Chapter 16

It was still light outside when Caitlin entered the Blue Skies Nursing Home. And yet, dinner was all wrapped up and most of the residents were already in their rooms, changing into their night clothes, brushing their teeth, preparing for the long night ahead. For many, this was the worst time of day, the moment when the loneliness finally caught up to them. After a busy day of activities, make-work art projects, singalongs by the piano and visits from loved ones, the residents were once again left on their own to face the darkness.

'Hi Caitlin!' called out one of the attendants as the teenager waltzed into the common area.

She was a regular visitor, showing up at odd times of the day or night and the staff knew that resident Linda Bennett was all the better for her granddaughter's frequent visits.

'She's in her room' the woman added.

Caitlin waved in reply and made her way down the long hallway to the second last room on the left. She stopped short in the open doorway, catching sight of her beloved grandmother struggling to get up from her chair. She was already wearing a nightie, slippers on her delicate feet. Caitlin's instinct was to rush in and help but something held her back and instead, she stood in the doorway, watching silently. Like her son, Linda Bennett was fiercely independent and the last thing Caitlin wanted to do was embarrass her. Instead, she stood in the shadows as Linda grabbed on to the railing lining the wall of her room and took the few steps towards the washroom, closing the door behind her.

Caitlin let out a loud sigh. It was hard to watch her grandmother struggle but for now, there were things she could still do for herself and the young woman had the good sense to leave her with her pride intact.

When Linda stepped out, moments later, Caitlin was settled in the big chair next to her bed with a wide grin on her face.

'Surprise!' she called out as she sprung to her feet, ready to help if needed.

'Caitlin! This is a nice surprise' Linda replied with a tired smile.

Caitlin stood, wrapping her arms around the older woman - a pretext to slip her arm under her elbow and guide her back into the room.

'Chair or bed?' she asked.

'Bed' Linda replied. 'You take the chair.'

Caitlin nodded and guided Linda to the edge of the bed where she threw back the covers and helped the woman take off her slippers.

'What's wrong sweetheart?' Linda asked once she was settled upright in the bed.

'Nothing. Why?'

Linda tilted her head and Caitlin was reminded of her foster dad - the familiar way he tilted his head to one side when he didn't believe a word she was saying.

'Just felt like chatting. I was over at Diana and Christie's place not too far from here.'

'That's not your usual hangout.'

'No… no it's not. I wanted to drop in on Ginny.'

'Ginny… that's the younger one, right?' Linda asked in clarification. Although she'd met the Berrigan girls on a few occasion, she was suddenly unsure.

'Yeah. She's… she's going through some stuff and I've been trying to help her.'

Linda smiled. It wasn't long ago Caitlin's world was all about Caitlin. She'd made giant strides since she'd moved in with the Caffreys three years ago. Although the progress was slow and uneven, she was nowhere near the self-centered, reckless young teen she'd been when she'd descended on them like a nuclear bomb.

'She asked for your help with schoolwork?'

Caitlin got up from the chair, choosing instead to perch herself on the edge of the bed. Linda was so tiny, she barely took up half the space on the single mattress.

'No, not school work. And no, she didn't ask. I just kind of barged in and… Grandma, she's getting in with the wrong people and I'm afraid she's going to get hurt.'

Linda frowned as she listened. 'Did you talk to Neal about it?'

Caitlin nodded. 'Yeah, but I don't want him to rat her out to her parents. She'll never trust me again if she finds out I've been telling him what's going on.'

'Well, what is going on?'

'Like I said, trouble. She's skipping school, hanging out with an older guy, partying.'

'And you know this because…'

Caitlin looked away, slightly embarrassed. 'Because I go to those same parties sometimes and I see what's going on. There's plenty of booze and drugs and… Grandma, she's only fourteen.'

Linda nodded. If she didn't know better, Caitlin could have been describing her younger self. Had she even realized that yet?

'I thought if I confided in her, told her about the stuff I've seen, the stuff I've been through… that it might make her think twice.'

'And?'

Caitlin exhaled and stood, suddenly agitated. 'I bombed… it was like talking to the wall. She accused me of being jealous of the guy she's seeing. Grandma, he's like ten years older than her and he has a reputation. I think he's mixed up somehow in grooming girls.'

'What's grooming?' Linda had never heard the expression.

'You know… turning girls against their parents, getting them hooked on drugs, pimping them out, making money off them.'

'Honey, that's a serious accusation.'

'I know… and I have no proof but this girl he was dating last year, she was young too and after a while, she disappeared. She left a note for her parents telling them to leave her alone and now nobody's seen her in months. People say she ran away but… I don't know.'

Linda lifted her arm in invitation and Caitlin moved in closer, tucking herself into a little ball against her grandmother's fragile frame.

'Would you have listened if someone had tried to warn you about your risky behaviour when you were fourteen?'

Caitlin pulled away and looked up into the warm baby blue eyes. 'No… I wouldn't' she admitted sadly. 'But I can't just ignore it either.'

'So what are you going to do?'

'I'm going to keep an eye on her. Try to hang around a little more if she lets me. Maybe I can tell her about… you know, what happened to me.'

'You mean your abortion?'

'It was scary and I was all alone. I don't want her getting into a situation she can't get herself out of.'

'What about her parents?'

'Diana and Christie? They're wonderful but believe me, there are so many tricks you can pull on your parents. I could teach a masterclass.'

Linda pulled her into her, running her hand down her long blond hair. 'Oh honey, you're smart. You'll find a way. Just make sure Neal and Sara know what's going on. And I'm always here to listen.'

She kissed the top of her head as Caitlin purred. 'Just remember, you're not alone anymore.'

WCWCWC

Neal wiped the sweat from his forehead. The filing cabinet he'd been trying to move was way too heavy for one man. He settled for turning it outwards so he could reach the front and prepared to pull out the first drawer. He wasn't terribly surprised to find it locked. Luckily, he had his trusty lock pick set on him - a longstanding habit he'd never managed to break. He got to work, choosing the proper tools and jiggling the lock until he felt it give under his expert touch. Of course, a crowbar would have worked just as well but where was the fun in that?

He smiled, feeling rather smug; he still had the 'touch'.

He found files and loose papers stuffed inside and grabbed an armful, settling on the floor to begin checking through everything. Hard to believe that even thieves like Billings had boring, ordinary aspects to their lives. He leafed through a stack of tax returns, old bills, mortgage papers on several properties and sundry other run of the mill paper work. There was a stack of about twelve passports with various names and birth dates but all with the same old ugly mug. Most of them were expired - mostly American issued except for a couple from West European countries. To his discriminating eye, the work looked sub-standard — maybe enough to fool the common man but certainly not someone the likes of Neal Caffrey. He noticed a typo in the word 'Netharlands' and chuckled silently. Amateur hour.

He grew serious as he threw the passport aside. If his life hadn't taken the turn it had, this might be his storage locker, full of 'junk' — with nothing that makes a life worth living.

He felt his stomach rumble and checked the time. Where the hell was Mozzie? They were doing this for him, after all. He sent another text, asking for an ETA and had just returned to the task when he heard the door to the warehouse open.

'Hey, sorry I'm late' came Peter's voice. 'You should have seen the line-up at Blue Collar.'

Neal looked up, seeing the tell-tale bags from one of Peter's favourite burger joints. 'You detoured all the way to Brooklyn for burgers?' he asked, incredulous.

To be honest, fast food wasn't really his thing but Peter was kept on a short leash and the moment El had her back turned, he'd gravitate to his favourite burger place like a dog in heat who'd just spotted a cute little poodle prancing down the street.

'You said to pick up what I wanted' he said, dismissing Neal's comment and setting the food down on top of an old dresser.

He looked around the room and frowned. 'Where the hell's Mozzie? I got him the lactose free cheeseburger he likes.'

Neal stood and began unpacking the goods; he was starved and even a burger would do. 'I have no idea. I've been texting him for the past hour.'

Peter shrugged. 'Well, you know Mozzie, always needing to make an entrance' he said as he grabbed for the blanket they'd used the last time they'd been there.

Neal popped an onion ring in his mouth. 'I'm gonna regret this later' he mumbled.

He carried the paper bag over to their make-shift picnic blanket and pulled out the remainder of the food. It smelled heavenly.

'So, what's all that?' Peter asked, mouth full as he pointed to the mountain of papers strewn around.

'Just… you know, boring old paperwork as far as I can tell.'

Peter moaned in appreciation as he dove in for another huge bite of his double bacon cheeseburger.

'You know, I think Mozzie's got it wrong' Neal opined as he ate. 'The more I think of it… why would the guy leave millions of dollars worth of uncut diamonds in a storage unit for all these years. What kind of thief can resist cashing in on his winnings?'

'Speaking from experience?' Peter asked glibly.

Neal gave him a death stare. 'When Moz and I had Adler's treasure, we would spend most of our time talking about it or checking on it on the treasure cam.'

'Treasure cam?' Peter said with a frown.

Neal smiled wistfully as he recalled the long forgotten fiasco. 'Just… a cute little name we gave the feed.'

Peter shook his head in disbelief and mumbled under his breath. 'You gotta be kidding.'

'The point is we only had it for a few weeks and we were itching to unload it. The allure was… almost impossible to resist.'

'Oh yeah? How'd you manage?'

'Well, knowing you had part of the u-boat manifest and were on the lookout for anything that popped up was a good deterrent' Neal said with what almost sounded like regret.

'Maybe the guy fenced a few diamonds at a time so he wouldn't attract too much attention to his newfound wealth.'

Neal's eyebrows rose as he considered the possibility. 'I suppose…'

'Anyway, you know as well as I do that Mozzie isn't going to let this thing go until we've combed through every single inch of this stuff.'

Neal shrugged. Peter rubbed his hands together in glee. 'Come on, admit it! This is fun, poking around this stuff, hanging together…'

'Sure Peter' Neal replied deadpan as his phone rang.

He looked down at the screen. 'Finally!'

'Moz' he said into the phone. 'Where the hell are you?'

The voice on the other end was about an octave too high to be Mozzie.

'Houston…' he said, 'we have a problem.'

WCWCWC

Ginny yawned as she and Logan lay sprawled out on the couch. He was buck naked and she was wearing another one his many gifts, a see-through black lace crotchless teddy. Her breasts spilled over the top edge of the garment, exposing her nipples and making Ginny feel self-conscious and sexy at the same time.

The porn flic they'd been watching was much more hard core than the stuff they'd watched the last time and intermittently, they would pause and he'd challenge her to replicate what they'd been watching on the screen. Luckily, he'd taken a little blue pill - essential if he wanted to stay the course. They were both feeling mellow from the shots they'd been throwing back and the molly he'd given her had kicked in, making her feel both confident and compliant. He had Rohypnol at the ready - an insurance policy in case she resisted - but he preferred not to use it. After all, the well known date rape drug was known to impair memory and he needed her to remember those fancy moves he was teaching her. They would be coming in handy in the very near future.

'What's the matter baby?' he asked as he ran his fingers languidly up the inside of her thigh. 'Bored?'

She shivered against his touch. 'No, just tired' she replied with a nervous giggle.

He rubbed himself sluggishly and stared into her dark eyes.

'You want to try that one?' he asked, pointing to the TV monitor. The manoeuvre playing out on the screen was more daring than anything Ginny's fourteen-year-old mind had ever even imagined. Seemed there were multiple ways to please a man. She nodded shyly and bit her lip.

'Would you like it if I did that to you?' she asked provocatively, suddenly looking even younger and more innocent than her age. If this was going to make Logan happy, she was all for it.

Logan lay back and watched her take her position on the floor between his legs. She was a quick learner, another of the all important qualities he was searching for. Seemed Miss Virginia Berrigan had it all.

'Mmmm' he moaned. 'That's it baby. Don't be afraid to use your mouth. It won't bite.'

She got to work, mimicking what she'd just seen as he coached her, telling her how to use her mouth, her hands, her body. She was game for just about anything and he realized he would miss her once he finished up her training. He placed his hand on the top her head, rhythmically pushing down as he caressed her thick head of hair.

'That's good' he murmured as his eyes drifted shut.

After all, there was no reason he couldn't enjoy himself while he worked.

WCWCWC

Sara let her end of the couch drop with a thud and grabbed her back.

'Ouch!' she cried out.

'You okay?' El asked, rushing to her aid.

'I hope I didn't scuff the floor' Sara said, checking the hardwood at her feet.

'Never mind the floor. Here, sit. I think we need a break anyway.'

The women glanced around the room at the mess they'd made and broke into laughter. What had started as a search for the perfect spot for the Tiffany lamp had turned into a complete room makeover.

'What have we done?' Sara said with a chuckle.

'I don't know' El replied, amused. 'I guess we got a little carried away.'

Amongst the clutter they'd created, Elizabeth reached for the half empty bottle of Pinot that lay nearby - their second one of the night.

'Here, have some wine' she said, handing her best friend a full glass.

The women glanced around the room. Not a single piece of furniture was where it had been at the start of the evening.

'I've been wanting to move stuff around this room for a while, I just didn't think I'd do all this just so I could find the right place for a lamp.'

Sara examined the room from the new vantage point. 'I still think if we clear that shelf, the tall one… the lamp would look gorgeous there.'

El squinted as she stared at the bookcase. 'You know, I think you're right.'

They sipped in silence as they mulled over their options.

'El…' Sara said, suddenly pensive. 'I'd like it if you came to court next week.'

Elizabeth smiled.

'The more friendly faces when I sit there to testify, the better.'

'So you actually have to give testimony?'

Sara nodded. 'I gave a written testimony a while back but some judges like to hear it for themselves.'

'Is he going to be there?'

'Yeah…' Sara said, her voice quiet. 'He's entitled to face his accuser even though he's currently serving twenty years for crimes against the state.'

'No jury though, right?'

'No, no. Just the judge, Mindy will be there. He'll have his state appointed defence attorney although they're not mounting much of a defence. There was a lot of evidence against him.'

Elizabeth picked up on the sadness in Sara's eyes and reached out to touch her arm.

'I hate…' Sara said, hesitating. 'I hate that Neal has to hear it all over again. He really struggled after it all happened. In therapy, he talked about his anger, his frustration. Back then, I think he was afraid I would never get over it.'

'But you did…'

Sara nodded. 'Enough to function and have my life back but there are still moments when… if everybody's out of the house, I still can't stand the quiet. I'll turn on some music just for the noise, talk to Raffie… Do you know that for the first few months, I couldn't sleep with the lights out? Even with Neal beside me… I used to wake up and if he wasn't there, I would totally panic.'

Elizabeth listened attentively. It was obvious Sara needed to unload.

'And our sex life…' she continued, seemingly in a daze. 'I was petrified I wouldn't be able to enjoy sex ever again. I would look into Neal's eyes and see that monster… or hear his voice…'

She closed her eyes for a second and then, as fast as the memories had appeared, they evaporated. She took another fortifying sip of her wine and stood, determined to focus on something else.

'Come on' she said, suddenly brimming with confidence. 'Let's leave everything as it is and just try moving that lamp.'

El rose and followed her into the dining room where the beautiful lamp still sat on the sideboard awaiting its new spot in the Burke living room. Sara picked it up, surprised at how heavy it was. It almost slipped from her hand as she did her best to keep it upright.

'Oh shit!' she cried out as they heard the sound of metal rattling. 'Did I break it?'

The women set it down on the table and examined it, finding nothing amiss. 'It looks fine' El said as she picked it up and heard the faint sound once more.

She grabbed onto it with both hands and gave it a firm shake as the rattling intensified.

'It sounds like it's coming from the base' Sara said, leaning in to listen.

'Maybe a screw came loose and fell in' Elizabeth said, lying it down on its side to get a better look.

'Here, hold it' she said to Sara.

The bottom of the lamp's base was covered in dark green felt, smooth to the touch. Elizabeth ran her finger alongside the edge, noticing the felt curled up in one spot, as if it had been peeled back and glued back on. The women glanced at each other, curious.

El used a manicured fingernail, slipping it under the edge of the felt and working it in order to see what was underneath. The felt resisted but she persisted, slipping her finger in the opening she'd created and tugging back the piece of material. The opening grew enough for her to slip in a couple of fingers and feel around. Finding nothing, she leaned the lamp towards the newly created opening, feeling something move inside.

'There's something in here' she said, tugging gently.

She gave a gentle shake and watched in wonder as a small bag spilled out onto the table, a snack size plastic baggie with dozens of pieces of cut glass inside.

Only it wasn't glass at all.

They stared at each other, mouths agape.

Elizabeth let out a small gasp. 'Looks like Mozzie might have been on to something after all.'

TBC