Chapter 5
Mark stood waiting for his son and Captain Newman. People were pushing all around him but he didn't notice. Despite reassurances from Jack, Amanda
and Jesse that what happened wasn't his fault he still felt the blame for it, if only he hadn't gone, but he could think of if only until he was blue in the face but it wouldn't change what happened. He was startled by a voice behind him.
"Are they here yet?" Mark turned to see Cheryl standing behind him. By looking at the woman Mark could tell that she had been up for the night.
"No not yet," He replied. "Any news?" A look of regret came over her face.
"No not yet," She sighed. She had really hoped that she would have at least some kind of news for Steve when he got back, but nothing. Nothing was found at the house expect for the syringe, and that was clean, tests were being done to find out what drug had been used to knock her out with. Mark sighed.
Steve had chaffed at every delay, all he wanted to do was get home and find out what had happened. Sitting on the plane while they flew back had been the hardest thing of all. So many things running through his mind, who would want to do this and why? His mind raced at a hundred miles an hour trying to work it all out, but still it got him no where fast. Although he would never admit it Captain Newman coming back with him had been a godsend. He had pulled up Steve on several occasions when he had been about to loose his temper with some official or other, by reminding him that it wasn't their fault when something didn't go smoothly. Most people had been sympathetic and had hurried things through as much as possible when they heard why they were in such a hurry, but that hadn't made the actual flight back to LA any quicker.
Steve could see his father as soon as he entered the arrivals area. He stood talking to Cheryl. Then he looked up and his eyes locked with Steve's. Steve read them like an open book. Guilt was the main thing that he could see and worry and he was also unsure about what he would say. Quickly he moved forward towards him, and in cased him in a hug.
"I'm sorry son," Mark said in a voice close to tears.
"Its okay dad," Steve said gently. " It wasn't your fault," Anger filtered through his system, anger what this had done to his father.
"But?" His voice anguished.
"No buts dad," He re-enforced his words. "Its not your fault," Steve turned towards Cheryl, along with Captain Newman.
"Anything?" He asked. Cheryl shook her head.
"Nothing that we can go on as yet," She answered. "We're checking out the flight reservations that were made for Mark, but nothing so far," Steve nodded. Then with one arm still around his father they left the terminal.
Jack, Amanda and Jesse were waiting for them when they arrived at the beach house. Jack had managed to get people to cover for both him and Jesse at least for today. Everyone at the hospital was horrified at what had happened and was pulling together to try and help as much as possible. Amanda came forward and gave both Steve and Mark a quick embrace. Then some ten minutes later they all had sat down with hot drinks.
"Okay," Jack said. "So what's being done on official lines at the moment?" Steve gave a small smile on how Jack had worded the question.
" We're checking out the reservations that were made for Mark," Cheryl answered. Steve saw his father's shoulders slump, Amanda placed her arm around him. "Some body went to a lot of trouble to make sure that Mark was out of the way,"
"And spent some money to," Jesse added. "First class tickets as well as a top hotel. None of that could have come cheep," they all nodded.
"What about the police convention?" Jack asked." Anything odd about that?" Steve shook his head.
"No," He said. "Captain and I discussed it on the way back,"
"So who ever it was basically took advantage of the situation," Jesse said sadly.
"That's what it looks like," Cheryl agreed. Her phone began to ring so she quickly answered it. "Banks, good tell me," She listened on the phone, while everyone else watched. " Thanks Joe I'll tell them," She hung the phone up.
"Well?" Steve asked.
"The syringe definitely contained a sedative," She told them. What she didn't tell them was that she was afraid that they might have killed Rachel and dumped the body in the sea. Steve looked at his sometime partner and knew exactly what she had been thinking.
"Sedative is better than some things," He said softly. But he also knew there was no guarantee that she was still alive.
