A/N: Well life has settled down a bit and I've had the chance to get back to this story. Thank you to all that have stuck by this story and me; it has been a long haul. I envision one, maybe two more, chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this little excursion into my imagination. These characters are so fun and I really miss them. Thank you for all the encouragement!
XOXOX
GeoGirl
Standing Eight Count
After hours and hours of scouring the hospitals for women who had recently given birth, Sara and Danny determined that finding the mother of the newborn was near impossible. The mother had effectively disappeared; and this case might never be closed.
"This really sucks Danny. How can we give up and let this baby be buried without a name and without family?"
"Pez, I know this is terrible and heartbreaking, but we've done everything that we can at this point. We have no other leads to follow. I'm sorry."
"I feel sorry for that baby and the mother who thought that getting rid of her was the only option."
Danny signaled the waitress for another round of coffee.
***
The paperwork trail was driving Sara crazy. She had sifted through stacks and stacks of papers and she had yet to make any sense of them. The ownership of The Warren Hotel was a maze of corporations and trusts and partnerships.
The paperwork seemed to increase the more time she spent looking into the records.
The ownership of the Warren Holding Building was a similar maze of paperwork. But when Sara finally reached the center of the maze, Danny recognized one of the names, Donny DeBartolo, one of the major crime bosses in the city and a personal bane of Danny's existence.
"So, you have some history with the DeBartolo, huh? What gives Danny?"
"When I worked narcotics, we arrested him twice for trafficking but could never make it stick. His legions of pushers are just as slippery. And the son of a bitch flaunted the release of his employees and himself in our faces. Kept sending us Get Out of Jail Free cards, you know the ones in the game Monopoly."
"You mean this guy is a known dealer and distributor and has never done time?"
"Money buys the best lawyers. And it also buys alibis. We never made it into the courtroom, which really pissed me off. This one dealer of his, Tommy Gallo, is the largest, smug SOB and he really rankles me. We had him in custody twice and still he got off. What can I say, we tried and one day, Donny DeBartolo will pay his dues."
"Well let's see if we can tie him to murder?"
"Absolutely, partner."
***
"A good old fashion stake out required much coffee and donuts. The donuts and sandwiches are your responsibility. I'll supply the coffee. Because if there is one thing I've learned in this year that we've been partners is that you love coffee, Pez, but you cannot make it for shit." Danny dodged the notebook that she hurled at him with amazing accuracy.
They were parked outside of the Warren Holding Building for the third day of watching the tenants of the upstairs offices come and go. No one aroused their suspicion, just the same occupants three days in the row. After consultation with Captain Siri, Baker and Tirelli would take over the day watch of the building and Danny and Sara would set up the stakeout during the night.
The first night of the stakeout, Danny and Sara where overwhelmed with the lines to get into the Hold Nightclub. The crowds made identifying any of DeBartolo's men nearly impossible. So, tomorrow night, Sara and Danny were going clubbing.
***
"Damn, who knew there was a girl lurking in your closet!"
"Bite me!" she spat at him.
"Where?" Danny chuckled.
"Did Lee pick out your clothes there, Danny? Because, man, you finally look decent?"
He rewarded her with a glare and a finger.
The club was hopping when they arrived and a quick flash of the badge got them to the head of the line and inside. Because the club was crowded and the music was too loud to talk, Sara and Danny had decided beforehand to make the rounds together, acting as a couple. Slowly and deliberately the toured the first floor, first around the perimeter and then snaking through the dance floor, pausing occasionally to dance as to blend in as much as possible. Danny and Sara really got swept up in one particularly mesmerizing techno song. When the music changed, they resumed their quest. Up to the second floor, where the music had a decided Latin feel.
Couches lined the walls occupied by couples in various states of undress and engaged in public displays of lust ranging from making out to public sex. Sara felt her cheeks burning and Danny only aggravated the feeling by nodding his head and pulling her towards a recently vacated spot on one of the couches. He was rewarded with crescent shaped nail marks on his hand.
As they made their way to the stairs up to the third floor, Danny noted a curtained alcove guarded by a bouncer. Sara made her way over and got the nod from the bouncer as he held back the curtain. Danny slipped in after her. The room was quieter than the rest of the club and filled with couches and pillows and couples doing things that were normally saved for porn films. In the far corner was a man sitting on the couch as a blonde and a brunette vied for his attention. Danny and the man made eye contact and the man raised his hand to summon a bodyguard.
"Hello Tommy. It's been a long time."
"Well isn't it Detective Woo? And who is this delectable morsel you have with you? I do believe that this is not your beautiful fiancé."
"Tommy Gallo, this is my new partner Detective Pezzini. Sara, this is the slimy dealer who works for Donny DeBartolo.