A/N: Thanks for the kind words regarding the first part; makes the writing easier!
Continued from chapter 1
Downing his third cup of bad coffee, Martin let out a slow breath. He was incredibly bored. Being left behind at the office, going through grainy security tapes wasn´t his idea of fun. The quality of these tapes was particularly poor. They had obviously been reused again and again for years and snow flickered across his monitor like a blizzard in New York. Suddenly he frowned, his finger hesitating an inch above the pause button. That looked like Deborah. Quickly rewinding, he paused the tape, freezing a frame showing a slightly stooping older woman exiting the front door. She was holding what appeared to be a string bag in her right hand and something white in the other, possibly a piece of paper.
Checking the time in the upper left corner, he hit a number on his cell phone, hearing it dial as he made a note on his notepad.
"Malone." Jack´s voice hit Martin´s ear and he grimaced involuntarily. Apparently, Jack still wasn´t in the best of moods.
"Hey, it´s me," he spoke quickly to avoid aggravating his boss further. "I´ve found her on the tape. It shows her leaving the building yesterday afternoon. 3:23 pm to be exact. I haven´t seen any footage showing her return."
"Is she alone?"
"Yes, there´s no one around her and…" He fast forwarded the tape a few minutes. "And no one seems to be following her either. She´s carrying a string bag, my guess is she´s going shopping."
He could hear Jack´s slow breathing on the other end as he took in the information. "All right, Martin, I want you to- hang on-"
The phone fell silent, followed by the low murmur of Samantha´s voice in the background. He couldn´t quite make out all the words, but it sounded like she was telling Jack something about bank statements.
Impatiently tapping his fingers on the desk, Martin used the opportunity to fast forward the tape to the very end, making absolutely sure Deborah Harrison didn´t suddenly pop back in frame.
"Okay, Martin?" Jack was back again.
"Yes?"
"If you´re done with the tapes, I want you to call Danny and Vivian, ask them to find out where Harrison does her grocery shopping. Then I want you to go through their security tapes, see if she ever arrived, and if she did, what time she left. In fact, check the tapes from the shops she´d pass on the way as well if they have any near the doors. They may have caught something. In any case, we´ll have a better timeline."
Martin closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired, "Jack, do you have any-"
"NYPD are checking hospitals and morgues, so far nothing," Jack continued as if Martin hadn´t spoken. "Phone records haven´t shown anything unusual either, but her bank records are rather interesting. Seems like she is a very wealthy lady."
"Could be a motive," Martin managed to get in.
"Could be," Jack agreed. "I´ve told Danny to inform the family they might get a call for ransom. All right, Samantha and I will talk to the building supervisor and janitor now before heading back. If there´s any news, let me know." And with that the line went dead.
Holding the phone a little away from him, Martin stared at it curiously. It wasn´t that Jack had said anything unusual or even sounded different, but he couldn´t help the feeling that there was something off. It felt like he had been dismissed and he didn´t understand why. He most certainly had been stuck with the crappiest assignment. It could take hours to go through so many tapes even with such a small timeslot to check. If he didn´t know better…
Nah, couldn´t be. He closed the phone and leaned back in his chair, eyes seeking the nearest window without really seeing what was outside. Jack and Samantha had been over for a very long time. Jack had worked to save his marriage, had even been willing to leave for Chicago in order to do so. Okay, it didn´t work out and they still divorced, but Jack had let Samantha go back then. Before then.
Hadn´t he?
Martin sat perfectly still for a moment, then he straightened up, reaching for his notes. It didn´t matter. Even if Jack was still hung up on Samantha, he was still her superior and, more importantly, Samantha was with him now. He could deal with a few days of hostility if Jack was upset by discovering their relationship. He would get over it and things would go back to normal soon enough.
So what if he didn´t always like the way Samantha looked at Jack, or the way they would often stand so close when discussing a case. So what if she didn´t turn to him until she thought Jack had gone for good. They had been close once and were still friends and colleagues, but that was it now. He was the one that made her happy. She had said so herself. Him, not Jack.
And when Jack returned, she didn´t return to him. That was what mattered.
Getting out of his chair, he reached for his coat, resigning himself to the task ahead. Looking at seemingly never ending stacks of security tapes. Dialing Danny´s number, he left the office.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, Samantha glanced sideways at Jack, commenting wryly, "Isn´t that a little immature?"
"What is?" Jack asked absently, his eyes following the slowly changing numbers above their heads as the elevator took them down.
"Punishing Martin for being with me by giving him the shitty jobs? What´s next? Filing?"
Jack met her gaze and when he saw she wasn´t really upset, but more amused, he shrugged, trying to look innocent, "I haven´t the faintest idea what you´re talking about." A grin flickered across his face as he looked away again, "And even if I did, it´s purely coincidental. Besides, he´s still the last one arrived. When I was new, I spent most of my time getting coffee."
"Somehow I doubt that," Sam remarked dryly.
Silence fell between them, but it wasn´t awkward or tense as it had been in the car. Sam felt relief; perhaps this would be easier than she thought. Perhaps it would even strengthen their friendship; now that she had moved on, he could, too.
Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose, turning towards him, "You´ve changed your aftershave."
He hesitated, looking a little surprised, "Uh, yeah, I did that some time ago actually. Thought a change would do me good. It´s not really-"
"But you´ve used the other brand as long as I can remember," Sam interjected, not really knowing why or why she even cared.
"Maria always bought it for me."
"Oh."
Silence fell again and it wasn´t interrupted before the low bling that signaled the arrival at their floor. The doors slid soundlessly open.
"It´s nice, I like it."
"Thank you."
Jack´s response had been so low that Sam couldn´t help but look at him, swallowing involuntarily when she met his eyes. He was gazing at her with an intensity that almost frightened her. Swallowing again to clear her throat, she spoke quietly, "Don´t look at me like that."
He never broke eye contact and neither did she. "Like what?"
"Like that."
It wasn´t really an answer, but they both knew what she meant. Like he was about to cup her face in his hands and kiss her. Like he was about to gently run his fingers through her hair and press his body into hers while he deepened the kiss. Her palms would be against his chest, would feel his frantic heartbeat before they moved under his coat. They would-
Sam blinked and jerked her head away, feeling flustered and startled. The elevator doors began to slide close and would have, if Jack hadn´t stepped forward to force them back open.
Gesturing with his hand, he spoke hoarsely; sounding a little flustered himself Sam thought, "After you."
She only nodded, carefully avoiding looking at his face, and stepped out of the elevator. Feeling his presence close behind her, she walked down the hall to the janitor´s office.
She knocked briskly on the door and in the few seconds it took the man to answer, she wondered about what had just happened. Wondered about what she had seen in Jack´s eyes.
And most of all, she wondered what he had seen in hers.
MISSING 18 HOURS
Caroline White was a competent and confident woman, Danny noted to himself, as he watched her sit calmly on the couch. Her eyes or attention never wavered as she listened intently to what was said. It was only the occasional wringing of her hands that showed the distress she was feeling. He guessed that as a nurse with more than twenty-five years of experience, she was used to dealing with emergencies. Even when it concerned your own family.
He was hanging back in the modest living room, studying the family portraits while Vivian carefully guided Caroline White through what they needed to know.
"When was the last time you saw or spoke to your mother, Mrs. White?"
"I spoke to her two days ago, Sunday night." The answer came promptly and Vivian made a note. "I just wanted to hear how she was doing, if I should send Erick by."
"Erick, your son?"
"Yes, I often have him swing by to run a few errands for her or help her with things around the flat. She broke her hip last fall and isn´t as strong or agile as she used to be. Unfortunately…" Caroline White trailed off, looking uncomfortable for the first time doing the interview.
"Yes," Vivian prodded gently.
"Well," Caroline White wrung her hands. "The thing is, my mother doesn´t really want to admit to being… dependent on anyone. She has always been a very proud and self-reliant woman. She doesn´t like to admit to needing help."
"But she does?"
"Yes," Mrs. White stated with no hesitation. "When she broke her hip, she lay in the bathroom for an entire weekend before she was found. She says that it-"
"Who found her?"
"Um, the janitor I think. He was there to check the faucet in the kitchen."
"He has a key?"
Caroline White looked up at Danny´s question, "Yes, yes, I guess he does. I think he has keys to all the flats." Fear crept onto her face. "Why? You don´t think he has anything to do with my mother´s disappearance, do you? He´s always seemed like such a nice man, always ready to help."
Vivian reached out, putting a calming hand on her arm, "We´re just checking every angle, Mrs. White. It´s standard procedure."
Caroline White nodded, but didn´t look convinced.
"Okay, I think that´s all for now," Vivian glanced at her notes and then at Danny. "Anything you want to add?"
"Just that we´ll need to speak with your son as well, Mrs. White. Can you bring him into the office after school? And your ex-husband; where´s he?"
"Ian should be at work now; he´s a plastic surgeon. We work at the same hospital so you have the address."
"Great. We´ll be in touch and someone will be here shortly to rig your phone in case you receive a call."
They said their goodbyes and Danny and Vivian started to move toward the door, when they were halted in their tracks.
"Will you find her?" Caroline White´s voice was nearly inaudible, losing the mask of a trained professional and finally sounding like a distraught daughter.
Danny exchanged a look with Vivian. It was a question they were inevitably asked at some point in relation to any missing person case. Frightened relatives or friends seeking reassurance from them more than an honest answer. And even after all this time, Danny never knew what to say.
"We have the entire team working on the case," he heard Vivian speak and, as always, he was amazed how calm and confident she appeared in situations like these. "Our boss is the best there is; if anyone can find your mother, it´s him."
It wasn´t really an answer and they all knew it, but she didn´t ask any further. Danny suspected she was afraid what she might hear.
In the car, he made a call to Jack, listening for several minutes before turning to Vivian. "Okay, Jack wants us back at the office. He wants us to interview the ex-husband there."
"Oh?" Vivian responded, fully concentrating on her driving. The rain was pouring down and it was difficult seeing anything but blurred lights and images. "He´s particularly interesting?"
"Guess so," Danny replied, trying to follow the furiously moving windshield wipers with his eyes, but had to stop as he grew dizzy. "Jack said he´d brief us all when we get there."
"How did he seem?"
"Jack?" Danny shrugged, now trying to see out through the window. "Okay, I guess."
"In a better mood than this morning?"
Another shrug, "He sounded all right to me, but it´s kinda hard to judge over the phone."
"Hmm…"
"Hmm what?" This time Danny turned to look at Vivian and it was her turn to shrug.
"I was just wondering if Martin has had an interesting morning, that´s all."
Danny smirked, "Probably not."
"That´s what I was thinking."
"Oh well, he´ll live," Danny sighed, shifting to rest the side of his head against the cool window. He was feeling his very early morning start begin to creep up on him and closed his eyes. "Martin will live and Jack will get over it. It´s no big deal."
A second 'hmm' from Vivian was the only answer he received.
TBC…