Chapter 3.
Cheryl Banks tired to stretch out her long legs in the confined area of the car she was sitting in and tired to stifle a yawn, but in the end gave in and felt a little better for it. They had been a stake out here for over a month but nothing much had come of it. Other than the usual warehouse trade nothing seemed awry. John Stewart was tricky that was for sure, they had gotten him fully staked out, but the man just did not put a foot wrong. If it weren't for the evidence in the form of his books they would never have been able to have gotten this far against him. What was more worrying is that according to the word on the street is that he was still operating at full strength despite the police surveillance. But how could he she thought for the hundredth time, he came in every morning at eight and didn't leave until six at night, they were missing something important but what. Yawning again she was pulled up short by the arrival of a car, Now this was something different. Grabbing the camera she took some shoots of the young man that emerged for the obvious rental car. May be now they would finally get somewhere.
Next morning when she entered the station sitting on her desk was the pictures she had taken the day before, opening up the packet she pulled out the pictures and sat for a time studying the contents. She was about to start phoning car rental companies when her sometimes partner entered.
"Anything new?" Steve asked, when he noted the package on her desk.
"Yeah!" She said. "Last night a new face turned up at the warehouse. I was just going to phone some rental places try and get an ID," Steve picked up the pictures, he felt his heart sink when he saw them.
"Damn!" He swore.
"What is it Steve?" Cheryl asked him, concern on her face.
"Its Dr Jack Stewart," Steve ran his fingers through his hair and swore again.
"Is it a problem?" She asked. Steve sighed and sat down at his desk.
"Could be," He said. He hated being right in this. "He's an old friend; he worked at CG before Jesse did,"
"Doing much the same thing as Jesse does?" She asked. Steve nodded. "You all knew about the connections between him and that family?"
"Yes!" He sighed again looking down at the pictures hoping that they would change and that it wouldn't be Jack in the pictures, "Dad took him in off the streets, we thought that he had changed his ways and had little to do with his family any more,"
"We could be reading this wrong," She said. "He might just be there to visit his family," Steve shook his head.
"No ," He sighed. "He, at least use, to hate that side of his family," Cheryl looked at him sympathy on her face.
"What you going to tell your dad?" She asked softly suddenly aware of the awkward position that he had been placed in.
"I just don't know," He said. "I really don't," He passed the pictures back to her. "If I tell him now he'll go straight to Jack with it and if he is involved,"
"You're going to have to give him some kind of warning," He sighed again and nodded,
"But how?" He said desperately. She shrugged.
"Sorry, Steve I can't help you with that one," She said, "But someone at the hospital should know," Steve nodded and thought who he should tell. Rachel already knew that something maybe wrong but he didn't like the idea of putting her in an awkward position, but it was better than bring someone new into it. If things got rough he could always tell Jesse, but right now he didn't want to ruin any friendship that might be forming between him and Jack, especially when there was no hard evidence against him. Picking up the phone he dialled Rachel's number knowing he should manage to catch her before she went to work.
"Rachel hi," He gave a smile, but it quickly vanished. "Listen what time is your lunch break?"
"Should be about one, why?" She asked. Steve quickly glanced at his watch.
"I'll meet you out front then, if you can't make it let me know okay," He said seriously. "It's important that we talk away from the hospital and don't let dad or anyone else know,"
"Steve what's wrong?" She asked concerned.
"I'll tell you then," He said, " Rachel!"
"Yes!" She answered. Steve could hear the concern in her voice.
"I love you,"
"I love you to;" Her voice had turned soft. Steve hung up the phone, for better or worse there was going to be no turning back now.
Cheryl looked at Steve as he sat at his desk, head in hands. She really felt for him knowing how hard it was for him to be caught up personally in this case, with a sigh he stood up.
"I'd better let the captain know about this just in case he might decide to pull me off it now,"
"Fat chance of that," Cheryl smirked. Steve was one of the best detectives that the department had and when he teamed up with his father they were a force that most sensible criminals avoided all together. But she thought with a sigh John Stewart was not sensible. It was a sentiment that would come back and haunt her time and time again over the following weeks.
Rachel was waiting for him outside the hospital main entrance at one. Steve pulled up and she got in the truck. When she looked across at him she could see the tension was back in his frame.
"What is it?" She asked him. Steve's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he sighed.
"Jack was seen going to see John Stewart," Rachel sighed. She had hoped that Jack was just back because he wanted to be an not with something in mind, "Rachel I don't want to put you in a awkward position, But,"
"Its okay," She said lightly touching his leg. "You need someone to watch what he is doing at the hospital," Steve nodded.
"With dad trying to get him the job at the hospital," He sighed again. "I'd ask Jesse, but until there is more evidence, I don't want to risk the friendship between him and Jack," She smiled and nodded.
"I understand," Steve pulled the truck over and parked up. He turned to face her his face serious and took her face in his hands.
"Don't take any risks," He told her. "Just keep an eye on what he is doing,"
"There's more to this than you're telling me," He sighed.
"I'm under orders not to mention any of this to dad," He told her, "The risk of him saying something to Jack are to great. If Stewart finds out people's lives may be at risk,"
Steve knew that at that point he should have told her the truth, It wasn't just the people who were working undercover now that could be at risk. He had worked undercover at the warehouse just before he and Rachel had met and although they had a star witness, if he had to he could fill that roll. It was him who had led them to the star witness. Chief Masters and the captain where the only ones who knew and both were reluctant to use him. Hiding in the open was the idea; even being on the case was designed to keep a different kind of attention on him.
Rachel watched him and could tell that there was more that he was not telling her. But she could see the guilt at involving her at all.
"I'll be careful;" with a groan he pulled her forward and into his arms and then kissed her and hoped everything would turn out okay and that his worst fears wouldn't be realised.