Big Thanks to Alyssa (Scripted Scarlet) for the amazingly quick beta job. She's as fabulous as her writing. Thanks for keeping me motivated, babe.
"One more story, please," Maya sleepily pleads.
"We don't want to wake up James," I whisper back, watching James' little chest rise and fall in slumber.
"Please?" Maya says, holding up a well-loved, straggly looking teddy bear. "Me and Teddy will be quiet. We promise."
"Alright, one more. Winken, Blinken and Nod…
Sure enough, long before the last verse of the story, Maya is fast asleep, snuggled up next to James. I learned early on that their mother used to let them sleep in the same bed on rainy, thunderous night. But since her death, they were prohibited from this reassuring and innocent act. They are wonderful children, and thank god James is finally comfortable with me. Douglas Winterbourne noticed and remarked on it just a few days ago.
"The kids just love you. The house is filled with laughter again."
My first reaction was pride, no doubt from the stirring maternal feelings that had suddenly reappeared. The next reaction was exhilaration because I knew that I had finally got Winterbourne where I wanted him emotionally. I was no longer a stranger and could move about the household without fear of suspicion.
So that night, when the house staff retired to their rooms and Winterbourne out to dinner with his newest conquest, I felt confident that I could find some possible leads in his home office.
Slipping my shoes off, I quietly descended the main stairs and wound my way through the hallways until I came to Winterbourne's office door. Upon entering, my nostrils filled with the aroma of high quality cigars with a hint of Scotch. Closing the door behind me, I hurried over to his large oak desk and noticed the lack of clutter – there were no quickly jotted notes on the blotter, no post-its with numbers or names. Moving to the drawers, I found them locked and I knew that it wasn't to protect the kids from stealing his Bic pens.
Retrieving the lock pick from my pants pocket, I bent down and slowly wiggled the pick until I heard the glorious click sound signifying my success. Alphabetized files with titles such as, 'Leases', 'Litigation', and 'Licensing'. Looking through the files, I found nothing which seemed illegal or inappropriate. Pulling the drawer out and off the tracks, I reached my hand in and blindly searched for any hidden items.
My fingertips came in contact with a small object that seemed taped to the inner wall. Pulling it out gently, I find my eyes on a small black memo pad. Heart racing and ears alert to any approaching noise, I pull a thin, silver pen out from the confines of my cotton bra. To the human eye, it looks like a simple writing instrument, but thanks to modern technology, the pen actually doubles as a small hidden camera. Snapping each page with as much accuracy and speed as I can, I feel every bit like Mata Hari.
When I've gotten all pages captured, I tape the memo pad back in its original position and as I slide my hand out, my skin encounters the cold metallic steel of what can only be a revolver. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears as I quickly reassemble the drawer back into its place.
Only when I got back to my own room could I begin to breathe normally. I set my alarm an hour early so I can get an early start tomorrow morning. Picking up the cell phone given to me by headquarters, I hit the programmed number titled, 'Home', which in actuality is a pre-paid cell phone specifically for Bobby and I to use in our communications.
"Sullivan residence."
"Hi, it's Alex."
I almost missed the hitch in Bobby's voice when he answered.
"Everything okay? How's your new job?" he asks, his voice casual and calm.
"Great. It's been a good day. Just checking in to see how everyone back home is. I'm putting something in the mail tomorrow for you."
"Looking forward to getting it."
"Well, I'm heading off to bed now. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Alexandra. Sweet dreams."
Neither of us can seem to disconnect, so I lay down on my bed and for the next few minutes, we both just listen to each other breathing, savoring even the most minuscule connection.
Next Morning
After dropping of James at school, I hurried Maya onto the subway telling her we were having an adventure today and going to breakfast and then to Central Park Zoo.
"Can I get waffles, Alex?"
"Of course. As a matter of fact, I'll take you to a special place that has the best waffles ever," I say, holding onto her hand and walking towards Jet's Diner. I wasn't really lying to Maya, because Jet's really did have phenomenal breakfast food, but I certainly couldn't tell her this was the place Bobby and I predetermined as a meeting/drop off location.
Entering the noisy diner, I found us a cozy table located in the corner, away from the windows. I glanced around and surveyed the faces behind newspapers, customers at the counter and I couldn't find Bobby anywhere in sight. Hoping that he remembered our meeting signals, such as my reference to 'dropping something in the mail' on the phone last night as a signal to meet me at the diner the next morning.
"I want chocolate chips with my waffles," Maya announced across the table from me.
"No, I don't think so. How about some yummy blueberries?"
"Well…okay, but can Teddy eat with me?" she replies, knowing the chocolate chip battle is a losing one for her.
"What can I get ya beautiful ladies, this morning?" I hear the waiter say with a heavy Brooklyn accent while I rummage through my bag for Maya's teddy bear.
"She'll have the-"
And a giggle escapes me as I find my usually Armani-clad partner standing in front of us in an all-white ensemble, complete with greasy apron. His hair rumpled and five o'clock shadow completing the disguise.
"I know I tend to make the chicks speechless, but that's even fast for me, ya know what I'm saying?" he says, flashing his charming smile at me and Maya.
"I want blueberry waffles!" Maya says, smiling up at him, already enamored.
"Excellent choice, kid. That's my favorite too," Bobby says, smiling right back at Maya. "But what does your Mommy want?"
"She's not my mommy silly, she's my nanny!"
"Oh, a nanny! Back in the neighborhood we called them babysitters," he says.
"I'll have an egg white omelet with cheese and wheat toast," I say.
"Right, the dieter's breakfast of choice," he says, writing down the order on his pad. "And what about your friend over there?" Bobby asks Maya, pointing a finger at Teddy.
"He's going to have some of my waffles," she replies.
"I never met a bear that ate waffles," he says mischievously. "I would like to shake Teddy's hand cause he's got to be one special bear."
Maya brings Teddy close and laughs as Bobby playfully shakes the bear's paw and asks him how the family, the three bears are doing.
"You are silly, I'm Maya," Maya giggles, extending her tiny hand towards Bobby.
"It's a pleasure, Miss Maya," he says, gently taking her little hand in his and pumping it playfully.
"Now you Alex!"
"Yes, now you Nanny Alex," Bobby teases and he already knows that I've picked up on his plan.
"I don't shake the hands of nameless men," I say, playing hard to get.
"Me? I'm Vinnie, your friendly neighborhood server," he says, taking my hand in his.
To anyone else watching, it would seem that Vinnie the waiter is making a pass at me, but I'm skillfully and discreetly slipping the pen's memory card into the palm of his hand.
"Well, let me get you your food," he says, breaking our contact and walking back towards the kitchen.
I smile thinking of Bobby's creativity. He knew this was a safer way to talk with me, not to mention an opportunity to play a little game together. What had me further amused was Bobby serving other customers to keep his cover. He slipped orange juice on a construction worker and broke 2 plates while trying to clean up a table.
His eyes found mine while he swept up the mess and quirked a smile at me.
He got my message. Don't quit your day job.
Ross' office, 1PP
"Damn, she's good," Ross said while perusing the information Eames obtained.
"I've got Shapiro and Sloane running all of the names through the system and so far we've gotten pops on 4 of them," I say.
"Any violent offenders?"
"No. Right now there ranging from fraud to drug possession raps," I say dismissively while pacing the Captain's office.
"Well, let's see what else we can come up with and how we can connect some of these stellar citizens to Winterbourne," Ross replies.
"I want to get her out of there."
"Detective, you did say she looked fine. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No. She's doing a great job. I just…the more I find out about Winterbourne and the characters he associates with…I just don't want her in any more danger than she's already in."
"Everything is going as per our plan. Relax, she's going to be just fine," Ross says, indicating that this is the end of our conversation by picking up some paperwork.
Is there something you're not telling me, he asks. Yeah, I hate that she's away and that I can't see her everyday and that bastard Winterbourne is nothing but trouble.
Being away from her and not being able to simply speak to her about everyday issues has been so painful. That damn saying, 'You don't know what you've got til it's gone' finally makes sense. I've become a cliché. A man figuring out his love for a woman once she's no longer around. Christ, I feel like a first-class schmuck.
So, yeah, I want her home for purely selfish reasons. Because I need her humor and subtle gestures of caring after being bombarded with the impending demise of my own mother and her frequent outbursts.
So I can finally get my shit together and create a life for myself outside of work and caretaking. I'm so tired. Every other day at Carmel Ridge worrying about mom and then every night lying awake worrying and missing Eames.
I want more and for the first time in my life, I'm not going to deny myself. It's futile to wish and pray anymore for my mother to recuperate. She and I both know that it's only a short matter of time before the inevitable happens. So, I'm going to wish for her to peacefully leave this plane of existence and find the peace she's never had in life. I'm going to start wishing and praying that I'll be able to go to sleep at night with Eames lying next to me.
Who would have ever thought I'd finally give myself a chance for happiness?
"Goren!"
"Yeah?" I say, breaking away from my daydreaming.
"I think you should come and see this," Sloane yells across the bullpen.
"What did you find?" I ask, leaning over and scanning his computer screen.
"One of the names from the file, Lucien Mileski. His name had a little asterisk next to it, so I thought I'd check him out before the others. He doesn't have any pops in the U.S., but when I ran him through NCB and check this out, he's been arrested in the Netherlands for drug possession with intent. And then 2 years ago, he was arrested in Thailand for pimping out underage girls. The Dutch released him on a technicality, but he jumped and fled Thailand. Their still looking for him."
"Oh, I'm really liking this guy," I say, adrenaline pumping through my veins. "Dig a little deeper. I'm going to make a few phone calls and see what I can come up with."
"What's a millionaire like Winterbourne doing with sleaze like this?" Sloane asks.
"He might be rich by financial standards. But morally, he's bankrupt and I get the feeling that his whole business is a front for something highly illegal."
"Dangerous enough to kill his nanny and throw suspicion on himself?"
"He's too arrogant to think we'd figure him out. What he doesn't know is that Eames can see through his act and she's going to take him and his friends down, like a house of cards."
A.N. – Oh, more revelations and maybe, if you guys want, more B/A interaction coming. Reviews are good for the soul.