Chapter 49

Mike had just arrived with lunch. They spread it out on the desks between them and Alex popped the top on her soda can. Before she could return to her seat, two familiar figures approached.

Mike turned his head in the direction of the guests and stayed on his feet.

"Hi Dad," Alex said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and offering him her chair. He was walking with a cane now, and he leaned it against her desk after he sat down. "Liz," Alex said. She could see the mood her sister was in.

Mike shook John's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Eames. I've heard a lot about you."

"Dad, Mike Logan," Alex said. "And this is my sister, Liz."

Mike shook her hand as well. She smiled politely and stared at her sister. "We need to talk," Liz announced.

"Sure," Alex said, but there was reluctance in her voice. "Come with me." She led her sister to the closest interview room.

Mike's eyes followed after them. "Everything okay?" He asked Alex's Dad.

"Sure. Sisters, you know."

Mike held out a carton to the older man. "Eggroll?"


Alex folded her arms and braced herself for what was coming. The door clicked shut and Liz began. "Dad told me you left him alone the other night."

"It was only a couple of hours, and it was an emergency."

Liz scowled and paced the small room. "You know, I understand that you and Johnny have tough jobs, and I try to do everything I can to make it easier for you, but the one time that I ask you to come take over for me, you act like it's some kind of joke."

"Oh, Liz, you're overreacting."

"Am I? Am I, Alex?" Liz's voice was raised. "I seem to recall the last time you all thought Dad was fine on his own, it wasn't but a few days before he was in the hospital again!" She chanted a litany of the things Alex had done in the last few months that had fallen short of the mark.

Liz culminated her lecture by shouting, "Now, I know I'm not a public servant like the two of you, but I have a job, too, and a family and a life, and I deserve the chance to live it!"

Liz expected her sister to yell back: it's what they did. They argued, fought hard, and then once the air was clear, they hugged and laughed and everything was fine. Only this time, it was different. She hadn't seen Alex like this since they were kids, but she saw her body language and she knew what was about to happen. Shaking, Liz quickly closed the slats of the window blinds.

Alex jerked away from her sister's hug, but she allowed her to keep a hand on her shoulder. Alex, tough, strong, resilient Alex, broke down. She kept her back to her sister and stared at the seam where the two walls came together until the tears blurred her vision and fell freely to the floor.


Logan looked up again and saw that the blinds were closed. He got to his feet, but the old man tapped him gently with his cane. "Sisters," he reminded the detective.

Mike nodded and sat back down.


In the midst of the sobs, Alex blurted it all out. She was a failure as a caregiver, she couldn't take care of their father properly, or Bobby, or Mike or Bella. She told Liz about Bobby's bills, and how she was terrified to let Mike do anything alone, since Bobby's shooting.

Her chest heaved and she cried out, "They need so much, and I'm only one person!"

Liz listened, rubbing small circles on her sister's back. She'd forgotten that Bobby had no family. She hadn't realized the pressure Alex was under. Finally, Alex worked to calm her spasming breath. Liz said quietly, a tear in her own eye. "I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't know."

Alex regained her composure. She was cop Alex again, shoulders squared against whatever might come at her. Liz dropped into the chair beside her. "I just came from taking Dad to the doctor. He said he looks good. He doesn't need the crutches anymore, just the cane."

Alex nodded. "That's good."

"I'm still worried for him to be alone."

Again, Alex nodded.

"But…" Liz's voice softened. "I guess we'll just… have to."

"I can still check on him," Alex offered.

Liz shook her head. "No, Alex. I won't ask that of you. Not until Bobby's better."


The women returned, and Detective Logan could tell Alex had been crying. He tried not to stare, just waited silently while she retrieved her purse and went with her sister to the restroom.

John smiled at him. "See? Sisters."

Mike grinned and gave the old man another eggroll.

When the ladies returned, Alex hugged her father and sister goodbye while Mike shook their hands politely. They sat at their desks and he glanced over at her. Although she sported fresh make-up, it was still obvious that she'd been crying. Wisely, he chose not to say a thing about it.

Just as Alex swallowed her first bite of lunch, her phone rang. She picked up her cell and said, "Eames…. Okay, thanks. Thank you, Mr. Russo."

Mike gave her a questioning glance.

"Bobby's Super got the utilities back on. Now I just have to pay his bills tonight, and it should all be fine."

Logan smiled and wolfed down the rest of his lo mein.


Bobby's sleep pattern was returning to normal, which meant he wasn't getting a lot of it. He split his time between the chair and the bed, and finally set himself to pacing the room until he was out of breath.

He sank back into the chair and scowled. After indulging in a few minutes of feeling sorry for himself, he snatched up the file Eames had brought him and perused it once more.


Her phone rang again. This time, her face was anxious when she answered. "This is Alex," she said.

"Hi, Alex."

Instantly, she was relieved. "Hi, Bobby." She could see Logan smiling. He gathered up the empty cartons and walked away, giving her some privacy.

"I read through the file again."

"And?" she asked, a small grin tugging the corners of her mouth.

"What if they were all in on it together?"

"All of them?"

"It's possible. None of them has the character to try something like this alone… but as a group, they could… rev each other up."

She started to respond to what he said and then realized he was breathing hard into the phone. "Bobby, are you all right?"

"What? Oh, uh… yeah. I was just… pacing." He sat himself in the chair again.

Alex's eyes crinkled as she smiled again. "I'll throw it by Mike, see what he thanks."

"Oh, uh… okay."

"Take it easy, Bobby."

"Okay."