A/N: Thanks - you guys are such good sports!

6. Out of the Mouths of Babes

Cheryl tapped her pen against her pad, one ear cocked for the sound of the door opening behind her. Whatever Steve had been called away for, she hoped it was related to this case and she hoped it was good, or in a little while they would be kissing Caldron and their best lead good-bye. Oh, technically with the evidence of the ticket they could hold Caldron up to seventy-two hours, but his lawyer would no doubt find a way to spring him long before the time was up and besides, if it came to that, he would probably do them more good on the outside, stirring up trouble and maybe cornering Lenny Markman.

She had read back the charges, point by point, detailed the flaws in Caldron's statement, and was wondering what was left to do to buy some time except for break into song, when she heard the door at her back open. She hoped she didn't look relieved. Her smile faltered as she caught site of Caldron's and Clemens' faces. She raised her brows.

When Steve had entered the first time, his expression had been so set and focused and - well - almost murderous - that it had given all of them pause. Since she knew him so well and privately thought of him as a big teddy bear, she sometimes forgot how tough and intimidating he could look to the uninitiated. If the looks on Caldron's and Clemens' faces were anything to go by, Steve's face this time must put the earlier one to shame. She turned around. And just stopped herself from doing a very unprofessional double-take. She swallowed - hard - arranging her face in carefully neutral lines.

Steve's eyes looked straight ahead, his expression stern and rigid - all business. It was difficult to reconcile the look on his face with the small body contentedly snuggled into his shoulder.

Cheryl opened her mouth, closed it again hastily, not sure what to say. Clearly levity would not be appreciated at this particular juncture.

It was Steve who broke the pregnant silence. "So," he offered them a tight-lipped smile. "Where were we?"

Cheryl cleared her throat.

Sloan was a pretty good guy to partner with: decent sense of humor about himself, not too hung up on the macho thing, not one for throwing his rank around. In fact, about the only time she even remembered that he ranked her was when they were in trouble and he was first in line to take the heat. Still…she cast him a compassionate glance. It didn't hurt to occasionally let him know that she knew who was who and what was what. She cleared her throat again.

"We were just asking Mr. Caldron for the details of his association with Mr. Markman. Sir."

She saw a glimmer of surprise in Steve's eyes, quickly veiled. The brief glance he sent her told her that the small courtesy had been noticed and the support appreciated. Since she had her back to Caldron and Clemens, Cheryl risked a quick wink.

"You can't have a kid in here!"

Cheryl twisted back around in her chair to watch.

Steve met Caldron's eyes mildly. "Detective Banks," he rapped out coolly, "Can you think of any statute or code that this specifically violates?"

Cheryl's eyes twinkled now. She was beginning to enjoy herself. "No, sir."

Steve nodded. "Mr. Clemens. Can you think of any specific statute or code that the detective or myself may have overlooked?"

"Of course not!" Clemens nearly stuttered in his indignation. "There aren't any because everyone knows that that you can't have a child in here!"

Steve seemed to consider this. "Of course, everybody also knows that you can't withhold evidence in a criminal investigation, particularly a capital crime, but that doesn't seem to trouble your client unduly. And, come to think of it, there actually is a statute against that."

Caldron pushed back in his chair, fidgeting. "I don't like kids," he complained to no one in particular.

Clemens was on his feet. "This is out of line! My client should not have to be exposed to - to - " he gestured wildly at the air, as if reaching for the proper word.

"To…?" Steve prompted politely, after an extended pause.

"To - an - a - a - child!" Clemens finished feebly. "He shouldn't have to - to face - to…" he trailed off, at a loss.

CJ sucked on his fist and eyed him with interest.

"I just don't like 'em, you know?" Caldron continued as if no one had spoken. "Always starin' at ya. And they smell funny."

Cheryl almost choked on a laugh at the look that crossed Steve's face. For a second she fully expected him to retort that Caldron didn't smell so great himself. Instead, his expression tightened a touch further and he said, "Mr. Caldron, I thought you were in a hurry."

Caldron squirmed on the hard interview seat, his transfixed gaze on CJ. "I am. I mean, especially now. See - see how's he's starin'? Why do they do that? Always makes you wonder what they're thinkin'."

Steve flattened one hand over CJ's back, his glare deepening. Accentuated by the frown, Cheryl noticed for the first time the smudge of bruising underlining his left eye, let her glance slide to take in the rounded blue bump growing at his right temple, the large gauze patch high on one bicep and the smaller patch of gauze folded on the other. She blinked. She really needed to ask Sloan what the heck he had been doing on his day off.

"Then can we continue?" Steve's voice brought her back to herself and she shifted guiltily. She was letting herself get as distracted as Caldron.

Clemens almost stuttered , looking for an argument that would hold water without making him look like a fool.

Caldron had no such qualms. "Yeah. Just - let's make it quick, huh?"

"Wonderful." Steve took a turn about the room. Cheryl shook her head in admiration. Really, you almost wouldn't know he had a baby draped over his shoulder. She winced a little as she watched a wide drool pool spread over the back of Steve's t-shirt, but he didn't so much as flinch. "So, let's get back to Mr. Markham and your conflicting stories, shall we?"

Caldron dragged his eyes away from CJ. "He's a snake. It's crazy to believe that snake and not me. He'd sell out his own mother."

Steve perched on the table edge again. "Hm. Those were almost his exact words about you."

"I told you he's a liar."

CJ squeaked and Steve got up to pace behind Caldron, absently patting CJ's back. "Mr. Caldron, I have two different people telling me that they weren't at the scene of the crime, but each claiming the other was - how they would know that the other was there, then, remains a mystery. In fact, the only tie breaker I have in these two stories is the parking ticket.

Now, it's your car and the ticket is made out to you, so without any evidence to the contrary except for your word, it seems to point to you as the one actually present and participating. Unless you have something you can tell me that would prove otherwise?"

Clemens sat up straight. "My client has given his word - "

The look Steve gave him would have withered every tree in the Angeles State Forest. "Don't waste my time, Mr. Clemens."

Cheryl looked down to hide a grin as Clemens quickly subsided. CJ seemed to be the only one who wasn't fooled by Sloan's tough guy act.

Steve stopped his pacing right behind Caldron. "Give me something, Caldron, or I'm going to have to hold you under suspicion."

Cheryl glanced at him. She knew that wasn't what they were going for.

Caldron twisted to keep his eyes on CJ, who was gnawing contentedly on his knuckles. "Look, I don't know what you want from me - I'm just an honest businessman who leant his car to the wrong guy. Markman is the one you should be shaking down."

"Don't worry - Markman will get his share. I'll send you both up if I have to. Just remember that it doesn't have to be this way."

Caldron slumped against the seat back. "I don't know what you want me to say. I loaned my car to Markman. Ain't my business what he decided to do with it. Geez, where did you get these chairs - a monastery? They're like torture - HEY!" Caldron leapt to his feet, pawing frantically at his collar. "What the - get it off me!"

Cheryl grabbed for a box of Kleenex and hurried to Caldron, keeping her head bent. Her one glimpse of Steve's face as he looked from the hopping Caldron to CJ, who had removed his fist from his mouth and released a veritable waterfall of drool right down Caldron's collar, had almost been too much for her. For the first time Steve looked as though he had absolutely no idea what to do.

Cheryl blotted at Caldron' collar with the Kleenex, though it was difficult to be effective with him ducking and weaving. "If you'd stand still and let me help - " her voice quavered suspiciously and she broke off before she could be caught laughing outright.

Clemens had jumped to his feet as well, looking as at a loss as Steve. "My client - " he began feebly, then stopped, shaking his head, nonplussed.

"Get me outta this madhouse!" Caldron twitched and twirled as though he'd been baptized with battery acid. "You got my statement! If you think Markman took it into his head to help Sissel skewer and pop Camerera, you take it up with him - I'm outta here!"

Cheryl stopped her blotting. She slid a quick glance at Steve.

Steve's brows lifted fractionally in response. "I'm sorry, Mr. Caldron," he said politely. "But I don't think I quite caught that. Could you repeat it for me?"

Caldron pulled off his jacket and shook it out, glaring at it. "I said I'm outta here! This is a three hunnerd dollar suit!"

Steve gave him a smile that was fighting hard not to turn into a grin. "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we can find something for you to wear. Say, something nice in orange."

Caldron stared at him, suddenly wary, sensing that something had changed, but not sure exactly what. Clemens shifted on his feet, poised to leap to his client's defense, once he understood what was needed.

"You can't hold me more than a coupla days," he mumbled at last, trying to edge away from CJ's baleful stare.

"Actually, I can." Steve opened the interview room door and stuck his head out. "Officer Petty?" He bounced CJ lightly, smiling with maddening calm at Caldron. "Maybe you'd like to explain to me how you know that Camerera was stabbed before he was shot?"

Caldron squinted at him.

Clemens closed his eyes as if in pain.

"I didn't - " Caldron began uncertainly.

Steve cut him off. "Detective Banks. Did you hear Mr. Caldron describe Camerera's murder as 'skewered and popped'?"

Cheryl opened her mouth to answer, but Caldron broke in. "Okay, okay - maybe I did. I musta read somethin' about it in the paper."

"Wasn't in the paper. It was one of the things we held back. The only ones who would have known about it are the officers working the case, the murderer, and any witnesses. Which one are you, Mr. Caldron?"

Caldron grabbed some tissues from Cheryl and scrubbed at his neck, his face scrunched with distaste. "You musta said somethin' about it, then."

Steve shook his head. "No. Of course, this interview is being taped for your protection. We could easily play it back and see for sure."

Caldron narrowed his gaze further, his mind visibly racing overtime to come up with an explanation. He glanced at Clemens. Clemens shrugged helplessly.

Officer Petty stepped through the door and looked questioningly at Steve.

Steve smiled at her. "Mr. Caldron is going to be our guest for a while. Book him, please?"

Officer Petty reached to her belt for her cuffs; Caldron backed away. "All right, all right - I wanna cut a deal!"

"That's between you and your lawyer and the DA." Steve gave Officer Petty a slight nod and she moved forward, reaching for Caldron's wrist. Caldron tried to jerk away, but Petty gave his arm a deft twist, slamming him stomach first and legs spread against the interview room table before he could even protest. "Orlando Caldron," she began, "You are under arrest for the murder or conspiracy to murder Eugene Camerera - "

Cheryl watched appreciatively. "Nice move," she offered. Petty couldn't weigh in at more than 110 pounds dripping wet, and yet she wasn't even out of breath. Petty tossed her a bright smile at the compliment and continued her recitation. "Would you like your rights repeated, for the record, sir?"

"He knows his rights." Clemens seemed to come alive at last. "Don't say anything else, for God's sake - "

Petty shrugged indifferently, yanking him from his sprawled position against the table and pointing him toward the door. Cheryl shook her head. It was always nice to watch someone who enjoyed their work.

"Take it easy, will ya?" Caldron shuffled toward the door. "Isn't this police brutality? And I want my suit cleaned on the city's tab! Sheesh, I told you I hated kids!"

Steve and Cheryl watched Petty hustle Caldron out, dutifully shadowed by the faithful Clemens.

Cheryl turned an amused look on Steve. "Well," she said at last. "That shook something loose."

"Yeah." Steve gazed after them wonderingly. "Nice work, CJ. Give me five." Steve tapped his fingers lightly against CJ's tiny palm. CJ returned a gummy grin.

Cheryl smiled. It was a nice moment, and she didn't have the heart to ruin it by pointing out that having that interview session on tape had its drawbacks as well. He'd find that out soon enough.

At the very least, she was pretty sure it would be making an appearance at the department Christmas Party.

TBC