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Chapter 7

The plan had formed sometime late in the evening. Brenda had been staring at piles upon piles of files from both cases and she'd come to a sudden realization.

Now, she stood in front of her team. Walking to the board she firmly placed a pile of copies of the police rendered mystery woman with a firm slap of the magnet on to the white surface. "I want everyone to get a copy of this, and I want you to, at various times today, go to city hall and search high and low for someone who looks like this." She held up her own copy.

"Why city hall?" Flynn shoved his hands down in to his pockets.

"I think these cases are connected. I think that whoever Lexi met with had information about the Mayor's office and I think in order for our mystery woman to have this information, she has to work on the inside." Brenda placed her hand on her hip and met eyes with Sharon, whom she'd asked to the bullpen to hear this information.

Sharon adjusted her glasses and shoved her hand back in to her blazer pocket. She was frowning in confusion. After some clarifying questions from the boys, Brenda made her way over to her, reaching out to brace her arm. She intended to lead Sharon in to her office, but the older woman stopped her. "Why didn't you update me on this?"

Brenda frowned and glanced at her. "I wanted to tell everyone at the same time."

"Does Chief Pope know?" Sharon crossed her arms, meeting Brenda eye-to-eye.

"I haven't consulted him, no." Brenda mimicked Sharon by crossing her arms.

"If you are trying to go up against the Mayor's office, you're going to have to keep him informed."

"Why are you actin' like this?" Brenda frowned, lowering her voice.

"I'm not acting like anything; I'm trying to keep you from over-stepping boundaries and getting yourself in to trouble." Sharon sighed.

Brenda placed her hands on her hips, her brow furrowing. "Are you tryin' to tell me that you and Chief Pope are keepin' tabs on me? I expected more from you, Sharon."

"Chief Pope doesn't want you tangled in any legal drama. We need to be certain that this lead you have is a legitimate lead."

"And we will find that out when we find her," Brenda held up the paper and pointed.

Sharon stepped down, her body posture shifting from her firm stance. "I'm not watching you, Brenda. I'm just looking out for you."

Brenda nodded. "I'd like you in the interrogation room when my team brings her in."

Sharon simply nodded her consent. "I have an officer to question."

"How is that comin' along?"

"So far I have nothing. It's hard to ask something I can't ask." Sharon rubbed her neck.

"We'll find him. I know we will." Brenda let her hand fall on Sharon's arm in a covert, comforting, apologetic, and brief gesture.

Sharon gave Brenda a quick smile. "I need to get back to FID."

Brenda nodded and watched as the older woman turned and walked away. "I didn't think you appreciated her behind that much." Flynn whispered in to her ear, startling her slightly.

"It is nice, isn't it?" Brenda turned, eyeing the detective.

Flynn looked perplexed for a moment, but then a silly grin formed on his lips. Brenda didn't like his assuming look.

"Go find her," Brenda held up the picture of the mystery woman again, narrowing her eyes at him.

Flynn's smile was quickly wiped away. He gave a half-hearted salute and then turned to find Provenza.

Brenda stalked in to her office.

…

"Her name is Joyce Vanier. She works as a secretary to the head of public safety. I have no idea how she got a hold of financial information, but she definitely didn't want to come over here. She feigned a sudden doctor's appointment." Gabriel glanced up from his notebook as he addressed the Chief.

"How'd you approach her?" Brenda glanced through the glass at the blonde-haired woman sitting in the interrogation room. She looked antsy and paranoid, as if someone were going to pop up and attack her.

"Sanchez caught her coming out of the bathroom and immediately saw the connection. He flashed his badge and she immediately dragged him in to a janitor's closet. It took quite a lot of persuading to get her here." Gabriel sighed.

"She obviously needs to know she's protected, and it's clear she's got somethin' to hide."

"But I think she'll be willing to talk," Tao piped up.

Brenda nodded, and turned to find that Sharon had just entered the monitor room. They exchanged a brief smile at one another before Sharon looked down to straighten out her suit jacket. "Sorry, I got stuck down in Internal Affairs."

"That's all right, let's go question Ms. Vanier." Brenda moved close to Sharon, opening the door for her. She ignored the raised eyebrows of her team as she left the small room. They could make assumptions all they wanted.

Realizing her bullpen was empty, Brenda grabbed Sharon's blazer, pulling her back before she could open the interrogation room door. Sharon stumbled backwards, a confused look crossing her features before Brenda pressed her eager lips against delicious mauve lips.

Brenda pulled away as quickly as she'd pulled Sharon in.

Sharon rolled her eyes and opened the interrogation room door open, "after you, Chief."

Brenda smiled at her before turning her attention to Joyce. The woman was wringing her hands; a worried look peppered her brow. Brenda's smile quickly faded.

"They're not going to know I was here, are they?" She spoke quickly, leaning forward against the table.

"No, Ms. Vanier. They will not know. We'll make sure of it." Sharon assured her as she took a seat across from the worried blonde.

Joyce just nodded and clasped her hands together tightly on top of the table.

"If I show you a piece of paper, can you properly identify it for me?" Brenda slid a file out of her purse and sat it on the table. Opening the folder she extracted the tax forms and watched as Joyce's features turned from worried to scared.

"Oh God," she put a hand to her mouth. "I had nothing to do with Lexi Martin's death." Tears came to her eyes. "Please, you have to believe me. I was just trying to…do I need a lawyer?"

Brenda shook her head. "We're not accusin' you of murderin' anyone."

"We need you to help us figure out who did kill Lexi Martin." Sharon intoned, clearly feeling for this frightened woman.

"Oh God, anyone could have," Joyce gasped. "I've never worked for a more…" she stopped. "I could get in a lot of trouble for telling you guys anything."

Sharon reached out, placing her hand reassuringly over Joyce's. "We're not going to let that happen to you. We will keep you well protected."

Joyce seemed to calm down upon contact, realizing that neither of the women seated across from her wanted to harm her. She rubbed at her eyes and then took a deep breath. "I needed to expose the office for what they were doing and the only way I could think of to do it was by using the media. I knew Lexi Martin would get the word out, so I contacted her using a fake e-mail account. But I will tell you right now that someone found out she had that information. I don't know how they did it, but they found out and they killed her."

"Why didn't you come to us?" Brenda frowned.

"Because…then they would know it was me who sent that information." Joyce ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't want to be next…I just wanted to expose those people…"

"Which people?" Sharon cut in.

Joyce swallowed. "I could get in so much trouble." She was wringing her hands again, her eyes misting over, her gaze distant.

"We need to know who is behind all of this so we can put them in jail." Brenda was going to get to the bottom of this if it killed her. "Perhaps the name Harvey Kempt means somethin' to you?"

Joyce's eyes shot up at the mention of his name. "How did you…how do you…"

"Someone was protectin' him the night the officer shot at the FBI." Brenda closed the file before her. "We need you to help us incriminate him."

Joyce shook her head, "no, I…I hardly work with him."

"But you work at City Hall, you have an in with these people." Sharon calmly stated.

Joyce nodded, "if they found out…"

"We will give you police protection. No one is going to harm you." Sharon reassured her. "We'll put a cop at your apartment; no one will be able to get in and out. You'll be safe."

Joyce considered this for some time.

Brenda and Sharon exchanged a quick look at one another before Joyce finally nodded and agreed. "Okay. I'll do it."

"Okay, we'll want to wire you, is that okay?" Brenda pulled out her notepad, starting to write down information.

Joyce distractedly nodded. "What is it…what can I find out?"

"We need to know if an officer has been talking with Kempt."

"An officer?" Joyce frowned.

"We think an officer is working with Kempt to keep him from being discovered."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Joyce sighed. "Oh God, are you sure? I don't want to die."

"We won't let that happen." Sharon assured her again.

…

"Thanks," Brenda pushed her candy drawer shut and began unwrapping a Reese's. This would be her reward for nailing someone on the inside and making a connection.

"For what?" Sharon glanced up from her notepad.

"For bein' nice to her. You're good at handlin' people." Brenda bit in to her Reese's and awoke her computer to check her e-mails.

"Well…thank you." Sharon had never received a compliment from Brenda before. It felt nice. Her face, however, turned in to a frown. "Are you suggesting, then, that perhaps this dirty cop might have been the killer of Lexi Martin?"

Brenda looked up from her computer and nodded. "I am."

Sharon narrowed her eyes in thought.

"She was hit in the back of the head with a solid item. I would imagine a gun could very well knock someone out." Brenda's eyebrows rose.

"God," Sharon shook her head in disbelief. "I should have known."

Brenda shrugged and went back to checking her e-mails. "Can we have dinner again tonight? I'm feelin' like celebratin' after what happened."

Sharon considered this proposition for a second and knew she was going to say yes. "Where would you like to go?"

"Take me somewhere I've never been." Brenda grinned over her glasses.

"Oh, so you ask me on a date, but I have to plan it?" Sharon uncrossed her legs and placed her notepad back in to her bag.

"I believe that's how it works." Brenda grinned. "Are you leavin' me?"

Sharon checked her watch, "I am. I need to get back down to FID. I have another officer to question."

"Well come here, first." Brenda grinned.

"Your blinds are open," Sharon crossed her arms over her chest.

Brenda merely pouted.

"Oh, no it won't look suspicious at all if I close them now."

Brenda continued to pout.

"Maybe I want to make you wait until tonight." A smile crossed over Sharon's lips.

"Oh, you…" Brenda growled.

"I'll text you with dinner plans." Sharon turned and left the office, leaving Brenda to finish the rest of her Reese's and stare at Sharon's behind as she walked away.

"The bitch," Brenda silently cursed to herself as a goofy smile formed on her lips.