Chapter Five

Eddie's Back

The first thing Captain Eddie Winslow noticed when he walked into his old offices at police headquarters was the smell. The Boston Police department had its own unique smell. He couldn't put his finger on it but it was something and it made him feel a little nostalgic. He'd heard that smell is one of the strongest senses linked to memory. He didn't doubt it. In fact, standing there in the middle of his old stomping grounds he half expected to see his old boss, Captain Malden, to come out of the elevator on his way to a four martini lunch with whoever's ass he was kissing that week. Only Malden was dead. Shot at pointblank range in Jordan Cavanaugh's apartment and she was, and as far as he knew still is, suspect. What a mess.

Eddie didn't know the details until after the fact. A couple of detectives came out to Springfield to escort one suspect back to Boston. It made him feel sick just thinking about it now. When he left Boston almost a decade ago he swore he'd keep in touch. He sent Jordan a birthday card that first year and she sent him a Christmas card. After that it seemed like there was never a good time to re-connect. The Springfield Police Department hired him to be the head of there Homicide/Robbery division. It was a perfect fit. After everything that had happened with Max, his stock with the Boston PD had hit an all time low. Even as a lieutenant, he found himself answering calls. It's not that he didn't mind being the lone detective doing the grunt work back on the streets, but those few times inevitably had him working with the newly rehired Dr. Cavanaugh. Working with her was awkward at best when they were still together. But when she left in the middle of the night only to return five years and one IAD investigation later, working with her again made everything else seem like a cake walk.

So when Springfield opened up it seemed like a win/win situation all the way around.

Now, almost a decade later, he was a captain. He had to take a small egotistical moment and look around the big, empty, marble, and brass lobby with a jaded eye as if to say, 'Look at me now.'

Eddie pulled out his ID and located the desk sergeant to check in. The faces had changed but the questions hadn't. They asked him his business and whom he was contacting while conducing said business.

"I'm here about a cold case I worked while still with the department. I have a meeting with Detective Phil Berman in the cold case stacks at ten."

Eddie had to chuckle a little thinking about Phil Berman. Somehow he figured the man would be stuck in a basement someplace where he couldn't do any damage. He never worked with him much, but that didn't stop Phil's reputation from finding its way across his desk. From what he could remember what Berman lacked in social skills was made up in his police work. He was a reasonably good detective when he wasn't being brought up on harassment charges. Eddie clipped on his visitor's badge and entered the elevator where he pushed the button for the basement a little more than curious to see if something's never changed.

Meanwhile, Jordan was riding an elevator herself. Only hers was going up, returning to the ninth floor after spending a good portion of her valuable morning down in the basement record room of the morgue. The reopening of the Rosen case had peaked her interest, not just because it was keeping her in daily contact with Woody -- reminding her of old times -- but because it was a case that had bothered her back when her father was the detective in charge. It wasn't like her father didn't occasionally shelter her from the facts of his career, but this time it was different. One day they were sitting in the kitchen discussing the details...like they did with cases he needed an outsiders view on. The next he told her to leave it alone, to forget about it, and never speak of it again.

It bothered her enough to press her then boyfriend, Eddie, about it. She knew what buttons to push with him. In those days Eddie was so easy. All she had to do was to ask in him in that special way and he was butter. In this case she was wrong. Dead wrong. For weeks he was moody and possessive. To the point where Jordan had asked for them to slow it down -- even suggesting they should start seeing other people. Eddie's answer was to become even clingier. At the time she had just chalked it up to the long, hot summer. In hindsight she wondered if it something more to do with the Rosen case. She knew it got to him just as much as it had gotten to her father.

Jordan looked down at the two zipper folders in her hands. It was everything the morgue had on the case. It took her two hours to find them, along with the tissue samples stored in the freezers. It wasn't a secret that Yakara didn't like to dirty her hands doing her own menial labor. She relied on others to do her office work and, as such, it sometimes led to less than efficient filing skills. Jordan suspected it had less to do with the filer's inability to cross reference then it had to do with Yakara's popularity.

Her fingers itched to get inside. She did take a quick look to make sure she had the right files before she left the stacks. She didn't see anything different than she had already read from the files kept in the cabinets on the main floor. From experience she knew the coroner's files, which were the one's in her hand, were infinitely more detailed. The legal forms had very little leeway in expressing opinion or speculation. Yakara, for all her faults, was tedious in her coroner copy reports. Jordan could only hope she was as longwinded in this case.

It took Eddie a few minutes to find Berman's desk in amongst files and boxes that had open cases on everything from murder to peeping toms that dated back two centuries. If it weren't for the soft strains of an old Michael Buble song leaking out from underneath the equally old headphones over Phil's ears, Eddie might have missed him all together. Berman's desk was strategically placed so he could see the entrance to the office way before the person walking in could. If he was looking to not be caught playing video poker on his computer, then he should think about turning the music down.

"Detective Berman?" Eddie said clearing his throat.

Phil jumped at the sound of someone standing in front of his desk. He quickly changed the page on his computer screen. Phil looked up not happy having his IM conversation with HONEYBUN44 cut off just when it was starting to get good.

Although, he was surprised to see it was Lt. Winslow, the snitch, standing there. The last time Phil had heard Winslow had quit to go investigate lawnmower thefts in Mayberry or someplace as equally boring. As far as Phil was concerned Winslow leaving the city was just what he deserved.

"Lieu-ten-Ant Winslow," Phil drawled making no attempt to stand up. Eddie maybe a superior officer, but the joys of being banished to the cold case stacks is there was nobody there to yell at him for it. "...what can I do for you?"

"It's Captain Winslow and I have an appointment with you," Eddie glared.

Phil made a point to look at his blank daytimer. Eddie looked over the edge of the desk and noticed the date was three days prior. He took it upon himself to flip the pages and point to a scrabbled note saying 'Springfield Dick' over a stain that look suspiciously like barbeque sauce.

"...Oh," Phil smiled sheepishly. "Right. What can I do for you...Captain?"

"Rosen... July of 93... Daniel and Claire..." Eddie said keeping it as simple as possible.

"Rosen?" Phil thought out loud. "Husband and wife right? I think Detective Hoyt reopened that case a few weeks ago."

'No shit Sherlock' Eddie thought to himself. He sighed and murmured, "Yes."

It wasn't a surprise to hear it was Hoyt that had been the one that reopened the case. His name came up when he talked to Max a few days prior. When Max called Eddie and asked for a favor, he made short order of taking a leave of absence to work the case. It wasn't necessary. He could have turned over everything he knew in a few conference calls. Eddie wanted this. After all...he owed it to the man.

"I need the name of the new D.I.C. on the case," Eddie continued.

Phil looked at Eddie like he had two heads and than said very slowly and very distinctly like he was talking to a small child. "Detective Hoyt reopened the case a few weeks ago."

"So you are saying Hoyt is the DIC."

"In more ways than one."

Secretly Eddie wished it was somebody else. It's not that he had anything against Hoyt, except for the fact that when he blew into town, was instantly christened the new golden child and before Eddie could snap his fingers, Hoyt was spending more than his fair share of time with the Cavanaugh family.

It wasn't like Jordan and he had anything anymore. They had both moved on more than once and in more than one way. It was just ironic how those old feelings still hung around. When she was gone, he thought they were gone. It didn't take long to realize they had just gone underground for awhile.

Working with both Jordan and Hoyt was not what he had signed on for...but closing a case that had haunted him for close to fifteen years was. He'd have to suck it up and work with a ghost and ...a dick.

Eddie did have to smile, "Yes, well, be that as it may...where can I find him? If I remember right he used to be with the nineteenth..."

Phil looked at the logbook. "Yep, the nineteenth. Do you need directions?"

"No," Eddie said. After saying his thanks Eddie made his way back to the main lobby. "...No," he whispered to himself, "I don't need directions."

Just one more happy coincidence, Eddie thought. When he first got his detective's shield he was with the new golden child nineteenth

Jordan restlessly tapped her fingernails on the handset of Woody's desk phone and debated on whether or not what she had found in the old files was important enough to interrupt his lunch. Framus had just finished telling her that she had just missed him. She said something about Nurse Betty stopping by.

Not that long ago Jordan wouldn't have thought twice about interrupting his lunch. Not that long ago she would be the one eating lunch with him. Unsure, Jordan asked Roz if she thought it would be alright to call. Roz just snorted and said any interruption would be a good thing where those two were concerned. It was apparent Roz did not find her partner's girlfriend a person worth her time...or his.

'Or mine,' Jordan thought to herself after Roz had to turn her attention away to answer her own phone. If Woody didn't like it he could add it to the list of things he hated about her.

Leighanne, Jordan mused.

Roxanne, Maryanne, Annemarie... Why do parents give their daughters obnoxious names like that? What if she wanted to be an astrophysicist or a Supreme Court judge? Cutesy names begot cutesy names. She could see the birth announcement now: Dolly Madison Hoyt. The thought made her punch in the digits of his cell number in with a little more force then necessary.

"Still as mad at the world as ever I see...huh, Beautiful?"

Jordan hadn't heard that endearment in longer than she cared to remember. The soft, familiar twang made Jordan's head snapped up. She quickly hung up the phone before the second ring.

"Eddie," she smiled.

Eddie Winslow hadn't changed much since he left Boston. A couple more grey hairs and maybe a few more lined on his face, but other then the more expensively tailored suit, he looked like the same old Eddie.

"How have you been, Eddie?"

He gave her that smile that used brighten her day every time she saw it. The real one. Not the Lt. Winslow smile, but the one that went all the way to his eyes. The one that once made her heart flip.

But that was then and this was now.

"I've been good Jordan. You look as beautiful as ever."

Jordan felt her cheeks color. Eddie was the only man that ever called her beautiful. Even after all these years he could make her blush. He was her second...the first one to really count. He was the first and only man to make her really feel beautiful and even after all those years and after all they've been though, he still had the ability to make her feel that way just with a smile.

Self-consciously, Jordan pushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

Framus hung up the phone with a loud squeal and launched herself in Eddie's unsuspecting arms and peppered his face with a multitude of blood-red kisses. "Lover, you came back me!"

Jordan arched an eyebrow at the display that was attracting a little more attention than the usual Framus outbursts normally did.

Roz let go and planted her hands on her hips and studied Eddie as if he were a pair of Kate Spade's she was thinking about buying.

"Damn, you're a sight for sore eyes," she said reaching up to straighten his tie and smooth back his hair. "I like the grey. Keep it. It's sexy."

"Roz. Long time, no see."

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Roz said in a mock offense. With a dramatic sigh she winked at Jordan, "Husbands..."

Jordan other eyebrow reached the first one and her jaw opened as she looked between the two. Framus took one look and doubled over in laughter.

"Shut your mouth Jo-Jo. You look like a fish. We weren't married legally," Roz said leaning into Eddie and rubbing some of the lipstick off his face with her thumb. "...but our little trip to Vegas looked authentic enough. You see, Eddie and I worked undercover as financially challenged husband and philandering wife for a rackets sting back in 2000. All due respect to your father and all, but Eddie was best partner I ever had. Then he had to go and make rank and leave me behind. That's always been my luck with men. The good ones always leave me wanting more."

Oddly relieved, Jordan chuckled. She knew Framus came to the nineteenth homicide from the organized crime unit a year or two after Woody was hired. Jordan added it up in her head and realized Framus' time there corresponded to Eddie leaving, the then violent crimes unit, after the mess with her father. Eddie dropped off the map for a year or so and surfaced again when Homicide became its own division. It goes to figure he do something as dangerous as undercover with the mob.

"Baby, how long are you in town? Please say it's permanent." Roz clucked while clamping her hand around Eddie's face making his lips pucker out.

She let him go when he shook his head. "No, I'm just here to follow up on a lead in a cold case I once worked."

"Well, damn." she shrugged. "You are going to be in town for at least the night aren't you?" Without waiting for him to answer Roz grabbed her phone and punched in a number. "Good, then dinner at The Living Room, my treat -- let's say eightish...no make that nineish. I've got a nail appointment."

Roz dismissed him while she negotiated for a reservation at one of the trendiest restaurants in town. Eddie just chuckled rubbing the back of neck knowing it was impossible to sway Roz Framus out of anything.

"I guess I got until nine to get caught up on the case. Where's Hoyt?"

Jordan looked at the phone trying to remember what she was doing before Eddie walked back into her...

...in the door.

"He's, um, having lunch...I don't know when he'll get back."

Eddie looked at his watch and heaved a sigh. Jordan couldn't tell if it was not of disappointment for not getting started right away...or relief.

"Have you had lunch yet?"

Jordan blinked twice and said no. Eddie didn't know her lunches for the last two years were more often than not a sleeve of crackers out of the vending machine. She smiled. Why not?

"Lunch sounds great."

Leighanne tossed her hair over her shoulder and picked up her speech where she had left off.

"...I just think it's time. You've been in the same division for six years. It's time to do something different. Don't they rotate people around to different departments like they do in the hospital? Look at yourself. You're burned out. I don't think you've really slept in days. You're not talking you're not eating. Something's got to give. This last case has been the worst. I want to you to do what you have to do to get it reassigned. Maybe we should take a vacation. I know money's tight right now I'm sure we can go visit my family in Maryland again. I promise it will be better than last time. They really like you, Woody. I know they don't act like it but I'm sure they like you. It'll be fun. Just wait and see..."

Woody wadded the uneaten half of his sandwich up in the wrapper and picked up his drink wishing it were something stronger than 7-UP. He knew Leighanne was talking but he felt like he was in one of the Peanuts cartoons. All he could hear was 'wah, wah wah.' It seemed like that's all he heard the last few weeks.

The hangover that he had been nursing was still pounding at the back of his eyes. Woody had gone out of his way to not have to work with Jordan very much since coming back to active duty after the shooting. On those few occasions he had to, he found solace on the mindless end of a bottle of Jack Daniels. This case wasn't an exception. In fact, this case seemed worse.

Not only had this case dropped Jordan back into his lap, but was dragging Eddie Winslow back to town. Woody knew the man had something against him. It was like Winslow hated him before they even ever had a chance to meet. No matter how hard he tried to be friendly, the colder Winslow became. After awhile Woody just quit. At the time he had no idea that he and Jordan were once lovers. That Woody wanted to be everybody's friend. This Woody didn't care if he won any popularity contests and he could care less what Eddie Winslow thought of him as long as he could help solve this case.

So, it felt like he could physically conger up the visions of his latest drunk when he looked up and to see Winslow and Jordan walk in the door. They were laughing. Jordan was using a tissue to wipe something off Winslow's jaw. If Woody were a gambling man, which this Woody was, he'd bet she was wiping lipstick off. The thought made him groan out loud.

Leighanne stopped chatting on about the little house she saw in the Sunday paper and followed Woody's line of vision. She tossed her napkin on the table...her appetite gone.

"Let's go. We can leave out the back," she announced. "It's obvious she not here for work and just seeing her upsets...you so."

Woody stood up, but not to leave. Years later he would run the scene through his head and wonder just why he jumped up to catch the other couple's attention. He ran his hand through his hair and stood there debating what to do next.

"Woody! What did you do that for?" Leighanne hissed as Woody looked directly at the other couple. "Now they're going to come over here and we won't be able to leave."

Woody rolled his eyes and turned back to his girlfriend. "They're working on this case with me. Winslow came into town specifically to help."

"Good," she huffed folding her arms under her chest. "Then he can take over. Tell him you want out."

"...What?" Woody asked incredulously.

"Haven't you heard a word I've said! I want you off this case and...and away from her!"

Woody still looked confused.

"Damn it, they're coming this way. I'm leaving." Leighanne stood up and grabbed her bag. "Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"If you love me, you'll come with me right now."

"...Leighanne."

His voice surprised her. She was expecting at least a token plea and then compliance. Instead what she got sounded more like a warning. Leighanne held her ground. They were still staring at each other, in a battle of wills, when Eddie and Jordan got within greeting range.

"..Hi," Jordan said tentatively and glanced at Eddie for support. "If this is a bad time we can ..."

"Apparently, your timing is perfect Dr. Cavanaugh," Leighanne replied in a saccharin voice. With as much dignity as she could muster, Leighanne pushed past Eddie with a mumbled, "Excuse me."

"Woody, Eddie and I can go over there if you need to..." Jordan said softly.

"...No," Woody cut her off watching Leighanne walk out the door. He should be upset or at least mad. Instead, he felt nothing and it scared the hell out of him.