When Evan arrived back at the SIU the next morning, he was surprised to see that he'd even beaten Nash to work. After fixing a cup of coffee, he got started on the rest of the numbers from Winwood's cell phone. The others trickled in, but Evan still had come up empty. He had a several numbers to go.
Joe and Michelle went to interrogation to try to get something out of the drivers again, but they held out little hope of getting anyone to talk.
Checking the time, Nash glanced over at Evan. "Did Harvey get home alright last night?"
"Yeah, Nashman, no problems."
It was almost 11am, so Harvey should have gotten plenty of sleep by now. Picking up the phone, Nash punched in the familiar number. He let it ring five times and was about to hang up, when a sleepy voice finally answered.
"Leek."
"Hey Harvey, sorry to wake you. I figured you'd be up by now. Listen, I need you to come in for that line-up so we can get these guys processed and transferred.'
"Sure Nash. I'll be there in about an hour. Okay?"
"Thanks Harv, we'll have 'em ready for you. 'Bye." Catching Evan's eye, Nash waved him over. "Evan, Harvey will be here in about an hour for the line-up, so we'll need the wagon to come get these guys later. Also, I just got a call that two of our guys are returning to work and will take over the Harris surveillance at noon, so you and Michelle don't have to do that."
"That's good, because I've got a few leads with these cell phone numbers. I'm going to go check them out and see if anything turns up."
"Take Michelle with you."
"Sure, boss." Evan walked off to find Michelle, not sure how he felt about teaming with her. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot when she first joined their unit, and Evan hadn't really been too sure how he should act. It wasn't that he didn't like her. She just came across kind of strong and totally different from Harvey. That sort of threw him off his stride. Evan gave his head a shake. He'd just have to keep his mind on business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Harvey walked into the SIU, he was surprised when everyone stopped to welcome him back. Smiling, he headed over to his desk to see how much paper work had piled up in his absence. "Hey boss."
Looking up from his desk, Nash smiled broadly. "Hey, Harv, welcome back. Joe's getting the line-up together. How're you feeling?"
Settling himself at his desk with a sigh, Harvey smiled. "I'm fine, Nash. Just needed a good night's sleep more than anything else."
An awkward silence settled between them. Nash felt a little guilty for Harvey working so long without a decent break. Harvey felt a little foolish for getting himself kidnapped. The two men avoided each other's eyes for a few long moments, until Joe broke the spell.
"Harvey, welcome back my friend. I've got the bozos all lined up and ready for you."
Standing with a yawn, Harvey couldn't believe how tired he still was after more than twelve hours' sleep. "Lead me to 'em, Joe."
Since they could only have one driver per lineup, the whole process took almost an hour. Harvey unerringly fingered each driver he'd seen in the warehouse, and they were all led away to the wagon.
Joe flashed a big smile as he handed Harvey a cup of coffee. "Well, that's one thing taken care of. Now, if we can just catch the boss. Evan and Michelle should have something for us soon." The two men stood companionably on the fantail, sipping coffee.
Nash was also smiling as he talked to Michelle on his cell phone. "Good job, you two. We'll have to stick a surveillance team on her. I should have known a meathead like Winwood would have a mistress. Yeah, well, we'll just have to figure something out, because I can't pull surveillance from the Harris gig. Okay, well you two just stay there and I'll see what I can do about a surveillance truck. I'll check with you guys later."
Glancing up as he put the phone back in his pocket, Nash was surprised to see Barbara walking into the SIU. She looked around and, spotting Nash at his desk, headed his way with a radiant smile. Standing as she approached, he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek. "Barbara, what are you doing here. You're not going to cancel on our date tonight, are you?"
Sitting in the chair Nash pulled over for her, Barbara laughed lightly. "No, of course not. I just dropped by on the off chance that I could talk you into lunch." She looked around the ferry at the hustle and bustle and smiled while shaking her head. "Well, you certainly have an interesting office."
Smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling, Nash nodded. "Yeah, but at least it won't come down on our heads the next time we have an earthquake."
Nash smiled even bigger at the sound of her musical laugh. The smile slipped from his face, however, when she suddenly stopped laughing and frowned. Turning around in his chair to see what she was frowning at, Nash winced. Talk about bad timing. Joe and Harvey were walking toward the desks, deep in conversation.
Turning back to frown at Nash, Barbara stood and planted her hands on her hips. "What on earth is he doing at work?"
Joe and Harvey stopped short at the angry outburst. Seeing his doctor standing four feet away, her admonitions to stay home for at least three days ringing in his ears, Harvey wished the floor would open up and swallow him. Seeing the frown directed at Nash, Harvey had a suspicion that his boss was probably wishing the same thing. He glanced at Nash and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Giving a minute shake of his head, Nash indicated that he'd handle it. Harvey was more than willing to leave him to explain things to the good doctor. Smiling, he reached out to shake Barbara's hand. "Hey, Doc, welcome to the SIU. Uh, I've gotta go. I...uh...I'm feeling much better, by the way. See ya Nash." Harvey made an about-face and hurried back in the direction of the fantail, Joe close on his heels.
Clearing his throat, Nash got Barbara's attention. "Don't worry, he isn't here to work. He only came in for a line-up. I guess you could say he's here as a victim, not a cop. It had to be done today. He got plenty of sleep last night, and he's going home as soon as we get the paperwork filled out."
"He better be." Her stern expression softened at the innocent look on Nash's face. She couldn't help it. Laughing lightly, she shook her head. "You're incorrigible, all of you. The look on Inspector Leek's face was priceless. Well, are we on for lunch or not?"
Pulling up his jacket sleeve to peer at his watch, Nash frowned thoughtfully. "Well, let me go see where Harvey and Joe are hiding and get them started on the paperwork. I'll be right back and we'll grab lunch. I know this great little café that's only a few blocks away."
"Sounds perfect." Barbara sat back down in her chair and brushed lint from her black skirt. "I'll wait here for you. Wouldn't want to scare off your Inspectors again, would I?" She grinned impishly.
He was still chuckling to himself when Nash finally found Harvey out on the fantail, laughing at something Ronnie had just told him. "Hey, Ronnie. Harvey, can I see for a second?"
Shrugging his shoulders at a look from Ronnie, Harvey followed Nash over to a corner. "What's up, boss?"
Rubbing at his ear, Nash sighed. "Harvey, Lord knows I hate to ask, but I need you to do me a favor." At a nod from Harvey, he continued. "We need the backup surveillance truck put together, and put together quick. I think we may have found a way to catch Winwood. He's got a mistress, and we want to keep an eye on her house. If I try to find someone else to hook everything up, it could be tomorrow before we get things together. Will you do it?"
Smiling wryly, Harvey nodded. "All you had to do was ask, Nashman. I want this guy caught as bad as you do, or worse. I'll do what I can. It won't take me all that long, really."
Nash slapped Harvey on the back, pleased and grateful for such good people working under his command. "Thanks, Harv. Um, do me another favor will ya? I'm taking Barbara out to lunch, so call me when you're finished. I'll keep her out until you're gone, so we're both spared her wrath. I told her you weren't working."
Harvey laughed at that. "You bet, boss. I don't want her mad at me, either. Officially, she's got me on the sidelines until the day after tomorrow. She wants me to stay home for three or four days, but I figure I'll be going nuts by then. She compromised at Sunday and I don't want her to change her mind."
"I hear that, bubba. Just give me a call when you get ready to leave. I'll get Joe to start the paperwork on the drivers for you."
"Man, anything to get me out of paperwork!"
They shared a brief smile then went their separate ways. Harvey headed over to Evidence to wheedle some equipment out of the Sergeant. Nash returned to Barbara and escorted her out to the 'Cuda for their lunch.
Having sweet-talked the needed equipment out of Evidence, Harvey lugged the box out to the spare truck. He made several trips back and forth for the components he needed to get everything set up. After the second trip, Ronnie noticed what Harvey was doing and offered his help. Grateful for the big cop's strength, Harvey readily accepted his assistance. Ronnie enlisted the aid of two other officers and, between the four of them, got everything Harvey needed.
Wiping his brow and swearing softly, Harvey was lying on his back under the narrow shelf bolted to the truck's wall that served as a desktop. If he could just get this one connection, everything would be ready. He figured he owed Ronnie and the other two a round of beer. He wouldn't have gotten it finished so quickly if not for their help. With a smile of triumph, Harvey finally got the two cables connected. Success!
"Harvey!"
Startled, Harvey sat up quickly and cracked his head on the underside of the desk. Holding a hand to his forehead, he rocked back and forth. "Mamma Mia! Man, what the hell are you trying to do, Joe? Put me back in the hospital?"
Joe, trying not to laugh, reached out to pull Harvey's hand away. "Aw, there's not even a mark. You'll be fine."
Shooting Joe a sour look, Harvey rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. What did you want, anyway?"
"I just came to see if you were almost finished. Nash called asking if he could bring Barbara back yet. I think maybe she's getting antsy or something."
Wiping his hands on his pants legs, Harvey nodded. "Yeah, I just finished. Go ahead and call Nash and give him the all clear. I'm outta here. The bugs for the phone are in that little box there on the desk."
Joe waited for Harvey to get out of the truck and walked with him over to the Ranchero. "Thanks for your help, Harv. We should get this thing wrapped up in a couple days."
"No problem, Joe. Hey, give me call if you find out anything, will you?"
"Sure. Well, let me get back to the paperwork. I think that's the only reason you agreed to put that surveillance truck together...to get out of filling out forms."
Putting on his best innocent face, Harvey placed a hand to his chest in mock disbelief. "Who, me? Never. You wound me, Joseph."
Not buying the act, Joe snorted. "Yeah, I'll wound you alright. Go home, Harvey."
Laughing, Harvey opened his car door and waved a hand as he dropped into his seat. Joe wasn't too far off the mark. Putting together a bunch of electronic equipment was much more preferable to doing paperwork, to his way of thinking. He popped in a tape and hummed along to "Box of Rain"* as he drove home.
As Nash escorted Barbara from the café, he saw a familiar blue Ranchero drive past and was grateful Barbara didn't know what kind of car Harvey drove. She'd kill the both of them. He opened the door for her and smiled innocently. He was looking forward to their date later that night.
When they got back to the ferry, Nash had Ronnie drive the surveillance van over to Evan and Michelle to exchange for Evan's truck. Now they were in business.
Evan was a little surprised to see the familiar blue vehicle pull up behind him. He and Michelle got out of his truck and climbed into the surveillance van. Ronnie crawled in the back to get Evan's keys. Michelle was already inspecting the bugs and mikes, while Evan fiddled with the computers. Looking up as Ronnie joined them, Evan raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"Hey, Ronnie, I wasn't expecting this thing for hours."
Placing the bugging equipment back in its box, Michelle agreed. "Me either. What did Nash have to do to get it done so quickly?"
Ronnie held out his hand for Evan's keys and smiled. "Oh, nothing much. He just got Harvey out of some paperwork. Inspector Leek seemed eager enough."
"Yeah, well, I don't blame him." Evan hated paperwork. It was the bane of his existence.
After Ronnie left, Michelle and Evan settled in for a long, boring evening.
Nash's evening was anything but boring. When he walked into the SIU the next morning, it was with a huge smile plastered to his face and a spring in his step.
Looking up from his desk, Joe smiled back. "Have a good time last night?"
Sitting down and shuffling through the papers on his desk, Nash raised his eyebrows. "I did. Barbara and I had a wonderful dinner last night. Full of interesting conversation, I might add. As a matter of fact, we had such a good dinner that she's going to the symphony with me tonight."
"Oh, really?" Joe hoped Nash didn't end up hurt again, but kept his reservations to himself. It was nice to see his best friend so happy.
Seeing the empty desks, Nash frowned. "Are we the only ones coming in today?"
"Nah, Evan and Michelle will be in this afternoon. They've got the overnight surveillance shift; 6-6."
"Thanks for taking care of that, Bubba."
"No problem, Nashman. Nobody's seen or heard from Winwood, but I figure he'll show up at his mistress' sooner or later."
By the time Michelle and Evan began their shift in the surveillance van, however, Winwood hadn't shown. In an attempt to make peace with Michelle, Evan had brought a chess set. They proved to be fairly evenly matched, and Evan gained some insight into the new team member.
Michelle was just about to move her rook into position to put Evan in checkmate, when her cell phone chirped from her jacket pocket. "Saved by the bell, Evan." She smiled as she pulled the phone from her pocket and flipped it open. "Michelle. What? You're kidding, right? Yeah...yeah, okay. I'll see what I can do. No...no, I don't...I understand, but...yes...alright, I'm on my way."
Closing the phone with a sigh, she leaned over and rested her head in her hand. Looking back up to see the question in Evan's face, Michelle grimaced and rolled her eyes. "You're not going to believe this, but my mom fell while walking around on her crutches. That was her on the phone. She's in the ER again, this time with bruised ribs from hitting the coffee table. I don't believe this. What am I going to do with her?"
Rubbing a hand through his hair, Evan sighed. "I think the question is more like, what are you going to do about your shift here?"
Opening the phone once more, Michelle started dialing. "I guess I call Joe and let him sort it out. There's not much I can do about it. I'm all she's got, and somebody's got to stay with her tonight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanging up the phone, Joe dropped his head in his hands. It was almost 11pm. Who on earth was he going to get to replace Michelle? He'd do it himself, but he was home alone with Lucia again. He'd never get a babysitter this time of night. He made a few phone calls, but couldn't get anyone to come in. Nobody needed overtime...they'd all gotten plenty during the last two weeks.
Pacing the floor, Joe sighed. He'd hate to have to interrupt Nash's date for this. Well, there was one more person to try. Nash would probably not like it, but what choice did he have? Joe rubbed his eyes and punched in the numbers. He was mildly surprised to hear the phone pick up after only two rings.
"Leek."
"Uh, Harvey, it's Joe. Um, listen, I didn't wake you did I?"
"No. Actually, I pretty much slept most of the day. That was probably a mistake, 'cause now I'm wired and can't get to sleep. Oh, hey, did you catch Winwood?"
Joe cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. "Uh, no Harv, we haven't seen him yet. Listen, Michelle just called me. Her mother's in the hospital again and I need someone to cover for her. I've called around and can't get anyone. Is there any way...?"
He heard Harvey's chuckle over the line. "Yeah, Joe, I'll do it. I'm going nuts here anyway. Just tell me where and when."
"Harvey, you're a life-saver." Joe gave him the address and told him to head on over there so Michelle could leave. Hanging up with a sigh of relief, Joe smiled and headed off to bed. Another crisis averted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harvey parked his car and headed toward the surveillance van. Looking around, he rapped lightly on the door and slipped inside. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen the man standing in the shadows of the doorway two houses down. But the man had seen him.
Evan looked at Harvey is surprise. "Harvey, what are you doing here?"
"Joe called me. Michelle, you can go now. Tell your mother I hope she gets better soon, will you?" Michelle gathered her things and stood up to give Harvey her seat.
"Thanks, Harvey, but I feel kind of bad about this."
Waving his hand, Harvey brushed off her concern. "Don't worry about it, Michelle. You need to take care of your mother. Besides, I was going nuts at home."
Harvey's smile was infectious and Michelle smiled back. Giving him a quick hug, startling both he and Evan, she thanked him again. "Well, anyway, thanks again Harvey. I don't know what I'd do without you. You two stay out of trouble."
Watching as she stepped out the door, Evan shook his head. "She may loosen up after all, Harv."
"Ah, you just stuck your foot in your mouth the first day and didn't know how to pry it out. She hasn't been that bad. At least, not to me. But then, I didn't make a complete fool out of myself. Unlike some people I could mention." Seeing Evan's pointed glare, Harvey clarified. "Hey, I said 'complete fool'. I should have known not to take part in your hair-brained scheme. You'd think I'd learn from watching Nash and Joe."
Unaware of the friendly bantering inside the blue van, the shadowy figure in the doorway tried to think of a workable plan. He'd come to his girlfriend's house for sanctuary, but had seen the van parked out front. Suspicious, he'd waited and watched for hours. His patience was finally rewarded when he'd seen two people walk up to the van, knock on the door and enter. A few moments later, two different people had walked out. Cops. He'd hidden in the neighborhood, trying to think of a way to get rid of the intruders. He couldn't believe his eyes when a man he recognized approached the van. A moment later, a beautiful Asian lady stepped out and headed down the street. He had to get rid of those cops. Getting rid of that one cop would just be ironic. He needed a plan.
Joe and Michelle went to interrogation to try to get something out of the drivers again, but they held out little hope of getting anyone to talk.
Checking the time, Nash glanced over at Evan. "Did Harvey get home alright last night?"
"Yeah, Nashman, no problems."
It was almost 11am, so Harvey should have gotten plenty of sleep by now. Picking up the phone, Nash punched in the familiar number. He let it ring five times and was about to hang up, when a sleepy voice finally answered.
"Leek."
"Hey Harvey, sorry to wake you. I figured you'd be up by now. Listen, I need you to come in for that line-up so we can get these guys processed and transferred.'
"Sure Nash. I'll be there in about an hour. Okay?"
"Thanks Harv, we'll have 'em ready for you. 'Bye." Catching Evan's eye, Nash waved him over. "Evan, Harvey will be here in about an hour for the line-up, so we'll need the wagon to come get these guys later. Also, I just got a call that two of our guys are returning to work and will take over the Harris surveillance at noon, so you and Michelle don't have to do that."
"That's good, because I've got a few leads with these cell phone numbers. I'm going to go check them out and see if anything turns up."
"Take Michelle with you."
"Sure, boss." Evan walked off to find Michelle, not sure how he felt about teaming with her. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot when she first joined their unit, and Evan hadn't really been too sure how he should act. It wasn't that he didn't like her. She just came across kind of strong and totally different from Harvey. That sort of threw him off his stride. Evan gave his head a shake. He'd just have to keep his mind on business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Harvey walked into the SIU, he was surprised when everyone stopped to welcome him back. Smiling, he headed over to his desk to see how much paper work had piled up in his absence. "Hey boss."
Looking up from his desk, Nash smiled broadly. "Hey, Harv, welcome back. Joe's getting the line-up together. How're you feeling?"
Settling himself at his desk with a sigh, Harvey smiled. "I'm fine, Nash. Just needed a good night's sleep more than anything else."
An awkward silence settled between them. Nash felt a little guilty for Harvey working so long without a decent break. Harvey felt a little foolish for getting himself kidnapped. The two men avoided each other's eyes for a few long moments, until Joe broke the spell.
"Harvey, welcome back my friend. I've got the bozos all lined up and ready for you."
Standing with a yawn, Harvey couldn't believe how tired he still was after more than twelve hours' sleep. "Lead me to 'em, Joe."
Since they could only have one driver per lineup, the whole process took almost an hour. Harvey unerringly fingered each driver he'd seen in the warehouse, and they were all led away to the wagon.
Joe flashed a big smile as he handed Harvey a cup of coffee. "Well, that's one thing taken care of. Now, if we can just catch the boss. Evan and Michelle should have something for us soon." The two men stood companionably on the fantail, sipping coffee.
Nash was also smiling as he talked to Michelle on his cell phone. "Good job, you two. We'll have to stick a surveillance team on her. I should have known a meathead like Winwood would have a mistress. Yeah, well, we'll just have to figure something out, because I can't pull surveillance from the Harris gig. Okay, well you two just stay there and I'll see what I can do about a surveillance truck. I'll check with you guys later."
Glancing up as he put the phone back in his pocket, Nash was surprised to see Barbara walking into the SIU. She looked around and, spotting Nash at his desk, headed his way with a radiant smile. Standing as she approached, he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek. "Barbara, what are you doing here. You're not going to cancel on our date tonight, are you?"
Sitting in the chair Nash pulled over for her, Barbara laughed lightly. "No, of course not. I just dropped by on the off chance that I could talk you into lunch." She looked around the ferry at the hustle and bustle and smiled while shaking her head. "Well, you certainly have an interesting office."
Smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling, Nash nodded. "Yeah, but at least it won't come down on our heads the next time we have an earthquake."
Nash smiled even bigger at the sound of her musical laugh. The smile slipped from his face, however, when she suddenly stopped laughing and frowned. Turning around in his chair to see what she was frowning at, Nash winced. Talk about bad timing. Joe and Harvey were walking toward the desks, deep in conversation.
Turning back to frown at Nash, Barbara stood and planted her hands on her hips. "What on earth is he doing at work?"
Joe and Harvey stopped short at the angry outburst. Seeing his doctor standing four feet away, her admonitions to stay home for at least three days ringing in his ears, Harvey wished the floor would open up and swallow him. Seeing the frown directed at Nash, Harvey had a suspicion that his boss was probably wishing the same thing. He glanced at Nash and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Giving a minute shake of his head, Nash indicated that he'd handle it. Harvey was more than willing to leave him to explain things to the good doctor. Smiling, he reached out to shake Barbara's hand. "Hey, Doc, welcome to the SIU. Uh, I've gotta go. I...uh...I'm feeling much better, by the way. See ya Nash." Harvey made an about-face and hurried back in the direction of the fantail, Joe close on his heels.
Clearing his throat, Nash got Barbara's attention. "Don't worry, he isn't here to work. He only came in for a line-up. I guess you could say he's here as a victim, not a cop. It had to be done today. He got plenty of sleep last night, and he's going home as soon as we get the paperwork filled out."
"He better be." Her stern expression softened at the innocent look on Nash's face. She couldn't help it. Laughing lightly, she shook her head. "You're incorrigible, all of you. The look on Inspector Leek's face was priceless. Well, are we on for lunch or not?"
Pulling up his jacket sleeve to peer at his watch, Nash frowned thoughtfully. "Well, let me go see where Harvey and Joe are hiding and get them started on the paperwork. I'll be right back and we'll grab lunch. I know this great little café that's only a few blocks away."
"Sounds perfect." Barbara sat back down in her chair and brushed lint from her black skirt. "I'll wait here for you. Wouldn't want to scare off your Inspectors again, would I?" She grinned impishly.
He was still chuckling to himself when Nash finally found Harvey out on the fantail, laughing at something Ronnie had just told him. "Hey, Ronnie. Harvey, can I see for a second?"
Shrugging his shoulders at a look from Ronnie, Harvey followed Nash over to a corner. "What's up, boss?"
Rubbing at his ear, Nash sighed. "Harvey, Lord knows I hate to ask, but I need you to do me a favor." At a nod from Harvey, he continued. "We need the backup surveillance truck put together, and put together quick. I think we may have found a way to catch Winwood. He's got a mistress, and we want to keep an eye on her house. If I try to find someone else to hook everything up, it could be tomorrow before we get things together. Will you do it?"
Smiling wryly, Harvey nodded. "All you had to do was ask, Nashman. I want this guy caught as bad as you do, or worse. I'll do what I can. It won't take me all that long, really."
Nash slapped Harvey on the back, pleased and grateful for such good people working under his command. "Thanks, Harv. Um, do me another favor will ya? I'm taking Barbara out to lunch, so call me when you're finished. I'll keep her out until you're gone, so we're both spared her wrath. I told her you weren't working."
Harvey laughed at that. "You bet, boss. I don't want her mad at me, either. Officially, she's got me on the sidelines until the day after tomorrow. She wants me to stay home for three or four days, but I figure I'll be going nuts by then. She compromised at Sunday and I don't want her to change her mind."
"I hear that, bubba. Just give me a call when you get ready to leave. I'll get Joe to start the paperwork on the drivers for you."
"Man, anything to get me out of paperwork!"
They shared a brief smile then went their separate ways. Harvey headed over to Evidence to wheedle some equipment out of the Sergeant. Nash returned to Barbara and escorted her out to the 'Cuda for their lunch.
Having sweet-talked the needed equipment out of Evidence, Harvey lugged the box out to the spare truck. He made several trips back and forth for the components he needed to get everything set up. After the second trip, Ronnie noticed what Harvey was doing and offered his help. Grateful for the big cop's strength, Harvey readily accepted his assistance. Ronnie enlisted the aid of two other officers and, between the four of them, got everything Harvey needed.
Wiping his brow and swearing softly, Harvey was lying on his back under the narrow shelf bolted to the truck's wall that served as a desktop. If he could just get this one connection, everything would be ready. He figured he owed Ronnie and the other two a round of beer. He wouldn't have gotten it finished so quickly if not for their help. With a smile of triumph, Harvey finally got the two cables connected. Success!
"Harvey!"
Startled, Harvey sat up quickly and cracked his head on the underside of the desk. Holding a hand to his forehead, he rocked back and forth. "Mamma Mia! Man, what the hell are you trying to do, Joe? Put me back in the hospital?"
Joe, trying not to laugh, reached out to pull Harvey's hand away. "Aw, there's not even a mark. You'll be fine."
Shooting Joe a sour look, Harvey rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. What did you want, anyway?"
"I just came to see if you were almost finished. Nash called asking if he could bring Barbara back yet. I think maybe she's getting antsy or something."
Wiping his hands on his pants legs, Harvey nodded. "Yeah, I just finished. Go ahead and call Nash and give him the all clear. I'm outta here. The bugs for the phone are in that little box there on the desk."
Joe waited for Harvey to get out of the truck and walked with him over to the Ranchero. "Thanks for your help, Harv. We should get this thing wrapped up in a couple days."
"No problem, Joe. Hey, give me call if you find out anything, will you?"
"Sure. Well, let me get back to the paperwork. I think that's the only reason you agreed to put that surveillance truck together...to get out of filling out forms."
Putting on his best innocent face, Harvey placed a hand to his chest in mock disbelief. "Who, me? Never. You wound me, Joseph."
Not buying the act, Joe snorted. "Yeah, I'll wound you alright. Go home, Harvey."
Laughing, Harvey opened his car door and waved a hand as he dropped into his seat. Joe wasn't too far off the mark. Putting together a bunch of electronic equipment was much more preferable to doing paperwork, to his way of thinking. He popped in a tape and hummed along to "Box of Rain"* as he drove home.
As Nash escorted Barbara from the café, he saw a familiar blue Ranchero drive past and was grateful Barbara didn't know what kind of car Harvey drove. She'd kill the both of them. He opened the door for her and smiled innocently. He was looking forward to their date later that night.
When they got back to the ferry, Nash had Ronnie drive the surveillance van over to Evan and Michelle to exchange for Evan's truck. Now they were in business.
Evan was a little surprised to see the familiar blue vehicle pull up behind him. He and Michelle got out of his truck and climbed into the surveillance van. Ronnie crawled in the back to get Evan's keys. Michelle was already inspecting the bugs and mikes, while Evan fiddled with the computers. Looking up as Ronnie joined them, Evan raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"Hey, Ronnie, I wasn't expecting this thing for hours."
Placing the bugging equipment back in its box, Michelle agreed. "Me either. What did Nash have to do to get it done so quickly?"
Ronnie held out his hand for Evan's keys and smiled. "Oh, nothing much. He just got Harvey out of some paperwork. Inspector Leek seemed eager enough."
"Yeah, well, I don't blame him." Evan hated paperwork. It was the bane of his existence.
After Ronnie left, Michelle and Evan settled in for a long, boring evening.
Nash's evening was anything but boring. When he walked into the SIU the next morning, it was with a huge smile plastered to his face and a spring in his step.
Looking up from his desk, Joe smiled back. "Have a good time last night?"
Sitting down and shuffling through the papers on his desk, Nash raised his eyebrows. "I did. Barbara and I had a wonderful dinner last night. Full of interesting conversation, I might add. As a matter of fact, we had such a good dinner that she's going to the symphony with me tonight."
"Oh, really?" Joe hoped Nash didn't end up hurt again, but kept his reservations to himself. It was nice to see his best friend so happy.
Seeing the empty desks, Nash frowned. "Are we the only ones coming in today?"
"Nah, Evan and Michelle will be in this afternoon. They've got the overnight surveillance shift; 6-6."
"Thanks for taking care of that, Bubba."
"No problem, Nashman. Nobody's seen or heard from Winwood, but I figure he'll show up at his mistress' sooner or later."
By the time Michelle and Evan began their shift in the surveillance van, however, Winwood hadn't shown. In an attempt to make peace with Michelle, Evan had brought a chess set. They proved to be fairly evenly matched, and Evan gained some insight into the new team member.
Michelle was just about to move her rook into position to put Evan in checkmate, when her cell phone chirped from her jacket pocket. "Saved by the bell, Evan." She smiled as she pulled the phone from her pocket and flipped it open. "Michelle. What? You're kidding, right? Yeah...yeah, okay. I'll see what I can do. No...no, I don't...I understand, but...yes...alright, I'm on my way."
Closing the phone with a sigh, she leaned over and rested her head in her hand. Looking back up to see the question in Evan's face, Michelle grimaced and rolled her eyes. "You're not going to believe this, but my mom fell while walking around on her crutches. That was her on the phone. She's in the ER again, this time with bruised ribs from hitting the coffee table. I don't believe this. What am I going to do with her?"
Rubbing a hand through his hair, Evan sighed. "I think the question is more like, what are you going to do about your shift here?"
Opening the phone once more, Michelle started dialing. "I guess I call Joe and let him sort it out. There's not much I can do about it. I'm all she's got, and somebody's got to stay with her tonight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hanging up the phone, Joe dropped his head in his hands. It was almost 11pm. Who on earth was he going to get to replace Michelle? He'd do it himself, but he was home alone with Lucia again. He'd never get a babysitter this time of night. He made a few phone calls, but couldn't get anyone to come in. Nobody needed overtime...they'd all gotten plenty during the last two weeks.
Pacing the floor, Joe sighed. He'd hate to have to interrupt Nash's date for this. Well, there was one more person to try. Nash would probably not like it, but what choice did he have? Joe rubbed his eyes and punched in the numbers. He was mildly surprised to hear the phone pick up after only two rings.
"Leek."
"Uh, Harvey, it's Joe. Um, listen, I didn't wake you did I?"
"No. Actually, I pretty much slept most of the day. That was probably a mistake, 'cause now I'm wired and can't get to sleep. Oh, hey, did you catch Winwood?"
Joe cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. "Uh, no Harv, we haven't seen him yet. Listen, Michelle just called me. Her mother's in the hospital again and I need someone to cover for her. I've called around and can't get anyone. Is there any way...?"
He heard Harvey's chuckle over the line. "Yeah, Joe, I'll do it. I'm going nuts here anyway. Just tell me where and when."
"Harvey, you're a life-saver." Joe gave him the address and told him to head on over there so Michelle could leave. Hanging up with a sigh of relief, Joe smiled and headed off to bed. Another crisis averted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harvey parked his car and headed toward the surveillance van. Looking around, he rapped lightly on the door and slipped inside. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen the man standing in the shadows of the doorway two houses down. But the man had seen him.
Evan looked at Harvey is surprise. "Harvey, what are you doing here?"
"Joe called me. Michelle, you can go now. Tell your mother I hope she gets better soon, will you?" Michelle gathered her things and stood up to give Harvey her seat.
"Thanks, Harvey, but I feel kind of bad about this."
Waving his hand, Harvey brushed off her concern. "Don't worry about it, Michelle. You need to take care of your mother. Besides, I was going nuts at home."
Harvey's smile was infectious and Michelle smiled back. Giving him a quick hug, startling both he and Evan, she thanked him again. "Well, anyway, thanks again Harvey. I don't know what I'd do without you. You two stay out of trouble."
Watching as she stepped out the door, Evan shook his head. "She may loosen up after all, Harv."
"Ah, you just stuck your foot in your mouth the first day and didn't know how to pry it out. She hasn't been that bad. At least, not to me. But then, I didn't make a complete fool out of myself. Unlike some people I could mention." Seeing Evan's pointed glare, Harvey clarified. "Hey, I said 'complete fool'. I should have known not to take part in your hair-brained scheme. You'd think I'd learn from watching Nash and Joe."
Unaware of the friendly bantering inside the blue van, the shadowy figure in the doorway tried to think of a workable plan. He'd come to his girlfriend's house for sanctuary, but had seen the van parked out front. Suspicious, he'd waited and watched for hours. His patience was finally rewarded when he'd seen two people walk up to the van, knock on the door and enter. A few moments later, two different people had walked out. Cops. He'd hidden in the neighborhood, trying to think of a way to get rid of the intruders. He couldn't believe his eyes when a man he recognized approached the van. A moment later, a beautiful Asian lady stepped out and headed down the street. He had to get rid of those cops. Getting rid of that one cop would just be ironic. He needed a plan.