Title: In A Garden

Chapter Nineteen

By: LizD

Written: February 2004

Disclaimers: No disrespect to JAG's cast, crew or creators. With love and thanks.

A Garden – Part 19

X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x

Harm had been in the interrogation room for more than three hours - alone. No one was interrogating him or speaking to him about anything at all. As you could imagine he was not a happy camper. His pounding on the door remained unanswered, as did the reason why he was pulled from his dinner with Kate Pike and hustled down to the station. He was given all the coffee or water he could ask for and permitted to use the facilities, twice, and was allowed to get a message to his mother to make arrangements for the boys, but other than that – nothing. Harm knew it had something to do with Linda, but since he had not been in court for the two days – anything could have happened up to and including a shift of the blame for Walter Lawson's death to some one else. He had seen Linda on Sunday afternoon after he had put Mac on the plane and he knew something was up, but he was still distracted by his parting from Mac.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

The remainder of Thanksgiving weekend with Mac was tentatively fantastic. There were moments when he saw her dealing with the kids like she was their natural mother, and then there were other moments when he thought she was keeping them distant. He thought she did the same with him. When they made love she was intense and real and very, very intimate. But when they weren't alone, there was something missing – the loving look, the casual touch, the private connection seemed gone. He tried to talk with her about it on several occasions, but she denied feeling distant with either him or the kids. Maybe he was over-reacting; maybe he was seeing things that weren't there. Maybe it had more to do with the trial and how hard they were working. Maybe it didn't.

All day Friday and Saturday was spent in the kitchen rereading the files and notes. They had discovered that the security tape to the back entrance of the Lawson Estate had been switched with one from the night before. Until they found out what was on the correct tape, they were not going to share it with the prosecutors or the defense. They put a few feelers out, but nothing had come by Sunday. They both agreed that the detective work done on the case was sloppy at best and never would have been tolerated at JAG. If Linda's lawyer were defending the case rather than pushing the insanity plea, she would have gotten off on a myriad of technicalities. Still, Harm and Mac both felt that the best way to defend her was to find the real killer – if indeed it was not Linda.

By Sunday morning, sadly, Mac's time on the case was done. She was expected in Washington, to help transition Bud back into JAG. She also had to deal with her own promotion – hopefully – and transfer. She would not make it back out until after the New Year. The trial should have been over by then – guilty or not.

The good-bye between them was ruined – for Harm. It was the last hours they had together and he wanted to make them special. He left the boys with his mother and took Mac out to a fantastic brunch by the water. It was just the two of them; so they could talk about anything. The setting was romantic and the food was incredible. Harm was hoping that they could some how reconnect in these last few hours. Sadly, they were talking about a lot of nothing. Harm was being incredibly sweet and attentive. Not that that was unusual, but he was definitely over compensating. That irritated Mac; they were past small talk and sweet talk. While every conversation didn't need to be earth shattering – as earth shattering as Thursday night – it should have contain more substance. There was serious stuff going on in their lives, it should not be ignored.

Brunch was nearly over, when the phone rang. It was Linda's lawyer, Jack Olander. Linda wanted to see Harm. Even though Mac was sitting caddy corner to him at the table, he felt her pull a thousand miles away. In reality it was not Mac that pulled away, it was Harm. He quite literally turned away when he heard who is was and what he wanted. Mac felt the pull and made the decision not to confront him about it right then.

"Well, I guess we better get going," Mac said when he was off the phone.

"I don't have to go."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have to talk to her. Hell, we have been working this case all weekend; she has to know what we found out."

Harm immediately flashed on what Mac had "found out" that weekend and again over compensated. "You mean the great big wad of nothing?"

"If that is what you think we found, then you need to tell her that."

Harm tried to read her expression and couldn't. He braved the next question and he must be given points for that. The old (rather YOUNG) Harm would never have noticed or thought to ask. "Are we OK?"

"I am fine," she stated in her strictest marine reserve. "I am fine with everything that is going on and has gone on."

"But?"

"But I think you need to ask yourself that same question."

"Are we OK?" he repeated as if asking himself. "God, I hope so."

"It is not a matter for hope or God."

"Mac."

She cut him off. "We need to get to the airport."

"We have a little while," Harm took her hand. "I wish this weren't happening."

"Don't you think I know that?"

"What am I supposed to do?" he waited for her reply which was not readily forth coming. "Tell me, I am sincerely asking."

"Harm, helping Linda is not being disloyal to me. Talking to her and seeing that she doesn't suffer for something she didn't do is not about us."

"I know," he defended. "I told you that."

"Then you need to ask yourself why you feel that way."

"I don't."

"Harm, you are the one putting this between us, not me."

He looked like he was about to argue with her; then he changed his mind. "That may be true, but what about the other thing."

"What do you want me to say about that?"

"Say anything. We haven't talked about it since Thursday."

"Harm," she fought her impulse to scream. "I am getting on a plane in just over an hour. I am not going to do this with you now."

"If you had something to say about it, then why didn't you?" he challenged.

She shook her head, chuckled to herself, pulled her napkin out of her lap and stood up. "No, It's not going to happen. I won't let you bait me into this fight."

"Bait you? Fight? So, it is a fight," he was on his feet immediately.

"One sided," she grabbed her purse and her jacket and stepped back from the table. "If you feel guilty about something – you better figure out what it is before you pick a fight with me."

"What do I have to feel guilty about?"

"Only you can answer that. I am taking a cab," she walked away from him.

He of course ran after her after he paid the check and caught her asking the bellman to order her the taxi and get her bags out of the car.

"Sarah, don't," he said from behind.

"I need the valet stub," she held out her hand.

As if commanded he pulled the stub out and handed it to the bellman.

"Sarah, please."

She nodded to the poor bellman who was confused but figured that the lady was the one giving the orders at the moment. He ran off to get the bags.

She turned to him. "I am not mad. I am not upset. I just don't want to pursue this discussion when I have to get on a plane. That is it. I won't end this weekend in a fight. I don't want our next conversation to start with one of us apologizing for something that should never have been allowed to be said."

"And you get to decide that?" Harm was rapidly approaching the moment when he would say something he would have to apologize for.

"Yes," she stared him down.

"Ok," he relented. "Ok, fine. But I can still drive you to the airport."

"I don't want you to. I want you to take care of business."

"Business?"

"Harm, go take care of this. If I could stay and see it through with you, I would. But I can't. I have obligations and responsibilities too."

Her cab arrived and the bellmen put the luggage in the car. She paused by the door. Harm looked miserable and annoyed. She motioned to the driver that it would be a moment and pulled him off to the side so they would not be overheard.

"Harm, I love you. We are going to be married and we will have years and years to look back on this time as another series of events that we survived."

"Sarah."

"Look, all weekend you have been pulling me close and asking me why I am so distant. I never moved Harm. Never stopped loving you or even liking you. Never changed my opinion. It has been you that has been doing all the distancing. You need to figure out why. And maybe a little time by yourself can help you with that."

"We aren't going to be able to do this 'little time' thing when we are living under the same roof."

"We will meet and cross that bridge when we get to it," she smiled. "As we will do everything else. I love you. I have to go."

She leaned in to kiss him but he didn't want to end the conversation so he didn't respond.

She pouted playfully. "Do you really want me to leave without a kiss good-bye?"

Harm put his hands on her face and pulled her to him. It started out sad sweet kiss good-bye but turned into a serious breach in PDA protocol for the colonel, but she forced herself not to be uncomfortable with the bellman and driver watching them.

She pulled away breathless. "I told you, I couldn't stay," she laughed.

"Just as long as I know you wanted to."

"Don't ever question where my preference lies," she said seriously.

"I love you."

She nodded.

"I am going to marry you."

She smiled and nodded again.

The driver impatiently cleared his throat and Harm shot him a look that would have sunk many men to their knees. The driver sat back down in the car.

"I have to go," she turned his face back to hers. "I'll call you when I get home."

He nodded sadly and let her go. As he watched her drive out of sight it occurred to him that he did feel guilty but she was not as 'unmoved' by their discussion on Thursday night as she claimed.

He had to finish this thing with Linda so he and Mac could move on.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Harm arrived at the hospital still distracted but his last conversation with Mac. He thought about calling her but thought better of it. When he arrived, Linda and the attorney were seated outside in the garden. They looked like lovers, not attorney and client.

"Rabb, thank you for coming," Jack said as he rose and extended his hand to Harm.

"Jack," he looked over at Linda. She looked great. He had never seen her look so healthy and happy, not like a woman who was about to go on trial for her life, not like a woman who had serious mental health issues and prescription drug addictions. "Linda."

"Harm. Thank you." Linda reached her hand up to Jack's arm and pressed it. She motioned for him to leave so she could spend a moment alone with Harm. He did. She turned her attention back to Harm and nodded for him to sit down.

"You are looking well, Linda."

"Thank you. I feel . . . better. Much, much better."

"Olander seems to be . . . well -."

"Thank you for introducing him to me. He is not as good a lawyer as you are, but -."

"But?"

"Well, at least he loves me."

The statement was said with a tinge of sadness and resignment to facts in evidence. Harm felt compelled to say something, but Linda cut him off.

"Don't apologize, Harm. I never gave you a reason to love me."

"Linda."

"I hear you are getting married," she said brightly.

"I am."

"To your pretty marine?"

"Yes," he found his strength. "We will be moving to Virginia."

She just nodded as if he had said they were going to order pizza for dinner. "When?"

"Soon."

She nodded. "You are waiting for the verdict?"

Harm looked down and away.

"Don't wait, Harm. Don't put off what you should do today – right now. That is how I got here."

"What do you mean?"

"I should have killed that bastard years ago."

Harm did not want to hear it.

"I have hated that man since I can remember. He ruined my life. The master manipulator, hell he's probably manipulating the worms that are-."

"Linda," he had to stop her. This was information he just did not want to have. "Linda, don't tell me this. You know that spousal rights don't apply and I will be called to the witness stand."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Don't misunderstand. I didn't pull the trigger myself, but I should have. It took his being gone for me to see things really clearly."

"Linda, I have tried to find another suspect -."

"Hey, don't. Don't do that for me. I have every confidence in Jack. He will do what is best."

Harm shook his head. She was confident, self-assured and other than her father there was no bitterness or fear in her. He assumed it was the drugs.

She smiled as if she knew what he was thinking. "I am clean and sober, Harm. Obviously haven't had a drink in five months and I am off all medications. I am normal."

He looked skeptical.

"Truly, and don't think that I am just dismissing the seriousness of what will happen tomorrow and for the coming weeks, it is just that – well, I see a light at the end of my tunnel. I have faith that everything will be fine."

"Well, I have never seen you like this."

She nodded and smiled. "If you had, would things have been any different?"

"I don't know," he looked uncomfortable with her asking.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked," she pressed his hand quickly and let it go. "I asked you here today to tell you that I am sorry for dragging you into this mess that was my life and to thank you for all you have done for me."

Was she saying good-bye?

"You have more than paid your dues," she looked down. "I understand that some of the trusts will be challenged. That you won't get – well anything."

"I have had to close the agency."

"For that I am very sorry. My father should have been shot," she smirked to herself. "I know how much that agency meant to you and I know that you helped a lot of people. If there were something I could have done, I would have. Please know that."

"Thank you."

"The house and the other trust will be challenged," she restated.

For the first time since the meeting began, it occurred to Harm that she had not mentioned the boys. "That is my understanding," Harm told her. "They have been frozen and will be turned over to the estate to pay the debts incurred."

"Well, I have rectified that."

"Excuse me?"

"My trust fund was not touched. Daddy's lawyer and I were the managers of it since I was twenty-five. I have turned more than half of it over to you. You should be getting the papers in the mail in a week or two. It is not as much as it would have been, but it will be enough, if you invest wisely."

"Linda."

"There is no argument Harm. It is done. You will do the right thing."

Jack came back. "Linda, we have some more to go over to get ready for --- tomorrow."

"Right," she looked over at Harm. "I'm sorry; we are going to have to cut this short."

Harm stood and Linda slowly rose too. She extended her hand to him. "Again, thank you for everything you have done."

Harm just nodded and walked slowly away. She was acting oddly self-satisfied. He didn't know what to make of it. She was always an odd duck. Maybe Jack was filling her head with lies about what will happen at trial. Maybe she thought that when the jury heard about all the physical and mental abuse her father heaped on her that it was justifiable and let her go. Who knows what she was thinking, but it was clear – she was dismissing him from his responsibility to her. He was just about to walk out the gates when he realized she had said nothing about the boys. Was he supposed to interpret from her suggestion to "move now" that she would not challenge his taking them out of state? Was he supposed to think that the money she was giving to him was child support? Why didn't she even ask about their health? He looked back and was going to go back and ask her, but Jack and Linda were no longer sitting where he left them. Harm chose to deal with it at another time – after the trial.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Finally Detective Watson entered the interrogation room. It was close to 2130. Harm was livid.

"What is going on Watson? Why am I here?" he asked immediately.

"Needed to chat with you about a couple of things."

"So you keep me waiting for over three hours?"

"Unavoidable," Watson stated with very little concern for the imposition to Harm.

"What?"

"What was unavoidable?" Watson snide tone was already beginning to grate on Harm's nerves. "Oh – you know – this and that. Really, it's a police matter – you navy types wouldn't understand."

Harm's anger was building. "Am I under arrest?"

"Did you do something wrong?"

"Not yet – but keep this crap up and you will probably come up with a couple of charges – when you find all your teeth."

"Are you threatening an officer of the law?" he smirked.

"Not a threat – a promise."

Just then a female detective entered and sat down at the table. "Mr. Rabb, or is it Commander?"

"Whatever," he barked at her.

"I am Sergeant Shana McNulty. We are very sorry to have detained you. The situation got a little out of control." Watson stepped to the back of the room to be out of Harm's eyesight. "We just need to ask you a couple of questions, and then you are free to go." McNulty continued.

"Ask," he sat back down.

"You were familiar with Walter Lawson."

"You know I was."

She was reading from the file. "Actually, yes, what I was referring to was your father-in-law's-."

"EX-Father-in-law."

She nodded to him. "My mistake, ex-father-in-law's murder."

"Yes," he kept his answer short.

"In fact, I understand that you have been doing a little investigating on your own."

Harm did not answer.

"We know you have, Rabb." Watson sneered behind him. "Every person you interviewed told us that they just got done answering the same questions for you."

"Yes."

"As an officer of the court," McNulty continued. "Is there anything you would like to share with the San Diego Police Department?"

Harm took a long look at her but opened his mouth before he engaged his brain. "You do some pretty shoddy work," he stated. "There was so many holes in this case I could drive a truck through them. Your forensics was incomplete and you never bothered to look for another suspect."

"Another suspect," she repeated. "Which brings us to why we are here tonight."

"Oh?"

"We think there may have been some other person or persons involved – if not the actual murder, then in the subsequent events."

"You are just looking into this now?" Harm ignored the last part of her statement.

"Well for the last four or five hours."

Harm was confused.

McNulty continued. "When was the last time you saw your wife – sorry ex-wife?"

"Sunday."

"When on Sunday?"

"Around 13, 1400," Harm stated flatly.

"For those of us who live with the twelve hour clock, Rabb," Watson lobbed from behind him. Watson knew military time, but never missed an opportunity to dig Harm about it.

"Between One and Two in the afternoon, Watson." McNulty said rudely to her partner to save Rabb from having to answer. "You have not seen or talked to her since then?"

"No, what is this about?"

"How about her lawyer? You know her lawyer, Olander, Jack Olander."

"Yes, I know him. We don't play tennis together but I know who he is."

"When was the last time you spoke with him?"

Harm thought for a moment. "He called me earlier today – around noon. I didn't speak to him. He left a message."

"What was the message, Rabb?" Watson leaned down next to Harm and said into his ear.

"He asked me to call him."

McNulty interrupted. "You didn't speak with him?"

"No."

"Did you call him back?"

"I did, it went to voice mail. I assumed he was in court."

"Or out of range." Watson added.

"Out of range?" Harm asked.

McNulty again took back the interview. "When was that?"

Harm looked up trying to remember the time. "I don't know. I guess it was after 1700 – after five this afternoon."

"He called you at lunchtime." McNulty recapped. "But you did not feel the need to return the call until five o'clock," she did not let him speak. "Right, right, you thought he would be in court."

"So I guess you are not following this case too closely." Watson jeered again. "I would think you would be riveted and dying to watch the gavel to gavel proceedings."

"I have a job and two sons to take care of," he stabbed back at Watson.

"And the welfare of their mother is not important. Interesting." McNulty took a few notes.

"Considering you spent all that time investigating the case trying to find a way to pin this on some other poor sap."

"I suppose you have an alibi for noon to six for today." McNulty was posed to continue note taking. "Witnesses who will say where you were and what you were doing?"

"I was at the office."

"All afternoon?" Watson asked.

"All afternoon," Harm repeated.

"Why didn't you answer the phone when Olander called?" McNulty looked up at him over her glasses.

"I was in a meeting."

"At lunch time?" Watson charged.

"I often meet for lunch."

Watson didn't let up. "Guess your boss is getting the most for her money."

"In your office?" McNulty confirmed.

"In my office." Harm was done with the tag team. "Will one of you just tell me what is going on?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Watson accused.

Harm glared at him.

"Mr. Rabb, commander, your wife – ex-wife has gone missing. Seems that she never made it back to the hospital from court today. You wouldn't happen to know where we could find her?"

Harm was stunned to silence.

"We would ask her attorney, but he is 'unavailable' for comment as well." Watson added.

"What are you saying?" Harm was still not quite grasping all that they were saying.

"Court was canceled this afternoon." McNulty explained. "Some emergency with the judge. We were notified at five tonight that Lawson never made it back to the hospital. And no one has seen her since noon."

Harm shook his head.

"Olander was found dead in his apartment this evening at six o'clock – single gun shot wound to the heart." The sergeant finished.

"Just like the old man. Where is she, Rabb?" Watson said again into his ear. Harm snapped a look at him. "Bolivia, Cayman Islands, Timbuktu?"

Finally Harm understood. Linda had apparently run with the help of Olander but he had gotten a bullet for his troubles.

"Mr. Rabb." McNulty pulled a picture out of a file and pushed it over to him. "Do you know this man?"

Harm looked down at the picture. It was a still from the security tape the night that Lawson was killed. The man in the picture was looking up briefly at the camera. It was Sean O'Dae. Harm was on his feet immediately.

"So you do know him." McNulty repeated.

"Where are my kids?" he was panicked. "I need to see my kids."