Chapter Eight – The Bitter Taste of Betrayal

Steve stood stunned.  He felt like his feet weighed a ton and there was no way he could lift them. 

Mark stood watching his son. He did not like his shell shocked expression or the waver that was clearly visible in his legs.  "Steve, come sit down."

Steve looked up and as he began to move his phone rang.  "Sloan. Yes, Captain," he paused briefly as he looked at his watch.  "I can be there by then," Steve responded as he closed his phone.  He then looked at his father.  "How could she, Dad?"

Mark shook his head as he once again glanced at the headline. 'Serial killer leaving false clues, police have few leads.'  She must have pretended to leave.  She had taken advantage of their trust.  "I should never have brought it up with her still here."

"It's not your fault, Dad, I wouldn't have believed her capable of this."  Steve glanced down at the one paragraph that he knew was going to haunt him.  'A source close to the investigation confirmed for me that the police are looking for a serial killer that has been pricking the necks of the victims with a needle, to give police the impression that they had been injected with an incapacitating drug.  The police now believe these men knew their killer.'  The captain's tone did not bode well for him, he would be lucky if he still had a job when this day was over.  "I have to go to the precinct."

"Well, you certainly aren't going alone."

Steve smiled his appreciation.  "I'll go down and get my jacket."

………………..

Steve sat silently waiting for the monologue to conclude.  The Captain had been speaking non-stop for nearly thirty minutes.  His tone had increased in intensity and volume as he had continued.  Steve was pretty sure he could have stayed at home and still been able to hear him.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" the Captain asked.

"I didn't tell her, Sir, she was at the house, I thought she had left, she must have stuck around and listened to our conversation."

"It's my fault, Captain Newman," Mark added.  "I was the one who brought the subject up, and I didn't make sure she had left."

"That may very well be true, Doctor Sloan, but your son reports to me and you don't, he is the one the Chief is screaming about."

"So, what happens now?" Steve asked.

"You owe me, is what happens, I really stuck my neck out for you, I told the Chief you would have a good reason, I suggest you take the rest of today and come up with one, now go home, you look horrible," Captain Newman responded.

Steve smiled.  "Thanks, Captain, I appreciate it."

………………..

"Well that went better than I expected," Steve said as he dropped carefully into the passenger seat of the car.

"I agree, but my concern now is getting you home and into bed."

"Ok, Dad, but I have one other stop I need to make."

"Let me guess, the LA Times?"

"You guessed correctly," Steve responded.  "But, I want to go see her alone," Steve added as he glanced at his father.

Mark was, as always, overwhelmed with the need to protect his son.  He often battled with controlling that need and allowing his son to lead his own life.  "I'll wait in the car…but not for long," he added with an affectionate grin.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Steve responded with an equally affectionate grin.

Steve leaned against the wall of the elevator.  He was in pain, angry and more than a little hurt.  The ding indicated he had reached the floor and when the door opened he surveyed the 5th floor.  He saw her desk over in the right hand corner by the window.  He moved into the room and walked towards her desk.  As if sensing his presence, she looked up and he saw the shock register in her eyes.  He stopped just in front of her desk.  "Alex."

She dropped her eyes down, and hesitated slightly before raising them and responding.  "I needed this story, Steve."

"Well, at least you aren't going to insult my intelligence by pretending you didn't screw me.  Is your story worth my career?"

"Yes,…no, I'm sorry," she responded.

"Why, Alex? I would have shared what I could; you didn't have to do this."

"Steve, you couldn't understand.  You are the 'Golden Boy', always successful at what you do, always having the loving support of your family and friends."

Steve looked at her in amazement.  "You are so wrong, do you think everything has been handed to me, I've worked hard for all I have and I've worked even harder to earn the respect and trust of my family and friends.  When you didn't step forward to clear me the last time I chalked it up to your inability to betray a trust.  I guess I was wrong.  It was better press to have it reported that information had been leaked and that you were involved with the lead detective.  It sensationalized the story.  The reason I have the support of those I love is because they know I would never betray them, you have made it clear that is a trait you are completely unfamiliar with!"  He stopped as he noticed the tears gathering in her eyes.  "Goodbye, Alex, good luck with your story, but this source of information has dried up permanently."  As he turned and walked towards the elevator he never saw the trembling hand she reached towards him.

Steve smiled as the elevator door opened to reveal the ground floor.  There poised to push the up button was his father.  "It's, ok, Dad, let's go home."

Mark smiled his agreement and they headed for the car.

………………..

Alex sat at her desk with a trail of tears flowing down her face.  She ignored the curious looks of her co-workers.  She knew that everything Steve had said was true.  She had sold her soul to further her career.  In the process, she had destroyed the possibility of a relationship with a man she felt she could have loved.  Knowing whatever action she took could not change that fact, she still reached across her desk and flipped through her Rolodex.  When she found the name, she took a deep breath and dialed the number.

………………..

A subdued group sat around the table at the beach house looking through the files.  Jesse and Amanda had joined Mark and Steve for dinner and a brainstorming session.  Their mission was now two-fold.  They needed to try and identify the murderer and they needed to come up with a way to save Steve from the mess that Alexandria Thompson had created.

"Steve, have you noticed that these guys all are similar in their body build?" Amanda asked.  When she didn't get an answer she looked up to find him staring out into space.  His lack of response had also drawn the attention of Jesse and Mark.

Mark's brow creased with worry.  Steve had attempted to rest when they got home, but had been unsuccessful and his face reflected the discomfort he was still experiencing.  "Son?" Mark prompted.

Steve gave himself a mental shake.  "Yeah, Dad?"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Dad, my mind was somewhere else.  Did I miss something?"

Mark nodded toward Amanda.  "Amanda was just noticing that all of the victims had a similar build."

"Oh, no, I hadn't noticed that," Steve responded.

"Hey, you know what else?" Jesse added.

"What?" Mark prompted.

"They could all be a mirror image of Steve as well."

Steve slowly lifted his eyes and a smile began to curve his lips.  Mark noticed the change in his son's demeanor and felt a flutter of concern. 

"What, Steve?"

"I think I know a way out of this, something that will make the Chief happy," Steve said.

………………..

Alex hung up the phone and drummed her fingers lightly on her desk.  She had been irritated when she had been forced to leave a message earlier and the call she had just received in response to that message had not made her feel any better.  The Chief had told her that Steve was in the clear.  She was confused as to why, but the Chief had been tight-lipped about the details, only telling her that Lieutenant Sloan would be contacting her,   It was late and most everyone else had gone home but she still sat at her desk.

"Ms Thompson?"

Alex looked up through eyes that were moist with unshed tears.  "Yes, David?"

"I'm leaving for the day and won't be here tomorrow, I have to work one of the new subscriptions booths tomorrow."

"Ok, David, thanks for letting me know," She offered with a watery smile.

David lowered his eyes and shuffled his feet slightly.  "You were right to do the story, you're much too talented a writer to not have a story like this.  Don't feel badly.  I know he was here today.  Even if the office grapevine hadn't spread the information I would have known by looking at your face.  You look the same way you did the last time he hurt you."

"David, please, I don't want to be rude, but it's really none of your business, and you seem to have misunderstood anyway.  Steve was not the one in the wrong, I was."

"Why do you always take up for him?"

"David, I will not talk about this with you, please go home."

"Ok, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude into your private life."

"It's ok, David, good luck tomorrow signing up new customers."

As David walked away he felt the anger well up inside him.  He hated Steve Sloan, he had hurt her again.

………………..

"Steve, I am not happy about this," Mark said.

"Dad, look, it's the best answer I can come up with.  Alex used me, so I'm going to return the favor.  She wants a big story then I'll let her have one.  Besides, the Chief has already approved it.  I just need to call Alex and work out the details."

Mark felt the fear welling up inside of him.  It was so strong that it could easily have overwhelmed him.  He observed the tall man in front of him.  His son, his friend, the best part of his life, the one thing he had left of Katherine.  He knew he would not be able to handle it if anything happened to him.  This plan scared him beyond words.