Title: Nevermore
Chapter: 2
Author: Evidence
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Thanks for all the kind hearted reviews! Maple Street you are an inspiration and D great cheerleading *G*. I hope you enjoy!
Through the glass she could see the man who shared her blood. His brown hair was short but unkempt. His eyes were red rimmed and he bit at his lip to replace the cigarette he usually held.
Jack's hand touched her back. "You ready?"
"Sure," she replied.
Thomas Spade's head jerked when he saw her enter the room. "Samantha...how are you?"
"This is not a family reunion. We need information and you are going to give it to us, Tommy." Samantha sat down across from him. Her eyes glared at him. He reeked of beer and old cigarettes.
Thomas wiped at his eyes. "I already told your fellow alien agents that Franklin Podena murdered Susan Shepard."
"Alien agents?" Jack asked from behind Sam.
"I know you have come from Mars to take over the world! You already have the government in your pocket."
"We are not aliens, Tommy! The booze has really fucked up your brain!"
"Sam!" Jack yelled, moving closer.
Sam took a breath. "Trust me I'm not an alien. Now how did you know Podena killed Susan Shepard?"
"I saw him." He said it matter of factly.
"When did you see this happen?" Sam felt her heart began to race.
"Like three years ago. I think." He rubbed at his head.
"How did you know it was Susan Shepard?"
"I had seen her face plastered on the Radio Shack TV screens, and in the newspapers." He paused. "You know that the media is being run by chimpanzees." He pointed at Jack.
"Yes, I'm familiar with that." Jack answered deadpan.
"Where did this happen?" Samantha asked next.
"In Central Park. Near that large tree."
Sam sighed. "Tommy, do you know how many large trees there are in Central Park?"
He merely shrugged.
"Okay, how did you know who Franklin Podena was?"
"He helps me get...stuff."
"Booze?"
Thomas nodded his head. "I was with him that day when he killed her. She was in the back of his car, tied up. He brought her to the park and then put his hands around her neck. She stopped moving." He put his head on the desk as if he had taxed himself by talking too much.
"What did he do with her body?" Sam asked.
"I don't know."
"Why did you tell the police about Podena now after all these years?"
"He killed my fish."
"He what?" Jack asked.
"He killed my clown fish I had bought and ate him." Thomas began to sob. "He killed Bernie!"
Sam turned to Jack and rolled her eyes. Jack tried to suppress a chuckle.
"Franklin needs to pay," Thomas Spade said rubbing at an invisible mark on his arm.
"Oh he will." Jack knocked on the door and two FBI agents, Jansco and Moss stepped in. "Please take Mr. Spade to a detox cell. We will probably need to talk to him again when he's sober."
"No! I won't go! You can't make me." He jumped up from his seat, his brown eyes darker and wild. "I know what you people do."
"Tommy, calm down!" Sam yelled at him.
"You'll run your little experiments and then get in your pods to go back to Mars. I know."
"Tommy, no one is going to do anything to you." Sam spoke slowly hoping he would comprehend but four other agents had to be called in to subdue him.
She pushed a hand through her long hair after her relative was taken kicking and screaming out of the interrogation room.
"You okay?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, fine. Not that it's any of your business to worry."
"It is my business."
"Yes, Jack I know your my boss." She pulled at the collar on her blouse that suddenly felt so tight around her neck.
He swallowed. "I don't just care because I'm your boss...I care about you."
Sam headed for the door. "I have Martin to care for me now."
"Martin. Yes, Martin cares, I'm sure," his voice was gruff again like it had been earlier when the discussion went into the territory of Sam's moving on. "Martin doesn't..."
"Doesn't make me happy? How do you know?" She began opening the door but he quickly came behind her and closed it.
"Don't do this. Don't act like Martin is the guy for you."
"Why? He's single. He's attractive. He is always available."
"Oh I'm sure." Sweat was beading up on his forehead.
"You should see how Martin kisses me. He's sweet and passionate at once." She was so close to him now she could feel his warm breath on her face.
He had a range of emotions infusing his soul. Making him forget about what room they where, the consequences of any actions they took. "Really? Martin's that good, huh? Better than me?"
"I can't recall."
"Let me refresh your memory." His lips meet hers and they fell right back into sync. Her hands in his hair, his hands going down her back, the passion in each exchange taking place in their months.
"Jack," Sam managed to say as he moved to her neck. "We're at work." She was careful not to touch his cut face.
He pulled his lips up from her skin. "I don't care."
"What about..." she hated to say it, to bring it up, but she didn't want to have some quick moment with Jack if nothing was ever going to follow it. She knew now that she loved him and wanted to be with him. She wouldn't settle for anything else. "What about Maria?"
He broke away, still breathing heavily and looked at her. Sadness fell over his eyes. He had a vision of his daughters smiling at him. He was falling back into a bad pattern.
"You're right. We should stop."
Samantha hated being right sometimes.
He pushed a hand through his hair in an attempt to straighten it out and backed away still feeling her body presses against him, as some sort of tattoo on his flesh. She straightened out her blouse and run a hand through her hair telling her heart to slow down.
Jack tried his best to pretend as if nothing had just happened. "Okay, I'm going to do some research on Podena. Why don't you take out Susan Shepard's case file and review it. Maybe there is some link to Podena that we didn't know about before."
"Sure," she replied and watched him walk out of the interrogation room. She had so wanted to give into her feelings but she wouldn't be the mistress anymore.
Jack was back at his office before realization struck him. They had been in the interrogation room. A room constantly taped to have evidence for trials. Their encounter had been taped and would be played for Van Doran. He probably should expect another visit from Farrell. He gulped. Maria was sure to find out.
The black shoe hit the soda machine rocking it. The bottle of Coke came out in a rush. He pulled it out and quickly opened it, spraying himself with soda.
"Fuck!" Martin said.
His white shirt was drenched with the cola drink. What a great day, he thought. The soda incident was upsetting but it was what he had seen a few minutes before that had made him furious. He had just happened to be walking by the interrogation room when he looked into the two-way mirror to see Jack and Sam on display. He had thought the date had gone so well the other night but now he realized he was just fooling himself. He had asked her to come up to his apartment for a drink but she had refused saying she was too tired. Too tired for him but not for Jack, he thought. He kicked the machine one more time before heading out of the breakroom.
Franklin Podena watched two college kids from NYU chatting with a skateboarding guy. They were so young and innocent looking. They were just...perfect.
To be continued…