Nigel looked out of his window. "Damn," he thought. "It's only the first of November and we've got three inches of snow on the ground and more called for in the forecast." He sighed. Things just hadn't been the same for him since his "harem" left – Katie, Jordan, and Stevie. Some days he just didn't know what he was going to do. He stared at the picture that Stevie had left on his desk – the one of her and Katie. Thoughtfully, he picked it up and turned to his computer.
"How's it going, Nige?" Garrett asked from the doorway.
Nigel gave him a doleful look. "Probably the same way it's going for you."
Garrett walked in Nigel's office and sat down. "Yeah. Pretty grim. How's the new guy coming along?" The state of Massachusetts had sent in a temporary replacement for Jordan.
"He's doing okay, but some days...."
"I know. Just give him a chance. After all, we've only got a couple of months until Jo is back."
"I'll be glad when she's back. Don't get me wrong, it's just...."
"You wish she was bringing Stevie with her."
"More than you'll ever know."
"Well, there's only one thing for you to do, Nigel."
"And that would be?"
"Persuade the lady to come to Massachusetts."
"But her home is in North Carolina."
"But I bet her heart is here."
Nigel nearly blushed. "I was thinking about surprising her at Thanksgiving."
Garrett grinned. "Take the week. Go for it."
Nigel's head turned at the sound of the elevator doors opening. "You know Garrett, there's only one other person on the face of this earth more miserable than we are....and there he is," Nigel said, nodding at Woody.
"Morning Woody," Garret greeted the detective. "How are you doing?" Garrett said that last part with concern. The young man looked like he hadn't slept for days. His normally pristine suit was wrinkled. In short, Woody looked like hell.
"Um...Fine, Garrett. Just wondering if Nigel had the ballistic reports on last night's shooting on Pine Street."
Garrett shot Nigel a look that said "Stall him."
"Not quite ready yet, Woodrow. Give me about an hour and it will be all yours," Nigel said, turning back to his computer. In actuality, the reports had been done for hours. Nigel was really looking up airline tickets to North Carolina on the internet.
"Come on, Woody, let's go grab a cup of coffee while you're waiting for Nige to finish," said Garrett.
Wordlessly, Garrett walked with Woody to his office and poured two cups of coffee. "So how are things going with you?"
Woody contemplated his coffee. "Working hard."
"Must be. You look like hell."
"You must know that it's not just the job..." Woody trailed off. Garrett had been aware of his and Jordan's relationship and all its ups and downs for the past year or two. And Woody knew that of all people, Garrett would be the fairest judge of the couple.
"Yeah, I suspected that. Let's sit down."
Settling in on the couch, Garrett jumped in with both feet.
"You know Woody, I normally keep my nose out of other people's personal lives. Hell, it's all I can do to keep my own straight – an ex-wife, Abbey, Rene' – it can get real messy. However, this particular situation involves two people I care very much about. And I want things to work out for you and Jo. Despite everything that has happened, I can't help but feel you two are meant for each other.
"I know Jordan can be a handful, Woody. She can be difficult, stubborn, and headstrong. And that's on one of her good days. But she's also one of the most caring, dedicated, compassionate people I have known. She does more, gives more, and is the most dedicated ME I have ever encountered. She enjoys it more than anyone I know.
"And I know she loves you. Since she finally decided to drop that wall with you, I've seen her change. She finally allowed you to love her and she allowed herself to love you – freely and unconditionally. I think that's the only reason she agreed to turn over any leads that came her way about her mother's death to you. And it could be only you, because she didn't trust anyone else with that information or her heart."
"So you don't think she took the envelope from my desk?" Woody quietly asked.
"No. I don't. There's too much evidence to against it. She kept asking you about it and then there's always the other...."
"What other?"
"She knew that if she did that – betrayed you, lied to you – it would hurt you. And that's the last thing Jordan wanted to do to you anymore – hurt you."
Woody sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But that damn envelope. I still can't find it."
"Is the envelope really that important, Woody? Haven't you known Jordan long enough and don't you love her enough and trust her enough just to take her at her word? Are you going to let your future with the woman you love be jeopardized on the back of some envelope that probably contains a few worthless leads and telephone records?"
Woody looked down at the floor. "I do love her, Garrett."
"I know. She loves you, too. And I understand why you reacted the way you did initially about this situation. God knows, Jordan has a track record for pulling stunts like this," Garret said, thinking back to the car and the key Jordan was given that led to the investigation of the Cahill murder. "But hasn't enough time passed that you realize she doesn't have the envelope? She's not off chasing leads...she's in school and teaching and working in North Carolina."
"If she doesn't have the envelope or know what's in it, why did she go to North Carolina in the first place?"
Garrett smiled sadly at Woody. "She had to. You gave her no choice. To her, it was clear that you didn't trust her and trust is a very important thing to Jordan. Just think back over her life. Apart from me, she's never really known who she could trust...who was telling her the truth. Her father? Her mother? James? So she meets you. She once told me you were one of the most honest people she had ever met – and that's before you two started seeing each other. When she fell for you, and she fell hard, believe me, she felt like she could trust you with her life. And quite often has. But she has to have that trust reciprocated. You didn't. She didn't want to run, but she had to leave."
"Why?"
"Well, she told me that she had to leave because she couldn't love you anymore. Without trust, there could be no love. So she left so that she could get over you – fall out of love with you, is the term she used.
Woody swallowed hard and dug the heels of his hands in his eyes. "Is she coming back, Garret?"
"Yeah, I think so. Look at that," Garrett said pointing to something in the corner of his office.
Woody's eyes followed Garret's finger. There in the corner, sitting by itself, was Jordan's guitar.
"How's it going, Nige?" Garrett asked from the doorway.
Nigel gave him a doleful look. "Probably the same way it's going for you."
Garrett walked in Nigel's office and sat down. "Yeah. Pretty grim. How's the new guy coming along?" The state of Massachusetts had sent in a temporary replacement for Jordan.
"He's doing okay, but some days...."
"I know. Just give him a chance. After all, we've only got a couple of months until Jo is back."
"I'll be glad when she's back. Don't get me wrong, it's just...."
"You wish she was bringing Stevie with her."
"More than you'll ever know."
"Well, there's only one thing for you to do, Nigel."
"And that would be?"
"Persuade the lady to come to Massachusetts."
"But her home is in North Carolina."
"But I bet her heart is here."
Nigel nearly blushed. "I was thinking about surprising her at Thanksgiving."
Garrett grinned. "Take the week. Go for it."
Nigel's head turned at the sound of the elevator doors opening. "You know Garrett, there's only one other person on the face of this earth more miserable than we are....and there he is," Nigel said, nodding at Woody.
"Morning Woody," Garret greeted the detective. "How are you doing?" Garrett said that last part with concern. The young man looked like he hadn't slept for days. His normally pristine suit was wrinkled. In short, Woody looked like hell.
"Um...Fine, Garrett. Just wondering if Nigel had the ballistic reports on last night's shooting on Pine Street."
Garrett shot Nigel a look that said "Stall him."
"Not quite ready yet, Woodrow. Give me about an hour and it will be all yours," Nigel said, turning back to his computer. In actuality, the reports had been done for hours. Nigel was really looking up airline tickets to North Carolina on the internet.
"Come on, Woody, let's go grab a cup of coffee while you're waiting for Nige to finish," said Garrett.
Wordlessly, Garrett walked with Woody to his office and poured two cups of coffee. "So how are things going with you?"
Woody contemplated his coffee. "Working hard."
"Must be. You look like hell."
"You must know that it's not just the job..." Woody trailed off. Garrett had been aware of his and Jordan's relationship and all its ups and downs for the past year or two. And Woody knew that of all people, Garrett would be the fairest judge of the couple.
"Yeah, I suspected that. Let's sit down."
Settling in on the couch, Garrett jumped in with both feet.
"You know Woody, I normally keep my nose out of other people's personal lives. Hell, it's all I can do to keep my own straight – an ex-wife, Abbey, Rene' – it can get real messy. However, this particular situation involves two people I care very much about. And I want things to work out for you and Jo. Despite everything that has happened, I can't help but feel you two are meant for each other.
"I know Jordan can be a handful, Woody. She can be difficult, stubborn, and headstrong. And that's on one of her good days. But she's also one of the most caring, dedicated, compassionate people I have known. She does more, gives more, and is the most dedicated ME I have ever encountered. She enjoys it more than anyone I know.
"And I know she loves you. Since she finally decided to drop that wall with you, I've seen her change. She finally allowed you to love her and she allowed herself to love you – freely and unconditionally. I think that's the only reason she agreed to turn over any leads that came her way about her mother's death to you. And it could be only you, because she didn't trust anyone else with that information or her heart."
"So you don't think she took the envelope from my desk?" Woody quietly asked.
"No. I don't. There's too much evidence to against it. She kept asking you about it and then there's always the other...."
"What other?"
"She knew that if she did that – betrayed you, lied to you – it would hurt you. And that's the last thing Jordan wanted to do to you anymore – hurt you."
Woody sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But that damn envelope. I still can't find it."
"Is the envelope really that important, Woody? Haven't you known Jordan long enough and don't you love her enough and trust her enough just to take her at her word? Are you going to let your future with the woman you love be jeopardized on the back of some envelope that probably contains a few worthless leads and telephone records?"
Woody looked down at the floor. "I do love her, Garrett."
"I know. She loves you, too. And I understand why you reacted the way you did initially about this situation. God knows, Jordan has a track record for pulling stunts like this," Garret said, thinking back to the car and the key Jordan was given that led to the investigation of the Cahill murder. "But hasn't enough time passed that you realize she doesn't have the envelope? She's not off chasing leads...she's in school and teaching and working in North Carolina."
"If she doesn't have the envelope or know what's in it, why did she go to North Carolina in the first place?"
Garrett smiled sadly at Woody. "She had to. You gave her no choice. To her, it was clear that you didn't trust her and trust is a very important thing to Jordan. Just think back over her life. Apart from me, she's never really known who she could trust...who was telling her the truth. Her father? Her mother? James? So she meets you. She once told me you were one of the most honest people she had ever met – and that's before you two started seeing each other. When she fell for you, and she fell hard, believe me, she felt like she could trust you with her life. And quite often has. But she has to have that trust reciprocated. You didn't. She didn't want to run, but she had to leave."
"Why?"
"Well, she told me that she had to leave because she couldn't love you anymore. Without trust, there could be no love. So she left so that she could get over you – fall out of love with you, is the term she used.
Woody swallowed hard and dug the heels of his hands in his eyes. "Is she coming back, Garret?"
"Yeah, I think so. Look at that," Garrett said pointing to something in the corner of his office.
Woody's eyes followed Garret's finger. There in the corner, sitting by itself, was Jordan's guitar.