CHAPTER 28
MAGGIE
I have been trying to get Winn to tell me everything for the past couple of hours but he clams up, it's like he doesn't want to get his girlfriend into trouble.
"I'm telling you I didn't take anything!" He says again and I can sense the irritation in his voice.
"I believe that you didn't but what about Lyra?" I ask firmly.
"She would never…..that…" He starts to stumble over his words.
The door opens and Alex comes barging in and James follows close behind.
ALEX
I make my way into the interview room. I look at Maggie and she looks stressed, I look at Winn and he looks scared but irritated.
"Hey, we got your call!" I say to the tech.
"You OK Bro?" James says to his friend and crime fighting partner.
"A heads up would have been nice before you arrest my friend!" I say not caring if I sound pissed off or not.
"Come on…. You know that's not how this works… I don't intervene with your job and you don't question mine!" Maggie counters she is pissed at me I can tell.
"You better have proof!" I say even though I know she will have everything that she needs to get a result in the investigation.
"She doesn't….. The crappy angle doesn't even show Lyra!" Winn chips in.
"I don't think that's a coincidence!" Maggie replies. I know that she knows something.
"You think she set him up?" I ask realising what she means.
"Exactly!" Maggie replies. She doesn't smile but I can see she is happy that I understand what she is thinking.
"When was the last time you spoke to Lyra?" I turn and ask Winn who shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"Let me guess her phone is disconnected?" Maggie interjects and the penny finally drops with Winn.
"I don't get it?" He sighs.
"She framed you Winn. I got a partner out there who thinks you're going to be his 30th arrest of the month. That's a station record. I need proof that your weren't involved or they are going to pin this on you….. And I won't be able to stop them!" Maggie said keeping it blunt and to the point.
"If it's proof you need we'll get it!" James spoke up for Winn.
"Release Winn to us, OK? Give us 48 hours?" I suggest, hoping Maggie will agree.
"You want me to let my prime suspect walk?" Maggie is being stubborn. I know it's so she is not showing favouritism.
"If we want to catch Lyra, then we need Winn! Two days!" I say again this time a little firmer. It must have worked because she then looks at the crime file.
"Well look at that…. Looks like McConnell forgot to sign the warrant. You've got 24 hours. A minute longer and I am coming for him myself!" Maggie finally concedes. I smile at my beautiful girlfriend but she looks pissed.
"I've been femme fataled!" Winn announces breaking the silence.
"Well you certainly have a type!" I reply as he gets out of the chair and James leads him out of the room. I wait for them to go before I speak to Maggie.
I lean over to kiss her but she moves her head and I kiss her cheek instead. I know that she is so pissed at me for interfering in her work. I will make it up to her.
"Thank you!" I say as I turn to leave.
"MMhmm!" Is all I get in reply?
MAGGIE
It's been 6 hours since Winn left with Alex and she hasn't been in contact. I had J'onn ring the station to say about an Alien Art ring and that they would deal with it. He didn't tell me anymore than that. I told him straight it was my investigation so once they had apprehended the suspects then they were to be turned over to me. I didn't think he would agree but J'onn finally relented. On the condition that once they were charged they were to complete their sentence in the DEO holding cells. I thought that was a reasonable compromise.
I wasn't going to let McConnell get this arrest. It was going to be mine. From what J'onn had briefly told me Winn had taken it into his own hands to get Lyra. She had told him that she had just used him as a mark so that she could get the painting. I felt bad for the man, he really did like her, and I would almost say that he loved her.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and look at the screen, its Alex I answer it.
"Hey babe I have been worried!" I say relief pouring out of me.
"Yeah sorry been a bit busy with Winn deciding he was going to use himself as bait for the Art ring!" Alex sounded pissed.
"He is alright though isn't he?" I ask.
"Yeah just devastated by the way that Lyra treated him. He wants to know if he is still in trouble."
"Babe, Winn has never been in trouble. I always knew that he was innocent! I had my feelers out before I brought him in. I kind of already knew it was Lyra but with her not showing up on the footage we had I had to scare Winn into giving us something." I explained hoping she wasn't too angry with me.
"No you did the right thing, I wish you would have told me first though!"
"Alex you wouldn't have allowed him to do anything if I told you. I did think twice before I did call him in. I knew you would be pissed at me!"
"I'm not pissed at you. I know you were only doing your job and I'm sorry for interfering."
"You didn't interfere you helped me get a result there is a difference. I was only pissed earlier because I knew that you would solve it in the 24 hours I gave you, if I had still been on the case it would have been 24 days!" I tell her honestly.
"Well don't put yourself down. Winn and I are just about to make our way to the station with the robbers and the painting. Be waiting for us alright?"
"You have the painting?" I say excitedly.
"Well Winn has it in a head lock and he has said that he is not letting it go until it is in our hands!" Alex laughs. I can't help but laugh with her too.
"OK Babe I will see you soon alright! I will get everything ready for when you arrive!"
"See you soon!"
ALEX
I put the phone away in my pocket and look over towards Winn who is holding on to the painting for dear life. I'm glad I cleared things up with Maggie. Even though she said she wasn't pissed at me I knew she was. I kind of took over her investigation and we had promised each other that we would never do that. I had forgotten all about it in my concern for Winn, she will understand though. I will make it up to her later.
"Winn we are going to the Station, you do know that Maggie will need to know everything about why Lyra was doing this!" I start to explain.
"Is she going to kick my butt?" Winn asks with genuine fear in his voice.
"I can't answer that, but she will definitely kick my butt, she may just be pissed at you for a while" I say amping up the fear factor a bit. I love winding him up, J'onn hates me doing it but I still do.
"I will just be quiet when I see her then maybe she won't notice me!" Winn said quietly.
""Come on let's get our butts kicked together, get it over with so we can go home!"
"Oh Alex did you find out why Kara went to the ship with Mon-El?" Winn asks as we make our way out to the waiting car.
"I haven't had the full story yet, but I know they are not together anymore. I have been a bit busy saving your butt from jail if you remember!" I sigh.
"Well I hope they work it out, Kara has been so good for Mon-El, he would never admit it but you can tell" Winn sighs. "I want them to work!"
"Winn, if they are meant to be they will be back together in no time, we just have to try and respect their space right now. Let them come to us if they need anything. Speaking of which did you sort things out with Lyra?"
"We are talking, I have told her how I feel so the ball is in her court now. I just really really like her you know?" Winn gushes.
"Yeah I know!" I smile thinking of Maggie.
We arrive at the station. The truck is behind us with the prisoners in. The 4 DEO guards escort them into the holding cells ready to be interrogated. I walk with Winn and we try and find Maggie. We eventually find her coming out of her boss's office.
"Hey Danvers, Winn. So where are my suspects?" Maggie smiles.
"Waiting for you to do your thing Maggie!" Winn says nervously. I smile.
"Danvers you going to be in the interview with me? Winn I am going to have to get a full statement from you so I am going to take you to McConnell and he is going to take it, just to warn you he is mightily pissed because he didn't get the arrest on this." I could tell Maggie was only being half serious but I couldn't tell at what point. I felt sorry for Winn.
"Whatever you need Maggie!" Winn said as he followed her to McConnell's desk.
MAGGIE
The interview didn't take long. They spilled their guts in no time. Trying to cut deals so they would get less cell time. It wouldn't wash with me and I arrested them both. I knew they would be serving a minimum of 10 years, I could tell Alex was impressed with how quickly I dealt with everything.
"So all in a good days work then?" I hear Alex say as we walk out the room.
"Detective Sawyer I have the painting!" Winn says happily.
I take the tube from him and take the painting out carefully, I couldn't afford the repair bill if I damaged this multimillion dollar Van Gogh.
"A ring of alien art thieves and the real Starry Night as promised eh…. Oh just kidding. All within 23 hours and 15 minutes. Winn Schott and GF exonerated Boom! Um, as for just, like, any connection that Lyra and he brother might have with previous thefts?" Winn says hopefully.
"Well I don't have any hard evidence, so I'll take their help in retrieving Van Gogh as a sign of good behaviour to come….."
Winn grabs onto my shoulder "You're a good egg Sawyer…" I look at him firmly and he lets go.
"Leave before I throw you into holding for fun!" I scowl.
The look on Winn's face is priceless as he stutters and makes to leave.
"I have better places to go….." He says as he hurries out of the room.
I turn to look at Alex, she is smiling at me in the way that she knows I like.
"Do you think I scared him?" I laugh.
"Almost as good as I do!" Alex laughs as she puts her arm around me. "Take me home!" She says as we start to leave the station.
"Do you have a spare helmet Maggie?" Alex asks as we stop by my locker. I needed to get my leathers on.
"Always, go to my desk, it's in the big drawer!" I say and she leaves to get it whilst I change.
After about 10 minutes she returns. She has a broad grin on her face.
"What?" I ask as she pulls me towards the door.
"So when were you going to tell me you had a picture of me on your desk?" Alex laughs.
I had completely forgotten about that, I felt my cheeks start to burn.
"Erm….. Do you mind?" I ask deflecting a little bit.
"Maggie, I think it's adorable. I guess it saves looking at your phone all the time!" Alex winks at me.
"So do you mind you never answered?" I say again.
"Babe, no I don' mind. In fact I feel honoured!" Alex says as she gently kisses me.
