"Drugs, alcohol. These friends are definitely party people. I have this
feeling that they're hiding something about Damon."
****
After we finish eating dinner and check into the hotel, it's quarter past eight and I'm beat. I grab my bag, take it with me into my room and shut the door behind me. I can hear Jack walking around on the other side of the wall and let out a soft sigh, staring at the adjoining door. I remember the nights we used to pretend to have to get involved on cases, only to escape our jobs and our lives to be together.
I take a seat on the bed, open the file and read through the information we've gathered.
I hear Jack on the other side of the door, talking to someone on the phone. I let out a sigh, figuring he's probably trying to reason with Maria why he's on the case and not some other agent.
I grab my phone and dial the house to see how Eva's doing.
"Hello?" She picks up after two rings.
"You keeping the house in good shape?"
"Of course," she chimes. "How's the case going?"
"Pretty much a dead end."
"How's Jack?" Eva giggles.
"He's still married," I answer, lying back in bed and closing my eyes.
"You should call Martin."
"I should?"
"Yeah; if you talk loud enough, Jack might get jealous."
"You're evil."
"I know," she laughs softly. "I should go; there's a show I want to watch tonight."
"Fine," I shake my head. "Don't stay up too late," I tease her.
"Don't worry," she smiles before hanging up.
I end the call and then dial Martin to talk about the case. I hear Jack running the shower and relax, knowing he won't be eavesdropping.
"Hello?"
"Martin, its Samantha."
"I know," he answers lightly. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," I whisper. "I just wanted to talk to you. I didn't see much of you today," I remind him.
"Miss me already?" he questions with a teasing laugh. "There isn't much to go on with the case. I'm thinking of driving up tomorrow, to help you guys out."
"Did you talk to Jack?" I question.
"Yeah, earlier and he said he'd see how the case pans out. Right now any leads we have will come from you," Martin tells me.
"We don't have much to go on, if anything at all," I point out.
"Well the family hasn't seen Damon in over a month, and that doesn't work well for us." He lets out a soft sigh and I can hear him typing away.
"Are you still at work?"
"Yeah," he breathes out. "I finished your report, at least what I could do for you."
"Martin," I whisper, "you didn't have to---"
"I know. Consider it another Christmas gift," he teases softly.
"Jack's going to know I didn't write it."
"You can revise it when you get back and add any other fine details."
"Thanks," I laugh. "You can be a real lifesaver sometimes."
"Listen, Samantha, I'm sorry I left in such a rush Sunday morning."
"It's okay."
"No." I can see his mind racing a mile a minute. "I didn't want to leave, but I felt like if I stayed any longer, I'd do something I'd regret."
"Yeah?" I question aloud. "What are you getting at?"
"I can't sleep next to you and not toss and turn all night. When I'm in bed with you, I want to make love to you, not just watch you sleep."
"Martin," I interrupt him.
"I know, you want to take things slow. I don't disagree with that."
"I'm just not sure what I want right now," I tell him. "I think you're a really great friend, Martin, and I don't want to screw it up."
"You won't," he reassures me. "We're good together, and I love you," he tells me soundly.
"Yeah," I let out a sigh, remembering how good it felt, how slow it was. Whenever Jack and I made love, it was always frantic and rushed. With Martin it was different. I'm sure Jack would take his time if I wanted him to slow down, but at the time that's what I needed. Now I'm not so sure.
"What, Samantha?" Martin's voice is soft on my ears.
"I should go. It's getting late and you should get home," I remind him. "Goodnight," I whisper before hanging up the phone.
I slide my phone onto the bedside table and let out a soft breath. I close my eyes, wondering what Jack really thinks of Martin and me together. If he caught us kissing or touching, would he become outraged? If he did, it means he's still in love with me---right?
"Sam?" I hear Jack's voice on the other side of the door and him knocking gently.
"Just a second," I answer, heading over to unlock the adjoining door.
"I wanted you to look at something," he motions for me to follow into his room. His hair's wet and he's wearing a fresh change of clothes. I can smell his scent emitted from the bathroom and take in a breath, drinking him in.
"What is it?" I eye him curiously as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, showing me his notes.
"I talked to Danny and Vivian earlier. Viv mentioned there were too many DUI's reported to count last night. She went through them anyhow, but his name and description didn't turn up anything."
"What about accidents?" I question, moving towards the bed, looking down at the file.
"Depends where we're looking. From the bar to his apartment, none. From the bar to his home, five."
"Five?" My eyes widen in surprise.
"It's the holidays, Samantha, and besides it's nearly 300 miles from the bar to his house back in the city."
"Has the team looked into the accidents?" My eyes glance into Jack's as he moves to allow me room to sit down. I continue to stand, not wanting to sit too close to him, knowing what it'll do to me.
"Yeah, and he wasn't in any of the vehicles."
"What if the accident hasn't been accounted for?"
"A hit and run?" Jack eyes me curiously.
"Or maybe he hit a tree and slammed his car into the woods," I suggest. "We've got 300 miles to search and that's assuming he went home, which I'm doubting."
"You think he tried to go back to his cold and empty apartment, alone?" Jack eyes me, his words ringing in my ears.
I let out a sigh, finally taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside him. "I'm just saying I think it's more likely he stayed in town. If this kid is truly like everyone says---he doesn't get drunk all the time---then he likely didn't drive home."
"You think someone picked him up?"
"I'm sure he went with someone he trusted," I point out.
"It could be anyone." Jack lets out a sigh, and lies back on the bed, the papers shifting on the mattress. I turn towards him, my arm brushing his leg. His eyes move to where our bodies just touched and then to my eyes.
"We'll ask around again in the morning," I state.
"In the meantime," Jack eyes me, "you should try and get some sleep."
"Right," I whisper, our gaze penetrating through one another's before finally breaking away. "Night," I answer softly, heading towards my room and softly shutting the door most of the way.
****
After we finish eating dinner and check into the hotel, it's quarter past eight and I'm beat. I grab my bag, take it with me into my room and shut the door behind me. I can hear Jack walking around on the other side of the wall and let out a soft sigh, staring at the adjoining door. I remember the nights we used to pretend to have to get involved on cases, only to escape our jobs and our lives to be together.
I take a seat on the bed, open the file and read through the information we've gathered.
I hear Jack on the other side of the door, talking to someone on the phone. I let out a sigh, figuring he's probably trying to reason with Maria why he's on the case and not some other agent.
I grab my phone and dial the house to see how Eva's doing.
"Hello?" She picks up after two rings.
"You keeping the house in good shape?"
"Of course," she chimes. "How's the case going?"
"Pretty much a dead end."
"How's Jack?" Eva giggles.
"He's still married," I answer, lying back in bed and closing my eyes.
"You should call Martin."
"I should?"
"Yeah; if you talk loud enough, Jack might get jealous."
"You're evil."
"I know," she laughs softly. "I should go; there's a show I want to watch tonight."
"Fine," I shake my head. "Don't stay up too late," I tease her.
"Don't worry," she smiles before hanging up.
I end the call and then dial Martin to talk about the case. I hear Jack running the shower and relax, knowing he won't be eavesdropping.
"Hello?"
"Martin, its Samantha."
"I know," he answers lightly. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," I whisper. "I just wanted to talk to you. I didn't see much of you today," I remind him.
"Miss me already?" he questions with a teasing laugh. "There isn't much to go on with the case. I'm thinking of driving up tomorrow, to help you guys out."
"Did you talk to Jack?" I question.
"Yeah, earlier and he said he'd see how the case pans out. Right now any leads we have will come from you," Martin tells me.
"We don't have much to go on, if anything at all," I point out.
"Well the family hasn't seen Damon in over a month, and that doesn't work well for us." He lets out a soft sigh and I can hear him typing away.
"Are you still at work?"
"Yeah," he breathes out. "I finished your report, at least what I could do for you."
"Martin," I whisper, "you didn't have to---"
"I know. Consider it another Christmas gift," he teases softly.
"Jack's going to know I didn't write it."
"You can revise it when you get back and add any other fine details."
"Thanks," I laugh. "You can be a real lifesaver sometimes."
"Listen, Samantha, I'm sorry I left in such a rush Sunday morning."
"It's okay."
"No." I can see his mind racing a mile a minute. "I didn't want to leave, but I felt like if I stayed any longer, I'd do something I'd regret."
"Yeah?" I question aloud. "What are you getting at?"
"I can't sleep next to you and not toss and turn all night. When I'm in bed with you, I want to make love to you, not just watch you sleep."
"Martin," I interrupt him.
"I know, you want to take things slow. I don't disagree with that."
"I'm just not sure what I want right now," I tell him. "I think you're a really great friend, Martin, and I don't want to screw it up."
"You won't," he reassures me. "We're good together, and I love you," he tells me soundly.
"Yeah," I let out a sigh, remembering how good it felt, how slow it was. Whenever Jack and I made love, it was always frantic and rushed. With Martin it was different. I'm sure Jack would take his time if I wanted him to slow down, but at the time that's what I needed. Now I'm not so sure.
"What, Samantha?" Martin's voice is soft on my ears.
"I should go. It's getting late and you should get home," I remind him. "Goodnight," I whisper before hanging up the phone.
I slide my phone onto the bedside table and let out a soft breath. I close my eyes, wondering what Jack really thinks of Martin and me together. If he caught us kissing or touching, would he become outraged? If he did, it means he's still in love with me---right?
"Sam?" I hear Jack's voice on the other side of the door and him knocking gently.
"Just a second," I answer, heading over to unlock the adjoining door.
"I wanted you to look at something," he motions for me to follow into his room. His hair's wet and he's wearing a fresh change of clothes. I can smell his scent emitted from the bathroom and take in a breath, drinking him in.
"What is it?" I eye him curiously as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, showing me his notes.
"I talked to Danny and Vivian earlier. Viv mentioned there were too many DUI's reported to count last night. She went through them anyhow, but his name and description didn't turn up anything."
"What about accidents?" I question, moving towards the bed, looking down at the file.
"Depends where we're looking. From the bar to his apartment, none. From the bar to his home, five."
"Five?" My eyes widen in surprise.
"It's the holidays, Samantha, and besides it's nearly 300 miles from the bar to his house back in the city."
"Has the team looked into the accidents?" My eyes glance into Jack's as he moves to allow me room to sit down. I continue to stand, not wanting to sit too close to him, knowing what it'll do to me.
"Yeah, and he wasn't in any of the vehicles."
"What if the accident hasn't been accounted for?"
"A hit and run?" Jack eyes me curiously.
"Or maybe he hit a tree and slammed his car into the woods," I suggest. "We've got 300 miles to search and that's assuming he went home, which I'm doubting."
"You think he tried to go back to his cold and empty apartment, alone?" Jack eyes me, his words ringing in my ears.
I let out a sigh, finally taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside him. "I'm just saying I think it's more likely he stayed in town. If this kid is truly like everyone says---he doesn't get drunk all the time---then he likely didn't drive home."
"You think someone picked him up?"
"I'm sure he went with someone he trusted," I point out.
"It could be anyone." Jack lets out a sigh, and lies back on the bed, the papers shifting on the mattress. I turn towards him, my arm brushing his leg. His eyes move to where our bodies just touched and then to my eyes.
"We'll ask around again in the morning," I state.
"In the meantime," Jack eyes me, "you should try and get some sleep."
"Right," I whisper, our gaze penetrating through one another's before finally breaking away. "Night," I answer softly, heading towards my room and softly shutting the door most of the way.
