CHAPTER 14
"Sarah, Constance was just asking me about your friend Bobby. She noticed him when we came in. She seems to think that he seems like a very interesting man. She asked me how long you've known him and I wasn't sure?" Veronica was asking as Alex joined the group.
"Well, let's see. I guess it's about four years now. I met Robert at a book signing for "And Justice For All" in New York. He came in and confused me enough to get me to agree to go out with him. And on our first date, he literally swept me off my feet."
"How's that again?" Constance asked, fascinated.
"We were victims, well I was the victim of a hit-and-run kate board attack while walking after dinner in Central Park. I fell and twisted my ankle. He wound up having to carry me all the way back to his car." Everyone laughed. "And through Robert, I met and became friends with Alex and Andy, although they weren't married at the time. I think they met just a little while before Robert and I did."
"Well, that may be, but I think it was almost six months after I met Andy that I found out you two had been seeing each other for almost four months. My partner plays it pretty close to the vest when his personal life is involved. My first clue that he was even seeing anyone was he started coming in to work shaved in the morning. Before that, he would push it for days without shaving, until our Captain had to remind Bobby about regulations.
"Partners?" Constance asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry Constance, Robert and Alex are NYPD detectives." Sarah said.
"Alex, how long have you and Bobby been partners?" Veronica asked just before taking another sip of her champagne.
"Oh, almost six years now." Alex looked straight into Veronica's eyes.
Veronica smiled, "I bet you've handled some very interesting cases. Any that we can get you to tell us about? Maybe Sarah could write about them in her new book? I believe Sarah said you were detectives in Major Cases?"
Sarah looked down and quickly took a sip of her champagne.
"Yes, we've had some interesting cases. Mostly though, I'm always struck by the wastefulness of it all. The waste of life. The loss of hope."
"I suppose that's all true, detective. Very sad. And tragic. I would imagine especially when someone gets away with it, or when you don't have a suspect. I'm sure that must have happened a time or two in your years on the force. "
"Yes, it has, more than once. Those are the ones that keep you awake at night. Those are the ones you never forget." Alex looked closely at Veronica as she spoke.
Alex spoke with a quiet intensity that stalled conversation for a minute as everyone took another sip of their drinks. Sensing she may have gone too far, "Sorry, everyone. That was a little more intense than I intended. It's a bit of a sensitive subject for most cops."
Changing the subject, Veronica asked a new question, "So Alex, how long are you and Bobby going to be here in town?" Adding in a teasing voice, "I'm sure Sarah's hoping for it'll be for more than a few days, although I'm not sure how happy that's going to make Tony."
"Veronica, There's nothing going on between Tony and I…."
Veronica interrupted, "Yes, I know that dear, but that doesn't keep me from seeing that he would like there to be."
Sarah continued, "…And I haven't seen or talked to Robert for several years now. We're just friends now."
"My dear, I hope you mean friends with benefits." Constance added.
"Constance!" Sarah screamed as all the women broke out laughing. "All right then, fine. On that note, I'm going to go get some more champagne. Where's a waiter when you need one?" Sarah walked away laughing as Alex went on to answer Veronica's question.
"To answer your question Veronica, I'm not sure how long we're going to be out here. Originally, it looked like we were just going to be out here until the weekend, so the Feds could pick our brains about the profile we came up with in the 'Cross Country' killer case that we handled in New York. My partner really is quite brilliant. He has a way of connecting facts "A" "C" and "D" to get to "F" and finding "B" and "E" by the time he's finished. As of now though, I couldn't tell you how long it's going to be. Things have a way of coming together rather quickly sometimes. And others, well frankly, they never come together at all. For all I know we'll be able to go home tomorrow. I'm just happy we were able to be here for tonight. This has been really great." Alex looked around the room, hoping she showed the correct star struck quality.
Sarah had given up on her search for a waiter and returned to the table. As she sat down at the table next to Bobby, she leaned over and whispered, "OK. I don't know what you've been able to come up with, but I'm convinced that Veronica Daniels is Nicole." Picking up her champagne glass, she took a sip and before setting it down, she tipped it in Nicole's direction. "She is Nicole Wallace."
Bobby looked doubtful. "What makes you think that? How do you know? You never even met Nicole."
"You're right, I never met Nicole. But, I know that I never specifically told Veronica about you. Despite what the FBI thinks, she and I aren't that close. I may have mentioned something about 'an old boyfriend in New York' and that you were a cop, but only in general terms, but never in any detail. So, everything she's saying tonight she knew without me having told her."
Looking doubtful Hawkins asked, "What has she been saying tonight to convince you?"
"OK, tonight," Sarah pointed at Goren, "I introduced him as Robert Goren. I've only addressed him as Robert. I very consciously did that. I've been listening and I haven't heard anyone else refer to him as anything other than Robert or Goren or not by name at all. She…" Sarah pointed to Nicole, "keeps referring to him as "Bobby". Why? If she wasn't Nicole, why would she be calling you Bobby? I can see 'Robert' or 'Bob' but "Bobby" - come on, it's not the first nickname that comes to mind when someone first meets you. Do you remember when we first met and how surprised I was when you said I should call you "Bobby"? I remember you telling me you hated it when Nicole called "Bobby".
Also, she just mentioned to Alex that I'd told her that the two of you were with Major Cases. I never told her that. Never. I am not close enough to her to have told her things like that." Looking over at Bobby, she said, "… believe it or not, you are not a major topic of conversation with the people I know out here. Like I said before, I'm sure I probably did mention 'an old boyfriend' from New York and that he was a cop, but I never would have said anything about you being a detective in Major Case."
"While she was talking to Alex and trying to find out about cases and such, she seemed more interested in those cases that maybe hadn't gotten solved, where the suspect got away with it. If I remember correctly, from what you told me, that seems like a classic Nicole dig at the cops,
Jenkins got up and said, "Well, it's not the most solid evidence, but it's more than we were able to come up with. I'm going to go outside and call Caldwell, and see what he wants us to do."
Bobby stood and said, "Come on Sarah, let's dance."
"What? You want to dance? Now?" Sarah was confused now.
"Yes now, let's dance. I can get a better look at her from there. Maybe I'll see something in her body language. Also, it'll be easier to keep her in sight from there." As he led her away from the table, under his breath, he added, "And I want to talk to you."
The band started a slow song and they fell into an easy slow waltz. For a minute, Sarah was lost in the music and their movements. Bobby didn't allow that to last long. Bobby's whispered questions broke into her reverie, "What do you think you're doing? Do you realize how dangerous this could be? Especially if it turns out that Veronica is Nicole? Why are you involving yourself in this more than you already are? Nicole is very dangerous."
Trying to remain calm Sarah said, "I realize that Nicole is dangerous. But what am I supposed to do? You came to my house, you drag me outside to talk to me because the FBI has listening devices trained on it. You tell me they believe I'm involved in arms smuggling with possible ties to terrorist organizations because of this one women I've recently met. What did you think I was going to do? Stand around and let this unfold around me? To find myself taken into custody in the dark of night and held somewhere like Guantanemo? I'm not that person anymore. I haven't been that person in a very long time. I'm going to do whatever I have to, to prove that I'm not involved in anything illegal. So that's what I'm doing and what I'm going to continue to do. Now, that's all I have to say about this. So, if you still want to dance, fine, then we'll dance. If not then let's go back to the table."
Sarah could see she hit a nerve with Bobby who was working his jaw. "What's it going to be, Goren?"
Bobby closed his eyes and drew a deep breath,
"Naw, uh uh, don't say it Goren. We're finished with the subject. I mean it. We can dance or we can go back to the table. The choice is yours."
Sarah leaned back so that she could see up into Goren's face. He pressed his lips together and exhaled deeply. "Fine, we're fine. We're just dancing then."
"Fine, we're just dancing." Sarah leaned forward enough to rest her head on his shoulder. They just danced.