Title: Nevermore
Chapter: 4
Author: Evidence
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews, you warm my heart. For Maple Street and D.
Samantha was just shutting off her computer after searching through Franklin Podena's online account, when she saw his reflection on the computer screen. She turned her chair around to face him, noticing the off expression on his face.
"Martin, what's the matter?" She asked.
"We need to talk. Somewhere private. Meet me outside in five minutes." He was almost robotic sounding.
"I can't leave. There is a major case going on right now!"
"This isn't up for discussion." He left at that, leaving a sentence hanging in midair, something that sounded so foreign coming out of Martin Fitzgerald's mouth.
Sam followed behind him reaching him at the elevators. "Okay, let's talk," she said as the doors closed shut.
Jack had just been coming out of the break room when he saw them leaving on the elevator together. A pang still resonated in his heart at the thought of Sam with someone else. He at least liked Martin and felt he would treat her well. But that did nothing to take away the loneliness of the nights without her.
"Jack!"
"What's up, Danny?" Jack asked the young man rushing towards him.
"The police just called. Two NYU students were just murdered. An old guy walking his dog saw a man matching Podena's description hanging around the campus."
"Damn it!" Moments like this were like being kicked in the gut. "He thinks he's invincible now because the jig is up. He is going to start killing for pleasure whenever he sees fit."
"Yeah…"
"Okay, I want Podena's picture plastered on every front page, every noontime report. I want people to be aware of what he looks like and that he is dangerous. Set up a hotline for tips…someone may know something."
"Got it," Danny said starting to take off to complete his assignment. He stopped and looked at his boss. He had never seen him so out of sorts. "Sam looked like hell this morning."
Jack turned his eyes to him.
"She looks so lost ever since…"
Jack nodded. "Thank you but there are people out there who need us, concentrate on that."
"You need someone too Jack." Danny left him at that moment to ponder the statement.
"Okay, what did you want to talk about?" Sam asked leaning against the clammy exterior of the Federal building.
Martin's head was bent, his eyes focused on a wad of green gum etched into the sidewalk surface. "I saw something today.'
"What did you see?"
He lifted his head. "You. Jack. The Interrogation room."
Samantha imaged her face had gone white. "You saw…"
"You and Jack have a grand old time? Yeah. Next time you should just start kissing right at the conference table…if you want it to be more on display."
Sam swayed a hand over her face. Martin was a nice guy, a nice guy that was a good friend to her. Now not only had she used him but she had hurt him as well. "I'm sorry you saw that. We didn't plan it, it just happened. It won't ever happen again."
"Do you honestly believe that? Putting you two in a room together seems to be like sticking a proton next to a neutron, you two seem like you can't help yourselves. You'll always go back to each other." There was anger and sadness mixing in his voice.
"You knew I cared for Jack going into this thing that we have. You knew he cared about me. Don't act like some innocent victim."
"Thing? We had a thing? I can see now we had nothing together." He folded his arms across his stained shirt. "Okay, I knew of course about the affair and I realized there was still a bond. But he is married so I thought the both of you would have the common sense to end the relationship. I really thought we could have something."
She avoided his eyes. "I don't think that's possible, Martin. I am sorry."
"I'm sorry I let your dog loose, I'm sorry I killed someone- what a convenient, meaningless thing to say. You can say, "I'm sorry" over and over again but your actions prove that you are not."
She swallowed.
"I am going back to work. Don't expect a phone call from me ever again." He stormed off.
Samantha did feel sorry. She wasn't in love with Martin; she didn't dream of him at night as Jack haunted her sleep time. But she did care for him. She loved him dearly as a friend and now she had lost that friendship.
Martin told himself he won't cry. After his last serious relationship was over, he had sworn that he would never cry again. Love wasn't worth it. He had seen that Sam wasn't looking for a husband…it seemed so perfect. They could have a little non-deep relationship. Then he discovered the truth about her and Jack. He thought he would stay away but by then he had already fallen for her. He didn't love her like Jack did but he cared- too much. The tears started to roll down his face in the elevator. He wiped them away with his sleeve, he couldn't let anyone know.
Sobriety was taking shape in the confounded mind of Thomas Spade. There was a fuzzy image in his brain. He tried to wrap his head around it but then it faded away. He had seen enough of it to know that it dealt with Susan Shepard. It was her face that was the fuzzy image. Podena had said something about her- what was it? He needed to remember…he needed…and as if an electric shock went through his system he suddenly could hear Podena's voice in his head.
"Guard!" He yelled to the man in the detox center with him, observing him. "You need to bring my cousin, Samantha Spade there. It's very important. I have information."
To be continued…