The Cost
Chapter 8
When Jack stepped from the elevator onto the twenty-third floor, Danny was waiting for him.
"Hey, we've been trying to reach you. You weren't home, and weren't answering your cell."
"Why? What's going on?" Jack asked, neatly sidestepping the need for explanations.
Successfully diverted for the time being, Danny explained, "We got a phone call early this morning. Another teenage boy. Someone at NYPD eventually noticed that this might be part of the other two teenagers we've had and phoned here around five a.m. When they couldn't find you, they were told to call me."
Jack nodded. Five a.m. The breakfast excuse wouldn't work. Better to say nothing at all. "What have you got so far?"
Keeping pace with his boss as he walked towards his office, Danny filled him in.
Samantha arrived about fifteen minutes later. Looking up from his desk, Danny tossed the papers he was reading on his desk and stood up. "Good, you're here. Vivian won't be in for a while yet, so Jack said we'd start as soon as you arrived."
Samantha looked at him and then at Martin, who had also risen when she appeared. Turning her brown eyes back to Danny, she raised one eyebrow and asked lightly, "You're a little hyper this morning, aren't you? Whatever happened to 'Good morning'?"
Danny paused, realising that his pulse was racing. She was right. For some reason this case had him revved up. He felt a certain amount of guilt over how the Deaver case had been handled, and now felt jittery about making sure the bastard was caught. He wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but for now it was the way that it was.
"Sorry. Good morning. How are you? How was your evening?" he asked with a smile.
She smiled back. "My evening was great, but the morning would've been better without the phone call at dawn." Turning serious, she said, "I got here as fast as I could. What's the story? Did you find Jack?"
She looked at him innocently, sure that that last question was a masterful stroke of subterfuge.
Danny nodded. "He got here 15 or 20 minutes ago. We'll talk about what's up in a minute: I'll let him know you're here and meet you at the table."
Samantha nodded and watched as he strode towards Jack's door. Turning to Martin, she smiled. "Guess that means we should go find ourselves a seat."
Martin made an expansive gesture. "After you, m'lady."
They had barely settled into their chairs when Jack and Danny strode in. Jack walked over to stand at the head of the table. Danny quickly took his seat beside Martin.
"Why don't you tell us what we've got, Danny?" Jack asked.
Danny leaned his arms on the table. "Tyler Germaine, aged 15. He goes to Joseph R. Drake High School, over in the Bronx. Lives just down the street from the school, on 2268 Spofford. He's been missing since about five o'clock last night. Parents got worried around nine - figured he was with friends and forgot to call. By midnight, they phoned the police. We were contacted around 5 a.m. this morning. That's about all we have for now. They're sending over their notes on conversations with the parents, but we need to get over and interview them as soon as possible."
"You and Samantha interview the parents," Jack said. "Martin and Vivian can head out later to talk to the school and his friends."
Samantha looked at him sharply, then relaxed. She'd expected him to be in on the interviewing, but it made sense for him to distance himself. She glanced at Danny and Martin. Their actions had played a role in what had happened during the Andy Deaver case, and she wondered how they felt about things now. That was likely why, she thought, Jack had paired each of them up with someone who had not had direct responsibility in that case.
They sat a few more moments recording addresses and phone numbers and setting up the white board. When they were ready to leave, Jack said, "And remember: by the book. If this kid was abducted, we can guess who took him. Spaulding's smart, but there's no way he's getting off again."
* * *
They had been driving to Cora and Norman Germaine's house for about ten minutes when Danny broke the silence and asked, "Does Jack seem okay to you?"
Samantha looked over at him. Schooling her features, she said, "I think so, why?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. He hasn't been himself this week - not since we found the first body. And...well.. he was a real mess yesterday, don't you think?"
"I think under the circumstances that's understandable, don't you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. He seemed to be really....I dunno," he said, searching for the right words,"...haunted, I guess. I didn't like seeing him like that. I have a feeling he's blaming himself for what's happening, and no way should he be carrying around that kind of guilt. It's not his fault. He needs to know that."
She nodded. "I know. He'll come around."
They drove in silence until they arrived at the Germaine's apartment building. After fifteen minutes of driving around, they finally managed to grab a parking spot. Sighing with relief, Danny parked the car. Turning the engine off, he sat back in his seat, making no move to leave the vehicle.
Samantha looked over at him curiously.
Danny looked pensive a moment, then turned to look at her. "He seems better today, Samantha. He came in looking much more like himself. I'm glad for that," he said slowly.
She felt trapped by his steady gaze. Not knowing for sure what he was saying, she nodded, praying he wasn't trying to tell her he knew where Jack had been when they'd tried to find him.
"We better get started," she said in a voice that sounded strange even to her ears.
"Yeah," Danny said. Checking for his note pad and pen, he moved to get out of the car.
End Chapter 8
When Jack stepped from the elevator onto the twenty-third floor, Danny was waiting for him.
"Hey, we've been trying to reach you. You weren't home, and weren't answering your cell."
"Why? What's going on?" Jack asked, neatly sidestepping the need for explanations.
Successfully diverted for the time being, Danny explained, "We got a phone call early this morning. Another teenage boy. Someone at NYPD eventually noticed that this might be part of the other two teenagers we've had and phoned here around five a.m. When they couldn't find you, they were told to call me."
Jack nodded. Five a.m. The breakfast excuse wouldn't work. Better to say nothing at all. "What have you got so far?"
Keeping pace with his boss as he walked towards his office, Danny filled him in.
Samantha arrived about fifteen minutes later. Looking up from his desk, Danny tossed the papers he was reading on his desk and stood up. "Good, you're here. Vivian won't be in for a while yet, so Jack said we'd start as soon as you arrived."
Samantha looked at him and then at Martin, who had also risen when she appeared. Turning her brown eyes back to Danny, she raised one eyebrow and asked lightly, "You're a little hyper this morning, aren't you? Whatever happened to 'Good morning'?"
Danny paused, realising that his pulse was racing. She was right. For some reason this case had him revved up. He felt a certain amount of guilt over how the Deaver case had been handled, and now felt jittery about making sure the bastard was caught. He wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but for now it was the way that it was.
"Sorry. Good morning. How are you? How was your evening?" he asked with a smile.
She smiled back. "My evening was great, but the morning would've been better without the phone call at dawn." Turning serious, she said, "I got here as fast as I could. What's the story? Did you find Jack?"
She looked at him innocently, sure that that last question was a masterful stroke of subterfuge.
Danny nodded. "He got here 15 or 20 minutes ago. We'll talk about what's up in a minute: I'll let him know you're here and meet you at the table."
Samantha nodded and watched as he strode towards Jack's door. Turning to Martin, she smiled. "Guess that means we should go find ourselves a seat."
Martin made an expansive gesture. "After you, m'lady."
They had barely settled into their chairs when Jack and Danny strode in. Jack walked over to stand at the head of the table. Danny quickly took his seat beside Martin.
"Why don't you tell us what we've got, Danny?" Jack asked.
Danny leaned his arms on the table. "Tyler Germaine, aged 15. He goes to Joseph R. Drake High School, over in the Bronx. Lives just down the street from the school, on 2268 Spofford. He's been missing since about five o'clock last night. Parents got worried around nine - figured he was with friends and forgot to call. By midnight, they phoned the police. We were contacted around 5 a.m. this morning. That's about all we have for now. They're sending over their notes on conversations with the parents, but we need to get over and interview them as soon as possible."
"You and Samantha interview the parents," Jack said. "Martin and Vivian can head out later to talk to the school and his friends."
Samantha looked at him sharply, then relaxed. She'd expected him to be in on the interviewing, but it made sense for him to distance himself. She glanced at Danny and Martin. Their actions had played a role in what had happened during the Andy Deaver case, and she wondered how they felt about things now. That was likely why, she thought, Jack had paired each of them up with someone who had not had direct responsibility in that case.
They sat a few more moments recording addresses and phone numbers and setting up the white board. When they were ready to leave, Jack said, "And remember: by the book. If this kid was abducted, we can guess who took him. Spaulding's smart, but there's no way he's getting off again."
* * *
They had been driving to Cora and Norman Germaine's house for about ten minutes when Danny broke the silence and asked, "Does Jack seem okay to you?"
Samantha looked over at him. Schooling her features, she said, "I think so, why?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. He hasn't been himself this week - not since we found the first body. And...well.. he was a real mess yesterday, don't you think?"
"I think under the circumstances that's understandable, don't you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. He seemed to be really....I dunno," he said, searching for the right words,"...haunted, I guess. I didn't like seeing him like that. I have a feeling he's blaming himself for what's happening, and no way should he be carrying around that kind of guilt. It's not his fault. He needs to know that."
She nodded. "I know. He'll come around."
They drove in silence until they arrived at the Germaine's apartment building. After fifteen minutes of driving around, they finally managed to grab a parking spot. Sighing with relief, Danny parked the car. Turning the engine off, he sat back in his seat, making no move to leave the vehicle.
Samantha looked over at him curiously.
Danny looked pensive a moment, then turned to look at her. "He seems better today, Samantha. He came in looking much more like himself. I'm glad for that," he said slowly.
She felt trapped by his steady gaze. Not knowing for sure what he was saying, she nodded, praying he wasn't trying to tell her he knew where Jack had been when they'd tried to find him.
"We better get started," she said in a voice that sounded strange even to her ears.
"Yeah," Danny said. Checking for his note pad and pen, he moved to get out of the car.
End Chapter 8