Chapter 21

Danny, Vivian and Martin all tried to look very busy at 8 am the next morning. They were expecting Jack to roar in any minute. To keep up their ruse about Maggie Mulcahey, they had pulled her old case files out of storage and were re-constructing the timeline. If nothing else, it kept them busy and their eyes off the elevator doors.

"Ok, the bus driver said she got off at her usual stop at 3:12," Danny read to Martin who wrote the information on the line. "Then, Janey Wallace, her best friend, said that they said good-bye right after Maggie walked with her to her house. According to Vivian's notes, that would make it…um…"

"Come on, man," Martin teased, "Viv's handwriting isn't that bad!"

"Yeah!" Vivian spoke up in her own defense. "Let me see that," she grabbed the notes from Danny's hand and pointed to the pertinent line, "Right here, Danny-boy. 3:17." She thrust the notes back into his hand and resumed her search through the box for the rest of the records.

"Oh, that's a '7'??" Danny scoffed and waited for Martin to finish writing. "After that, no one remembers seeing her."

Martin capped the pen, "Once she left Janey's, she had to go down that block, around the corner and across the street." He went to the map he had pinned up earlier. With a finger, he traced the route, "If anyone was watching, she could have been snatched after she rounded the corner or as she crossed the street." He looked up sharply, "Viv? When Reggie was eight, did you let him cross the street by himself?"

Vivian shook her head, "No. But he was in preschool the year Maggie disappeared. So there was no way I was letting him cross the street, walk home or just about anything by himself when he was eight. Why?"

"Well, if her parents were accounted for. Who walked Maggie home every day? I mean, Maggie walked with Janey. Why wasn't there someone to walk with Maggie?" Martin went to the heart of the matter.

"No one walked home with her because that's how her parents wanted it," Jack was still in his coat and had yet to go to his office, but decided to see what his team was up to anyway.

"Oh, ok," Martin shrugged.

"Van Doren's in your office," Danny pointed to the closed and shuttered door. "She said she needed to talk to you before Maggie's father came in."

Jack took in each of his agents. There didn't seem to be any visual hostility from any of them. He quietly noted Samantha's absence and felt a twinge of guilt in his gut. His eyes wandered back to Martin, watching the younger agent flip through the stack of interview notes. Did he know what had happened Friday? Did she keep what happened a secret? A stern voice interrupted his reverie.

"Agent Malone, a word?" Paula Van Doren called from his office. What Jack didn't know, was that in his office were two attorneys, the Deputy Director and two FBI Police officers.

Once Jack stepped into his office, he knew that Samantha had not kept what had happened a secret. No, she had informed the whole world, it seemed. "The Maggie Mulcahey case was a good choice," he commented casually. Sadly, he reached carefully for his sidearm and badge and laid them on his desk.

Four pairs of eyes watched his actions with daggers. Two just watched impassively. Once his hand was free from the gun, one of the policemen secured his arms behind him with handcuffs. The other officer read from a small card, "John Michael Malone, you are under arrest for the stalking and aggravated sexual assault of Samantha Anne Spade. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"

"Yeah, I understand," his voice was gruff.

Victor Fitzgerald gave the former agent a look that would peel paint, "I hope you have a good attorney, Malone. The Bureau will not back you on this."

"Yeah."

The police led him from his own office and out into the hallway. Jack lifted his head long enough to see Martin, Danny and Vivian standing shoulder to shoulder. All three were better actors than he had given them credit. Now, he could clearly see the anger on all their faces whereas before, they all looked hard at work on a case. He could see Danny's hands clenched into fists and wondered what would happen if he were left alone in an interrogation room with the 'big brother.' 'Big brother?' God that would be a cakewalk compared to what would happen if he were left alone with the boyfriend! And Vivian? Their protector? She'd be the worst. No, better to let the legal system mete out his fate rather than his former co-workers and friends. Jack let his head drop back down and watched the floor pass under his feet.

The two attorneys followed the crazy parade. They would follow Jack to the jail in the basement and make sure there were no screw-ups in his processing. The last thing Samantha needed was for Jack to win on a technicality.

Martin laid a hand on Danny's shoulder once the elevator doors closed, "Relax man," he whispered. It wasn't that Martin wasn't just as angry; only that he knew Danny would have a heart attack if he kept it all inside.

"Just two minutes," Danny replied in a low, angry growl, "That's all I want. Two minutes alone with him."

"Me first," Vivian spit out venomously, surprising the other two. "What? You don't think I'd do anything to him?" her eyes filled, "You didn't see what I saw. How he hurt her; what Mari and I had to ask her to do and then to re-live it just hours later by telling us." She shook her head, "You didn't see, and, I'm sorry to say this, but you'll never fully understand," she would have elaborated, but the past few days caught up with her and in a wholly un-Vivian characteristic action, burst into tears.

Moving out of shock first, Martin went to her and hugged her tightly, "I'm sorry, Viv! I'm so sorry I called you and…"

"No," her voice muffled by his shirt, "don't be sorry, Martin. Samantha needed a friend—a woman friend." She pulled back, wiping her face, "Sam's been there for me when I needed her. It was only fair that I be there for her. It was just really hard."

Victor and Paula watched them from the doorway. There was no way this team could function two bodies short and in their current state of mind. Victor nodded to Paula and strode over to the huddled team, "I'm giving you all this week off—with pay. I'll give Samantha as long as she needs. But right now, the three of you need to take the week and recover," he informed them in a quiet voice that conveyed concern but also brooked no argument. "Every member of this team has been victimized and you all need time to find your balance again."

Paula added, "To appease my conscious, I'd like all of you to see," she tipped her head to Martin, "or continue seeing Dr. Harris."

Danny and Vivian just nodded. They both knew she could help them make sense of what happened and perhaps even move past it.

Martin also nodded before adding, "Thanks, Dad."

"It was the least I could do. Please keep me informed about Samantha," Victor started towards the elevators before turning, "And don't forget to call your mother."

"I won't. Bye, Dad," Martin checked his watch, "I'm going to go spring Sam. She has to want to get out of there by now."

Danny actually chuckled, "I'm surprised you managed to keep her there this long."

"No kidding," Martin returned his grin. "Viv? You and Danny want to come over to my place later for dinner?"

"Are you sure Samantha won't mind?" Vivian wiped the last traces of tears.

He shook his head, "Nope. It was her idea this morning. Come about 6?"

"You bet," Vivian smiled.

"Tell Hot Stuff I'm bringing my jammies for a sleepover," Danny quipped.

Martin shook his head, "No. No sleepovers for you, you snore!"

A/N: I just want to thank everyone who's reviewing! I really appreciate that you take the time!