Jesse phoned in to the hospital and asked Alex to make a house call the next morning, then he contacted personnel and told them that he would be taking a few days leave. Once he had done all that he walked down to the spare bedroom plugged in the baby monitor once again, climbed into bed and lying on his back put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.
His mind was still reeling from all that Steve had told him, and he was beginning to understand why Rae was having such a hard time coping with her life. Steve had mentioned to him that she would have to be interviewed about what had happened when Jo had visited her earlier in the day, and Jesse had agreed to call the station in the morning to arrange a time.
Suddenly he just needed to see her once more before he went off to sleep. So quietly he climbed out of bed and went back down the hallway. Slowly he opened the door and looked in on Rae. She was lying on her side, and the moonlight was coming in through a chink in the curtains and shining across her face. Her hair was sticking up in spikes, and she was completely at peace. Jesse sighed; he had to stop himself from moving across the room and reaching out to her. He stood there for a while just watching her. He knew that the sleep was medication induced, and that was why it was so peaceful, but it must be doing her some good or she would be reacting to the drugs in some way.
As Jesse watched, Rae let out a moan and turned over in her bed. Jesse stood transfixed looking at the woman that he loved so much, unable to touch her, help her or reach her. Eventually he shook his head and then went back to his temporary bedroom.
As Steve had driven out of Jesse's driveway he knew that he couldn't go home to bed, he needed to be doing something. So, after he had called through to Michael just to make sure that Eliana was ok, he headed back towards the station. He knew that Cheryl and Martin were working a late shift and he wanted to talk to them.
Cheryl had just made two cups of coffee and was sitting drinking hers slowly when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Looking over towards the doorway she saw Steve as he climbed the last few steps. He looked weary and worried; it was a state he seemed to be in more and more lately. Cheryl got up and headed back over to the coffee machine and made a drink for her ex-partner.
"Here you go, Steve, I thought you would be at the hospital with Jo. I know she seemed alright when I was with her, but I still thought you would be there all night."
"Well, I would have been except for two things. One she wouldn't let me, and two I had to go see Rae. I was at her house when you called me. Are you sure it was deliberate?"
"Yeah, no doubt about it. The brake lines were definitely cut through; there is brake fluid outside Rae's house because after I had spoken to Jo and found out what had happened to her car I went over and checked. There is no doubt about it, Steve, the car was vandalised outside Rae's place. It's a gated community, you can't just walk in and out as you please, you know that."
"Yeah, I know that…" Steve let his sentence trail off, and Cheryl, knowing how he thought, knew that there was something that he didn't want to say.
"Steve, if you know anything, anything at all, I need to know it."
"No, not yet, not officially, Cheryl, I just can't."
"And unofficially? What can you tell me that way? I know it's gonna be about Rae, Steve, do you think that she did this? I thought Jo was her best friend."
"She is, and that's why I don't want to say anything. Can you imagine how hurt Rae would be if she thought I suspected her of doing this? And Jo, like you said they are best friends, but …"
"Steve. I will hold you as a material witness in a minute." Cheryl was getting angry now, she knew he was trying to protect his partner, but if Rae had done this then she had to know.
"I don't think that Rae did this, she wouldn't hurt Jo, she loves her too much, it's just that we were working on a case, the one I passed to you, Lee Tennant, the guy who worked at Community General and was murdered. His son was killed in the first case we worked on together. You know the description; the murderer was only seen from the back, but she was small, with brown hair. Amanda says that a left-handed person killed him, and Rae is left-handed. I know that it is a tenuous link, but she knows Jo, and she knew Lee Tennant. She's ill, Cheryl, I had to take her home from Bob's tonight because she had a panic attack, and Jesse and Eliana are living with Jo and me right now because Rae threw them out."
"Oh, God, Steve, I had no idea. You know I am gonna have to interview her, and I hate to say this, but did she have an alibi for the murder? Did you ask her?"
"No, of course not! It never crossed my mind to ask her. For God's sake, Cheryl, she's your friend too. She wouldn't do this."
"Steve, I was in here when she attacked Crosier."
"Yeah, well he deserved it."
"She threatened him, she floored him, and the whole squad room saw her, then I find out that her best friend was injured after visiting with her, and a previous murder was committed by somebody left handed who looks like her, Steve, what am I supposed to think? You know if it was anybody else we would already have her in for questioning."
Steve turned away from his friend and ex-partner. He knew that what she was saying was true, and he also knew that he wouldn't be able to have anything to do with it. He felt a hand on his arm and turned back to face Cheryl.
"I have to go and see her, but I'll leave it until the morning, ok?"
"You'll have to, Jesse gave her a sedative, she'll be out of it until then anyway."
"Steve, I'm sorry." Cheryl looked at him, and he could see the pain in her eyes.
"Yeah, I know you are. Cheryl, do me a favour, let me know what she says, please."
"Steve, you know I can't do that..." Cheryl moved away from him before he could reply, and as he followed her with his eyes he saw Martin looking over at them. Suddenly he couldn't deal with any of it any more. He turned and left the room without another word.
The next morning Alex drew up to the gatehouse and waited. The guard on duty was round the side of his box and had no idea anyone was there. After a moment he beeped his horn and the guard came rushing back.
"I am sorry, Sir, had you been waiting long?"
"No, not that long, but I'm kind of in a hurry. Doctor Alex Martin, to see Mrs. Travis."
"Ok, thank you, and I apologise again, Sir." The gates swung open, and Alex drove his car through. He had only been here once before, and so as he drove slowly along the road he looked around him. It was a lovely community that Rae and Jesse had chosen to live in, it was always peaceful, and everywhere was neat and tidy. He liked the apartment that he had taken over from Rae, but he could also see the appeal of living somewhere like this. Alex had parked his car, got out, collected his bag and was standing at Rae's door before his thoughts had finished. As he waited for her to answer he heard another car draw up behind him.
Cheryl and Martin got out of their car and saw the young doctor standing on the front step. Glancing at each other they made their way up to stand behind Alex.
"Good morning, Alex, are you hear socially or professionally?"
Alex looked a little taken aback at the formal nature of Cheryl's question. "Ah, professionally, and you?"
"The same I'm afraid."
"Well, I need to see her first, from what I understand she may not be up to seeing anyone today. Whatever professional capacity you are here in." Alex could feel his heart pounding. It was never dull being Rae's doctor.
"Are any of you gonna come inside?" They all jumped as Jesse's voice cut into their conversation. They walked into the house and Jesse showed them into the living room. "Alex, I know why you are here, Cheryl, Martin, what can I do for you?"
"Jesse, we need to speak to Rae, to interview her about what happened to Jo yesterday."
Alex looked at the two detectives. He knew that Jo was in the hospital, but he had no idea what it had to do with Rae.
"Alex, can you come and see her first? Then we can see what happens after that. Is that all right with you, Cheryl?" Jesse looked over at the detective, who he knew was a friend of Rae's, and Martin who had been close to Rae almost longer than anybody else in LA and saw them both nod at the same time.
Jesse walked Alex to Rae's door and gently tapped on it. They both listened but there was no reply so carefully Jesse pushed it open and indicated that Alex should enter.
Rae was lying with her back to the door, and Alex moved quietly over towards her. "Rae, are you awake?" He purposely kept his voice low so as not to frighten her. Slowly he saw her begin to move and she turned to face him.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Rae's voice was quiet, but it was strong.
"Jesse called me last night and asked me to come see you today. Do you wanna tell me what's wrong?" As he spoke Alex was getting out his blood pressure cuff, and he began to place it round her arm. She tried to pull back from him, but Alex had a firm hold on her. "Rae, it's me, you know I'm not gonna hurt you. Just hold still and it will soon be over."
"I don't understand why you have to do it anyway, Alex, I'm not sick."
Jesse moved into the room and looked over at her. "Rae, Honey, do you remember what happened yesterday?"
"Jesse, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave." Rae's voice turned hard and Alex looked at her in surprise.
"Rae?"
"I don't want him here, Alex, if you are examining me he doesn't have to be here, does he?"
"No, he doesn't… Jesse, would you mind?"
"Yes, I would, but I know I have no choice. I'll be in the lounge, sorry living room, when you've finished."
Alex watched as his friend and colleague left the room, and he could see from his body language that he was feeling defeated and despairing. Alex turned back to his patient.
"Rae, what's the matter? Why have you have asked Jesse to leave? Rae, what is going on?" Alex knew that he was repeating himself, but he was completely confused by what had just happened.
"Nothing, Alex, you are my doctor not my shrink, I have no idea why you are here, but I guess you know."
"Ok, Rae that's enough, do you want me to look at you? Jesse said that you had a panic attack last night at Bob's…" Alex stopped talking as it became apparent to him that Rae was beginning to remember.
"I was with Steve… I just had to get away from there, I couldn't breathe, I was … I guess I was panic-stricken. Steve brought me home and put me to bed…" Rae's hand went to her mouth as she remembered her dream; she couldn't even begin to talk about it. "I don't remember what happened after that."
"Rae, look at me. What else is going on?"
"Nothing, Alex, just don't go there."
Alex opened his bag and took his stethoscope out. He began to give Rae a physical exam, but his mind was working back and forth between what he was seeing and what he had just heard.
Jesse walked back down towards the living room. Cheryl and Martin were sitting waiting, not saying anything, and if they had been asked both were feeling extremely uncomfortable. Cheryl saw Jesse enter the room and she stood up.
"Cheryl, what is going on here? Why do you need to see Rae so urgently? I was gonna call you this morning, because Steve said that you needed to see her. Couldn't it wait?"
"No, Jesse, it couldn't. I can't say anything else, but I need to talk to her this morning. If you prefer I can take her back to the station."
"No!" Jesse looked horrified. "Can I stay with her while you talk to her?" Jesse saw Cheryl shake her head. He wasn't surprised, but he'd had to ask. The room descended into an uneasy silence, until just over five minutes later Alex came back into the room.
"Alex, how is she?" Jesse was on his feet as soon as he saw Rae's doctor enter the room.
"Jesse, you know I can't answer that." Alex looked at his friend, and seeing the anxiety and concern in his eyes he took a breath. "She isn't ill, Jesse, not physically ill. I think that she's suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, but it's almost more than that. She seems unwilling or unable to tell us what's the matter." Alex stopped talking for a moment, but he knew he had to tell Cheryl and Martin what he had found. "Cheryl, I can't see any reason why you can't interview her." I wish I could, because I get the feeling that this could be bad, very bad.
Cheryl and Martin stood up and followed Jesse out of the room. Jesse tapped on the bedroom door and then put his head round and looked at his wife. She was sitting at her dressing table, slowly brushing her hair. She saw Jesse's reflection in the mirror and turned, a cold hard stare on her face.
"Yes." She could feel her resolve begin to weaken, but she couldn't let her feelings out. "What do you want, Jesse?"
"Rae, Cheryl and Martin are here, they need to speak to you about what happened to Jo."
Rae stood up and turned towards the door. "Ok. Maybe we should go into the family room. Jesse, I don't need you to be here, you can go." Rae moved out of the room and the two other detectives followed her. Rae let them into the family room first and then she very pointedly closed the door before Jesse could even see them sit down.
"Rae, we need to ask you some questions about the attack on Jo Walters, and the murder of Lee Tennant." They had decided that Cheryl would start the questions that they had to ask their friend, but Martin would cut in if he felt the need.
"What? Why do you need to ask me about Lee Tennant…?" They could see that her mind was working and Cheryl and Martin sat and waited. Rae began to think. Slowly her mind began to focus on the matter in hand, and some of the confusion she had felt when she had woken up began to disappear. Lee Tennant had been murdered. Maybe if Cheryl and Martin had taken over the case they needed her help. "I can go get my notebook. Everything that I thought or did that night is in it, but you should have my official records. Aren't they good enough?"
Cheryl took a breath. "No, Rae, it's not that. We do have your official documents, and as usual they are fine. That's not what we mean. We need to ask you about what happened during the actual attack."
Now Rae was confused again. If they had all her information why did they need to talk to her? Gradually what Cheryl had said began to make an impression on her, "You want to know what happened during the actual attack?" Rae stopped talking again. They wanted to know about the car too. Slowly Rae began to realise just what they were getting at. "Do you think I am responsible for what has happened? My God, Texas is my best friend, and Mr. Tennant, he…he lost his son, and you think I… I killed him?"
"No, Rae, we didn't say that." Cheryl looked round at Martin, desperately hoping that he would take over.
"Then what are you saying?" Rae's mind was racing now, these were her friends sitting in front of her, and they were accusing her of murder. "Jo crashed her car, she wasn't attacked, and Lee Tennant was killed…" Rae stopped talking once again, and her mind went back over what Amanda had told them about the murderer. "He was killed by a left-handed person, one who was short with dark brown hair, and that person stabbed him." Rae ran her fingers through her hair and tried to get her mind under control again. "God, I didn't think my life could get any worse, but it can can't it?" Rae suddenly stood up; her instinct was to run, to flee the room. She turned towards the door, but Martin was standing in front of it.
"I can't let you leave this room, Rae."
"What? Why, why can't I go, I … I want to go." Rae stopped talking. She knew she sounded unreasonable. Taking a deep breath she gradually got herself back under control, and bringing her police training to the fore began to speak again. "Am I under arrest, Detective Robertson?" Rae stood eye to eye with her friend. "Am I under arrest?"
"No, Rae, you aren't under arrest, but I need to know where you were when Mr. Tennant was murdered, and I need to know what you were doing by Miss Walters car yesterday."
Rae ran her hands through her hair again, her mind was reeling and as she tried to think back, this time she couldn't get her thoughts under control. "I don't know… I can't remember."
"Rae, you know that isn't a good enough answer. It's not one you would accept, and I can't either." Cheryl moved over towards her friend and placed her hand on her arm. "Come and sit back down, let's talk this through."
Rae did as she was told and sat for a short while trying to sort out her thoughts. Slowly she managed to find her way back to the phone call she received that took her to Lee Tennant's murder scene. "I was in bed. I got a call, got dressed and headed over to the address I was given. Amanda was already there, and Steve and I … well, you must have read our report."
"I have, but there were no fingerprints found, Tennant was killed by a single stab wound through the heart from the back. The murderer was left-handed, short with brown hair." Cheryl repeated the facts again. She couldn't get away from the fact that Rae was the only one who was known to have a connection with Lee and Jo, fitted the description given of the person seen at Tennant's mobile home, and by her own admission couldn't remember why she had been near her friend's car.
"Cheryl I have killed two people in my life, and I was physically sick both times." Rae looked disturbed as she spoke.
"Rae, I hate to say this but you aren't acting rationally now. If you are having blackouts maybe you are doing things that you don't remember."
"No! No! I don't want to hear any more of this. If you want to question me any more you arrest me, otherwise I want you to leave my house… now!" Rae stood and moved purposely towards the door. She stood and waited and Martin having seen Cheryl nod in his direction moved back out of the way. Rae opened the door, then she went to the front door and opened that too. Martin and Cheryl looked at her but they could see that she wasn't going to budge, so, without another word from any of them they left the house.
It took them twenty minutes to get to the trailer park where Lee Tennant had been murdered. The murder scene was no longer taped off, but no one had moved into the deserted mobile home, and taking the key from her pocket, Cheryl opened it up and they entered.
The scene in front of them was almost identical to the one that Steve and Rae had faced. Lee Tennant had lost the thing in his life that he valued the most the day his son had been murdered, after that possessions hadn't mattered any more, and his home had been almost bare. Cheryl took the inventory from Martin and looked down it. Usually there were pages of items listed; this time there was just a single sheet of paper.
"The rifle was taken away right?" Cheryl moved into the tiny bedroom as she spoke.
"Yeah, it was all legal, he used to hunt apparently. It's back in the evidence lockers. It was all that Steve and Rae removed. There weren't any letters, no bills except for the telephone, and if that had been any smaller they would have owed him money."
"So we have nothing, no murder weapon, no prints, no idea who did it, except that the description could fit Rae, and probably half a million other women in the general area." Cheryl shook her head. When she looked at the Lee Tennant murder on its own Rae faded from the picture, but when she put Jo Walters into the equation she was right up there on her own.
"I really don't think that there is anything here, and I have to say, I don't think Rae did any of this. I can't see her cutting someone's brake line, it's too messy, if she wanted to kill somebody she wouldn't leave that type of evidence to be found. She's a good cop, she could commit the perfect murder, so could you, so could I." Martin had a feeling that saying any more would only get him yelled at, so he stopped talking.
"Yes, thank you, Detective, I don't think I really want to go down that route. Especially as you are the person who shot me and sent me to the bottom of the dock." Cheryl didn't even look up, but her voice was cold enough to freeze the air in the room.
"Yeah, and it was Rae who saved you. That isn't the action of someone who is predisposed to murder people." Martin turned away from Cheryl, he still felt guilty about shooting her when their undercover operation had gone wrong, but in the end he guessed it had been worth it.
They had closed down one of the biggest cocaine importing business working out of the dock area. The warehouse complex that Martin had visited had netted the city one very large tax-dodging criminal and for a while, at least, the streets had been a little safer, there had been less drugs, guns and pornography around. He guessed that things were almost back to normal now, there was always somebody else to step up and take over, but for a while there, they had made a difference.
"Hey, partner what are you thinking?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about Larry Griffin and his boss, now in federal day-care for life and twenty years respectively."
"Yeah, well, you're lucky you didn't join them, you did an awesome job there. But this is our case now, or one of them, let's concentrate on this, ok?"
"Yeah, but I don't think we are gonna find anything here."
"No, me either, let's get back to the precinct and go over Jo Walter's car."
They left the trailer park and timed the journey back. Cheryl began to process the information that they had as Martin drove. Rae could have murdered Tennant and been back in bed in under an hour. If Jesse and Eliana had both been fast asleep she would never have been missed.
Jo's station wagon was in the impound yard and Martin and Cheryl looked at it closely. There was no doubt from the state of the car that if there hadn't been an air bag fitted that the occupant would have died. As they stood there they heard a gasp and turned round.
"My God. The car is a write off!" Steve looked at the wreck in front of him and for a second he had to close his eyes. The thought of Jo being pulled alive from it was almost too much to bear, but the thought of her dying in it was just too awful to contemplate. "You can't honestly believe that Rae did this. It must have been somebody else. Have you checked the records of the gatehouse on their estate? Somebody must have gotten in and done this. You know how wealthy Jo is, maybe that had something to do with it."
"Yeah, I would agree, if she had been kidnapped, or maybe murdered for her life insurance, but her brother is the main beneficiary, and he is almost as wealthy as she is." Cheryl tried to steer Steve away as she spoke to him, but his eyes were fixed on the car. "I already checked that."
"Steve, don't you have to go and get Jo from Community General?" It was Martin who spoke and brought Steve out of his almost trance like state.
"What's the time? Oh, yeah, I'd better be going, she will not be impressed if I am late. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
Steve walked back to his car, there was nothing left to identify the car as Jo's. It had been bashed in from the top where it had rolled, and she'd had to be cut free. He had known that she was lucky to be alive, although he hadn't realised quite how lucky. But he refused to believe that Rae could have anything to do with it.
Jo was sitting in a wheelchair by the side of her bed when Steve got there. She was trying to look angry and bored, but she knew it wasn't working. As Steve came into the room she stood up and felt his strong arms as they drew her near to him. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, and the safety and security that she needed rushed around her and once again she was fine.
Steve put her carefully into his truck, she didn't have any broken bones, but she was bruised and sore. The bruises on her face were purple now and the two cuts that she had suffered had been carefully stitched. Steve went round to his side, got in and put his seat belt on. The last time they had done this he had been taken to the beach house and he had been the patient from hell. He knew that Jo had a chance for some pay back, but he knew equally well that she wouldn't take it.
"Did you sleep ok, Honey? Only I can put your seat back a little and you can sleep on the way home."
"No, Steve, I'm fine, I just want to get home, call David to tell him that I am all right, an' then maybe just snuggle up in bed for the day. But I think I might need a guard." She smiled at him then, and his heart sang.
Steve drove slowly out of the parking lot and into the traffic. He drove along at a sedate pace for a while, the traffic dictating his speed. After about twenty minutes he needed to move over across the lanes of traffic, and seeing a break in the flow he hit the accelerator and moved quickly to the right.
"Steve, No!" Jo's voice was high and frightened, and Steve hit the brake, swerving back into the lane he had just left. He looked over and saw Jo shaking in her seat next to him and realising what the problem was he slowly drove to a place where he knew he could park and then he moved across the seat to her and took her into his arms once again.
"Honey, I would never to anything to endanger you, I was fine, and I had plenty of space, but I am so sorry that I scared you." He lifted a hand and gently wiped away her tears.
"Steve, I am the one who should be sorry, I know you are a good driver, an' what you do has never worried me before. I guess it will just take a while for me to get my confidence back."
"Are you all right if we go home now? Or do you want to sit here a little longer?"
"No, no, I'm fine, just take me home, Steve, please."
Steve started the truck again and rejoined the traffic. This time the journey was uneventful and twenty minutes later they drew up outside Jo's house.
Michael opened the door and although he didn't seem to be moving any faster than usual they could both see that he was hurrying. He opened the passenger side door and gently helped his employer and friend out of Steve's truck.
"Madam, I am so glad that you were able to return home so promptly."
"Thank you, Michael, I don't think you can be quite as glad as I am, but thank you."
Steve let the English butler guide Jo into the house, where he stopped and turned. "I picked up Miss Eliana from her sitter, Sir, she is in the kitchen fast asleep. Steve smiled and then watched as he took Jo up the stairs. He followed two steps behind them and stopped as he saw Michael pause outside their door.
"I'll take it from here, thank you, Michael." Steve put his arm around Jo's shoulders and then he opened the door with his other hand and they disappeared inside.
Michael watched the closed door for a second or two, and then with a smile he turned and returned to his kitchen, and his sleeping charge.
Steve gently led Jo towards the bed and she sank gratefully down onto it. "Whoah, you know I thought I felt fine when I was in the hospital, but now…"
"Now, what, do you want me to call Dad?" Steve was down on his knees in front of her, concern written all over his face.
"No, Honey, I am just really, really tired. Could you get me a pair of pyjamas from the drawer, an' I will just go to sleep." Jo began to unbutton her shirt, and Steve went over and opened the first drawer he came too. "No, third one down."
"Oh, right, thanks." Steve looked at the beautiful silk creations in the drawer and then he looked at his hands. Suddenly they seemed as large and clumsy as they had when he was wearing his plaster casts. He picked up the top two items and pushed the drawer shut, and then he turned and moved back over towards the bed.
"Oh, God, Honey, are you sure you're all right?" Steve looked at her, he knew every inch of her beautiful body, but now it was bruised and he could see where the seat belt had left its mark. He put the silky clothes down on the bed and then gently he kissed her shoulder where the mark was at it's worst. Steve picked up the jacket to Jo's nightwear and carefully slipped it up her arms and onto her body, and then he warily did up each button. Jo stood up and finished the job herself, and then seeing that Steve had pulled back the bedding got gratefully into bed and let herself be covered back up.
"Thank you my darlin' I don't suppose you could just lie with me for a little while?"
"Of course, but you have to tell me if I am hurting you." Half an hour later Steve carefully moved his arm away from Jo's body and eased himself off the bed. He walked quickly but quietly out of the room and back down the stairs.