Jesse was sitting happily bouncing Eliana up and down on his knee and chatting with Jo when they heard the phone ring. A moment or two later Michael came into the room with it in his hand. "Excuse me, Doctor Travis, it is your wife on the phone."
Jesse handed his daughter to the butler, and laughed as he saw the normally solemn face break into a grin. He took the phone and began to speak. "Rae, Honey, are you alright?" He had a feeling that something must be wrong for her to call him.
"Jesse, I need you to find me a lawyer and get him to the station, right now. Please." The phone went dead then, and Jesse looked round in confusion.
"Jesse, what's the matter, there's somethin' wrong with Rae isn't there?" Jo moved over to her friend's side.
"She needs a lawyer, right away at the police station. She didn't say anything else." Jesse looked around in confusion; he had no idea what had just happened.
"Jesse, that's not a problem, I'll just get in touch with mine an' he can meet you there. I guess you are gonna be headin' over to see Rae." Jo was moving over to the desk in the corner of the room as she spoke.
"Yeah, I guess I will be… Sorry, Jo, I can't quite take this all in at the moment."
Jo picked up her phone book and then moved back to where the phone was lying on the table, she picked it up and dialled a number. "Good mornin' this is Josephine Walters, I would like to speak Mr. Sholte please… Yes I'll hold." Jo turned with a smile. "It helps to be an extremely wealthy an' influential customer, I never have to wait more than a minute or two…Mr. Sholte, good mornin', no, no I'm just fine, I need you to go to the North Hollywood Precinct an' represent a lady there, I don't know anythin' about it, except that she is innocent. Her name is Detective Reagan Yeager…Yes, that's what I said, Detective Reagan Yeager…No Sholte, just do everythin' you need to, an' send any paperwork to me… Goodbye." Jo put the phone back on the table and turned to Jesse.
"Ok, that is all set up, no worries there. Eliana is settled here, so no worries there either. You just go an' see Rae, an' find out what is going on… an' Jesse, Sholte is a bit of an old woman, but he is the best there is."
Jesse kissed Jo on the cheek, "Thank you, Jo, I don't know what else to say, I'll be back later, I have no idea what's going on, but I'll make sure that I find out real soon." He moved over to where Michael was standing with his daughter in his arms, Jesse ran his finger down her cheek and smiled, her skin felt so soft that it was almost not there. "Michael, thank you, I know you have been looking after Eliana a lot, I really appreciate it."
"Sir, it is my pleasure, it's a long time since I had a baby to look after." Michael smiled as he watched the young man before him turn to walk out of the house. He had suffered so much in the time that he had known him, surely sometime soon life would get easier for all of them.
Jesse drove straight to the precinct and parked next to Steve's car. He went inside and as he waited to let the desk sergeant know why he was there he saw a middle aged man enter the building. He had a black suit on with a striped vest underneath. There was a gold fob watch on a chain hanging across the front of it, and a pair of gold rimmed glasses also on a chain hanging round his neck. Jesse thought that if the man wasn't a lawyer he should be one, and moved over towards him, forcing a smile to his face. "Hi, are you Mr. Sholte?"
"Yes, and you are?"
"My name is Doctor Jesse Travis, and I'm married to Detective Reagan Yeager."
"Good afternoon, Sir, I'm pleased to meet you." The two men turned to the desk and receiving their visitor badges waited for either Cheryl or Martin to come and see them.
"Do you have any more information than when Jo spoke to you?" Jesse looked at this man who he hoped would be able to sort out whatever trouble Rae was now in.
"A little. I contacted the police before I left my office, and apparently your wife has been brought in for questioning about a murder that took place at Community General Hospital this morning. You didn't know that?" Mr. Sholte looked at the young man in front of him, and wondered why he needed to get his information from a lawyer when he was married to the suspect.
"I wasn't at home today, in fact I was with Miss Walters when she phoned you. My wife has been having … a few problems lately, and our daughter is living with Jo and her fiancé right now. I was visiting with her…" Jesse let the words trail away, it sounded so awful when he actually said what was happening, and he still couldn't believe that was the way it really was.
"Jesse, what are you doing here?" Jesse turned as he heard Cheryl's voice behind him.
"You have my wife here, Cheryl, remember? Where do you think I'm gonna be?" Jesse felt himself become instantly defensive.
"Ok, yeah, I guess so, I'm sorry." Cheryl turned, "Mr. Sholte, your reputation precedes you, Sir." Cheryl looked at the man in front of her. He was an extremely expensive lawyer, but he was also an extremely good one. Part of her cheered the fact that he was going to represent Rae, if anybody could get her off it would be him, if she was innocent he would prove it, but another part of her wished it was anybody but Sholte, if Rae was guilty then she would make sure she was punished, although she had a feeling that it would be a case of psychiatric help rather than the worse case scenario, which would be the death penalty, and Sholte was very good at getting his clients the least possible sentence.
"You are very kind, my dear. Now, I believe you have my client with you, I would like to meet with her if I may."
"Certainly, if you will both come this way." Cheryl moved off towards the holding cells and Jesse and Mr. Sholte followed behind her. Jesse hadn't been in this part of the police station for a while, but he had been in the same position that Rae was, when he had been arrested and charged with murder a few years ago himself. Mark's friend had represented him and he hoped that this Sholte guy was as good as Matlock, had eventually been.
Rae was sitting in one of the interview rooms, her head in her hands. She couldn't believe how her life was falling all around her, and once again she seemed to have no control over it. Another person who had known her was now dead, Helen had been an acquaintance, not a close friend, but she had liked her, and, she now realised, looked forward to chatting with her whenever she went to see Brian.
Rae heard the door open and saw a complete stranger walk into the room, followed by Jesse. Although she desperately wanted to send him away so that he didn't get involved, her need for him was much, much stronger, and as soon as she saw him she rushed over to him.
"Jesse, oh, God, Honey, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to get you involved in all this." Rae felt his arms go round her, and hold her tight. Jesse heard her take a deep breath, but her voice came out very faintly. "Help me, Jess, I am so scared. I swear I didn't do any of this, please, help me."
Jesse moved his arms from round her and placed them on her shoulders, and then he took a step back from her. "I know you didn't do anything, nothing will ever make me believe that you are involved in this."
"Ah, would somebody like to introduce me, so that we can get down to business." Sholte's voice penetrated Jesse and Rae's moment and they turned.
"Honey, this is Mr Sholte, he's Jo's lawyer." Jesse moved away and let Rae see the other man in the room.
"Detective Yeager, I'm very pleased to meet you, I have heard of you, and read about your cases, I hope I will be able to be of assistance. Maybe we had better all sit down, and discuss what has happened so far."
Rae and Jesse gradually went through everything that had occurred since Lee Tennant had been found murdered, and Mr Sholte made copious notes. After half an hour there was a knock on the door and they all turned to see Cheryl and Martin waiting there.
"Jesse, you will have to leave now. I'm sorry." Cheryl came into the room, and Martin stood by the door.
"Yeah, I know, is Steve upstairs?" He saw Cheryl nod, and he left the room, his heart still as heavy as stone.
Steve, was sat at his desk reading through the notes Cheryl and Martin had taken about Helen's murder, he couldn't believe what he was reading, if it were him in charge of this case he would have arrested Rae by now, and he knew that Cheryl was treading very carefully, because of who their major suspect was.
He remembered that his dad had arranged to meet with Rae for lunch the next day, and so he had called him and they had changed it to the day after. Steve had a feeling that whatever happened; Rae wouldn't be talking to anybody for a while.
"Steve?" Jesse had walked right up to his friend's desk before Steve had even been aware of him and Jesse was concerned. "Are you all right?"
"What, oh, Jess, no, not really, are you?"
"No, but Jo has got a lawyer for Rae, so I feel happier about that."
"Jo got a lawyer for Rae?"
"Yeah, Sholte, his name is." Jesse looked at the papers on Steve's desk, and so was unaware of Steve's frown. "Do these have to do with Rae?"
"Yeah, I guess you wanna look too, huh?" Steve smiled at him for a brief second; he would need to speak to Jo about the lawyer problem.
"Oh, I do, I really do."
"Well, just be discreet, ok? I shouldn't be letting you see any of this." Steve managed to stop himself from looking warily around as he spoke.
The two friends sat in almost total silence for just over an hour, they occasionally asked each other a question, but for the most part they just sat and read. At last Jesse looked up at Steve and began to speak.
"She's in big trouble isn't she?"
"Oh, yeah, I have to say, Jesse, I would have arrested and charged her by now if it was anybody but Rae. She had means and opportunity, I can't see a motive yet, but you know that Cheryl and Martin will find one if it's there."
"Steve! You sound as if you think she's guilty." Jesse looked at his friend in horror.
"No, I don't, but…"
"But what? Come on Steve, this is Rae we're talking about. She is an honest person. She doesn't tell lies, it's as simple as that. She's killed two men in her life, and you saw how she was after each one, she was a wreck, but not the kind of wreck she is now."
"Jesse, look." Steve pointed towards the door and he could see Cheryl and Martin come back in through the door.
"Cheryl, what's happened?"
"Rae is downstairs with her lawyer, she's waiting for you. We haven't charged her, Jesse, but only because we can't think of any reason why she would have killed either person, or attacked her friend."
"She didn't do it, Cheryl, and I will prove it." Jesse went out of the room and down the stairs, and he could see Rae and Mr. Sholte waiting for him in the entrance hall. He moved quickly to Rae's side, and was extremely relieved when she took his hand in hers.
"Jesse, let's go home."
Rae's voice was shaky, and Jesse could see that she was having trouble holding herself together. They walked out into the parking lot, and Rae's lawyer stopped and placed a hand on her arm.
"I will be in touch with you, Detective Yeager, but I would try to avoid being alone for the foreseeable future. That way you will have a witness should any further … incidents happen."
Rae and Jesse stood and watched as the lawyer moved across the parking lot and then just gaped as he climbed into a dark blue Rolls Royce. "Jesse, how are we ever going to pay that guy?"
"We'll worry about that later, now we need to get our daughter and go home."
"Jesse…" Rae's voice trailed off, suddenly she just wanted to go home, whoever was with her. She climbed into the passenger side of Jesse's car and looked over at her husband. She was still so scared for his safety, but she had a feeling that if things carried on the way they were she may not have a chance to be a part of a family for a long time.
Rae sat and let herself be driven to Texas's house and then she got quietly out of the car. She was surprised at how hard her heart was beating, and how excited she was to see her little girl. Michael opened the door, and she saw her best friend standing in the hallway, her daughter in her arms. Eliana saw Rae just as she saw her and the happy babbling began again. "Daddadaaaamamaaa."
Rae felt the tears rush to her eyes as she took Eliana into her arms and then she felt Texas put her arms round the two of them. "Rae, Honey, I am so sorry, I can't believe everything that is happenin' to you."
Rae, the tears pouring down her face began to realise that she needed her friends, and they wanted to help her. Eliana began to squirm between Rae and Texas and Jesse moved across and gently took her into his arms.
Rae let herself be guided into the living room and she sat down on Jo's sofa. For, a few minutes she just sat there, her eyes closed. For a while it seemed that her nightmare was over, or at least hidden away.
"Rae, can you talk about what has been happenin'?"
"Texas, if I understood it, I would tell you all about it, but I don't. My life is running out of control and I don't seem to have any say in what is going on. You know, when Leticia Howard attacked me, and when, when Levington took me, I knew what was happening, I wasn't in control, but I, I knew what was happening. Now I don't."
"I don't think any of us do, Rae. But if you didn't kill these people… Hold on Rae," Jesse could see her begin to get defensive. "I know you didn't, I'm sorry I'll word it better. Somebody killed these people, and we have to find out who, and why. I guess we already know how."
"Jesse, anythin' I can do, an' I do mean anythin' you just give me a call. Rae, Honey, that goes for you too. If Jesse has to go out an' leave you alone, you call me, an' I will be there, you have friends, who want to help you, but you have to ask, ok?"
"Thank you. Jesse, I just want to go home." Rae was suddenly so tired that she didn't think she could keep her eyes open a moment longer.
"Ok, I'll just go and get Eliana's bag from the nursery, and then we'll go."
It didn't take them long to get back to the gates to their home, and Rae remembered again about her smart card. "Jess, did anybody find my purse at Bob's? I left it there when I had lunch, or almost had lunch with Steve."
"No, I don't think so." Jesse watched the security guard wave them through, and he pulled up outside their house. "I'll call in a minute and ask the guy on duty. I called in there yesterday, just for five minutes and nobody said anything to me."
They walked into the house, and went into the living room. Jesse put Eliana on the carpet, and then he gently put his arms around Rae and pulled her close to him. "I love you, Rae, whatever it takes, we will get this sorted out, I promise you that."
"I know, and it makes me feel better, but I am still so scared for you, Jesse, what if whoever is doing this comes after you, or Eliana?"
"Honey, we will be ready. It isn't you, but it must be someone, we will find that someone."
Rae put her hand over her mouth as she began to yawn, "I'm sorry, but I am so tired, I am glad you are here, but I just need to go to bed." Rae moved over into the hallway and then down towards her room, she opened the door and went in.
Jesse watched her go, and then he turned back to his daughter who was lying on her front on the carpet watching him. He knew that he wouldn't be allowed into their bedroom, so he got down onto his own stomach and looked at Eliana. She giggled, and to Jesse's amazement she shuffled forwards, just an inch, but she moved on her own. "Rae, Rae, come here, quick!"
Rae heard Jesse's urgent cry, and rushed out of her room, "What, what's the matter?"
She hadn't done anything except stand in the room, and had heard nothing; she couldn't believe anything else could happen today.
"She moved, all by herself, she moved. Look!" Jesse, unaware of what his words had done, was just so excited.
"What?"
"She moved, forwards, look." Jesse moved a little way back, and watched as once again Eliana pushed herself forwards, just an inch with her arms. Jesse looked round and saw a smile break out across his wife's face. She crouched down and picked her little girl up in her arms and kissed her.
"Who's a clever girl then? Jesse, she probably won't do anything else for a while, she is almost eight months old, but she was early remember."
"Yeah, well, I saw it, I know she can do it, and I wanted you to share… It was great wasn't it?"
"Jess, it was, but it was just one small shuffle for a little girl, not a moonwalk!"
"I know, but it's our little girl, and it means more to me than any moonwalk."
Rae looked at his happy, friendly, handsome face and her heart was full, just for a moment, of joy. She put an arm out and he moved next to her, and for the first time in a long time, Rae was content to just be a part of her family.