A/N: Haha yeah I update fast because its the school holidays and I really have nothing else to do! lol. Thanks again for the great reviews guys! I love reading them! Wooh! (Question - are these chapters to long? Should I break them up a little more?)

Chapter 14: "I Hate To Say I Told You So…"

A knocking on the door startled Jordan – right before scaring her to death. A flood of panic washed over her, and the colour drained from her face. She was lucky Woody was too indignant – they were watching that program again – to notice, as he jumped up, still distracted and opened the door. Jordan could only sit, paralysed, and wonder who it could be.

Not James, she pleaded over and over, and was rewarded with the sound of Garret's voice.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything," he said.

"Not at all," Woody replied, standing aside. Garret looked over to the couch where Jordan was sitting, staring at him with wide eyes. She was obviously just calming down from a fright and Garret wondered for the first time just how much this whole mess was affecting her.

"We need to talk."

"Do I need to listen?"

Woody suddenly felt very left out, as the two doctors stared at one another, communicating something very unreadable to each other.

"Probably not," she said, still staring into her boss's eyes.

"Ok," he conceded, flopping down on the couch.

"Lets go grab a bite," he said. She nodded, looking to Woody.

"If its ok with my prison warden."

He sent her an unreadable look. "Don't let her out of your sight," he said to Garret. "Its really more than my job's worth to lose her."

"Glad to know where your priorities stand," Jordan said, not entirely in jest. She grabbed her coat, waved at the detective and followed her boss out of the door.

"Again with the attorney part!" she heard him yell as the closing credits rolled. She suppressed a laugh and stepped out into the cool air.

"How are you holding up?"

"Alright, under the circumstances." She shot him a surreptitious glance. "And you?"

"I'm not the issue."

"Everyone is the issue, Garret," she said, climbing into his car. He made a noise in his throat and started up the car.

They drove to a small Italian restaurant in a side street a few blocks away from her apartment.

"Ever been here?" Garret queried. She shook her head.

"Looks nice."

"More importantly, smells nice," he said, and she chuckled.

"Of course."

They were seated and wine was brought.

"So," Garret said, looking at her.

"So indeed," she said. He smiled.

"I would have thought you'd prefer the cell to the other deal," he said. "You don't like being watched."

"I'd rather be watched in my own home than in a cell."

"Mm," he said, picking up the menu and looking at it. "So tell me. What have you told Mathers?"

She looked at him. "The truth."

"The whole truth?"

"And nothing but the truth," she said wryly, deflecting.

"I'm serious, Jordan," he said.

"I am as well," she said. "You know how it is, there are some things you should never tell the cops."

"Even Woody?"

"Especially Woody," she said.

"How about an old friend?"

"Off the record?" she asked.

"Of course."

"I helped him escape."

"James."

"Yeah."

"It's obviously eating at you."

She was spared answer by the waiter coming to take their order.

"Do you think he was involved?"

"He probably led Koreldy to him," she said.

"On purpose?"

"No. Koreldy was tailing him, Garret. You know what he said?"

"What?"

"That he was responsible for all the 'dangerous cases' that seemed to be attracted to my desk."

"Ridiculous," Garret dismissed it. "You know how it goes, he wanted more power."

"But how did he know?"

"I don't know, Jordan. Some of the extra-dangerous ones have been publicised…" he trailed off. "He was just bluffing."

"Mm," she said.

"Why was Koreldy tailing James? And more importantly, how did he find out who he was?"

"Because he was tailing me first. He wanted to make Dad suffer."

"Instead he made you suffer," he said. They were silent.

"Why did you follow?" she asked in a small voice. He looked at her.

"What did you expect?"

"It was unprecedented," she said. "You've never…"

"Your father was never killed before."

"Did you think I had done it?" she asked tentatively, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

"No," he said immediately. "Never."

She looked down at her hands.

"That means a lot," she said with feeling. He nodded.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

She looked at him. "Do what we do best," she said simply. "Nail a murderer."

"You said before we should get it 'out on the table' right?"

Harding's head snapped up from where it had been resting on the desk. She was tired, but had not taken Garret's advice. Instead she was pulling all the information she could possibly obtain on everyone even remotely involved in this.

"Renee," she said. "You were right."

"About what?" the district attorney said, walking in.

"This is a tough position," she said grimly. "Your description of these people was right on the mark."

"Hate to say I told you so but…"

"Yeah, yeah, I stand corrected," Harding said irritably, then changed her tone. "I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when you handed me this job."

"No one does," she said, with the hint of a smile in her eyes. "I think we should pay a visit to Dr. Cavanaugh, don't you think?"

"Shouldn't we call Dr. Macy?"

"If I know him, and I do, he's probably already there."

"He did mention that he might go tonight."

"There you go. Then we can talk to everyone involved, have a cops view, three medical opinions and one legal one. We can't lose."

"I suppose it's worth a try," she shrugged.

"You let them go?"

Woody cringed. Of all the times she could have shown up, Renee chose now to do so. Now, when he had pretty much broken a few laws.

"She's with Dr. Macy," he tried to explain. Renee pushed her way in, a doctor Woody only barely recognised following, look of distaste on her face, as if she did not want to be here. Makes two of us, he thought grimly.

"So you said," The DA said angrily. "Did you even think?"

"Of course," he said. "I have complete faith in them both."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, well then, that makes all the difference."

"Is there a problem?"

Woody sighed with relief as Jordan and Dr. Macy came into view, surveying the situation.

"You were supposed to be in the company of…"

"Well as you can see I did not run off, nor have I consorted with any villains, fugitives or murderers. So can we just get on with it? I assume you aren't here just to check up on me."

Jordan looked at Harding, as if only just noticing her. "Evening, Dr. Harding."

Harding looked in wonder as this condemned woman (she grinned inwardly at the description) took charge of the situation. There were four people, all higher ranking than her standing in her apartment, demanding answers, and she took it all in her stride, with barley a bat of her eyelids. She closed the door behind her and her boss, and turned back to them.

"What can I do for you ladies?"

In using that word she effectively put them in their place. They were in her home, they would play her game, and she would call the shots. No one else. Harding looked at Garret and Woody, who were both obviously thinking along the same lines, and barely containing their grins as Renee and Jordan stared it out. Predictably, Jordan won, as Renee dropped her eyes momentarily.

"We're here to help," Dr. Harding interjected. "We figured you could probably do with it."

Jordan's eyes turned to the newcomer, surveying her. Deciding she was genuine, she smiled sadly. "I'd say you're right," she said. "Whisky anyone?"

When they were seated, each nursing a clear crystal glass of some form of alcoholic beverage, they stared at one another.

"How much time do we have?" Woody asked no one in particular.

"Depends on what we're trying to accomplish, Woodrow. Maybe we should focus on that first," Jordan suggested. He looked at the ceiling, trying not to laugh. She was so obviously mocking Renee or Harding, or even both, it was hard for Woody to keep a straight face.

"What are we doing?" Garret asked, looking at each of them in turn. "They always taught us to identify the reason for contemplation before contemplating."

"What a concept," Jordan said. "I should have gone to your school. Where did you go again?"

"Boston Central Pre-school," he said, not missing a beat, getting a laugh out of the detective. Jordan smiled indulgently then wiped her face clean of expression.

"Enough," Renee said. "We don't have all night."

"See I told you time was of the essence," Woody said, ignoring the cold stare he was receiving from the DA.

"Seeing as everyone else seems perfectly happy with skirting around the issue, how about I just say it. Hmm? A man is dead and Jordan here is about to go down for it.

"We've all dealt with situations like this before. We play cops and robbers every day. This is just a little different."
Renee stared at Garret. "This isn't exactly what I had planned…"

"What had you planned? To ask me questions? Interrogate me?" Jordan's eyes were blazing. "Maybe you just wanted to offer your legal opinion? You've jumped in the deep end now."

Renee looked at Jordan, momentarily unsettled.

"Thanks for the warning," she said. "Now I have one for you."

Harding was watching this exchange with interest. She knew Renee, had known her for a long while, they considered each other friends. And she was beginning to see why the two clashed. Same strength of will, same bloody-mindedness. She looked around. It was like an arena. Dr. Macy and Detective Hoyt were also watching the interchange with apparent amusement, exchanging a glance now and then, with each other and her. Harding looked back to the boxers.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"If you don't smarten up your act, Mathers will get a conviction. You've never seen him in a courtroom. He is more convincing than a prosecutor with years of legal training. You keep being a smartass, do you realise how dishonest you sound? Even when you're telling the truth you sound like you have some big conspiracy to hide!"

"Well what do you suggest I do?" she retorted, shaken. She was absolutely right; as much as the ME was loathe to admit it.

"I suggest you hire a couple of good lawyers, get a defence."

"Get a defence," she echoed. "That's it? Sit around and wait for a jury to decide whether I killed my father or not?"

She was nearly shouting now, and the amused looks had left Woody and Garret's faces. Harding narrowed her eyes, wondering how this little chat would go.

"That's all you can do, Jordan! Don't you get it? Its not up to you anymore."

"That's right. Its up to people who don't know me to decide whether I am a murderer or not, based on the testimony of a bias detective!"

"Alright then, what do you propose?"

"I propose we nail Koreldy," she said.

"Ah, of course, why didn't anyone else think of that?"

Jordan sent her a level stare, which Renee returned in kind.

"All right, children," Woody broke in uncertainly. Harding sent him a grateful glance, which he puzzled over.

"Why did you come?" Jordan asked.

"I don't know, in truth. Dr. Harding here said we should put all our cards on the table."

"Great. Cards. Another game of chance."

"Life can't always be a certainty," Garret said quietly.

"Who wants a venture a suggestion?" Harding said, trying to restore some semblance of order.

"Pizza?" Woody ventured. Jordan laughed.

"I'll second that," she said, looking around at the others, mood lightening. "Supreme?"

"We've already eaten, Jordan," Garret said.

"Yes," she replied, phone in hand. "So you're not up for it?"

"Of course," he scoffed. "Just reminding you."

"So," Harding said when the pizza had arrived. "I'm guessing we all know a different story, a different set of facts. Normally when solving a jigsaw puzzle you need all the pieces…"

"Oh god, more metaphors," Jordan muttered, causing them all to laugh, before gesturing for Harding to continue.

"And I believe that we here in this room have most of them."

"Most?"

"Some are gone, lost. With Max and Koreldy."

They looked at her, knowing she was right. "We can only hypothesise as to what their pieces held, in order to make our own fit."

"But why make the puzzle at all? Why not just throw away the pieces and forget it?"

"Because this is not a jigsaw puzzle," she said. "And more than just the want to look at a pretty picture rides on it."

"Nice analogy," Jordan muttered. "First it's a puzzle and now you tell me it isn't…"

"So, if you're so intent on the puzzle metaphor," Garret began. "Who starts?"

"You, of course," Harding said, looking at Jordan. She nodded.

"You know all I know," she shrugged.

"No," she said. "There are things you can tell us…things only you know."

Garret sensed how uncomfortable Jordan was. "Maybe we can come back to that," he said. "Why don't you begin? You're in with Mathers aren't you?"

That both Woody and Jordan stiffened at the mention of the detectives name none of them missed.

"In?" Harding asked, amused, but carried on anyway. "I've said this before. He doesn't want to investigate any other avenue. Not Koreldy, and certainly not…"

"James," Jordan broke in.

"Yes. To tell the truth, I don't think he really believes that he exists."

"But Woody said…"

"Do you think he's going to take anything either of you say seriously?" she asked.

"Why shouldn't he?" the detective spluttered. "What does he think…"

"Cool it tiger," Jordan said, putting a hand on his arm. "She's right."

Garret and Harding both noted the gesture and noted the effect – which was indeed the desired one of the perpetrator. Before they could contemplate any further on it's meaning, she spoke again.

"So what does that mean for us?"

"It means he doesn't believe you."

"No, you think?" Jordan said wearily.

"Which means its up to us," Woody said.

"No!" Renee interjected. "What is this?"

"This is a throwing around of suggestions," Harding said, looking at her. The DA shook her head and looked away, with the air of someone who was being held against her will.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered. "I have no idea what I'm doing here."

They ignored her.

"The only thing they have is the hair," Harding continued. "It isn't exactly damning evidence."

"If we could prove you weren't there," Macy said, looking at Jordan. Harding regarded him.

"How? She said she was driving around, clearing her head."

"Yeah," Jordan confirmed unhappily.

"Where did you drive?"

"Nowhere that might provide an alibi," she said.

"Any traffic lights?"

"None of the security camera ones. You think I haven't been through it enough? There's no way of proving I was not there. For all you lot know, I could have been."

Garret's eyes flickered to Renee, who was watching them with a wolfish expression.

"Don't start this again Jordan," he warned in an undertone. Woody looked at her. Under the fiery 'wanting to prove herself innocent' look, he could see a hint of the helplessness and weariness that had been dominant before. He never wanted to see that look again, not on her.

"Fine," she said. "But everything still stands."

There was an awkward pause when everything was up in the air and the five adults stared at each other helplessly.

"We've proved so many countless people innocent and guilty over the years," Woody said quietly, with a look on his face that made the three women in the room go weak at the knees. "Why can't we do it now? Tonight?"
"If it helps we could treat it as an objective case. We may just get somewhere," Garret ventured. The others nodded. "So we have a victim. Three suspects we can't rule out."

"We can rule out…" Woody began defensively.

"Objective, Woody," Jordan butted in. "He's right. If this were a real case I wouldn't be ruled out."

"This is a real case," Renee muttered.

"Not for tonight," Jordan said. Again they had a miniature staring match, which none were prepared to break from. Woody got their attention.

"Because we are good law enforcement people," he said, making them all smile. "We will focus on all three."

"So we've focussed as far as we can on the daughter," Jordan said, loving the idea of making it impersonal.

"Good. So who's next?"

"The one we don't believe did it," she said.

"Who would that be?"

"James," Garret said.

"Yeah," Jordan agreed.

"Why don't you think he did it? Objectively."

She shifted. "This isn't exactly objective," she began, but Harding cut through her.

"It can't be completely objective," she said. "There's no way. Just as objective as we can."

She nodded. "He was there," she said. "At the scene. He…" she paused, staring at the floor, frowning in concentration. She had forgotten they were there, was just talking it through to help herself.

"He put a hand over my mouth, so I wouldn't scream I guess. Like I could scream."

Garret and Woody exchanged a glance.

"I didn't comprehend that he was there. It was only until a little later that I realised he was supposed to be dead. He told me he knew who killed him."

"But how could he have, if he told you to…" Woody broke off sharply, only just managing to avoid sending a guilty look at Renee."

Jordan looked around. Woody saved the situation.

"Toilet break," he said. "Want to point me in the right direction, Jordan?"

"Sure!" she said brightly, and they both stood up, walking out of earshot.

"What do we do?" she hissed. "They can't know you helped me or it'll be your ass on the line."

He gave her a funny look. "But if we can't talk it through, you may not…"

"I'm not going to risk your job on the proviso that they may be able to come to some sort of conclusion about…" she trailed off. "It's not going to happen."

"Then what?"

"Then its up to you and I. If we can't tell them the truth, we can figure out something on our own."

"Garret knows."

"Great," she muttered. "There's all three of us sticking our necks on the chopping block."

"I thought you didn't like metaphors?"

She grinned weakly. "Okay. Lets go back there and…"

"Tell Renee where to stick it?"

She sent him a sideways look. "I was going to say politely ask them to leave, but your way works," she said. "Just down there," she said loudly.

"Thanks," he replied. She nodded at him and walked back to the gathering.

"Detectives and their coffee," she shrugged.