"So?" Mike asked as Steve came through the anteroom door just before 11. The older man was standing at the coffee station pouring a fresh cup.
Steve smiled as he crossed to his desk and shrugged out of his jacket, dropping it onto the back of his chair. He shrugged slightly as he joined his partner; the older man picked up an empty cup and held it out. Steve took it and waited for Mike to pour. "Clockwork. Turley and his mouthpiece, or maybe I should say co-conspirator, didn't put up a fight."
"How did he plead?"
The younger man chuckled. "Not guilty, of course. I had a long talk with Gerry. He's going to get their investigators to look into Manchester's part in all this. If they can find a concrete connection to what happened, they'll charge him but that could be a tough slog."
Mike put the carafe back on the burner and started into his office. "Umh-humh."
"Well, at least it's not our problem anymore," Steve sighed as he followed his partner, dropping into the guest chair and taking a sip of the strong hot coffee.
As Mike sank into his own chair, he raised his eyebrows. "Well, I've got some news."
"Oh? What's that?"
"I got a call from Colin Gray this morning. He and Chisholm got made by a few members of Brother Samuel's distaff side."
Steve's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Mike nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Well, he's not a hundred percent sure but enough to call me."
"So what did you tell him?"
"I told him to pack it in and get outa there. We still have two teams for the weekend but…" He shrugged.
"So what do you think that means?"
Mike sighed heavily and paused for a few long seconds. "I've been thinking about that. Them being caught out doesn't mean that Brother Samuel and his… flock have anything to do with the homeless murders. It might just mean they keep a keen eye on the neighborhood and got suspicious when they saw these… strangers hanging around and just wanted to let them know they were being watched. It could be totally innocent."
Steve made a face. "Yeah, that's a point."
"On the other hand…" Mike continued, "maybe it isn't…" He chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know. Anyway, I don't want to have to think about it until Monday when we pull the other two teams and then we have to decide what we do next, if anything." He finally took a sip of his coffee. "I don't know about you, buddy boy, but I'm getting very frustrated with our lack of… progress."
"I hear ya," Steve chuckled, sipping his own coffee.
Mike raised his eyebrows. "Oh, ah, by the way, you're off the hook about those school desks."
"I was wondering about that. I thought Neil told you he was getting them this week?"
"Yeah, turns out he's not getting as many as was promised… surprise, surprise… and the ones he is getting need some work. So that's what I'm gonna help him with tomorrow." He smiled. "Maybe I can get some of my frustration out by pounding nails."
They both chuckled.
# # # # #
"Oh, Neil, I can't begin to tell you how much these desks are going to help," Carol gushed as she held the door open for the two men with their arms full.
Neil laughed as he led Mike to the centre of the classroom and they set the desk pieces on the floor. "It's my pleasure," he grinned as he straightened up, heading back to the door. "We've got the pieces for six desks here, but we gotta put them back together."
"Mike, are you sure you should be carrying all that?" she asked worriedly, nodding at the cast.
He held his forearm up as he passed her on his way back out the door. "It's almost completely healed. I get the cast off next week so I'm good, don't worry."
"Okay, if you're sure."
It took them a few more trips to bring all the desk parts into the old bodega. They set the pieces out on the floor and tried to figure out what parts went where and what they had to do to reassemble the small wooden desks again. Having something else besides work to concentrate on was allowing Mike to relax a lot more than he realized.
# # # # #
Dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt under a brown leather jacket, Steve strolled into the bullpen. It was a very quiet Saturday morning with just one team of detectives and a uniformed sergeant present, and he sighed happily as he glanced into the empty office with his partner's name stencilled in black on the glass door. He was going to get a lot done, he thought.
# # # # #
Mike and Neil were standing over the various piles of similar desk parts, both of them frowning. "Do you know what leg goes where, or does it matter?" Mike asked, staring at the pile of wooden legs.
The large black man shrugged. "I don't really think it matters, do you?"
Mike shook his head and shrugged as well. "Nah, I think you're right." He chuckled. "Okay, should we get to work?"
"I've got two hammers and some nails," Carol announced, coming forward with a small paper bag and the hammers in her hands. She passed them to Neil. "Is there anything else you need?"
"No, I don't think so," Neil said with a smile. "Thanks."
"Okay. Well, I'll be upstairs in the 'office'," she chuckled ironically. "We got a delivery of some used clothing I'm gonna go through to see what we can use and distribute. So if you need anything, just give me a shout."
"Will do," Neil laughed and both men watched her head towards the former storeroom. He turned to Mike with his eyebrows raised. "Well, let's get to work."
"You got it."
# # # # #
"Well, would you look at that," Neil laughed as they both took a step back and examined the results of their handiwork. A small school desk, complete with inkwell, stood in front of them.
"Well, I don't think either of us would be able to sit at it… comfortably," Mike chuckled, "but I think it looks great, if I do say so myself."
"Oh my!" came Carol's voice from the direction of the storeroom. "Look at that! That looks wonderful!" She crossed towards them quickly, slipping one arm through Neil's and leaning into him as she reached out to take Mike's right hand with her other. "Oh my goodness, I don't know how to thank you two. The kids are just going to be thrilled."
Both men chuckled self-consciously. "Well, I'm just glad we can be of service," Neil said softly, though he did look pleased with himself.
"And we still have five more desks to finish," Mike reminded her with a grin. "We can't let this early success go to our heads."
"Oh you," she laughed, squeezing his hand. "The world needs more people like you two."
# # # # #
Steve finished typing the report and ripped it out of the typewriter. He arched his back, stretching his stiff muscles, and dropped the report on the pile on the desk. He glanced at his watch. It was later than he thought but he was getting more done than he'd hoped. 'Might as well stay for a bit longer and get more done,' he thought to himself as he reached for another file folder and flipped it open.
# # # # #
"So, ah, so what happened with that investigation you were doing into Brother Samuel?" Neil asked as he bit into his sandwich.
They had assembled three desks so far and decided to take a break for a late lunch. Mike had sprung for a couple of club sandwiches from a nearby diner and they were sitting on the floor in the classroom, washing them down with sodas.
Mike swallowed then took a sip of his ginger ale. "Well, it wasn't really an investigation. We just wanted to find out a little more about him, that's all. Neighborhood policing." He was trying to be as vague as possible without sounding evasive.
Neil picked up his Coke to take a sip then stopped, giving the cop the side eye. "So is that why you had those undercover guys doing surveillance?" he asked with a slight smile then brought the can to his lips.
The detective, who was chewing, froze, his eyes snapping to the other man. He finished chewing and swallowed. "You know about that?"
Neil sagged slightly, staring into the suddenly intense blue eyes. "Mike, I was an army man for years, you know that. You don't spend several tours in a combat zone without being aware of your surroundings at all times, in uniform or not."
Mike stared at him for a long beat. "Do you think anybody else knows?"
The vet shrugged. "I didn't tell anybody… but I don't know about that, I truly don't." When the detective's brow furrowed even more, he continued, "Hey, they were good, believe me. They weren't obvious. I've just been around the block a few more times than most people, that's all."
Mike nodded, looking down, weighing how much he could divulge. "I got a call from one of the teams last night. He said they were made - by Brother Samuel's women."
Neil chuckled, taking another sip of Coke. "Yeah, those ladies don't miss a trick. They're just protecting the neighborhood. And they're real good at that."
"Protecting it from what?"
Neil looked at him and smiled enigmatically. "Outsiders."
The detective nodded.
The army vet stared at him, his brow furrowing. "The, ah, the murders of those homeless guys…. You haven't gotten anywhere with that, have you?"
After a beat, Mike shook his head slowly.
"And you think Brother Samuel and his women might have something to do with them?"
After a beat, Mike shrugged slightly. "I used to think that… but now I don't know."
Neil stared at him for several long beats. "Well, if my word holds any weight, I think you're way off base on this one, Mike. I really do."
The detective stared back then he nodded slowly. "You might be right." He took another bite of his sandwich as an uncomfortable silence settled over them.
"How are you two doing?" Carol's voice cut though the quiet and they both jumped slightly. She was bustling towards them from the storeroom. She stopped when she saw the three finished desks. "Oh my goodness, you really are just motoring along, aren't you?"
They both chuckled.
"Do you think you're going to get them all done today?"
Mike glanced at his watch. It was mid-afternoon. "Probably not. But I can come back tomorrow." He looked at Neil. "You?"
The other man looked at him through widened eyes. "No, I have a meeting with the mayor at City Hall," he said slowly, his voice dripping sarcasm. After a beat, all three started laughing. "Of course I can come back tomorrow."
"Great," Carol chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "I just have to step out for few minutes. Are you guys gonna be okay here alone?"
The men looked at each other. "I think we can handle any intruders," Neil said with feigned seriousness and she laughed as Mike chuckled.
"Oh you…" She swatted his shoulder as she stepped past him towards the door.
They watched her go, laughing.
# # # # #
Steve got up, pulling his leather jacket off the back of his chair as he started towards the exit. He had just stepped into the anteroom when the outside door opened and a young uniformed officer stepped into the room, stopping abruptly when he almost bumped into the detective.
"Oh, ah, Inspector Keller, this just came in for the Lieutenant." He held up a thick inter-office manila envelope. "Can I give it to you?"
Steve looked at the package and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." He took it.
The officer nodded and backed out the door, letting it close behind him. Throwing his jacket over his shoulder, Steve opened the string-and-button clasp and slid a thick manila envelope out. A label on the front in black marker read: 'FBI Background Check - Benjamin Sykes'.
He put the second envelope back into the first and, stuffing it under his arm, opened the Homicide office door and headed home.
