"I want to be able to start the trace the minute I know it's her!" Jim
demanded and the communications technician sighed.
"Yessir." The equipment itself wasn't that difficult to set up and install,
but the looming, glowering giant of a detective made her fidgety. With
relief, she caught a whiff of Captain Banks' expensive cigars. Carefully
keeping a straight face, she grinned inwardly, kept her head down, and
thus missed the last glare Jim threw in her direction as Simon dragged
him off. Finally. Now she could work.
"Jim, I know you're worried about Sandburg, but harassing Blake isn't
going to do anyone any good." Simon banks sat behind his desk and
watched one half of his best team pace. Ellison looked ready to take
something, or someone, apart. "Anyway, the woman said that he was
safe, right?"
"Yeah, and she said that he'd been knifed. She said that he'd lost a
lot of blood. She said that her "family" was taking care of him, Simon!"
And Jim looked away, jaw clenched.
"We'll find him, Jim." and Bank's voice was a lot more certain than he felt.
Fortunately, Officer Roberta Blake really was as good as her reputation
and the taps were well in place when a hesitant voice called to ask for
Detective Ellison. Blake nodded at Jim, and he punched the hold button.
"This is Ellison."
"Oh, hey, hi detective."
"You know, I never did get your name. I appreciate the updates here,
and I'd kind of like to know who to thank." Jim made his voice as friendly
as he could, focusing on hers and hearing how fast her breathing was. She
was scared. Damn! What had she done to Sandburg?
"Jenn" shot out of Jazz's mouth before she could stop it, the name she hadn't
used in six years. The name no one knew anymore. She panicked, then
thought swiftly, and realized that no one who'd ever used her righteous
name was anywhere near Cascade. It was okay.
"Jenn, thanks. How is Blair doing today?"
"He's doing okay. Running a low grade fever, which Son..our doctor says
is very normal for this sort of thing. If he rests a lot, he'll be able to move
in a couple of days. She says that he's a really fast healer."
"He'd have to be." Jim muttered to himself, then concentrated. Had to keep
her on the line. Had to LISTEN, filter out the traffic. Some kind of motor,
maybe. Too noisy for a car, too loud for a lawnmower. Not a motorcycle...
"Jenn, you said that Sandburg had been in a fight, but you never told me how
he got involved."
"Didn't I?" The girlish voice relaxed a little, in response to the lack of
anger in his tone. "BeB- a friend and I were involved in a domestic
fight, a guy was beating up another friend of ours in front of their kid,
and when the jerk jumped me from behind, Blair tore into him."
Jim listened to her enthusiastic praise of his roommate's action with
chagrin and some grudging pride. Damn, but Sandburg had guts. He
could no more watch a woman get hit than Jim himself could. It sounded
like he'd handled himself pretty well against a much larger opponent
too. Some sort of low, deep sound in the background of Jenn's story
and Jim focused on it.
"Detective, we've got it!" Blake hollered, and Jenn heard her.
"You've been tracing me? I should have guessed, can't trust
cops. The others were right about you." and Jim winced as
his only direct lead to Blair slammed the phone down in his
ear. He didn't waste breathe berating the communications
officer, he simply snatched the paper out of her hand and ran
for the Ford.
end part seven
demanded and the communications technician sighed.
"Yessir." The equipment itself wasn't that difficult to set up and install,
but the looming, glowering giant of a detective made her fidgety. With
relief, she caught a whiff of Captain Banks' expensive cigars. Carefully
keeping a straight face, she grinned inwardly, kept her head down, and
thus missed the last glare Jim threw in her direction as Simon dragged
him off. Finally. Now she could work.
"Jim, I know you're worried about Sandburg, but harassing Blake isn't
going to do anyone any good." Simon banks sat behind his desk and
watched one half of his best team pace. Ellison looked ready to take
something, or someone, apart. "Anyway, the woman said that he was
safe, right?"
"Yeah, and she said that he'd been knifed. She said that he'd lost a
lot of blood. She said that her "family" was taking care of him, Simon!"
And Jim looked away, jaw clenched.
"We'll find him, Jim." and Bank's voice was a lot more certain than he felt.
Fortunately, Officer Roberta Blake really was as good as her reputation
and the taps were well in place when a hesitant voice called to ask for
Detective Ellison. Blake nodded at Jim, and he punched the hold button.
"This is Ellison."
"Oh, hey, hi detective."
"You know, I never did get your name. I appreciate the updates here,
and I'd kind of like to know who to thank." Jim made his voice as friendly
as he could, focusing on hers and hearing how fast her breathing was. She
was scared. Damn! What had she done to Sandburg?
"Jenn" shot out of Jazz's mouth before she could stop it, the name she hadn't
used in six years. The name no one knew anymore. She panicked, then
thought swiftly, and realized that no one who'd ever used her righteous
name was anywhere near Cascade. It was okay.
"Jenn, thanks. How is Blair doing today?"
"He's doing okay. Running a low grade fever, which Son..our doctor says
is very normal for this sort of thing. If he rests a lot, he'll be able to move
in a couple of days. She says that he's a really fast healer."
"He'd have to be." Jim muttered to himself, then concentrated. Had to keep
her on the line. Had to LISTEN, filter out the traffic. Some kind of motor,
maybe. Too noisy for a car, too loud for a lawnmower. Not a motorcycle...
"Jenn, you said that Sandburg had been in a fight, but you never told me how
he got involved."
"Didn't I?" The girlish voice relaxed a little, in response to the lack of
anger in his tone. "BeB- a friend and I were involved in a domestic
fight, a guy was beating up another friend of ours in front of their kid,
and when the jerk jumped me from behind, Blair tore into him."
Jim listened to her enthusiastic praise of his roommate's action with
chagrin and some grudging pride. Damn, but Sandburg had guts. He
could no more watch a woman get hit than Jim himself could. It sounded
like he'd handled himself pretty well against a much larger opponent
too. Some sort of low, deep sound in the background of Jenn's story
and Jim focused on it.
"Detective, we've got it!" Blake hollered, and Jenn heard her.
"You've been tracing me? I should have guessed, can't trust
cops. The others were right about you." and Jim winced as
his only direct lead to Blair slammed the phone down in his
ear. He didn't waste breathe berating the communications
officer, he simply snatched the paper out of her hand and ran
for the Ford.
end part seven