In Plain Sight
Rose, By Any Other Name
Chapter 11
"What did the doctor say?" Mary queried into her phone as she removed her shoes and stretched out on her sofa.
"He said everything looks good. She has more healing to do before she starts any therapy, though," Marshall answered. "Jess asked him about cutting back on the meds since she hates feeling so out of it all the time. Like you, she doesn't have a dependant bone in her body. The doctor changed her prescriptions and said we can start stretching it out a little longer between doses."
"Tell her to take it from me and not go crazy with that just yet. She needs pain-free rest to heal and get her strength back."
"I'm keeping a close eye on her to make sure she stays comfortable and takes it easy. I made a big pot of soup with the groceries you brought over Saturday and she's been having a cup of that every now and then. Getting back on somewhat solid food is helping."
"You should be making her steak and potatoes," Mary advised. "When I helped her get ready this morning for her doctor's appointment, she looked as though she's lost ten pounds in the last week, and she couldn't afford to lose even one. She's just skin and bones."
"She hasn't felt like having much of anything but soup yet. I'll add more substantial foods when she asks for it but I don't want to aggravate her stomach again. By the way, thanks for staying with her this morning and letting me run to my apartment to check things out and pick up my mail. In the rush to get ready for her appointment, I forgot to tell you that when I returned."
"No problem. I feel like I should be giving you more of a break, like staying with her overnight. You know all you have to do is give the word, right? I mean, it isn't like there's exactly a party going on over here to keep me occupied."
"I'm fine where I am," he assured her. "And you know you can always come over and hang out with me. With Jess sleeping so much, it's been pretty quiet here, too," he pointed out.
"I might stop by sometime tomorrow. Since I used getting Jess to the doctor as an excuse to take today off and run some errands, I'm going to head to the office in the morning and see what's going on there. Maybe I'll surprise you and bring you something for lunch."
"You buying me lunch? That would be a surprise," he noted dryly.
"Which should give you some indication of just how bored I am," she retorted. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how things look."
***"I did suggest that she give it at least a few more days," Stan insisted as he focused on the street in front of them. "But she's flying to the west coast and then back to D.C. by the weekend, and wants to incorporate us into her trip. I couldn't talk her out of it."
"Why does she have to come at all? Her last fiasco of a visit is still etched so vividly on my mind," Mary grumbled from the passenger seat of the SUV. "I'm sure she's read our reports by now. I don't see what purpose she could have for putting in a personal appearance. She isn't going to get any other answers than what we've already given."
"As district head it's her job to investigate incidents like this, which, I might remind you, are damn rare. It can't be a surprise to you that there would be an investigation."
"I suppose it isn't," she admitted grudgingly. Turning to partially face him, she asked, "Did you explain to her that Jessica isn't some criminal who turned States evidence in order to avoid a prison term? That she's a decent, innocent person who watched her husband and child gunned down in front of her, and despite her loss and the danger, chose to do the right thing and return to testify? She simply wasn't equipped to deal with what we faced. A full-scale gun battle isn't exactly something the average soccer Mom would know how to handle."
"Allison is well aware of her circumstances. All she wants is to hear every side of the story. She has people to answer to the same as we do. I don't agree with her timing, but you can't really blame her."
Shaking her head, Mary looked out of the window. "I just didn't expect anyone to talk to Jess, especially so soon after she was shot."
Glancing over at her, he asked, "Are you worried about what she's going to say?"
"Of course not," she quickly assured him. "But it doesn't seem fair to put her through a bureaucratic interrogation right now when she's already been through so much. I think she's earned a little peace and quiet, don't you?"
"It doesn't matter what we think. This is going to happen. All we can do is inform Jessica, and then stand back and let nature take its course."
"Geez," Mary muttered. "Every time I think we're almost home free with this case, we run into yet another roadblock. I'd give anything for a nice axe-murdering, cocaine-dealing, pension-embezzling witness to occupy my time with right now."
"This isn't a roadblock. More like a minor detour. Once Allison meets with Jessica, hopefully everything will be settled. Things will go back to normal soon enough," Stan pointed out. Turning toward her as they came to a stop at a traffic light, he continued, "Look, Mary, I've wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for the way I reacted when you first called from the hospital in Harrisburg. I know I said some things to you that I shouldn't have in the heat of the moment and I apologize. You're still one of the two best inspectors I've ever had the privilege of working with and I never doubted your abilities for a second. I was simply stressed to the breaking point. Allison was calling every fifteen minutes to see if I had heard anything and I was worried sick that something had happened to you or Marshall. It won't happen again, I promise."
Mary regarded him in surprise, then slowly nodded. "Apology accepted, Stan. I appreciate that." When he returned his attention to the street, she added, "I'd like to promise you that Marshall and I will never put you in that position again, but I think you know that would be a lie."
"Unfortunately, I do. And I would rather you didn't make promises you have no intention of even attempting to keep." After looking out of the window for a moment, he turned back and asked, "Just where do you see this thing with Marshall and Jessica going? Do you think they're serious, or is it simply some sort of transference issue on her part that's gotten out of hand?"
Letting out a weary sigh, she replied, "I don't have any idea. To be perfectly honest, I've been trying really hard not to think about it, hoping I'll wake up one day and find that it was all a bad dream, or at least that they've both come to their senses. I certainly don't want to look too far down the road. Given the circumstances, I can't see it ending well." With a thoughtful shrug, she added, "Then again, this is Marshall, Boy Genius, we're talking about. If anyone can beat the odds, it's him."
"Do you think that if things continue, Jessica will eventually try to drag him out of the Service?"
"No, I don't. She isn't that kind of person. She completely respects what he does," Mary insisted. "I mean, I hate to admit it, and I will have to kill you in your sleep if you ever repeat this, but they're actually very well-suited for one another. They're both genuinely sweet with that cock-eyed optimism that so bugs the hell out of me. They have a sort of innocence, though, so that despite seeing the ugliness around them, they can still ultimately believe the best about people. You know what I mean?"
It was Stan's turn to let out a sigh. "Yeah, I do. And I wish I didn't. I wish at least one of us was thoroughly convinced that the situation is just a temporary phase they're both going through. I'd feel a lot better about the whole thing, then."
***"Come on in," Marshall invited as he stood aside, looking decidedly casual in a tee shirt over his jeans and sporting two day's worth of stubble. "Jess will be right out."
"How is she today?" Stan asked, following as Mary led the way to the kitchen.
"Better, although she gets tired easily. She managed to make some phone calls for work this morning."
"I'm sure it's killing her to not be there," Mary noted while she began unpacking take-out boxes.
Marshall nodded. "It is. By the end of the week, I'm fairly certain I'm going to need to sit on her to keep her here. The doctor said she still needs a full week of rest, though."
"I don't like the sound of that sitting on me business," Jessica said from the doorway behind them. "The doctor is a pessimist. He doesn't know how fast I heal."
Mary smiled as she came toward them, barefoot and wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt. "It's nice to see you upright for a change, and by your own power."
Marshall held out his arm and she came to a stop beside him. "It doesn't last long but it feels good to be out of bed."
"Follow your doctor's advice and don't overdo it," Stan warned. "It will only take that much longer to recuperate otherwise."
With a slightly sheepish look at his boss, Marshall pulled out a barstool with the arm that wasn't encircling Jessica and told her, "Have a seat."
"We brought enchiladas," Mary informed her. "Would you like Marshall to make you a plate?"
"No, thank you," she replied. "My stomach is still a little sore. It smells really good but I'll stick with soup for a while yet."
"I'll warm you some," Marshall offered as the other two sat down next to Jessica.
"Forgive me if I sound skeptical, but it seems a little odd that the two of you would want to have lunch with both of us today," Jessica pointed out, leaning an elbow on the bar to prop her head up. "Has something happened at the trial in Harrisburg?"
"Not at all. The defense is still putting on their case. It hasn't even gone to the jury yet," Mary assured her in between bites. "We do have something to discuss with you, though."
"What is it?"
Glancing at Mary, Stan took the lead and replied without preliminaries, "Our District U.S. Marshal is going to be in town tomorrow afternoon. She wants to meet with you and ask you some questions about the morning you were shot."
Marshall whirled around from putting a bowl in the microwave and declared, "That's too soon! Jess needs at least a couple of weeks to recover before she's put through something like that!"
"Which is exactly what I explained to Allison," Stan responded. "But she's made up her mind and there was no changing it. You've seen how she is."
"And if we tell her it isn't possible? What is she going to do? She can't force us to make Jess available if doing so would be detrimental to her," Marshall argued. "She should understand by now that the well-being of our witnesses comes first."
"Marshall, it's all right," Jessica told him, holding up her hand. "I don't mind doing this. It's going to happen sooner or later and to be honest, I'd rather get it over with. It won't be any different than going to the doctor's office. I can manage it."
"Actually, she's offered to meet with you right here, Jess, if you aren't up to going out and that's more convenient for you," Stan explained.
"I'd prefer to meet at your offices," Jessica decided. "I think it would feel odd to have her come here."
Setting her soup bowl in front of her, Marshall said, "Well, if you wake up tomorrow and don't feel up to meeting with her at all, you let me know. I'll talk with her and tell her she'll have to schedule it for another time. I'm not going to allow her to force you into doing something you're not ready for."
Jessica shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
***"There isn't any way she's going to allow us to be with you when she questions you," Mary answered decidedly in response to Jessica's query. "I don't even know if she'll let Stan sit in."
"What kind of person is she? Is she nice?"
Marshall exchanged a warning look with Mary as he pushed the "up" button and the elevator door slid closed. "We haven't told you anything about her because we want you to meet with her without any preconceived notions. But I will say that Allison can be a bit over-bearing. Don't let her intimidate you, though," he advised. "If you get tired, don't hesitate to say so. If she isn't satisfied with what you've told her to that point, then she can come back another time. You shouldn't feel as though you don't have the option to leave. You're doing her a favor by agreeing to this, especially considering that you should still be in bed."
"And you can always say, 'I don't know' if there's a question you'd rather not answer," Mary pointed out. "You aren't under any suspicion here. She's simply gathering facts."
Jessica shook her head and adjusted her right arm in its sling. "The two of you are more nervous than I am. You need to relax. I can handle a few questions. I'm not worried about this in the least."
"We're only worried about you over-doing it," Marshall assured her when the elevator came to a stop.
"How long can it take to explain a sequence of events that were over in the blink of an eye?" Jessica queried as the doors opened.
As soon as they emerged, Stan came forward and opened the security door for them. "Inspectors, Jessica. How are you feeling, Jess?"
"I'm better today. Thanks for asking," she replied.
Holding his hand out as he led the way across the room, he continued, "Allison Pearson, this is our witness, Jessica Larson."
Allison came toward her with a smile. "Hello, Jessica. It's so good to meet you. I'd shake your hand but I can see that would be a little awkward for you at the moment."
Jessica nodded and returned the smile. "It's nice to meet you as well."
"Shall we get started?" Allison suggested, motioning toward the conference room. "I don't want to keep you too long. I know you need your rest after all you've been through."
Once the conference room door closed behind them, Mary nudged Stan's shoulder and asked, "She wouldn't let you join in her little party?"
"She made it very clear that I was not invited," Stan answered.
"Come on. We probably shouldn't continue to stand here and stare at them," Marshall noted. "We should at least attempt to look busy."
Stan let out a sigh. "I hope this goes well."
***"I'm just interested in hearing your version of what happened in the parking garage," Allison assured Jessica. "I've already read Mary and Marshall's account. I simply want another perspective. That's all."
Jessica nodded. "I understand."
"Do you mind if I record our conversation? I want to make sure I get all the facts straight."
"Not at all."
"So tell me what happened when you left the apartment in Harrisburg that morning," Allison prompted, setting the recorder in front of her.
Sitting back in her chair, Jessica explained, "The marshal who had escorted us to the parking garage the morning before called to say that he was running late, and so it was decided that Mary, Marshall and I would just meet him in the garage instead of waiting for him to come up in order to save time."
"That was Orin Nash, correct?"
"Yes, it was."
With a nod, Allison noted, "I've had the pleasure of meeting him. He's a heck of a nice guy."
"Yes, he is. He escorted me to Albuquerque when I first left Harrisburg."
"And do you know why he was running late?"
"Mary said he was returning from checking the route to the court building. I know they were all worried that we might be attacked either driving to or returning from court."
"Mary and Marshall told you that?"
Jessica shrugged her uninjured shoulder. "Not at first. I sort of confronted them the first day after court and insisted that they tell me why they seemed so overly tense."
"What made you believe they were overly tense, that it wasn't simply their normal demeanor while escorting a witness during a trial?"
Giving her a somewhat confused look, she answered, "Because I know them. The two of them thoroughly discussed with me ahead of time what to expect when we returned for trial. It was obvious that there were some added worries when we arrived."
"So what did they tell you about that?"
"They told me they had information about a contract the cartel had put on me. They were taking a lot of extra precautions as a result."
"Did finding out about the contract upset you?"
"I was concerned," Jessica admitted, "but I trusted Mary and Marshall implicitly. They told me they had things under control and I was satisfied to leave it in their hands."
"Really? And what did they tell you to engender this trust?"
Jessica's expression turned confused again. "They didn't have to tell me anything. Over the last year and a half of knowing them, they've completely earned my trust. All they had to do was assure me everything was under control."
"All right," Allison nodded somewhat skeptically. "Did they explain to you exactly what led to Orin arriving at the apartment late that morning?"
"No, they didn't."
"And have they told you since?"
Shaking her head, Jessica replied, "No. Until two days ago I was pretty out of it with painkillers, though. And I haven't discussed any details of what happened in Harrisburg with them since then. To be honest, I don't particularly want to. What went on is upsetting, and not really important to me any longer. What is important to me is that we all made it back alive, and that I've finished testifying so I don't ever have to return."
"So let's talk about that first point, about the miracle of how you all made it out of that garage alive," Allison told her. "You, Marshall, and Mary left the apartment and took the elevator down to the parking garage without incident. What happened then?"
"Marshall was in the lead and he began walking toward the escort vehicles after he checked the area outside of the elevator."
"Where was Mary?" Allison interrupted.
"She was behind me. It was that way wherever we went, with one in front of me and one behind."
"What happened next?"
Jessica wetted her lips nervously as she recalled the events. "Something wasn't right. I could see that there wasn't anyone waiting outside of the truck when we approached, unlike the day before. Then Marshall stopped so fast I almost bumped into him, and he yelled for us to take cover. He pushed me behind a cement pillar at the same time the shooting started." She took a shaky breath before continuing, "The sound was deafening. It seemed like the bullets were coming from all around us. The fire alarm started blaring at almost the same time and the noise was even louder. After a few minutes, Mary asked, 'How many?' and Marshall answered, 'Four'. I didn't know what they were talking about at first, but later I realized they were referring to how many people were shooting at us."
"Where exactly were the two marshals when the shooting began?"
"Mary ducked behind a pillar to my left and a little in front of me, and Marshall was slightly to the left side of the one I was behind."
"You said it seemed that the shooters were all around you. Were the marshals able to see them from their vantage points?"
"I don't think so, not entirely anyway. I realized after a few minutes that the men were using the escort vehicles for cover. They weren't in the open."
"Then how do you think they came to the conclusion about the number of shooters?"
"Well, I would assume it's because they know their jobs and it's important to the job they do to be able to figure things like that out," Jessica noted pointedly.
"All right," Allison agreed with slight amusement. "How long did things go on like that, with the marshals exchanging gunfire with the other men?"
"I'm not sure. It seemed like a long time, but I know it really wasn't. Mary finally told Marshall to cover her and she changed positions, to move to another pillar farther to the left, out of my sight. Marshall was firing to cover her and he must have hit one of the men because he said something like, 'One down'. A few minutes later, Mary said, 'Two down'. After that, by the sound, I was able to tell where the remaining gunfire was coming from. There was one person shooting at as from my right and one from my left. Then Marshall stopped firing for a few seconds, to change … the thing in his gun," she said, searching for the right word.
"The clip? To reload?"
"Yes," Jessica confirmed. "After he did that, he moved from where he had been standing to a point more in front of the pillar instead of to the side. When he did, my line of vision in front of us was no longer blocked and some movement caught my eye. That's when I saw the fifth man begin to stand up."
"Just so I understand, you're saying you saw the man when Marshall stepped from his cover?"
"Yes, I guess that's what I'm saying."
"Where was Mary?"
"She was still to my left, firing at the person toward the front of the row of SUV's."
"What happened next, after you saw the fifth gunman?"
"I took a step forward, to where Marshall had been standing, and I realized that he hadn't seen the man, that he was looking to his right where the other shots were coming from." Looking down, she focused on the table as she continued shakily, "When I saw the man raise his gun, I just sort of reacted. I don't think I even realized I was moving forward. I knew I needed to warn Marshall but the only thing that came out of my mouth was, 'No!'. And then something slammed into my shoulder and all I felt was pain."
"I'm sorry that happened to you," Allison noted sympathetically. "You must have been quite frightened. What was going through your head during this whole ordeal, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I was terrified," she agreed in a quiet voice. "It didn't seem like there was any way out of the situation. There was nowhere to go and I knew from the very start of it all that there were more people firing at us than for us. I was afraid we were all going to be killed."
"But you weren't afraid to step in front of Marshall when you saw a man train his gun on him?"
Jessica grew thoughtful, contemplating the question. Finally she responded, "I guess at that moment, my fear for myself wasn't as great as it was for someone else."
"For Marshall," Allison stressed. "Why was that?"
"There were a couple of reasons," she answered slowly. "When my family was attacked, there was a man who saw the whole thing and followed the gunmen until the police were able to take over. He was directly responsible for their being caught."
"Mr. Tucker," Allison interrupted. "I'm familiar with the file."
With a nod, she continued, "Afterwards he came to the hospital where I was waiting, to check on me. He was so kind, and kept me company for about an hour while my husband was in surgery. When I found out he had been killed by associates of the men we were to testify against, my brain knew I wasn't responsible for his death, but I still felt somewhat guilty in my heart. He lost his life for people who were strangers, for my family, because he felt helping was the right thing to do. In the seconds I saw that man stand up in the parking garage, I thought of Mr. Tucker and his last moments, of how he must have been worried about his own family. What he did for my family took him from his. And I couldn't let that happen again. I couldn't stand to think of another person's loved ones crying over him because he had lost his life for helping me. I didn't want to have to live with that."
"You said there were a couple of reasons. What's the other?"
Looking her in the eye, Jessica said, "The other reason has to do specifically with Marshall, with how I feel about him as a person. I knew my one life wasn't worth all the others who would've been deprived of his help had he been killed protecting me. The service he and Mary perform is too valuable. I couldn't be responsible for that ending."
Studying her carefully, Allison finally nodded. "All right. I think I have everything I need here. I thank you for agreeing to meet with me and I want to extend my apologies to you for your having been injured, as well as my sympathies for the loss of your family. I also want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for the sake of one of my marshals. If there is anything at all that I can do for you in the future, you let me know."
Giving her a puzzled look, Jessica asked slowly, "So what happens now?"
Allison reached across the table to pat her hand reassuringly. "For you, nothing. You've fulfilled your obligation in testifying. You'll remain safe, within the WITSec program. You don't need to worry about anything."
Jessica regarded her suspiciously. "That isn't what I meant. What about Mary and Marshall? What happens to them?"
"They certainly aren't going to be fired, if that's what you're concerned about," Allison assured her. "All the information on the incident in Harrisburg will be reviewed to determine if there was any wrong-doing on their part, and then a decision will be made as to whether the situation warrants disciplinary action or not. It's nothing for you to concern yourself with, though."
"How could there possibly be disciplinary action against them due to my actions? They weren't responsible for the decision I made. They weren't in the least at fault for anything that happened," she insisted.
"You're probably right," Allison nodded. "But an investigation is necessary anyway. If we can find some way to prevent what happened to you from happening to someone else, then we have an obligation to do so."
"And who makes that determination, as to whether or not they did something wrong?"
"Several experts will be responsible for that decision after all the information is thoroughly considered. Like I said, there probably won't be any action against them. In any case, they'll be treated fairly, I assure you."
"Who are these experts you're referring to? Other marshals? Other inspectors?"
"They will be people familiar with and experienced in law enforcement issues. We have a panel that deals specifically with incidents like this. I'll be part of the decision-making team myself. "
"How long were you an inspector?"
Allison shook her head, trying not to appear as annoyed as she was beginning to feel. "I've never been an inspector before."
"Have you at least escorted witnesses?"
"No, I haven't. I was recently appointed to this position and have only been a marshal for a short time. I haven't had the privilege of holding all the various positions."
Jessica's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Are you saying that you're not a real marshal, that your title is in name only?"
Not bothering any longer to hide her annoyance, Allison replied, "I've had some training. I understand the basics. And I'm very familiar with how the Marshal's Service operates."
"Oh my gosh! You really don't have any idea, do you?" Jessica questioned incredulously.
"No idea about what?"
"About what it really means to be an inspector. About what they do on a day to day basis, all the things their job requires of them. How can you do your job without knowing theirs inside and out? How can you judge their actions?"
"I don't really think I need to justify myself to you," Allison pointed out with both a patronizing smile and tone of voice.
"You don't need to. But you do need to be enlightened, in this case by someone from the other side of the looking glass," Jessica insisted bluntly. "You need to know all the facts before you and your 'expert panel' render a decision."
"I'm sure you mean well, and I appreciate that you want to protect Mary and Marshall, but it really isn't necessary. You've given me plenty of information on the incident in question, and now you should get some rest. We'll handle our end of it."
Jessica leaned forward, her eyes intense. "I've met with you today and answered all of your questions willingly despite not feeling up to it yet because I know how important this is. The least you can do is show me the courtesy of hearing everything that I have to say."
Folding her hands on the table in front of her, Allison nodded condescendingly. "Of course. Go ahead."
"First of all, you need to realize that, like doctors, inspectors are on call day and night, 24/7. But unlike doctors, there are only one or two people on the planet who can cover for each of them. Also unlike doctors, they don't get called in the middle of the night just for the occasional severe injury or birth. Inspectors get called when those under their care get a traffic ticket on their way to work, or when their house is broken into by ordinary burglars, or when they simply get the uneasy feeling that someone is watching them. Because those of us in WITSec don't have to wonder if someone wants to kill us – we know for a fact that it's true. That understandably makes us a little more paranoid than your average neurotic on the street. And we have no one else to turn to. Our inspectors are our only confidants. We're all here due to some traumatic event in our pasts, but we're not allowed to speak of those pasts with any other person in our lives. So they hold our hands, and calm our fears, and listen to our nightmares as many times as we need them to. They give of themselves at a time when we have absolutely nothing to give back, when we've left everything we had, including who we are, far behind us. Then they help us to recognize the very best qualities we possess, sometimes for the first time in our lives, and by their support and example encourage us to build a new life using those qualities as a foundation." Jessica shook her head and added more softly, "Mary and Marshall took me by the hand and pulled me through a time in my life when I didn't think I could go on. They saved my life in Harrisburg by getting all of us out of what looked like a hopeless situation. But that wasn't the first time. They also saved my life on the day I arrived in Albuquerque, when they gave me a life worth saving. And if I had given my life for one of them, we still wouldn't be close to even."
Allison regarded her silently for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I stand corrected, Jessica, and I apologize. You have succeeded in enlightening me. I never really considered things from the perspective of a witness before." With a slight smile, she admitted, "But you aren't the first person who has sat in this office and pointed out that my lack of experience has caused me to make a mistake. I promise you now, though, there will be no disciplinary action against either Mary or Marshall. As far as I'm concerned, they carried out the difficult job they were assigned admirably, and the matter is closed."
***"Geez, what could be taking so long?" Marshall queried, checking his watch yet again. "Jess was due a pain pill twenty minutes ago. She has to be at the very least uncomfortable by now."
With an equally worried expression, Mary noted, "It can't be good that she's been in there this long. Maybe one of us should pull the fire alarm or something."
Marshall stood up behind his desk, focused on two approaching figures. "No need for such drastic measures. Here they are – finally."
Allison smiled at the marshals and placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "Mary, Marshall, it's time for you to take our witness home now. She was more than helpful and she's been here long enough."
"Of course," Marshall agreed, coming out from behind his desk.
As Mary grabbed her purse and joined them, Allison nodded to Jessica. "Thank you again for coming in today. And remember what I said: if you need anything, let me know."
"I will, and I appreciate that," Jessica replied.
"Let's get going," Mary quickly suggested, ushering her witness toward the door.
Addressing the marshals, Allison called, "Nice to see the two of you again. I'll be in touch with you soon."
"Have a safe trip back," Marshall advised, holding the door open for the other two.
"Yeah. What Marshall said," Mary added over her shoulder.
As the three waited for the elevator, Mary whispered, "Is she still watching?"
Turning slightly, Marshall nodded and smiled, then confirmed through clenched teeth, "Yes, she is."
When a dinging sound signaled the arrival of the elevator, Mary muttered with relief, "Thank God."
Once they were safely inside and the elevator door separated them from Allison's view, Mary turned to her witness.
"How did it go?"
"Hold on a minute!" Marshall scolded, then turned to Jessica. "How are you feeling? Do you need a pain pill?"
"No, I'm fine," she assured him.
"She's fine, we're fine, everyone is fine," Mary pointed out, then quickly repeated, "So how did it go?"
Jessica shrugged casually. "All right I guess. I mean, she didn't kick me out of the program and she promised at the end that she wouldn't fire either of you, so I have to take that as a good sign."
With a slightly concerned expression, Marshall asked, "Was she thinking of firing one or both of us before that?"
"No," Jessica replied matter-of-factly, then leaned back against the elevator wall. "Why didn't either of you tell me that she isn't a real marshal, just a bureaucrat?"
Exchanging a look with her partner, Mary responded, "You figured that out, huh?"
"There you go, treating me like an idiot again," Jessica pointed out, shaking her head. "It was fairly obvious."
"Like we told you, we didn't want you to go in with preconceived notions," Marshall reminded her. "It was better that you came to your own conclusions."
Letting out a sigh, Jessica closed her eyes. "Well all I can say is that I am very glad that's over with."
***Marshall looked in the rearview mirror and frowned. "Are you all right, Jess? Does your shoulder hurt?"
"A little," she admitted without opening her eyes.
"I brought your pain pills with me. I'll get you one," he responded, slipping the hand that wasn't gripping the steering wheel into his pocket.
"That's all right," Jessica told him. "I can wait a few minutes until we get home."
"Are you sure? You shouldn't go too long. You know it takes longer for the medication to take effect when the pain is more severe," Marshall reminded her.
"I can wait. If I take one now, I might fall asleep."
Huffing out an amused breath, Mary said, "I hate to tell you this, but we have seen you sleep before, quite a lot in the last week and a half as a matter of fact."
"I know," Jessica agreed. "I'm just afraid that if I fall asleep before we get home, the prospect of carrying me up two flights of stairs again might make Marshall shoot me himself."
Mary let out a laugh. "I wouldn't let him do that. I promise."
Moments later they pulled into a parking space in front of Jessica's apartment complex. As Marshall opened the back door of the SUV to help her out, Mary's cell phone began to chime. She glanced at the read-out and then answered, "Hello." Catching Marshall's eye as she listened to the caller, she held up one finger and then turned in the opposite direction. "Say again?" she advised as she began walking away from them.
***"Hey, Stan," Mary said into her phone. "Remember when you told me that if I needed help this week you'd be willing to fill in for Marshall while he's taking care of Jess?"
"Yes, Inspector," he replied curtly.
"'Yes, Inspector'," she repeated mockingly. "Why so formal?" Then she added knowingly, "Ohhh … Is Allison still there?"
"That's correct."
"I'm so sorry for you," she told him somewhat insincerely. "So does that mean you would welcome the chance to run out of the office for an 'emergency' with one of my witnesses?"
"Of course, Inspector. Let me find that information for you." Through his hand that was obviously placed loosely over the phone, she heard him say, "I need to take this in my office, Allison. Help yourself to some coffee if you'd like."
"All right-y then," Mary said. "Here's the scoop: Arlene Cowan just called in a tizzy. It seems her wallet was stolen out of her purse. She was in and out of several shops and doesn't know exactly when or where it happened, though. She isn't one of my favorite witnesses and I really don't feel like dealing with her alone today, so I was hoping you'd meet me and…"
"What did you tell Jessica about Allison?" Stan interrupted at the same time Mary heard his office door close in the background.
"What do you mean? We didn't tell her anything. Why?" she asked in confusion.
"Because Jessica told her off, that's why!"
"What?"
"She gave Allison a piece of her mind and I'm having a difficult time believing that she didn't have some coaching from you," he insisted.
"Stan, I swear, we purposely didn't tell her anything going in – not that it was my idea. Marshall said we shouldn't bias Jess against her, that it would only make her more nervous." With a slightly eager tone, she asked, "So what did she say? What happened?"
"After Allison finished questioning her about the shooting, Jessica asked her what was going to happen to you and Marshall over the incident. When Allison told her there might be disciplinary action taken, Jess wanted to know why, and then who was going to be making the decision. After it became apparent to her that Allison had no experience in the field, Jessica went off on her and told her she didn't have the right to judge you two."
"Oh, Geez!" Mary breathed. "I can't imagine that set well. Jess told us Allison promised not to fire either of us. Is she rethinking that now?"
"You don't understand," he corrected. "Allison isn't angry."
"What? Slow down there, Stan. You're giving me whiplash," she declared. "Why wouldn't she be angry? We all know what a pompous ass she is. I would expect her to be livid at Jess even asking a question."
"Well, she isn't. Instead, she's impressed. Jessica told her what you do, how much it all means to her, and Allison listened. She really listened. And her exact words were, and I quote, 'I came here thinking Mary and Marshall deserved a reprimand. Now what I think they deserve is a commendation.' Unquote."
"Are you serious?"
"Serious as a heart attack," he confirmed. "Allison let me listen to the recording of their conversation. She's going to leave a copy for our files. I'll let you and Marshall listen to it."
"Geez, you never know, huh? Like I say, it's always the quiet ones," she mused.
"Allison is leaving for the airport shortly and I'll be glad to meet you and help with Arlene. We'll talk more about it all then."
***"So what was the phone call about?" Marshall questioned when Mary came in through the front door of Jessica's apartment.
"It's nothing," she answered, waving him off. "Arlene Cowan had her wallet stolen and I'm going to go see what I can do to keep her from having a total meltdown. Stan is going with me. Where's Jess?"
"She's changing clothes." As Mary immediately headed for the bedroom door, Marshall gave her a puzzled look. "Why? What's going on?"
Without responding, Mary knocked briefly. "Jess?" Not waiting for a reply, she opened the door to find her witness struggling to pull a tee shirt on over her head.
"Hold on," she advised and quickly moved to help.
"Thanks," Jessica offered when everything was in place. "I haven't quite mastered that skill one-handed yet."
"What did you say to Allison?"
Looking somewhat confused, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"I want to know what went on with you two," Mary insisted.
Jessica shrugged. "She asked me questions and I answered them."
"I'm not talking about that, and you know it. I'm talking about what happened afterwards."
"Oh. That," she responded, looking somewhat sheepish.
"Yeah, that. What did you say to her?"
"I just asked her what she intended to do with the information I had given her, and she said the two of you could possibly be facing a reprimand for what happened in Harrisburg. What I started digging a little about what that entailed, it quickly became obvious that she had absolutely no experience or credentials. And that sort of ticked me off, that she would be judging the two of you when she had no idea what it was like to do your jobs. So I told her a few things I thought she should know." Looking suddenly apprehensive, she asked, "Why? Is she upset? Because after it was all over, she said she appreciated what I had said and promised there would be no action against either of you."
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Marshall demanded from beside them, looking from one to the other.
Mary smiled and put her arm around Jessica's shoulders. "Our little friend here took it upon herself to read Allison Pearson the riot act. And as amazing as that is, equally amazing is the fact that Allison didn't blow her top. As a matter of fact, she told Stan that while she had come here to investigate whether or not we should be reprimanded, she now thinks we deserve commendations." Looking at her witness in admiration, she added, "If I didn't know for a fact that Marshall's mouth had been on yours at some point today, I think I'd kiss you."
"I just said what I thought she needed to hear," Jessica claimed. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."
"When I have the time, I'm going to explain to you why you're wrong," Mary insisted. "But right now, I have to go."
"Call me later and let me know how it goes," Marshall called as she hurried out the door.
***Marshall watched as Jessica cautiously took a bite of soup. "Too hot?" he asked.
"No, it's good," she replied. "Thank you for making it for me. Are you sure you don't want any?"
"It's a little early. I'm not hungry yet. But I thought I'd better feed you now since you look like you're fading fast on me."
With a sigh, she admitted, "I am sort of tired. Doesn't seem to take much for me to get to that point, either."
"You'll get your strength back eventually. You just have to pace yourself and take it easy. Meeting with Allison today really wasn't what you needed," he observed, taking at seat at the bar beside her.
"A necessary evil."
"And one more task you've put behind you," he noted. "So, what exactly did you say to her? She doesn't appear to be the sort of person who's easily impressed. I'm curious as to just what 'reading her the riot act' entailed."
Jessica shrugged. "I'm not really sure I'd categorize her as being impressed. She told me when we sat down that all she wanted was another perspective. And that's what I gave her."
"A perspective that changed her mind from thinking Mary and I should be disciplined to thinking we should be commended. That must have been one hell of a perspective," he pointed out with a smile.
"I think it was just a new one, something she hadn't considered before. She mentioned she was familiar with the way the Marshal's Service operated. But I don't think she realized how much the inspectors under her charge mean to those under their charge."
"And you told her that?"
"Yes, I did," she answered simply. "I told her how much you and Mary do for your witnesses and how much we depend on you. Like I said, it wasn't that big of a deal. I just spoke what was in my heart."
Marshall regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then leaned over to smooch her cheek. What she gave him a slightly surprised look, he queried, "Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?"
"Really? Just because I got a little irritated and spoke my mind? I'll have to try to do that more often, then."
Returning her smile, he said, "I know how intimidating Allison can be. I warned you of that, remember? I'm proud of you for standing up to her anyway, for not letting her simply take what you told her and use it for her own purposes, for questioning the whole process instead. But mostly I'm proud of you for standing up for Mary and me. That went above and beyond the scope of the reason for meeting with Allison in the first place."
"I'm just glad she bought it," Jessica responded softly before taking a sip of tea.
"Bought it?" he asked in confusion. 'What do you mean?"
"I'm glad she believed what I told her about my reasons for stepping in front of you in that parking garage. If she hadn't, nothing else I said would've mattered."
Swallowing hard, he studied her carefully before finally questioning quietly, "So … what was the real reason?"
She turned to give him a puzzled look. "The real reason is that I care for you, very much. You know that."
"Oh, Geez," he whispered, closing his eyes.
When he opened them, Jessica was looking at him wide-eyed. "I sort of had the impression that you felt the same. Was I wrong?"
Shaking his head, he replied, "Of course I feel the same. I just hate when Mary is right about stuff like this. She's going to give me crap forever over it."
With a look of relief, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"Mary said that's why you took the bullet. But I didn't believe her."
"Why not?"
"Because I believed what you told her in the hospital, that you felt some sort of moral obligation."
"Moral obligation?" she questioned incredulously. "I told her what I did so that she wouldn't have to lie, so she would have something plausible to tell Stan, and eventually Allison. I said what I did to keep you from getting fired, Marshall, which I thought was a real possibility if someone higher up found out about our relationship."
After contemplating a moment, he reached out and took her hand. "You could've told Mary the truth," he pointed out gently. "She wouldn't have said anything."
"I know." She sighed wearily and admitted, "Maybe I should have. I know she doesn't approve of us. Maybe telling her the truth would've set some of her fears to rest, to prove to her that I do really care for you."
"She already knows that. Trust me." He looked away and closed his eyes, momentarily overcome with realization. "Geez, Jess. When I think of what you did … how close you came…"
She turned on the stool to face him. "I know this is going to sound impossible, but somehow I knew the bullet wasn't going to kill me. I also knew, without a doubt, that it was going to kill you. Even from that distance, I saw it in the gunman's eyes. He knew he had the perfect shot, that it was a done deal. He was that sure that his bullet was going to go through your heart."
"What if you had been wrong?" he questioned intently. "A well-trained marksman can drop a moving target at several times that distance. What if he had adjusted the slight amount it would've taken for the bullet to go through your heart instead? You were his ultimate target."
"It's like I told Allison," she explained matter-of-factly, "if I had given my life for you, we still wouldn't be even, because you and Mary saved my life long before the parking garage in Harrisburg. And that part was completely true."
"How? When did we do that?"
"On the day I came to Albuquerque, when you two gave me the life that saved me. You have no idea how important what you did was to me."
He shook his head. "Jess…" With a frown he reached into his pocket as his phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the read-out, he silenced it and set it on the bar.
"Do you need to get that?" she asked. "I can go in the bedroom if you need to talk about business. I know you can't share those discussions."
"It's just Mary. I'll call her back."
Jessica pushed her empty bowl forward and slid off of the stool. "It's okay. I'll wait in the other room so you can talk with her."
He reached out and took hold of her left arm to stop her. "I don't want to talk to her right now. Right now, the conversation I'm having with you is more important to me," he insisted. "She's my partner. You're the woman I love."
"What?" she asked softly in surprise.
Huffing out a breath when he realized what he had said, he pulled her closer, between his knees. "That's not quite the way I envisioned telling you that," he admitted, slightly irritated with himself. "But it is true."
"You've never … said that before," she pointed out slowly.
"I know. And that was a mistake on my part. I wanted things to be just right, to wait until you had finished testifying so you could put it all behind you and focus on us. When we were in the emergency room, though, right before they knocked you out, I was so angry with myself for having waited. I wanted at that moment to remind you of how I felt because I wanted that to be the last thing you heard before you went under. But I was afraid that if I told you then, for the first time, you might think I only said it out of obligation for what you had just done for me, for saving my life. And that wasn't true at all. I've been in love with you for a long time, Jess, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you a long time ago."
She leaned against his leg and responded quietly, "At least now I know the feeling is mutual."
Putting his arms around her, he replied, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod. "If you really want to know, I stepped in front of you in the parking garage because when I saw the gunman stand up, my life without you flashed before my eyes, and I didn't like what I saw. I needed you to come back to Albuquerque with me, alive."
He carefully pulled her closer, mindful of her injury, and let out a sigh as she put her head against his chest. "I don't want to think about how close I came to losing you. I'm just glad it's over for both of us so we can finally leave the past behind and focus on the future."
Pulling back, she looked at him thoughtfully, then gave him a slow smile. "I like the way that sounds, the focusing on the future part." Tentatively leaning forward, she kissed him softly, but didn't resist in the least when he tightened his arms and returned the kiss much more insistently.
Finally breaking it off, Marshall smiled and shook his head. "Judging by that sleepy expression, I think your immediate future includes some extended time with your pillow."
***"Hey," he responded into his phone. "What's up?"
"Not much," Mary replied, "except for the fact that I now have proof Arlene Cowan is certifiable. Her wallet wasn't stolen. She left it at a store. The clerk recognized her immediately when Stan and I back-tracked with her to see if we could figure out what had happened. So now absent-minded owner and wallet have been happily reunited, and I wasted several hours of my life on a witness I'd rather avoid like the plague. What's up with you? Why didn't you take my call earlier?"
"I was helping Jess. She needed to eat something."
"Speaking of which, I can't find a damn thing to eat in this whole house," Mary muttered as she peered into her refrigerator. "I suppose I should think about making a trip to the grocery store."
"Come over and have dinner with me. I haven't eaten yet and there's still plenty of enchiladas left over from lunch yesterday."
"I don't want to intrude on your time with Jess," she noted as she immediately sat down and began putting her boots back on.
"I gave her a pain pill and put her to bed already. She definitely overdid things today. She's out for the night so I'm all by my lonesome. I'll make you a plate and have it ready for you."
As she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, she hedged, "Gee, I don't know… I had such a big night planned. Cocktails, dinner, dancing, maybe a play afterwards… What do you have besides day-old enchiladas to offer?"
"Stop talking and get in your car," he commanded affectionately. "You know they're always better on the second day. And don't ring the bell when you get here."
***"Stan wanted me to come back to the office with him to get a copy of their conversation. He's pretty eager for us to listen to it. I told him I'd pick it up tomorrow, though. I can bring it by if you want to hear it."
Marshall shook his head as he finished a bite of black beans and rice. "I'll listen to it in a few days when I'm back at the office. I already have a good idea what's on it anyway. Jess and I had a long conversation earlier."
"You did, huh? How'd that go?" Mary queried, watching him closely over her glass of tea.
"It went well. Very well, in fact. We finally talked about the whole incident in Harrisburg, what she said to Allison and why – we even talked about you. It was a very productive conversation."
Mary tilted her head to the side. "I was right, wasn't I? About her reasons for what she did? Go on, admit it."
With an exaggerated sigh, he reluctantly replied, "Yes, Mary, you were right. You called it, you hit the nail on the head, you scored a perfect game … shall I go on, or has that sufficiently fed your ego?"
"Oh, we're barely getting started," she pointed out happily. "So she finally told you, in words instead of piercing lead, how she felt. And what did you say?"
"What could I say? I told her I was proud of her for setting Allison straight and for standing up for the two of us. And I pointed out to her how easily she could've been killed for taking the risk she did."
"And?" she prompted.
"And … what?"
"Don't make me drag this out of you," she warned.
"Drag what out of me?" he asked warily, avoiding her eyes.
"If you really want to do this the hard way… What did you tell Jess in response to her telling you she had feelings for you?"
He picked up his glass, then paused just before taking a drink. Closing his eyes, he muttered, "God help me, I know I'm going to regret telling you this … but … I told her that I loved her."
Mary's eyes widened as she watched him take a sip and then focus on setting his glass down. "And what did she say to that?"
"She said the feeling was mutual," he answered quietly.
Shaking her head, she pointed out softly, "No big surprise there." Taking an unnecessary stab at a bite of food she had no intention of eating, she asked, "And is this feeling something new on your part, or has it been there for a while?"
"It's been there for a while," he admitted, venturing a glance up at her.
When their eyes met, he was slightly surprised when he didn't see the tiniest bit of ridicule in hers. Instead, she asked, "So why didn't you tell me the truth about that when I asked you before? After her house was broken into, and then again on the plane coming home?"
Marshall shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's partly because I wanted her to be the first to know. Well … the first to hear me say it out loud, anyway. I kind of think you already knew – or at least suspected."
Letting out a sigh, she nodded. "Yeah. I guess I did."
"That wasn't the only reason, though," he confessed. "Look, Mare, you were right about something you said to me on the way home. I hadn't realized it before, but I was more or less holding back from taking a step forward with Jess."
"Any why was that?"
"I kind of think you already know that, too."
With a look of confusion, she contended, "You've got me there."
"You know I was reluctant to let go of the feelings I had for you," he said softly.
Mary stared at him, her heartbeat picking up the pace ever so slightly. It wasn't as if the admission was a complete shock, particularly when she recalled the toast he had made at her impromptu office engagement party, but she was surprised to hear him say the words out loud nonetheless. "No, Marshall, I didn't," she insisted quietly, "for the simple fact that you never told me you had feelings for me. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm not like most women. I don't get the whole read-between-the-lines thing when it comes to others' feelings directed my way. I need things spelled out in black in white. That's the way I am. And I would think that after having spent seven years of toil and trouble with me, you would've figured that out by now."
Marshall was silent a moment, a whole world of missed opportunities suddenly flashing before his eyes. "And if I had spelled it out? Would it have made a difference?"
Feeling the tug at her heart at the thought of having to once and for all put the nail in the coffin of the prospect of two of them, she replied gently, "No, it wouldn't have." Letting out a sigh, she explained, "Look, what you and I have goes way beyond what we do from nine to five. You're the only constant in my life, and I depend on you for nearly everything important. You're my rock when things at home are in their usual state of disarray, my etiquette guide in delicate situations tempering my bull-in-a-china-shop approach, and my Jiminy Cricket since we both know my conscience has always operated slightly off-plumb. Without you, my mouth probably would've gotten me killed by an offended bystander a long time ago. No other relationship in my life comes close to what I have with you. But we would never work as a couple and I care way too much about you to ruin your life by trying. It would eventually wreck this incredible relationship that we do have, that I so depend on. As difficult as it may be to accept, we both know I simply don't have it in me to give you what you need in your personal life."
"Why do you say that? What is it you feel I need?" he questioned.
"We both know you're the giver and I'm the taker in this relationship," she pointed out. "And even though that sounds like a bad thing, I think it contributes to us being excellent partners. But when you go home at night, you need someone to give back to you all the things I suck out of you on a daily basis. You need someone who can give you the white picket fence and dinner on the table and the 2.5 kids, someone who can make the kind of life with you that your parents made with each other, because that's what's normal and right to you. I'm not that person, and no matter how hard I tried, I'd never be that person because none of those things are normal and right to me."
"And what makes you so sure I want those things?"
"Because I know you, better than I've ever known anyone in my entire life," she assured him confidently.
He shook his head. "Whether you realize it or not, you give something to me that keeps me balanced, too."
"Only to a certain extent, and not in any sustainable way. I still take far more from you than I give back."
Trying to accept what she was telling him, he sighed and admitted, "I can't say this is all a really a big surprise to me. When you broke up with Raph and then began making eyes at Faber so soon afterwards, it was pretty clear you were looking for something else, something other than … well … me."
"Look, Marshall, I know this has been bugging the hell out of you since Faber and I worked together while you were out of town, and I've been yanking your chain a little by not giving you any details, but let me clear something up here and now: Nothing really happened between Faber and me."
"'Nothing', or 'nothing really'? Because with you, 'nothing really' could mean anywhere from 'absolutely nothing at all', to 'I slept with him but it didn't go so well'. Maybe you could clarify that phrase a bit," he suggested dryly.
Choosing to ignore his pointed observation, she focused on her plate again and amended with a casual shrug, "Nothing of any significance. We shared a bottle of wine, he said some things, I said some things, and then he sailed the friendly skies into the sunset and out of my life. End of story."
"Yeah, well, I have a feeling he's going to be back … and back … and back."
"Maybe, maybe not. I'm not ready for another relationship and I told him that. Whether he chooses to accept that fact or not is up to him. But we're not talking about Faber here, we're talking about you," she responded impatiently. Taking a deep breath, she let it out and then said more calmly, "I need to ask you something. I did the math, and you started dating Jess right after you found out that Raph and I were engaged. Then when you and I had our little blow-out after Jessica's break-in, you mentioned something about that in the heat of the moment. So … did my engagement have something to do with it all? Given what you said … about having had feelings for me … did you turn to Jess because of that?"
"No," he answered quickly, then added more thoughtfully, "But I suppose it did have something to do with how things progressed." Shrugging, he admitted, "My feelings for you had been there for so long, they were this firmly entrenched part of my life. When you got engaged, I was upset, and I did sort of throw myself into helping Jess as a way to cope and keep busy so I didn't have to think about it all. Then one day I called her to finalize plans we had made for working at her house, and just hearing her voice made me happy. That's when I realized that I had been holding so tightly to my feelings for you, and had been so preoccupied with how I felt for you, that I had completely failed to recognize that I had developed feelings for Jess. It was as though they had slipped in under the radar."
"So you told her," Mary suggested.
"Eventually, yes, I told her that she had become an important part of my life." Shaking his head, he added more quietly, "Then you were shot while she and I were out together … and I thought I had made a mistake. But later, when I was with your family and we were all wondering if you were going to pull through, Raphael said something to me that made me realize someone else loved you at least as much as I did, someone who was in a position to do something about it. I felt then that … you were in good hands, if that makes any sense."
Mary shrugged. "Not particularly, but go on…"
"That brief conversation became something of a turning point for me. It made me realize I needed to start letting go, not of all my feelings for you, but of the ones that had been keeping me from moving forward with my personal life."
"But you still didn't take that next step with Jess. You still didn't sleep with her," Mary pointed out. "Why not? What held you back?"
"Just because I knew I needed to let go, didn't make it easy to actually do so," he explained as he focused on swirling the ice in his tea glass.
Mary studied him carefully, wondering how she could ever have been so caught up in her own life that she hadn't realized the impact she was having on his. "So what about today?" she finally asked. "What was it that made you finally decide to tell Jess what you did?"
After contemplating a moment, he answered, "I guess I finally realized that I needed to be honest with myself and with her. She's become too important to my life for me to be any less. And in these last few days of being here with her, day and night, I have this peculiar feeling of … home, even more so than when I actually am at my home. I can honestly say I've never felt that with any other woman before. I know eventually she's going to kick me out and go back to work, but until she does, this is absolutely where I want to be. I can't remember the last time I felt so content." He paused a moment before adding, "You know, she said something about you today that I think you should know."
"Oh? What's that?" Mary asked suspiciously, feeling as though she had already heard more soul-baring revelations than she could reasonably be expected to process and accept for one night.
"She said she thought she should've told you why she really took the bullet when you asked her in the hospital, that if you had known how she felt it might have allayed some of your fears about the two of us since she knows you don't approve…"
"It isn't that simple," she interrupted. "Approving, not approving … there are so many issues involved. For many very obvious reasons, I still think this relationship is a bad idea." Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. "But when I think of the miraculous twist of fate that it takes for any two specific individuals in this infinitely vast universe to end up on the same square foot of earth, I have to wonder if I have the right to make that call. I think that maybe you and Jess deserve the chance to figure out for yourselves whether or not you work. I can't say I'm happy about it, I just don't think I have the right to try to fight it."
Marshall stared at her wide-eyed. "Geez. I don't think I've ever heard you be so … rational before. I'm not sure how to respond."
Not bothering to try to argue yet another pointed remark, she replied, "I'd like to think I've learned a little something along the way. I mean, Raph and I had everything going for us. There were no real obstacles to the two of us working things out but us. So who am I to say that you shouldn't try to work things out with Jess even though you have some rather significant obstacles to overcome? In this infinitely vast universe, surely stranger things have happened."
He gave her a warm smile. "Surely."
***Mary tip-toed from the bathroom and started for the bedroom door when something caught her eye. Quietly making her way to the nightstand beside Jessica, she reached down and picked the object up. She set it on her outstretched palm and examined it closely in the dim light – a tiny, perfectly detailed and folded origami Terrier. Shaking her head, she couldn't help but smile before returning it to its watchful place. But instead of turning away, she studied her witness as she slept peacefully, wondering if she saw the same things her partner did when he looked at her. Her mind whirled with snippets of the conversation they had shared. She knew when she finally put her head on her own pillow, things would come back to her that for the moment she had purposely pushed aside: things that stung, things that made her sad, things that would make her wonder about what might have been. It would all come back, it would all be sorted, and it would all be filed away for future reference and consideration. For better or worse, it was the way she worked.
She reached down to carefully brush a stray curl from her witness' shoulder. "'Journeys end in lovers meeting'," she quoted in a whispered voice. "Welcome to Albuquerque, Jessica Larson, it looks like your journey may finally be over. Just take good care of him – otherwise, bullet wound scar or not, I'll still kick your ass."