274 Days
By Tres Mechante
Disclaimer and Author's Note in Part 1
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Part 4 – Busted!
Alex pulled up in front of Bobby's building. She sat for a moment with her cell phone in hand, thinking. Their arrangement was that she would call just before she arrived, giving him time to meet her at the door.
Looking at the package her mom had sent for Bobby, Alex thought about the conversation with her sister the day before, her mom moving the traditional supper to a breakfast, and the odd exchange between Bobby and Captain Deakins, who coincidentally knows her father. All the evidence pointed to a conspiracy, she thought.
Jumping out of the SUV, she pocketed her cell phone and headed for the apartment – care package in hand – to play her hunch. It's time to put Bobby on the defensive, she thought with an evil grin.
--- --- ---
It had been a hell of a week. Worried about Alex – funny how he often thought Alex even as he called her Eames – Bobby had become increasingly tense as the weekend drew near. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that the sudden knock at his door actually caused him to jump, spilling his coffee. Taking a moment to wipe up the spill, he wondered vaguely who would be dropping by unannounced. But even before he bent to look through the peephole he knew Alex was on the other side of the door.
"Eames! Why didn't you call? You didn't have to come up. I would have met you downstairs," he said, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt.
"Actually, I did have to come up," she said, handing him the container of cookies. "My mom sent you a care package." Alex watched him take the container, noting how he quickly averted his eyes. Gotcha! She thought.
"Why would... Uh...that's nice of her." Pause. "Friday you said you wouldn't be seeing your family today." Although it was a statement, he cocked an eyebrow in question, flashing his 'you can tell me anything' little half smile.
Alex, however, was not buying the innocent act. She merely shrugged. "We should probably get going. Ready?"
Conversation was sporadic on the way to their meeting. On the outside, Alex was perfectly calm, all business, but inside she was doing a victory dance. It took a lot to rattle Detective Robert 'You-Can't-Shake-Me' Goren, and Alex was tickled to have done it. As Bobby was locking his apartment door, Alex had casually asked where his leather case was – didn't he need it? She was pretty sure she'd heard him mutter "shit!" as he went back inside to get it.
"Turn here...left...it-it's about six miles," he said after another prolonged silence.
Reading a small handmade sign, Alex shot an amused look at Bobby. "Car races?"
--- --- ---
"Detective Alex!" Lewis hurriedly made his way through the crowd toward Alex, his bright eyes focused on her alone. "Wow! May I say how lovely you look today..."
Bobby cut him off. "Easy, Lewis. This isn't supposed to be a social visit," he said, with a warning look at his friend.
Lewis looked over at his friend. "Hey, Bobby. Sorry, man – didn't see you there."
Alex choked back a laugh. How anyone could miss a 6'4" scowling bear of a man was beyond her.
Looking back at Alex, Lewis said, "I'm over in the exhibition area – nice spot on the northeast corner. Feel free to visit before you go." With a wink and a smile, he turned to leave.
"Thanks, Lewis. Catch you later," called Bobby before Alex could respond.
Alex looked around, noting the crowd of people. "This place is pretty crowded. Who are we looking for and where do we find him?"
"He's supposed to meet us over near the concession stands...other side of the track," he said. "I'll watch for him. Want a coffee or something?"
"Sure," she said, following along behind him, amused at his unwillingness to provide information.
They sipped their coffees, watching some of the time trials, chatting about the amateur race car circuit as various cars were tested on the track. "This isn't an actual race so much as a-a place to...strut their stuff," said Bobby, nearly spilling his coffee as he talked with his hands.
Over the next half-hour they shared observations about the people around them, and several people waved or called out a greeting to Bobby. "You're a popular guy," commented Alex.
"I've been to these things before." He ducked his head almost shyly. "I like cars."
At that blatant understatement Alex couldn't help but laugh – a sound rich in amusement, causing many masculine heads to turn and smile in her direction.
Bobby jumped suddenly and reached for his pocket. "Sorry, I put the cell on vibrate in case it got too noisy." Glancing at the display, he looked a little uncomfortable and excused himself to walk away a bit. "Goren."
Surprised at what she thought she'd heard as he walked away, Alex began moving closer to listen in but was sidelined by a cheerful voice. "Detective Alex!" She couldn't help but respond to Lewis' enthusiasm. "Isn't she a beauty? This is her first run."
Alex looked to where Lewis was pointing. The neon green car was so bright it almost hurt to look at it. "My niece and I have been working on that all year."
"A bonding project?" asked Alex.
"Something like that. She's got a real talent for engines. I promised she could pick the color when we were done." He looked at the car ruefully. "I can honestly say I never saw that coming."
"You didn't have to see it coming, Lewis – you can hear that color a mile away!" she laughed.
Lewis grinned back. "Want to – Oh, hey, Bobby."
"Eames, we...can we have a-a minute, Lewis?" he said, taking Alex's arm and guiding her away from his friend. "We might as well head back."
"Problem?"
"Uh...my source bailed. Probably didn't have...anything useful anyway." Bobby searched her eyes for a moment before saying, "Sorry to have...dragged you all the way out here for nothing. Probably pretty boring for you..."
"You in a rush to get back?"
"N-no. Why..."
"Lewis! You willing to pop the hood on that green machine of yours?" she called out, pointing to the neon colored car.
They passed the next couple of hours chatting about cars, telling stories and working on engines. Bobby kept getting pulled away by someone he knew, leaving Alex and Lewis to work and chat, but he never let them out of his sight.
"This is sweet," said Alex, admiring one of the engine modifications.
"I knew you'd like it," he said. "Thought about bringing the Mustang, but this one is more complicated and I knew you'd appreciate..." He suddenly stopped talking, and wouldn't meet her eyes.
"You made a good choice," Alex complimented him. "So, just out of curiosity, when did Bobby tell you we'd be here today?"
"Oh boy. Uh..." Lewis frantically looked around for Bobby. "Um..."
Under the guise of reaching past him for something, Alex whispered in his ear. Lewis straightened up in surprise, almost hitting his head on the car hood. He looked at her for a moment, looked towards Bobby, who was engaged in a lively discussion with someone, then looked back at Alex. "Did I show you the bodywork on the Camero?" he asked. "Let's take a walk."
Bobby glanced up from his conversation in time to see Alex and Lewis heading for the Camero. Lewis looked nervous and Alex looked...satisfied? Bobby started to worry. By the time he caught up with them, they were debating appropriate colors for racecars. He was content to simply listen to them bicker good-naturedly, but was watchful all the same. The vibes just didn't feel right, somehow, prompting Bobby to wonder how much, if anything, Alex suspected.
The ride back to the city was made in near silence. Both Alex and Bobby were deep in thought. Bobby replayed the day in his head, looking for clues about whether Alex knew anything was amiss. Alex worked on the list of suspects for interrogation to confirm her suspicions. She was alternately annoyed at being manipulated and touched that anyone would care enough to do it.
Alex mentally shrugged. Either way, payback was going to be a bitch. She almost felt sorry for Bobby. Almost.