Old Sins Cast Long Shadows
Rae read the letter through twice before she even began to consider its implications. She knew that this letter gave away something about the sender, and, apart from a warped sense of humour, they seemed to know precious little about him so far. The two of them were no longer party guests, but detectives working a case, and they were quiet for a long time, both of them trying to put the letter in perspective against the information they already had. "Well, I guess we had better go and let Ron know about this. That is an interesting personality trait." Rae was looking at the letter again as she spoke.
"What, you mean about his… well, I have always presumed she is his wife." Steve looked over at Rae and watched as she read the words again.
"Yes, that's what I mean. It didn't seem to bother him at the start, although we did say that he was treating her differently to Crosier."
"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" Steve nodded his head and moved to take the letter back.
"I guess we're getting good at this deduction lark." There was laughter in her voice as Rae spoke.
"I would say so, but I would also guess that we had better get back to the ball, after all we have been in this closet together for a while!" Steve laughed and carefully put the letter into the box. Rae turned to open the door, but as she did so, she caught the heel of her shoe in the hem of her dress and fell into Steve's arms. "Hey, steady, are you all right?" Steve gently stood her upright again and was relieved to see her nod.
"I am, long dresses and high heels are not my usual garb, I'm just not used to them. Sorry." Rae crouched down and inspected her dress, and was relieved to see that she hadn't ripped it, then she carefully stood back up and opened the door to the small room, which she supposed was about the size of a cupboard.
As Rae and Steve came back into the ballroom they could see that the number of guests had diminished, and there were only about thirty couples on the dance floor.
They both looked for Ron Wagner, and saw him dancing with Amanda right in the middle of the dance floor. "I think this can wait until Monday."
"Why not? You know I reckon we were in there longer than we thought! Where did everybody go?" Rae looked around and saw her husband dancing with Shannon and so she moved across towards where Jo was, to her surprise, talking with Debbie.
"Rae, Honey, where did you go? I have had your husband comin' over an' askin' me what I have done with you an' I had to say I had no idea!" Jo looked delighted to see her friend, and Rae had a feeling that it was Debbie talking to Jo and not the other way around.
Rae made a theatrical attempt at looking all around her and then leant over and whispered conspiratorially, "I was in a closet with your husband!"
Jo laughed and then smiled. "It's a good thing I trust you. Oh, great." Jo's voice changed and Rae turned to see what the problem was. "Mr. Mabriant, he wants his money back, because of the distress caused when he opened the box."
"What he means is the letter didn't tell him where the treasure was buried." Rae shook her head. "Want me to speak with him. Official investigation and all that guff?" Rae put her hand on her friend's arm as she spoke.
"Actually I don't think either of you ladies will have to bother, look." Debbie pointed a finger, with a pink painted, incredibly long nail on it, and the two friends turned to see the angry owner being intercepted by Steve.
"Well, I think I will go and grab my husband and try to get a couple more dances with him before the evening ends, Texas, I'll see you later, Debs, you too." Rae smiled and then made her way back over to where she could see Jesse talking with Alex and Shannon.
"Hey, Rae, where did you go? I thought you were just gonna have a word with Steve, and the next thing I know you are both gone."
Rae lowered her voice to a whisper once again, and Jesse, Alex and Shannon leant in closer. "That box, the one that had an anonymous donor?"
"Yeah, it was pretty, Daniel brought it round past us and we got a good look at it." Shannon smiled. She would have liked to own something like that, but $800 was way out of her league, in fact everything had been out of her league, but she had still had a wonderful time.
"Just be glad you didn't bid on it. There was a letter inside it, from S. Todd."
"You're kidding!" Alex looked at his friend, and the shocked expression on his face made her laugh, but she still shook her head.
"Why do people say that? I wouldn't have said it was there if it wasn't. We now have a set of letters that match the bits and pieces. Which is a worry, guys, you really need to check everything that belongs to you which is big enough for … well, you know what it needs to be big enough for."
"We'll be careful, and anything that we think is doubtful we call you or Steve, yes?" Alex looked concerned, and Rae could see that he had moved closer to Shannon.
"Ideally yes, but get on to the station, they will either get hold of us if you can't, or send someone to deal with it." As Rae finished speaking the band began to play a slow tune, and both Jesse and Alex walked their partners onto the dance floor and, holding them tightly in their arms, forgot all about dismembered bodies, anonymous letters, and anything other than the moment.
Jo found herself back with Debs after a leisurely dance with Steve, and she could see her brother's girlfriend eyeing her gown. In the end unable to stand it any more she exploded.
"Debbie, do I have dinner down my dress or somethin' only you keep lookin' at me as if I do."
"No, I was just lookin' at the glitter that you have on your top. I guess you must have gotten it from Steve when you were dancin' just now. Y'know, Rae has that in her hair, an' he has it all over his jacket. Now, I wonder how that happened…? They were in that closet a mighty long time to just be readin' a letter." Debbie picked up her drink then, and, before Jo could reply, moved back over to where David was standing, and before many more minutes had elapsed they had retired to their room.
It was a little after two before Jo, Steve, Rae and Jesse finally made their way up to the presidential suite, and all four of them were delighted that they had arranged to be guests of the hotel overnight. Daniel was already fast asleep, and Mark, who was staying just down the hallway, had remained in the suite so that the boy wasn't alone. Steve had smiled when he had offered, knowing that his dad already thought of him as the grandchild he had never had.
Nobody stirred the next day before eleven o'clock, except for Daniel, and he took full advantage of the pay per view movies until someone else staggered into the living room.
That someone was Jesse, and before Daniel knew it the doctor was making himself comfy on a recliner chair, a soda and some chips by his side, enjoying the film along with him.
"Hey, Jesse … d'you want me to turn this off?" Daniel looked a little worried.
"What? No, no, I came to watch with you."
"Gee, I wish M would let me have chips and soda for breakfast, can you imagine his face?"
"Oh yeah, but he's not here is he…? Here you go." Jesse stood up put his supplies next to the boy and then went and got some more for himself.
By half past twelve everybody was up, and, although none of them looked as glamorous or smart as they had the night before, they were all loath to return to the normality of their everyday lives.
"Well, I guess we could all go an' have lunch somewhere." Jo looked around at the four other people in the room.
"Bob's, we could all go there, couldn't we?" Daniel burst into the conversation, hoping to get his point across first.
"Mmm, the Beverley Hills Hotel to Barbeque Bob's, high culture all the way then!" Rae turned away her hand covering her mouth as she sniggered, only to have her husband cuff her on the shoulder.
"Hey, I'm very proud of that restaurant." Rae turned back and kissed him gently on the lips.
"So you should be. You asked me out for the first time in there, remember?" Jesse didn't say anything, but a silly grin appeared on his face, and Rae knew that he remembered just fine.
In the end it had been decided that Rae and Jesse would go and pick up their daughters from Sally; Jo, Steve, and Daniel would see David and Debbie off on their flight back to Texas. They would then all meet at Bob's for dinner, and during the afternoon they would invite Amanda, Ron and the boys, Mark and Madison and Alex and Shannon to join them.
"There won't be room for anybody else in the place." Jo had laughed as she spoke, but Steve had looked across at Jesse and then spoken himself.
"So, we'll close half of the restaurant for the night. This weekend has cost a fortune so far, one more night isn't gonna make much difference."
"Well, if you're sure, it would make a real nice finish up to a wonderful two days. Thank you, darlin'." Jo had kissed her husband on the lips, and then they had begun to pack everything away.
"What about M?" Daniel suddenly realised that the other member of his family had been forgotten.
"Well, we could ask him, but we have asked before, an' he has never said yes… I tell you what, Honey, why don't you go an' ask him, he is just down one floor, room 393…74, I think."
With a smile the boy had left the room, and the adults had returned to their packing. As she put the first items into her suitcase Jo found the envelopes that Rae had given her the previous day. She took them out, and then quietly, so that no one would see her, she went into the living room, made herself comfortable on one of the chairs and took out the contents of the package addressed to her.
My darling child,
This letter and the rest of the contents of this package have been hidden well for two reasons, one, I am still not sure if I am doing the right thing by giving you all this. Michael thinks not, and will probably be very distant and stuffy when he finds out you have it; you know how he can get. The other reason is that it will doubtless upset you, and I really don't want to do that.
Honey, I have thought about this long and hard and when you joined the police force I almost told you then, but now, before I die I need to write it all down for you. If you never find it then so be it, if you do and decide not to do anything about it, well, I guess that is your prerogative.
I want you to go back to Texas, maybe for a long time, but it needs to be done. You have to get all the information on the fire that killed your mamma and pappa and go over it with the policewoman's eye that you once had.
Josephine, I have always known that there was something odd about the way that your folks died, and you need to investigate it. Your papa was a good man, he was my only son and I loved him very much, but, however blinkered I may have been, I still know he was good. He slipped up a couple of times, but he would never have done what they said he did.
Look into it my sweet, go over everything you can find, I thought then and I still think now, that your parents were dead before the fire started, see if I am right. Somebody caused you and your brother to be brought up by your grandpa and me, and even though we loved you completely, we could never replace your real parents.
The other envelopes are all for you except the one for David, give it to him and then leave him be. If he wants to he will tell you what is in it.
Remember always that I love you my child,
Florence G. Walters
Jo read the letter through twice, and then unable to see the words any longer through the tears in her eyes she let it fall to her lap and tried to compose herself.
"Texas, are you ok?"
Jo knew who it was, only Rae called her Texas, and normally she loved it, but now the sympathy in her friend's voice was too much for her and she shook her head and then silently picked up the letter and handed it to her.
Rae read it through quietly and reflected how letters were shaping everyone's lives right now. "Oh, Honey, I am so sorry. Come here." Rae held her arms out and was relieved when Jo went gratefully into them. The letter was now on the table, and although Rae had read it all through she couldn't help letting her eyes run over it again. "I know you only just saw this, but what do you think you will do?"
"I have to go don't I? Rae, if my parents were murdered then I have to find out why. I don't remember them at all, I was five when they died, an' all my life I have wondered what they were like, whether they would be proud of me, an' then doubted that they would. Maybe if I can solve this they will look down from on high an' be glad that I'm their daughter." Jo tried to turn in her friend's arms, suddenly uncomfortable that she had told someone one of her deepest fears. She felt Rae's hand as it rested on her cheek and then gently applied some pressure until she was looking down into the dark brown, concerned but friendly, eyes of the best friend she had ever had.
"Oh, Texas, they will be looking down now and seeing a beautiful, poised, successful woman, married to the man she loves, raising a child who has blossomed under her care, and they will be thankful that you bear their name. You have never, all you life, forgotten them. Honey, I'm proud to call you my friend, and they would be doubly so to call you their daughter."
The tears were running freely down Jo's face now, and she hugged her friend tightly as she fought for control. Gradually her breathing steadied, and she moved back to look Rae in the eye. "Thank you, Rae; I don't know what else to say."
"You don't have to say anything, but you must show that to Steve, later tonight when you get home, either before or after Bob's, but share it with him, you can't do this on your own."
"I will, I promise. An' I will give David his envelope to take home with him. Think I can persuade him not to show it to Miss Prissy Knickers?"
"No, but I know you will have a jolly good try." Rae grabbed a tissue from the box on the small table by the side of her and Jo wiped away the last of her tears. Then, picking up the letter and taking a deep breath she returned to the bedroom, Rae following closely and, unbeknownst to Jo, shaking her head so that neither Steve nor Jesse asked her what the matter was.
In the end it was just after seven that night before everybody gathered in Barbeque Bob's for an impromptu party. Rae and Jesse put Anneya into a high chair, and Eliana onto a booster seat, and they sat there a little bemused by all the activity but captivated by it as well. Rae had called into a grocery store on the way over and bought some baby food, a box of bread sticks and some juice.
Rae sat down at one of the tables, and snuggled up to her husband. "Jess?"
"Yeah?" Jesse moved slightly so that he could rest his wife's head on his shoulder.
"Has Michael ever been here before?"
"No, I don't think so. Apparently he 'had enough barbeque to last him a life time' while he was in Texas, and he had no wish to try it again, why?"
"Well, I guess he knows what he's doing then, and probably trying to make a point, but he's eating his ribs with a knife and fork!"
Jesse looked over to where the manservant was sitting, talking with Mark and Madison, and, as Rae had said, eating his meal with cutlery. "You know he has very strict ideals, and I guess he isn't gonna change them for anyone. Meat is eaten properly, and fingers are not properly."
"Maybe we could get him to mention that to Eliana once in a while. She eats porridge with her fingers. Rae smiled as her eyes rested on her elder daughter, both their children had been hijacked, Anneya was being fed by Amanda, and Eliana had Alex and Shannon helping her with her meal.
"Mmm, what a lovely weekend, do you feel like you have had a restful week?" Rae looked up at Jesse, and she could tell just by the way he looked what the answer was.
"Oh yeah, and even though I moaned a bit, I really enjoyed being with the girls. But I think I may know why my mom raced back to the hospital at every opportunity. You don't get a minute to yourself do you?"
"Aww, poor baby, but I understand what you mean; I couldn't do it, not all the time. I think that Texas could, I guess in some ways you are choosing that as your career. I admire anyone who can, like Sally for instance, and love it as much as she does, but no, it's not for me."
"As long as you're happy, Rae, that's all that matters. I mean, look at our two girls, they are both happy, Eliana is confident and outgoing, I don't think you staying home is gonna make any difference to that, and she gets a mom who wants to be with her when she isn't working." Jesse was smiling as he spoke, his eyes not on his wife but on his daughters as they enjoyed the attention being lavished on them.
"I love you Jesse, I know you know that, but it's nice to be able to say it, no worries, no problems, just that I love you." Rae moved slightly and then kissed him tenderly on the lips.
"Mmm, let's not stay too late, huh?"
It was just after ten when the party broke up and everybody headed in their various directions, all promising to get together again real soon. Steve, Jo and Daniel stayed until the end so that they could lock up and make sure that the place was safe and secure. Although he didn't want to admit it Daniel was almost asleep by the time they arrived home, and he was pleased that Michael had left a little before them and the house was lit up and welcoming.
"I … uh, I had a great time this weekend, and I know that me … being off school is a real disappointment to both of you, but I promise it won't happen again."
"Daniel, if what you told me is true then you have nothing to be worried about, and you certainly aren't a disappointment. One of us is gonna call the school tomorrow to try and get you reinstated straight away. Now, go to bed … oh, and Daniel?" Steve watched as the boy stopped as he spoke.
"Yeah?" Daniel was already on the stairs and he turned a puzzled look on his face.
"We thought you did a great job, thank you."
The boy came back down the stairs, and for the first time since he had arrived he kissed Jo on the cheek and then hugged Steve. "Goodnight, Mom, Dad." And then before either Steve or Jo could respond he turned and raced up the stairs.
"Sir, Madam, could I perhaps get you both a warm drink?"
"Michael that would be wonderful, how about a hot chocolate, an' as I have been naughty all weekend, maybe some marshmallows as well?"
"Very good Madam, would that be for two?"
"It would be for three if you would join us." Steve smiled at the Englishman, but wasn't surprised when his offer was refused.
"No, thank you, Sir, I have my duties to attend to."
Steve and Jo went into the morning room and sat together on the sofa. Steve leant over and kissed her gently on the lips, but soon his hands were in her hair and the kiss was becoming much more insistent.
Gradually though, Jo pulled back and smiled at him. "Honey, I would like nothin' more than to just go to bed right now an' well, I guess you want to do the same, but I have some things that I really need to talk to you about."
"You do? I need to talk to you about Daniel, so who gets to go first?"
"Me, we can talk about Daniel when we go to bed, but I have things that I need to show you." Jo had a bag with her and she leant down and picked it up. "Rae an' Jesse found this in their house, Steve, you need to read it an' … well, I don't know." Jo didn't really have any idea how to continue so she stopped talking.
Steve sat silently reading through the letter that Jo had received from her grandmother.
"Do you think that it was written at the same time as the other letter?" Steve knew that she was upset by what he had read and he made sure that he had his arm around her as he spoke.
"I guess so, but I don't really know. I wasn't around much before she died, you know that. She had been dead for two years before I came home … I have to do this, Steve, it is the only way I can say goodbye to her."
"I know, but don't go yet, leave it a couple of weeks, I need to get used to the idea that you won't be here."
"You could always come with me." Jo looked at the man sitting next to her; the thought of going back to Texas without him was not one that she wanted to entertain, but she knew that he wouldn't be able to leave his job for as long as she might be away.
"I want to, but, Honey, you know that I can't. I'm guessing that this wouldn't be a weekend trip. If you go I will come down every chance I get, I can't promise more than that, and we have Daniel to think about as well now."
Jo smiled, "Yeah, we do, don't we?" She moved a little closer to her husband and as she did so Michael came in with the drinks. Jo wriggled out of Steve's grasp and looked at her butler. "Michael, I have to show you this." She handed the letter to him and then waited as, once again, the room descended into silence until Michael had finished reading.
"I see, Madam, and now if you will excuse me." Without waiting for his employer to reply he turned swiftly and left the room.
Steve and Jo looked at each other and then picked up their drinks and headed for the stairs. They knew that there would be no point in talking with their butler until the morning, and neither of them was sure what to say anyway.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rae eased herself out of bed on the Monday morning and looked at her sleeping husband with a sigh. She was due to start at eight and Jesse didn't have to be at the hospital until one. As Rae moved across towards the bathroom she saw her dress hanging on the front of the closet waiting for Jesse to take it to the cleaners with his tux later in the day and for a moment she thought back.
By half past seven Rae was driving into the station, a CD in the player of the pool car she had borrowed singing loudly. Alison was on duty as she entered the precinct and she waved at her.
"Hey, Alison, how was your weekend?"
"Not as exciting as yours by the look of it. You made the society pages."
"I beg your pardon?" Rae looked at the desk sergeant and saw her pull a copy of the morning paper from underneath the counter.
"Here, see for yourself."
Rae took the newspaper from the smiling woman in front of her and flicked through until she got to the page she was looking for. There was a whole section on the Community General/Los Angeles Police Foundation Fund Raising Ball, and spread right across the top of the article was a picture that she remembered having taken of her, Jesse, Texas, Steve and Daniel. Underneath was the caption 'Society hostess Josephine Sloan, Lieutenant Steve Sloan, of the LAPD, and their son Daniel with friends, Doctor Jesse Travis of Community General Hospital and Detective Reagan Yeager at one of the highlights of the Los Angeles social season.
"Oh my, well, I guess it will end up on my refrigerator, Jesse usually puts any picture he finds of me in the paper there." Rae smiled, the picture was lovely and she realised that she wasn't bothered by the fact that she was in the public eye once again. Maybe she was finally getting past Levington after all.
"It's a lovely photo, and you all look wonderful."
"Thank you. But now it's back to reality and a morning on the phone checking the utility providers of a murder victim. Ho hum, such is life." With a smile Rae moved away towards the stairs, and soon she was at her desk, a cup of tea and a pile of telephone directories by her side.
Before she delved into the, to her, complicated world of electricity, gas and water suppliers Rae decided to look through the bank details that she and Steve had picked up on the Friday before they finished work.
The details that had been supplied by Leslie Abbott showed where Neil Crosier's salary had been paid each fortnight into his account at the Bank of America and it didn't take her long to see that everything tallied to the last cent. She was only checking the last two months of his slightly sordid police career, which was, in reality, about a year ago. There were however, two deposits she couldn't account for and Rae hunted through all her paperwork to see if she could find anything that related to the injection of $500 in cash twice in the last four months. In the end Rae gave up, picked up the telephone directory which had the number for the bank they had visited in it, and put a call through to speak with the manager. She wanted to get as much accomplished as she could before Steve got in. He was staying a little later at home so that he could speak with Daniel's principal, and Rae knew that if it didn't go well he wouldn't want to come in to a pile of paperwork and no progress.
"Oh, Good morning, please may I speak with Mr. Waddell, this is Detective Reagan Yeager, LAPD, from the North Hollywood Precinct … Yes I'll hold." But not for long I hope. Rae used the time to retrace her steps through the bank statement, and as she moved further back she could see that the payments of $500 had been a regular occurrence. Every other month the same amount had been paid in, and then almost immediately transferred out again. "Mr. Waddell...? Yes, Sir, good morning to you. I wondered if you could provide me with a little extra information on the bank account details you gave me on Friday for Mr. Neil Crosier … no, Sir, I am not wanting anything of a personal nature apart from the names of the banks that were used to transfer money into and out of his account… I will use that information to get a search warrant to carry my investigation a little further … No, I realise that, but I feel that time is of the essence in this case, and if you can let me have the two bank names I can go from there… Thank you, Sir… Yes, you have a nice day too, Mr. Waddell."
Rae put the phone down, grabbed her jacket and headed out of the station to begin her search for a judge. The search took just over an hour, and, because Rae already had one search warrant, she had no problem getting the others. The problems began when she realised just where the two other banks were.
The first one was a Bank of The West branch in Culver City, a journey of about thirty to forty five minutes depending on the traffic. The second one was in the Yucca Valley and Rae didn't even know where that was, but after spending five minutes on the Internet at Yahoo Maps she knew that she had at least a two and a half hour journey ahead of her, once she had conducted her business in Culver City.
Leaving a message for her partner on both his cell phone and his desk she grabbed her jacket and headed off for her first meeting of the day with a bank manager.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Daniel!" Steve called out loudly from the bottom of the staircase and waited, after two more tries at unsuccessfully calling his son, Steve sighed and climbed the stairs. He remembered with fondness the intercom system that had been in a house he had lived in for a short while when he was working undercover to try and find out who was murdering the residents of a gated community. Maybe installing one in this house would be a good idea.
Knocking on the door to the bedroom that Daniel had turned into his own, Steve entered and looked about him in amazement. He wasn't sure if he could actually see any carpet, the bed looked as if about half a dozen fourteen year olds had slept in it rather than just one, and there was a very precarious looking pile of plates on a desk in the corner. Sat under the window, a pair of headphones over his ears Daniel was working on the computer that Steve and Jo had bought for him after they had realised that he didn't actually have anything to do other than eat, sleep and go to school. With a nod of disgust and understanding of the room in front of him Steve moved over towards the boy who was still totally oblivious to the fact that there was someone in the room with him.
Trying not to turn his ankle on the various pairs of sneakers and shoes which were placed strategically just where he wanted to put his own feet Steve finally got to within breathing distance of Daniel. He leant forward and pulled the two ear plugs from their homes and then laughed as the boy jumped and yelled out in surprise.
"You are still alive up here then?"
"I was, until you did that, can you do CPR?"
"I have been calling you from down stairs for, ooh, about the last five minutes, and has your Mom or Michael seen this room?"
"Sorry, I didn't hear you, and no, nobody has seen it … well, except you that is."
"I am about to call Mr. Naegler and I figured you would at least want to know, or even, if you can actually get both of us back across the room without a Sherpa guide, come down and listen to what I have to say."
Daniel looked up at his foster father and decided that it would probably be better if he went downstairs and did what Steve said. Without a word he stood up, nodded, watched as two toast crusts fell to the floor, and then followed his dad out of the room.
Jo was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and she smiled as the two men in her life came towards her. "I was just thinkin' about sendin' out a search party, what took you so long?"
"Well, I had to get suited up in protective gear before the health department would let me in." Steve grinned as he spoke.
"Ok, ok, I get the message; I'll clear it up after you've called Naegler." Daniel had raised his hands in surrender and then sat down on a chair in the hallway to wait for Steve to dial the number.
Ten minutes later Jo was wondering whether she should be on her cell phone calling her father-in-law to come and treat her husband for a coronary. Steve was keeping his temper, just, but the effort was causing him to look as if he was about to blow steam out of his ears.
"… Mr. Naegler, if you would … No, Sir, I realise that but … MR. NAEGLER I would really appreciate it if you would let me actually finish a sentence. I am very sorry that I wasn't able to come see you face to face, but my wife and I have spoken with our son … yes, Mr. Naegler he is our foster son, but we don't feel the need to mention it continually … we have spoken with DANIEL…" Steve raised his voice again and Jo held a finger to her lips as the boy looked round uncertainly as he heard his name so loudly. "We have spoken with Daniel at length about this, and feel that he has been put under undue pressure by a certain bully element in your school … yes, bully is what I said, Sir, and he was finally goaded into reacting, when the young man concerned realised that our SON wasn't going to join them in breaking the law." Steve finally paused long enough to catch his breath and he rolled his eyes in the direction of Jo and Daniel before pulling himself back to the voice that all three of them could hear on the other end of the line.
"I am asking you to reinstate him, immediately …" Steve glared at Daniel as he shook his head vigorously, "And take the suspension off his permanent record… I see, well that is a shame, if you can't work with me on at least one of these requests I will have to send them in writing to the school board… Yes, Sir, I will hold the line." Steve put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Apparently he has given his word to the parents of the other boy that Daniel won't be there until the end of the week, but he thinks that he might be able to 'accommodate us' where the permanent record is concerned… Idiot… Yes, I am still here, Sir… Thank you, no, we understand that, we understood it on Friday and we still understand it now … no, Sir, I wouldn't dream of doing that … yes, you too. Goodbye, Sir." Steve managed to release some of his anger by slamming the phone down on the cradle.
"Hey, careful, or I will have to go buy a new phone this mornin'… So, what did he say, does the suspension stay on Daniel's record or not?"
"No, he will have it removed by the time he returns to school on Thursday, and I think that whoever takes him in, and ideally it should be both of us, we need to make sure that has happened." Steve moved a little closer to where the boy was sitting. "Daniel, do you really want to stay at that school?"
"No, not now. I told you I liked the way I could just disappear into the crowd and nobody bother me, but I don't think that will happen any more. I'll stay until the end of this semester, but then if there is a school closer that you think will be ok, I'll move."
Jo leant over and kissed him on the cheek. "If you change your mind in the meantime, either about the amount of time you want to stay there, or the fact that you want to leave, you just tell us an' we will go with whatever you want to do."
"I don't suppose I could just give it up all together?"
"Oh, ha ha, he's gonna be a comedian when he leaves school. No, young man, that isn't an option. Now, I'm off to work, Jo, Honey, I'll see you later, and Daniel…we will be calling the school again to get your homework, now … bedroom. "
"Yes, Sir." Daniel looked up at the man who was quickly becoming the most important person, along with Jo, in his life. "Steve … sorry, Dad, thank you."
"Hey, any time, Son, any time." Steve cuffed the boy round the head in a playful, friendly way and then kissed his wife gently on the lips. "I have no idea when I'll be home, but I will try to make it for dinner. Bye all… Michael, I'm off, I'll see you later."
The door to the kitchen opened and Michael, his silver-cleaning apron on over his suit bowed slightly in his direction. "Very good, Sir. We are having steak tonight, so I will cook it to order upon your return."
"That sounds great; I'll call before I leave the station." Steve grabbed his jacket off the end of the banister walked through the kitchen and laundry room and then pressed the button to open the garage doors. Ten minutes later he was driving towards the station relieved to see that most people had already beaten him to it and that the roads were quiet and without any unexpected hold-ups.
Steve received the same greeting as Rae, and Alison once again showed the photo in the paper. He shook his head, why the ball would make the papers he had no idea, but he guessed it was good publicity, especially if they held another one the following year, and he knew that Jo was already thinking about that.
Grabbing a coffee as he moved across the squad room Steve was surprised to see that Rae's desk was empty. Cheryl was on the phone and waved as he passed her, the Captain was back from his conference and then as he sat down he saw a piece of paper with his partner's familiar printed handwriting on it.
Steve,
I have found some anomalies in Crosier's bank accounts. I am off to get a search warrant, and then, for my sins, I am heading to Culver City and Yucca Valley. I have no idea where I am going, let alone when I will be back, so I guess you will just have to survive without me today.
Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Rae.
Oh, by the way, I left a list of the utility companies that need checking on my desk, have fun!!!
Rae had driven the short distance to Culver City Park where she had sat in pleasant surroundings trying to digest what she had just found out. Her idea had been to park somewhere that she wouldn't be disturbed and go through the paperwork that she had been given at the Bank of the West. However, once she started reading, the location of her car became secondary to what was unfolding before her eyes. She had always known that Crosier was a rat, from what she had got from Steve after his trips to vice he didn't care if a woman was married or not, to him they were all fair game. That had been bad enough for her, marriage was sacred, and she would never, ever cheat on Jesse. If it had got to the stage where she would even think about it then the marriage was over and should be ended. Concentrate! The information in front of her showed that there was more to Crosier than even she had imagined. He had been on the take, there was no doubt about it, and more than that, he might have had a house on Murietta Avenue, but he had another one in Culver City, which although only about a half hour from the first address they had for him, was probably a world away too. Los Angeles was a big city, Rae guessed that he was able to either keep two separate lives going, which would seem to be argued by the different bank accounts, or the lives were interwoven, and he liked to have two different sets of neighbours. Either way Rae knew that she wouldn't be finished with her travelling once she got back from Yucca Valley.
Putting her car into drive Rae pulled back out into the now lunchtime traffic. She had a drive of over two hours in front of her, and she didn't really want to be doing it, but she had no choice, and so, putting the CD on as loud as she dared, Rae began her long journey.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was almost lunchtime when the phone rang in the hallway of Jo's house and Michael left his polishing to go and answer it.
"Sloan residence … Good morning, Master David … yes, she is here, I will connect you, if you would hold the line." Michael put the phone back down and walked towards the morning room. Jo was reading through her e-mails, most of which were complimentary notes of thanks for the ball and looked up as she heard him enter.
"Madam, your brother is on the phone."
"Oh, thank you, Michael, ooh, don't forget to count the silver before you put it all back in the cabinet." Jo laughed at the scandalised look on her butler's face and moved over and picked up the phone.
"David, Honey, how are you … I have wanted to call an' call, but grandmamma said I wasn't to, so I haven't … oh, I thought that was why you were callin', how can you have not opened it yet…? I'm fine, still a little tired, but fine, why, is there a problem…? Oh … no, I'm very happy for you an' Debs. You just give her my best, David, I can see someone comin' up my driveway; I have to go … yeah, you too. Bye now."
The lie had sprung easily to her lips and Jo moved away from the phone for a moment, but only to wipe the tears from her eyes. Then she turned back to it again picked it up, dialled a number that she knew off by heart and waited.
"Travis resident … Hey, Jo, how's the hostess with the mostest today..? Jo, what's wrong…? Of course, I remember, and the offer still stands … what now? Ok, look I have to be going to work in about a half hour can you be ready for then..? No, I'll call just before I leave … and Jo, don't worry." Jesse put the phone down and returned to the playroom a look on concern on his face.
Eliana and Anneya were together in the playpen. Although she wasn't really at all interested in her sister, Eliana would tolerate her in the pen as long as she didn't take her toys. It hadn't happened yet, but Jesse knew that it wouldn't be long before it did, and then there would be trouble.
He had spent the morning putting together furniture and toys for the new room. Everything that the children had was destroyed in the fire, and after much soul searching Rae and Jesse had decided to dip into their savings to replace things rather than wait for the insurance company to pay out. So, for that reason, so far Jesse had made a toy chest, a tricycle, which was hidden behind the sofa, two sets of shelves and put the sticky lion, which Rae had spotted while they were out shopping, on the handle of the door. But now he knew that his time with his daughters was over, and he had to be getting back into doctor mode.
By the time he had his suit on, his daughters in the car, and called through to Jo it was almost a quarter to twelve, and Jesse knew that he might be cutting it a bit fine to be there for the start of his shift, but he was always the optimist and knew that with light traffic he would be fine.
Jo climbed into the passenger seat, looked into the back to receive a rapturous welcome from Eliana, and then sat quietly, not saying anything.
"Jo, what's the matter?" Jesse's voice was soft and kind and she looked up and he was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "Oh, Jo, come here a minute, what is it?"
"Jess, you can check me over, right? Make sure that things are all … as they are supposed to be?"
"You know I can, I offered and I am happy to do it for you. But why now? I guessed that you and Steve have been … it's not my place to ask, and you hadn't said anything since we talked about it … well, it was a while ago wasn't it?"
"We have been tryin' an' nothin' is happenin', just nothin' at all. An' then this mornin' a few minutes before I called you David was on the phone. Debbie is pregnant. Jesse, they aren't even married." The tears that had been threatening began then and Jesse held her close for a little longer until she calmed herself enough for him to feel happy about beginning their journey.
"Look, we'll drop the girls off, and go straight to the hospital and I will do everything then, ok?"
Jo just nodded, leant back in the seat and closed her eyes. She didn't have anything to say, her heart hurt too much for her to make conversation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rae finally got back to the station just before seven o'clock, she was hot, crabby and in desperate need of a visit to the little girl's room. By the time Rae had made her stop at the ladies room, spoken with a couple of cops she hadn't seen in a while, and climbed the stairs to the homicide department she was feeling a little less crabby and uncomfortable but still hot and now very thirsty. "Hey, partner, where have you been? I've found out some very interesting stuff while you've been away." Steve stood up as he saw Rae come into the room.
"Where have I been? Where have you been? I have been calling you all day. Your desk phone has been tied up the entire time, and I can't get through on your cell at all." Rae flopped into her seat. "You know a gentleman would get me a drink."
"Yeah, well you just have me, so you have to get your own… Joke, joke, I'll get it for you." Steve put a drink of water down in front of his partner and watched as she drained it in almost one gulp.
"So what did you find out then?" Rae looked at him; she was almost too tired to even think about all the information trying to fight its way out of her brain.
"Crosier had three houses. One in Van Nuys, one in Culver City and one in Yucca Valley."
"I know that, where do you think I have been all day?" Rae plonked the paperwork down in front of him. "He was bent Steve, he was getting over $3,000 a month from someone, or maybe two or three someone's, and as you say, he had three houses. I checked something else while I was out and about." Rae waited.
"And that was?"
"I went to the hall of records. Neil Crosier, all round nice guy and warm human being, was a bigamist too."
After Rae's impressive statement everything else was a little flat, and, in the end, they both decided to call it a day and head for home. Rae had to pick up her daughters, and so they parted company in the parking lot, knowing that by eight the following morning they would both be back for another round of bigamists and body parts.