, we have to think outside the major stores. So what happens to shoes that don't sell in the major stores? " he inquired, "these older styles have to go somewhere in order for the stores to be able to stock the new season styles."

Connie shrugged, "I'm not sure. I'm usually not in the market for styles from last season's running shoes."

"Maybe they're shipped to outlet stores?" Mike wondered.

Connie looked doubtful, "Maybe...but I think outlet stores also accept credit cards."

"Okay, if not that..." Mike was in deep thought, " ...it would have to be the kind of store that insists on 'cash-only transactions."

As they continued to stroll, Connie could hear the sloshing of their feet on the already fallen snow. She hugged her coat tighter as the cool night air wrapped around them. Even in the evening light, she could see that Mike's eyes lit up with excitement that they were getting somewhere with the case.

"What we -or the detectives- need to do," he determined, "is go to every fly-by-night operation, every gypsy shoe seller in New York City and show them pictures of the victims."

"Mike, you know that will be an impossible feat."

"But one of those merchants must surely remember selling those particular shoes to the victims!" Mike was adamant.

"Or who knows?" Connie theorized, "one of the sellers could be the Strangler."

"Let's just hope we find him before he strikes again," Mike said morosely.

They were done discussing about the case. When he looked over at Connie, he thought she looked especially lovely tonight, all bundled up in warm clothing. Of course she looked nice; she was probably going out.

"Will you be having dinner with your date tonight?" he changed the subject, seemingly out of the blue.

Connie looked befuddled at his question. They had never talked about their personal lives.

She hesitated, "How did you know about Gregory?" she eyed him cautiously.

"I couldn't help noticing the bouquet he sent you yesterday," Mike worked hard at keeping the bitterness out of his voice. After all, it was obvious she was in a relationship and he was nothing more to her than a colleague.

"Actually, yes, we do plan to have dinner later tonight," she admitted.

Somehow it felt awkward telling that to him. She didn't understand why. Earlier she had off handedly mentioned having a dinner date to Jack and it had not bothered her in the least. Why would it be different with Mike?

Mike had expected she would be going out tonight, but it was still a punch in the stomach for him.

"That's nice, Connie," he said politely before adding sincerely, "It's good you have a life outside of the office."

"You're right; it is nice to have that balance," Connie stated, wanting to end this uneasy conversation with her boss as quickly as possible.

Lately she had been feeling unsettled by Mike's presence.

She hadn't known it was possible to experience so many different emotions all at once. One moment she's glad to be with Greg, wining and dining to her heart's content and the next moment she's wanting to be at work, challenging herself and putting up with the unpredictability of Mike. And his stubbornness. And his laughter. And his smoldering blue eyes.

She gave a quick sideways glance at him. He looked as determined yet vulnerable as always. She had known him for three years and he had always possessed a self-contained quality, a tremendous energy held in check. At the same time, he had a distinctly remote air, as if he were not quite part of a gathering even though he was mingling among them. Yet he seemed comfortable with his quality of aloneness. And she admired him for it.

She could deal with all of that, but why lately was he the cause of making her blush warmly and her heart beat faster? Why Mike, of all people?

They walked in silence in the snowy sidewalk for awhile. The city was covered in a blanket of ice as a slight wind whispered through the lit trees. It was a comforting feeling as their feet sloshed through the snow.

They had reached his car and Connie went to the other side of the car. As she stood next to the passenger side door, she was pleased that Mike's spirits had lifted. She watched him from across the car's roof as he inserted the key into the driver side of his door.

A faint light from a lone lamplight above hit across half his face, while the other half of his face was in shadow. Somehow it made him appear mysterious...and almost dashing. Funny how she never thought of him in quite that way before. Tonight she saw him differently. It might be because of the way his hair gleamed in the light or the way the blue intensity of his eyes had earlier watched her as they were walking. There was just something...

Then unexpectedly, from across the length of the car's rooftop, he happened to look up.

And their eyes locked.

The air took on a suspended sensual tension as he studied her as intently as she had been watching him. For an endless time, They were both held spellbound.

Mike was speechless at the way she was looking at him. Moonlight had turned her hair a rich smoky tint and her eyes seemed to captivate him, holding him to his spot. He wished right now he could read her mind and know what she was thinking of him.

All he knew was that since he's known Connie, her presence added a feminine softness to the world that he'd never known existed.

Though he was across the way on the other side of the vehicle, she felt his nearness and it made her heart start pounding frantically. After a long silence, Connie tore her gaze from him.

"You're not considering going back to the office to do some work, are you?" she asked as she looked off in the distance, her voice a gentle murmur in the cool night air.

He tried to appear casual, though his pulse raced at what had just occurred between them, "Surprisingly, no. I plan to go home and keep company with a glass of fine wine."

His words caused her to look back at him. His loneliness brought on a strange ache in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't bear the image of him alone in his apartment. After all, Connie had certainly known the feeling of emptiness before she met Gregory. She had a quick mental picture of Greg, but it faded so quickly from her mind that it felt more like a brief thought than an image.

She looked directly at him.

"Mike, I..." her voice squeaked slightly. She tried again, "It being so cold and all, I had planned to buy some cashmere gloves at Macy's tonight before I join Greg for dinner. Would you..." she cleared her throat, "would you care to accompany me? It's not the most exciting of errands, but I wouldn't mind some company myself."

She was telling herself she had asked him because she couldn't bear Mike being totally alone all night, but she was beginning to doubt that was the only reason why, due to that moment they had just shared.

A smile touched Mike lips, "I'd like that very much, Connie."

"Good," she responded with a cheery smile. She pushed aside any other ideas as to why she wanted Mike to accompany her. It was only so he wouldn't go home to a cold apartment, she told herself as they got into the car. It didn't mean anything.

He was, after all, her boss.

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New York City's window displays are a traditional part of the city during the holidays. Every year the famous department stores decorate their storefront windows with scenes of Snowmen, Santas, and Sugarplum fairies.

A visual showcase of what Christmas means.

As Mike strolled with Connie down the busy department store streets, his Grinch-like heart melted as he took in display after display of magical Christmas themes in each window. Fairy lights seems to border each beautiful window display.

Connie couldn't help smiling at the way Mike carefully viewed each display with interest. He had lived in New York City most of his life, yet it was obvious he had never taken the time to witness Christmastime first hand from out of his office. From her point of view, this further validated the theory that he probably spent every Christmas day working.

At last they had reached Macy's. This storefront has two sets of Christmas window displays, one along 34th Street and the other along Broadway. Each year one window depicted scenes from the classic Christmas film 'Miracle on 34th Street and the second window would display a random theme for Christmas.

It was the second window display that stopped Mike in his tracks.

The theme was "A Boy's Christmas" and it featured the interior of a young boy's bedroom. The light had cast a blue tinge on the baseball-themed bedsheets. There was a matching Yankee lampshade on top of a nightstand. A mitt with a baseball laid on top of the bed with a bat leaning against one corner. Hanging on one wall was a black and white poster of Yankee legend Babe Ruth, taking a swing at bat while hordes of people in the stands cheered him on.

"I've always wanted a bedroom like this," he spoke so low, it was almost to himself, "...right down to the poster of Babe Ruth."

Connie was not even looking at the baseball-themed display window. She leaned her side against the wall of the store and watched him with a flicker of amusement, a curved smile on her lips. Mike's joyful reaction was contagious.

"It must be fulfilling to see that you were not the only kid who dreamed of baseball. It was a different time, then," she commented, encouraging him to say more.

"It was," he agreed, "a much simpler time. A talent with a mitt, a bat and a baseball was all that was required to create a hero for boys like me," Mike had a faraway look as he continued, "I remembered I had memorized all the stats of the great ones -Reggie, Mantle, DiMaggio, the Babe, and others. They were like the game's DNA."

It explained his love for his baseball memorabilia in his office.

"Never lose that feeling, Mike," Connie stated, unable to look away from him.

When he turned away from the window display to face her, Connie's heart gave an extra thump at the way his eyes were filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Connie, for this amazing memory."

She felt a lump in her throat, happy that she had helped to indulge him in one of his boyhood fantasies. Off in the distance, they then heard the sounds of singing coming from behind them and they turned around at the approaching group of Victorian- dressed people. Connie could not believe her luck.

"Oh! Mike!" she told him excitedly, "Looks like some Christmas carolers are headed our way!"

Sure enough, the group stopped directly in front of Macy's as a small gathering of people surrounded them, including Mike and Connie. She watched as Mike quietly enjoyed the singing spectacle. The three women and two men sang the traditional song in acapella:

City sidewalks busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There's a feeling
of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear

Silver bells silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring a ling hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day

The carolers' voices blended perfectly together, serenading the city with a message of hope and joy. Mike stood silently, his eyes wide as a child's. And as Connie watched Mike's wonderment, she, too, experienced Christmas as if it were the first time for her.

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