Lexi walked into the kitchen, looking quite small in Nash's t-shirt, her legs still bare, and eyes sleepy. Nash was dressed, and sitting at the counter reading the paper, drinking a cup of coffee. Nick was next to him, saying something about that morning's news. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Nick smiled, "Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, please," Lexi smiled, sliding on the other side of Nash.
Nash looked up at her, and forced himself not to smile. "Did you sleep well?" he asked casually.
Lexi blinked, unsure how to answer, as Nick handed her a cup of coffee. She thanked Nick and looked back at Nash. "Mostly," she replied. She noticed he was hiding part of the paper, and instinctively reached for it, but he pulled it away. "Let me guess," she said, trying to flatten her tone, "Front page of this morning's paper?"
Nash looked at her as she held her hand out, so he placed the paper in her palm. The front page had a picture of her fainting, with the headline "Former Teen Star Admits to Life of Crime." Lexi bit down on her bottom lip and closed her eyes. "Is it as bad as the headline implies?" she asked.
"It's not that bad. The inside has a much nicer picture, and better things to say," Nick consoled her.
Lexi read the cover page, and flipped to the inside section. The picture of her and Nash and Mayor and Mrs. Brown was there in full color with a caption that read, "Mayor Willie Brown and Singer Lexi Lee in a more peaceful moment before the truth came out." Half of the article speculated on the video and her confession, while the other half dragged out a list of her past escapades. Two whole paragraphs were devoted to speculating her relationship with "Captain Bridges of the SFPD Special Investigations Unit." "Nothing about the AHA," she rubbed her eyes, "At least, of any real value."
"Actually, there was this," Nash showed her the lifestyles section, which contained a smaller article discussing Andrew, and Lexi's support of the AHA.
Nick smiled at Lexi, "It was a lovely picture of you and the Mayor."
Lexi tried to return his smile as she sipped her coffee. "So, superstar," Nash folded the paper and focused on her, "What's on your agenda for today?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you, Captain?" Lexi tried to relax. "It seems I'm at your mercy."
"No, ma'am, I am at yours. I just need to stop by the SIU at some point, otherwise, I want you to go about your regular routine. This guy is following you, so he knows your schedule. I have Harvey running a check on where Simon Russell is now, as well as Steven and Chip. We're perusing your history to find any connection, so let me warn you, anything you would rather we hear first hand, you better give up now. Understand?" Nash explained.
With just a trace of fear in her eyes, Lexi nodded. "I don't know what's on my schedule today," Lexi sighed. Suddenly realizing it's Thursday, she sat up straight, "Except my massage. It's Thursday, I have a 10 a.m. appointment."
"Okay, go get ready, and we'll swing by the SIU, then I'll take you to your appointment."
"No," Lexi said, a little too quickly, as she stood up. Seeing the puzzled expression on Nash's face, she quickly responded, "What are you going to do? Sit in the waiting area? You can't go in with me and watch while I get a massage. It usually takes a bit, so you could drop me off and go to the SIU and then pick me up. I should probably call Michelle and find out what else is on the books for me."
"I laid out some towels in my bathroom for you. It's through my room, but more private than this one," he motioned to his left towards the other bathroom. She nodded as she carried her coffee cup away, and he watched the back of her head as she walked into his room.
"So, Nash," Nick raised an eyebrow at his son.
"So, Nick," Nash countered.
"Have a good day Son," he smiled and winked.
Lexi stood in the bedroom pulling on her jeans, cell phone wedged between her chin and shoulder. "Michelle, of course, I am going to my massage. What else is on the boards for today? Oh, and tell Michael that we should do a press conference, either tonight or in the morning. No, I am not canceling my appointment. Have I ever? Well, he will just have to work around it. Yes, yes, I saw the morning paper. No, don't go to the apartment, and don't worry about me. I'm in protective custody. Yes, Robert is doing a background check on them. I saw the preliminaries, and I know. Just work out of Michael's office today, help him with the upcoming .....Of course...I'll have my phone with me, and I promise to have it on. Right, but don't call during.....Thanks, Michelle, you're the best."
She clicked off the phone and tossed it on the bed. As she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail, Nash knocked on the door. "Come in!"
"Are you ready?" he asked, cracking the door slightly.
She smiled and slipped her boots on, "Yes." He opened the door and stood in the doorway. Lexi tried not to make eye contact with him as she told him, "You will be thrilled to hear that you will not have to baby-sit me today. I have nothing this afternoon, unless Michelle calls. But they are trying to arrange a press conference, to deflect the bad press, for today or tomorrow morning. Robert said he could pick me up from my massage, and take me for the rest of the day. So, if you just drop me off today, you can go about your daily business. Oh, and Nikko is going to stop by your barge today to discuss the case."
She picked up her bag and was passing by him to go out the door. She glanced at his face, and he didn't look as thrilled as she figured he would be. She stopped, they were nearly face to face, separated by little more than an inch of air. His expression was almost wounded. Was he looking forward to being stuck with me, she wondered. Nash was disappointed. He had actually found himself looking forward to spending the day with her, but apparently she preferred the company of her own staff. Both thought back to the previous night, how the other felt against them, how they felt during the moment. It had been so intense, yet so intimate, they stood there for a moment, searching the others face for a sign. A crack in the mask, to let them know how the other truly felt. Nick walked by just then and broke the silence. "Haven't you left yet?"
Nash and Lexi both looked over at him, and Nash stepped away. "We're going now," he said.
Dropping Lexi off at the medical campus, Nash pulled into a parking space, and turned off the engine. Lexi stopped and looked at him when he got out of the car. "What? Are you gonna follow me in? I am going in there, honest. I'm not going to run away," she teased.
Nash hesitated, before replying in complete seriousness, "All right, but I'm going to wait and make sure you get in okay."
"Yes sir," she saluted him, pivoted on her heel, and marched into the hospital.
Nash got back in the car and watched the door a few more minutes. When he was satisfied she was safely inside, he started the engine and pulled the 'Cuda out of the space, heading for the SIU.
Walking onto the barge housing the SIU, he noticed the silence. Everyone was hard at work, or at least were attempting to appear so, as to avoid him. As he walked to his desk, he called out to Harvey asking what the inspector had found. While Nash sorted through his mail, Harvey approached the desk shaking his head. "Sorry Nash, not a whole lot. Chip Benson is filming in England, and has been for the past month. Steven Carter is somewhere in the Bahamas on a vacation, been there a week, supposedly returning to L.A. in two more. Simon Russell is a bit tougher, I have a call into his P.O., but haven't heard anything. As far as the video from last night, the tape was spliced. Apparently someone did the second half on their own, got a hold of the tape and spliced it. We talked to Michelle, she picked the tape up at Glicker's office on her way to the dinner, and it was in her bag until she handed it to the technician."
"Think she did it?" Nash asked.
Harvey shook his head. Joe had walked over during Harv's report, and filled Nash in on what he had found. "I don't think so; she was too upset. She was afraid Michael or Lexi would fire her over it. All the guests check out, no one unusual hanging around. The technician, Rick, said he was with the equipment the whole time. We figure the tape must've gotten switched at the management office. The receptionist said that it was really hectic yesterday afternoon, people coming and going. Antwon is over at Glicker's office questioning the staff and picking up security tapes from yesterday. No one noticed anything until the video actually played. Michael switched the program at the last minute. The tape they used was actually marked for distribution. I figure that the switch from singing to video might have thrown our stalker off base."
"At least it was just her reputation that was injured," Harvey tried to be positive.
Nash shook his head, thinking out loud, "This person is either really good, or has someone on the inside. The decision to show the video was made after the letter was received. The best opportunity to have a clear shot at Lexi would've been while she was singing, which was canceled. This clown is playing with us, and I wa...." He trailed off as he noticed a letter in his mail. A plain white no 10 with no postmark, no return address, his name and the SIU address typed on it. "Where did this come from?" he demanded, dropping it onto his desk.
Harvey looked at it, and Nash pulled a pair of latex gloves from his drawer. Harvey put them on and looked at Nash. "I don't know, man. Ronnie put all the mail on our desks." As he opened the letter, he unfolded it so Nash and Joe could see what it said.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN HIDE HER? WHY DOES SHE DESERVE TO BE SAVED? LET HER PAST DESTROY HERSELF, THEN WHEN SHE DIES, IT WILL BE A BLESSING. TELL ME CAPTAIN, WHEN YOU TOUCH HER, DOES SHE FEEL LIKE THE SNAKE SHE IS? OR HAS SHE CONVINCED YOU SHE'S JUST ANOTHER INNOCENT VICTIM OF STARDOM? SHE'S NOT. SHE'S NEVER BEEN INNOCENT. SHE'S EVIL. SHE'LL USE YOU AND THROW YOU AWAY. YOU ARE JUST ONE OF THE MILLIONS SHE WILL STEP ON TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS. ONLY I CAN MAKE SURE SHE GETS WHAT SHE DESERVES.
"Well, they know we're hiding her," Joe said.
Harvey folded it back up, shaking his head. "I'll run it through the tests, but I'm betting it's just like the rest. I think we're just pissing each other off right now."
Nash sat down as Harvey walked away. Joe hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the chair next to Nash's desk. He was silent until Nash looked at him. "Yes, Joe?" Nash sounded exasperated.
"Nash, I uh," Joe wasn't sure how to handle this. He was worried about his friend. Joe knew him too well, and he saw the signs. This was more than just a case to Nash. This was becoming personal. Rumors and stories about Lexi Lee ranged from innocence to trouble, and the last thing Joe wanted to see was Nash getting hurt. "I, well, I contacted L.A.P.D. and got copies of Lexi's files when we requested those of Russell, Carter, and Benson. Alexandra Lee has quite a rap sheet. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. There's also a few things in Carter and Benson's files you might want to see. I have them here if you want to see them."
Nash rubbed his hand over his eyes. What now, he thought. Joe was afraid his partner was upset with him. Nash looked at him. "Okay," he extended his hand for the files. As Joe handed them to him, Nash thought of something else. "Also run a check on the names Andrew Lee, Andrew Abernathy, and Alexandra Abernathy. Complete backgrounds. They grew up in Texas, near Texarkana. There's something about this case that I'm not getting. This isn't some typical psycho stalker."
"Gotcha," Joe stood to leave, and Nash called out to him. "By the way, thanks, Bubba."
Joe looked back, but Nash was opening the top file. Joe smiled, he'd only done it out of concern. Nash knew that. When Harvey got the call from Russell's parole officer, Nash had just finished reading all three files. Nash was trying to mesh what he had just read with the Lexi he thought he knew. Part of him didn't want to believe what he'd read, but part of him couldn't help but sense that it explained something. Possession, disorderly conduct, drunk driving, public disturbance, domestic violence, assault, it read like a grocery list of minor crimes. And the black market bust. Most of the charges were dropped, and no more than two days in jail for those that weren't, most sentences were rehab or community service. Benson had possession and trafficking charges, as well as public disturbance and disorderly conduct, some of which coincided with Lexi's.
Steven's file is what really disturbed him, mostly public disturbance, disorderly conduct, a few cases of assault, but quite a few charges of domestic violence. Two abuse charges by other girlfriends, as well as by Lexi, all with charges eventually dropped. A restraining order was filed against him by Lexi and another girl. He had counts of violating the order. There was also an attempted murder coinciding with a violation, listing Alexandra Lee as victim, but charges were dropped. The date coincided with the date she filed for divorce. There were photos, and they made him sick. Nash almost didn't recognize Lexi in the pictures, she was so beaten. She had covered up the charges and the truth. No wonder she didn't trust the police. She was afraid of what would happen if the public found out.
Harvey broke through his thoughts. "Boss, you are not going to believe this. I just got off the phone with Simon Russell's PO. Russell is living here, in San Francisco. Moved here from L.A. county six months ago. I've got an address, but no answer at the home phone. He works for an Eagle Cleaning Company.
Antwon had returned, and was on his way to report to Nash when he heard that. "Eagle?" he asked. Harvey nodded, and Antwon looked at the paper in his hand. "That's the cleaning service Michael Glicker's office uses."
Joe was with Harvey, and all four inspectors looked at each other. "Harv, Antwon, get down to Eagle and find Russell. I want to know what he's doing in town. Joe, get me those files, and any kind of incident from Lexi's past. Especially relating to her money, buying off someone or something." Nash ordered, closing the file on his desk.
"What are you going to do?" Joe asked him
"I'm going to get some straight answers from Miss Lee," he responded and walked out of the office.
Nash walked up to the receptionist's desk at the Massage Therapist's office. "Can I help you?" she beamed at him.
"I hope so," he turned on his charm. "Can you tell me how much longer Alexandra Lee's appointment will be?"
"Let me see," she smiled, and looked at her computer. Frowning, she told him, "There is no Alexandra Lee on our appointment book for today."
"I'm sorry, it might be under Alexandra Abernathy," Nash smiled.
The girl nodded, and typed on her keyboard. Shaking her head, "No, no Abernathy. Sorry."
"But she comes here every Thursday for an appointment," Nash insisted.
"I know all our regular clients, and none of them go by those names," she continued to frown. "I'm sorry."
"But she has a standing ten o'clock Thursday appointment, weekly, lasts 2 to 3 hours," Nash pushed.
The receptionist was starting to become annoyed. She wondered if she should call security. "I'm sorry, sir, but we do not have a regular patient at that time, nor a session that lasts that long."
"Thank you," Nash gritted his teeth and walked out. So, if this isn't where she goes, then where is she? He pushed the down button on the elevator, his anger increasing with every second. She had lied to him, and not just about her appointment. He was trying to figure out what was the truth and what was not when he got on the elevator. He was still seething when the doors opened on another floor to let someone on, and he thought he heard Lexi's voice. Getting off the elevator, he followed the sound to an open room down the hall.
There sat Lexi, cross-legged on the floor, reading a book to a group of children. Some were in wheelchairs, a few sitting on the floor or in chairs; she had two children leaning against her and a little boy in her lap. Neither the children nor Lexi noticed him standing in the doorway, and he froze at the sight. She had the children mesmerized, and looked so relaxed and peaceful. A round of "awww's" and "no's" came from the pediatric patients as she closed the book and told them that would be all for this week. "Sorry, guys," she mocked a frown, "But it's almost lunchtime, and Nurse McGill will be back soon. I promise, we'll finish it next week."
As Lexi led the children in a rendition of "Happy Trails," Nurse McGill stepped next to Nash. "Can I help you?" she asked him quietly.
He turned to her, "No, I was just waiting on Lexi."
"Alex? She's great, the kids really love her. Every week she's here, at least when she's in town. She reads them stories, sings songs, really helps them to forget why they're here." He could tell that Nurse McGill admired Lexi. "She's a god-send really. Some of these kids get no visitors,; their parents are so busy working to pay the bills. She spends time with every child on the ward."
Lexi noticed Nash just then, and froze. She had a child clinging to each leg, and the little boy who was in her lap clinging to her back. One hand holding onto Jesse, the boy on her back, and one on the head of Teddy, who was clinging to her left leg, Nash smiled. It was not a typical Lexi Lee moment, but he could easily see her fitting into the surroundings. "Who's that?" Jesse asked innocently.
"He's a ....friend of mine," Lexi replied after a moment. "His name is Captain Bridges."
"Like a ship captain?" Teddy's innocent expression gazed up towards Nash.
"No," Nash smiled. "As in a police captain."
Lexi held her breath, waiting for the children's response. Most of them gazed wide-eyed at Nash, some looking scared. A little girl standing near Nash looked at Lexi and asked in a sing-song voice, "Is he your bo-oy friend, Miss Alex?"
Nash and Lexi both blushed slightly, and Nash chuckled a little. "No, Sheila, he's not my boyfriend."
"Because I'm your boyfriend, right, Miss Alex?" Jesse's arms were wrapped around her neck, and he peered over her shoulder at Nash.
"Exactly," Lexi replied, moving towards the door, kids in tow.
"All right, little tykes," Nurse McGill clapped her hands. "We need to get you to the lunchroom."
Nash had stepped inside the doorway, allowing Nurse McGill and two other attendants to get through to the wheelchair-bound patients. Lexi led the troop out the doorway and down the hall. While passing by Nash, Jesse looked at him. "Don't just stand there staring , Bridges," he used his best authoritative voice, "It's lunch time."
"Yes sir," Nash saluted Jesse, and instantly Sheila and another little boy grabbed his hands. "I'll show you where we need to go," Sheila smiled shyly at him.
Giggling and chattering, the children swarmed down the hall towards the lunchroom. "Are you going to stay for lunch, Miss Alex?" Teddy asked as he took his seat. Lexi looked questioningly towards Nash. "You, too, Cap'tin Bridges?" Sheila smiled more prominently at him.
"Wouldn't think of leaving," he smiled at her. Lexi let out the small breath she had been holding, and sat Jesse into a seat next to Teddy. Nash sat across from Jesse, and children clamored to sit next to him. An attendant wheeled in a rack of lunch trays, and Lexi went to assist the nurses handing out the lunches and medications. Jesse eyed Nash cautiously. "Do you like Miss Alex?" he asked bluntly.
The room grew quiet waiting for an answer. Lexi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and glanced out of the corner of her eye, looking for his reaction. Nash looked at her; she was helping a patient in a wheelchair place a table tray across his chair. "She's very nice," he finally replied.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Teddy wanted to know.
Lexi blushed again, and Nash smiled. Looking at Teddy he responded honestly, "Yes. I would say she's pretty."
Sheila looked up at him. "Do you think I'm pretty?"
Nash looked down at her. It was obvious she was going through chemotherapy. Her bare head was covered by a multi-colored scarf, and her cheeks were puffy and pale, but her eyes, her eyes were big and blue as the ocean. She would definitely be a stunner, he thought, if..... Nash blinked, trying to hide what he felt at that moment. He made himself smile, and patted her small hand. "Yes, I think you're even prettier than Miss Alex."
Lexi had stopped to watch his answer, and bit her lip trying to keep the tears from starting. She passed out the trays to the children around Nash, trying not to make eye contact with him. "Miss Alex is my girlfriend," Jesse proudly announced. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a spy, like James Bond. And I'm going to take her all over the world with me."
"A spy?" Nash acted surprised and impressed, "Really?"
As the children soaked up the attention Nash was giving them, Lexi finished with the pre-lunch duties. The children talked and laughed and vied for attention. Nash and Jesse discussed the merits of being a spy versus being a police inspector. By the time lunch was over, they had become fast friends, with Nash gaining a few little admirers. As they took the patients back to their rooms to rest, Jesse and Teddy clung to Nash and gave him a full tour of the ward. At Sheila's room, she kissed his cheek as he tucked her into her bed. He kissed her forehead, and she beamed proudly. In the room Jesse and Teddy shared, the boys had to show him everything before they would climb into their beds. Lexi tucked them in, kissing their cheeks. As she held Jesse's hand, the little boy smiled at Nash. "Thank you for coming, Cap Bridges. Will you come back next week?"
"Maybe," Nash smiled at the boy. "Maybe."
"But I will definitely be back next week. Now you guys get some rest. You need your strength so you can start training for the Giants next season."
"I love you, Miss Alex," Jesse held up his arms for a hug.
As she hugged the child, Lexi whispered, "I love you too, Jesse."
Neither Nash nor Lexi spoke as they left the hospital. It wasn't until they were in the car, heading towards the SIU, that Nash broke the silence. "You do that every week?"
Lexi watched the buildings go by, not sure what to say. "Except when I'm out of town. But yeah, I do."
"So what's with the massage cover-up?" Nash asked.
It was another moment before she responded. "Would you believe me if I had said, gee I have to go read to a pediatrics unit? No one knows, except for you now. I don't want to turn it into some P.R. tool. No one bothers me, and it doesn't get blown out of proportion by the press. The nurses and parents respect that I do it for the kids, and I do it for me. Not to be some philanthropical diva. It's my time, to do something to make me feel like a human. I can be Alexandra, not Lexi Lee."
All of the anger Nash had felt earlier had drained away during his time with the children, and he hated to admit it, but he was impressed by her response. He was also becoming more intrigued by her. There was more than meets the eye with her, as he already knew, but he found himself wanting to know it all, good and bad. "Thanks," she told him.
He was taken aback by that. "For what?" he wanted to know.
"Not blowing my cover," she turned her face to him and smiled, "And being nice to the kids. They really crave attention." She paused, and her smile got bigger. "I think Sheila has a crush on you."
"Maybe it's mutual," he smiled. "She's a real cutie. She have cancer?"
"Acute Lymphoid Leukemia," Lexi sighed, nodding.
Another round of silence entered the car before Nash asked about Jesse. "He's my special guy," Lexi said, running her fingers over the door. "He was one of the first patients I met. Tough little guy....he's eight years old and was born with a congenital heart defect. He's been in and out of the hospital all of his life. Every time he leaves, he promises that he's not coming back. And every time he comes back, he tells everyone it's because he missed them so much. He never lets it get him down though. Tough as nails on the outside, even if he's crying in pain on the inside."
Nash took in all the emotions accompanying her words. He could tell she saw Andrew in Jesse, and had developed a special bond with the child. "Thanks for lunch," he finally responded.
"No problem," she blinked back the tears that were forming. Changing the subject, she asked, "Are we going to the SIU?"
"Umm...yeah," Nash didn't want to bring up Russell, or her police record at that moment. "We need to talk."
"And we can only talk at the SIU?"
"Well, see, I have some files that I need some explanations on," Nash confessed.
"Mine?" Lexi half-asked.
"Yeah," Nash admitted.
"Do you want me to start talking now, or wait until we get there?" She had drained all emotions out of her voice.
"There's something else, and until I get something back on it, I'd rather keep you near me," he answered.
She was hesitant to know, but asked, "What else?"
Nash took a deep breath, he wasn't sure how to say it, or how she would react. "Simon Russell."
He heard the sharp intake of her breath and quickly finished. "He's apparently in town."
Lexi grew pale. Simon Russell, she'd actually forgotten he'd been released. Her lawyer had called her, but she had still been wading through her grief over Andy. His probation was probably close to over, and he was here. She shivered, trying to keep her mind focused on the present, trying not to let the memories overtake her. "You don't think it's him?" she whispered, "Do you?"
Nash instinctively rested his hand on her arm and glanced at her. "I don't know. But if he isn't, I want to know I can completely eliminate him as a suspect."
Lexi nodded slightly and touched Nash's hand. When he had to let go to shift down, he regretted having to let go of her hand, and having to do what he was about to do. He'd prefer just getting to know her, in a more relaxed atmosphere, but unfortunately, this was the way it was.
"Yes, please," Lexi smiled, sliding on the other side of Nash.
Nash looked up at her, and forced himself not to smile. "Did you sleep well?" he asked casually.
Lexi blinked, unsure how to answer, as Nick handed her a cup of coffee. She thanked Nick and looked back at Nash. "Mostly," she replied. She noticed he was hiding part of the paper, and instinctively reached for it, but he pulled it away. "Let me guess," she said, trying to flatten her tone, "Front page of this morning's paper?"
Nash looked at her as she held her hand out, so he placed the paper in her palm. The front page had a picture of her fainting, with the headline "Former Teen Star Admits to Life of Crime." Lexi bit down on her bottom lip and closed her eyes. "Is it as bad as the headline implies?" she asked.
"It's not that bad. The inside has a much nicer picture, and better things to say," Nick consoled her.
Lexi read the cover page, and flipped to the inside section. The picture of her and Nash and Mayor and Mrs. Brown was there in full color with a caption that read, "Mayor Willie Brown and Singer Lexi Lee in a more peaceful moment before the truth came out." Half of the article speculated on the video and her confession, while the other half dragged out a list of her past escapades. Two whole paragraphs were devoted to speculating her relationship with "Captain Bridges of the SFPD Special Investigations Unit." "Nothing about the AHA," she rubbed her eyes, "At least, of any real value."
"Actually, there was this," Nash showed her the lifestyles section, which contained a smaller article discussing Andrew, and Lexi's support of the AHA.
Nick smiled at Lexi, "It was a lovely picture of you and the Mayor."
Lexi tried to return his smile as she sipped her coffee. "So, superstar," Nash folded the paper and focused on her, "What's on your agenda for today?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you, Captain?" Lexi tried to relax. "It seems I'm at your mercy."
"No, ma'am, I am at yours. I just need to stop by the SIU at some point, otherwise, I want you to go about your regular routine. This guy is following you, so he knows your schedule. I have Harvey running a check on where Simon Russell is now, as well as Steven and Chip. We're perusing your history to find any connection, so let me warn you, anything you would rather we hear first hand, you better give up now. Understand?" Nash explained.
With just a trace of fear in her eyes, Lexi nodded. "I don't know what's on my schedule today," Lexi sighed. Suddenly realizing it's Thursday, she sat up straight, "Except my massage. It's Thursday, I have a 10 a.m. appointment."
"Okay, go get ready, and we'll swing by the SIU, then I'll take you to your appointment."
"No," Lexi said, a little too quickly, as she stood up. Seeing the puzzled expression on Nash's face, she quickly responded, "What are you going to do? Sit in the waiting area? You can't go in with me and watch while I get a massage. It usually takes a bit, so you could drop me off and go to the SIU and then pick me up. I should probably call Michelle and find out what else is on the books for me."
"I laid out some towels in my bathroom for you. It's through my room, but more private than this one," he motioned to his left towards the other bathroom. She nodded as she carried her coffee cup away, and he watched the back of her head as she walked into his room.
"So, Nash," Nick raised an eyebrow at his son.
"So, Nick," Nash countered.
"Have a good day Son," he smiled and winked.
Lexi stood in the bedroom pulling on her jeans, cell phone wedged between her chin and shoulder. "Michelle, of course, I am going to my massage. What else is on the boards for today? Oh, and tell Michael that we should do a press conference, either tonight or in the morning. No, I am not canceling my appointment. Have I ever? Well, he will just have to work around it. Yes, yes, I saw the morning paper. No, don't go to the apartment, and don't worry about me. I'm in protective custody. Yes, Robert is doing a background check on them. I saw the preliminaries, and I know. Just work out of Michael's office today, help him with the upcoming .....Of course...I'll have my phone with me, and I promise to have it on. Right, but don't call during.....Thanks, Michelle, you're the best."
She clicked off the phone and tossed it on the bed. As she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail, Nash knocked on the door. "Come in!"
"Are you ready?" he asked, cracking the door slightly.
She smiled and slipped her boots on, "Yes." He opened the door and stood in the doorway. Lexi tried not to make eye contact with him as she told him, "You will be thrilled to hear that you will not have to baby-sit me today. I have nothing this afternoon, unless Michelle calls. But they are trying to arrange a press conference, to deflect the bad press, for today or tomorrow morning. Robert said he could pick me up from my massage, and take me for the rest of the day. So, if you just drop me off today, you can go about your daily business. Oh, and Nikko is going to stop by your barge today to discuss the case."
She picked up her bag and was passing by him to go out the door. She glanced at his face, and he didn't look as thrilled as she figured he would be. She stopped, they were nearly face to face, separated by little more than an inch of air. His expression was almost wounded. Was he looking forward to being stuck with me, she wondered. Nash was disappointed. He had actually found himself looking forward to spending the day with her, but apparently she preferred the company of her own staff. Both thought back to the previous night, how the other felt against them, how they felt during the moment. It had been so intense, yet so intimate, they stood there for a moment, searching the others face for a sign. A crack in the mask, to let them know how the other truly felt. Nick walked by just then and broke the silence. "Haven't you left yet?"
Nash and Lexi both looked over at him, and Nash stepped away. "We're going now," he said.
Dropping Lexi off at the medical campus, Nash pulled into a parking space, and turned off the engine. Lexi stopped and looked at him when he got out of the car. "What? Are you gonna follow me in? I am going in there, honest. I'm not going to run away," she teased.
Nash hesitated, before replying in complete seriousness, "All right, but I'm going to wait and make sure you get in okay."
"Yes sir," she saluted him, pivoted on her heel, and marched into the hospital.
Nash got back in the car and watched the door a few more minutes. When he was satisfied she was safely inside, he started the engine and pulled the 'Cuda out of the space, heading for the SIU.
Walking onto the barge housing the SIU, he noticed the silence. Everyone was hard at work, or at least were attempting to appear so, as to avoid him. As he walked to his desk, he called out to Harvey asking what the inspector had found. While Nash sorted through his mail, Harvey approached the desk shaking his head. "Sorry Nash, not a whole lot. Chip Benson is filming in England, and has been for the past month. Steven Carter is somewhere in the Bahamas on a vacation, been there a week, supposedly returning to L.A. in two more. Simon Russell is a bit tougher, I have a call into his P.O., but haven't heard anything. As far as the video from last night, the tape was spliced. Apparently someone did the second half on their own, got a hold of the tape and spliced it. We talked to Michelle, she picked the tape up at Glicker's office on her way to the dinner, and it was in her bag until she handed it to the technician."
"Think she did it?" Nash asked.
Harvey shook his head. Joe had walked over during Harv's report, and filled Nash in on what he had found. "I don't think so; she was too upset. She was afraid Michael or Lexi would fire her over it. All the guests check out, no one unusual hanging around. The technician, Rick, said he was with the equipment the whole time. We figure the tape must've gotten switched at the management office. The receptionist said that it was really hectic yesterday afternoon, people coming and going. Antwon is over at Glicker's office questioning the staff and picking up security tapes from yesterday. No one noticed anything until the video actually played. Michael switched the program at the last minute. The tape they used was actually marked for distribution. I figure that the switch from singing to video might have thrown our stalker off base."
"At least it was just her reputation that was injured," Harvey tried to be positive.
Nash shook his head, thinking out loud, "This person is either really good, or has someone on the inside. The decision to show the video was made after the letter was received. The best opportunity to have a clear shot at Lexi would've been while she was singing, which was canceled. This clown is playing with us, and I wa...." He trailed off as he noticed a letter in his mail. A plain white no 10 with no postmark, no return address, his name and the SIU address typed on it. "Where did this come from?" he demanded, dropping it onto his desk.
Harvey looked at it, and Nash pulled a pair of latex gloves from his drawer. Harvey put them on and looked at Nash. "I don't know, man. Ronnie put all the mail on our desks." As he opened the letter, he unfolded it so Nash and Joe could see what it said.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN HIDE HER? WHY DOES SHE DESERVE TO BE SAVED? LET HER PAST DESTROY HERSELF, THEN WHEN SHE DIES, IT WILL BE A BLESSING. TELL ME CAPTAIN, WHEN YOU TOUCH HER, DOES SHE FEEL LIKE THE SNAKE SHE IS? OR HAS SHE CONVINCED YOU SHE'S JUST ANOTHER INNOCENT VICTIM OF STARDOM? SHE'S NOT. SHE'S NEVER BEEN INNOCENT. SHE'S EVIL. SHE'LL USE YOU AND THROW YOU AWAY. YOU ARE JUST ONE OF THE MILLIONS SHE WILL STEP ON TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS. ONLY I CAN MAKE SURE SHE GETS WHAT SHE DESERVES.
"Well, they know we're hiding her," Joe said.
Harvey folded it back up, shaking his head. "I'll run it through the tests, but I'm betting it's just like the rest. I think we're just pissing each other off right now."
Nash sat down as Harvey walked away. Joe hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the chair next to Nash's desk. He was silent until Nash looked at him. "Yes, Joe?" Nash sounded exasperated.
"Nash, I uh," Joe wasn't sure how to handle this. He was worried about his friend. Joe knew him too well, and he saw the signs. This was more than just a case to Nash. This was becoming personal. Rumors and stories about Lexi Lee ranged from innocence to trouble, and the last thing Joe wanted to see was Nash getting hurt. "I, well, I contacted L.A.P.D. and got copies of Lexi's files when we requested those of Russell, Carter, and Benson. Alexandra Lee has quite a rap sheet. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. There's also a few things in Carter and Benson's files you might want to see. I have them here if you want to see them."
Nash rubbed his hand over his eyes. What now, he thought. Joe was afraid his partner was upset with him. Nash looked at him. "Okay," he extended his hand for the files. As Joe handed them to him, Nash thought of something else. "Also run a check on the names Andrew Lee, Andrew Abernathy, and Alexandra Abernathy. Complete backgrounds. They grew up in Texas, near Texarkana. There's something about this case that I'm not getting. This isn't some typical psycho stalker."
"Gotcha," Joe stood to leave, and Nash called out to him. "By the way, thanks, Bubba."
Joe looked back, but Nash was opening the top file. Joe smiled, he'd only done it out of concern. Nash knew that. When Harvey got the call from Russell's parole officer, Nash had just finished reading all three files. Nash was trying to mesh what he had just read with the Lexi he thought he knew. Part of him didn't want to believe what he'd read, but part of him couldn't help but sense that it explained something. Possession, disorderly conduct, drunk driving, public disturbance, domestic violence, assault, it read like a grocery list of minor crimes. And the black market bust. Most of the charges were dropped, and no more than two days in jail for those that weren't, most sentences were rehab or community service. Benson had possession and trafficking charges, as well as public disturbance and disorderly conduct, some of which coincided with Lexi's.
Steven's file is what really disturbed him, mostly public disturbance, disorderly conduct, a few cases of assault, but quite a few charges of domestic violence. Two abuse charges by other girlfriends, as well as by Lexi, all with charges eventually dropped. A restraining order was filed against him by Lexi and another girl. He had counts of violating the order. There was also an attempted murder coinciding with a violation, listing Alexandra Lee as victim, but charges were dropped. The date coincided with the date she filed for divorce. There were photos, and they made him sick. Nash almost didn't recognize Lexi in the pictures, she was so beaten. She had covered up the charges and the truth. No wonder she didn't trust the police. She was afraid of what would happen if the public found out.
Harvey broke through his thoughts. "Boss, you are not going to believe this. I just got off the phone with Simon Russell's PO. Russell is living here, in San Francisco. Moved here from L.A. county six months ago. I've got an address, but no answer at the home phone. He works for an Eagle Cleaning Company.
Antwon had returned, and was on his way to report to Nash when he heard that. "Eagle?" he asked. Harvey nodded, and Antwon looked at the paper in his hand. "That's the cleaning service Michael Glicker's office uses."
Joe was with Harvey, and all four inspectors looked at each other. "Harv, Antwon, get down to Eagle and find Russell. I want to know what he's doing in town. Joe, get me those files, and any kind of incident from Lexi's past. Especially relating to her money, buying off someone or something." Nash ordered, closing the file on his desk.
"What are you going to do?" Joe asked him
"I'm going to get some straight answers from Miss Lee," he responded and walked out of the office.
Nash walked up to the receptionist's desk at the Massage Therapist's office. "Can I help you?" she beamed at him.
"I hope so," he turned on his charm. "Can you tell me how much longer Alexandra Lee's appointment will be?"
"Let me see," she smiled, and looked at her computer. Frowning, she told him, "There is no Alexandra Lee on our appointment book for today."
"I'm sorry, it might be under Alexandra Abernathy," Nash smiled.
The girl nodded, and typed on her keyboard. Shaking her head, "No, no Abernathy. Sorry."
"But she comes here every Thursday for an appointment," Nash insisted.
"I know all our regular clients, and none of them go by those names," she continued to frown. "I'm sorry."
"But she has a standing ten o'clock Thursday appointment, weekly, lasts 2 to 3 hours," Nash pushed.
The receptionist was starting to become annoyed. She wondered if she should call security. "I'm sorry, sir, but we do not have a regular patient at that time, nor a session that lasts that long."
"Thank you," Nash gritted his teeth and walked out. So, if this isn't where she goes, then where is she? He pushed the down button on the elevator, his anger increasing with every second. She had lied to him, and not just about her appointment. He was trying to figure out what was the truth and what was not when he got on the elevator. He was still seething when the doors opened on another floor to let someone on, and he thought he heard Lexi's voice. Getting off the elevator, he followed the sound to an open room down the hall.
There sat Lexi, cross-legged on the floor, reading a book to a group of children. Some were in wheelchairs, a few sitting on the floor or in chairs; she had two children leaning against her and a little boy in her lap. Neither the children nor Lexi noticed him standing in the doorway, and he froze at the sight. She had the children mesmerized, and looked so relaxed and peaceful. A round of "awww's" and "no's" came from the pediatric patients as she closed the book and told them that would be all for this week. "Sorry, guys," she mocked a frown, "But it's almost lunchtime, and Nurse McGill will be back soon. I promise, we'll finish it next week."
As Lexi led the children in a rendition of "Happy Trails," Nurse McGill stepped next to Nash. "Can I help you?" she asked him quietly.
He turned to her, "No, I was just waiting on Lexi."
"Alex? She's great, the kids really love her. Every week she's here, at least when she's in town. She reads them stories, sings songs, really helps them to forget why they're here." He could tell that Nurse McGill admired Lexi. "She's a god-send really. Some of these kids get no visitors,; their parents are so busy working to pay the bills. She spends time with every child on the ward."
Lexi noticed Nash just then, and froze. She had a child clinging to each leg, and the little boy who was in her lap clinging to her back. One hand holding onto Jesse, the boy on her back, and one on the head of Teddy, who was clinging to her left leg, Nash smiled. It was not a typical Lexi Lee moment, but he could easily see her fitting into the surroundings. "Who's that?" Jesse asked innocently.
"He's a ....friend of mine," Lexi replied after a moment. "His name is Captain Bridges."
"Like a ship captain?" Teddy's innocent expression gazed up towards Nash.
"No," Nash smiled. "As in a police captain."
Lexi held her breath, waiting for the children's response. Most of them gazed wide-eyed at Nash, some looking scared. A little girl standing near Nash looked at Lexi and asked in a sing-song voice, "Is he your bo-oy friend, Miss Alex?"
Nash and Lexi both blushed slightly, and Nash chuckled a little. "No, Sheila, he's not my boyfriend."
"Because I'm your boyfriend, right, Miss Alex?" Jesse's arms were wrapped around her neck, and he peered over her shoulder at Nash.
"Exactly," Lexi replied, moving towards the door, kids in tow.
"All right, little tykes," Nurse McGill clapped her hands. "We need to get you to the lunchroom."
Nash had stepped inside the doorway, allowing Nurse McGill and two other attendants to get through to the wheelchair-bound patients. Lexi led the troop out the doorway and down the hall. While passing by Nash, Jesse looked at him. "Don't just stand there staring , Bridges," he used his best authoritative voice, "It's lunch time."
"Yes sir," Nash saluted Jesse, and instantly Sheila and another little boy grabbed his hands. "I'll show you where we need to go," Sheila smiled shyly at him.
Giggling and chattering, the children swarmed down the hall towards the lunchroom. "Are you going to stay for lunch, Miss Alex?" Teddy asked as he took his seat. Lexi looked questioningly towards Nash. "You, too, Cap'tin Bridges?" Sheila smiled more prominently at him.
"Wouldn't think of leaving," he smiled at her. Lexi let out the small breath she had been holding, and sat Jesse into a seat next to Teddy. Nash sat across from Jesse, and children clamored to sit next to him. An attendant wheeled in a rack of lunch trays, and Lexi went to assist the nurses handing out the lunches and medications. Jesse eyed Nash cautiously. "Do you like Miss Alex?" he asked bluntly.
The room grew quiet waiting for an answer. Lexi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and glanced out of the corner of her eye, looking for his reaction. Nash looked at her; she was helping a patient in a wheelchair place a table tray across his chair. "She's very nice," he finally replied.
"Do you think she's pretty?" Teddy wanted to know.
Lexi blushed again, and Nash smiled. Looking at Teddy he responded honestly, "Yes. I would say she's pretty."
Sheila looked up at him. "Do you think I'm pretty?"
Nash looked down at her. It was obvious she was going through chemotherapy. Her bare head was covered by a multi-colored scarf, and her cheeks were puffy and pale, but her eyes, her eyes were big and blue as the ocean. She would definitely be a stunner, he thought, if..... Nash blinked, trying to hide what he felt at that moment. He made himself smile, and patted her small hand. "Yes, I think you're even prettier than Miss Alex."
Lexi had stopped to watch his answer, and bit her lip trying to keep the tears from starting. She passed out the trays to the children around Nash, trying not to make eye contact with him. "Miss Alex is my girlfriend," Jesse proudly announced. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a spy, like James Bond. And I'm going to take her all over the world with me."
"A spy?" Nash acted surprised and impressed, "Really?"
As the children soaked up the attention Nash was giving them, Lexi finished with the pre-lunch duties. The children talked and laughed and vied for attention. Nash and Jesse discussed the merits of being a spy versus being a police inspector. By the time lunch was over, they had become fast friends, with Nash gaining a few little admirers. As they took the patients back to their rooms to rest, Jesse and Teddy clung to Nash and gave him a full tour of the ward. At Sheila's room, she kissed his cheek as he tucked her into her bed. He kissed her forehead, and she beamed proudly. In the room Jesse and Teddy shared, the boys had to show him everything before they would climb into their beds. Lexi tucked them in, kissing their cheeks. As she held Jesse's hand, the little boy smiled at Nash. "Thank you for coming, Cap Bridges. Will you come back next week?"
"Maybe," Nash smiled at the boy. "Maybe."
"But I will definitely be back next week. Now you guys get some rest. You need your strength so you can start training for the Giants next season."
"I love you, Miss Alex," Jesse held up his arms for a hug.
As she hugged the child, Lexi whispered, "I love you too, Jesse."
Neither Nash nor Lexi spoke as they left the hospital. It wasn't until they were in the car, heading towards the SIU, that Nash broke the silence. "You do that every week?"
Lexi watched the buildings go by, not sure what to say. "Except when I'm out of town. But yeah, I do."
"So what's with the massage cover-up?" Nash asked.
It was another moment before she responded. "Would you believe me if I had said, gee I have to go read to a pediatrics unit? No one knows, except for you now. I don't want to turn it into some P.R. tool. No one bothers me, and it doesn't get blown out of proportion by the press. The nurses and parents respect that I do it for the kids, and I do it for me. Not to be some philanthropical diva. It's my time, to do something to make me feel like a human. I can be Alexandra, not Lexi Lee."
All of the anger Nash had felt earlier had drained away during his time with the children, and he hated to admit it, but he was impressed by her response. He was also becoming more intrigued by her. There was more than meets the eye with her, as he already knew, but he found himself wanting to know it all, good and bad. "Thanks," she told him.
He was taken aback by that. "For what?" he wanted to know.
"Not blowing my cover," she turned her face to him and smiled, "And being nice to the kids. They really crave attention." She paused, and her smile got bigger. "I think Sheila has a crush on you."
"Maybe it's mutual," he smiled. "She's a real cutie. She have cancer?"
"Acute Lymphoid Leukemia," Lexi sighed, nodding.
Another round of silence entered the car before Nash asked about Jesse. "He's my special guy," Lexi said, running her fingers over the door. "He was one of the first patients I met. Tough little guy....he's eight years old and was born with a congenital heart defect. He's been in and out of the hospital all of his life. Every time he leaves, he promises that he's not coming back. And every time he comes back, he tells everyone it's because he missed them so much. He never lets it get him down though. Tough as nails on the outside, even if he's crying in pain on the inside."
Nash took in all the emotions accompanying her words. He could tell she saw Andrew in Jesse, and had developed a special bond with the child. "Thanks for lunch," he finally responded.
"No problem," she blinked back the tears that were forming. Changing the subject, she asked, "Are we going to the SIU?"
"Umm...yeah," Nash didn't want to bring up Russell, or her police record at that moment. "We need to talk."
"And we can only talk at the SIU?"
"Well, see, I have some files that I need some explanations on," Nash confessed.
"Mine?" Lexi half-asked.
"Yeah," Nash admitted.
"Do you want me to start talking now, or wait until we get there?" She had drained all emotions out of her voice.
"There's something else, and until I get something back on it, I'd rather keep you near me," he answered.
She was hesitant to know, but asked, "What else?"
Nash took a deep breath, he wasn't sure how to say it, or how she would react. "Simon Russell."
He heard the sharp intake of her breath and quickly finished. "He's apparently in town."
Lexi grew pale. Simon Russell, she'd actually forgotten he'd been released. Her lawyer had called her, but she had still been wading through her grief over Andy. His probation was probably close to over, and he was here. She shivered, trying to keep her mind focused on the present, trying not to let the memories overtake her. "You don't think it's him?" she whispered, "Do you?"
Nash instinctively rested his hand on her arm and glanced at her. "I don't know. But if he isn't, I want to know I can completely eliminate him as a suspect."
Lexi nodded slightly and touched Nash's hand. When he had to let go to shift down, he regretted having to let go of her hand, and having to do what he was about to do. He'd prefer just getting to know her, in a more relaxed atmosphere, but unfortunately, this was the way it was.