A/N Wow, the feedback has been overwhelming. Thank you all for taking the
time to read this. I know as much as you all want this to be a shipper
story, I maintain that I am trying my hardest to keep the structure of the
show in mind. Also, I know nothing of New York, so if a location is off or
wrong, pretend that it is right.
I am nervous about posting this, so feel free to speak your peace. Anyway,
enjoy.
~~~~
Jack watched Clayton Hodges explain what he was doing in the hallway with Melanie Myers. He only halfway paid attention to his words; he was focused intently on his eyes and his hands. Interrogating people was what he was best at. The secret to finding the truth was in the eyes; but when those lie, which they sometimes do, he watched the hands. No matter how excellent of a liar someone may be, a part of their body must be otherwise employed should they be in the act of fabricating a lie. If this lie has been practiced, the body part in question would tend to move with each practiced step or fidget until a new point was made.
At this point Hodges checked out all right. He'd been at his apartment following his evening with Dr. Raymond and had a solid testimony from the desk clerk at his building. Something Dr. Mackenzie said struck a chord with Jack though. Hodges used to do investigative work, an area in which those who major in Psychology do not tend to associate. The background check never specified what type of investigating Hodges did, but Jack knew that Hodges would have learned a thing or two when it came to questioning others.
Jack could tell Hodges was hiding something, but after spending nearly twenty-five minutes with him, he knew he was going to have to start asking questions that would require a lawyer to be present. Jack took his glasses off and placed them on his desk, he needed to end this conversation as soon as possible. Only a few questions left.
"How long have you known Dr. Raymond?" Jack asked.
"Since my undergrad years. I met him when I was about twenty I believe," said Hodges, looking Jack directly in the eyes.
"And you came back to school because?"
"People keep asking me that," said Hodges in a tone that created the appearance of indifference. "Well, I came back to the city a couple of years ago, wasn't happy at all. Gave Dr. Raymond a call and he said he'd love to have me back, so I figured why not. I'm thinking teaching may be my next venture."
"Can't settle down?"
"I guess that's what you'd call it. I'm not a big fan of commitment. You get burned too many times and there's only so much more you can take you know?"
"Sure do," said Jack, putting his glasses back on.
"What was your relationship with Melanie like?"
"Pretty casual I guess. We'd get coffee sometimes and chat, but I more or less helped her out when some of the cases got bad."
"What was she like to work with?"
"She was very eager I guess you'd say. She was like a sponge. Soaked up everything in her path, which was good for studying, because her schedule left little time for that."
"Yeah her schedule looked pretty heavy. Why'd she all of a sudden just stop?"
"I think it was a combination of things. She had a lot of pressure on her for the project and I think something may have happened with one of her teachers that caused her some unwanted stress. If anything she needed a break from it all. It's not like she couldn't afford to take off a quarter, like you said - her schedule was heavy."
"Could you tell she was distraught the last time you saw her?"
"Yes. She was having problems focusing, I'd have to repeat questions or give her the same answer twice."
"Did she normally come over to the psych wing during this time?"
"Oh no. I hadn't seen her in a few weeks, that's why I was talking to her. It takes a lot to get me out of the books these days," he smiled.
"I understand completely," Jack nodded. "Approximately what time did you see her?"
"I'd say about 6 or 6 fifteen."
"And how long did you speak with her?"
"No more than ten minutes," said Hodges. Jack glanced at his eyes then followed his hands as he spoke. "She was talking about her summer plans and what classes she was going to take next. She offered to help me get one of these obscure books I haven't been able to find."
Jack kept his head down as he bit his lip. He wanted to keep Hodges here, but there wasn't anything solid enough to make him stay.
"Do you know if Melanie was having any problems with her boyfriend Troy?" he asked, thinking of a different route.
"Yeah, they were going through a rough patch recently, I think they'd had an argument before she stopped by. They probably broke up. From what I could tell she was going to talk to Dr. Thompson about something or other."
"Yes, we spoke with him. He didn't see her at all that day," Jack said, growing tired of going around in circles.
"Oh," said Hodges with a tone of surprise that would almost sound normal. "Well, I don't know where she was going then. The only other offices over there are Dr. Raymond and Dr. Whickba."
Martin walked quickly down the hallway, holding a set of photos in his hand. He reached Jack's office and quickly opened the door.
"I'm sorry, but can I speak with you a moment Jack?"
"Excuse me," said Jack as he rose and walked out side. "What's going on?"
"There just so happens to be a camera in the very hallway that Melanie and Hodges were speaking in. At 6:34 they start talking. At 6:38, Dr. Raymond, at the other end of the hallway enters the building and goes to what appears to be his office. Melanie starts walking around, pacing a little. They continue to speak for a little while longer then you see Dr. Mackenzie leave at 6:47. Dr. Thompson leaves at 6:50; then, we have Melanie exit the building at 6:53. Their cars aren't parked far away, so logically if they'd left right after, Melanie wouldn't have been able to speak with either of them,"
"Okay so we know she doesn't have anything to do with those two - at least not right after."
"Wait, here's the kicker. Instead of going back inside the room where he was working, Hodges goes down to Raymond's office. Two minutes later he leaves the building."
"Well, it seems like someone went for a refreshing little drive. Go show that to Danny. I think he was processing some of her dorm information. I want to know if there are any photos that match up to that time frame."
"Gotchya," Martin strode away confidently.
Jack took a seat at his desk once again. "Okay, so Melanie left you around what time?"
"I'd say around 6:30ish, give or take."
"And what'd you do right after that?"
"I was going to take a break later that evening with Dr. Raymond, so I went back to finish up some of my notes."
"About what time did you take off?"
"I'd say 7:30."
"That's funny, because we have you leaving at 7:00, right after Melanie. Care to explain?" Jack said, hoping to trip him up.
"Oh, I was at one of the coffee shops around the corner. I left my keys there and I ran back to get them," Jack nodded, smooth cover.
"About what time did you return?"
"Mmmm, ten minutes." Jack frowned. He wasn't getting anywhere. This guy was too good at dodging questions for any accidental information to be released. He noticed that Hodges had developed some of Dr. Raymond's mannerisms. His way of speaking and all movement was very exact, not hasty by any means. Jack needed more evidence before trying to bake Hodges. He'd get it, he just didn't know how long.
"Well, I think we're about done here for now. If I need anything else you'll be sure to hear from us," he said while standing. He led Hodges to his door and shook the man's hand.
"I hope you find her Agent Malone," said Hodges shaking his hand firmly. "She's a wonderful woman. I just hope nothing's happened to her."
"Me too," said Jack. Hodges walked away in a smooth, self-assured walk.
Jack picked up the phone to call his wife. He wouldn't be coming home until late that night.
Martin hung up the phone quickly and ran to Jack's office. "Jack, we just got a call from Anna Stanton, Melanie's best friend. Melanie just tried calling Anna on her cell phone."
Jack smiled. "I want you and Viv to bring Anna in. We need that phone as well as Troy. She'll probably be calling him soon as well."
"Will do," Martin walked past Samantha as she headed towards Jack's office. She walked right past his office and down to the end of the hallway. She was mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have with Jack. She walked back and forth, ignoring looks that she got from those who passed by. She also needed to get away from Danny. She felt him watching her for the last five minutes, trying to make sure she was all right. Of course she was fine. She always was.
Five minutes later, Sam walked directly into Jack's office and planted her feat firmly beside his desk. Jack's head was buried in his notes, memorizing everything that Hodges said. He always liked to look over his notes right after an interview. It made the superfluous information disappear and helped all that was imperative become engraved in his mind.
Sam couldn't wait any longer for him to look up. If she didn't do it now, she wouldn't have enough guts to do it later.
Without sugar coating or dancing around the point, she went straight for the kill. "Jack, I would like to request that I be transferred from this case," she said firmly, happy that she'd gotten it out.
Jack's head shot up as though he'd heard a gun shot. What?
"I'm sorry, I thought you just said you wanted to be transferred to a different case."
"I did," she went no further. Jack sighed and took his glasses off once again. He was too tired to be getting smacked upside the head with situations like this. There were normally about three reasons for requesting a transfer, two of which had to do with conflict over the situation at hand, another was purely personal.
"May I ask why?" he looked at her, studying her response. Her hands were clasped together, like they were super glued.
"If at all possible I would like that to remain confidential," she said, returning the stern look.
"Once you file the request, I'm going to know anyway."
"Well until that time comes I would like to maintain the right to remove myself from the case," she stepped no further, nor made any other comment. Jack kept eye contact, trying to see if he could read her, like he'd done so easily in the past. This time however, it was impossible. He could tell she was determined and unwilling to go any further.
"Well, you can-" he was cut short by the phone ringing.
"Yeah?" it was Vivian.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah bring them with you. We'll meet you there."
"What street? Okay."
He hung up the phone and stood up quickly. He didn't know what to do about Sam. She looked at him inquisitively, waiting for him to say something.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
"Well, she's apparently at the top of a twenty-seven story building at 78th and 2nd avenue. The road is blocked off now and NYPD has properly identified her. I don't want to make this decision Sam. If you think you should go, then I want you there. It's your call."
Sam stood there for about twenty seconds going over in her brain what exactly could be happening. If she went, she could possibly be risking her career. She knew something was going to come out by the end of this. On the other hand, there was a girl at the top of a building who thought there was no way out. Life over career?
"I'm going," she said, looking back up at Jack.
"You sure?" he said, giving her a chance to back out.
"No, but what do you want me to do?"
Jack smiled as he held the door open for her. "Get Danny and meet me downstairs. The kid is suicidal."
~~~~
The car pulled up right beside the barriers that had quickly been placed at the edge of the street. Cops were everywhere, directing traffic, moving walkers on their way. Jack looked over at Sam in the front seat, figuring what he should do.
"Here's the deal. Danny I want you to find Viv and Martin and get back to me as soon as possible. I'll be over there," said Jack as he motioned towards a detective talking with some other policemen beside a fire truck. "Don't forget your plugs."
"Okay," Danny got out of the car and flipped open his phone, giving Vivian a call.
Jack looked over at Sam while he inserted his earplug. She was staring at her hands that were placed in her lap, looking out the window occasionally. He switched on the small device that would connect him with the rest of his agents and turned towards Sam.
"You're the one who knows what's going on here," he said. "Would it be a mistake if I let you go?"
"Did Troy say anything about her being distant?" Sam asked out of the blue. Not following her in anyway, he tried to remember any such detail.
"Yeah, well, you know about the isolation, but he said she hadn't been very open with him lately," he paused, waiting for her to say something more. "So?"
"I don't know Jack," she said quietly. She knew why Melanie was up there, but she knew so much more than that.
"I don't have time for this," he said opening the door. "Stay in here until I get back." He closed the door and walked towards the detective.
~~~~~
Danny walked through the lobby of the building with Detective Flynn. She was a short sturdy woman in her mid-thirties, already stocked with three kids and a mini-van. Danny had worked with her previously and was happy to have come across her in such a chaotic situation.
"How'd she get up there without being noticed?" asked Danny as they walked towards the elevator. Vivian and Martin were already up there, talking with specialized officers.
"From what we could tell, she took the service elevator," she had a strong Boston accent, and never tried to hide it a bit. "It's in a pretty empty hallway. Plus this is some insurance building. Who needs to use a service elevator except for news boys?"
"Right. Did you find anyone else who may be linked to this?"
"You mean anyone suspicious?" she asked as they boarded the crowded elevator.
"Well, yeah."
"Not yet. We got some boys canvassing the two nearest sub stops, but after that, who knows."
"How long has she been up there?"
"No more than an hour. See across the street is a hospital, with helicopters touching down almost twice an hour. They were the ones who reported her."
"I see. Was the door unlocked or what? I don't understand how she just got up there."
"Actually she is on a smoking balcony. She's not at the very top, about two from the top."
"Who do you have out there right now?" Danny asked as they finally reached the correct floor.
"We got an officer trying to calm her down. She's in hysterics. I think one of yours is out there as well."
"Great," said Danny as they approached the balcony. He saw Vivian standing right outside with Martin standing near the railing.
Vivian looked up at Danny shaking her head. "The girl has her legs dangling off the edge. We can't get anywhere near her. Have they set up anything down there?"
"I think they are trying to organize something, but nothing is working. Too many cops and not enough agents."
"Isn't that what always happens?" she said. Martin walked over to them with a grim look on his face.
"Where are Anna and Troy?" asked Danny.
"We left them down in the car with one of the cops," said Martin. "They were both crying like there was no tomorrow."
"I would be too," he said. "Why the hell is there a smoking balcony on the 25th floor?"
"Because they didn't want one on the 24th?" said Martin shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey Jack do you read me?" said Danny as he applied pressure to his ear.
"Clear Danny, what's going on up there?"
Danny relayed the situation to Jack as Vivian and Martin got set-up. They were thinking that Vivian was going to be the one they sent to the girl, but Vivian wasn't as willing seeing as she was afraid of heights and got vertigo easily.
Danny took a look over the side and stepped back quickly. The girl who had a startling resemblance to Samantha Spade had climbed over the edge and walked along a six-inch wide ledge to where she now was, and indent in the building that was only twice as deep. She seemed completely oblivious to the world, as though she was sitting in the dock, soaking her feet in the water. She kicked off her shoe and laughed as it fell quickly to a car parked below.
Fwump! Sam jumped as a loud thud emanated from the vehicle. She got out slowly to make sure nothing else was falling from the sky. Putting her earplug in, she heard Danny speaking with Jack as to what he'd learned. Sam walked over to where the shoe landed after it had bounced to the ground. She picked it up slowly and looked around, noticing everyone else was otherwise employed.
She tapped the heavy shoe against her leg as she walked inside the building. Glancing back one more time through the windows at Jack, she closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She felt the urge to get off at every single floor on her way up, but resisted the entire way until she'd reached her destination. She got off with two officers and an agent she wasn't familiar with and walked slowly through the groups of people, all confused and distraught.
Danny turned at the feel of a pair of eyes on his back. Samantha was standing by the doorway, allowing enough space for people to move in and out. Vivian saw Samantha and walked over to her, asking if she'd be willing to walk out there. With a little experience in this kind of situation, she'd be harnessed in and not being afraid of heights, Sam was the best candidate for the job.
No one knew that an hour ago, Sam was willing to work on another case. That she shouldn't be there, or that the mere presence of her could endanger the whole investigation. But they wouldn't know that because they never asked.
She walked over to the edge and glanced at the young woman and froze as her breath caught in her throat. That young girl was her ten years ago. Without a doubt, the resemblance was too close to leave her to think otherwise. One look at her confirmed what Sam thought all along. She knew that no one else could even imagine how to handle this, at least not from what they knew.
She turned around and walked towards her colleagues with a determined look on her face. She spoke with them briefly as they instructed her on safety and reminded her of what to do in a situation such as this. Another agent walked over and got Sam in a harness, securing it tightly to the strong metal railing.
"Hey Viv, could you hold on to this?" Sam held the shoe out to Vivian who had her back turned from the ledge.
"Sure," she said looking at the shoe curiously. Sam took off her own shoes and stood flatfooted on the ground, glancing at the sunset. The sun was almost setting on that Friday evening, and the city that never slept would remain active, long into the early hours of the morning.
Danny looked at her closely; making sure Sam was okay to go. He didn't feel good about this, but seeing as there was no one else qualified among them to attempt the job, he laid his worries to rest.
"Be careful, out there," he said quietly. She smiled at him positively. Sam felt this alarming sense of calm, as if she'd found her purpose in life. "Don't worry Danny. I'll be fine," she squeezed his hand reassuringly and looked at Martin briefly.
"She hasn't spoken to anyone since we got here, but they said she didn't move when one of their other guys was on the ledge," said Martin, unsure of what to say.
"Thanks," she said and gave him the usual pat on the arm.
Vivian looked at her and smiled. "Just come back in one peace. With the girl - if you can."
"I'll do my best Viv."
Sam walked over to the ledge and looked at Melanie, who just sat there, with tears streaming down her face. Her clothes were dirty and her hands were raw from rubbing.
"Melanie?" said Sam quietly. "Hi Melanie. I'm Special Agent Spade. Can you hear me?"
Melanie didn't answer. She started mumbling to her self but didn't make any movement. Sam threw her legs over the side and swallowed. She'd definitely had brighter days. This was not one of them. She continued speaking with Melanie as she inched her way over to the indented ledge - almost twelve feet away.
Martin watched as Sam kept her back close to the wall, realizing just then that he was holding his breath. His eyes remained focused on her as she slowly made her way over, talking the whole time.
"Hey Danny, Martin. Do you copy?"
"Yeah Jack what is it?" said Martin.
"What's going on up there? Who's walking out on the ledge?"
"It's Sam. Didn't you send her up here?"
"What?" said Jack, alarmed. "Sam is up there," he paused letting it sink in. "She's on that ledge. What the hell were you thinking? Isn't there a more qualified person up there?"
Vivian frowned at Jack's response. She had a feeling Sam wasn't supposed to be up there. "No Jack," said Vivian. "They also have a jumper on Brooklyn Bridge. It's two-for-one-day in the city."
"I want her down from there as soon as possible. Vivian you are in charge up there. Do what you can."
"Jack, she got Melanie to talk. No one else has. Do you want to risk it?" There was a pause on the other end.
"Whatever. It's your call. I have to stay down here."
"Okay then," Vivian looked over to Sam who'd almost made her way to Melanie.
Melanie kicked off her other shoe and took her sock off as well. She used the sock to wipe off her face, not caring that she'd worn it for the past three days.
"Melanie, what are you doing up here? Don't you want to come stand over there with me?" said Sam calmly. Melanie had only said one phrase so far - 'you wouldn't understand'.
Melanie started teetering back and forth. "Melanie, I need you to stop that okay? Don't do that right now." Sam started to sit down beside Melanie, very slowly.
"Melanie, what happened to you?"
"You wouldn't understand," she said quietly. "You wouldn't un-der-stand," she started to moan progressively louder.
"Melanie, did one of your teachers do something to you?" Sam asked quietly after Melanie calmed back down.
"You wouldn't understand," she sniffed, wiping her nose again with her sock.
"Melanie, look at me," Sam said. "Look at me," she said abruptly, grabbing Melanie's attention. Melanie turned to her slowly and froze at the sight before her. "It's you," she whispered, cupping her mouth with her hand.
Sam turned towards the ledge and yelled, "Hey Martin. I need all of you to take out your earplugs."
"What?" he held his hand to his ear.
"Take out your earplugs," she ordered. Martin turned towards Viv who nodded. They all pulled them out. Sam's pack was behind her where she couldn't reach it. Trying to switch it off would be deadly.
"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked, shocked by the sight of this woman in front of her.
"I came to get you."
"You don't understand. I can't leave here," she said defiantly.
"Why not?" said Sam.
"I'm not supposed to live. I am filthy and disgusting. I only hurt those I love. I have to stay here until it is time," she said while the tears came back again. Sam scooted closer to her, grabbing the girl's hand.
"Listen to me. I know what happened to you. But you will be all right. Everything will be taken care of, you will be fine."
"No I won't. You have no idea the kind of Hell I have been living these past few months. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I'm always afraid," Melanie's voice grew coarse and agitated with each word.
Sam frowned. Keeping her focus on the girl and not the expanse of street below her, she went deep within herself to face her demons once again. Trying to convince this girl to get off this ledge was a daunting task, that she wasn't confident she could handle.
Taking a deep breath, Sam began, "You went to his office to get help on a paper you were writing for Dr. Thompson. He sent you in the back room, the one with a couch and a coffee maker and a small window, to look for a reference manual," Sam paused as she felt Melanie's grasp on her left hand grow tighter. Sam looked at her own hand, white knuckles with long fingers tightly grasping the stone ledge. "There was only one door to the room and it locked on the outside. You, you stood there scanning the bookcase while Dr. Raymond walked into the room and started looking at the bookcase behind he door. He 'accidentally' bumped it while grabbing a book from the top shelf and the door closed, locking you two inside."
Jack listened intently, fearing more and more where this was headed. He didn't hear Sam's request for everyone to remove their earplugs. He only knew that the women sitting on that ledge could be headed in the same direction if one false move was made. He ignored others as they came up to speak with him; his mind completely trained on the two blondes, 25 stories above.
I love being the author. It's great. TBC ;)
~~~~
Jack watched Clayton Hodges explain what he was doing in the hallway with Melanie Myers. He only halfway paid attention to his words; he was focused intently on his eyes and his hands. Interrogating people was what he was best at. The secret to finding the truth was in the eyes; but when those lie, which they sometimes do, he watched the hands. No matter how excellent of a liar someone may be, a part of their body must be otherwise employed should they be in the act of fabricating a lie. If this lie has been practiced, the body part in question would tend to move with each practiced step or fidget until a new point was made.
At this point Hodges checked out all right. He'd been at his apartment following his evening with Dr. Raymond and had a solid testimony from the desk clerk at his building. Something Dr. Mackenzie said struck a chord with Jack though. Hodges used to do investigative work, an area in which those who major in Psychology do not tend to associate. The background check never specified what type of investigating Hodges did, but Jack knew that Hodges would have learned a thing or two when it came to questioning others.
Jack could tell Hodges was hiding something, but after spending nearly twenty-five minutes with him, he knew he was going to have to start asking questions that would require a lawyer to be present. Jack took his glasses off and placed them on his desk, he needed to end this conversation as soon as possible. Only a few questions left.
"How long have you known Dr. Raymond?" Jack asked.
"Since my undergrad years. I met him when I was about twenty I believe," said Hodges, looking Jack directly in the eyes.
"And you came back to school because?"
"People keep asking me that," said Hodges in a tone that created the appearance of indifference. "Well, I came back to the city a couple of years ago, wasn't happy at all. Gave Dr. Raymond a call and he said he'd love to have me back, so I figured why not. I'm thinking teaching may be my next venture."
"Can't settle down?"
"I guess that's what you'd call it. I'm not a big fan of commitment. You get burned too many times and there's only so much more you can take you know?"
"Sure do," said Jack, putting his glasses back on.
"What was your relationship with Melanie like?"
"Pretty casual I guess. We'd get coffee sometimes and chat, but I more or less helped her out when some of the cases got bad."
"What was she like to work with?"
"She was very eager I guess you'd say. She was like a sponge. Soaked up everything in her path, which was good for studying, because her schedule left little time for that."
"Yeah her schedule looked pretty heavy. Why'd she all of a sudden just stop?"
"I think it was a combination of things. She had a lot of pressure on her for the project and I think something may have happened with one of her teachers that caused her some unwanted stress. If anything she needed a break from it all. It's not like she couldn't afford to take off a quarter, like you said - her schedule was heavy."
"Could you tell she was distraught the last time you saw her?"
"Yes. She was having problems focusing, I'd have to repeat questions or give her the same answer twice."
"Did she normally come over to the psych wing during this time?"
"Oh no. I hadn't seen her in a few weeks, that's why I was talking to her. It takes a lot to get me out of the books these days," he smiled.
"I understand completely," Jack nodded. "Approximately what time did you see her?"
"I'd say about 6 or 6 fifteen."
"And how long did you speak with her?"
"No more than ten minutes," said Hodges. Jack glanced at his eyes then followed his hands as he spoke. "She was talking about her summer plans and what classes she was going to take next. She offered to help me get one of these obscure books I haven't been able to find."
Jack kept his head down as he bit his lip. He wanted to keep Hodges here, but there wasn't anything solid enough to make him stay.
"Do you know if Melanie was having any problems with her boyfriend Troy?" he asked, thinking of a different route.
"Yeah, they were going through a rough patch recently, I think they'd had an argument before she stopped by. They probably broke up. From what I could tell she was going to talk to Dr. Thompson about something or other."
"Yes, we spoke with him. He didn't see her at all that day," Jack said, growing tired of going around in circles.
"Oh," said Hodges with a tone of surprise that would almost sound normal. "Well, I don't know where she was going then. The only other offices over there are Dr. Raymond and Dr. Whickba."
Martin walked quickly down the hallway, holding a set of photos in his hand. He reached Jack's office and quickly opened the door.
"I'm sorry, but can I speak with you a moment Jack?"
"Excuse me," said Jack as he rose and walked out side. "What's going on?"
"There just so happens to be a camera in the very hallway that Melanie and Hodges were speaking in. At 6:34 they start talking. At 6:38, Dr. Raymond, at the other end of the hallway enters the building and goes to what appears to be his office. Melanie starts walking around, pacing a little. They continue to speak for a little while longer then you see Dr. Mackenzie leave at 6:47. Dr. Thompson leaves at 6:50; then, we have Melanie exit the building at 6:53. Their cars aren't parked far away, so logically if they'd left right after, Melanie wouldn't have been able to speak with either of them,"
"Okay so we know she doesn't have anything to do with those two - at least not right after."
"Wait, here's the kicker. Instead of going back inside the room where he was working, Hodges goes down to Raymond's office. Two minutes later he leaves the building."
"Well, it seems like someone went for a refreshing little drive. Go show that to Danny. I think he was processing some of her dorm information. I want to know if there are any photos that match up to that time frame."
"Gotchya," Martin strode away confidently.
Jack took a seat at his desk once again. "Okay, so Melanie left you around what time?"
"I'd say around 6:30ish, give or take."
"And what'd you do right after that?"
"I was going to take a break later that evening with Dr. Raymond, so I went back to finish up some of my notes."
"About what time did you take off?"
"I'd say 7:30."
"That's funny, because we have you leaving at 7:00, right after Melanie. Care to explain?" Jack said, hoping to trip him up.
"Oh, I was at one of the coffee shops around the corner. I left my keys there and I ran back to get them," Jack nodded, smooth cover.
"About what time did you return?"
"Mmmm, ten minutes." Jack frowned. He wasn't getting anywhere. This guy was too good at dodging questions for any accidental information to be released. He noticed that Hodges had developed some of Dr. Raymond's mannerisms. His way of speaking and all movement was very exact, not hasty by any means. Jack needed more evidence before trying to bake Hodges. He'd get it, he just didn't know how long.
"Well, I think we're about done here for now. If I need anything else you'll be sure to hear from us," he said while standing. He led Hodges to his door and shook the man's hand.
"I hope you find her Agent Malone," said Hodges shaking his hand firmly. "She's a wonderful woman. I just hope nothing's happened to her."
"Me too," said Jack. Hodges walked away in a smooth, self-assured walk.
Jack picked up the phone to call his wife. He wouldn't be coming home until late that night.
Martin hung up the phone quickly and ran to Jack's office. "Jack, we just got a call from Anna Stanton, Melanie's best friend. Melanie just tried calling Anna on her cell phone."
Jack smiled. "I want you and Viv to bring Anna in. We need that phone as well as Troy. She'll probably be calling him soon as well."
"Will do," Martin walked past Samantha as she headed towards Jack's office. She walked right past his office and down to the end of the hallway. She was mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have with Jack. She walked back and forth, ignoring looks that she got from those who passed by. She also needed to get away from Danny. She felt him watching her for the last five minutes, trying to make sure she was all right. Of course she was fine. She always was.
Five minutes later, Sam walked directly into Jack's office and planted her feat firmly beside his desk. Jack's head was buried in his notes, memorizing everything that Hodges said. He always liked to look over his notes right after an interview. It made the superfluous information disappear and helped all that was imperative become engraved in his mind.
Sam couldn't wait any longer for him to look up. If she didn't do it now, she wouldn't have enough guts to do it later.
Without sugar coating or dancing around the point, she went straight for the kill. "Jack, I would like to request that I be transferred from this case," she said firmly, happy that she'd gotten it out.
Jack's head shot up as though he'd heard a gun shot. What?
"I'm sorry, I thought you just said you wanted to be transferred to a different case."
"I did," she went no further. Jack sighed and took his glasses off once again. He was too tired to be getting smacked upside the head with situations like this. There were normally about three reasons for requesting a transfer, two of which had to do with conflict over the situation at hand, another was purely personal.
"May I ask why?" he looked at her, studying her response. Her hands were clasped together, like they were super glued.
"If at all possible I would like that to remain confidential," she said, returning the stern look.
"Once you file the request, I'm going to know anyway."
"Well until that time comes I would like to maintain the right to remove myself from the case," she stepped no further, nor made any other comment. Jack kept eye contact, trying to see if he could read her, like he'd done so easily in the past. This time however, it was impossible. He could tell she was determined and unwilling to go any further.
"Well, you can-" he was cut short by the phone ringing.
"Yeah?" it was Vivian.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah bring them with you. We'll meet you there."
"What street? Okay."
He hung up the phone and stood up quickly. He didn't know what to do about Sam. She looked at him inquisitively, waiting for him to say something.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
"Well, she's apparently at the top of a twenty-seven story building at 78th and 2nd avenue. The road is blocked off now and NYPD has properly identified her. I don't want to make this decision Sam. If you think you should go, then I want you there. It's your call."
Sam stood there for about twenty seconds going over in her brain what exactly could be happening. If she went, she could possibly be risking her career. She knew something was going to come out by the end of this. On the other hand, there was a girl at the top of a building who thought there was no way out. Life over career?
"I'm going," she said, looking back up at Jack.
"You sure?" he said, giving her a chance to back out.
"No, but what do you want me to do?"
Jack smiled as he held the door open for her. "Get Danny and meet me downstairs. The kid is suicidal."
~~~~
The car pulled up right beside the barriers that had quickly been placed at the edge of the street. Cops were everywhere, directing traffic, moving walkers on their way. Jack looked over at Sam in the front seat, figuring what he should do.
"Here's the deal. Danny I want you to find Viv and Martin and get back to me as soon as possible. I'll be over there," said Jack as he motioned towards a detective talking with some other policemen beside a fire truck. "Don't forget your plugs."
"Okay," Danny got out of the car and flipped open his phone, giving Vivian a call.
Jack looked over at Sam while he inserted his earplug. She was staring at her hands that were placed in her lap, looking out the window occasionally. He switched on the small device that would connect him with the rest of his agents and turned towards Sam.
"You're the one who knows what's going on here," he said. "Would it be a mistake if I let you go?"
"Did Troy say anything about her being distant?" Sam asked out of the blue. Not following her in anyway, he tried to remember any such detail.
"Yeah, well, you know about the isolation, but he said she hadn't been very open with him lately," he paused, waiting for her to say something more. "So?"
"I don't know Jack," she said quietly. She knew why Melanie was up there, but she knew so much more than that.
"I don't have time for this," he said opening the door. "Stay in here until I get back." He closed the door and walked towards the detective.
~~~~~
Danny walked through the lobby of the building with Detective Flynn. She was a short sturdy woman in her mid-thirties, already stocked with three kids and a mini-van. Danny had worked with her previously and was happy to have come across her in such a chaotic situation.
"How'd she get up there without being noticed?" asked Danny as they walked towards the elevator. Vivian and Martin were already up there, talking with specialized officers.
"From what we could tell, she took the service elevator," she had a strong Boston accent, and never tried to hide it a bit. "It's in a pretty empty hallway. Plus this is some insurance building. Who needs to use a service elevator except for news boys?"
"Right. Did you find anyone else who may be linked to this?"
"You mean anyone suspicious?" she asked as they boarded the crowded elevator.
"Well, yeah."
"Not yet. We got some boys canvassing the two nearest sub stops, but after that, who knows."
"How long has she been up there?"
"No more than an hour. See across the street is a hospital, with helicopters touching down almost twice an hour. They were the ones who reported her."
"I see. Was the door unlocked or what? I don't understand how she just got up there."
"Actually she is on a smoking balcony. She's not at the very top, about two from the top."
"Who do you have out there right now?" Danny asked as they finally reached the correct floor.
"We got an officer trying to calm her down. She's in hysterics. I think one of yours is out there as well."
"Great," said Danny as they approached the balcony. He saw Vivian standing right outside with Martin standing near the railing.
Vivian looked up at Danny shaking her head. "The girl has her legs dangling off the edge. We can't get anywhere near her. Have they set up anything down there?"
"I think they are trying to organize something, but nothing is working. Too many cops and not enough agents."
"Isn't that what always happens?" she said. Martin walked over to them with a grim look on his face.
"Where are Anna and Troy?" asked Danny.
"We left them down in the car with one of the cops," said Martin. "They were both crying like there was no tomorrow."
"I would be too," he said. "Why the hell is there a smoking balcony on the 25th floor?"
"Because they didn't want one on the 24th?" said Martin shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey Jack do you read me?" said Danny as he applied pressure to his ear.
"Clear Danny, what's going on up there?"
Danny relayed the situation to Jack as Vivian and Martin got set-up. They were thinking that Vivian was going to be the one they sent to the girl, but Vivian wasn't as willing seeing as she was afraid of heights and got vertigo easily.
Danny took a look over the side and stepped back quickly. The girl who had a startling resemblance to Samantha Spade had climbed over the edge and walked along a six-inch wide ledge to where she now was, and indent in the building that was only twice as deep. She seemed completely oblivious to the world, as though she was sitting in the dock, soaking her feet in the water. She kicked off her shoe and laughed as it fell quickly to a car parked below.
Fwump! Sam jumped as a loud thud emanated from the vehicle. She got out slowly to make sure nothing else was falling from the sky. Putting her earplug in, she heard Danny speaking with Jack as to what he'd learned. Sam walked over to where the shoe landed after it had bounced to the ground. She picked it up slowly and looked around, noticing everyone else was otherwise employed.
She tapped the heavy shoe against her leg as she walked inside the building. Glancing back one more time through the windows at Jack, she closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She felt the urge to get off at every single floor on her way up, but resisted the entire way until she'd reached her destination. She got off with two officers and an agent she wasn't familiar with and walked slowly through the groups of people, all confused and distraught.
Danny turned at the feel of a pair of eyes on his back. Samantha was standing by the doorway, allowing enough space for people to move in and out. Vivian saw Samantha and walked over to her, asking if she'd be willing to walk out there. With a little experience in this kind of situation, she'd be harnessed in and not being afraid of heights, Sam was the best candidate for the job.
No one knew that an hour ago, Sam was willing to work on another case. That she shouldn't be there, or that the mere presence of her could endanger the whole investigation. But they wouldn't know that because they never asked.
She walked over to the edge and glanced at the young woman and froze as her breath caught in her throat. That young girl was her ten years ago. Without a doubt, the resemblance was too close to leave her to think otherwise. One look at her confirmed what Sam thought all along. She knew that no one else could even imagine how to handle this, at least not from what they knew.
She turned around and walked towards her colleagues with a determined look on her face. She spoke with them briefly as they instructed her on safety and reminded her of what to do in a situation such as this. Another agent walked over and got Sam in a harness, securing it tightly to the strong metal railing.
"Hey Viv, could you hold on to this?" Sam held the shoe out to Vivian who had her back turned from the ledge.
"Sure," she said looking at the shoe curiously. Sam took off her own shoes and stood flatfooted on the ground, glancing at the sunset. The sun was almost setting on that Friday evening, and the city that never slept would remain active, long into the early hours of the morning.
Danny looked at her closely; making sure Sam was okay to go. He didn't feel good about this, but seeing as there was no one else qualified among them to attempt the job, he laid his worries to rest.
"Be careful, out there," he said quietly. She smiled at him positively. Sam felt this alarming sense of calm, as if she'd found her purpose in life. "Don't worry Danny. I'll be fine," she squeezed his hand reassuringly and looked at Martin briefly.
"She hasn't spoken to anyone since we got here, but they said she didn't move when one of their other guys was on the ledge," said Martin, unsure of what to say.
"Thanks," she said and gave him the usual pat on the arm.
Vivian looked at her and smiled. "Just come back in one peace. With the girl - if you can."
"I'll do my best Viv."
Sam walked over to the ledge and looked at Melanie, who just sat there, with tears streaming down her face. Her clothes were dirty and her hands were raw from rubbing.
"Melanie?" said Sam quietly. "Hi Melanie. I'm Special Agent Spade. Can you hear me?"
Melanie didn't answer. She started mumbling to her self but didn't make any movement. Sam threw her legs over the side and swallowed. She'd definitely had brighter days. This was not one of them. She continued speaking with Melanie as she inched her way over to the indented ledge - almost twelve feet away.
Martin watched as Sam kept her back close to the wall, realizing just then that he was holding his breath. His eyes remained focused on her as she slowly made her way over, talking the whole time.
"Hey Danny, Martin. Do you copy?"
"Yeah Jack what is it?" said Martin.
"What's going on up there? Who's walking out on the ledge?"
"It's Sam. Didn't you send her up here?"
"What?" said Jack, alarmed. "Sam is up there," he paused letting it sink in. "She's on that ledge. What the hell were you thinking? Isn't there a more qualified person up there?"
Vivian frowned at Jack's response. She had a feeling Sam wasn't supposed to be up there. "No Jack," said Vivian. "They also have a jumper on Brooklyn Bridge. It's two-for-one-day in the city."
"I want her down from there as soon as possible. Vivian you are in charge up there. Do what you can."
"Jack, she got Melanie to talk. No one else has. Do you want to risk it?" There was a pause on the other end.
"Whatever. It's your call. I have to stay down here."
"Okay then," Vivian looked over to Sam who'd almost made her way to Melanie.
Melanie kicked off her other shoe and took her sock off as well. She used the sock to wipe off her face, not caring that she'd worn it for the past three days.
"Melanie, what are you doing up here? Don't you want to come stand over there with me?" said Sam calmly. Melanie had only said one phrase so far - 'you wouldn't understand'.
Melanie started teetering back and forth. "Melanie, I need you to stop that okay? Don't do that right now." Sam started to sit down beside Melanie, very slowly.
"Melanie, what happened to you?"
"You wouldn't understand," she said quietly. "You wouldn't un-der-stand," she started to moan progressively louder.
"Melanie, did one of your teachers do something to you?" Sam asked quietly after Melanie calmed back down.
"You wouldn't understand," she sniffed, wiping her nose again with her sock.
"Melanie, look at me," Sam said. "Look at me," she said abruptly, grabbing Melanie's attention. Melanie turned to her slowly and froze at the sight before her. "It's you," she whispered, cupping her mouth with her hand.
Sam turned towards the ledge and yelled, "Hey Martin. I need all of you to take out your earplugs."
"What?" he held his hand to his ear.
"Take out your earplugs," she ordered. Martin turned towards Viv who nodded. They all pulled them out. Sam's pack was behind her where she couldn't reach it. Trying to switch it off would be deadly.
"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked, shocked by the sight of this woman in front of her.
"I came to get you."
"You don't understand. I can't leave here," she said defiantly.
"Why not?" said Sam.
"I'm not supposed to live. I am filthy and disgusting. I only hurt those I love. I have to stay here until it is time," she said while the tears came back again. Sam scooted closer to her, grabbing the girl's hand.
"Listen to me. I know what happened to you. But you will be all right. Everything will be taken care of, you will be fine."
"No I won't. You have no idea the kind of Hell I have been living these past few months. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I'm always afraid," Melanie's voice grew coarse and agitated with each word.
Sam frowned. Keeping her focus on the girl and not the expanse of street below her, she went deep within herself to face her demons once again. Trying to convince this girl to get off this ledge was a daunting task, that she wasn't confident she could handle.
Taking a deep breath, Sam began, "You went to his office to get help on a paper you were writing for Dr. Thompson. He sent you in the back room, the one with a couch and a coffee maker and a small window, to look for a reference manual," Sam paused as she felt Melanie's grasp on her left hand grow tighter. Sam looked at her own hand, white knuckles with long fingers tightly grasping the stone ledge. "There was only one door to the room and it locked on the outside. You, you stood there scanning the bookcase while Dr. Raymond walked into the room and started looking at the bookcase behind he door. He 'accidentally' bumped it while grabbing a book from the top shelf and the door closed, locking you two inside."
Jack listened intently, fearing more and more where this was headed. He didn't hear Sam's request for everyone to remove their earplugs. He only knew that the women sitting on that ledge could be headed in the same direction if one false move was made. He ignored others as they came up to speak with him; his mind completely trained on the two blondes, 25 stories above.
I love being the author. It's great. TBC ;)