The drive back to the nest was quiet and tense. When Frank's cell phone rang, each one of them jumped slightly. "Donovan."
"They found another victim, Frank. Hotel Capri. I'm on my way and will meet you there," Cody informed him.
Frank tossed his phone into the small cubby of the Blazer with force. Hearing the crack of plastic against plastic, he had no doubt he would need to replace that phone.
"Frank! What is it?" Shay asked, startled.
"Another one... another victim. Cody's meeting us there."
Reaching across the span between driver and passenger seats, Shay laid a gentle hand on his arm. He lifted his left hand from the steering wheel, covered hers and gave it a light squeeze.
Jake looked over at Frankie, who was staring out of the window watching the scenery go by. "Francesca."
"No Jake."
"Talk to me, please?" he whispered.
"I don't feel like talking."
Jake sighed softly and looked at Shay. She looked back at him and gave him an encouraging smile. Frank looked back in the rear view mirror at Frankie. Briefly he saw the glimmer of a tear skating down her cheek before she wiped it off. If she didn't straighten up and talk to Jake, he might have to lock her into a room with him and not let them come out until they made up, killed one another - or the screams died down to a purring rumble...
"What's wrong Frankie?" Jake whispered.
Frankie blinked, and then turned her head oh so slowly to face him. Over the top edge of her sunglasses, Shay and Frank both could see her forehead wrinkle. Both of them could only guess that her eyes were narrowing in a deadly stare.
"Nothing, JAKE." she hissed. "It's just nothing. I should think you'd know that." She turned and looked back out of the window.
Frank winced as Jake's mouth fell open. Damn she was mad now. She'd gotten over her hurt and was well on the road to being pissed off. For a moment he felt sorry for Jake. Then he remembered what Shay had told him while Frankie was in the ladies room and Jake was putting the bags in the car. Now Frank didn't feel sorry. Jake was getting what he deserved. If he did something that dumb, then he deserved to be abused for it.
And if she hadn't gotten it out of her system in a day or two, then Frank decided he'd pull her aside later and talk her into forgiving Jake.
************
Pulling into the motel parking lot was like trying to butt into line at Disney World. Police vehicles lined the parking lot; yellow barrier tape surrounded the immediate area of the hotel room. Solemnly, the four teammates made their way into the room.
The first thing that was noticeable was the blood; so much blood. The Coroner had covered the body with a sheet, but it could not hide the blood that had run off the bed to pool on the carpet underneath.
Both Frankie and Shay said, "He killed her here."
Frank moved closer to the bed and nodded to the Coroner, who pulled the sheet back from the victim's body. Frank involuntarily closed his eyes when he saw who the woman was. He heard the gasp of horror behind him and without looking, pulled his wife into his embrace.
Shay uncharacteristically turned away from the body and buried her face against Frank's chest and sobbed quietly. He stroked her hair and whispered soft words of comfort until she quieted. He looked up to see Jake, Cody and Frankie questioning him with their eyes.
"Aunt Mary," Frank said quietly as Shay pulled away slightly to wipe away her tears. "Shay and the kids visited her a few times a month. I went when I could."
"I'm sorry...I just can't do this," she admitted, turning away from the bed and started to leave the room.
Cody pulled Shay aside before she could leave and handed her a file jacket.
"What's this?"
"It's what you asked me for yesterday morning. Frankie Battle's profile. Everything that's in there is non-privileged information."
"NON-Privileged?"
"Yeah. Part of the deal Frank made to get her an unconditional acceptance to the Academy and as a thank you for helping put Cyrus Morhoff behind bars was the sealing and expunging of her juvie record. However, I did manage to see them before, so I put in my own two cents worth."
"Thanks Cody. But I think I'll forgo reading it. If Frank and Jake trust her-"
"And me... and Alex... and Monica too, Shay. She's a good woman. Read it. You might find something about her that you like."
"So everyone keeps telling me. Alright, I'll read it."
Frank watched with horror as his Aunt's body was bagged for transport to the morgue. He heard Frankie note that the killer had changed his MO. The same respect and love could still be detected in the careful way he posed the body, but the fact that he had left her fully clothed showed his love was different for this one. As she and Jake continued to process the scene, he went to check on his wife.
Shay opened the file and leaned against the door while skimming over it. "Francesca Battles, born October 31, 1970... she's a year younger than Frank.. interesting... Father was Captain William Battles of Chicago PD, mother is Ellen Battles. Until the time of her husband's death, Ellen Battles was a criminal behaviorist. That's why Frankie's on the case... she knows the way things go. Interesting... Brother Eric Battles, deceased, a rookie with Chicago PD until an accident on duty landed him with a 10-year-old mind after he was shot in the head. Hmm.."
She flipped the pages in the file until she came to something that caught her eye. "Oh ho... Franesca Battles wasn't investigating Morhoff himself... she stumbled on the information and turned it in... Father wound up killed, mother with a broken neck and paralyzed from the shoulders down... blamed Frankie for the whole thing. Poor girl... later the brother was found in a warehouse down on the lakefront with a single shot to the head. Frankie took care of him; mother blamed her for Eric's accident as well. Word came from Burkholtz that Frankie Battles needed to be pulled out. Morhoff was the end target and Battles was extra gravy... interesting... why would Burkholtz be interested in Battles?" She kept reading... "A shoot out at the warehouse... Eric Battles later threw himself in front of a bullet from Morhoff who wrested Jake's gun.. oh shit... meant for Frankie..." She stopped and looked up at Frankie and Jake.
"Eric died in her arms."
Shay spun around to see Frank standing behind her with a sad look on his face. "None of us could believe it. The boy moved faster than we gave him credit for. To this day, the 21-gun salute and the sound of TAPS on the bugle just sends her into tears. Why did you ask Cody for her background?"
"At first it was for even ground, so I would know who I was working with. Now..."
"Now you feel sorry for her? Don't. She's a tough woman. A lot of shit's happened to her. What that file won't tell you is about the inner Frankie. The one who only tried to do the right thing and got slapped for it several times. The last time she did the right thing her mother disowned her at Eric's funeral as if she were to blame."
"Jake told me about the letter from Burkholtz. She turned it down without even blinking."
"Yes. She did. And I think I'm glad she did. She never would have fit in there. Frankie is better off as she is, living the way she is. She's a free spirit." He winked and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight.
Shay relaxed in his embrace for a moment. "C'mon Tiger. We better go help them."
"You go with the body to the Coroner's, I"ll help with the evidence." He kissed her forehead as she turned to go. "Hey, Shay..."
"Yeah, Tiger?"
"You remind me a lot of her... Be careful and don't go anywhere without telling someone, OK?"
************
