CHAPTER 4
Later at the apartment Frank and Elaina were still waiting for Derek to apologize and had brought him with them. Frank and Jake where sitting in the other room with Derek and Elaina was watching the monitors because Cody and Sabrina had taken Megan and Sarah home.
Elaina opened the door when she sees Alex and Monica with Maria. "Hello ladies, any trouble along the way?"
"No problems, smooth sailing." Maria answers as she walks in.
Monica and Alex were looking back and forth from Maria to Elaina. "Is there something I'm missing?" Elaina asks seeing there confused looks.
"You two separated at birth or something?" Alex hadn't noticed the resemblance until the two women stood together.
"We're distant cousins." Maria laughs putting an arm around her cousin.
"Has Frank met her before?" Monica asks.
"No he hasn't, but he's about to he's in the living room with Derek and Jake."
Elaina went to walk away and Monica stopped her. "Wait we want to get a good seat for this." Alex and Monica went into the room and sat down on the couch facing Frank and Derek.
"What are you two staring at?" Frank looks up as he said it and saw Maria walk in with Elaina.
"Wow!" Jake says staring at Elaina and Maria.
"Frank, Jake this is my cousin, Agent Maria Andrews."
Frank was stunned by how much they looked alike. The only differences between the two were Elaina's hair was long and deep red; Maria's was shorter and auburn. They were not the same age but they could pass for twins.
"Don't even think about it." He says to Elaina.
"Think about what?" Elaina had to keep herself from smiling. He knew her all too well. "Oh you mean the thought of my going to Maria's and try to get Thomas to make a move that we can arrest him for? Never entered my mind."
"I think it's a great idea. It would get this over with a lot quicker." Maria was trying to sell the idea. "I really need to get back to work as soon as I can, and catching this guy fast is one of my highest priorities."
"You have no priorities right now; you're the person in protective custody. You're not an agent on the case." Frank informed her.
"I'm an agent on this case and I think we should do this my way. Let me pretend to be Maria and draw him out." Elaina looked at the others to see if they agreed.
"I'm not letting you put yourself in danger now or ever. You are here as a supervisor only, you put me in charge of the case and that is how we are going to work." Frank says walking over to his wife.
"That was when I thought I needed to be watched, but now that we know who the culprit of that is," Elaina made her point by smacking Derek on the back. "I can work this case the way I think it would best be quickly resolved."
"I think we need to talk in private." Frank took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. "You know I'm not going to let you do this. What even made you think I would fall for a plan like this?"
"Oh I think you'll let me do it when I tell you that the sooner we get this resolved the sooner I can resign and get out of your way."
"You're not getting in my way; you just get on my nerves at times that's all." Frank replies. "I know that you will keep your promise to resign no matter how long it takes to resolve this."
"How are we going to flush him out into attempting anything if we don't give him a target to go after? Everyone here can see the resemblance and they know that my way would be an easy way to get it over with." Elaina explains.
Frank sighs knowing he was losing again. "Just once can't you do things my way?"
"Okay you tell me how you plan to resolve this quicker than my plan and I will concede."
Frank turns away from her; he hadn't had time to actually form a plan. "I thought we would watch Thomas and see if he made any effort in trying to find her now that she is in hiding. We could tap his phone and bug his home and go wherever he leads us."
"Why let him lead us when we can lead him?" Elaina asks.
"Because my plan is safer for you and Maria." Frank replies turning back to her.
"Let's be fair about this. We'll let the team vote on which plan they like best."
"Let's see Sabrina will be on your side and that means she will sway Cody. Jake is a hot head like you which means he'll vote for your plan, Alex and Monica are pretty level headed they'd vote for my plan." Frank says.
"That's three against two, I'd win." Elaina said triumphantly.
"Not so fast, that is how I thought they would vote not how they will vote." Frank explains to her.
"Ok dreamer, let's go see how we do."
They walked back into the room and explained the two plans. Sabrina and Cody had returned from taking Megan and Sarah home. After the ladies and Cody had voted it was tied, Jake was to be the tiebreaker.
"Both plans would work in the long run but if you want the quickest I would pick Elaina's." Elaina smiled at Frank. "But if you want to keep Elaina safe from harm too then I would have to pick Donovan's plan."
"Will you decide already?" Frank told him.
"Ok I vote for Elaina's plan because we are not to think personally on the job and your plan is doing just that and I don't want to break any rules." Jake's reasoning made Frank angry.
"Fine, you can do it your way. I will stay here and protect Maria while the rest of you work with Agent Blakely." Frank says in defeat as he sits down in a chair.
"I do believe I have hurt your pride and ego. But hey all's fair in love and war. Shall we make our plans team?" Elaina motioned for Jake and the girls to follow her into the other room with Cody, so they could talk.
"Derek don't ever marry a woman like your mother, you do I'll disown you." Frank says as he knows that they are alone.
Derek laughed for the first time since he was arrested. "If I ever make that mistake you can have me committed unless Mom has already committed you."
********
Elaina and the team made their plans to get Gabriel Thomas out of the picture. Meanwhile Frank took Derek home and checked on Sarah. When they arrived home the lights were all out except one.
"Looks like Megan is still up." Frank pointed to the lit window. "Be quite going in, we don't want to wake Sarah."
When they went in they heard giggling in the dark and then something grabbed Frank's leg. He managed to turn the light on and saw Sarah wrapped around him. "Why are you down here in the dark?" He picked her up. "Megan?"
"I'm right here." She was sitting in the hallway.
"Why is she in here alone with the lights off?" Frank was not pleased.
"At least I'm not the one in trouble this time." Derek kissed his little sister and went up stairs.
"I was watching from the hall she thought it would be fun."
"She's not old enough to have thought of this? I think you helped just a little."
"Okay so I thought it would be funny. She wouldn't have done it if she was scared." Megan explains as she pats Sarah's back.
"She'll do almost anything if she thinks it's a game. You should know better than to let her be alone, especially in the dark. How did you know it was us that pulled up, it could have been anyone?" Frank was very angry with Megan.
"I'm sorry it won't happen again, but I knew it was you. Elaina called me when you left, so we watched for your headlights." Megan replies in her defense.
"Just don't ever let this happen again." Frank took Sarah upstairs.
"It won't I promise." Megan followed them up.
"Okay princess it's time you went to sleep. You had your fun for the night."
"Mommy?" Sarah asks looking around.
"Mommy is working, not that Daddy likes that she is but you know your mommy." Frank sat down in the rocking chair with her. He saw her teddy bear nearby and handed it to her. "I'll stay with you until you and teddy fall asleep."
Frank rocked her but she was fighting sleep, she would sit up and play with the bear. "You like to make nighttime a game don't you?" Sarah laughed, and threw the bear down. She reached for it almost falling off his lap. "Ok we get the bear and we hold on to it this time." He picked it up and held it too so she couldn't throw it again. He had played that game before. He let her settle then started rocking again. He started humming the lullaby that Elaina would sing to her. 'If I sang it sweetie no one would sleep tonight.' Frank thought to himself.
*****
Back at the apartment Elaina and Maria were talking about their childhood together. The rest of the team was playing poker in the kitchen.
"Maria, do you remember when we went camping in Glacier Park when we were younger?" Elaina asks leaning back in her chair.
"Yeah, we had a lot of fun that year. Miranda, you and me the three musketeers. Let's see you were 23 and Miranda and I were 16 I think. Oh yeah, that was the place we met those two good-looking boys at the lake. Do you remember?" Maria asks with a smirk.
"Oh yeah. How can I forget two teenage boys skinny dipping in a lake and my teenage sister and cousin drooling over them?"
"Wonder what ever happened to them?"
"I married one of them." Elaina replies watching her cousin's expression.
"Collin was one of them?" Maria asks.
"No. Frank was he was about 15 then. I didn't know it until I was talking to him one day. I guess he had changed enough I never made the connection. Lord knows we changed a lot in our looks, we change our hair color every year it seems not to mention you don't have braces now and my face changed a little too, but I'm not going to talk about that." Thinking about that was too painful even now. "Besides we never exchanged names exactly, we used our nicknames and they never gave theirs."
"Wow, I thought you said you met Frank while on a case, that is one hell of a coincidence?"
"That's what I thought but when we were talking one day we remembered the time at the lake. He thought I was kidding until I showed him a picture of me back then." Elaina replies.
"You and he have been thrown together over the years, no wonder you got married."
"Yeah, yeah everyone says we were meant to be together. I never believed that until recently. We have been realizing just how often our paths did cross. It's kind of scary actually."
Sabrina walked in to sit with them.
"Hey, they take all your money?" Maria asks.
"No I was winning; I just thought someone else would like to win a few hands so I bowed out gracefully." Sab says taking a seat on the other side of Maria.
"They asked you to leave right?" Elaina winked at her.
"You know them pretty well."
"Yes I do, and I know how you love to win. You two have not been formally introduced yet. Sabrina Kells this in my cousin and friend Agent Maria Andrews. Maria this is Sab as she likes to be called." The two women shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Cody told me you were in the academy together." Sab says.
"Yes we were we had a lot of fun together. We were the class clowns I think." Maria says laughing a bit at the thought.
"Oh really?! He never said anything like that. He told me that you studied together a few times." Sab stated.
"Excuse me I'm going to get something to drink. You girls have a nice long chat."
"Believe me we will." Sab says looking to make sure Cody wasn't around.
Elaina went into the kitchen and walked over to Cody. "You're in a lot of trouble young man."
"What did I do?" Cody asks still looking down at his cards.
"Maria and Sab are talking about the good old days of you and Maria being the class clowns of the academy." Elaina tried not to laugh as Cody realized he was a dead man.
"I'm out. I need to get in there." Cody says as he throws down his cards and heads for the doorway but Elaina stops him. "You're a little too late on the trigger there babe, she is going to draw and quarter you. Your only hope is if you beg for mercy."
Everyone was laughing except Cody. "Great just have a good laugh, I'll survive this I think." Cody says as he went into the room with Sab and Maria.
"Cody so glad you could join us. Sab and I were just discussing about when you and I used to study together in my apartment."
"Yes I think it was really nice of you to go that extra mile to help Maria make it through the academy. By going to her apartment to study." Sab was emphasizing each word with a slap to his leg each one harder than the last one. She also sounded a bit angry.
"I helped the best I could." Cody massaged his leg. "I would like to thank you for telling Sab this; you don't know how thrilled I am that the two of you are getting to know each other so well." Cody was being sarcastic.
"Oh I think Maria and I are going to be best buddies don't you Maria?" Sab asks turning to her.
"Sure thing Sab. You, me and Cody we'll make great buddies." The two women began laughing seeing Cody sink into the couch knowing he was in more trouble than he thought.
*****
Later at the apartment Frank and Elaina were still waiting for Derek to apologize and had brought him with them. Frank and Jake where sitting in the other room with Derek and Elaina was watching the monitors because Cody and Sabrina had taken Megan and Sarah home.
Elaina opened the door when she sees Alex and Monica with Maria. "Hello ladies, any trouble along the way?"
"No problems, smooth sailing." Maria answers as she walks in.
Monica and Alex were looking back and forth from Maria to Elaina. "Is there something I'm missing?" Elaina asks seeing there confused looks.
"You two separated at birth or something?" Alex hadn't noticed the resemblance until the two women stood together.
"We're distant cousins." Maria laughs putting an arm around her cousin.
"Has Frank met her before?" Monica asks.
"No he hasn't, but he's about to he's in the living room with Derek and Jake."
Elaina went to walk away and Monica stopped her. "Wait we want to get a good seat for this." Alex and Monica went into the room and sat down on the couch facing Frank and Derek.
"What are you two staring at?" Frank looks up as he said it and saw Maria walk in with Elaina.
"Wow!" Jake says staring at Elaina and Maria.
"Frank, Jake this is my cousin, Agent Maria Andrews."
Frank was stunned by how much they looked alike. The only differences between the two were Elaina's hair was long and deep red; Maria's was shorter and auburn. They were not the same age but they could pass for twins.
"Don't even think about it." He says to Elaina.
"Think about what?" Elaina had to keep herself from smiling. He knew her all too well. "Oh you mean the thought of my going to Maria's and try to get Thomas to make a move that we can arrest him for? Never entered my mind."
"I think it's a great idea. It would get this over with a lot quicker." Maria was trying to sell the idea. "I really need to get back to work as soon as I can, and catching this guy fast is one of my highest priorities."
"You have no priorities right now; you're the person in protective custody. You're not an agent on the case." Frank informed her.
"I'm an agent on this case and I think we should do this my way. Let me pretend to be Maria and draw him out." Elaina looked at the others to see if they agreed.
"I'm not letting you put yourself in danger now or ever. You are here as a supervisor only, you put me in charge of the case and that is how we are going to work." Frank says walking over to his wife.
"That was when I thought I needed to be watched, but now that we know who the culprit of that is," Elaina made her point by smacking Derek on the back. "I can work this case the way I think it would best be quickly resolved."
"I think we need to talk in private." Frank took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. "You know I'm not going to let you do this. What even made you think I would fall for a plan like this?"
"Oh I think you'll let me do it when I tell you that the sooner we get this resolved the sooner I can resign and get out of your way."
"You're not getting in my way; you just get on my nerves at times that's all." Frank replies. "I know that you will keep your promise to resign no matter how long it takes to resolve this."
"How are we going to flush him out into attempting anything if we don't give him a target to go after? Everyone here can see the resemblance and they know that my way would be an easy way to get it over with." Elaina explains.
Frank sighs knowing he was losing again. "Just once can't you do things my way?"
"Okay you tell me how you plan to resolve this quicker than my plan and I will concede."
Frank turns away from her; he hadn't had time to actually form a plan. "I thought we would watch Thomas and see if he made any effort in trying to find her now that she is in hiding. We could tap his phone and bug his home and go wherever he leads us."
"Why let him lead us when we can lead him?" Elaina asks.
"Because my plan is safer for you and Maria." Frank replies turning back to her.
"Let's be fair about this. We'll let the team vote on which plan they like best."
"Let's see Sabrina will be on your side and that means she will sway Cody. Jake is a hot head like you which means he'll vote for your plan, Alex and Monica are pretty level headed they'd vote for my plan." Frank says.
"That's three against two, I'd win." Elaina said triumphantly.
"Not so fast, that is how I thought they would vote not how they will vote." Frank explains to her.
"Ok dreamer, let's go see how we do."
They walked back into the room and explained the two plans. Sabrina and Cody had returned from taking Megan and Sarah home. After the ladies and Cody had voted it was tied, Jake was to be the tiebreaker.
"Both plans would work in the long run but if you want the quickest I would pick Elaina's." Elaina smiled at Frank. "But if you want to keep Elaina safe from harm too then I would have to pick Donovan's plan."
"Will you decide already?" Frank told him.
"Ok I vote for Elaina's plan because we are not to think personally on the job and your plan is doing just that and I don't want to break any rules." Jake's reasoning made Frank angry.
"Fine, you can do it your way. I will stay here and protect Maria while the rest of you work with Agent Blakely." Frank says in defeat as he sits down in a chair.
"I do believe I have hurt your pride and ego. But hey all's fair in love and war. Shall we make our plans team?" Elaina motioned for Jake and the girls to follow her into the other room with Cody, so they could talk.
"Derek don't ever marry a woman like your mother, you do I'll disown you." Frank says as he knows that they are alone.
Derek laughed for the first time since he was arrested. "If I ever make that mistake you can have me committed unless Mom has already committed you."
********
Elaina and the team made their plans to get Gabriel Thomas out of the picture. Meanwhile Frank took Derek home and checked on Sarah. When they arrived home the lights were all out except one.
"Looks like Megan is still up." Frank pointed to the lit window. "Be quite going in, we don't want to wake Sarah."
When they went in they heard giggling in the dark and then something grabbed Frank's leg. He managed to turn the light on and saw Sarah wrapped around him. "Why are you down here in the dark?" He picked her up. "Megan?"
"I'm right here." She was sitting in the hallway.
"Why is she in here alone with the lights off?" Frank was not pleased.
"At least I'm not the one in trouble this time." Derek kissed his little sister and went up stairs.
"I was watching from the hall she thought it would be fun."
"She's not old enough to have thought of this? I think you helped just a little."
"Okay so I thought it would be funny. She wouldn't have done it if she was scared." Megan explains as she pats Sarah's back.
"She'll do almost anything if she thinks it's a game. You should know better than to let her be alone, especially in the dark. How did you know it was us that pulled up, it could have been anyone?" Frank was very angry with Megan.
"I'm sorry it won't happen again, but I knew it was you. Elaina called me when you left, so we watched for your headlights." Megan replies in her defense.
"Just don't ever let this happen again." Frank took Sarah upstairs.
"It won't I promise." Megan followed them up.
"Okay princess it's time you went to sleep. You had your fun for the night."
"Mommy?" Sarah asks looking around.
"Mommy is working, not that Daddy likes that she is but you know your mommy." Frank sat down in the rocking chair with her. He saw her teddy bear nearby and handed it to her. "I'll stay with you until you and teddy fall asleep."
Frank rocked her but she was fighting sleep, she would sit up and play with the bear. "You like to make nighttime a game don't you?" Sarah laughed, and threw the bear down. She reached for it almost falling off his lap. "Ok we get the bear and we hold on to it this time." He picked it up and held it too so she couldn't throw it again. He had played that game before. He let her settle then started rocking again. He started humming the lullaby that Elaina would sing to her. 'If I sang it sweetie no one would sleep tonight.' Frank thought to himself.
*****
Back at the apartment Elaina and Maria were talking about their childhood together. The rest of the team was playing poker in the kitchen.
"Maria, do you remember when we went camping in Glacier Park when we were younger?" Elaina asks leaning back in her chair.
"Yeah, we had a lot of fun that year. Miranda, you and me the three musketeers. Let's see you were 23 and Miranda and I were 16 I think. Oh yeah, that was the place we met those two good-looking boys at the lake. Do you remember?" Maria asks with a smirk.
"Oh yeah. How can I forget two teenage boys skinny dipping in a lake and my teenage sister and cousin drooling over them?"
"Wonder what ever happened to them?"
"I married one of them." Elaina replies watching her cousin's expression.
"Collin was one of them?" Maria asks.
"No. Frank was he was about 15 then. I didn't know it until I was talking to him one day. I guess he had changed enough I never made the connection. Lord knows we changed a lot in our looks, we change our hair color every year it seems not to mention you don't have braces now and my face changed a little too, but I'm not going to talk about that." Thinking about that was too painful even now. "Besides we never exchanged names exactly, we used our nicknames and they never gave theirs."
"Wow, I thought you said you met Frank while on a case, that is one hell of a coincidence?"
"That's what I thought but when we were talking one day we remembered the time at the lake. He thought I was kidding until I showed him a picture of me back then." Elaina replies.
"You and he have been thrown together over the years, no wonder you got married."
"Yeah, yeah everyone says we were meant to be together. I never believed that until recently. We have been realizing just how often our paths did cross. It's kind of scary actually."
Sabrina walked in to sit with them.
"Hey, they take all your money?" Maria asks.
"No I was winning; I just thought someone else would like to win a few hands so I bowed out gracefully." Sab says taking a seat on the other side of Maria.
"They asked you to leave right?" Elaina winked at her.
"You know them pretty well."
"Yes I do, and I know how you love to win. You two have not been formally introduced yet. Sabrina Kells this in my cousin and friend Agent Maria Andrews. Maria this is Sab as she likes to be called." The two women shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Cody told me you were in the academy together." Sab says.
"Yes we were we had a lot of fun together. We were the class clowns I think." Maria says laughing a bit at the thought.
"Oh really?! He never said anything like that. He told me that you studied together a few times." Sab stated.
"Excuse me I'm going to get something to drink. You girls have a nice long chat."
"Believe me we will." Sab says looking to make sure Cody wasn't around.
Elaina went into the kitchen and walked over to Cody. "You're in a lot of trouble young man."
"What did I do?" Cody asks still looking down at his cards.
"Maria and Sab are talking about the good old days of you and Maria being the class clowns of the academy." Elaina tried not to laugh as Cody realized he was a dead man.
"I'm out. I need to get in there." Cody says as he throws down his cards and heads for the doorway but Elaina stops him. "You're a little too late on the trigger there babe, she is going to draw and quarter you. Your only hope is if you beg for mercy."
Everyone was laughing except Cody. "Great just have a good laugh, I'll survive this I think." Cody says as he went into the room with Sab and Maria.
"Cody so glad you could join us. Sab and I were just discussing about when you and I used to study together in my apartment."
"Yes I think it was really nice of you to go that extra mile to help Maria make it through the academy. By going to her apartment to study." Sab was emphasizing each word with a slap to his leg each one harder than the last one. She also sounded a bit angry.
"I helped the best I could." Cody massaged his leg. "I would like to thank you for telling Sab this; you don't know how thrilled I am that the two of you are getting to know each other so well." Cody was being sarcastic.
"Oh I think Maria and I are going to be best buddies don't you Maria?" Sab asks turning to her.
"Sure thing Sab. You, me and Cody we'll make great buddies." The two women began laughing seeing Cody sink into the couch knowing he was in more trouble than he thought.
*****