Three weeks later
"I'm so glad this case is over. " Alex said tossing the black wig onto the desk.
"Oh, look, a voice mail." Cody frowned.
"Probably another case for us to work on." Jake complained kicking his feet up onto the desk.
Cody walked over to the machine to play the message as Donovan walked up to his office to start his paperwork.
"Donovan," a thick accented voice said filling the room, "hope you enjoyed your last case. Took a little longer to finish, eh? Don't expect a warm dinner tonight or any other night."
Donovan froze as he heard the words fill the room. He turned and looked at Jake. He slowly started down the stairs as he listened to the rest of the message.
"Pretty girl. You might not think so any more." The voice started to laugh.
"Pretty girl?" Alex asked
"Oh my God," Jake said. "Melissa."
Donovan dropped everything in his arms and ran for his car. He jumped into the driver's seat as Jake climbed into the passenger side. Alex climbed into the backseat.
"You're not going alone." Jake said.
"Donovan, what's going on?" Alex asked, "Who's Melissa?"
"I don't know what's going on." Donovan replied, "Melissa's my neighbor. She watches my apartment when I'm out of town."
"Great cooker," Jake commented, "Cute too." Donovan sent an icy stare at Jake who just smiled in response.
It took them twenty minutes to reach Donovan's apartment. They took two stairs at a time. They could see the door to Donovan's apartment was slightly ajar. Guns drawn, they slowly entered the apartment. Jake and Alex went to check back by Donovan's office and the bathroom. Donovan made his way towards his bedroom. The door was shut. He never closed the door. He slowly pushed the door open. Envelopes were all over the floor. Donovan slowly made his way around the bed.
"Jake, Alex," he yelled, "call an ambulance." Donovan holstered his gun and dropped down next to Melissa. From what he could see, she had some bruises on her legs and arms. Her shirt was torn. The side of her face was swollen and bleeding.
Jake ran into the room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Melissa. "Christ," he swore, "is she?"
"Alive? Yes," Donovan sighed with relief, "her breathing is shallow."
"Paramedics are on the way." Alex said walking into the room.
Twenty minutes later, the paramedics had Melissa into the ER. Donovan and Jake were right behind them. The ER doctors' wheeled Melissa into the room. Donovan tried to walk into the room with her, but was stopped by the ER nurse.
"I'm sorry sir, but you must wait out here." she said closing the door.
Donovan stood there for a few minutes before his anger took over. He swore and punched the wall.
"Well, if you broke your hand, at least you're in right place." Alex said, "Come on and sit in the waiting room. You're just in the way here."
"No, I have a few calls I need to make." Donovan replied walking outside.
Alex walked into the waiting room, inside Jake was talking to Monica and Cody.
"So, who is this Melissa?" Monica asked.
"She's a neighbor of Donovan's. A freelance photographer." Jake sighed, pushing a chair in frustration.
"The one you went on a date with?" Monica asked, "You got balls for that one Jake."
"Where's Donovan?" Jake asked.
"He went to go make some calls." she replied, "Does anyone have a clue to what's going on?"
"Wonder who Donovan pissed off this time." Cody asked.
Forty minutes later Donovan walked into the waiting room. He was stone faced. "Cody, take Alex and go back to my apartment. Look for something, anything that shows who did this." he ordered.
"Got it," he replied.
"Monica, go back to the nest. There'll be some computer files, bring them here." he said handing her a piece of paper. "You'll need these passwords to retrieve them."
"I'm on it," she answered walking out the door.
"What do want me to do boss?" Jake asked.
"Wait here." Donovan replied, running his hands through his hair.
Another forty minutes went by before the doctor found them.
"I'm Doctor Stevens," the doctor introduced himself, "Ms. Woods is going to be okay. We're going to keep her overnight. She has a mild concussion. The side of her face will be bruised for a couple days."
"Can I see her?" Donovan asked.
"She's sleeping at the moment. If you'll follow me." Dr. Stevens replied.
Jake and Donovan followed him to Melissa's room. They were about to enter the room when the doctor grabbed Donovan's arm.
"There's one more thing I have to tell you," the doctor said, "With all the bruises and scratches, we had to do a rape kit on her. Just to make sure."
"Son of a bitch." Jake muttered, leaning against the wall.
Donovan's anger started to build again. "Was she?" Donovan asked.
"No, the kit came back negative." the doctor answered.
"Thank God," Jake said relieved.
"I'll kill the bastard who put her through this." Donovan muttered walking into Melissa's room.
"I'm so glad this case is over. " Alex said tossing the black wig onto the desk.
"Oh, look, a voice mail." Cody frowned.
"Probably another case for us to work on." Jake complained kicking his feet up onto the desk.
Cody walked over to the machine to play the message as Donovan walked up to his office to start his paperwork.
"Donovan," a thick accented voice said filling the room, "hope you enjoyed your last case. Took a little longer to finish, eh? Don't expect a warm dinner tonight or any other night."
Donovan froze as he heard the words fill the room. He turned and looked at Jake. He slowly started down the stairs as he listened to the rest of the message.
"Pretty girl. You might not think so any more." The voice started to laugh.
"Pretty girl?" Alex asked
"Oh my God," Jake said. "Melissa."
Donovan dropped everything in his arms and ran for his car. He jumped into the driver's seat as Jake climbed into the passenger side. Alex climbed into the backseat.
"You're not going alone." Jake said.
"Donovan, what's going on?" Alex asked, "Who's Melissa?"
"I don't know what's going on." Donovan replied, "Melissa's my neighbor. She watches my apartment when I'm out of town."
"Great cooker," Jake commented, "Cute too." Donovan sent an icy stare at Jake who just smiled in response.
It took them twenty minutes to reach Donovan's apartment. They took two stairs at a time. They could see the door to Donovan's apartment was slightly ajar. Guns drawn, they slowly entered the apartment. Jake and Alex went to check back by Donovan's office and the bathroom. Donovan made his way towards his bedroom. The door was shut. He never closed the door. He slowly pushed the door open. Envelopes were all over the floor. Donovan slowly made his way around the bed.
"Jake, Alex," he yelled, "call an ambulance." Donovan holstered his gun and dropped down next to Melissa. From what he could see, she had some bruises on her legs and arms. Her shirt was torn. The side of her face was swollen and bleeding.
Jake ran into the room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Melissa. "Christ," he swore, "is she?"
"Alive? Yes," Donovan sighed with relief, "her breathing is shallow."
"Paramedics are on the way." Alex said walking into the room.
Twenty minutes later, the paramedics had Melissa into the ER. Donovan and Jake were right behind them. The ER doctors' wheeled Melissa into the room. Donovan tried to walk into the room with her, but was stopped by the ER nurse.
"I'm sorry sir, but you must wait out here." she said closing the door.
Donovan stood there for a few minutes before his anger took over. He swore and punched the wall.
"Well, if you broke your hand, at least you're in right place." Alex said, "Come on and sit in the waiting room. You're just in the way here."
"No, I have a few calls I need to make." Donovan replied walking outside.
Alex walked into the waiting room, inside Jake was talking to Monica and Cody.
"So, who is this Melissa?" Monica asked.
"She's a neighbor of Donovan's. A freelance photographer." Jake sighed, pushing a chair in frustration.
"The one you went on a date with?" Monica asked, "You got balls for that one Jake."
"Where's Donovan?" Jake asked.
"He went to go make some calls." she replied, "Does anyone have a clue to what's going on?"
"Wonder who Donovan pissed off this time." Cody asked.
Forty minutes later Donovan walked into the waiting room. He was stone faced. "Cody, take Alex and go back to my apartment. Look for something, anything that shows who did this." he ordered.
"Got it," he replied.
"Monica, go back to the nest. There'll be some computer files, bring them here." he said handing her a piece of paper. "You'll need these passwords to retrieve them."
"I'm on it," she answered walking out the door.
"What do want me to do boss?" Jake asked.
"Wait here." Donovan replied, running his hands through his hair.
Another forty minutes went by before the doctor found them.
"I'm Doctor Stevens," the doctor introduced himself, "Ms. Woods is going to be okay. We're going to keep her overnight. She has a mild concussion. The side of her face will be bruised for a couple days."
"Can I see her?" Donovan asked.
"She's sleeping at the moment. If you'll follow me." Dr. Stevens replied.
Jake and Donovan followed him to Melissa's room. They were about to enter the room when the doctor grabbed Donovan's arm.
"There's one more thing I have to tell you," the doctor said, "With all the bruises and scratches, we had to do a rape kit on her. Just to make sure."
"Son of a bitch." Jake muttered, leaning against the wall.
Donovan's anger started to build again. "Was she?" Donovan asked.
"No, the kit came back negative." the doctor answered.
"Thank God," Jake said relieved.
"I'll kill the bastard who put her through this." Donovan muttered walking into Melissa's room.