Thirty minutes later, Jack came wandering out of the office rubbing his
head. He walked straight over to the group of desks in the middle and
cleared his throat.
"Ahem," he said, waiting for someone to acknowledge him. Danny finally looked up.
"Uh, hi, Jacques," he said, smiling.
"Hey, Taylor, is that some kind of sick joke?" Jack asked. "You think this is funny?" he continued, motioning down towards his clothing. "What the HELL happened to me?" When no one answered, Jack tapped his foot like an impatient parent. "I'm not asking again," he warned.
"You dressed like that yourself this morning," Samantha blurted, putting her pencil down and staring up at Jack with narrowed, challenging eyes.
"Bullshit," Jack said, dismissing Samantha in a heartbeat. "I wouldn't dress like this, you KNOW that," he said, getting nasty with her. "You've seen my closet," he added, a sardonic tone in his voice. The other agents locked eyes and immediately dispersed.
"Oh, look at the time...I'm gonna go call the records department..."
"I have an interrogation with some of the vic's friends downtown..."
"I need to return my son's call really quick..."
Samantha looked to her coworkers for some support, but they quickly disappeared, leaving her alone with Jack. Clearing her throat, she turned her gaze back into Jack's eyes, keeping them steady and unforgiving.
"Well?" Jack asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"Jack..." Samantha got up to stand face to face with her boss. "We're all really worried about you. No one did anything to you today. You came in here flouncing around talking about...curtains..." Samantha bit her lip, waiting to see Jack's reaction.
"Oh, I get it," Jack said, pulling off his tacky lavender coat and loosening his baby blue tie. "Pull a fast one on the guy that blacks out every now and again...very nice, guys. I'm gonna remember this when it comes time for your reviews. I mean, what if someone important saw me dressed like this? Do you know what that would do to the credibility of this agency?" Jack continued to rant for about a minute until Samantha had finally had enough.
"Jack!" Samantha exclaimed, exasperated. "No one is playing a joke on you...try to get that through your thick head..."
"I'm going home to change. And I want," Jack picked up a piece of paper off of Samantha's desk, "Each and every one of these leads followed up on by the time I get back. We've gotta get this case wrapped up, and my agents are playing pranks instead of working, like they should be doing..." Jack stormed off to the elevator, debating taking off his pants and wondering which was worse: a pantless subway ride or a subway ride in purple pants.
As soon as the doors closed on Jack, the other three agents crowded Samantha, as all had been eavesdropping. Each had something to say, but Samantha held up a hand and simply began asking who wanted what lead to follow. After each had decided where to go, they sat down for an emergency "The Boss Has Gone Mad" meeting. They decided that the situation seemed hopeless, and the more this played out before them, the more they became convinced that it was time to call in his superiors. Knowing what that could do to Jack's job, Samantha and the other agents chose against it, but didn't rule it out completely.
"Ahem," he said, waiting for someone to acknowledge him. Danny finally looked up.
"Uh, hi, Jacques," he said, smiling.
"Hey, Taylor, is that some kind of sick joke?" Jack asked. "You think this is funny?" he continued, motioning down towards his clothing. "What the HELL happened to me?" When no one answered, Jack tapped his foot like an impatient parent. "I'm not asking again," he warned.
"You dressed like that yourself this morning," Samantha blurted, putting her pencil down and staring up at Jack with narrowed, challenging eyes.
"Bullshit," Jack said, dismissing Samantha in a heartbeat. "I wouldn't dress like this, you KNOW that," he said, getting nasty with her. "You've seen my closet," he added, a sardonic tone in his voice. The other agents locked eyes and immediately dispersed.
"Oh, look at the time...I'm gonna go call the records department..."
"I have an interrogation with some of the vic's friends downtown..."
"I need to return my son's call really quick..."
Samantha looked to her coworkers for some support, but they quickly disappeared, leaving her alone with Jack. Clearing her throat, she turned her gaze back into Jack's eyes, keeping them steady and unforgiving.
"Well?" Jack asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"Jack..." Samantha got up to stand face to face with her boss. "We're all really worried about you. No one did anything to you today. You came in here flouncing around talking about...curtains..." Samantha bit her lip, waiting to see Jack's reaction.
"Oh, I get it," Jack said, pulling off his tacky lavender coat and loosening his baby blue tie. "Pull a fast one on the guy that blacks out every now and again...very nice, guys. I'm gonna remember this when it comes time for your reviews. I mean, what if someone important saw me dressed like this? Do you know what that would do to the credibility of this agency?" Jack continued to rant for about a minute until Samantha had finally had enough.
"Jack!" Samantha exclaimed, exasperated. "No one is playing a joke on you...try to get that through your thick head..."
"I'm going home to change. And I want," Jack picked up a piece of paper off of Samantha's desk, "Each and every one of these leads followed up on by the time I get back. We've gotta get this case wrapped up, and my agents are playing pranks instead of working, like they should be doing..." Jack stormed off to the elevator, debating taking off his pants and wondering which was worse: a pantless subway ride or a subway ride in purple pants.
As soon as the doors closed on Jack, the other three agents crowded Samantha, as all had been eavesdropping. Each had something to say, but Samantha held up a hand and simply began asking who wanted what lead to follow. After each had decided where to go, they sat down for an emergency "The Boss Has Gone Mad" meeting. They decided that the situation seemed hopeless, and the more this played out before them, the more they became convinced that it was time to call in his superiors. Knowing what that could do to Jack's job, Samantha and the other agents chose against it, but didn't rule it out completely.