June 9th, 2000 cont.

She had yelled for Paulie as they had come out of the building and he ran for the first aid kit from the squad car. Her hands were covered in the big man's blood and she couldn't wait to wash him and the stink of this whole situation off her. They took him to Memorial where he received numerous stitches and she made out the prelim report. The attending physician made sure she was clean with no broken skin on her hands in case of disease. The big cop said he was clean, but didn't everybody?

She called Ken; he was working at a little place nearby and had been expecting to meet her at home when their shifts were over. He stopped by the hospital to meet her for the trip home, greeting her with a kiss as she stood before the room where the other man was just finishing his stitches. She ducked back into the room for a minute. "Hey, man. I hope you're gonna be okay now. Stay away from that sicko and get some help, okay. You don't need to be treated like that, nobody does." He hadn't answered, just glared at her and at Kenshin out in the hallway beyond. She shrugged and left him.

9:30 AM

Teo hadn't thought of that for years, but then she hadn't found that many people with beer bottles stuck up their ass either! Beer bottles! She started flicking through her black leather notebook. Stopping, she picked up Shou's phone and dialed an extension. "Katsu, get the records for this case and that stuff of Sanos' I gave you yesterday. Count how many times a beer bottle was used to sodomize the vic and bring it in to me. As of five minutes ago, 'Kay? No, tell Sanos I was carried off by elves, I don't have time for bullshit, get to work."

She dropped the phone and sat clicking her tongue against her teeth. This was just too close a situation for her comfort. What was that fool's name? She looked up as the door opened and it took her a minute to focus and realize that the man in front of her wasn't Myojin. "Mr. Sanos, go away. I was just thinking over a case of pistol whipping and I might want to do some re-inaction activity to check a theory. Run while you can!"

He shut the door behind him and stood against it, arms folded. "Don't you have people who let you do that for fun, Tammy Claire?"

She gave him a look, one eyebrow cocked up, half-amused, it seemed. "Oh, you know that name, do you? You're a little young to remember those days. Was your daddy a "friend" of mine? Or your mommy? What's the point – its ancient history."

"Not too ancient from what I saw yesterday. Does Myojin have bad bruises on his ass?"

"Oh, you're a voyeur? Must be a good fault for a reporter. He's fine, thank you, and every time he sits down now just reinforces a good lesson. Again, ancient history and no crime. Get gone, I'm working."

Sanos stepped across to look down into green eyes. "Kenshin isn't here to stop you or protect you this time, Tammy Claire. I want to know what you did to him to make him cover for you like he does!"

"I love him and didn't stop when he hurt me. He's done the same for me. I don't play games with my kobito, or treat him as if he doesn't have a will of his own. You talked to him, what did he tell you? I'm guessing it's the same shit he's had to tell his other eager "Rescuers," he doesn't need you. Neither do I. Drag your ass."

"I'm not going anywhere, Tammy Claire Goro. Not until I see Kenshin face to face and talk to him. Don't try to get in the way."

"Stop trying to use my old name as a weapon, Sanos, it's been better done. Ken is a grown man and definitely has a mind of his own. Just because he let you fuck him doesn't mean he wasn't in control of himself the whole time. He's learned that by experience. You ask him to talk to you; it's not my business as long as you're not interfering with my life or hurting him. Get in my way, and you will not know what hit you. Drag." They locked eyes for a minute, green ice against caramel brown, Sanos unable to look away. What was she thinking?

A knock came at the door and Myojin came in with a piece of paper in his hand. "I told you she was busy, Dave! Teo, all of the attacks involved beer bottles. Both the Manhattan attacks and the similar ones Dave uncovered in Brooklyn and The Bronx during 1996-98."

"It's not a found object then, he's bringing it with him to re-create the attack." She stared off into the distance, forgetting all about the two men in front of her. Then she looked up at them both. "Do either of you know G.K. Chesterton's work? No? I've got to check something out…" She stopped, staring over Myojin's shoulder at the wall. "Kuso! Myojin, go requisition a car and meet me down in Records. Now, boy, move!" She got up and walked over to a photo on the wall as the young cop ran out, then turned to leave.

"I'm not done talking with you, Goro!" Sanos grabbed for her right coat sleeve. She slapped him across the Adam's apple with the notebook in her left hand, making him stagger back, gagging. She caught and twisted his wrist in a painful hold and stared into his eyes, her own as green as emeralds.

"My name is Teodosia Cyrene Gaudro! And I am done talking with a fool like you!" She grated between clenched teeth. "I don't have time to play dragon for you to fantasize about rescuing the Fairy Prince! Get the fuck out and don't come in between me and my work! Or me and my Kenshin!" She stalked away, leaving him gasping for breath behind her.

Sanos leaned against the desk to catch his breath. He'd just made this worse by confronting her. Now she had warning that he knew her past, and she didn't seem bothered at all. What was the question about Chesterton about? He was some old English mystery writer, what would that have to do with this case? He walked over to the wall and looked over the photos. They were Shou's he guessed, old pictures of him getting awards or hanging out with other cops and stuff. It was odd to see him without a beard, but he didn't know what Teo had seen that made her take off like that. He rubbed his sore throat. Terry had been right when he said she'd been able to "damage" the men who came to her for their thrills! What had Kenshin gone through in the years he had been under her control? She had no problem with dealing with him, what chance did a much smaller man have? Any of them?

He pulled out his cell and dialed Gaudro's home number he had been given at the start of his visit here. "Kenshin, it's Dave, please don't hang up! I want to see you, please?"

"Have you anything to say to me smarter than what you said yesterday? If not -I don't have time; I have to work today. I'm already on the other line with my produce dealer, and he has work to do as well."

"I just talked with Teo. I told her that I know who she is. And what she was."

"Why the hell are you bothering her? She's working! That's distant history, none of your business! She doesn't need your bullshit, and neither do I!"

The line went dead. Sanos leaned back and blew out a deep breath, running his hands through his hair. Could today get any worse?