Chapter 25

Central Detention Facility, Washington DC

"Give me his folder, Gillian," Alex Almeida ordered.

"I can handle this, Alex," she lied. "He's my patient." If she could really handle it she wouldn't have felt nauseous the minute she saw his name on her roster of patients when she came in this morning.

Like so many inmates serving a short sentence, Hunter Kline was being considered for early release. All he needed was a final psych evaluation to determine whether he'd get it.

"No he's not," Alex corrected her. "He's my patient. You borrowed him for a day, that's all. Now give me the folder."

Gillian did as he asked, not sure whether she felt relief or trepidation.

"He's a great actor. He's going to fool you."

Her suggestion disappointed him a little. "Look, Gillian. Maybe I'm not a deception expert. But I spent half of my life in Brazil pretending I was straight so I could finish my studies without getting harassed. I do know something about acting."

"That's not what I meant..."

"Yes, it is," he told her. "Have a little faith in me please?"

Gillian winced. It was rude. To suggest he'd be fooled so easily. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Alex told her. "I forgive you this one," he added with a smile. "Because I know this guy does something crazy to you."

"He doesn't..."

"Gillian?"

"Fine" She gave up pretending and exhaled. "Thank you...for taking him."

"He's my patient," he reminded her, already reading over her initial assessment.

"I don't want Penn to give you a hard time over this."

Alex grinned. A big, giant Cheshire cat grin. "I'm going to tell Doug that I'm taking this guy on because he was mine to begin with, remind him that he had no right to hand him to you after I explicitly asked him not to and then...then I'm going to give him my two weeks notice."

Gillian's face lit up in surprise. "It's official? You got the job?"

"Got the offer from Lightman this morning."

She got up to give him a hug. "That's fantastic."

Mixed emotions toyed with her when he threw his massive arms around her. Part of her was ecstatic because she knew how much he wanted it, and because of that, she wanted it for him too. But another part of her was already missing him.

It won't be the same here without you. You're the best part about this place.

"Thanks," he acknowledged. "Couldn't have done it without you paving the way."

"Not true," she told him. "Your credentials speak for themselves."

"Liar," he shot back. "See, already I'm starting to spot them."

Gillian laughed. "Whatever."

His dark brown eyes met hers with curiosity now. "You didn't tell me Lightman wants you back too. I mean, he really wants you back there."

Gillian blushed and she wondered what else Cal had told him.

"I told that him you're crazy about me and that having me there would only give you added incentive to come back. I think that's why I got the job."

"You did not!"

Alex chuckled. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

"Alex?"

"You won't be able to resist when both of us gang up on you and when you realize that after I leave here, no one is going to sit on Doug for you when he acts like a jerk. You'll be back at the Lightman Group within months. Weeks maybe."

Gillian rolled her eyes.

"You know it," he added, then got serious again. "I should go."

"Can you..." she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yes, I'll let you know how it goes," he told her, already halfway out her office.

Gillian bit back a smile as her unease abated. She didn't want to deal with Kline again. Ever. But, truth was, aside from Lightman, she didn't trust anyone else to either. Not for something as important as deciding an early release.

The thought made her shiver. Sent goose bumps running along her entire arm.

Knowing he was here made her feel safe.

Then again, what difference did it make? Whether he'd be out now or in a few months. Either way he wouldn't be here long.

"Maybe if he stays a little longer, he'll screw up enough to do something that'll extend his stay," she mumbled to herself.

It was wishful thinking but she couldn't help it.

Later

It was late afternoon when she ran into Alex Almeida again. This time it was Gillian who popped into his office.

"Gillian," he said. "Glad you stopped by. There's something I forgot to give you this morning."

"What is it?"

He took out one of the countless containers of Tupperware he always had on him.

"Maurice made risotto arancini with grilled calamari last night. They're..." He emitted a guttural sound that was vaguely orgasmic. "To die for."

Gillian opened the container. It did look appetizing. Even cold and a day old. Except that her stomach was still in knots because no matter how much she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind all she could think about was Alex's session with Kline.

She'd been dying to ask how it went. But whenever Alex was free, she'd been with a patient and vice versa.

"Looks amazing," she agreed. "Thank you."

"I figure I should spoil you while I still can." He told her. "Today and tomorrow."

"What?"

"When I gave Doug my notice he told me I could pack up my things tomorrow."

Gillian looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

Alex shrugged his shoulders. Indifferent. "Doesn't surprise me. He can't handle the thought of someone ditching him."

Gillian marvelled that someone like Penn was assessing the psychological well-being of others. "I'm sorry..." she said softly. "After all your time here, you deserved so much better than that."

"I don't care one bit, Gillian," he told her. "Means I have a two week vacation before starting my new job. Or maybe I can start that one early. You're the one I feel sorry for. You'll be getting a lot more work."

"I'll refuse to take on your patients," she insisted. "Penn can take them. What's he going to do? Fire me?"

"Don't put it past him," he told her. "He'd rather backlog these inmates for weeks and months, than admit he needs you around here."

Gillian sighed. Alex had a point. He would.

She fought back a sudden urge to storm into Doug Penn's office and tell him exactly what she thought.

"Aren't you going to ask me how it went?" Alex prodded her. "You're dying to. I know."

Gillian bit her lip. She was. But her anger with Penn momentarily pushed it from her thoughts. "How did it go?" she asked.

"Honestly, Gillian, that guy creeped me out. I know we're supposed to look at people like him with clinical objectivity. To go through the DSM and separate the man from the disorder with neat little labels. But five minutes in a room with that guy and I wanted to get out. I can't see or hear all the things you can...but I can see why he gets to you now."

"And?"

"I turned down the recommendation for an early release. The guy's a pathological liar. I didn't see any sincerity in his so-called remorse."

Gillian exhaled. Relief was what she felt now. Relief in knowing that he'd be here at least another few months.

Until she took a closer look at Alex's face.

There was something else. Something he wasn't telling her.

"Alex?"

"Doug overturned my decision."

"What?" Gillian couldn't believe what he was saying. "Why?"

"You know he has the right to," Alex reminded her. "And tell me you're not that naive that you're wondering why? It's his final "fuck you" to me."

Gillian was so angry she couldn't catch her breath. "How could he?"

"Because..." he paused. Gillian always marvelled at his capacity to stay calm. There were few people in the world who made her seem impulsive and excitable but Alex Almeida did. "Because it's the only joy her gets in life? Throwing around his weight at work? Don't even try to understand it. Hunter Kline would have been out soon anyway. A few days or a few months, doesn't make a lot of difference, Gillian."

He was right of course. On both counts.

She just didn't see it that way right now. The knot in her stomach tightened and for a second she thought she might be sick.

"Don't," he repeated softly, eyeing her with a hint of concern. "Don't let them get to you, okay? Not Kline or Penn. Neither of them are worth it."

Lightman Group, Washington DC

Ria Torres was in a rush. Leslie Rotblatt decided she needed their services at the last minute this afternoon to examine a jury pool and Lightman was already scheduled for a video conference with their Vegas client.

So of course she got saddled with this one. Like everything else she got saddled with.

"Hey Ria..." she heard Loker shout from the lab when he saw her dashing by.

"No time," she mumbled.

"You gotta see this."

She stopped and poked her head in the doorway. "Can it wait?"

"Sure it can wait," he said. "But don't yell at me for not trying to tell you as soon as I found out."

Now there was no way she could keep going. She stepped into the lab. "What is it?"

"Take a look at this," he said pointing to one of several video screens in front of them.

"It's the Lightman Group security camera. First floor hallway," she noted when she saw the view and the date and time on the lower right hand corner. "Don't you have anything else to do besides look at security footage?"

"One of the cameras jammed this morning," he told her. "Thought I might try and save the company some of the money we don't have by fixing it myself instead of calling in a technician."

"Don't we have a contract with these guys?" Torres questioned him. "They have to fix it for us."

"We did," Loker told her. "Lightman cancelled it to save money."

"Oh..." Torres should have known that. That and a zillion other things about the day to day operation of this company that she was still learning about. "So what am I looking at?"

"Wednesday night, just after 10pm..." he rewound the tape. "Look who's coming to visit Lightman."

Ria looked at the screen, her eyes widening in surprise. "Foster."

"Then," Loker went on. "The door of Lightman's office is closed and..." Loker fast forwarded the tape nearly an hour. "Tada...they come back out together, all happy and, look at that, hands all over each other!"

Ria watched the scene. The smiles on their faces. The way they looked at each other and the way Lightman pulled Foster closer.

It made her grin. She'd been right all along. Lightman did love her.

"Betcha ten bucks I know what they did in there."

"You already owe me ten bucks," Ria told him. "That's his girlfriend," she realized. "That's why Lightman's been happy lately."

Loker didn't share her excitement. "Am I the only one who's concerned here?"

"Concerned?" Ria didn't get it. "Why should we be concerned? This is great. Those two are meant for each other. Lightman's happy, which means he's in a good mood. Foster deserves it and...maybe that means she'll come back to the Group. I can have a life again." She'd miss her new office but in she'd gladly give it back to Foster in exchange for a cut back on the stress of trying to help Lightman run this place.

"But why keep this from us?" he asked her, his anxiousness written all over his face. "If things are so great between them why isn't she coming back to the Group?"

Ria shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's brand new. Maybe they want to keep this to themselves before broadcasting it to the world?"

"Or maybe..." he added. "They're plotting something. Maybe they're selling the company and ditching all of us."

Brows narrowed, Ria stared at him. "That makes no sense. Lightman just hired a new guy to take over all the administrative crap I've been doing. Why would he hire someone if he's planning on selling the place?"

"He did? He hired someone?"

"Yeah, he did. Some psychologist named Almeida."

"He didn't tell me."

Ria cringed. Sometimes she wished Lightman would make a half-assed effort to give in to Loker's need for recognition. "He probably just forgot. He's got a lot on his mind lately."

"Clearly," Loker agreed. He offered Ria a lop-sided smile of defeat as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a grungy leather wallet. He yanked out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to her. "Here you go."

Ria grinned. That was lunch money right there. "Lightman's put his heart and soul into keeping this company afloat," she reassured him. "I don't think we're going anywhere."

"Hope you're right," he said. Even though he said it casually she saw the delight and the relief on his face. This job meant everything to him. "I was just getting used to getting paid again."

Lightman did it for Foster, Ria realized that too now. Did whatever he could to keep the company going because half of it was hers. Because if he could hang on to that, maybe he could hang on to her too.

And he did it.

She took another glance at the video screen. Her two bosses ambling down the corridor, late at night, so obviously smitten by each other. Like two teenage lovers.

It made her smile.

Finally, Lightman. It's about damn time.

En route to Las Vegas

"Hey..."

She felt something against her arm, rousing her from her nap. It was his hand, stroking it.

"We're gonna land soon," Cal told her quietly, reaching across her to grab her seatbelt and fasten it into place with a click.

Even half asleep, the simple gesture made her smile.

He who was so careless with his own life was so very careful with hers.

She yawned and stretched and pushed her head away from his shoulder, which she'd selfishly used as a pillow. It was as hard to pull away from it as it was to toss off the covers in the morning. She'd snuggle into him all day if she could, drawing from his warmth and strength. "Did I sleep that long?"

"You did," he confirmed. "Missed the bite-sized bags of pretzels." He pointed to two empty snack bags. "Had yours. Sorry."

"No mini-pretzels?" She made a disappointed face. "You owe me a bag."

"You'll have to wait 'til the flight back. I'm sure you can't buy this size."

"Excuses," she mumbled, stifling back another yawn.

"You alright, luv?" he asked, serious now. "How come you're so tired?"

"No reason. It's just...flying. Makes me sleepy."

"Ah yeah?"

She saw that he didn't believe her. Besides, it was a lousy lie. They'd flown together often enough to know that he was the one who usually dozed off while she did the paperwork.

She'd been exhausted after work because of Kline. Because he had an effect on her that was neither rational nor justifiable. He wound her up tightly like a coil and she'd carried around that pressure the entire day and it drained her.

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered.

Gillian knew she should tell him about Kline getting an early release. That he'd want to know. Had a right to know. Except that telling him wouldn't do anything except make him upset too.

One of us is enough for now.

She shook her head. "Nah...I'm okay. Really."

"Alright." He cocked his head sideways and let it drop. For now. Trusting her to tell him when she was ready. Then he smiled a little. "Be bloody ironic, wouldn't it, if you got sick after I lied to your boss about you being sick."

"Still can't believe you did that."

Lightman called in sick on her behalf. Told Penn she was too ill to come to work tomorrow. Or even to the phone. And then convinced her to join him in Vegas and help him on a case for the Lightman Group.

She should've put her foot down and said no. But he'd made this pleading face. And then he'd put his hands on her arms, his body enveloping hers as he'd pulled her into his space and kissed her like...

So here she was.

Don't think this will make me come running back to the Group. This is a one-time deal. Because it's winter in DC. And apparently it's 70 degrees in Vegas.

"I also can't believe you told Alex that babysitting my dog this weekend was a condition of getting hired at the Group."

Cal chuckled. "I didn't exactly say it was a condition..."

"He'd have done it if I'd asked," Gillian pointed out. "He loves dogs. Him and Maurice have two little poodles."

"Or as Moritz likes to call them: breakfast."

"Moritz will hide from them. Big chicken that he is."

"Hey, hey! Don't knock my guy like that. The big lug is no pushover."

Gillian raised her brows. "Your guy?"

Cal grinned. "I meant...your bear."

"What'd you tell Penn anyway?" she asked him, feeling her ears pop as the plane began its descent.

"That you're sick. Horrible case of food poisoning. You were hunched over the toilet as I called..."

Gillian groaned. "Really, Cal? Was that necessary? To my boss?"

"Wanted to keep it real."

"You wanted to have some fun," she corrected him.

"He sounds like a tosser by the way. This Penn guy." Cal pointed out, his hand resting on her thigh. "I know a place that's got a much nicer boss."

"Ah yeah?" She took out a packet of gum and handed him one, before popping one into her mouth. "Next place I'm going to, I plan on being my own boss."

The plane plunged a little and then did a quick climb again, pressing them into their seats. Repeating the process no less than twice as it circled the airport.

Gillian put a hand on her stomach. Turbulence wasn't really her thing. "Come to think of it, I do feel a bit queasy."

Cal's hand weaved into hers reassuringly. "I am a doctor, you know. I can help."

Her eyes met his, letting them linger there, in his gaze. "Good to know."

"Did I mention I do house calls."

"Hotel calls?"

"Those too. Especially when I don't have to leave my room for them."

"Convenient."

Gillian turned to her window to see a sea of lights appearing below. She could make out some of the familiar hotel landmarks. Like the Stratosphere tower at one end of the Strip and the giant Luxor pyramid at the other. Normally coming here with Cal filled her with a sense of dread. This town did something to him that she didn't quite understand.

But, judging from the look he just gave her, Gillian had a feeling she wouldn't have to worry about him hitting the roulette table tonight.

Or leaving their room at all.