Thanks for the reviews, here's the next instalment!
After Natasha had gone, Steve slumped at the desk, his head in his hands. Biting her lip Tanis looked at him and wondered where to start. Somehow offering him coffee didn't seem quite right this time. Their relationship had changed. With that one fleeting moment at the hospital they had crossed a line and she wasn't sure they could go back. She longed to reach out and touch him, to stroke the dark blonde hair that fell across his forehead, but there was no way. He wasn't interested.
She could still see the white bandage, the pallor of his complexion. Automatically she thought back to the attack. Despite his injury, he'd come back for her, saved her. But then he'd do that for anyone wouldn't he? She longed to talk, to break the tension between them, but the words just wouldn't come. How could she tell him it was okay, that she'd settle for just being friends? How could she discuss their 'relationship' without embarrassing them both? She sighed, she was as bad at expressing her feelings as he was; that was the problem. So here they were in this stale mate, two grown people who couldn't talk about their feelings.
Suddenly she was angry. She wasn't a kid anymore, ruled by emotions and hormones she couldn't control. How could she ruin a perfectly good working relationship over one almost kiss? She'd created this mess by throwing herself at Steve; it was up to her to clear it up. Okay so they couldn't go back, but they could go forward - couldn't they?
She had to try, anything was better than the awkwardness that had surrounded the Natasha Summers interrogation. Tanis wasn't blind; she'd noticed that Steve hadn't looked at her once. Normally during interrogations they worked as a team, bouncing off each other, exchanging glances, but just then it had been painfully obvious they'd both been working alone. It couldn't go on like this. She'd decided, they had to talk and it had to be now.
Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth 'Steve' she said nervously.
He looked up, face pale, eyes refusing to meet hers 'I gotta go' he said suddenly, getting swiftly to his feet and pushing past her.
'What?' she exclaimed in surprise 'Where are you going?'
'I've just thought of something I wanna follow up' he said.
'Well then we'll go together' she said, reluctant to give up on the chance to talk 'I'll drive you; you're in no condition …'
'No it's fine' he interrupted coldly 'I'll walk, I need some air.'
'But Steve' she protested, reaching out to stop him, her head spinning 'If it's the case then shouldn't I go with you? What about back-up?'
'What's the matter?' he snapped, shrugging off her hand 'Don't you trust me to do my job? You're just like the rest of them aren't you? You think I'm not up to it'.
She drew back stung 'Of course I trust you' she said 'it's just that we've been working together on this case and I thought that well …' she tailed off lamely.
'Well you thought wrong' he said harshly. 'Look' he continued brusquely 'working together hasn't gotten us anywhere so far has it? I think it's time we split, spread our resources'.
She was angry now, so much for behaving like adults. What did he think she couldn't control herself; that she'd be trailing around after him drooling like a love struck teenager?
'Sure' she spat back bitterly 'Let's spread our resources, I mean I wouldn't wanna slow you down, Lieutenant'.
He threw up his hands in exasperation 'That's not what I'm saying and you know it'.
'Oh I know exactly what you're saying' she said 'But you don't have to worry, I'll get out of your hair'. She pushed past him, heading for the door 'See ya around Steve' she said and then she was gone.
'Tanis!' he called after her, but all he heard in reply was the sound of her footsteps as she ran down the corridor.
Slumping back against the wall he buried his face in his hands.
***
At the beach house Mark sat alone on the couch. Leaning back thoughtfully, eyes half closed, he began hatching his plan. So he knew who the killer was, but how to prove it? This killer was smart, very smart and yet there had to be a way. Everyone had their weaknesses, their failings, their Achilles heel. If he could just work out the killer's, then he could use it to his advantage. It would come to him, he knew, he just needed a little time. He had to think himself into the killer's mind and then he'd get his answer. He heard a noise and opened his eyes. It was Amanda. She sat down beside him, rearranging her skirt beneath her. He hadn't told Jesse and Amanda what he'd found, he wanted to be sure first – there were still a few details to check out. He looked at her expectantly. It was obvious from her expression that she'd gotten something.
'So' she said letting out a breath 'I finally got hold of Jack Wilder, who played on the football team with David Summers'. She shook her head wearily 'It took a lot of phone calls let me tell you!'
'But?' Mark prompted
She smiled 'But it seems you were right, Summers did have something to hide'.
'He did?' Mark asked, raising his eyebrows.
'Apparently there was a huge bust up' she said 'round about Spring of '82. Summers even lost his place on the team for a while. He took an enforced study break whilst everything was sorted out. Wilder wasn't sure exactly what it was about, but it was serious – something both Summers and the university wanted to keep quiet.'
'Really?' Mark said, eyes narrowing 'Now that is interesting.'
'He thinks it was some sort of academic issue' Amanda continued 'maybe Summers was put on academic probation or something?'
'I wonder …' Mark said, getting up from the couch and heading for the door.
'Wonder what?' she said in confusion 'Mark, where are you going?'
'To make a phone call' he replied.
'Mark, your coffee' Jesse said as he passed the older doctor.
'Thanks Jess' Mark said absently, taking a cup from Jesse's tray, but not stopping.
Bemused Jesse set the tray down on the table in front of Amanda and looked at her in confusion 'What's going on?' he asked.
She shrugged 'Don't ask me. You know what he's like when he's on to something – act first and explain later'.
Jesse grinned, flopping down in a chair opposite her and reaching for the TV remote 'That's Mark alright. No wonder it drives Steve crazy'.
At the mention of Steve's name Amanda frowned 'I hope he's okay' she said worriedly.
'Mark?' Jesse grinned 'C'mon you know how much he loves it when he's involved in a case'.
Exasperated she threw a cushion at him 'Not Mark' she said 'Steve. I thought he'd be here when we got back'.
Jesse shrugged 'But if he's gone into work then that's a good thing right?' He looked at her with a grin 'Okay so as doctors, we wouldn't recommend working with a concussion, but at least it means Steve is back to his normal self, right?'
She frowned 'I guess, but you can never tell with Steve'.
Jesse threw the cushion back at her and began to flick from channel to channel with the remote 'Stop worrying, he'll be fine. Besides we should be grateful for one thing'.
She looked at him quizzically
'At least he took a cab'.
***
In the back of the cab, Steve stared angrily out of the window at the traffic, as they pulled off PCH. God, how he hated not having his own wheels! He should have taken the truck, at least then he could have taken it for a spin, worked out some of his frustration. Instead he was cooped up in the back of this cab, at the mercy of someone else's driving. There was no air conditioning and although he'd cranked down the window, all he'd succeeded in getting so far was a large dose of smog and traffic fumes. To cap it all, his head was pounding, a tight band of pain crushing his forehead, squeezing ever tighter.
As he sat, a prisoner in the overheated yellow taxi, he could feel the anger inside him, threatening to explode. He was angry at the taxi driver who seemed to be taking the slowest route possible, and at the traffic, which even at this time had built up to the extent that they were now moving at an unbearable crawl, but most of all he was angry at himself. His encounter with Tanis couldn't have gone worse. Their partnership had been blown sky high and it was all his fault.
It had been so much harder to be around her than he'd anticipated. He'd been so desperate to cover up his true feelings, to save their partnership, to show her he could handle just being friends. But that was the problem; he couldn't handle it, at least not right now. That was why he'd suggested some time apart. When she'd refused he'd gotten desperate, acting angry seemed the only escape. And then suddenly he hadn't been acting anymore, the hurt, the frustration had taken over and he really was angry – at her, at the situation, at the rejection. But as usual, his anger had gone too far. It seemed to be the one emotion he could never control, all those other emotions he'd kept bottled up during the interrogation – they'd come out as rage.
He'd seen the wounded look in her eyes, the way she'd run from him. Part of him was glad that he'd been able to upset her; to hurt her as she'd hurt him, but the greater part of him felt nothing but sorrow. He might never have had her love, but at least he'd had her friendship. Now even that was gone. In frustration he thumped his fist against the car door, earning himself a warning glance from the driver up front. Irritably he flashed his badge and the driver let it go, muttering darkly to himself about crazy cops.
Throwing himself back against the seat and drumming his fingers impatiently against the arm rest, suddenly Steve was angry at Tanis again. Why couldn't she have humoured him, gone along with his suggestion? She knew what he felt for her, knew what was going on. She could have let him off the hook, agreed to some time apart, but no. Suddenly it occurred to him that maybe she was enjoying his predicament, may be she liked toying with his feelings. Bitterness rose like bile in his throat. He gagged. The taxi driver looked back once more
'Hey buddy, you okay?'
'Pull over' Steve said tersely
'What?' the driver said in confusion 'I thought we were going to Malibu'
'Just do it' Steve replied 'now!'.
As the driver pulled over into a lay by, Steve thrust a fist full of dollar bills into his hand and stumbled out of the cab into the hazy afternoon sunshine. Behind a billboard poster for 'luscious lipstick' he retched and vomited. When he was done he slid shakily to the floor, breathing hard, his back supported by one of the struts from the board. He was two miles from home, with a crunching headache. He'd lost his partner and the case had gone stone cold. What the hell was he gonna do now?
***
When Mark returned, Jesse was heavily engrossed in 'The Weird and the Wonderful' on Cable, whilst Amanda was on her cell, apparently arranging a baby sitter for CJ. Mark smiled and waited for them to notice his presence. Amanda spotted him first. Quickly terminating her call she jumped up.
'Well?' she demanded. Jesse, alerted by her voice, snapped off the TV. Now he had their full attention, Mark beamed.
'I know who the killer is and I know how to prove it' he said.