Seeing Red – Part 8

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I have so many balls in the air right now, it's hard to focus. Thanks for all the feedback.

Summary: D&D were married on Halloween weekend, that same night a red-haired woman was brutally murdered behind Crossroads. It is discovered that Natalie was a witness in a similar murder when she was a little girl back in Atlantic City. She doesn't remember much about it, but it's coming back to her in dreams. John's ex-lover is creepily obsessed with John and Natalie and has just had sexual relations with a new client - a stranger to Llanview? John and Natalie are dating and she's spending most nights at the Hotel with him.

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Pete "Pretty" Russo was easily identified as a cop. Even walking into a cop shop in another state and miles from the beat he had just retired from after too long riding a desk he looked like he was where he belonged. He was still as trim and fit as he was when he was a beat cop, just more distinguished with his steel grey hair. It was his eyes that gave him away. The brown eyes were sharp and observant and, when it served, compassionate.

"Excuse me, where can I find John McBain?" he asked a uniform who walked him to John's door.

"Well, well, well, Chief of Detectives. Your old man would be proud."

"Pete! Good to see ya." John stood up and shook Pete's hand. Then the two men did the one-armed, clap on back man hug. John reached around and closed his office door and waved Pete over to a guest chair.

"What's this about the old Eichlinger case possibly popping up here?"

"Do remember the witness? A little girl named Natalie Balsom?"

"Yeah." Pete shook his head. "She was a real pistol, but that mother of hers. I tried to get her into foster care, or rather I wanted to but she adamantly refused. I kept tabs on her until she left Atlantic City."

"You were watching over her?" John asked, a smile lightening his face.

"Do you know her?" Pete asked, seeing something in his expression.

"She's Natalie Vega now and my girlfriend."

"You don't say." Pete shook his head and smiled a small smile. Then, quickly sobering up he asked, "So you know that Eichlinger escaped five years ago, what makes you think he's here?"

"This." John passed a file across the desk that Pete took. John leaned back in his chair. As he waited for Pete to review the file he picked up his cell phone and to confirm what he already knew - Natalie hadn't called yet.

She hadn't slept well again last night after learning about the body of the second murdered red-haired girl discovered behind Rodi's so he had insisted that she stay in bed this morning and try to get some sleep. Before he left he assigned a cop to guard and escort her to the station when she was ready.

John got up, ran his hand over his chin and looked out the window of his office even though he couldn't see her desk from here.

"This has all the earmarks of our guy."

"Yeah? I thought so too." John walked back over to his desk. He sat down on the chair next to Pete and leaned in.

"We thought he was in Arizona or someplace warm. I have no idea why he'd risk getting caught by coming here." Pete shook his head. "He always was a sick one. He's out for revenge. Natalie's testimony forced his hand; he had to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty."

"I have a cop protecting her right now. That's all I can authorize at this point until a direct threat is made."

"You love this girl?" Pete observed. "I can't wait to meet her again. And help you keep her safe."

"Thanks, Pete." John's expression was determined.

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Evangeline sighed and burrowed more comfortably into the soft pillow under her head. "John," she whispered the name as she felt the soreness between her legs. She breathed deeply and then stopped. She opened her eyes and looked around. With a large gasp that made her lightheaded she sat up and looked around, pulling the sheet against her naked bosom. Her head throbbed just a bit, something that had been happening more and more after a night out.

The Palace, she recognized the décor which was not quite what she preferred, but the best this one horse town had to offer. She pulled up a pillow and leaned back against the headboard. She bit her lips and looked around for her client/bed partner. She reached over to pick up the phone to order room service when she discovered a slip of paper.

Sexy,

Please use the facilities, order room service, stay naked in my bed.

Whatever you want. I'm going to cut out early from my meetings.

Love,

Jerry

The use of the words "love" and "sexy" sent trills down Evangeline's spine and aroused her more than the things…Suddenly Evangeline frowned and put a hand over her breast. What did happen last night? She remembered Jerry, or rather Rider as she teasingly started to call him, walking her out of the bar. She had been feeling a bit lightheaded and he had his arm tenderly around her shoulder. After that, though, things were hazy. Actually completely black.

That, however, was not surprising. That had also been happening a lot more lately. Perhaps Nora was right and she was hitting the martinis too much? But when she was drinking the constant thoughts of John slowed down, eased, she could even forget him for minutes at a time.

"John," she whispered his name and burrowed further into the bed. All thoughts of her day's appointments and her lack of memory of what had happened the night before forgotten.

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"Where can I stay around here?" Pete asked John as he leaned back in his chair, his burger and fries long gone from the plate in front of him.

"Rodi's burgers are why I stayed." John grinned. "Thanks for sticking around."

"It's the least I can do. Retirement isn't sitting to well with me anyway. Golf sucks, but it's all my friends play these days."

John laughed. "I live at the Angel Square Hotel, there's just one thing. The owner is Roxy Balsom."

"Roxy was not my biggest fan."

"She may not even remember you," John said, thinking on how drunk Pete had said Natalie's mother was back then. "Either way, she's still a handful. Not a lot of other options."

"Natalie stay there with you?"

"I was thinking of sending her to stay at Llanfair for her own security." Just then John's phone rang. He checked the caller id before answering. It was Natalie telling him she was on her way to the station. He let Pete know when he got off the phone.

"I finally get to meet the red-head all grown up. Let's go McBain." Pete stood up.

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"What are you doing in here?" Natalie asked as she saw Evangeline reading an open file on John's desk. John, she knew, didn't leave open files on his desk.

"I came to see John about a case," Evangeline said haughtily, not bothering to close the file she was snooping in.

"Well, he's not here so you should be waiting outside his office. Not snooping at confidential police files." Natalie walked over and pulled the file away from Evangeline's grasp and closed it. "Let me show you the defense attorney waiting room."

"There's no such room."

"Yes there is, it's called the clerk's office where you submit your legal requests for information instead of stalking police officers doing their job. On the other hand, I could report your snooping and you could spend some time in a holding cell."

"Well, really!" Evangeline tilted her head and glared at the red-head.

Natalie crossed her arms and stared the skinny lawyer down. With a haughty sniff the spurned woman stalked out of the office. Natalie rolled her eyes and closed the office door behind her.

A few minutes later John and Pete came walking through the side door into John's office. A quick glance told John that someone had been rifling in his desk. He walked over and picked up the file that was lying on top of his desk.

Cristian Vega – John Doe

He frowned. Last time he saw this file it had been in his bottom drawer.