Meant to Be - PG-13
Pairing: Danny/Mary
Disclaimer: I don't own Las Vegas. Things would be a lot different if I did.
Chapter 11
An urgent phone call from Ed had ended Danny and Mary's afternoon outing at the Lucky Burger. They were currently headed back to the Montecito in Danny's car.
"I'm sorry we had to cut our lunch short." Danny had been looking forward to spending the afternoon with Mary.
"It's okay, sweetie. Ed sounded really anxious to see you. Do you think he found something on Penny?" Mary tried not to let on how nervous she was. During the phone call Ed insisted they return to the casino immediately. When Mary mentioned they needed to pick up her car, Ed simply repeated his earlier command. And it had been a command. There was no other way to put it.
"I hope so. I'm looking forward to putting this whole mess behind us so we can get on with our lives," Danny responded sincerely as he brought her hand to his lips.
Once they reached the lobby they were met by two uniformed police officers and another man--Ed following close behind.
"I told you this wasn't necessary," Ed yelled angrily at the officers.
"Danny McCoy?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Mr. McCoy, I'm Detective Sandoval with the Las Vegas Police Department," the third man introduced himself.
"How can I help you, Detective?"
"We're placing you under arrest, sir. Would you please turn around and put your hands on the counter?"
"Arrest? For what?" Danny asked astonished while slowly complying with the officer's request.
"Suspicion of murder."
"Danny, what's going on?" Mary's voice was panicked.
"I don't know," Danny replied as one of the officers placed him in handcuffs. "Who was murdered?"
"The victim's name was Penelope Posin."
"That's not possible! Ed, tell them this is a mistake," Mary yelled.
"They have a warrant, kiddo. There's nothing I can do," the older man responded.
"Ed, someone's setting me up for this," Danny insisted.
"I've got Mike on it and I've already called Len Heymann."
Tears were streaming down Mary's face as the detective read Danny his rights.
"Do you understand your rights?"
"Yeah," Danny spoke somberly.
Before the officers could escort him out of the hotel, Danny turned to Mary who immediately threw her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.
"Baby, everything's going to be okay," Danny's voice was reassuring as he nuzzled the side of her face, cursing the handcuffs that prevented him from holding her.
Mary tried desperately to stop her tears from falling, but to no avail. Danny traced the moisture with soft kisses, stopping when he reached her mouth. He hesitated only a moment before touching his lips to hers. The kiss was filled with so much hope and passion that it left Mary breathless and sobbing.
Danny pulled back and looked at her heartbroken face.
"Mary, look at me," he demanded. Once her eyes met his, he spoke with fierce determination, "I promise you that nothing is going to keep us apart ever again. I love you and I'm going to spend everyday of my life showing you how much."
Mary buried her head in Danny's chest and continued to sob, her hands fisted tightly in his t-shirt. Danny gave his former boss a pleading look. Ed gently pried Mary's hands from Danny's shirt, holding her to his chest as the officers led the younger man away.
"Don't say a word, kid. We'll meet you at the station."
Danny sat in the interrogation room waiting for his attorney. Danny felt confident if anyone could help him it would be Len Heymann. The door opened and the former mob lawyer stepped inside.
"Well, Danny, I'm going to be honest with you. It doesn't look good."
"I didn't do it, Mr. Heymann."
"I'm not saying you did, but they have evidence to suggest otherwise."
"What kind of evidence?"
"Your prints on the murder weapon, for one."
"What? What murder weapon," Danny asked in disbelief.
"A baseball bat found at the scene. They also have a witness who says you threatened Ms. Posin last night."
"Let me guess, my nosy neighbor Mrs. Purdy?" Danny rolled his eyes as he thought of the woman who lived across the street from his Dad's house.
"Where were you this morning?" Len began, ignoring Danny's comment.
"I was with Mary until 6:00 this morning and then I was at one of the jobsites--the Talavera Apartments in North Las Vegas-- until after 2:00PM."
"Did anyone see you there?"
"I had a meeting with two of my subcontractors at 8:00AM. The rest of the crew showed up about 9:00 o'clock."
"Did anyone see you between 6:00AM and 8:00AM?" Len was zeroing in on a time frame and Danny realized this must have been when Penny was killed.
"I don't know. Is that when they think she was killed?"
"Yes. Apparently, her watch took a blow and stopped at 6:52."
"Where?" Danny asked dazed.
"They're not sure, but her body was found in a dumpster at another McCoy construction jobsite," Len glanced at his notes, "the Farlow Building."
"That's miles from Talavera," Danny insisted.
"Yeah, but you could have left Mary's at 6:00 and had plenty of time to kill Penny before your 8:00 o'clock meeting."
Danny sighed and put his head in his hands. This whole thing was a nightmare. Whoever had set him up had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure everything pointed to Danny.
"If I'm going to help you, the first thing I need to know is everything about your relationship with this girl. Ed filled me in on what happened last night, but I want you to start from the beginning."
He proceeded to tell Len the details of the last few months leading up to the events of the previous evening.
Len was quiet for a moment and Danny took that as a bad sign.
"I didn't do it," Danny said again through gritted teeth.
"I believe you, but it's going to take a miracle to convince the cops of that. You've got no alibi, your prints are on the murder weapon and some people might consider what happened last night a possible motive."
Danny's mood instantly changed from one of disbelief to anger.
"I don't know why, but someone is setting me up and I'd bet money whoever did this is involved in last night too,"
"I think you're right. Now we just have to figure out who that is," neither man had noticed the door open, but they both turned at the sound of a woman's voice.
Danny gaped in disbelief as he looked straight into the eyes of Detective Jenny Cho.
