"Well what do you make of it?" Nora asked Antonio Vega as she paced Bo's office.
"It seems pretty straight forward." Antonio said. He leaned over the evidence bag. "Cut and dry. Whoever wrote this has sure got a set of brass ones."
"But do we take it at face value?"
"We have to," Antonio replied. This doesn't seem like any sorted threat. Somebody has a vendetta. I don't think he's safe. I really don't."
"OK, where's the fire?" Bo asked entering the office. He looked at Nora and then at Antonio. "Somebody say something. What's this letter that's causing all the commotion?" Nora reached out, taking the evidence bag in her hand, giving it to Bo. "It's vague. This could be for anyone."
"It came addressed to you, Bo" Nora said. "There was some kind of clerical mix-up... ended up getting opened." She handed him the bagged envelope. It was very clearly addressed to Commissioner Bo Buchanan.
"We need to follow up on this." Antonio said. "How do you want to handle it?"
Bo took a seat behind his desk. "How much validity can we put on it?"
"I was telling Nora... this doesn't seem like a sorted threat. This is... a death threat, Bo. Whoever wrote this letter has a vendetta."
"Against me?" Bo said.
You are the Police Commissioner," Nora replied.
"So? I piss a lot of people off."
"There's more, Bo." Nora handed him another bag. "There are a dozen of them."
"My God," Bo said. He put on a pair of gloves, opening the bag. Inside, he removed a handful of snapshots and began to flip through them."
"They're all the same. All of you with Gabrielle."
"This isn't just run of the mill, Bo," Antonio added. "We have a serious problem here."
Bo took a deep breath. "Get these analyzed," he said. "Let's get these analyzed... now."
Nora approached him. "Bo..."
"Maybe then we can find out something more about the son of a botch who sent this."
"Bo..." Nora said again. "That's already been done. The guy was clean. Not a thing. We have nothing."
Bo tossed the bag down on his desk. "Except a death threat and a loon out there ready to make good on his promise."
Gabrielle came to a stop in the park. She wasn't doing anything, just taking in the scenery of her favorite place. The chill went down her spine. She didn't turn, but pulled her coat closed tighter, letting out a breath, which could be seen clearly in the cold air.
The breeze filled the air with freezing gusts, and as much as she loved just being there, Gabrielle knew it was probably better to get going. She began to walk, her arms folded around her waist, trying to shake the feeling that she was being watched. She felt the chill return once again, walking a bit faster. If she spun around now, there was no telling what would happen. She reached into her purse discretely, wrapping her fingers around the bottle of pepper spray. She spun around, holding the bottle ready to fire.
"Hey don't shoot," Al stood behind her. "I'm not armed."
"Al..." Gabrielle said returning the spray to her purse. "Don't you know better than to sneak up behind people like that."
"Sneaking? I wasn't sneaking. Who was sneaking?" He smiled. "Really. I wasn't sneaking. I'm going to meet Marcie. Didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't scare me," Gabrielle defended.
"You just go aiming pepper spray at everyone on the street? If you ask me... that's not such a hot way to make friends around here." Al laughed.
"Very funny, Al." Gabrielle paused. "I actually saw Marcie earlier. She said you two were meeting."
"She's prepping me for my history midterm," he said. Gabrielle smiled. It was amazing how serious Al had seemed to become about school. Marcie had really done an amazing job working with him. "I should really go too. I'll catch you later." He kissed her cheek and started off.
"Al!" Gabrielle called after him. Al turned. "Good luck," he smiled and continued on his way.
Gabrielle needed to get of the cold. It was blustery. She made her way to the diner, taking a seat in a booth by herself, rubbing her hands together to warm them.
"Oh, Gabrielle," Carlotta Vega approached her. I found this at the counter. "When you see Bo next..." She handed Gabrielle a large manila envelope addressed to Commissioner Bo Buchanan.
"Of course," Gabrielle said. "I'll give it to him. Can I have a cup of coffee?"
Carlotta turned and returned to the counter as Gabrielle took hold of the envelope. She gave it a once over and then settled it on the seat beside her, forgetting about it for a while as she waited for her coffee.