Ok so here is yet another chapter, I know it took me a while to do but other things (bad evil things!) Made sure that I wasn't able to write for a while.
But now I am back and hoping to give you updates more sooner then the time it took me to complete this one!
To my reviewers:
boondockgal
Great! Like it alot!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it and I hope this next chap will do the same for you.
Rea Josettei was so excited to see you wrote another chapter! I thought this story might be abondaned! As you can imagine i am thrilled to see you havent i also look foward to your next chapter and some romance which i am a sucker for!
I never intended to abandon this story, but sometimes it takes me a while to make a chapter exactly like I want it. (I'm my own worst critic lol). As far as the romance goes I am still trying to figure out how I will be setting that up, but I hope to please you in the next chapter.
murpheysbaby
I really love this story- PLEASE UPDATE SOON! i just love murphey. please tell me him and tara get together?
Thank you, and Sorry it took me so long :D As far as the Murphy/Tara thing……I can't seem to make up my mind if she will………..(I will ponder on that some more for the next chapter)
Sandra-h
This was really, really, really great! Hurry up with the
next chapter. Can't wait for more!
Well here is the more you wanted, as for the next chapter I hope I can speed that along sooner then this one ;)
Chapter Three: As time has passed.
"Have
patience, and endure"
As the days had passed, Connor slowly became better, Tara had spent most of her time working leaving Connor and Murphy in her house.
As the weekend drew near she realized that his had been one off the longest weeks in her life.
Sitting on her chair at her desk, her feet lazily raised on the edge off it, she looked at the files that were spread out over it. The phone gave a sharp ring and without giving it a second change to ring she picked it up.
"Yeah?"
"Hey Tara, it's Tania. I will be going over to your place later to check on Connor's leg, will you be there?"
Tara sighed as she looked at the matted glass door of her captains office. "I'm going to try and sneak out off here in a few minutes, I just have to wait for the hell beast to loose his focus for a few seconds."
"You had better watch out he doesn't catch you saying that!" Tania said with a laugh.
"I don't care what he hears, I will see you in a few." Tara said as they ended the conversation.
Murphy was moving round the living room, closely watched by a still ever reluctant Tigger. "I swear the cat has got it in for me." He mumbled looking into the cats eyes.
"You've lost it haven't you?" Connor said looking up at him from the bed, still in the room.
"No I haven't! That beast keeps looking at me like it wants to eat me." Murphy said still not taking his eyes off the cat.
"Did I hear that right? Is all-go-no-fear-I'm-the-greatest-in-the-world Murphy scared of a little pussy cat?" Connor said with a huge grin.
"Fuck you I'm not scared off shit, and if your leg wasn't that bad I'd give you something to be scared about!" Murphy said looking at him now.
"You couldn't take me even if you wanted to." Connor said before lying back down.
Murphy walked round once more and then ended up at the display off picture frames lining the wall. He surveyed them for a moment and then stopped to look at one more closely.
"Funny to think that she actually looked like this." He said pointing at a picture of a girl about 12 years old in a dress standing on the steps off a church.
"See she has this strange expression on her face, I think it could almost be described as a smile. I wonder what happened to her to turn her into the grouch we have been around all week?" Although he had wondered the last thing he had said it out loud.
Connor raised himself once more. "She got us squatting in her house, trust me she's not stupid, she knows things aren't right. I think you are paying a bit too much off attention to her."
Murphy looked away from the picture and glared at him. "Ok just to remind you; Da is still alive so you don't need to turn into him just yet."
"I'm not trying to be Da! But you have to be honest, all you have been talking about this week is Tara." Connor said in a more gentle voice.
"Yeah well… … that's because I've been cooped up in here all week haven't I." Murphy said sitting down.
"Then go out and do something."
"Yeah sure! And what the hell am I supposed to do huh? I can't really go out and do what we came here to do, she's suspicious enough as it is." Murphy said closing his eyes for a second.
"Then go out for a walk or something, God knows I would love to get out off this place." Connor sighed.
"Listen its your own bloody fault for getting shot! If you hadn't been stupid enough and stepped in front off me we wouldn't be here!" Murphy said in a raised voice.
"Yeah well if you would have shot the guy in the corner he wouldn't have had a chance to shoot me in my fucking leg now would he!" Connor shot back.
"Oh! It just keeps getting better! Now it's my fault you got shot?" Murphy said getting up again.
"Look we shouldn't fight over this, what we should be thinking about is getting out off here." Connor said sitting up again.
"Aye, and besides if we did fight we would both know I'd kick your ass." Murphy said with a smile.
Tara made her way to the door off her floor, thinking she had made a clean escape she sighed and slowed down her pass.
"Where the hell do you think you are going?" The heavy voice off her captain boomed behind her.
Slowly she turned. "Well according to most people there is a place you call home. It's kind off the place where you rest and do things that make you qualify as having a life. I sort off thought I'd check out if I had one."
"I want you back here tomorrow morning, bright and early!" The captain said looking at her.
"What ever, can I go now!' Tara said looking at him.
"Fine, but remember, bright and early!"
Tara walked the streets to go home, she sighed as the un-solvability of the case was weighing heavy on her. She had yet to encounter a case she couldn't solve and she was sorry to think this might be the one. Her captain and the rest off the team were as determined as she was but she feared it wasn't good enough.
On the corner of her street she saw Tania walking up to her building, she smiled as she walked on. How lucky was she to have her as a best friend? What other person would help you out with a gunshot victim without asking any questions?
When she reached her apartment she could hear the three others talking as, she paused for a moment with her hand on the door handle. How long would this last? She could not keep those two here for that long.
She opened the door and walked in on Tania just redressing the bandage on Connor's leg.
"It's looking good even if I say so myself." She said putting on the last bit off plaster.
"Well I can't thank you enough." Connor said looking at her, then he turned to the door and half smiled. "Hey, you are back."
"Good thing you are so perceptive." Tara said throwing her keys on the table and looking at Tania. "How is he doing?"
"Fine, it's healing up nicely." Tania said getting up and putting away the things she had been using.
"So we will be out off your hair in no time." Connor said looking at Tara.
Tigger who was pleased to see someone he liked came walking in the room, he walked passed Murphy's leg and gave a deep hiss before walking towards Tara.
"Stupid beast." Murphy said looking at the fat ginger cat.
Tara picked the cat up and cuddled it. "He isn't stupid, just a very good judge off character, aren't you baby?' She pressed her face in Tigger' fur and kissed him.
"It's a cat, how can that judge character?" Murphy said with a scowl.
"He sure as hell has you pegged!" Connor said at a laugh.
"Fuck you." Murphy spat at him.
"Now boys play nice!" Tania said walking back in. "I'm going to get some shopping you have nothing in your kitchen." She said looking at Tara.
"Ok, why don't you take Mr. Cranky with you?" Tara said nudging her head towards Murphy.
"Sure." Tania said walking to the door waiting on Murphy to follow, but before he did he walked over to his bag. Tania could not see what he was doing but she paid no mind to it. After he had got what he wanted he followed her.
After the other two left Tara sat down on the couch Tigger nestled on her lap.
"Your brother is in a bit off a bad mood." She said absentmindedly stroking the cats head.
"He doesn't like being in the same place for to long." Connor replied looking at her.
"What about you?"
Connor smiled. "I adapt easily."
"Don't get to comfortable this is only temporary." Tara said getting up and putting Tigger down.
"I know."
"Good, cause as soon as you can leave you have to, I don't know what is going on but you are only here because I am doing the Rev a favor." Tara said moving into the kitchen.
"This is kind of a big favor you are doing!" Connor half yelled from the couch.
"Yeah well the Rev has special privileges when it comes to favors, she raised me." Tara said walking back in with a drink.
"She raised you?" He asked half sitting up.
"Yeah, my father got killed when I was young. I had no other family so I ended up with the Rev in the orphanage." Tara said casually.
"How did he die? If you don't mind me asking." Connor asked looking at her.
"He got shot , he was on the force. He pulled a guy over for a broken tail light, turned out there was a warrant out on him. When my father walked up to the car window the guy pulled a gun and shot him." Tara said gloomy.
"I'm sorry to hear that, is that why you joined the force as well?" Connor said thinking off her as a small girl loosing her father.
"I guess, as long as I can remember I wanted to be a police officer. I used to wear my father's hat when he was off duty. Arresting him for offences like not putting his dishes away." Tara said with a smile.
"So it is kind off a family thing, I get that." Connor said thinking of his own father.
Tania walked down the street flanked by Murphy who didn't say a word, she wondered what he was thinking.
"Fuck it's good to be out off there." He said out off the blue looking at the people on the street.
"Why did you stay in then? You could have walked round before." Tania said looking at him.
"Connor." Murphy said shortly.
"He would be fine on his own for a while you know, he doesn't need constant minding." Tania said smiling.
"He's my brother, I am supposed to take care off him."
"Well you two fight quite a bit." Tania said with a smile.
"Comes with the territory, it's all in good fun." Murphy said lighting a cigarette.
"Threatening to beat him up is a bit off fun?" She replied with her eyebrow raised.
"If he can kick fuck out off me for no reason so can I." Murphy said smiling, remembering their last fight.
"That officially classifies you two as weird." Tania said looking at him.
"What like you and your brothers and sisters don't fight!" Murphy said kind off insulted.
"I don't have any, the closest thing to a sister I have is Tara." She said kind off gloomy.
"Fuck, I'm sorry, let me just take my foot out off my mouth here." He said looking at her.
"It's fine, I've actually had a lot of time to get used to the idea." She replied with a smile.
When they reached the store Tania pulled the door open and was pushed aside by a guy running out off it.
"STOP HIM! He shot the clerk!" A woman screamed looking at the two off them.
With out giving it a second thought Murphy let go off the door and started to run after the man.
Tania hurried into the shop to see if she could help the man who was shot.
Murphy was running as fast as he could but this asshole was fast, when he ran round the corner into an ally Murphy pulled out the gun he had taken with him.
Trying to keep up with him he missed his chance while the man walked into a derelict building and the door was bolted.
Swearing to himself Murphy leant against the wall while he was trying to catch his breath.
Once he had returned his breath pace to normal he pushed himself off the wall and looked to see if there was a window.
Finally he spotted a window a little ways above the ground, climbing on top of the dumpster along side the wall he peered in.
The room looked like it had been lived in, there was a bed and a chair, also there was a stack off things beside the bed. But unfortunately the guy was nowhere to be seen, with a sigh he jumped off the dumpster.
He put his gun back and slowly started to walk back to the shop.
As he reached the corner he saw a police car standing at the curb, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned back again.
Now peering round the corner he recognized Tania talking to one of officers.
With a sigh he grabbed a cigarette and light it, as long as the police were there he could not go there.
"I don't know what happened, I walked into the store and the woman yelled that the clerk had been shot." Tania said with a sigh.
"And that man behind you ran after him!" The woman who was standing next to her giving her statement said looking at her.
"Do you know that man?" The officer looked at her with a questioning look.
For a second Tania hesitated, what was she supposed to do now? Was she to tell him that she knew Murphy? Then they would want to talk to him and ask him questions, that would lead them to Tara. Remembering the words off Tara that they guys were in some sort off trouble he shook her head. "No."
It took forever for the police to let Tania go, after they finally had she looked round the street to see if she could spot Murphy.
From round the corner she saw a dark head off hair and casually she started to walk toward him.
"What took you so long?" He asked when she had finally turned the corner and was facing him.
"They kind of have this habit of being thorough when someone is shot." Tania said looking at him. "Where the hell were you?"
"I figured I'd best stay out off the way." Murphy said lighting a cigarette. "I never caught the guy either.'' He sounded down trodden at that fact.
"Let's just get some food and get out off here." Tania said as she started to walk.
"Why did the clerk get shot anyway?" Murphy asked looking at her sideways.
"The woman said the shooter had been talking about protection money and the clerk refused to pay. When the guy got to agitated he pulled out the gun and shot." Tania said looking at her feet. She was used to death but not like this, not while there was help that could have been offered. But the ambulance had been to late.
Tara was done talking to Connor, in the back off her head she knew he might mean well but all this talk off her father wasn't making her mood any better.
"What did I say?" Connor asked looking at her grim expression.
"Nothing, I just don't want to talk about it anymore." Tara said looking out the window.
"Are you angry?"
Tara sighed, and got up. "No I am not, but keep asking me that and I will be."
"Look all I asked was where you came from, I don't see the harm in that." Connor insisted.
"Well let me put it this way, you show me yours and I will show you mine." Tara said taunting knowing he would not start on that subject and he would leave her alone.
"Right…." He said looking at her again before turning his attention to a paper that was lying on the coffee table.
After they had gone to another shop Tania and Murphy walked back to the apartment, not a word had been said after their last small conversation.
Murphy just walked along side her, a bag of shopping in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
"Well it took you long enough, where did you go for food Mexico?" Tara said as she heard the door open.
"We ran into a shooting, I got caught up by having to give a statement to the police." Tania said putting her bag down.
"What about you?" Connor asked his brother.
"I chased the guy but lost him." Murphy said calm as he walked into the kitchen.
"Is everything ok?" Tara said immediately getting up and looking at Tania.
"I'm fine, the clerk who got shot died, I tried everything but the ambulance was just to late." Tania said gloomy.
"Well I'm glad you are ok." Tara said putting her arm round Tania and guiding her into the kitchen.
"Murphy get out while I cook would you?" Tara said pushing Murphy out while she started to unpack the food.
"Good thing she isn't pushy or anything." Murphy said sitting down and pointing at the kitchen door.
"Never mind that, what happened?" Connor hissed looking at him.
Murphy started to tell him everything he had seen, that he had followed the shooter and he knew where he was holding up.
"Well you know what needs to be done don't you." Connor said looking at him.
"Aye, but we usually do this together. Why don't we wait until your healed up a bit." Murphy said looking back at him, they were a partnership in this.
"Because you know where that piece of shit is, if we wait he might pack up and disappear!" Connor looked at him with a look Murphy knew all to well, it was scary how Connor could look like their father sometimes.
"Fine I will do it tonight." Murphy hissed as he got up.
"Good." Was all Connor said lying back again.
When Tara had finished cooking they all sat down for dinner, Tania, Murphy and herself at the table, Connor sitting with a plate on his lap.
Knowing there was something off about Murphy but not able to determent what Tara sat opposite him during dinner. He was to quiet for his own good, when she had eaten with them before, he was either cracking jokes about her cooking or pestering his brother.
"What is up with you?" She finally asked looking at him.
"Nothin' I just don't feel like talking much." He said spooning another load of food into his mouth.
If what she witnessed next had not occurred she would have thought nothing of it, but Tara noticed Murphy giving Connor a glance. The latter raised one of his eyebrows slightly and then gave a small nod.
'What are these two up to?' She wondered as she returned her attention to her food, but also keeping an eye on the two brothers.
After dinner Tania left to get to her nightshift, now Tara was caught in a silence with the brothers. The only one in the room who was producing any sort of communication was Tigger as he lay spread out over her lap, purring under the gentle strokes she gave him.
Like hit by lighting Murphy suddenly stood up. "I'm going for a walk." He said not looking at her or Connor.
"This late?" Tara asked raising her eyebrows.
"It's not that late and I need some fresh air, dinner is starting to take revenge on me." He patted his stomach as he walked behind the couch.
As quiet as he could be Murphy took his guns from the black bag half hidden under the back of the couch. Slowly he slipped them into the pockets of his coat.
"Do I need to bring anything back for you guys?" He asked holding his coat closed as he looked down on Tara and his brother.
"Everything is closed Einstein, but thanks anyway." Tara said throwing him a look.
"And she wonders why I need to get out of here." Murphy directed his comment to his brother, then he turned and walked out.
The next morning Tara awoke from an annoying sound as usual, but the sound was not produce by her alarm clock.
She reached for her phone and pressed it against her ear. "WHAT!" She half shouted half yawned into the receiver.
"Get your ass out off bed and to the corner of 75th street and Montell boulevard!"
"Good morning to you to captain." Tara said getting up.
"Didn't you hear me?"
"I did but I'm still trying to open my eyes if you don't mind." She now got up and looked at the time.
"Didn't I say I wanted you at work early?"
"Captain it is 5:30 in the morning, the whole city is a sleep!" Tara grumbled as she reached for some clean clothes and a towel.
"And some off them are corpses! Now get over here now!" Her captain yelled again.
"Alright, alright! Give me a chance to grab a shower and I will be right there!" Before he could answer Tara hung up, knowing he would say something along the lines of forget the shower if she allowed him to talk.
Even though it was pitch black in the ally Murphy knew where he was going, he never forgot a face or a place.
Slowly he crept up to the dumpster, pulling his mask out of his pocket as he went.
After he put on his mask he then checked if his guns were ok, he felt nervous. This was the first time he would be doing something like this alone.
Underneath the warm wool of his mask he could feel little droplets of sweat form.
Shaking his head to get rid of the insecurity he felt he looked up at he window which had a shine in it from a small light.
Her hair still wet from her shower Tara got our of her car, the place where she needed to be not easily missed. There was yellow tape round the ally and a door stoop open, police men walking in and out.
She took her badge and placed it round her neck with the chain attached to it, she grabbed a pair of gloves standing on a stretched by the door.
Barely getting time to get her eyes used to the darkness she now walked into she was called out to.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Relax captain, who ever died they weren't exactly going somewhere were they?" She said snapping the last glove on her hand.
"Why am I here anyway, I thought I was to focus on those mob hits and nothing else?" She said walking closer to the medical examiner and the captain.
"Well we got a little surprise, same MO (Mode of Operation) as the others." The captain said pointing at the body on the floor.
Murphy hoisted himself up onto the dumpster and looked through the window, he could see a bolt on the door, there was no entry there.
For a second he stood there thinking how he could deal with this the best.
Then he placed his hands on the windowsill and hoisted himself up, he would be able to fit through the window.
With one last jump he got up to the windowsill and took a deep breath, then he took one of his guns and made a swipe at the window.
The glass immediately broke and startled the man inside, without giving it another thought he pulled his other gun and fired 3 shots.
Tara bent through her knees and looked at the lifeless body of the man, he wasn't all that old. There seemed to be no sign off a struggle, she looked at the wound in his chest and then saw the other wounds on his arms and leg.
"This was the killing shot." She said pointing at the hole in the chest. "This was a thorough job, but where de he get in?"
She got up and looked round the room, then she looked at the medical examiner.
"Looks to me like he came in through the window, glass fallen inwards and by the angle of the arm and leg wounds for now I'd say he got shot from above.
Murphy took a deep breath, glad it had gone so easy. He had broken through the window and had surprised the man. He had jumped down into the room listening to the man's whimpering cries not to kill him. But how could he not take the life of a person who had taken one or more himself?
Now he stood bent over the body, his mask now halfway to the top of his head. He looked into the mans eyes as he placed his gun over the heart of his victim. He closed his eyes for a second and then pulled the trigger, no sound could be heard except for the soft 'pop' his silencer made.
Now once again looking at the lifeless man on the floor he dug into his pockets and found the two penny's.
He crossed the mans arms, closed his eyes and placed the penny's on them. Before he rose completely again he said a silent prayer and made a cross over his chest.
Then he walked to the door, unbolting it and then walking out of the building like nothing had happened in the past 15 minutes.
"Well I guess we are no longer dealing with a mob hit man or men are we." Tara said looking at the body again. "This guy was a nobody, or at least he was no one off the mob, they chose other forms of accommodation."
"Is that all you know?" The captain said looking at her.
"For now, I mean I got dead mobsters and a dead lowlife, where the hell is the connection?" Tara asked frustrated.
"Don't ask me to do your job for you." Was his only short reply.
"Oh get off it! We got criminals dropping left right and center and you expect me to solve it in a day!" Tara yelled, she wanted to go o but then a though occurred to her. "They were criminals!"
"Excuse you?"
"That is the connection! They were criminals, that's the only connection between this guy and the others." Tara said a bit happier with herself now.
"That really doesn't solve anything, we kind off have enough criminals in this city you know." Her captain said sarcastically.
"I know, but if there is someone doing things like this then they must have some sort off record in the FBI database!" Tara said agitated.
"Fine then go after it and lets get this guy already, I have more important things to worry about." Her captain made a hand gesture which indicated she had to leave.
As Tara walked out back into the daylight she sighed, she knew this lead was going to pay off. Certain things were out off the usual and this was definitely one off them, now all she had to do was wait until something came rolling out off the computer.