The words, now spoken, hung in the shadows between them. Involuntarily JD raised his hand, vainly trying to ward off the images they evoked. He had been just a flatfoot back then, madly in love with her. Engaged to be married. His partner Charlie, best friend and confidant, to serve as best man. How pathetically naïve he had been.
"What could Charlie have possibly told you," he demanded through gritted teeth, "that would have caused you to leave me?"
An audible sniff punctured the darkness. "A-after they took you away to prison, h-he told me that you had always been a dirty cop. That he had tried his best to stop you, but that you needed the money. Th-that you were two-timing me and had a mistress to support."
"Those were lies!" JD exploded. "I never...I didn't..." With difficulty he brought himself back under control. "I was innocent," he said tightly. Light from a passing automobile played across the office, futilely trying to penetrate the anguish of those memories.
"I know that now. He lied to us both, Jack. You went to prison and ended up with this." Her gaze swept across the office, shabby even in outline. "He ended up as District Attorney."
"You promised to be faithful, to wait for me...,"
"Forever and a day, Jack. Yes, I know. But I felt so lost and confused, like I never really knew you...," her breath hitched. "And so I wrote that awful letter....,"
In the slammer for 2-5, time off for good behavior, and week 3 he had received her letter. A 'Dear John' letter. Except that it started 'Dear Jack'. He could still remember the numbing despair as if it were yesterday. And then, in week 20...in week 20 he had opened an envelope to find a newspaper clipping inside. Announcing her engagement to Charlie.
The cigarette moved closer and JD could now make out her form in the gloom as she perched on the edge of his desk. Not that he needed to see her to remember. Even with his eyes closed, he could picture the brunette hair falling in waves, the bedroom eyes, the sensuous lips, the legs that stretched up to her neck. Her hand reached out and began to trace small circles on his.
"I loved you so much," she said caressingly. "It was never the same with Charlie. Sure, he took care of me," she admitted, expensive jewelry twinkling in the reflection from the streetlamps, "but it was always you I loved."
JD looked down at his hand, dazed, as the touch of her fingers burned its way through his body.
"Why didn't you ever marry, Jack?" she asked gently.
"I...I..." He watched her fingers circle, trying to make sense of the pattern.
"You loved me too, didn't you?" she said forlornly. "Even after what happened."
Circles...his brow cleared.
"Say you'll forgive me," she whispered seductively as she leant closer still, so close that he could almost...could almost...with a superhuman effort JD pulled back.
"There'll be plenty of time for that later, sugar," he said laconically. "Have you shared this revelation with Charlie?"
"I can't. I'm afraid, Jack," she began to weep softly. "Afraid he knows what I've found out. Afraid he'll frame me too. I need someone I can trust. You, Jack."
JD handed her his handkerchief and watched as she gently dabbed her eyes. She had never liked it when her mascara ran. "And what was it, exactly, that you needed me to do?" he prodded.
"He keeps the files in his office safe. The proof that you need. The protection that I need."
"You want me to pull a job on the DA's office?" JD asked in disbelief.
"There's an office party tomorrow night at Benji's. The coast will be clear. Promise me you'll do it, Jack," she begged. "Please," she whispered, crumpling the handkerchief in her hand. "For us."
"Alright, sweetheart. For us."
"I'll be so...grateful," she breathed suggestively. "Goodnight, Jack." She leant forward and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek. "Remember, forever and a day."
"Don't worry," came the response. "I won't forget."
He watched as she left the office, then swung his chair around again to stare out the window, brooding. It had, he noticed, started to rain.
"What could Charlie have possibly told you," he demanded through gritted teeth, "that would have caused you to leave me?"
An audible sniff punctured the darkness. "A-after they took you away to prison, h-he told me that you had always been a dirty cop. That he had tried his best to stop you, but that you needed the money. Th-that you were two-timing me and had a mistress to support."
"Those were lies!" JD exploded. "I never...I didn't..." With difficulty he brought himself back under control. "I was innocent," he said tightly. Light from a passing automobile played across the office, futilely trying to penetrate the anguish of those memories.
"I know that now. He lied to us both, Jack. You went to prison and ended up with this." Her gaze swept across the office, shabby even in outline. "He ended up as District Attorney."
"You promised to be faithful, to wait for me...,"
"Forever and a day, Jack. Yes, I know. But I felt so lost and confused, like I never really knew you...," her breath hitched. "And so I wrote that awful letter....,"
In the slammer for 2-5, time off for good behavior, and week 3 he had received her letter. A 'Dear John' letter. Except that it started 'Dear Jack'. He could still remember the numbing despair as if it were yesterday. And then, in week 20...in week 20 he had opened an envelope to find a newspaper clipping inside. Announcing her engagement to Charlie.
The cigarette moved closer and JD could now make out her form in the gloom as she perched on the edge of his desk. Not that he needed to see her to remember. Even with his eyes closed, he could picture the brunette hair falling in waves, the bedroom eyes, the sensuous lips, the legs that stretched up to her neck. Her hand reached out and began to trace small circles on his.
"I loved you so much," she said caressingly. "It was never the same with Charlie. Sure, he took care of me," she admitted, expensive jewelry twinkling in the reflection from the streetlamps, "but it was always you I loved."
JD looked down at his hand, dazed, as the touch of her fingers burned its way through his body.
"Why didn't you ever marry, Jack?" she asked gently.
"I...I..." He watched her fingers circle, trying to make sense of the pattern.
"You loved me too, didn't you?" she said forlornly. "Even after what happened."
Circles...his brow cleared.
"Say you'll forgive me," she whispered seductively as she leant closer still, so close that he could almost...could almost...with a superhuman effort JD pulled back.
"There'll be plenty of time for that later, sugar," he said laconically. "Have you shared this revelation with Charlie?"
"I can't. I'm afraid, Jack," she began to weep softly. "Afraid he knows what I've found out. Afraid he'll frame me too. I need someone I can trust. You, Jack."
JD handed her his handkerchief and watched as she gently dabbed her eyes. She had never liked it when her mascara ran. "And what was it, exactly, that you needed me to do?" he prodded.
"He keeps the files in his office safe. The proof that you need. The protection that I need."
"You want me to pull a job on the DA's office?" JD asked in disbelief.
"There's an office party tomorrow night at Benji's. The coast will be clear. Promise me you'll do it, Jack," she begged. "Please," she whispered, crumpling the handkerchief in her hand. "For us."
"Alright, sweetheart. For us."
"I'll be so...grateful," she breathed suggestively. "Goodnight, Jack." She leant forward and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek. "Remember, forever and a day."
"Don't worry," came the response. "I won't forget."
He watched as she left the office, then swung his chair around again to stare out the window, brooding. It had, he noticed, started to rain.