"I can't produce results if I don't have the right input data," Adam grumbled to himself, unaware that Mac had followed him.
He jumped a mile though when Mac's hand came down on his shoulder. "You have it now so show me what you can do with it."
Typing faster than anyone else in the lab Adam started surfing the databases at his disposal looking for connections. "All of the adoptions were legal … and were handled by the same law office that … yeah … it specializes in adoptions." The information was flying across the screens so fast Mac's eyes never had the chance to catch it, it was easier to just let Adam tell him. "There have been a few complaints to the New York Bar Association but … yeah … it looks like it was more about a woman backing out of the adoption process than it was about the services provided by the law firm. Wow, that happens a lot."
"What happens a lot Adam?" Mac asked only semi-patiently since the screens were more of a blur than anything else. There were days that Adam's energy made Mac feel old.
"Huh? Oh, women changing their minds and wanting to keep the kid or change their minds about who they want to adopt the kid. Looks like some of these adoption agencies act like an auction service and the bio-mom basically sells her baby to the highest bidder. I thought that was against the law."
"Yes, the laws have been rewritten to try and better regulate the practice but it still happens unfortunately. Is there a way to determine who these young women were looking at to adopt their child before they settled on who it went to?"
"A baby isn't an 'it' Boss."
Giving Adam a slightly surprised nod Mac responded, "A figure of speech Adam, but your point is well made. Let's see who else may be as sensitive to it as you are."
Mentally Adam cringed, this case was already hard enough, he didn't need Mac thinking he couldn't control his emotions. "That would all be covered by a confidentiality agreement and won't be online. This way it looks a bio-mother could potentially go through hundreds of applicants before selecting one."
"Then it looks like it is Detective Flack's turn to take a run over to that law office. "
After Mac left his work space Adam looked at the clock and realized it was after lunch. Time to go dig Emi out of whatever she was into. Walking over to that part of the lab he spotted Kendall smiling and talking with some of the other lab rats. It wasn't that unusual, it was only Adam that she had a problem with, in every other way she was a well-respected member of the staff.
He didn't think anything of it until Kendall walked away but the other lab techs continued to talk. "I heard they're just friends so why should he?"
"C'mon, you know he has the hots for Kendall. That thing with what's her name looks like it was just a blip on the screen."
"I don't know about that, they always look pretty cosy. But now she's practically hanging on every word Dr. Hawkes is saying. I don't want to see Adam hurt again, he's barely over the last time. You've seen him."
"Yeah but Adam is just a lab tech and Dr. Hawkes is … well he's a doctor like she is. You think she'd settle for a tech when she's got a doc dangling after her?"
Adam's head suddenly felt like it was on fire. He brushed passed the two women and stomped off towards the evidence lab. His jaw and fists were both clinched tight. He was about to slam through the door when he got a look at Emi and stopped. It wasn't just Hawkes in there with her but another man, one of the IAB investigators he remembered from the hospital.
Emi had her professional face on. The one she used when she was topped off and uncomfortable. She kept taking minute steps backwards but the man kept crowding her. He knew the signs, she was very close to exploding. The problem was he didn't know whether going in there was a good idea, whether it would make whatever was happening worse or not.
He didn't have to decide. The man from IAB walked out and nearly into him. "Ross."
Adam just nodded because he couldn't remember the man's name.
"Come to fraternize with your friend Emerald?"
"We're at work. Here she's Dr. O'Ryan," Adam told him, emphasizing Emi's professional title. "Detective Taylor wanted her expertise on some aspects of the victimology. I just acted as a gopher to get it done."
The man looked surprised and then shrugged. "Maybe so. She's not anything like I expected her to be based on her reputation."
Adam remained silent. Either way a response apparently wasn't expected from a lowly lab tech and the man sauntered away in search of new prey.
Emi had been watching for his departure. She all but ran up to Adam and demanded, "Get … me … out … of … here. I don't care where we go. I don't care what we do. Just get me some air that isn't fouled by nasty bureaucratic toadies. I am this close Adam … this close to doing something that … that …"
Adam had seen Emi angry before but not in this type of setting. But he'd seen the mess she could make so he took her arm and got her down the hall and into the elevator. Instead of going down however they went up to one of the empty floors that was in the process of being remodeled.
When they got off Emi was still so angry all she could do was stomp around and growl. "How dare that little twerp … he isn't fit to lick the inside of your hockey skates. He … he … grrrrrrrrr. And to insinuate that … oh my god I swear I am going to kill that wench. I warned her … I warned her. She can't say I didn't because I did."
Adam started having a good idea of "her" was but he still had to ask. "Uh … Emi …"
Only Emi wasn't in a listening mood. If anger could be a color there would be volcanic red steam exiting every pore on Emi's body. Adam finally got in front of her and put his arms around her to hold in her one place. That didn't help, it only made her stand still. "No one … I mean no one … is going to use me as a weapon against you. I am going to destroy that bitch and her family. I'm …"
"Emi! Enough! You're probably talking about Kendall but this isn't the time for a vendetta."
"What?! Do you realize what she did?!"
"I sounds like she is the tattle that tried to get me in trouble with IAB a couple of weeks back. It didn't' work then and it doesn't look like it worked this time. Don't give her the kind of ammunition she's looking for."
For almost two seconds Emi's fury wanted to fly at Adam but then she turned and walked away a few feet. She was rubbing her arms and shaking. She was breathing so hard she would hyperventilate if she didn't stop. Carefully Adam came up behind her but he didn't touch her. "I'm sorry Kendall upset you. She's just …"
"Yeah. I get it. She's a hot mess used to getting her way and found out you were the exception to her rule and destroyed her perfect score. Just tell me you didn't actually sleep with that hag."
"Er … no?"
Emi turned sharply and asked, "Did you?!"
This time Adam said with more confidence. "No. I might have at one time considered it but she strung me along for too long and I … er … lost interest." There was a bit of male embarrassment at the tail end of the admission.
"You … you …" Then Emi couldn't help it … she started to giggle. "Oh … my … God. Did you tell her that?!"
"Uh … it might have slipped out once … or twice … maybe three times. We were … er … disagreeing on whether I was going to help her with something after work."
Emi giggled so much she nearly fell down. She finally wound up leaning on Adam. "No wonder she's after your hide. Adam I swear … all this time … and it hasn't been about intellect but libido."
"Ok, you can stop rubbing it in. I'm not exactly proud of it or anything. I'd had a few drinks and she hunted me down at the sports bar the guys and I had been going to. It just kinda … spilled out. She was really laying into me and said I'd stood her up. The guys were trying not to notice but you know how they can be. I drug her outside and let her have it. She didn't take me seriously at first but she wouldn't stop competing and I was just done with it. I haven't even been able to explain it to anyone because that would only make it worse."
"Oh my god, would it ever. Oh no … and now what I've heard I can't unhear and every time I look at her face …" Emi started giggling again.
"Emi, if I gotta beg I will … please don't say anything to her."
"Oh I won't but now I know exactly what Ms. 'I'm a freakin' Amazon' Novak needs."
Knowing Emi Adam cautiously asking, "What are you planning?"
"See there's this guy at the university. He's wealthy, well-connected, nice looking, and tall … she's definitely going to need someone tall so she can wear those spiked heels she has a thing for. And he keeps spouting off that he's looking for the 'whole package' in a woman."
"Uh … Emi … you … you aren't … you wouldn't …"
"Ms. Novak appears to need something to spend all of this excess time she has on her hands."
"Emi?!"
"Oh yeah … this'll be perfect."
"Emerald O'Ryan you … you …"
Emi reached up, kissed his check, and with a wicked twinkle in her eye told him, "Just call me Cupid."