AN: Thank you so much to everyone who are still following my story. To those who had the time to leave feedback - appreciate your comments. A very busy time for me this week as I'm in the process of relocating for work so I'm not sure when I can update again - apologies in advance.
Tanith
Chapter 52
Steve leaned his hands on the edge of the sink as he stared at his reflection through the cracked glass of the grime-streaked mirror in the men's facility of the all-night gas station. He had changed into the janitor's uniform and tossed the hospital gown into the already over-flowing trash can in the corner of the cramped room. The uniform was a little large on him but it would have to do. He turned on the faucet, dipped his good hand under the running water then leaned forward and washed the sweat from his face. The bruises on his cheek and jaw ached and his lip stung. He straightened up slowly and reflected back to what he had just done. "What am I doing?" The words tumbled out with a heavy sigh. The realization that he was not acting like a cop hit him as his mind conjured up the look of disappointment and anger on Mike's face. He hung his head. "He would do the exact same thing as far as Jeannie is concerned!" Steve scoffed softly to himself, trying to excuse his actions but he knew that no amount of rationalizing was going to sugar-coat what he did. Then why did he do it? Steve ignored the rhetorical question that hovered in his conscience. He knew why he did what he did and it came not from his head but from his heart. Wiping his face dry with a paper towel he rushed out of the men's room, then carefully looked around him for any cops. It was ironic that here he was, wanting nothing more than to protect someone he deeply cared about from peril, yet he felt as though the world had turned its back on him and that any moment now, an APB would be sent out for him.
The coast was clear, as they say, and Steve approached the driver's door of a delivery truck whose engine just roared to life.
Mike opened the door, took off his fedora and trudged into Captain Olsen's office. It was two in the morning so he knew it couldn't be good and his gut told him he already knew what he was in for.
Rudy gestured for Mike to take a seat without so much as a greeting and cut straight to the chase. "You probably know why I dragged myself out of bed at this ungodly hour, so let's not waste each other's time."
The lieutenant sat down wearily and tightened his grip around the rim of his hat. He looked Rudy face on and waited for his superior to continue.
"Mike, I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know right now!" Rudy leaned forward and stabbed the desk with his index finger, his eyes boring into Mike's.
Mike took a deep breath and began his line of defence, "I don't know what's going on but I am sure as hell doing all I can to peace it all together. Right now, all I can say is Steve was framed for something he didn't do."
"There's more isn't there?" Olsen said in an almost accusatory tone.
"The set-up may be linked to my daughter," Mike continued, uncomfortably.
Olsen raised his eyebrows, clearly confused. "Jeannie? What does she have to do with this?"
"She's involved with George Holden's son. They're developers, working on a big project here in San Francisco and they were the ones who set Steve up," Mike explained.
"But why?" Rudy asked, puzzled.
"Because Steve saw something he shouldn't have! It's a long story but a few hours ago, he followed Whitney and presumably my daughter to a cabin out of town. He'd been suspecting something was off with Whitney and I can't say I've been agreeable with the relationship. Anyway, Steve was concerned for Jeannie but he was unprepared for something like this. According to him – and I believe him – they weren't the only ones to rendezvous at the cabin. George and a couple of his associates were there too. They had a little girl with them," Mike proceeded to fill in the gaps for Olsen without going into the details surrounding his partner's feelings for Jeannie.
"How did Jeannie get involved with this Whitney character?"
Mike sighed heavily. "They knew each other since high school. It was a tough time for both of us. We were still adjusting to Helen's passing and I was too…too busy to take enough notice to Jeannie's circle of friends. From what little I did know of him, he seemed like a good kid and recently they became more than just friends. They started seeing each other but what I hadn't expected was for them to get engaged so soon."
"I see. This doesn't change the fact that your partner was found in a very compromising position." Olsen sat back and chose his next words carefully. "Riley says Steve's story doesn't check out…"
Mike sat up and interjected, "Now wait a minute! Steve is a straight out clean cop!" He hadn't anticipated this and couldn't think of any reason how Riley came to his conclusion. For Steve's sake and the Lees, he desperately needed Olsen to be in his corner. "Come on, Rudy. We've know each other, how long? Twenty, thirty years?"
"And how long have you known Steve?" Olsen shot back objectively.
"That's not fair. I know him well enough to know that I can trust him with my life. That's gotta count for something!" Mike defended heatedly.
Both men stared at one another for what seemed an endless minute before Mike swallowed hard and asked the question he feared an answer to. "What did they find?"
"They found drugs at his house, cash that doesn't add up to what he would earn as a cop, a .22 calibre with no serial number with his finger prints all over it and by his phone, there was a note pad that had been used recently. An imprint of an address had been left there which matches what was written on the piece of paper the boys found in his jacket. Mike, that address is where he was found. He's in a lot of trouble," Rudy finished. He regretted having to lay it all out for Mike but knew he had no other choice.
"Don't tell me you believe all this?" Mike held back a wry laugh. He didn't care what they found, Steve was framed and though it was a solid frame he was innocent. He knew it in his heart and soul.
"I don't want to," Rudy replied. "But you gotta see this from where I'm sitting. In a few hours, you can bet your badge internal will be all over this place!"
Mike sat in stunned silence and just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, the phone rang on Rudy's desk.
The call was short but judging by the pointed looks Rudy made at Mike, the Lieutenant could hazard a guess as to who it was about.
As if reading Mike's mind, Rudy said, "And you thought things couldn't get any worse for Steve. Well, it just did. That was Riley. Steve got past his guard and took off from the hospital."
Mike's shoulders slumped and the weight of the world started to crush him where he sat.
