"Gods," Elisa said once in the car. She ran a hand where her ring normally hung. "I am going to have to get something to wear around my neck, or I'm going to forget and panic."
"That'll be easy enough," Matt said. "Hopefully, it's just for tonight."
"Maybe if he thinks I'm dating someone, he'll change his mind about me." Elisa said hopefully. "And if not… Then I'm bait, I guess."
"Let's go back to the station, and see if we can't find something to occupy your mind," Matt said.
"What I wouldn't give for a robbery, a mugging, a high speed chase… Literally anything, right now." With that, she turned the key in the ignition and pulled out onto the street.
They were almost back to the station when there was a call.
"All available units in the area of 47th Street," came the scratchy radio came to life. "We have reports of a break in with property damage."
Elisa glanced at the nearest street sign. "We're on 49th," Elisa said.
"Let's go," Matt said, and with a healthy dose of self-preservation, he put one hand on the dash and one above the door as a brace. He knew what was coming.
Elisa flipped the switch that activated her dash bubble light. With a jerk, she managed a full U-turn on the street.
-{- -{- -{- -{- -{- -{-
They pulled up with a surprise outside of the same YMCA that they'd been at only days earlier. This time, the exterior was lit by the flashing red and blue lights of the responding officers.
"I thought this address sounded familiar," Elisa said, unlocking her seatbelt.
"Wonder what happened?" Matt said.
Elisa shrugged. "Let's go find out."
They walked to the door where a single officer was standing sentry.
They held up their badges and identified themselves.
"You guys got here fast," The officer said with a grin. "Maza drove, huh?"
Elisa squinted at him in the darkness. "Jesus, Graciello. I didn't recognize you without the beard."
Graciello reached up to rub a hand against his recently bared face. "Yeah, well…"
"Lose a bet?" Matt asked.
Graciello sighed. "I just felt like it was time for a change, okay?"
"Hey," Elisa held her hands up, "No judgement here. I think it's a nice change."
He perked up. "Really?"
"Yeah," Elisa said with a grin. "Who knew there was such a baby face hidden under there?"
He groaned.
"So, what are we looking at," Elisa switched back into her detective mode.
Graciello jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Probably just some kids having some fun. The door behind me has a pane of glass broken out, but as far as we can tell nothing else was broken or taken. One of the YMCA employees lives near here and they made it over almost before we did, to open it up for us to check out. So far," He shrugged, "Nada."
"Mind if we check it out?" Matt asked.
"Go ahead," Graciello said.
"Thanks," Matt said, and together, he and Elisa entered the empty halls of the YMCA.
Only half of the lights had been turned on, giving the whole building an eerie feeling. Their shoes squeaked slightly on what appeared to be a freshly waxed floor.
They found the other officers at the end of the hallway, where the administrative offices were located.
There was someone in a YMCA uniform, their back to the door, talking on the phone to someone and relating the details of what was happening.
"No, ma'am, it's just the door glass," He was saying. "I think I can block it off until morning…"
"Well, if it isn't the flower girl," Officer Hawkins' voice called out from where he leaned against the wall opposite the doors. "How many guys you got on the hook now?"
Elisa glared at him.
The employee looked up at the raised voices, and it was with some surprise that Elisa recognized that it was the same employee who had helped her to her feet the other night after she'd oh-so-gracefully landed in that puddle.
She nodded her recognition before walking over to Hawkins before he started yelling more. Everyone at their station knew that she was married, but getting random flower deliveries out of the blue seemed to have divided the station on if she really did have a side boyfriend.
Not bloody likely.
"Uh, oh," Matt said, stalking beside her. "Keep it cool, Elisa."
"I'm trying," Elisa said, mentally patting herself on the back since she actually sounded calm.
Elisa had cooled down by the time she's actually reached his side. They compared notes on what they had found as the first officers on scene, and after a brief conversation it was decided that Elisa and Matt could leave, since it was pretty cut and dried.
"Alright," Elisa said with a sigh. "Looks like this one's a bust."
"Hey," Matt said with mock seriousness. He slung his arm playfully across her shoulders. "We'll get 'em next time."
Elisa laughed as they made their way outside.
-{- -{- -{- -{- -{- -{-
The rest of the night dragged on with a painful slowness.
They had a few minor calls for assistance after that. First, they'd interviewed a few witnesses for a multiple car pileup that had happened on their side of the Bridge. They were still there when a victim of a hit and run came in, so they signed in for that one as well. Then investigated, much to Elisa's discomfort, a break in at a florist shop. There were calls of suspicious people in Central Park, and a few muggings.
After that, there wasn't much else.
With every minute that passed without them getting a call out, Elisa felt her nervousness build.
They were all making too much out of it, she was sure.
Or so she told herself.
She had almost convinced herself of that when the flowers came the next morning.
Elisa saw the delivery person heading her way, and she collapsed in her chair. She put her elbows on the desk's top, head in hands. She didn't want to look. She couldn't.
"I'll take those," She heard Matt say.
Elisa let her hands fall to the desk and looked at Matt. He had taken the flowers to his desk before patting his pockets. Out of one pocket, he pulled an evidence bag, but came up empty in the others.
"Damn," He said softly. "I thought I had some…"
"There's the flower girl, again," Hawkins called.
"Hawkins," Matt snapped. "Got any gloves?"
"Sure," He said, coming their direction. He sent a hesitant look at Elisa before passing Matt the gloves. "What do you need these for?"
Matt efficiently got the latex crime scene gloves on with a decisive snap. He took the card carefully, handling it by the corner. He slipped the card in the bag.
"What's going on?" Hawkins asked, any teasing gone.
"Someone seems to have fixated on Elisa at some point," Matt said. "The last few days, she's been getting these here and more at her home."
"Sorry Maza," He said. "Any ideas who it is?"
"None," Elisa said miserably.
"What can I do?" Hawkins asked. At Elisa's incredulous look, he glared back. "I may flirt a lot, and give you ladies a hard time, but you're about the age of my daughter and I wouldn't want people to ignore it if something like this happened to her."
"Thanks," Elisa said. She sighed, got to her feet and held her hand out for the evidence bag. "Next stop, the Captain's Office."
