A Friend in Need
Chapter 14
Daniel had suspected Donnie was somehow involved in the shootings, but to think he could have instigated the shootings caught Daniel by surprise, yet that is what the recording hinted at.
"I'm not saying that Donnie is the killer," Kate said, reading his thoughts, "I still think Yuss is. The morning of the killings, SWAT, FBI agents and I all witnessed Gene Yuss standing by the window. He does exist. He's taken pictures WITH Donnie. And he did disappear, making him seem even more guilty. And on top of all that, we analyzed the crime scene and there's no way Donnie could have shot himself while hiding, unless his arm was 20 feet long. That WAS what you were going to point out, right?"
"I don't know what to think anymore, Kate," Daniel admitted, "This case has me completely baffled."
"But I thought you had figured out Donnie's guilt from the recording, just like me," she then questioned him, "So if not that, then what were you going to say?"
"Not about that. I was thinking back to the initial interview we had with Donnie when he was in the hospital immediately after the shootings," Daniel explained, "back then, Donnie had said he saw Yuss backlit against the window, but that would have been impossible being that the sun would not have been high enough in the sky for it to have that effect through the window."
Kate sadly shook her head and whispered underneath her breath, "Oh, Donnie, what have you done?"
She then turned back to Daniel, "Earlier in my office, I had done a credit check on everyone. I checked the bank accounts of victim Larry Stevenson, his ex-wife, and victim Mary Ann Tilson's parents and roommate. No unusual transactions."
"What about Donnie?" Daniel readily mentioned.
"You don't miss a thing, do you?" She asked, hating what she found out, "He was spending money, but not lavishly. Evidently, not all of his ex-wife's expenses were covered by her insurance. According to her physician, Donnie recently gave the doctor $500 cash to pay off some of the debt. I've checked Donnie's bank records again, and he had been withdrawing small increments of money from his personal account, which roughly totaled over $2,000 in cash. The doctor also told me that Donnie promised more money in the future, yet I'm not sure where he got that money from."
"Well," Daniel suggested, "Donnie had been aware that there was a huge amount of evidence money in Larry Tilson's safe."
Kate gave him an irritated look, "I know, Daniel, I realize that!"
Daniel felt bad for Kate about having to find out about Donnie this way.
"You okay, Kate? About Donnie and all?"
She backed down, slightly, "I'm fine, I guess. Right now, I don't want to think about my feelings. All I want to do is focus on the case and get my job back, and as far as the other personal stuff...I'll just deal with it later, alright?"
She made it clear that certain topics were not open to discussion. He felt actually relieved. Yet even with Donnie out of the picture, it was obvious that Kate was satisfied with using himself as a consultant, but he could not continue this way because every time he saw her, his heart would break a little more.
So once again, after they solve this case, they would separate and resume their lives in opposite directions.
.
It was late at night.
Max had long gone to bed. Daniel was trying to read, but he couldn't seem to concentrate. He got up, walked over to the piano and sat on the bench.
Then he realized that he could not think of a single song to play. It was either his mind or his fingers would not cooperate.
"Ahhhh, one must watch out for the perils of love!" Poirot suddenly appeared next to the piano, dressed in his favorite white suit with distinguished black bow tie. This time he held a teacup and saucer in his hand. When he took a sip of tea, his pinky finger flipped up in the air, "For being in love is grand when it is reciprocated, but when not, love is like having a broken rib!"
"I get it, love hurts like the dickens," Daniel stated.
Poirot looked almost insulted.
"Such unrefined phrasing for a professor of your caliber, Dr. Pierce!" Poirot remarked as he good-naturedly stuck his index finger in the air to make a point, "My good man, we are not word barbarians! One must be poetic when philosophizing about a subject! Love can be like a broken rib, Dr. Pierce, because although one cannot view it from its exterior, it will hurt with every breath that is inhaled!"
"Well put," admitted Daniel, "and since you're here, maybe you can help me with something else."
"Help you once again with the Yuss case?" Poirot questioned, "Haven't I helped enough?"
"You have, but no need to smug about it," Daniel stated, "and, no, it's not about the case. Instead, what I need are suggestions for a song I can play on the piano. With the events of the last few days, my mind has been drained dry."
"Oh, in a reflective mood, are we?" Poirot rhetorically asked. His eyes traveled up to the ceiling in deep thought and suddenly he snapped his fingers and shot a big smile in Daniel's direction, "What about if you play the standard,'When you wish upon a Star'?"
"Really?" Daniel looked incredulous, "You want me to play a Disney song? Next thing I know, I'll have a tip jar on the piano and you'll be requesting me to play, 'Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho."
Poirot looked surprised, "Is that your idea of a joke, Dr. Pierce? Now who is being smug, my good man! Actually, that particular song is appropriate because it is full of optimism."
"Daniel looked unconvinced, "The song, 'Heigh-Ho'? In what way?"
"Not that song!" Poirot scowled, "'When You Wish Upon a Star'!...it is a song of hope, a quality you seem to be missing tonight."
Daniel couldn't deny the claim. He turned back and stared at the keys. Subconsciously his fingers fell upon the right keys and of its own accord began playing the instrumental of the song as his mind seemed to whisper the lyrics:
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
Strangely, the song played beautifully as an instrumental on the piano and Daniel actually was beginning to relax and enjoy it:
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dream-
KNOCK!
-Daniel was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door. Then just as abruptly, the knocking stopped, as if the caller was hesitant to continue. And then it began up again with two more knocks.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Daniel?" Kate's muffled voice could be heard on the other side of the door, "Can you open the door? It's Kate."
Daniel turned to get Poirot's reaction, but he had already disappeared, which probably was for the better. Rushing to the door, Daniel almost flung the door opened.
Kate stood before him with such a lost expression on her face.
"Kate, I'm surprised to see you."
"I was wrong," she said as a greeting.
Daniel scowled, "Wrong?"
"I'm not okay," she sounded and looked lost, "Could I come in?"
Daniel immediately opened the door wider and then shut it when she entered. Once again, they sat side by side on the living room sofa. She really looked miserable, Daniel thought as he watched her with her lower lip slightly sticking out.
"Anything else I can do for you?" Daniel asked, "Some tea? Chocolates?"
It did sound inviting, but Kate needed a different kind of comfort.
"Actually, Daniel...would you mind...holding me again...like that other time?"
Her heart actually fluttered at the way Daniel was looking at her with a surprised expression intermixed with desire.
"That would actually make you feel better?" Daniel acted as though he couldn't believe the audacity of the request and it made Kate grin.
"Yes," she answered honestly, and she actually felt her heart aching.
Daniel turned away, "I...I don't know, Kate...I mean, you... and Donnie..."
"...are no more," she told him, sounding very definite.
He intensely looked at her face, "Oh," was all he could manage to say.
"it's been a long time coming, Daniel," she picked her words carefully, "and it really had nothing to do with this Yuss matter. Donnie and I haven't been a couple for awhile, we were just two people who shared space together. I fooled myself into thinking that it was love, but I should have trusted my instincts the first time I divorced him. Because what I realized is that our problems weren't about his affair or about my work commitments; it was about us not really caring enough to open our hearts and share a life together because down deep, we both knew we weren't right for one another."
Everything she said gave Daniel hope.
She tilted her head slightly, "So did I earn my rights to be held by you or not?"
He grinned at her jesting with some of his own , "You did, however, I should warn you about my arm...it's only good for a limited time."
She grinned back, "I should hurry then, shouldn't I?"
Daniel outstretched his arm on the back of the sofa, inviting her to come into his arms.
A tremor of delight ran through her as she scooted over and leaned into his chest. Suddenly she was enveloped in the comfort of his warm embrace as he wrapped his arm around her and she melted into his chest. She couldn't even speak, for she wanted to enjoy this moment, she felt sweet jolts rushing swiftly throughout her body.
Daniel couldn't believe he was holding Kate at last. It made his heart race. This was definitely better than any hallucination. He knew whenever he was feeling down, this would be the moment he would relive to cheer himself up.
He reached down and touched her hair. It was felt smooth and silky. He must be the luckiest man in the world.
"Kate, I've never thought...with everything we've been through...I mean I just thought..." Daniel didn't know how to express all the feelings running through him.
"I had been a fool to give Donnie a second chance," Kate admitted, almost to herself, "he gone, you know."
Daniel separated from her, "He's gone? You mean from the apartment? Are you sure?"
She didn't seemed bothered, "Most of his important things are gone," she half smiled, "So looks like I bit the bullet this time, didn't I?"
It was at that moment that Hercule Poirot reappeared, this time wearing a formal suit, a red bow tie and carrying a valentine.
"If you ask me, Dr. Pierce, love is like playing the piano," Poirot over-exaggeratedly placed the valentine over his heart, "one must learn to play by the rules and it's only later that one learns to play by the heart."
Daniel stared intense at Kate and then suddenly blurted out, "I'm in love with you, Kate."
At his astounding words, Kate's eyes widened and her heart pounded fiercely. She separated herself from him and sat up, because she wanted to see in his eyes if he really meant it.
And what she read in his eyes was warm sincerity.
"Daniel... I..." her voice slightly faltered and then she smiled, "I love you, too."
He reached out and with his hand, lovingly caressed her cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. And when he reached towards her, slowly closing the distance between them, she knew she had lost her heart to him.
When he covered his mouth with hers, her world was lost in a blaze of sensations. She felt the heat of her fingertips as she reached around his neck to pull him even closer and felt her body melt into his.
When they separated it seemed as if their hearts were beating as one.
"You've made me very happy, Kate," Daniel admitted.
"I'm happy, too, Daniel," she said, as she cheeks slightly blushed. Then she sighed, "I just wished this whole investigation was over with and I could get back to living my life and going on with my job," she then realized that their being together was not about her job, so she blushed slightly, "Sorry. I have to stop thinking about myself."
"No, Kate, it's fine," Daniel assured her, "Your life will not be right for you until we understand why Donnie disappeared and also solve the mystery of the killings."
"Ahhh, so though you have found love, Dr. Pierce, you still seek more answers," Poirot noted, a smile playing on his lips, "Well, Mr. Ryan is no different from you, in one aspect. He also seeks answers by using his heart."
Daniel considered the words and suddenly he knew the answer.
"Kate," he calmly stated, "I know exactly where Donnie will be tomorrow and when."
.
.
(A/N: Okay, this is freaky weird. I had written this chapter well before the "Romeo" episode and was shocked when Daniel ended up playing the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" on the piano AND singing it at Donnie and Kate's engagement party! With both scenes, I was yelling to my husband that that was the song I picked for this chapter! Wowwwww!
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