Within the hour, Goren and Eames were in Eames' car, headed towards the Williamsburg Bridge. "Imagine Rodgers having to spend Easter Sunday with corpses," she said.
"But she'll get a kick out of her first Passover seder next month."
Eames smiled, the first familiar broad smile he'd seen from her in weeks. "Never thought you were one for workplace gossip."
After they crossed the bridge, Goren detached the EZ-Pass from the windshield. "You shouldn't be the one to take that in," she said. "Leave it for now. We'll have someone from CSU get it tomorrow."
"Do you have our guys escorting you on Tuesday?"
"Yes, don't worry."
"I worry about you anyway, Eames," he said, almost coyly.
"Bobby, my mother accidentally told the whole family I was pregnant."
"Oh." He lowered his eyes. "No one else should know where you'll be on Tuesday."
"Right, so since our other, less-skilled shooter is out there, I don't want her getting to me. I had to tell a white lie."
"Hm."
"I had to say I wasn't sure what I was going to do yet because the father's family had some serious mental health issues."
"You told them …"
"Had to think quickly, sorry."
"So your mother thinks I'm the father."
"As does my older brother, his wife, my sister Susan, her husband, and my brother Johnny's wife. You, uh, want to stop over for some dinner?" It was already seven-thirty; Easter dinner was probably long over because her siblings had to get their children home and ready for school the next day. "No one's there except my parents."
"I'm not sure I want to face your mother right now," he said with an uneasy laugh.
"She understands about your family, I think. She really wanted for you to come to Christmas dinner, you know."
Goren smiled and began to tap his long fingers on the dashboard. "All right. I'll have dinner with you."
"You're not angry at me?"
"Like you said, you had to think fast."
Goren, along with Alex and John Eames, were quite surprised when Cathy greeted him with a motherly embrace at the door. "So good to see you again, Bobby."
Alex and John looked at each other, wide-eyed.
"Everything okay at work?" she asked.
Eames nodded. "Nothing to worry about."
Cathy made up a plate for each of the detectives, and they sat together at the kitchen table. Goren seemed terribly fidgety – more than usual, if that were possible – but, really, Eames couldn't blame him.
"So," Cathy said, "They haven't split up your partnership yet?"
John cleared his throat. "No, see, they haven't said anything to their captain yet."
"My brain my hiccup every once in a while, sweetheart – and I'm sorry about what I said at dinner – but I'm not stupid. You're not the father."
"Mrs. Eames," Goren said calmly, "we're sorry we've had to lie. But it's very important to your daughter's safety that you not ask any questions now."
Cathy retreated slowly. Funny how Goren, who could never sit or stand still himself, had such a talent for calming people down.
Later, when they were back in the car, Goren sighed loudly. "Too much," he said, half to himself. "This is getting to be too much, Eames."
"When was the last time you slept?"
"Like Ross said. Two days ago."
"Don't lie to me."
He was silent. "Bobby?" she prodded.
"I've been trying to connect Kreiner to Lucy through his previous crimes. They must have known each other in Switzerland. Lovers, maybe?"
"You heard what Ross said. Let's wait for the fingerprints and focus on our other cases right now. I'm taking you home with me."
"What?" He looked like someone had hit him in the stomach with a shovel.
"Because I promised the captain I'd make sure you were sleeping."
"I'll be honest with you. I've been up working on the case because we've got to connect Kreiner to one of the Colaccis before …"
"I know." Her voice took on a sharp, frustrated tone. "But you do not need to clean up my messes."
"You cleaned up mine."
"You don't owe me anything."
"Eames, I think sometimes …" He stopped, clasped his hands together, and wrenched his jaw a bit. "I think I may owe you everything."