The New Recruits:Out of Time
chapter 4
" So why are we down here?" Tim asked as Maddison pulled up to the loading docks. The stretch was deserted and there was no sign of any businesses that were still functional. Row after row of warehouses were boarded up, and Tim figured that they had been for a while now. He glanced at Calleigh as she sat up in the passenger seat staring out into the darkness.
" When Horatio called he gave me some numbers. I was thinking that he was meaning piers. So here we are," Maddison replied.
" Well, it doesn't look like there is much going on here," Calleigh stated as she continued to gaze out into the deep darkness. " Maybe the numbers meant something else."
" Maybe, but I just want to check for a little while longer. Just in case..." Maddison said as her voice began to crack.
Calleigh turned to her and put a comforting hand on her arm. Maddison glanced at the gesture and smiled nervously.
" I'm worried about him too, Maddie. But if there is anything I know, it's that Horatio Caine can take care of himself. He's going to be okay, and we are going to find him."
Maddison nodded her head slightly and retrained her focus back on the road in front of her. She hoped that Calleigh was right.
TNR
Horatio glared at Clavo as he snatched the phone away and flipped it down. The numbers that he had given Maddison were pier numbers that he remembered, but being that he really didn't know where he was, he hoped that he wasn't sending her on a wild goose chase.
" You've had enough time, Caine. So, where are they with Ramon?"
" Do you actually think that they are going to let Ramon out just because you kidnaped me? It doesn't work like that," Horatio chided.
" The great Horatio Caine is expendable? The top cop has no pull with the big wigs? We all know that you are the city's most respected and most valued cop. They would move hell and high water to get you back," Clavo said as he paced the floor.
Horatio saw this and attempted to exploit his doubts.
" If you are so sure about that, then why are you pacing? You would've been better off grabbing the mayor, or the DA, maybe then they would at least listen to your demands. But for me, they won't do anything, maybe a nice memorial service , but that's about it. You've wasted your time."
Clavo stopped pacing and came within inches of Horatio's face. He could see the fury that burned in his eyes and the slightest hint of madness in his twitch.
" You really think that you are here just because of Ramon? Yeah , I thought that snagging you would give me the pull I needed to spring Ramon, but there was also the matter of revenge, Caine. You messed up a lot of things for me and my family. My mother, killed herself when my father turned his back on her."
" Sounds like a family issue, and one you need to work out with pops. Isn't that right General?" Horatio said to the General as he stood silently in the background. " You were furious at your wife's betrayal so you toss her out . But she wasn't strong enough to deal with that ,was she, Clavo?"
The anger erupted inside of Clavo as he dropped his head and moved quickly from in front of Horatio. Suddenly, he returned with a thick 2x4 and swung violently, connecting with Horatio's chest. Horatio sucked in a sharp breath as he felt the excruciating pain travel from his chest through out his entire body. Clavo raised the 2x4 again , then let it drop against the red head's temple. Horatio felt sick as the darkness began to encase him and he fought to stay alert, but with in seconds, his head drooped against his chest, the new wound on the side of his head bleeding profusely. Clavo lifted the 2x4 once more before the General grabbed his arm.
" Clavo! Enough! You have to keep him alive, if you want Ramon."
" He said himself that they wouldn't do that. What's the use of keeping him alive?"
" He is going to serve our purpose, Clavo. He has family that will do anything to get him back, be patient. Let us leave the Lieutenant and concentrate on getting your brother," the general said as he took the weapon out of his son's hand. He had a proud look in his eyes as he looked to Clavo. At home, in Baracas, Clavo would've made a wonderful interrogator. He put his hands on his shoulders and smiled garishly. " Senor Caine will get what is coming to him, Clavo. I assure you that."
TNR
Jacinda escorted Mandeville to the interrogation room and then left him for a minute. She then opened the door to the room next door where RJ was standing , looking at him. She gazed at RJ and smiled to herself. There was so much that she had wanted in life, and as she watched him, she knew that he was what she had been missing. Jacinda closed the door then walked over to stand next to him, seeing the concern in his eyes. She knew that Horatio and Mr. Speedle had been really close, and Horatio was extremely important to RJ. She placed a soft hand on his back, and he turned to her, giving a weak smile.
" RJ, we are going to find Horatio."
" Yeah, but how long do we have? It's already past midnight and we haven't even gotten in there to talk to Mandeville," RJ said as he glanced at Mandeville sitting at the table. The door to the room opened and Jen walked in with a file report.
" Here's the report you asked for , RJ. It turns out that Jarrett found the same coco plant on Raoul as he did Chet. So, Raoul had to have been in close contact with the plant."
" Which puts him at Clavo's place," Jacinda stated.
" We don't know if the plant came from Clavo's , Jacinda. We are at a dead end," RJ said defeated.
" Not so fast, RJ. I did a back ground check into Mr. Mandeville's assets and found that he owns several warehouses on the shipping pier. Apparently , he once tried his luck at being an importer. You want to know what he was importing?" Jen asked coyly as she pointed the information out in the file.
" You got to be kidding me? He was smuggling cocaine?" Jacinda said as she glanced up at RJ then to Jen.
" Yep, and what is cocaine derived from?"
" Coco plant. Mandeville's in this." RJ said as he turned to walk out.
" There's more, RJ. There was a biological on Raoul and as you know with any sexual conviction, the perpetrator has to submit a DNA sample. We ran it , and Mr. Model here got a hit . He killed Raoul." Jen said handing him the file. " Now , you can go in there and talk."
RJ smiled heavily as he turned to walk out of the door. This is the break they needed. He gathered himself before he opened the door to the interrogation room , then walked in. He smiled at Mandeville as he strode to the window.
" So , Scottie, what have you been busy doing lately?"
" What? What are you talking about?"
" Have you been scouting for another of your shows? Maybe for a male model?"
" Are you wasting my time, detective? This is absurd."
RJ dropped the file on the table , letting the contents spill out. He pushed the autopsy photos of Raoul and Chet in front of him. Mandeville looked away quickly.
" What was Raoul Dominguez doing with your card? Surely you weren't going to ask him to walk the runway were you?"
" I-I don't know what you are talking about, I don't know this man," Mandeville said as he continued to stare at the wall.
" Really? So your DNA just jumped on to him, huh?" RJ asked sarcastically.
" Wha..."
" Your DNA .And the only way that your DNA could get on him is if you were in close proximity to him before he died. So , you want to try again?"
" I want my lawyer," Mandeville whispered.
"You know, this will go down a lot smoother if you just tell us where Lieutenant Caine is," RJ said as he took a seat in front of him.
" I said , I want my lawyer," Mandeville repeated. Behind the two way mirror, Jacinda glanced nervously at RJ as he just sat there. She knew that when someone asked for a lawyer, the interview was over, but RJ wasn't moving.
" C'mon, RJ get up and make the call," Jacinda said to herself.
RJ glared at Scott from across the table, " Scott, you give us the location of Lieutenant Caine and we'll see what kind of deal we can make."
" You won't get a damn word until I get my lawyer in here, or would you rather we sit here and argue while some maniac has your precious lieutenant? The more time you waste with me, the worse it's gonna be for him. If you ever find him." Scott taunted.
RJ felt the anger as it rose inside of him and he suddenly found his hands on Mandeville as he held him against the wall. He didn't hear the door open as Jacinda and his father rushed in. Maddison watched in disgust as they peeled RJ off of Mandeville.
" You saw that! Police brutality. I will have his badge for this," Mandeville said as he straightened his suit.
" Shut up , Mandeville and sit down. RJ , walk," Tim said as he let RJ go. RJ shrugged them off and walked out of the interrogation room. Maddison followed him and stopped him.
" RJ, what the hell was that? Are you trying to get Horatio killed?"
" He knows where he is , Maddie and he's just sitting there ," RJ replied as he ran his hands through his dark hair.
" You know as well as I do, RJ that if we don't do this right , we are dead in the water. Your little outburst could've cost us the investigation and Horatio's life. Is that what you want?"
RJ settled his breathing and looked at Maddison. The worry and the exhaustion on her face was evident and suddenly he felt like a jackass.
" I'm sorry, Maddison. I just want to find him."
"So do I , RJ. I just hope that we aren't too late." Maddison said as she glanced back at the interrogation room. " I gotta get back down there. You going to be okay?"
" Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be in firearms," RJ said as he walked to the elevators. At least down there , he could think better.
TNR
Raymond put his hand on the door to the morgue and waited for a moment. Why did he need to know what happened to her? What mattered was that she was gone. The overwhelming sadness that invaded his mind, almost turned him around, but he stopped and took in a deep breath. In order for him to begin to heal, to understand, he had to know what she went through. As he exhaled , he pushed the door open and walked in. He saw Alexx as she was finishing stitching Yelina's Y incision. Standing there quietly, he watched as Alexx methodically pulled the needle through her skin and noticed the grief that she had to bear with every movement. When she was finished, Alexx looked up to see Raymond , his tears at the edges of his eyes. She covered Yelina, then snapped off her gloves as she moved to him.
" Ray, suga, why are you here?"
" I had to know, Alexx. I have to know what happened." Raymond replied as he walked past Alexx. Alexx turned around and allowed her eyes to follow him.
" You didn't have to come here. I could've sent the report to Maddison."
" I wanted to hear it from you, Alexx. It seems like it won't hurt as much if I hear it from you," Raymond said as the tears finally made their way down his face. He glanced down at her covered body and let his hand hover slightly. Alexx sighed as she moved to his side, it had been hard enough to perform the autopsy, but now she was going to have to report her findings to Yelina's son. Alexx shook herself out of her funk and picked up the file that was lying on the opposite table.
" There's was a GSW to her lower stomach and I managed to get the bullet out , which was already sent to firearms..."
" I know that, Alexx. I want to know how long she was dead before we got there? How long did she have to suffer?" Ray exclaimed.
" Her liver temp was relatively high so that meant that she was dead no longer than four , maybe five hours tops. The bullet penetrated the lower stomach and a good piece of her liver , causing her to bleed out. COD was exsangunation. Any thing else?"
" Did you do a sart kit?"
" Yes, there were no findings. There was a biological in her hair that I collected and sent to DNA, but other than that, there's nothing else. She was a healthy woman."
Ray smiled at the memory of his mother getting up early to take a run before going into work and how she kept the tradition up long into her later years. He nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
" You okay, Ray?" Alexx asked as she put the file back on the table.
" I'm fine , Alexx. Thanks for doing this for me."
" Anything for you, baby. Do you need help making the arrangements?"
" No, I've got that under control. I couldn't think of what to do when I first found out, so I called the mortuary and they are just waiting for you to release the body. Mom always liked everything in order," Ray chuckled.
Alexx smiled at him and put a comforting hand on his arm, " It's going to get better, Ray. Just give it time. I'm here if you want to talk."
"Thanks , Alexx. I'll take you up on that."
Alexx nodded as he walked to the door and then she turned to start making Yelina's tag for the cabinet. Raymond glanced back once more at the covered body before pushing the door and walking out. Getting to the elevator, he pressed the button for the labs and slipped into the lift by himself. When the lift came to a stop he saw Maxine Delko as she was running more DNA samples. He knocked on the glass door and peeked his head in.
" Maxie, you got that biological from my mother?" Ray asked in an attempt to be light.
Maxine glanced up at him and smiled , " Indeed I do, Raymond. I was getting ready to page Maddison before you came in."
" Funny, it looked like to me that you were running more samples. No rest for the wicked , huh?"
" Not when you are back loaded and have a top priority case," Maxine said as she noticed his demeanor change. " Hey , I'm sorry about your mom. She was a great detective."
" Thanks , Max. Um, the results?"
" Oh yeah. The biological was spit and the DNA from the spit came from a Scott Mandeville, courtesy of CODIS."
" Scott Mandeville? Isn't he the owner of that modeling agency?"
" The very same, and he has had connections with Clavo Cruz in the past."
Raymond thought about it for a moment then grabbed his cell phone. As he dialed her number, he said to Max, " Thanks, Maxine. Can I go ahead and take this?"
Maxine nodded and handed him the report and he waved to her as he left the lab. He walked with purpose to the elevators and waited for her to pick up.
" Maddison," she said crispily.
"Maddie, I've got a development on the case. We are going to need to pick up Scott Mandeville," Ray said as the doors slid together.
" I'm going to interrogation right now, Ray."
" What? He's here?"
" Yeah, RJ , Jacinda and Jen picked him up about an hour and a half ago. His body count is standing at two..."
" Make that three, Maddie. He killed my mom."
Raymond heard the silence on the other end and felt her surprise. " Maddison."
" Ray where are you?"
" Getting out of the elevator and heading to the interrogation room. I got a few questions for Mr. Mandeville," Ray said as the doors opened. Stepping out, he saw Maddison as she stood in front of the elevators with a worried look about her. He flipped down his phone and let a small smile come to his face. He knew exactly what she was thinking. " I'm not going to do anything stupid, Maddie. I just want to talk."
"Just talk?"
" Yeah, just talk." Ray said as he walked past her. He came to the interrogation room within seconds and he saw Speed through the glass door as he sat in front of Mandeville. Mandeville had requested his lawyer and he was sitting to his immediate left. Ray opened the door with control and cleared his throat as he entered the room. Tim looked up and saw Raymond, knowing the familiar glint in his eye. He glanced hesitantly over to Maddison who had entered behind him. Ray let out a shaky breath and began talking calmly.
" Mr. Mandeville, I'm Detective Raymond Caine. I want to ask you some questions."
" Address all questions to me, Randall Curtis. I am representing Mr. Mandeville in this matter," the lawyer spoke up.
" Alright, Mr. Curtis," Raymond said as he sat next to Tim. He put his hands on the desk and interlaced them. " Ask him why his DNA was found on Detective Salas's body."
Scott glanced up at Raymond in total shock and started to shake his head furiously, " I didn't kill her! I'll cop to the other murders, but I didn't touch Detective Salas. Clavo did that all by himself..."
" Scott, don't answer any questions as your attorney I am telling you to..."
" Shut up Curtis! I'm on the line for two murders already. There's no reason why I should keep this to myself. I know where Lieutenant Caine is. And I'll tell you if you can promise me round the clock protection."
" That can be arranged," Maddison said as she came forward. There was no time to waste.
" He's got him at the loading docks. Lot 67. I was supposed to meet him there at three this morning. But since I'm here with you fine folks, I don't think that I'm going to make it," Scott said humorously.
Raymond glanced to Maddison then to Tim. This was their chance, they had to move fast. Horatio's life depended on it.
TBC...
A/N: I know it seemed never ending, I just got into it really bad... Let me know how ya'll feel about it!