N/A: So, I said I would try to get this posted in a week... Clearly, that did not happen, but how about a week and a half (I've never posted during the week before).
"It's hard to believe.", Mike said exasperated, eating a fry, "There has been three murders in less than a week, and there is practically no valuable evidence or leads."
"Yeah, he's hiring all of the right people.", TJ agreed, taking a drink.
They had worked all day through the case to no avail. No fingerprints, DNA, or witnesses made for an idle investigation. They were not even allowed to request an alibi from Spencer, because his firm had threatened to sue the city and the LAPD for harassment after their last interview, following the murder of Robert White.
"Clearly, he is—or was looking for something on their computers. Maybe evidence of his crime ring?, Morales said, speaking to himself more than anyone.
Mike responded, "If Malone had evidence or even knew about it, why wouldn't she have told me and Connie when we interviewed her?"
Morales shrugged, "She was scared."
Mike's phone vibrated, it was a text from Connie.
"Are you guys still working?"
He quickly replied, "Well, we're having some burgers at the moment. We're calling it a night."
He sat his phone on the table, waiting for a reply.
"Someone missing you at home?", TJ asked, trying to seem innocuous.
Mike gave him a small smile, "Not quite, just work."
It buzzed again. Morales shot TJ a dirty look across the table, as Mike read the text.
"Burgers at 11.…? Anything new?"
"No luck. Bunch of dead ends.", Considering their kiss earlier in the day, he wanted to say something more but could not think of anything to add.
Forty-five minutes later, the three of them finished their meal and conversation and headed to their cars.
"So, what time do we meet back tomorrow?", TJ asked, once they reached their cars.
Morales sighed, "Not too early."
"Agreed", Mike said, tired.
"Well, that settles it.", TJ replied, sarcastically.
"Let's say ten, we can work late again tomorrow, but I need my sleep tonight.", Morales offered.
TJ nodded in agreement and Mike replied, "Sounds good."
TJ's phone broke the chilly night air.
"Tell me that's a wrong number.", Morales jested, despondently.
"Dispatch.", TJ responded, matching his partner's enthusiasm.
"Jaruszalski.", he answered the phone and then there was a pause, "When?" He reached for his car door and gestured for Mike and Morales to get in, "Alright, we're just a few blocks. Yeah, ETA about five.", he hung up and started the car. "There was a 911 call placed from Connie's parents' house—multiple assailants…" he trailed off, as he sharply turned the corner out of the parking lot.
Mike's stomach dropped.
"Patrol on scene?", Morales asked, turning on their lights and sirens.
"No, they're at least ten out. ", TJ ran a stop sign.
"Who made the call?" Mike questioned from the backseat, fearful that it was Connie.
"Don't know—said it was a woman.", he made another sharp turn.
The trio arrived at the house and jumped out of the car. The detectives drew their weapons.
"Stay in the car!", Morales ordered, but Mike was already trailing him.
The front door was open. TJ and Morales got on either side, Mike was behind the latter, and Morales nodded for TJ to enter. Mike could not think, his heart pounding through his chest, afraid of what they would find. TJ silently stepped in the open door, closely followed by Morales and Mike. The whole house was dark except for a dim light to the right, which they approached.
"STAY DOWN YOU BASTARD!", woman's voice boomed from the lit room, followed by a thud.
"LAPD!", TJ announced, as they swung around the corner.
The woman had a baseball bat angled down at a motionless man lying on the ground.
"Drop the bat, ma'ma.", Morales directed, as he and TJ approached them, with their guns at the ready.
She quickly dropped the bat and stumbled backwards until she hit a wall.
TJ and Morales turned their attention towards the rest of the situation.
"Got this?", TJ whispered to Morales.
"Yeah, go."
TJ pulled his flashlight out and went to search the rest of the house. Morales bent down to check the unconscious man's pulse, as he used his phone to call for paramedics.
"Are you alright?", he turned his head towards the woman.
She did not reply but stared at the detective, clearly shaking. Mike, regaining his function, slowly stepped into the ransacked room and approached her.
He bent down a couple of feet from her, "Are you alright?", Mike asked, in a soft voice.
It was evident she was not. She was covered in blood, cradling her arm, with a busted lip.
Mike tried again, "Maria", he assumed she was Connie's sister, "Are you alright?"
She turned to him at the mention of her name, "There were three of them", her voice was low and unsteady.
Mike and Morales exchanged looks. The detective pulled out his phone to text his partner.
Lights and sirens soon filled the air, as backup arrived.
"I'll take her outside?", Mike suggested.
"Yeah, the ambulance should be getting here. Let her sit in the backseat until they get here", Morales concurred.
Several uniform police officers flooded the house.
"Maria, let's go outside."
It took her a moment to process what he said, with the influx of strangers in her parents' home. She nodded her head and began to pick herself up off the ground. She struggled, as her legs were too shaky to support her. Mike put his arms around her and pulled her to her feet.
"Alright?"
"Yeah, I'm f-", she took a sharp breath in pain.
He got a better look at her arm, as she stood in front of him. It had a large gash and bled freely.
"Morales, are you guys going to throw a fit, if I grab a towel?", Mike asked, referring to a basket of towels, behind the detective, that were tossed in the fight.
"No, that's not a problem.", Morales took a few steps backwards through the wrecked room, grabbed a towel and handed it to Mike.
Maria observed them but did not speak.
"This is probably going to sting.", Mike warned, before wrapping the towel around her arm. "Okay?"
She nodded and winced at the raw pain the towel caused.
He began to lead her out of the house.
"I'll call Connie", Morales whispered, in Mike's ear.
He nodded and continued to help Maria out of the house.
Mike steered her to TJ and Morales' unmarked car, careful that neither of them tripped in the dark, and sat her down in the back seat.
"The ambulance should be here any time."
"Okay", she shakily nodded her head
Mike removed his suit jacket and draped it over shoulders.
She accepted the gesture but did not acknowledge it.
Mike squatted down at the open door and waited with her. Keeping a little distance from the car and positioning himself looking outward, he tried to give Maria her space. Through the dim backseat light and the flashing red and blue police lights, he could see her wince in pain. A mixed feeling of relief and guilt washed over him. Anxiety had overtook him when he thought Connie was the one being attacked, but, now, his elation did not feel right, with her sister brutally beaten. It was several more minutes, before the ambulances arrived.
An officer directed two paramedics to them and the others to the unconscious man in the house.
Mike stepped back to give them room.
After a quick glance at Maria's injuries one of the paramedics asked, "Miss, can you walk?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, we would like for you to come with us."
The paramedics helped her get out of the car and over to their ambulance. Mike hovered in the distance for a couple of minutes to make sure they were taking care of her, before noticing TJ and Morales on the front step.
"How is she?", Morales asked, as a solemn Mike approached.
"Uh…they're still looking her over, but they think she has some fractures, a possible concussion and she'll need several stitches."
"She certainly did a number on our guy in there. They say some of his bones are broken and he has a fractured skull", TJ stated.
"What do we have?", Lieutenant Gonzales questioned, as she walked up from behind Mike.
"Unidentified perp broken, wrecked the place, it looks like Maria Rubirosa, Connie's sister …", Morales gestured towards the ambulance, "interrupted them in the act. They fought….", trailed off, as the paramedics wheeled the man pass them on a gurney.
"And she walked out", TJ finished, clearly impressed.
Gonzales nodded in agreement, "Them? More than one?"
"Yeah, that what she said. At least three.", Morales answered.
"Uhh….", TJ breathed, pointing towards the direction of the ambulance. Connie and two men were rushing towards Maria. The paramedics appeared to be readying her to leave.
"Detective," the lieutenant turned to her detectives, "Morales, why don't you give the Rubirosas a ride to the hospital. Jaruszalski, you, and Mr. Cutter, and I will finish up here."
The Hospital:
"How is she?" the lieutenant asked, approaching Morales in ER.
"A concussion, fractured forearm, and several stitches", Morales answered.
"Can we talk to her?"
"The doctor hasn't said yet."
Connie's step-father and brother rounded the corner and approached them.
Morales introduced the two men, "Dr. Jose Cruz, Mr. Carlos Rubirosa, this is Lieutenant Gonzales, Detective Thomas Jaruszalski, and Mike Cutter."
The lieutenant shook their hands, "How is your daughter, Dr. Cruz?"
"We are going to keep her overnight but she'll be alright. Her sister is with now."
"That's good to hear."
"What about the guys who did this—have you caught them?", the younger man interrupted.
"We have the man that your sister... subdued in custody, but we are still looking for the persons who were with him", Gonzales tried to speak calmly because Connie's brother was visibly upset.
"Yeah, the guy my sister caught", Carols became indignant", You're supposed to be protecting Connie and this happens to Maria. They could have killed her!"
"Carlos," Connie came from behind them, and pulled her brother back, "Don't. They're doing the best they can."
"Then that's not very comforting."
Jose put a hand on his son's shoulder to help quell him, "Lieutenant, is there anything we can do to help?"
"Right now, we just need to ask you a few questions…. And after forensics is done processing your house, probably sometime tomorrow, we'll need you to walk us through to see if anything is missing", Gonzales sympathetically looked between the family, "And, Dr. Cruz, with your home a crime scene, you won't be able to stay there, is there anywhere you can stay tonight?"
"Here", he replied, putting an arm around Connie, "My wife is up stairs and my daughter is down the hall, I would be staying here anyway".
She nodded in response.
"Mr. Rubirosa," TJ asked, "Would you like to come with me to grab everyone some coffee, I would like to ask you a few questions?"
Carlos took a deep breath, "Sure"
Once they were out of earshot Connie apologized, "I'm sorry about that, Lieutenant, he's just protective".
"There's no need. It's completely understandable."
"But there is", Jose insisted.
Connie made eye contact with Mike. He looked a mixture of tried and worried.
"Sir, if you would, I also have few questions", Morales gestured for him and Connie's father to take a walk down the hall.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?", he turned to Connie, who was still in his protective arm.
"Yeah, go", she tried to sound better than she was.
He gave her a kiss on her head before heading down the hall with Morales.
"Connie", Gonzales took a step closer, "I am sorry about this".
"We both know there was nothing you guys could've done to prevent this."
She nodded, "How is your sister?"
"Strong, but not well. The concussion is pretty bad, they've got her drugged out for the pain….", Connie knew what the police lieutenant's next question would be, "The doctors aren't letting her have visitors outside of family and she won't be helpful until she gets off of some of those meds".
Before Gonzales could respond, her phone rang, "Alright," she told Connie, as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "We're doing everything thing we can to get these bastards".
Connie nodded and the lieutenant walked off to answer her phone.
She stood there with Mike.
They instinctively stepped in closer to the other.
"Nice jacket", Connie said, interrupting his thoughts.
He looked down at the windbreaker that TJ had given him—it was dark blue with large yellow letters: LAPD on the back and smaller letters on the left breast.
"Yeah, well, I paid good money for it"
She did not smile at his attempt at humor, "I'm afraid, I have to tell you that yours is going into evidence—you'll probably never see it again."
"That's alright...", Mike noticed her exhaustion, "Do you want to sit down?"
Connie nodded in reply. She took a glance at her father talking with Morales, before walking around the corner in the opposite direction. Her security detail stopped at the entrance of the adjoining hall. It had numerous windows that looked over the hospital's night fallen parking lots. They found a couple of empty chairs half way down the long corridor.
They sat in silence for several moments, staring into space, in the dimly lit hallway. Connie looked passive but, Mike could tell by her shaking hands, she was trying to suppress her emotions. He reached over and placed his hand over hers. She did not respond to him and after a moment, fearing that she did not want his consolation, he pulled back. She slightly turned her head, in his direction, when he retracted, but she did not move to stop him.
"I can't believe this happened…", Connie began in a low voice, "They could have killed her."
Mike still tried to comfort her, "But they didn't, Connie."
"They could have", Connie said, defiantly. So soon after the attack, he knew nothing he said would make her not blame herself, therefore he did not argue.
They sat motionless and silence overtook them again.
After a few minutes, Connie slowly reached over and grabbed Mike's hand, which was sitting on his chair's armrest. He was surprised but grasped her hand in return. She interlaced their fingers. Connie knew she should be keeping her interactions with Mike strictly professional, but, after what just happened, she needed his support.
Footsteps coming down the hall caused them to drop the other's hand.
They turned and saw Connie's father approaching them. Both stood, hoping he had not seen them.
"We're moving Maria in with your mother", Jose said, looking oblivious to the two.
"Really?"
"Yeah. And I got someone to cover for me in to ER tonight, so I can stay with them", he paused, "You can go home and get some rest."
"Um…are you sure? I can stay too."
"Hun, I'd love for you to but the detectives are saying this isn't the safest place for you right now, they want you in a more controlled environment."
She sighed, "Okay…."
"And I don't guess you have changed your mind about staying at a hotel?"
"Is there something they didn't tell you?"
"Carlos and I were pressing them for how they were going to protect you... but that is beside the point."
"Dad, I don't want to give in to these people, and leaving my apartment to hide is."
"They just attacked your sister in our home; your apartment is not anymore safe", Jose tried to reason.
She took a frustrated step back and turned to look out the window.
Mike spoke up, "Connie, there's a fine line between wanting to show you're not afraid, and exposing yourself to be a vulnerable target."
Jose nodded in agreement.
She shot Mike a hard look. The last thing she needed was them ganging up on her.
"She's not the only vulnerable target, Mr. Cutter", Lt. Gonzales stated, as a matter of fact, walking up to them with Morales and TJ in tow.
TJ held up his phone to Mike, "These are copies of pictures, just pulled off our unconscious guy's phone, of you."
Connie came up besides Mike to look at the pictures.
"These are all from since I've been here in LA", Mike said, skipping through the photos.
"Looks like it, and that includes some of you at your hotel….", Morales paused to let him process, "So, we would also like to put you up in a hotel—a different hotel and also put you in protective custody".
Mike thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay". He hoped that Connie would follow suit.
"Connie", Morales turned to her, "Would you please reconsider and let us also put you in a hotel".
She looked over at her father and Mike, their eyes were pleading for her to acquiesce. Connie's eyes drifted down to Mike's shirt, where her sister's blood was prominent. How could she argue.
A/N: I personally like writing Connie's family. I feel that, in general, families are not shown enough when a character's life is being threatened (that is assuming they know about said threat), and are merely used (in passing) as a device to shallowly advance the character (as I have done, with Connie's dad worried phone calls and such, until now), but I don't like it when that is the extent of the family's involvement so we will be seeing more of them. I think a family would be a little involved-Connie is still her father's little girl and her brother's little sister. (That penultimate sentence was probably a run-on, but it is too late for me to care!) *climbs off soapbox*
It will probably be biweekly (WHY is the definition of this word "happening twice a week or every other week"?! I'm using it for the latter.) postings here on out. But, I really want to post more often so I am trying! However, I am busy (I know, I know, aren't we all)!
Thank you everyone for all of the kind reviews! They are appreciated!