Chapter 10

Horatio closed the church doors and looked around for Mike Roberts who was no longer sitting in the pew where he last saw him. Drat, he thought, had the man not waited behind as he asked him to. Hearing voices coming from the vestry, behind the pulpit, he wandered over and found Mike Roberts talking to Michael, and Jerry.

"Ah! There you are Horatio, thought we had lost you" said Jerry, "I was just going to come and find you to call you back in."

Horatio sensing no urgency in any of them thought that maybe this charade would all be over soon.

"Well I'm here now," said Horatio with raised eyebrows, and a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "I was just enjoying the afternoon sunshine talking to a few members of your congregation as they were leaving, just as you would expect a priest to do; right Jerry?"

Jerry grimaced at the stare Horatio was giving him, and thinking that Horatio could be so damned sarcastic at times.

"I have just finished talking to young Tommy's mom." It was very pleasant talking to her; she obviously loves her son dearly."

"Ah, yes, the lovely Aileen. Did you know she is a friend of Sharon's?"

"No, how could I Jerry?"

"Anyway, what is going on here? Has Mike provided any more information so that we can help him sort out the mess he's in?"

"Surely, you can put Mike and his family into witness protection Michael so that John can come back into the world of the living," said Horatio, with his tongue in his cheek.

Michael sighed, "Yes, he has Horatio, and yes I could."

"But let me first say, you were something else this afternoon. If I hadn't known otherwise I would never have guessed you were not a true priest...you were really remarkable my friend. In fact you were so good I think you may have missed your true vocation."

Michael chuckled, "And I know Jerry agrees with me, don't you Jerry?"

Jerry smiled and replied, "I knew he would be good Michael, I told you that right from the start."

Horatio decided now was the time to let them know he knew this was all a sham.

"OK, guys let's stop this whole charade right now. John is no more missing than I am a bloody priest."

Michael and Jerry looked at him aghast..."What do you mean Horatio? What makes you think this is a sham?" asked Michael with a straight face.

But before Horatio could answer, Mike Roberts convulsed with laughter... "Sorry guys, I can't keep this up."

Just then the church doors opened and hearing footsteps coming down the aisle, Jerry said, "Here is someone you need to see Horatio," gently pushing him outside the vestry, to be met with the sight of John Kelly and Sharon walking towards them grinning all over their faces.

Horatio stood there for a minute just shaking his head from side to side at John, and then they both stepped forward at the same time and hugged each other as John said, "It's so good to see you Horatio, it really is my friend."

Stepping back, Horatio took all of them in his glance, and said, "Okay, just what was this charade all about?"

Looking at the others, John said, "I think it's my job to explain this."

"Horatio, I am a very happy and changed man these days." Drawing Sharon in close to him, he continued, "Falling in love with Sharon is the best thing that has ever happened to me. When she started to work for Michael I was feeling low although I didn't really understand why. Life had just become all work. The private jobs that came along were mostly boring, so I welcomed the jobs that Michael threw at me. These were far more challenging. In fact, the more work he gave me the better; always been a bit of a workaholic...much like you Horatio, and Michael. Anyway, as you now know we fell in love and I couldn't be any happier."

"Over the past few months Sharon has made me see that I was working and not allowing any pleasure in my life. Trouble is, having pleasure in my life usually ended with me getting hurt so I guess I blocked pleasure out of my life to some extent. However, she showed me that it is okay to have some fun, and life should not be all work and no play, and I love her so much." John paused for a moment as he looked lovingly into Sharon's eyes. Then continuing he said, "Because I am happy these days, and Sharon and I wanted you to be at our wedding Horatio, we started to think about how we could get you to New York for a couple of weeks, you rarely visit here now. So we decided we would try to get you here earlier under the pretence of needing your help. We wouldn't have got you here early any other way. But, apart from the wedding, there was another reason behind this. We wanted to try to and make you see a lighter side of life. You have shut yourself away far too long since Marisol's death and all you think about is that job of yours."

Horatio glared fiercely at John, but undeterred John continued.

"The first of April was the perfect day to start, as the Cardinal was due in Miami that day. The fact it was April fool's day was a coincidence, as Michael has already told you Horatio."

"We actually contacted Kyle as well to see what he thought, and he was all for it as he has been worried about you having no life outside the job. In fact that son of yours thought that what we were planning was really funny."

"You contacted Kyle...how?" I have his email address Horatio, remember you gave it to me last time you were here," said Michael.

Noticing that Horatio was looking really stern now, John started to feel that maybe they had gone too far. He gave him a worried quizzical look, but Horatio gave him a broad smile and he relaxed.

Michael stepping in asked,"Where did we go wrong Horatio? I thought we did pretty well."

"Oh, believe me you were all brilliant, but you forgot one thing... My unique powers of observation, which I have according to Cardinal Benedetti anyway," said Horatio laughing.

"To start with, anything unusual occurring in Miami on April fool's day is treated with suspicion at the crime lab. We have our share of pranksters. The fact that both Cardinal Benedetti and you Jerry contacted me on the same day initially raised some questions in my mind."

"Although I was suspicious about what Cardinal Benedetti told me I never believed he would be involved in any sort of trickery, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and decided to believe you really did have a problem back here in New York."

"Remind me Jerry, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER to trust the clergy again."

Jerry just grinned.

"By the way Michael, how come you had enough sway with James Burton, for him to approve my leave to come to New York?"

"I know him from Law School Horatio; he took the same courses as me, but decided he didn't want to be a lawyer before the final course. And do you know what Horatio? He also thought you had been working too hard, and that the job was engulfing you. So, he was pleased to go along with us."

Horatio shrugged his shoulders..."The job is my life."

"That's just it Horatio...it shouldn't be," said Michael.

"Hark who's talking" muttered Horatio.

Horatio continued, "Anyway once we reached your office on Thursday Michael, and I met and heard Sharon's story, I was almost persuaded, especially after your story about the drug deal. You really went to town there my friend. You were amazing, but being a lawyer you know how to put a case across. That was some story."

"But, Horatio, I swear that was all absolutely true, except the part about John going missing."

Michael laughing added, "I could never have made up a story like that. It just had to be a true one."

"Well, I didn't believe John would have needed to chase after O'Reilly. He would have taken O'Reilly out for sure."

"You're spot on Horatio, John did take him out; he had no choice. O'Reilly shot at him first."

"Well that's when I started to be suspicious again Michael especially when picking up my jacket to leave your office, I caught you giving Sharon a wink," said Horatio with a smirk on his face. "Mind you that could have been because you thought you had me on board."

"But Mike spoke to me just a bit too easily."

"Also, when he told me he shot John and that he was alive, I had no doubt in my mind that had that been the case, John would have moved heaven and earth to get in touch with you Michael, whatever, the circumstances."

"It was at this point I finally decided you were having me on. But, I decided to play along with you today for my own amusement and just in case I was wrong."

Horatio turning his attention now to Jerry said, "And as for you my friend...what a deceiver you turned out to be. But, I felt with John supposedly missing there didn't seem to be enough urgency about trying to find him. Life was going on too casually in my opinion."

"But one thing I really don't understand Jerry is how Cardinal Benedetti let himself get involved?"

"Horatio just because he is a Cardinal and I am a priest does not mean we can't be human in our vocations. Although you may not think so the Cardinal has always been concerned about you, and when I explained the reason for getting you up here, he was happy to go along with helping us."

"Okay, fair enough. It worked then didn't it, as he was the main factor in me deciding to initially trust the situation was for real?"

"Anyway, putting that aside I have to say that I really enjoyed the basketball sessions with the boys. I have actually just promised young Tommy I would have another session at the club dependent on if you have any more sessions scheduled before I leave."

"So that's it game over, where do we go from here? Your wedding is still six days away John. I could return to Miami and come back, although admittedly a bit tight."

"Don't you dare slip away Horatio Caine," said John. "We were always going to finish this game today so you could have some free time in New York. This was the whole point in getting you here early."

"The first thing we are going to do though is have you come to dinner at Sharon's this evening; Michael and Jerry are also coming and Aileen Casey has been invited."

"Did she know about this as well?"

"No Horatio, she wasn't involved at all; Right now she thinks you are a genuine priest friend off Jerry's" said Sharon.

TBC