Chapter 18

xxxxxxxxxxx

Viv and Danny made their way up the third floor walk-up to meet with Jake Miller aka Joseph Merrill. Jack called Danny en-route to let them know that Sam suspected that the two men were one and the same and to use extreme caution. Viv called up local NYPD and other agents to assist at the scene.

Danny stopped at the door and knocked as if he were just there paying a social call. There was no need to arouse suspicion if it could be helped.

No answer.

Danny knocked again but it was still quiet. He exchanged a look with Viv who approached and slid the key the landlord gave them into the lock. Danny pulled out his weapon and nodded for her to open the door. She pulled out her own gun and pushed the door open. It creaked as it opened into a dingy sparse studio apartment that in one quick cursory glance they knew that nobody was home.

Danny walked over to the desk in the corner. On top of the desk was a Mac G5 computer, scanner, a telephoto camera and other random bits of technology that he didn't recognize. Sitting next to the monitor was a big stack of files. He picked up one of the manila folders and opened it. Inside were other surveillance photos of Martin.

"Come check this out." He commented as he continued to flip through the photos. Viv came up alongside him and peered over his arm to look at what he held. As he continued looking through the photos he found a lot of photos of Martin and Sam; laughing as they walked down a busy sidewalk, eating dinner in restaurant, sitting on her front stoop drinking coffee and reading the paper, and a slew of others.

"Looks like he has been following Martin around for a while." Viv said with a frown.

"Yeah, I think we found out who took Martin. Now we just have to figure out where he had him." Danny replied as he glanced around the tiny apartment.

"At least now we have a place to start looking." Viv pulled out her cell phone and said, "Mac, we need you to come down here and check out this computer..."

While the other agents started searching the apartment for clues Danny flipped through the photos once again. In each photo there was solid visual evidence of the deterioration of Martin and Sam's relationship. It was almost as if you lined them up you could see each of them grow more and more unhappy. He remembered when he first started to notice the increasing tension around them. It was the case with the missing psychic.

The tech had just shown him the video footage from outside the store of Agnes being taken into the van. He walked into the bullpen to get Sam and Martin but as he neared he could see them standing close together and it was obvious by their body language that they were fighting. He wanted to turn away but he also knew that they both said that their relationship wouldn't and shouldn't interfere with the work.

After he intervened on their fight and showed them the video, Sam said she wanted to go talk to the psychic again to discuss their recent findings. Martin and Danny headed back to the bullpen to update the board and talk to Jack.

Martin was frowning as they slowly made their way back to the bullpen. He looked frustrated.

"So, how are things?" Danny asked trying to sound casual.

Martin gave him an irritated look and said, "Fine."

"Look, I'm trying to be your friend here. You can either mope around here like some sad dog licking his wounds or you can just tell me what's going on and I can offer you my valuable relationship advice."

Martin stopped dead in his tracks and looked at him, "When was the last time you had a date much less a relationship?"

"I've had plenty of relationships." Danny replied as Martin looked at him skeptically. "That's why I can offer good advice. I have many frames of reference."

"Yeah, well I doubt you've had one like mine and Sam's." Martin kept walking as he shook his head and said, "I just don't know what to do anymore. Everything I do is wrong or annoys her."

"Yeah, that sounds like a relationship." Danny agreed. They headed down the hall and approached the doors to the bullpen.

Martin slowed down as they neared and softly said, "I just don't know if it's worth it anymore. I can't seem to make her happy no matter how hard I try and the more I try and it doesn't work, the unhappier I get. She just keeps pushing me away and I'm almost ready to just let her."

"Oh." Danny replied. The situation was worse than he thought. He had hoped they were fighting over something trivial like leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor. He didn't understand how they could be falling apart. They seemed so right together.

"Oh? That's your advice." Martin looked at him with a raised eyebrow and added, "Hmph. I think it's safe to say that Lisa Harris doesn't have any competition."

Martin walked in ahead of him. He tried to think of what kind of advice he could offer when he spotted Jack standing at the board looking over the notes they had added.

Danny closed the file folder and put it back on the stack. Now was not the time to worry about his friend's relationship. Martin had a bigger problem right now. He picked up the phone and called Jack to let him know what they found.