Chapter 17
Deakins looked up at his two best detectives. Alex looked at him and turned to leave. Carver stepped out of the corner; neither Alex nor Bobby had seen him there.
"Captain," said Bobby.
Carver knew that they weren't thinking about Peter's confession- and neither was Deakins- and took control of the conversation accordingly. "This doesn't have to mean anything," said Carver simply.
Alex stopped in her tracks, her hand still on the doorknob. At the look on her face Carver said, "Let's not discuss this now. Bring me the evidence you have against him- I'll take care of the interview tape. Let's get this trial wrapped up.
"Trial?" Alex had started to say, but Deakins spoke up.
"As of now you are off all cases but this one. If this plays out-"
"What if he's just ranting?" interrupted Bobby.
"Then everything's fine," said Deakins, though neither Bobby nor Alex thought he meant it.
"The trouble is, detectives, the only way to stop a full out IAB inquiry is to convince them that Peter was imagining it- seeing something out of nothing. 'Nothing' being Alex's…undercover work. This however, will give the groundwork for an insanity defense which Peter's lawyer will undoubtedly jump at- it could create enough reasonable doubt to get him off," said Carver.
"Is there any way to prove everything else beyond a reasonable doubt but…those last remarks?" asked Alex.
"I'll try," said Carver.
Bobby looked from Carver to Deakins. "Thank you, Carver," said Deakins. He turned to Alex and Bobby. "My office. Now."
Deakins opened his office door and ushered them in. He shut it behind them and closed the blinds.
"Captain," Bobby had started to say again, but Deakins interrupted him.
"I will listen to you after I've had my say." Deakins paused. "You guys are so good together. You're the best pair of detectives I've ever had. What Carver has to do for you is putting all of your hard work at risk. He is compromising the prosecution to keep you together when he would hang you out to dry were you any other detectives in this situation. I don't care if what Peter says is true- though I strongly suspect it is- but if anything like this ever happens again I will hang your butts out to dry, regardless of what Carver is or isn't willing to do. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," they both mumbled. Deakins had not yelled, but he might has well have- at least Alex could have blocked it out then. But this; this was much worse. Neither she nor Bobby could deny Peter's allegations, but to confirm them would ensure their separation. In this situation, silence was the best policy.
Alex wished it would all go away- they had just successfully tracked down, caught, and wormed a confession out of a suspect. It would have pleaded out by now and everything would be back to normal if they had not let their emotions get in the way. But now he had a viable, even if shaky, defense and Alex feared loosing Bobby more than ever.
"Peter was right," she mumbled as Bobby drove her home, taking care to mind the traffic this time. "We let our emotions get in the way, and now it could cost us everything."
"That's not true- if our emotions had gotten in the way we wouldn't have solved this case like we have solved every other case that has been put before us," replied Bobby.
"But he used it to get at us- he used it to put us in the hospital, and he's using it to split us up-"
"That's just it- he used it against us, it didn't get in the way."
"How does that make it any better!" Alex had begun to cry. "We're still going to be split up!"
"Alex, we don't know that. Having our feelings get in the way and having them used against us are two different things. Despite our feelings-"
"Just say it, Bobby! We're lovers! And allowing our feelings to be used against us is how they got in the way!"
"When we were- are- we are- lovers we could- can- we can still do our work. You are still one hell of an investigator and we still get the job done. Being together had- has no affect on that. If anything, it strengthens those abilities."
"But it made us terrible liars- we couldn't even successfully hide it from the suspect we outsmarted," sniffed Alex.
"Then we'll never be able to lie to each other," said Bobby gently, reaching over to wipe a tear from her cheek.
Alex smiled and relaxed. "Hey Bobby," she said, still smiling serenely.
"Yeah?" He looked at her.
"Watch the road please."