Disclaimer: still ain't mine.

……………………

Jack found it amazing how different a room could look from just the other side of a table.

In the time he had worked here, this was the first time he had ever been in the interrogation room alone.

He found it disconcerting, wondering if anyone was on the other side of the two-way mirror.

He had been waiting for someone to come and talk to him for 10 minutes.

He sighed and tipped his head back. The door opened and he sat up straight.

"Danny, what the hell is going on?" Jack was getting impatient.

"We have a few questions for you, Mr Malone," said Danny, closing the door and sitting down.

Mr Malone again. Something was definitely wrong.

"When was the last time you saw your wife?" Danny asked.

"I told you. When she walked out on me last night."

"I know what you told me. Now I want to know the truth."

"That is the truth, Agent Taylor."

"We have a witness who says she followed you out of your apartment building this morning."

"They're either lying or mistaken."

"What about the witness who says that when she got out of her car she got into yours?"

"What?"

"Or how about the video tape that confirms it? Is that lying?"

"I have not seen my wife since she left me."

"After she left the motel, she went to a bar where she told some guy that you were the one who gave her the black eye."

"And I told Viv that I didn't. All that happened was that we argued and then she got Hannah and Kate out of bed and walked out."

"Your daughters were still in bed?"

"Yes."

"They didn't come through to see what all the noise was?"

"No. I am ashamed to say that the girls are used to me and their mother shouting."

"Are they used to stuff being thrown too?"

"What are you talking about? Nobody threw anything."

"Nobody threw anything? I've been in your apartment today. There's hardly anything there that wasn't thrown or damaged in some way."

Jack was silent.

"Why aren't you being straight with us?"

"I've told you everything I know."

"You say you didn't hit her. She told someone you did. You say you only shouted. We have a trashed apartment that says otherwise. One witness says she was in your building this morning. Another witness, who is backed up by a security camera, says she got into your car. You deny she was in either of these places. All day you've been denying things or contradicting our information. Usually, that means somebody is hiding something."

Jack remained silent, his head hanging.

"How did Maria's blood get into your trunk?"

Jack slowly lifted his head till he was looking Danny right in the eye.

"What?"

"We found blood in your car. A DNA test confirmed that it's Maria's. How do you explain that?"

"I can't."

"Why were you late for work this morning?"
"My car ran out of gas."

"Interesting. Your wife goes missing and you run out of gas, making you late for what, the first time ever? You wanna know what I think? I think you and your bit on the side wanted to be together and Maria told you that you had to choose between your mistress and your family. You wanted the girl and the kids so you got rid of the wife. That's why you won't give us her name. You wanna protect her. Am I right?"

Something inside Jack snapped. They already thought that he was a suspect. But he didn't want them to think anything like that about her.

And surely they still believed in her word?

He sank back in his chair, closing his eyes so he couldn't see Danny's reaction.

"Samantha," he said barely above a whisper.

"What was that?"
"Samantha," he said louder. "Samantha Spade."

……………………

Viv called Martin over to her desk.

"Got a job for you," she said. "Somebody from Maria's firm just called and said they found something we should see."

"Okay," he said. "I'll take Sam with me."

"Okay."

Danny walked through the office, throwing his notes from the interview with Jack onto his desk.

Without saying a word, he went out onto the balcony.

He grabbed hold of the railing so tight it made his knuckles white.

Danny had always had a direct way of questioning suspects. He just never thought he would have to use it on Jack.

Without a doubt it was the hardest interview he had ever had to conduct.

He turned around and leant against the railing, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

He stayed there until he saw Samantha walk into the office and went back in.

"Did you get anything out of him?" asked Viv.

"Yes and no," said Danny. "No, he's not admitting to anything." He paused as he turned and fixed his gaze on Sam. "Yes, he told me who he had an affair with."

Martin and Viv looked at her and Samantha looked at the floor.

"It was you?" Martin said.

Samantha nodded, not taking her eyes from the ground. Danny continued to stare at her. They were close friends. He thought he knew her. He couldn't believe that she would do something so stupid. She had risked her job, Jack's job, his family, and the team's reputation.

Viv was disappointed with Jack more than she was with Samantha. She knew that he and Maria had their share of problems, but he still had an obligation to his family.

Martin said it would be better if he went to Maria's firm alone so he excused himself quickly and quietly.

He had had a crush on Samantha since his first day. As he grew to know her it intensified. He knew that, if he ever got the chance, he could let himself fall in love with her.

He felt something stronger than jealousy. He almost felt betrayed. As if, without realizing it, she had cheated on him.

Samantha felt embarrassed. She could feel Danny and Viv's eyes still on her. She wanted to walk away from them, run away to be exact, but she couldn't seem to move.

"At least now we know why he wouldn't tell us who you were," said Danny.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Viv.

"Jack didn't want you to know," she mumbled. "I thought it would make it worse if I told you."

"Make it worse?" said Danny. "You do realise you may have just incriminated yourself, don't you?"

"What? How?"

"One of the theories that we're working through is that Jack bumped off Maria with the help of his mistress. That would be you, Sam."

"You think I would do something like that? You think Jack would?"

"We don't know what to think," said Viv.

……………………

Martin returned to the office to find the other agents sitting silently at their desks.

This case was tearing the team apart. Turning five people who had been through so much together against each other.

This was the first time in his career that he had been working with people who saw him as more than his father's son. He didn't want to lose the feeling of acceptance.

At that moment, he became even more determined to prove Jack's innocence.

"Hey," he said.

Viv turned to look at him.

"Hey," she said. "What did you get?"

"This."

He dropped an evidence bag onto the conference table. In it was a cheque and a note.

"What is it?" asked Danny.

"One of the partners at the firm found it in the safe a while ago. 10,000 was missing. In its place was a cheque for the same amount and a note. Both signed by Maria."

"What does the note say?" asked Sam.

Viv picked it up and read it aloud.

"I'm sorry that I have to do this but it is the only way I have at the moment. I need some money and it's too late to get it out of the bank. I am leaving my husband. I am taking my daughters and we are going to start a new life but I need money. I can't wait till tomorrow because the sooner we leave, the further we get away and the sooner we will be safe. I hope you understand. Maria Malone.

……………………

Viv walked into Van Doren's office.

"You wanted to see me," she said.

"Yes," replied Van Doren. "Sit down, Agent Johnson."

Viv took the seat opposite her.

"What is it?"

"I want to know why you haven't arrested Jack Malone yet."

"Excuse me?"

"Jack Malone. Why hasn't he been arrested?"

"On what charges?"
"Suspicion of murdering his wife."

"Because I'm still not sure we have grounds for arrest. Even on suspicion of murder."

"Okay, Agent Johnson. Let's put it this way. Imagine this is some other guy. He argues with his wife. She leaves with their children. She checks into a motel with a black eye, which she later tells someone he gave her. We have proof that she is planning to leave him for good and start over somewhere new – with their kids. She goes missing and the last place she was seen was getting into his car after another row. We search his car and find blood. Her blood. What do you do?"

Viv sighed heavily.

"Arrest him."