"Hello, Mr. Renquist," Frankie greeted amiably enough, although her temper still had the better of her.
Thomas chuckled good-naturedly. "Please...after all this time, I would think you would feel comfortable enough calling me Tom or Thomas."
Frankie smiled her reply as she took the spot next to Shay on the bench. "Any word on Martin?"
Thomas nodded and ran a hand through his thick silver hair. "That's why I'm here. The bad news first." When he was sure he had everyone's attention, he continued, "No amount of questioning resulted in Martin confessing to working for Daphne Charles."
Shay groaned and shifted positions. Frankie patted her leg reassuringly. "Alex and I still can testify to his talking to her on the phone."
"But you can't prove it was her on the line," Frank interjected as he took Ariel from her mother's lap onto his own.
"True."
"But the good news...Martin has confessed that he did receive the annulment papers and sent them to be processed. What happened to them from there and why they were never filed with the state is still a mystery."
"That should go a long way with the Judge, if it comes to taking her to court," Frank commented. "What do you think, Shay?"
"I think I'd like to go home," she sighed, "and find something a little softer to sit on."
*****
"I wouldn't trust that thing as far as I can see her," Frankie spat venomously as they all walked into the Donovan household. Katie had taken all of the kids home with her until later.
"We're all in agreement on that Frankie. But, what do we do in the meantime?" Jake said as he settled down on the sofa and put a pillow over his eyes.
Frankie glared at Jake, still not forgiving him yet for manhandling her the way he did in the park. Jake pulled the pillow off of his eyes and lifted his head to meet her glare with an equal intensity. Frank and Shay watched the silent war of wills between the two for a few minutes, neither one looking away.
"Uh," Frank cleared his throat. "Frankie, you said something about a DNA test."
Frankie's eyes narrowed one last time before she tore her gaze away from Jake and looked at Frank. She could read the caution in his eyes in talking to her. He was watchful of her temper. "Yes," she said curtly as she turned and stalked back out to the car.
Frank, Jake, and Shay heard the car door open. They all listened for the engine to turn over. They looked from one to the other as the car door slammed shut again and soon after the front door opened. Frankie didn't say a word as she flipped through the little black book in her hand.
Frankie's gray eyes searched through the names in her book. Doctors, lawyers, detectives, City Council members, judges, Senators and Representatives all littered her book. One thing about being Caroline Battles' daughter - she was well connected. After Frankie started up her PI practice, she took a page from her mother and made all sorts of contacts. Of course, once she started in on her investigations, contacts came one by one and some of them were fairly prominent. In order to get information from one source, she had to promise something to another source. The corners of her mouth quirked up in a wry smile as she lifted the phone to her ear and stared punching the buttons. Not even Jake or Deirdre knew how well connected she was.
Frank looked at Jake, his eyebrows up to his hairline in confusion. All Jake could do was shrug. Jake turned to look at his wife as she listened to something on the line. She lifted her eyes to meet his and he read something there he hadn't seen before. A small smile tugged at his lips. She was no more angry at him than the man in the moon. That little staring contest between them was tempering the overwhelming urge to rip each other's clothing off right there in front of Frank and Shay.
"Hello? Adrian, it's Frankie." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Frankie Battles… well, Shaw now, I'm married. You got a minute?"
Jake listened quietly, occasionally looking at Frank and Shay to see their reactions as Frankie kept chatting.
"Yeah, I need help on a case. Got time to do a quick DNA test for me? What do you mean what's in it for you?" She cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she flipped pages… "How about… tickets to the Sox right behind home plate when they play the Yankees? Let me see what I can do then. Thanks, I'll call you back. Good bye." She hung up and immediately picked up the phone again. As she waited for the call to pick up on the other end, she looked up at everyone as they stared at her.
"Hello?"
"Paulie! It's Frankie, how are ya sugar?"
Frank and Shay slowly sat down as they watched Frankie perch on the edge of the table - they noticed she stayed just out of Jake's reach.
Frankie looked back and made sure she kept out of Jake's reach. If he touched her right now, there'd be no recovering her calm and coolness right now… and both Frank and Shay needed her calm and cool at the moment.
"Listen, I got a favor I need from you. Two tickets to the Sox/Yankees game right behind Home. I'm helping out on a paternity case and need to kind of grease some wheels. Of course… I love you, you're a peach! Have them courier delivered to my office address. Thanks babe!" Again she hung up the phone and flipped pages. One more time she picked up the phone and started dialing. As she waited through the rings, she looked over at Frank. "I'll talk to you in a second. The ultimate payoff is going to be- Bernard!"
'Bernard'? they all mouthed at once.
"Yup, you got it! I got two things… you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours… you game? I knew it. Look, I'm working on something that might involve a dirty doctor… or at least one who didn't wash behind his ears a few times. Yeah, I don't have his or her name yet, but as soon as I get it and proof, I'll send it to you through a courier. What I want in return is some special consideration for a friend of mine. He's got a kid with a slight medical problem and he needs to see a doctor who's not gonna jerk him around and try to bilk him out of some money. If you'll recommend one or see him yourself… I knew you'd be the one to talk to! Good, I'll give him your number and have him call you. Thanks Bernie, I owe you big time for this. Say hello to your wife and little girl for me. OK… bye…" she hung up yet again and stood up. "We're all set. Let me make two more calls and then I'll explain everything."
"Wait… wait… What the hell was that?" Jake said incredulously as he sat forward on the sofa.
"Jake, m'dear, I think you just saw the Banshee Battles Network in action."
"Quite right Shay." Frankie murmured as she dialed the phone again. "Paulie… get a pen…"
After another ten minutes and several attempts to get 'Paulie' off of the phone, Frankie hung up and plopped down in the chair as she waited for the last phone call. "Adrian. I'll deliver those tickets to you tomorrow morning when we come see you. I need the results back as quickly as possible. Dot your I's and cross your T's on this one, if ANYTHING looks like it was done to jimmy the results, I will come down on you so hard… no, I wasn't threatening… Adrian, the DNA test is for a friend of mine, a close friend who needs my help… I want this done right because I think the 'other party' is going to jig the test findings. No, I've already dealt with that end of it. I got skills baby. Hey, you enjoy that game OK? I'll see you tomorrow. Say hello to your family for me. You take care too… OK… bye…" She hung up and groaned, leaning her head back on the back of the chair.
"Uh, Frankie?"
"Adrian Corbick, Paulie Wilsman and Bernard Smithers."
Everyone's jaw dropped at once. Adrian Corbick was the one of the elite physicians in the Chicago area. He was well known for his testimonies and cooperation with the Chicago PD on their evidence presentations. He was never contested or found fault with in a court of law. Paulie Wilson was also well known, but less than upstanding. Rumor had it he was in good with the 'Family' and a renowned bookie. Bernard Smithers… was the Surgeon General of Illinois and head of the Ethics Committee.
"We have an appointment at 9 am tomorrow - whether Daphne Charles gives a damn or not. She'll show and have her son tested… or risk blowing her whole claim if she refuses." Frankie said flatly as she lifted her head from the back of the chair. "If she refuses, it looks to a judge like she's got something to hide. If she insists on using her own doctor, then fine, use him and get me his name to give to Dr. Smithers. Have you got a back bedroom I can use for a few minutes?"
Frank and Shay blinked, both pointing towards the back of the house. Neither one quite sure they wanted to know her reason.
Frankie nodded and stood up, grasping Jake's hand and hauling him after her. "We have some issues to discuss and work out..." was all she said as she and Jake disappeared down the hallway.
Several thuds and thumps soon followed their disappearance and a loud groaning was heard almost instantly after that.
"I think…" Shay started only to be interrupted by another thumping bump and a loud gasping growl. "I think she's starting to scare me a little."
"Only a little?" he teased and began gently massaging her lower back.
*****
to be continued...