Chapter Twenty-Six
Could tell you what you wanna hear. Cause the truth is always in the way. I never wanna live in fear. I don't wanna hold back all the things I need to say. I got you figured out, you need to have control. You think that I don't know you, I know you, I know. Trying to tell you now, I've been doing what you want. But I won't be your yes girl, no, not anymore. Just let me go, just let me go. I won't be your yes girl, no, not anymore. Yes Girl ~ Bea Miller
Vincent rested his hands on his hips as he paced in the waiting room. A sudden vibration in his pocket stopped him in his tracks. Rossabi fumbled for his phone.
"Hi, Mike," he answered.
"I just heard you took Charlie to the hospital- is she ok?" Mike queried.
"She's going on her own power, but honestly, this exam has gone on longer than I thought it would," Vincent rubbed the back of his neck.
"Should I come over?" Mike questioned.
"I'm sure Charlie would want you to go home and get some rest," Rossabi declined.
"I'd rather be there if it's something serious," Mike replied.
Vincent turned his head, Charlie stepped out of the doors and down the short hallway. "Here she comes. We'll talk to you later," he said.
"Take care of her," Mike requested.
"Will do," Rossabi hung up. He slipped the phone in his pocket and met her half way.
"What is going on?" Vincent inquired.
"Everything is great. The baby and I are fine," Charlie assured her boyfriend.
Vincent's brow furrowed, "Did you say 'baby'?"
She locked eyes with him, "Vinny, I'm pregnant."
Vincent cleared his throat. "How far along are you?" he asked.
"About seven weeks," Charlie said.
Rossabi let out a breath. His lips curled into a soft smile. Vincent reached out and pulled her into an embrace. She rested her head against his neck. He stroked her hair. All the tension in her body drained out through her legs onto the floor.
"How did you know to come here?" Vincent questioned. Normally a fall like she took onto Tanya wouldn't be that big of a deal.
Charlie pulled back and looked him in the eye. "I figured it out last night," she admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Rossabi questioned.
"I didn't want to distract you from the case. A hypothetical kid and a real baby are two different things," she said. Vincent nodded. "It's not like I had confirmation," Charlie added.
"Now we do," he took both her hands in his, "Calls for a celebration I think."
"There is work to be done," Charlie straightened her shoulders.
"I know we have a lot to figure out," Vincent agreed.
"I'm talking about the case," she corrected him.
"No, I am taking you home and the three of us are going to sleep," Vincent countered.
"I don't think the baby is big enough to need sleep yet," Charlie chuckled.
He wrapped an arm around her waist. "But her mother does. Come on, you can rip Tanya to shreds after our beauty rest," Vincent kissed her temple.
"This is where I get off," Wes stretched out his arms. He yawned before opening the passenger side door.
"Get some rest," Mike instructed.
"You too," Wes got out and headed to his car. He waved before steering his car towards home.
Mike just sat in his car. His head was in a fog and his feet were bricks. He couldn't communicate to his arms to make them move. His eyelids threatened to shut on him. Mike half debated where just to lock his doors and sleep behind the wheel. He took in a deep breath and willed himself up and out of the car. Mike clicked his car locked with the key chain remote.
"Surprise!" Abby threw her hands up in the air.
Mike pivoted to face her. She pulled him by his lapels and guided him to her. He dipped down to kiss her.
Having her flush to his body stirred him awake just enough to possibly make it into the apartment.
"How long have you been waiting here?" Mike questioned.
"Not long," Abby answered.
He checked his watch, "Isn't it a little early for you to be out of bed?"
"I told you I have an early meeting to get to- thought I drop by on my way and see if I could help you in," she explained.
"You didn't have to do that," Mike stroked her arms.
"I missed you," Abby replied.
"I missed you too," he said.
She wrapped an arm around his waist. He reciprocated. Together they walked to the building stoop. They stopped for him to let them in.
"Did you get your guy?" Abby inquired.
"Woman actually, but yeah, we got her," Mike nodded. He pulled open the door.
"So case closed?"
"Still some loose ends to tie up. I have more reports to write this afternoon; I have until one to sleep," he handed her the keys so she could unlock his loft.
"Need a drink or something?" she asked.
Mike shook his head, "All I really need is sleep."
Abby helped him up the stairs into his bedroom.
"Do you want to get in a shower?" Abby offered.
"I'm not coordinated enough," Mike declined.
"Charlie and her boyfriend should be free to go with us to dinner tonight if you can make it," Mike undid his tie.
"A double date? Cool. Just let me know when and where," she replied.
Abby turned down the covers while Mike stripped off his suit. He draped the jacket, pants, and shirt over the back of a chair.
"All right, Agent, get in bed before you fall asleep standing up," she flicked her head towards the aforementioned piece of furniture.
Mike complied. She brought the blankets up for him. He pushed up and supported himself on his elbow.
"If I were more awake I'd be pulling you into this bed," Mike grinned.
"I'd let you," Abby purred.
"But you have to get to work," he dropped his head.
"Just because I'm a partner's daughter doesn't mean I get to slack off," she concurred. Abby leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. They parted still holding onto each other. Neither wanted much distance between them. She scanned his face with her eyes. Abby couldn't stop herself from kissing him a second time. "Sweet dreams," she smiled.
Mike closed his eyes and laid down. What a great image to take to dreamland. "See you later," he mumbled tucking the comforter over his shoulder.
Abby lingered there for a moment, drinking him in.
He fell asleep before she finished straightening. She slipped down stairs and out the front. Abby locked the door behind her as she left.
Charlie sat opposite her quarry. Vincent stood out on the perimeter of the room. The two women were silent a few minutes.
"You got to bring in your own bodyguard," Tanya motioned to Rossabi.
"Oh, no, honey he's here for your protection," Charlie threw back.
Tanya laughed.
"Where's your attorney? Charlie questioned.
"I didn't ask for one," Tanya returned.
"No, you signed a waver," Charlie noted.
Charlie dug into a folder she had in her lap. She dropped a picture on the table in front of Tanya. "When did you decide to use a wig?"
"Red heads stand out," Tanya ran her fingers through the ends of her hair, "And if I dye it my hair is ruined."
"Where did you get the SV-6?" Charlie demanded.
"I had it made," Tanya leaned back in her chair as far as her shackled hands allowed.
"And who made it for you?" Charlie questioned.
"A girl keeps her eyes open," Tanya played it coy.
"One of Yuri's contacts?" Charlie deduced.
"And my cousin thinks I don't know anyone in the circles he runs in," Tanya smirked.
"He's refusing to cooperate with charging you in his abduction," Charlie informed her.
Tanya rolled her eyes.
"You don't look surprised," Charlie noted.
"Typical, predicable Yuri," Tanya shrugged.
"Yeah, I could have just walked into his house and grabbed him, but what fun would that have been?"
Charlie leaned forward causing Tanya to do the same. The cuffs clanked on the table top as the latter woman moved. "Yuri I get, hell, I may even empathize with- he's a condescending tool. But Ray?" Charlie frowned.
"He didn't deserve to die," Tanya agreed.
"But he did and his two young girls lost their father just like you did," Charlie charged.
"That was out of my control," Tanya insisted.
"Oh, I don't think so," Charlie countered, "Not when you got Sergei to turn on Yuri in the first place."
"Maybe he was making up for that fact," Tanya countered.
Undeterred Charlie pressed on, "You had Sergei hire the shooter for your first little show, keeping a layer between you and the deed was smart. Using him also would have had us looking in Yuri's direction had we not picked up Sergei for shooting at you and your protective detail."
"Why have him do that? The investigation was going too slow for you?"
"I would have to be certifiable to ask him to shoot at me," Tanya protested.
"To pretend to shoot at you," Charlie corrected.
"I couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't shoot me," Tanya countered.
"You could if you were sleeping with him," Charlie brought a second picture out of the folder.
Tanya picked it up to study it. "Where did you get that?" Tanya questioned.
"We unlocked Sergei's phone," Charlie said as she brought out several more and spread them out on the table.
Tanya snickered, "Stupid men."
"I bet you told him to get rid of them," Charlie said.
"What can I say? I'm not the sentimental type," Tanya shrugged.
"He had to have some proof he was hooking up with a catch like you," Charlie closed the folder.
"Egos," Tanya huffed.
"Who would believe him if he said anything? You are way out of his league," Charlie remarked.
"Should you be talking like that with your boyfriend in the room?" Tanya teased.
"I'm just saying he was an easy mark for you," Charlie rejoined.
"Like you've never played on someone's attraction to you to get what you want," Tanya charged.
"In my undercover work, yeah," Charlie admitted.
"And because you were pretending to be someone else it's ok? I was pretending too! Sweet, demur Tanya that's all anyone wanted to see. I can do so much more than run a cosmetics company," Tanya insisted.
"But your cousin never gave you that chance did he?" Charlie said, "Never saw through to your potential, but you proved him wrong."
"I broke all his rules," Tanya chuckled.
"And he never saw it coming," Charlie added for her.
"I am just as ruthless as he is," Tanya asserted.
"Maybe more," Charlie tipped her head.
Tanya smiled as if that were a compliment.
"We're done for now," Charlie called to the guard. She stood.
Rossabi opened the door. He followed Charlie outside them closed it behind himself. They find Yuri staring in the window.
"When can I talk to my cousin?" Yuri inquired.
"Visiting hours," Charlie rejoined, "Unless she doesn't want to see you."
"You can see she is clearly not well," Yuri insisted.
"Tanya is not crazy, she's ambitious," Charlie countered, "Not the same thing."
"She needs someone in her corner. Lev has washed his hands of her," Yuri hung his head.
"She was going to kill you, Mr. Karpov," Charlie pointed out.
"She is family, Agent DeMarco. I am sure you understand," Yuri replied. Charlie considered him and his words carefully.
"We should see what Mike and Wes are up too," Rossabi said, "Excuse us, Mr. Karpov." Vincent led Charlie down the hall.
"She admitted to everything, but Ray," Charlie thought out loud.
"Stop," Vincent urged.
"Stop what?" she questioned.
"I know where this is leading," Rossabi answered.
"I am not beating myself up, I am doing my job," Charlie contended.
"You're not the only person Tanya tricked. She fooled the entire FBI- myself and Ray included," Vincent insisted.
"That is not comforting," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You were onto her way before any of us," Rossabi pursed his lips.
"What are you implying?" Charlie stopped in her tracks.
"I think you knew Jane was Tanya when Anton told you about the hand injury," Vincent answered.
She leveled laser eyes at him. In any other circumstances the look would have withered Vincent, but he stood firm.
"I wanted to be wrong," she hung her head.
The remnants of the SV-6 lay on a table in the forensics lab.
"How did you do that?" Mike questioned.
"Timing- she let it run too long before shooting it, so it was hot and the integrity of the weapon was already compromised," Wes explained.
"Damn good shot," Mike mused.
"I've been studying the schematics every chance I get," Wes deflected.
"You could probably make one if you wanted to," Mike remarked.
"Why would I? In my experience one bullet is enough," Wes smirked.
"We need to go to the range and practice sometime," Mike suggested.
"Fine, but I am not giving away all of my secrets," Wes teased.
They looked up as the door opened. Charlie and Rossabi entered.
"What can you guys tell us about the gun?" Charlie inquired.
"Honestly, not much. The plastic and metal parts are pretty standard," Wes began.
"We're looking into the wiring- hopefully Garcia can find something that ties it to another case," Mike added.
"Any fingerprints?" Rossabi asked.
"Tanya's and Greene's actually," Mike said. He brought up the report on his tablet and showed it to them.
"So we've got physical proof besides the vid on Toby," Rossabi pursed his lips, "Who wants to pay him a visit?"
"Already done, he's singing like a canary," Wes grinned.
"We've got a slam dunk case on Tanya for the warehouse murders, and possession. Now we have to lock down the one for Ray," Charlie said.
"You really think she was behind that?" Wes asked.
"It makes since," Mike tipped his head.
"But why would she have someone shoot at her?" Wes frowned.
"To frame Yuri," Charlie stated.
"If he were incarcerated it would have created a nice power vacuum for her to step into," Vincent mused.
"And if she was still stringing Sergei along, she could be pretty sure that he wouldn't actually shoot her," Charlie added.
"The one problem is he forgot to implicate Yuri after he was caught," Rossabi said.
"Sergei finally caught on she was using him and didn't roll over on Yuri like he was supposed to," Mike mused, "A solid theory."
"He also just could have shot at her because he found out she was using him," Wes offered, playing the devil's advocate.
"One thing we need to pin down is how he knew where she was," Vincent frowned.
"The techs are working on unlocking a phone we found in Tanya's safehouse room as we speak," Wes offered.
"I doubt there is anything on it," Charlie shook her head, "Tanya wouldn't have been caught with a phone linking her to Sergei."
"They're going back on his records on the unlocked phone, but it's a long shot," Mike said.
"We're going to need more then theory to get the charge to stick," Rossabi pointed out.
Charlie nodded, "Let's see if Sergei's willing to talk about Tanya."
"Maybe one of the guys and I should handle this," Vincent suggested.
"He'd probably respond better to men," Charlie conceded.
"You up for it, Mike?" Rossabi questioned.
"Sure," Mike nodded.