Safest Place to Hide

Chapter 4

Haunted

Alex sat at her desk the next week pondering the pages in front of her. At least, that's what passers by would have assumed. However, there was way too much going on in her head to actually be focused.

Her nightmare had left her on edge and reluctant to look at the Mitchell case. It hadn't necessarily changed her ability to do her job but it didn't help that it always felt like someone was watching her while she was trying to work. Bobby had been nothing but supportive and understanding through each of her nightmares. Together they developed a domestic routine even if the warrants they were looking for were taking forever.

"Detective Eames?" Alex looked up to find a tech from CSU with a folder in his hand.

"Report for the gun we ended up finding," he explained. Alex thanked him and opened the file. It was that moment that her partner showed up from a lunch run.

"Forensics came back on the gun," Alex explained lifting the up folder. "Looks like the gun is a match to the shells. It's the gun that killed Mitchell. And they found two different sets of prints." Bobby's eyebrows sky-rocketed to his hairline.

"Two sets?"

"Mr. Moss and an unknown. They're in the process of running them through the databases as we speak," she filled in. He nodded the wheels already turning in his head.

"For now, the father's our only lead, and he has a solid motive. Let's bring him in."

Mr Moss sat in the interrogation room his head in his hands. Alex, Bobby and Deakins and Carver watched him for a few moments in the observation room. It had taken them a week to get him in, with a backup of warrants and Moss' trip for business.

"Let's get a confession and close this case, shall we?" Carver suggested as Bobby and Alex left. On their way to the interrogation room door – a whole six or seven steps – Alex glanced out into the squad room. Only one pair of eyes caught hers from across the room and Alex shivered. They were the same eyes that haunted her nightmares. The confusion of seeing Patrick Sparks in the precinct annoyed her and made her nervous at the same time. Bobby's hand on her arm broke her staring contest and brought her plummeting back to earth.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, discretely scanning the room over her head.

"Let's just finish this? You can cook me dinner tonight, okay?" He smiled at her as he opened the door.

"I promise," he whispered as she passed him.

"Mr Moss," Alex began, suddenly all business, setting her files on the table, "We've got a few questions for you."

"We found your fingerprints on the gun used to kill Horace Mitchell," Bobby began. They'd decided to keep the fact that it was his gun a secret in the beginning.

"I wasn't there! I don't know how they managed to get on it, but I didn't kill anyone."

"Your daughter, Lisa, was turned down three times from Mitchell's culinary school in Manhattan. You were upset?" Bobby asked, taking a seat beside his partner.

"Of course I was upset. Lisa is a brilliant cook, my wife and I are so proud of her. We were appalled they turned her down, especially since her boyfriend told her she was a shoo-in for the school. We knew he was bad news from the beginning. Lisa wouldn't listen."

"Boyfriend?" This was the first both Alex and Bobby had heard of a boyfriend. Moss nodded.

"Patrick Sparks." Alex held in the shiver at the name.

"How long have they been dating?" Bobby asked, noticing Ale's reaction. Until she regained her composure, he'd take over.

"A… year and a half maybe?" Doing mental calculations, Bobby realized that it meant they'd been dating…

"They've been dating since the first time she applied."

"He promised to get her into the school, but it didn't work. That… Mitchell wouldn't let her in."

"So you shot him."

"No! I… even if it was my daughter, I'm not going to kill anyone about it. I love my daughter unconditionally so I'm not going to jeopardize that by killing someone. We've been saving so Lisa can apply to an out of state school and she's going to next semester."

"Mr Moss, the gun is also registered to you. Can you explain how it was found in a dumpster a few alleys away from the body?" Alex inquired, regaining her composure. He looked up.

"My gun?"

"Your daughter mentioned to us that only the family knows where you keep it," Alex pressed.

"To the extent of my knowledge…"

"The casings, the bullets… they all match," Bobby continued.

"I didn't kill that man." Both detectives were getting frustrated. Thus, the knock on the glass of the observation room came as a relief. Deakins stood in the hall with Patrick Sparks.

"He wants to talk to you." Alex had never wanted to hear those words less in her life but a quick glance between her and Bobby calmed her nerves.

"Right this way, Mr. Sparks." They stepped into one of the spare rooms and took a seat. Sparks didn't take his eyes away from Alex as they sat, regardless of Bobby's rather large appearance.

"I… I remembered something else." Alex almost rolled her eyes. He wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for new information. However, she still didn't trust him. It wasn't that he'd given them a reason not to trust him, but Alex trusted her gut more and her gut told her he wasn't trust worthy.

"Okay," Bobby spoke up, sitting and turning his chair around, pen poised over his portfolio. Still, Sparks' eyes did not move from Alex's.

"I remember seeing someone fighting with Horace the morning of his death." Bobby jotted this down then pulled out a picture of Moss.

"Is this him?"

"Yeah! Wait a minute, that's Lisa's dad." His eyes had left Alex's for the split second it took to look and identify the picture before returning. This action put both of the partners on edge.

To any outsider it would look as if Sparks was truly surprised by the picture in front of him. However, both partners had had their share of confusing criminal minds and could pick out a liar. Even if Sparks was not giving off the same vibes of a liar, something akin to malice flashed through his eyes.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Sparks?" Alex asked sweetly, intent on getting this done and over with. The relief that washed over her when Sparks shook his head.

"Thank you for coming it, this helps our case." Thankfully, Alex was sure she was the only person who could tell Bobby was lying. Their case was just as confusing as it had been in the beginning and a fight hours before the murder – which to any other case would be icing on the cake – didn't fit with Moss' nature or the fact that his presence had been accounted for that morning.

Alex waited until Sparks was in the elevator before slumping in her chair. Bobby was immediately at her side, worry shining in his face.

"He was lying," she said softly.

"Are you okay?"

"He gives me the creeps, I don't trust him. And in case you didn't notice his eyes didn't leave me the whole time." If there was one thing Bobby trusted above all else, it was Alex.

"Why not?"

"Something about him just doesn't add up. The name is familiar from somewhere, bad familiar."

"You can't remember where?" Alex shook her head sadly.

"I wish I could. Maybe it would make this haunted feeling go away."