10 points to whoever can pinpoint the Barboza reference…
Chapter 21
Alex waited in the SUV as Bobby ran into the store for a 6 pack. He looked rather odd, seeing as how he was in his office clothes and the lady standing behind him in the checkout line was in her slippers with curlers in her hair.
However, this didn't seem to faze her. "Hi, Bobby," she said in a scratchy tone behind him.
Bobby turned around. "Oh, Hello, Mrs. Barboza," he said back to her.
"Whatchoo got there, beer?" she said, looking over the pile of things in her arms.
"Yah."
"I thought you didn't drink."
"I don't, this is for Alex- my partner," he said, though he hadn't realized-
"I thought you were straight," she said abruptly, surveying him over her glasses. She was too old for manners, but somehow people still liked her.
Bobby laughed. "Alex is my partner at work, Alexandra. She's a Detective too."
Mrs. Barboza looked only slightly apologetic. "Oh," she said absentmindedly. "Isn't she the one that's been on the news with you?"
Bobby handed the beer to the clerk who scanned it, then announced the total. "Yah, that's her." With anyone else he would have been annoyed by now, but it was Mrs. Barboza, his batty old neighbor, and he didn't see the need to get upset with her. He wouldn't have minded if they could have discussed this somewhere else beside the store check out, but he would just have to shrug it off.
"She's pretty," she said as she dumped her things on the moving belt.
Bobby turned his head from counting the dollar bills in his hand and looked at Mrs. Barboza one last time with a light smile on his face. "Yah, yah she is." He finished counting, handed the clerk the money, and headed out the door, Mrs. Barboza watching him with a knowing grin on her face.
He opened the door and set the beer in the back seat, then got into his own. "What took you so long?"
Bobby smiled. "Ran into my chatty neighbor. I said the words 'Alex' and 'my partner' in the same sentence and she though I was gay."
Alex laughed. "Gay? That's a good one! Damn shame it's not true…"
"Why do you say that?"
"Then you'd be able to flaunt it to IAB."
Interview Room, Major Case SquadBobby sat down at the chair across from Peter and his attorney. It was Alex's turn to lurk in the corner.
"Why are you here?" he asked. "I thought you two were on paid holiday?"
"Shut your mouth," spat Alex, not leaving her corner.
"They are here at my request," said Ron.
"So, Peter. You are aware of the plea agreement?" asked Bobby innocently. "Where are the body and the weapon?"
Peter had a look of deepest loathing on his face. "The saw is at the bottom of the East River- good luck. The body…"
Alex stepped forward. "Peter," she said warningly.
Peter looked zoned out. "The body…" he leaned forward, looking Goren straight in the eyes."For every piece of the victims he took, the got a piece of him," he whispered.
"That's not good enough," said Alex, but Bobby was deep in thought. Carver couldn't decide between contemplating Peter's words, or Goren's expression.
Bobby looked up at Alex. There they were, communicating without words again, a peeve that annoyed Peter to no end…
"Are you two psychically doing each other right now or something?" he spat.
"Shut up," Alex shot at him again.
"How many pieces?" asked Bobby.
"How many victims?" asked Peter.
Carver had begun to say "five" when Bobby cut him off. "We'll find them," he said.
"Oh no you won't!" gloated Peter. "You can't do anything while you're on suspension."
"Thanks for pointing that out, Mr. Ballons," said Carver. "This of course means that you won't be getting anything unless you tell me the exact location of every single piece."
"Not gonna happen," said Peter, raising his eyebrows and looking Carver straight in the eyes.
"Damn it, Peter. This is not some competency test for the NYPD to pass! The reason your sister's killer stayed out there so long was because of interference like this! So, if you would like more Psychopaths like Sam Engal to stay on the loose while you serve maximum sentence, then by all means, be a hard-ass. Or, you could get your sentence reduced while helping us get back on the job to catch people like this man. Protecting his dead body won't protect you or any future victims of this kind of crime," she said. Her voice had gone from pissed off to a state of understanding, albeit a frustrated one.
"The more you tell us, the better we can do our jobs," Bobby continued gently. "The better you help us understand this man, the better we can work to prevent this kind of thing in the future."
Peter had begun to look genuinely concerned. "How will telling you where his body is help you understand his motives better?"
"Like I said, protecting his dead body won't protect you or any future victims." She paused. "Just tell us where the body is." In truth, neither she nor Bobby wanted to answer that question just yet. Peter was taken aback, which was where he needed to be. If they could break through his anger, they could get him back on their side. However, that was probably the last thing Peter needed to find out…
Peter reached for the notepad and began writing.
The next morning Alex and Bobby got off of the elevator on to the 11th floor and saw Dr. McKoy standing in conversation with Deakins.
"Give him hell for me," said Alex as Bobby sighed with an 'oh joy' look and headed across the squad room to the two conversing men…
-------ok…it will probably take me a week or so to write Bobby's shrink evaluation- come on, it's Bobby, these things take time… but I've got a lot of good ideas floating around in my head… hang tight!