Body of Evidence
Rae had let Jesse get up first and have his shower before she had hers. As she heard the water stop she moved the covers back carefully with her right hand and swung her legs out of bed. Her left knee was still swollen up from where she had stood on it for a long time the night before, and then had hit it hard against the floor when Steve had dropped her.
Jesse had just finished drying himself off, and had pulled on his shorts when he heard Rae cry out from the bedroom, and he hurried back in. For a moment he couldn't see her, and his heart began to beat loudly, then, as he moved over to her side of the room, he saw her lying on the floor, where it appeared she had fallen from the bed. Jesse could tell that she was crying, and making no effort to move herself from the obviously painful way that she was laying.
"Rae, Sweetheart, what happened?" Jesse crouched down beside her and began to carefully assess the situation. As he did so there was a knock and a very worried looking Jo put her head round the door.
"Jesse? Are you all right, we heard a loud thud downstairs."
"No, I don't think we are, I'm gonna need to get Rae to the hospital. Something's not right, but she did go off playing cop last night, and then that boyfriend of yours dropped her!" Jesse wasn't angry with Jo, but she was an easy target for his temper and feelings of helplessness.
Rae still hadn't spoken a word, but the tears had stopped. She had her head resting on the floor, and her eyes were closed. Rae heard the voices and then felt a gentle hand stroke her face and she lay there not really knowing what to do. "Rae, I'm gonna move you, very carefully, into a more comfortable position. I don't need to move your bad leg, ok? I just want to support your shoulders and neck and get your right arm and body into a robe so you don't get cold."
"Ok." The voice was very quiet, and Jesse planted a kiss on her forehead before moving her. Rae managed not to cry out, but the effort meant that she was unable to stop the tears from falling, and although it had taken Jesse only a minute to make his wife comfortable, and another two or three to make sure she was warm, it took far longer for her to get herself under control once more.
"Jesse, you go an' get yourself dressed, I will talk to Rae an' keep her company." Jo watched as Jesse just nodded and then turned away without a word, and she sat on the floor and took her friend's hand in her own. "Rae, Honey, what's wrong? I thought you would be so pleased to have gone out with Steve last night, an' what is this about him droppin' you?" There was no reaction from Rae, and so Jo squeezed her hand. She wasn't sure how much pain Rae suffered in her fingers, but as she studied her face she could tell that she had added to her agony and she released her hold a little.
"I can't do it any more, Texas, all … all I did was talk to G … someone, and look at me, I couldn't even get out of bed without ending up on the floor. I'm gonna have another baby; I won't be able to look after that either. Oh, God, Texas, sometimes I think I would be better off if Jesse hadn't saved me!" The tears started again, and Jo carefully rubbed her friend's hand, not really sure what else to do. She looked around, but it seemed, thankfully, as if Jesse hadn't heard what Rae had just said.
"Rae? Another baby, you're pregnant again? But, Honey, that is just wonderful I didn't even know that you were trying for another baby."
"We weren't. Texas, we've only made love once in I don't know how long, and I get pregnant. I don't think I can cope with any of this any more." Jo didn't say anything; she just stayed close to her friend, until Jesse came back out of the bathroom but as she saw his face she knew that she had been wrong, he had heard every word that Rae had said.
"Jesse, she is so upset right now, I know she didn't mean that." Jo tried to smile at the devastated young man in front of her. "Her whole life is in turmoil, but you're right, she does need to get to the hospital, she might even need to stay there for a while. You sit with her an' I'll get her some clean nightclothes. She can take somethin' of mine."
"Thank you, Jo. Do you have a nightie that will fit her? Her knee is so swollen up that I don't think she will get into anything else."
Jo looked at Rae's legs, and she could see that Jesse was right. "How did that happen, Jesse? An' how did Steve drop her?"
"Well, I guess he dropped her because I startled him, but she just used it too much." Jesse tried a small smile; he knew that he couldn't go on blaming everything on Steve, not if he ever wanted to get his friend back.
It took the ambulance just over half an hour to get to Jo's house and prepare Rae to go to the hospital. For the first ten minutes or so Mark had waited very anxiously downstairs and, in the end, had come up to see for himself what was going on. Then he had sat with her while Jesse went to talk with Michael and Jo called ahead to let Wil Collins know that Rae was coming in.
"Mark," Rae's voice was soft and low.
"Yes, Sweetie," Mark moved his chair a little closer to her as he heard fear in that single word. Rae was still on the floor, and she was too emotionally drained to even care.
"Do you ever think about retiring?"
"Lately, I have thought about it a lot. I'm not as young as I used to be, and this injury, well, it's taking a long time to stop hurting. But normally, I would have to say no why, because you have?"
"I don't see how I have any other choice. I only went to talk with George Bannister last night, Mark. I had to be given a special chair because I couldn't sit on their sofa, then I had to stand up because my leg hurt so much that I just had to move. But that didn't work either. By the time we were ready to come away I could hardly stand, and I know I wouldn't have made it to the car if Steve hadn't been there to help me. I have to face it, Mark, I can't be a cop any more."
"Rae, I am so sorry. I know that Steve would be devastated if he couldn't do the job he loves, and I am sure you feel the same. But you have Jesse and Eliana at home for you, they love and need you, maybe even more than the City does, don't forget that."
"Did you know I'm having another baby?" Rae moved her head slightly. It didn't seem to hurt quite so much at the moment, but that could just be because the pain from her leg was shutting it out.
"No, oh, Honey, that's wonderful, you must be so pleased." Mark's smiling face made Rae realise that she was pleased about it, at least a little bit.
"I guess I am, but mostly I'm just scared. I'll have two children under the age of two, I won't be able to cope with that either."
"Sure you will, look at all the back up you have. There's Jesse for a start, he is a devoted dad, and husband, and then Steve, well, if he knows you are gonna have two babies in the house he might just move in with you! Jo and Michael will help too, and so will Amanda, Alex and I. Rae, I know you think your life looks pretty bleak right now, but it will get better, and you'll find that you have more friends than you thought."
"Thank you, Mark." Rae smiled and, for the first time since she had got out of bed, it was a proper smile. The door opened at that moment and Jesse's face appeared and although Rae couldn't see them, two paramedics were standing behind him.
"Ok, your carriage awaits, are you ready to go? Michael is gonna have Eliana while we're gone." Jesse swallowed deeply. He really didn't want to leave his daughter behind, every part of him screamed that they should take her to the hospital, but he also wanted to go into the examination room with Rae, and he knew that he couldn't do that if Eliana was with them. He moved over and stood to one side while the ambulance men carefully picked Rae up, and put her onto the gurney. "And when we get home I am gonna cook you a proper meal and you are gonna eat it all, ok?"
"Yes, Jesse," Rae smiled up at him, Mark was right, Jesse did love her, and she needed to remember that.
Jesse wasn't sure what had changed, but he knew that something that Mark had said made Rae feel just a little easier. With a grateful smile to his friend he let him walk ahead of him and open the bedroom door wide, then they all made their way carefully down the stairs, and Jesse could see Michael waiting with Eliana in his arms by the front door. The little girl began to squirm as she saw not only her daddy but her mommy too, coming towards her. The journey was only halted once, so that Rae could kiss her little girl.
"Bye, Ana, I will see you later, ok?" Rae looked at her daughter, she was so beautiful, and she knew that Jesse would love to have another one just like her. It was selfish to be considering only herself. By the time Rae had stopped thinking Jesse was climbing into the ambulance beside her and Jo was talking to her from the open doors of the vehicle.
"Now, you make sure that you tell Wil everythin' I don't want to hear that you have been leavin' things out. You don't have to go in there with a smile on your face an' try to pretend that everythin' is just wonderful. It isn't an' he needs to know that, ok?"
"Yes, Mom." Rae smiled at her friend, and then the doors were closed and Jo watched as they carefully pulled away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Steve headed towards Captain Newman's door, not really knowing how he was going to discuss the drive by shootings but definitely knowing that he had to give him as much information as he could. He knocked on the door and waited.
"Enter… Ah, Lieutenant Sloan, I was just about to send for you, sit down, sit down. What information do you have for me?" The Captain looked up at his officer and could see the strain and fatigue in his eyes that was apparent in most of his men at the moment.
"We have a suspect, Sir, but I have no idea where she is, or whether she will hit anywhere else…" Steve stopped talking as he saw his Captain wanted to interrupt.
"She, you are absolutely sure that this shooter is a woman?"
"Yes, Sir. It was Detective Yeager who finally worked out the link between the locations of the shootings, that was before the station was hit, Sir. Then one of the detectives here realised that he was the link between the locations and the perp." Steve paused, he knew that there was no way to get around the naming of names, he just hoped that there was some way to save George's career for him, that is if he wanted it saved. Running had been a stupid thing to do, and might have just blown any chance he had of holding on to his job.
"I see. And do you plan to let me know who this detective is, or do I have to play twenty questions?"
"No, Sir, sorry, Sir. It's George Bannister. He used to go out with the suspect, he was engaged to her. Her name is Sandra Breth."
"Bannister? George Bannister was engaged, to a woman? But I thought …" The Captain didn't finish his sentence, but Steve knew exactly what he was going to say.
"Yes, Sir, but you know just how tolerant the force is of, of … the minorities." Steve didn't really know whether it was wise to continue speaking.
"So, what was this link? Let me see." The Captain picked up the folder from his desk and took out a sheet of paper. "A pizzeria, a dress shop, taxi company, florist, shoe store, jewellers and then a police station. Ok, I'm guessing that the station was hit because George worked here, they were engaged, you said." Newman looked up and saw Steve nod. "That would be the jewellers; does the dress store sell wedding dresses?"
Steve remembered the visit to Dolly's Dresses, from what George had said about the red dress he had bought from there it must have been the most daring thing they ever stocked. "No, Sir, I guess Rae or Cheryl would have more experience than I've got, but I'd say it definitely wasn't the place to go for a wedding gown."
"Mmm. Well, knowing what we know now, they all have something to do with the relationship between Bannister and Breth. Places they visited together? No, we don't have time for me to think this through, just carry on with your report, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Sir. Rae thought that the link was a special date, and because of the nature of the crimes, a special date gone bad. Well, as you know, I had an open house at Bob's the other night, for the homicide cops, and she came along. She told me her theory while she was there, and then George had what, at the time, we thought was a fainting spell. He didn't come to work yesterday, and after I spoke to Campbell …" Steve paused for a moment as he realised that it had been the last time he ever saw the friendly, talented detective. "After I spoke to Campbell, I headed out for Van Nuys to see if Bannister was ok."
"And I imagine that he wasn't overly pleased to see you?" The Captain was trying not to interrupt but he was anxious to hear what had happened.
"Actually, I don't think he really knew whether he was pleased or terrified." Steve took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened the first time he had visited with George and Joseph.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wil Collins hadn't been alone when Rae and Jesse had arrived in the examination room they had been directed to by a very happy looking Shannon.
"Alex? When did you get back, are you working already?" Rae was delighted to see her own doctor back in the hospital again, in his rightful position.
Alex had been the last stabbing victim of Louise Willis. He had been bringing Eliana up to see her mom, but had been attacked as he entered the room. The knife had nicked his heart, and he had only survived because Wil Collins had been able to operate on him almost immediately. He had spent the last two months recuperating with his own mom, and Rae had missed his presence in her life.
"I got back yesterday morning, and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day asleep, and no, I'm not working yet, but I had an appointment with Wil this morning, and he told me you were coming in, and asked me if I would stay. Honey, I am so pleased to hear about your baby, you must be so happy, although a little concerned too, I would guess."
"That just about describes it." Rae smiled, but this time it didn't reach her eyes, and Alex moved over and stood beside her.
"Rae, what's the matter?"
"Lots of things. But maybe you could examine me first, get the physically painful bit out of the way… Jess, could you go see if Lauren is available today? I think I need to see her too." Rae felt her husband move from his position at the foot of the gurney and then he too was standing by her side.
"I would rather stay here while you have your examination, I can call through to her afterwards."
Rae was about to tell him no, but she could see from the look on his face, that he needed to be with her. "Please, Jess, we won't start without you." After Rae had finished speaking she lay back and shut her eyes. Just the exertion of moving from the ambulance gurney to the bed was exhausting, and she guessed that with all that she had on her mind as well, her body was just on overload. She heard Jesse speaking with Lauren, or her secretary, and then she knew that he was back standing near her.
"Rae, whatever did you do to your knee? It looks almost like it did when you first arrived here from the jail." Alex was horrified by the swelling on Rae's left leg, and as he moved her robe away and placed his hand gently on it he felt his patient jump beneath him. "Ok, I'm sorry, it's all right, I'll stop for a moment."
"I went out last night, I was helping Steve interrogate someone, and then, well, he carried me up to bed and he dropped me."
"He dropped you?" Wil sounded incredulous. "How did he drop you?"
"I startled him, and he let go of her. I think that she landed on her knee." Jesse looked shamefaced. He knew that part of this was his fault.
"Rae, this is gonna hurt, you know that, don't you? But I have to examine you, thoroughly." Alex looked over at Jesse and nodded. He moved quietly up to Rae's head, then after smiling at her, moved down a little, and took hold of her right hand.
Alex began to gently flex Rae's right leg, and it was clear that although she was in some pain the knee was on the mend. He moved over to the left one, and carefully placed his hand underneath it.
"Arghhh, Alex, no!" Rae had been determined to keep quiet and relaxed, but as soon as Alex had begun to move her leg she had been unable to stop herself from crying out. She felt her doctor's hand move back as soon as he heard her.
"Ok, Rae, I've stopped. Why don't you show me just how much you can actually move that?" Alex watched carefully as Rae began to do as she was asked, but it was apparent from the small amount that Rae was actually able to flex her knee, that her left leg was all but useless.
"I tried to stand on it this morning, but it wouldn't hold me, and … and once I was on the floor, I couldn't get back up. I thought I was supposed to use it, aggressive physical therapy, that's what I was told." Rae swallowed down her distress, she knew that there was a lot more of her examination to come, and she wanted it over with, not prolonged because she couldn't continue.
"What about your arms, Rae? Have they improved any while I have been away?" Alex had Rae's file in his hand now, or the relevant part, there was an extremely thick bundle of notes on the table, and a file up on the computer screen.
"Well, I can move my neck a little easier, I think, and my right arm is a little more useful than it was, but my left arm is just the same. I try to move it, every day, before I put on your wonderful brace, but I never can. I can move my right arm so that I can carry Eliana, but I know that the heavier she gets the harder it will become. With practice I can do a few things, I feed her lunch to her, make coffee and tea, I even made a lasagne the other night, but everything takes so long, and if it is outside of my movement arc for my right arm then I just can't do it."
Alex had smiled at the reference to the brace, but his face grew grave as he listened to the rest of Rae's explanation. "If I asked you to brush your hair could you do it?"
"No, that's too high up. I can't get my head to my hand or vice versa. Teeth cleaning is out too, and washing my face, and I gave up on make up as soon as I got home."
"Can you put your shoes on and do them up?" It was Wil who asked the question, and Rae carefully turned her head so that she was facing him. They all saw the shadow of pain that crossed her face, and waited for her to relax again.
"I don't know, but I can't put socks on so I would guess at no. My shoes are slip ons, because they are easier. If Jesse isn't there I can't get dressed. I have to stay in my night clothes all day."
"Ok, Rae, I want to admit you for a couple of days…No, Rae, let me finish, then you can talk. I think you should have another MRI on that knee, and I want you to speak with Doctor Tammai, who specialises in brachial plexus injuries. I know you are in your first trimester of pregnancy, and any surgery would be inadvisable, but I think that we have left things to go on their own for long enough. We need to get some expert advice now. Especially in your line of work, you need to know what the prognosis is." Alex was surprised to see tears appear in Rae's eyes as he spoke.
"I know what the prognosis is, Alex. If I was at home today I would have written my letter of resignation. I can't do my job any more; I have to let it go." Rae closed her eyes, and Alex, remembering her recent stay in the hospital when she had been injured by Louise Willis, knew that she didn't want to continue the conversation any longer.
"I've checked your records, and Wil had already set the wheels in motion for you to come back into the hospital for evaluation, so I'm going to go get you admitted and bring that assessment forward a few days. Jesse, maybe you could gather up her things, and then I will come and let you know what room she will be in."
Jesse nodded; it wasn't a job that would take long. Rae had Jo's nightie to put on when they got to the room, and that, the robe she had travelled in and her toilet bag was all she had.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It had taken Steve over an hour to give the Captain all the details of the discussions he had noted down from his visits with George Bannister. When he had described how the frightened detective had run as it became clear that he was going to have to come into the station and give a statement Steve thought that Newman was going to burst a blood vessel.
"He ran? Good God, whatever did he think he would achieve by that? What have you done about it?"
"I put an APB out on Breth last night, and one on George this morning. Sir, he's scared, scared for his career, his relationship, everything that is important to him, and he feels responsible for what happened here yesterday."
"He is responsible. If he had let you know all of the information earlier maybe we could have prevented it." The Captain's voice was tight and Steve could tell that he was holding on to his temper by the slimmest margin.
"No, Sir, I don't think we could. I was with George when I got the call about what happened here. He said that he thought the shooting was over. That all the stores were related to the relationship, and at the time I couldn't see anywhere else that would be hit either. We were just discussing who was responsible for the shootings when Cheryl called me. Sir, even if George had told us at Bob's I don't think we would have been able to prevent what happened here." As Steve stopped talking the phone on the Captain's desk began to ring.
"Newman… yes, he's here, who's calling? Oh, I see, I think I should take that … yes I said that I'll take it… Good afternoon, Mr. Logan, this is Captain Newman… I see, well, I think you need to talk to him once again and explain to him that his current course of action is doing nothing to aid his cause. We need him here, he has information available to no one else, and without him this could go on unchecked for a very long time… No, I don't see it that way at all. There is always one more target, one more victim … and if he has the ability to stop this, then he also has an obligation, not only to himself and the families of the victims, but also to his badge, to come back here and help us to close this case… Yes, Mr. Logan, I am well aware of that, but unfortunately, sometimes life isn't fair, and we have to go with what we have in spite of all the obstacles thrown at us… Yes, I think that would be a very good idea… I will be waiting for his call…good day to you, Mr. Logan." The Captain put the phone down. "That was Detective Bannister's partner, he has apparently been in contact with him, and the message relayed then was that he had left LA and had no intention of coming back. I hope that I persuaded Mr. Logan to try his hardest to get George to change his mind."
"Yes, Sir, I do too, because as you said we really do need him here. Rae realised last night that there is still one place, one obvious place that is…" Steve thought of the words of his Captain about their always being one more target, "So far no church has been hit. Apparently, according to Alison Royle, Sandra Breth is a Catholic, and so that narrows it down a bit. It would be even better if she had been a Mormon, or Jehovah's Witness, but it helps. She had been to see her priest the day that George broke off the engagement, saying he couldn't go through with it. Rae thinks, and I am inclined to agree with her, that she will hit the church next. But without George I don't think we have a hope of finding out which diocese to look in, let alone which actual building to protect."
"Who is Alison Royle?"
"She is our new desk sergeant. She … she, ah, replaced Sergeant Mills." Steve looked at his feet for a moment. The pain at losing all of the officers was almost too much to bear, but Bob, somehow that was the worst of the lot. Steve had looked up the records of all the fallen officers, the young man who had been the first fatality, Jared Carter, had only been out of the academy a week, and then there had been Bob. He had twenty-eight years service, and he got taken out by a drive-by shooter. His police record would say that he had died in the line of duty, but he hadn't. He had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and because of that had died a meaningless death.
"Lieutenant…? Steve, are you all right?" The Captain looked at the man sitting in front of him, and he could see that he was struggling with his emotions. It was a reaction that he was very familiar with. He had spent most of the morning feeling the same way himself.
"I'm sorry, Captain, it just all seems so pointless. We put our lives on the line every day, and I'm proud to wear this badge, and do the job I do, but then something like this happens and I wonder why the hell I bother. I'm getting married soon and I don't know if I can live with this kind of pressure any more. It was different when it was only me, but I could get taken out by a stray bullet, or targeted like George and Rae have been and see my life turned upside down … I'm sorry, Sir, but today I think I would rather be a street sweeper."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the time Rae had been moved up to her room Jesse had told her he had managed to get Lauren to agree to come and see her in half an hour. Rae hadn't actually seen her since before Christmas because she had returned to Japan to see her family over the holiday period and she had extended her stay into an eight week vacation, and so Jesse was pleased that she was able to fit Rae in so promptly. Alex had come up to the room with Rae and supervised her transfer and made sure she was comfortable, while Jesse went to let Jo know what was going on. Alex had sat down in the chair next to her bed and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Alex, you should be going home, not sitting here with me. You aren't supposed to be on duty yet, and you have been with me for what two hours?" Rae looked at her friend and doctor with concern.
"Don't worry, I'll be going in a few minutes, actually I have done far more that I thought I would be able to. I know I won't be back in the ER for a while, but I think that I can probably deal with my own patients and maybe some paperwork, and gradually get back into the swing of things that way. I was going slowly crazy with my mom, she wouldn't even let me make a cup of coffee, she cut the crusts off all my sandwiches and turned my toast into soldiers!"
"Alex, that's what mum's do. But I know how you feel, Jesse is so paranoid about letting me out of his sight that I can't even do those tasks that are easy for me, well, nothing is easy, but possible. I can't go into a store on my own, we have to go everywhere together, and it is driving me nuts. Ok, right now I can't do anything for myself, but before last night, things were getting a little better. I did manage to have an evening out on Friday, but only because Bob's was full of cops."
"Rae, he loves you, and he's worried for you, extremely worried, and I know it won't seem this way to you, but you were lucky in that for some of the time that Eliana was missing you were either unconscious or sedated. He didn't have that luxury; he had to face the media, as well as his own fears. He thought he was going to lose you both, and that would have destroyed him."
"I know, but we're safe now, and he will turn Eliana into an introverted shy child if he isn't careful. That isn't in her nature, but it could be. I don't want that to happen. She should be going to playgroup, to the beach, or just to a friend's house to play with other children, but she doesn't because I don't know anybody, and Jesse won't let her go to any clubs. As for the beach, well, maybe it's partly because Mark is still at Texas's house, but we haven't been on the sand since Ana was born." Rae sighed. "If I'm not going to go back to work, and I know that I'm not, I don't want to spend the rest of my days locked up in the house, not allowed to go out. I want to be able to go shopping, visit with friends, take my little girl to feed the ducks, and what's more I intend to do so, and Jesse will just have to go along with me or put up with it." Rae stopped talking as she heard her husband speaking just outside the door. As he came in she saw him putting his cell phone away in his pocket.
"I was just talking to Jo. She is gonna get Eliana ready, and I will go pick her up in a minute and take her home."
"Jesse, you're working tonight. There is no reason in the world why she can't stay with Texas, and you can fulfil your duties here. I will be fast asleep and so will she. I hate to say this, but neither of us will miss you." Rae smiled to try to soften the blow of her words.
"No, Rae, she has been apart from us for too long, I need to go get her."
"Honey, I know you need to get her, but she doesn't need you to, and neither does the hospital. But you do need to go see Lauren, I think, try to talk through your fears, nobody is going to take our little girl, she is safe and secure with Texas, Mark and Michael, and when we are home she is safe and secure with us. So go call Michael back, tell him that there has been a change of plan and you're working as you are rota'd to do, and would they please take care of Ana overnight. Then go get into your white coat, and come and stay with me for a while before you start your shift." Rae waited. She knew that Jesse didn't want to do what she had suggested, and she also knew that if he couldn't accept the solution that she had presented to him, then he would need more than a few sessions with Lauren. He had to learn to let go of his daughter, as well as her, because otherwise, in the end he would smother them both.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Steve finally came out of the Captain's office, and sat down heavily at his desk. He picked up his phone and put a call through to Jo. "Hi, Honey, I just wanted to speak to you, hear your voice…" Steve stopped talking, he didn't want to sound stupid. "No, nothing more than I told you last night. Bannister's still missing, but he's spoken to Joseph. The Captain tried to persuade him to get George to come home, but whether he succeeded, well, only time will tell, I guess… Oh, ok, I might stop in and see her on my way home, that is if I get home tonight… I have no idea, I am looking through lists of Catholic churches to see if there is anything that leaps out and grabs me, but without the knowledge that George has, it is an almost impossible task… She is, well give her a goodnight kiss from me if I'm not there to do it myself… ok? Jo, I love you, you do know that, don't you…? Yeah … bye." Steve put the receiver down, but almost instantly picked it back up again. This time the number he dialled was that of the hospital and then he waited for the connection to be made.
"Yeah, hi, could you put me through to Cheryl Banks' room please… Thank you." As Steve waited his eyes swept over the list of Catholic churches in the local Los Angeles telephone directory. If there was nothing in this book he had plenty more to choose from. "Hello, Cheryl, hi, it's Steve, I just wondered how you were…? Oh right, and when is he gonna let you go free…? No, I agree with him, what you saw was a terrible thing, another day seems sensible to me… Yeah, well just because I can't stand being in there, doesn't mean that you have to feel that way too. What about Martin, did you see him today…? No, they are probably keeping him sedated while the pain is at its height, and it's hard to keep a shoulder still… Yeah, I know I was, and I was lucky, nothing vital was hit, but I still had physical therapy on it for months, and it feels stiff sometimes even now… Yeah, well I don't say, it isn't the kind of thing that comes up in conversation… Cheryl, I have to go, I have a call waiting, I'll see you soon… Take care… yeah, you too, bye." Steve pressed the button for the line that was flashing and heard the instantly recognisable voice of Amanda.
"Steve? Did you get my message to meet me in the parking lot of the Tower Mall, Bay D?"
"No, Amanda, I'm sorry, when did you call?"
"About an hour ago, I spoke to the desk sergeant, and she said she would leave a message on your desk."
Steve looked around at his paper strewn table, and finally his eyes landed on a piece of paper leaning up against his pen pot. On it in neat clear writing was the message, Please meet Doctor Bentley at the Tower Mall, Bay D of the parking lot. Re: Dismembered Jane Doe. Underneath the message was a signature. Alison Royle.
"Amanda, I am so sorry, I have it here. I am on my way; I'll be there in twenty minutes." Steve stood up, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He looked around him as he got there, because he wanted to leave some instructions and he realised that all the detectives he could trust to carry out his orders to the letter, were either in the hospital or worse. With a shake of his head he started down the stairs, and saw Alison at her new post. He moved over and waited as she finished taking details from a timid looking little man standing next to the desk. Finally he heard her begin to speak.
"Ok, Mr. Timms, I will get in contact with the relevant department, and they will send an officer down to speak with you and get all the details. If you would just like to take a seat, they shouldn't be a minute." Both Alison and Steve watched the little man turn and move away, then Steve smiled and began to speak.
"I'm off to Doctor Bentley's crime scene; if Detective Bannister calls can you get it transferred to my car? Anything else relating to the drive bys, make a note of it and then call me. My cell number is on the list under the counter. I have no idea how long I'll be, so just tell people I'll call them back."
"Ok, Lieutenant." Alison smiled, he was still the only cop in the place who was coming close to being nice to her, but she knew that it would need to be earned. Bob had been an extremely competent and respected man and it would take a long time for her to be accepted.
Steve was true to his word, and just over twenty minutes later he drew up to the crime scene waiting for him in Bay D. He moved over towards his friend and colleague, wondering as he went which body part they had this time.
"So, what do you have for me? Another arm? A leg maybe or a hand. That would be nice, I could do with a hand, they have fingers on them, and fingers have fingerprints."
"We have an arm, just like the other one, except for one thing."
"It's from the other side of the body, right?"
"Nope, it's from the same side of the body." Amanda looked at him. She knew that he'd had a terrible day yesterday, and even thought this was an awful case too, right now it gave both of them an opportunity to relax just a little.
"What do you mean … oh, no, I get it, you have the lower arm."
"No, Steve, I have the same part as before, the humerus, but this time it is from a man's body."