Summary: Mark Sloan helps a young widow.
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Russian Blues
Chapter 3- Good and Bad Memories
"Your father?" Alex repeated. "Why would he want to kill Gleb?"
"My father hated Gleb. He was planning to marry me off to a rich man back in Russia, but I met Gleb at school. We were both eighteen, just starting collage. When we fell in love, my father forbade the marriage. So we eloped.
"When we returned, we rented an apartment close to my parents' house. My mother was ecstatic. She always liked Gleb. But my father was another story. He pretended to tolerate the marriage until I got pregnant. He-" Tovah's voice broke suddenly, and she took a moment to gather her composure. "He pushed me down a flight of stairs, and I ended up with a miscarriage."
"That's terrible. Did you take him to court?"
"We couldn't get the charges to stick. The police just told us it was his word against mine. That night Gleb moved me out here."
"Do you ever get to talk to you mother?" Alex asked.
"No," Tovah said. She was still staring at her fingernails. "My father had the phone number changed, and the new one is unlisted. I wish I could talk to her right now. She would be so happy about the baby."
"Tovah, you need to tell Steve Sloan everything that you just told me," Alex said.
"I can't," she said, looking up for the first time. Alex could see the fire that the memories had ignited in her brown eyes.
"I know it's hard, but this could help put the creep who killed your husband behind bars," Alex persuaded, but Tovah was stubbornly unresponsive. "I'll help you." Her look softened and she gave him a slight, sad smile.
"Thank you, Alex," she said, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze. He helped her to her feet. "Oh, where is the bathroom?"
"Right across the hall. Dr. Sloan has clean towels in the closet," Alex said with a smile.
"Thank you again, for everything."
……
Jesse Travis arrived at the beach house toting a box of ribs from Barbeque Bobs. He stood in the doorway, holding the food triumphantly.
"Boy are we glad to see you," Steve said. Jesse's smile grew. "I'm starving."
Steve took the box from Jesse, who sat dejectedly on the couch. Alex followed him into the kitchen to warm up the food.
"So her father caused them to lose the baby?" Steve asked him, coming back out to the living room.
"That's what she said," Alex responded.
"It sounds like Gleb Deningkov had a motive to kill Mr. Kaminsky," Jesse said.
"Gleb Deningkov died of cyanide poisoning," began Amanda. "The gash on the back of his head didn't do anything more than give him a mild concussion. But he had a double dose of insulin and a tiny bit of cyanide, all injected in the same spot, but at different times, with the same syringe."
"Were there any prints on the needle?" Mark asked.
"Just Gleb and Tovah's," Steve replied, "And their prints were the only ones on the statuette that knocked Gleb out."
"Huh…" Mark said thoughtfully. It was quiet for a minute, until a voice was heard from the doorway.
"Hello? Steve? Help!" Steve walked down to the front door, and saw Ellen, balancing three boxes, and trying to open the door and turn on the light. He took the top box and groaned.
"How much of your house is in this box?" he asked sarcastically.
"This is only the beginning," Ellen answered, ignoring his tone.
"Need more hands?" Jesse asked, setting his soda down.
"That would be great," Ellen said. "There are boxes on the seats and the trunk is full. Knock yourself out." She continued down the stairs while Jesse followed Steve out, switching on the outdoor floodlight. They stopped at the overcrowded vehicle and gaped. Steve did not know how she drove the vehicle, because all of the windows were blocked.
"Is it too late to take back my offer?" Jesse asked.
"What on earth does she have in there?" Steve said, thinking out loud.
"Stuff." Steve glared at his business partner and then tried to figure out how to get one box out of the car without being crushed by twenty or thirty others. He sighed heavily at the warning ticket that was lying on top of Ellen's purse between the front seats.
As he and Jesse were studying the problem, a red mustang convertible pulled up to the beach house, horn honking. Steve pulled his head out of the car too quickly, smacking it on the ceiling.
Aside from breaking Steve's concentration, the noise from the car's horn also attracted Mark and Ellen from the house. And when Mark saw the driver he smiled brightly.
"Jack Stewart, you said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."
"Well I got in early," Jack said with a grin. "Hey, the house looks great!"
"Ellen, I'd like you to meet the infamous Dr. Jack Stewart," Steve said, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "Jack, this is my fiancé, Ellen Sharp."
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Ellen said. "The stories Mark tells about you are legendary."
"You must be very special yourself if you finally got Steve to settle down." As Jack spoke, Mark noticed Jesse's rejected look, so he introduced him.
"And this is Dr. Jesse Travis. He replaced you after you left." Jesse shook Jack's hand, and their wary smiles went unnoticed by all but Mark.
"Hey guys, if you don't get in here the boys are gong to eat all the ribs," Amanda called from the house. Mark turned back to Jack.
"Have you ever experienced the sensation of eating barbeque that will- what was it Jesse?"
"Char the taste buds off your tongue and sear the lining of your stomach," Jesse recited with a grin.
"Ah, no, I don't think I have," Jack said. Mark put his arm around his shoulder, leading him to the house.
"Well I guess you will now," he said. Steve and Ellen crammed the stuff that had fallen out of the car back in and locked it, walking slowly to the house, hand in hand. Jesse followed alone.
Amanda heard someone entering the house, and she looked up from the newspaper on her lap.
"It's about ti-" she started, but didn't finish her thought. "Jack! What are you doing here?"
"Mark called me. I hear Steve is getting married," he answered, returning her hug. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Boy is it great to see you."
Steve emerged from the kitchen carrying a platter of ribs.
"Alright, Stewart. Get ready for the taste of 'Doctor Bob'."
"And 'Detective Bob,'" Jesse added.
"These two 'Bobs' own a restaurant together," Mark explained. Smelling food, Amanda's son, C.J., came in from the deck.
"Mom, is it time to eat yet?" he asked climbing up on her lap.
"Yes. Go and get your brother. You two can eat on the porch if you're careful," Amanda said, kissing the top of his head.
"DION!" C.J. yelled, pushing away from his mother.
"Now, I could have done that," Amanda said.
"I'll check on Tovah," Steve said.
"Jack, this is Dr. Alex Martin," Amanda began, "and these are my sons, C.J.-"
"The J. stands for 'Jesse'," Jesse interrupted proudly.
"And Dion," Amanda finished.
"Hi!" Jack said, bending down and offering the boys handshakes. Mark explained why Tovah was there to Jack. He looked sternly at Jesse.
"Be-" he started. Then Mark turned his firm look to Jack. "Nice."
"When was I ever not nice?" Jack said with a grin. Amanda glared playfully at him, trying to mentally jog his memory. Finally she mouthed 'Norman Briggs.'
Steve came back from the guest room with Tovah. He introduced her to anyone she did not know.
"Are you hungry?" Mark asked.
"Only because I'm pregnant," Tovah said wearily. She yawned frequently over dinner, and retreated to the bedroom early. When Mark looked in on her, she was asleep with the lights out.
Everyone slowly started to go home, and Jack went with Amanda, happy to use her guest room. Mark put the last of the coffee mugs on a tray and carried them to the kitchen. Steve was drying his hands on a towel and Ellen was starting the wash cycle on the dishwasher. It was proof that they could work together when, and if, they wanted to.
"Now I get to unpack," Ellen announced to no one in particular. Steve smiled at her.
"Let me help you," he offered.
"Sure," she said with a grin.
A/N: I hope you enjoy this. I'm sorry to keep bringing Jack Stewart back in my stories, but I always thought that he and Amanda belonged together, like Steve with Ellen, and Jesse with Susan.