19.

As he slipped back into the observation room, Schell looked at him, still clutching her arms. "What was that all about?" she asked.

Looking at her, he hesitated, glancing at the interrogation room as Payton reentered. He reached up, running a hand over his mouth. How many times had he been stuck on the horns of a dilemma? The predator in him wanted to stay and watch what was about to happen, but Schell standing in the room suddenly presented a problem.

"Horatio?" she asked him, seeing he was thinking very hard, his one hand stroking the corners of his lips and the other planted on his hip. "Horatio? What did she find out? She had something important didn't she?"

He had just made up his mind, turning to look at her and about to suggest that they leave when Payton started his opening salvo against Randall Thorpe…

Sitting down in front of him, Payton looked at him hard for a moment then quietly asked, "Mr. Thorpe, would you mind explaining to me why you have taken out a 15 million dollar life insurance policy on Schell Demereau?"

The observation room suddenly electrified as both Horatio and Schell snapped their heads around to look into the interrogation room. Horatio, appalled at the amount mentioned, knew instantly its purpose. In that silent, jarring pause of revelation, the pieces of the puzzle he had been working on for Schell suddenly began fitting neatly into place in his mind at top speed. That momentary distraction, as he started seeing the over-all picture of the entire situation was enough for him not to see what was happening next to him.

Freezing in place, the colour in Schell's face suddenly drained out as her jaw dropped in horror at what Payton had just asked her boss.

"That information…." Thorpe was saying to Payton, "is none of your business!"

"Oh, but it is now, Mr. Thorpe," Payton responded, "you see, we just tied you to the man found dead in the warehouse with our detective. Seems he was a former employee of yours who had a penchant for making bombs. And when his picture was shown to the clerk at the boat rental business this morning? He was identified as a customer looking to rent the very same boat that Schell Demereau took out the day it exploded. And with a 15 million dollar life insurance policy on her, you stand to make a hell of a killing…" he smiled sourly, "No pun intended… 15 million on the death of your artist, then who knows how much you could reap on the suddenly appreciated value of her paintings after her death?"

The sudden hiss of indrawn breath followed by the rustle of movement next to him abruptly jerked Horatio out of his thoughts and he barely moved fast enough to block the door to the room.

"No!" he snapped out.

"That son-of-a-bitch!" Schell seethed, trying to push Horatio aside. "That son of a … Horatio let me out!" She tried moving him aside, but he was as solid as rock and just as immovable.

"No…" he said firmly, "you can't do this, Schell!" he said, catching her by the arms. He could see the horrible look of pure rage in her eyes.

"Let go of me!" she suddenly began struggling like a small wildcat. Deftly, Horatio tried turning her around, his hands moving to grip her wrists, but as he went to grab them, she managed a vicious swipe of her elbow into his side.

"Ahhh!" he gasped, groaned out loud, releasing Schell and grabbing for his wounded side, stumbling sideways. She twisted away from him, making for the door again.

Horatio, nearly blinded by the fresh stabs of pain, sensed more than saw her moving and barely managed to shove himself in front of the door, still bent over and holding his injury with his arm tight against his side.

"No!" he managed to growl through his teeth, tucking his head and shoulder down and angling to protect both himself and block the door.

"Get out of my way!" Schell snapped, raining blows against his back and shoulder as he twisted his head out of her reach.

Gritting his teeth, Horatio drew in a deep breath, conquering the pain he was in, and started to straighten up. As she tried shoving him away from the door again, he turned to look at her, his own eyes dark with pain. Enough was enough.

Her right hand came up for another blow to his shoulder and he moved quickly, his left hand snaking out, catching her wrist.

Schell, facing him, saw him stand up to his full, formidable height as he raised his left arm up, blocking any further blows and forcing her right arm up, his grip on her wrist as tight as any handcuffs could be. She was beginning to struggle again, trying to break free of his grip when he pulled her arm up higher, reaching under his own left arm and grabbing her right shoulder by the coat. He turned her around in a macabre pirouette, causing her to stumble with the awkward footing, as he pulled her wrist up and around in front of her. With another fast grab, he managed to snag her left wrist in his right, and as another nearly blinding stab of pain hit his wounded side, he crossed Schell's arms in front of her and jerked her backwards towards him, bear-hugging her to his chest before he had to bend over her to prevent her from getting another elbow in his side.

"Stop!" he said in her ear, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth again at the pain in his side. "Stop it!"

She struggled on, arching her head and back into him and finding herself in a grip so tight she could barely move. With him bent over her, trying to rein in the pain, she could barely move her legs, despite trying to stomp on his feet. "Let me go!" she raged in frustration and anger, but Horatio wasn't about to let her loose.

"Stop it…" he said sternly in her ear, twisting them both towards the intercom, where he managed to elbow the receiver button off despite Schell's frantic struggling. "Schell!" he urged, "Calm down."

Schell, as the rage was beginning to leave her, become conscious that Horatio was far stronger then she realized.

"Calm down…" he urged her, feeling the change in her as she was going from raging to sobs of frustration. "Come on sweetheart, calm down…" he murmured gently.

As he was gaining some control over the pain in his side, he could feel her sag in his arms, and knowing the initial reaction was starting to drain away, he knelt down on one knee, still maintaining his hold.

"It's okay…" he whispered in her ear, past her tears. "Just calm down."

Her legs gave way and he eased her to the floor, still holding onto her as she continued to weep tears of frustration. Presently, her head dropped forward, her fists relaxed in his grip, and she simply wept.

How long they remained there, no one knew, Horatio just continued to gently tell her to calm down and let her cry herself out. When he felt her shuddering sigh and the shaking of her body begin to abate, he said quietly, "I'm gonna let you go, now, all right? Promise me you won't try going out the door, okay?"

She nodded, despite a fresh welling of tears in her eyes, and he carefully released her wrists, sliding his hands up her arms. She didn't move and he simply wrapped his arms around her.

"It's all right, Schell," he murmured low in her ear, as he rested his cheek against her head. "I need you to listen to me, all right?" he asked. Again she could only nod.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that…" he said. "I should never have let this happen." His words were full of remorse. "But I can't let you go into that room. It will destroy any case they have against him. Can you understand that?"

Another nod, and she shivered. He sighed, reaching up a hand to start to gently pull the hair out her face. "The last thing we want to do is jeopardize this case. I know it makes you angry, but you simply cannot confront him, especially now. You understand?"

"That son of a bitch!" she whispered.

"I agree, Schell," he murmured, "You want to see him punished for this, though, right?" he asked and as she nodded, he shifted a little, groaning, dropping a one hand to grasp his side. She turned a little, looking at his face, ( just inches from hers ) and frowned.

On top of everything she was wrestling with, he saw the mortification in her eyes as she realized why he had groaned. She shifted forward, away from him and turned to look at him.

"Don't…" he started to say, still bent over with his arm pinned against his side. She reached out, but he caught her hand, his eyes forbidding. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet, wincing with the effort, and helped her to stand up. He shifted his position, careful to block her view into the next room. Schell reached to pull his jacket aside, but he slipped his other hand across his stomach and covered his injury.

"It's all right," he said to her, seeing the look of agony and remorse in her eyes. "Don't worry about it, all right? Let's just get out of here.." he looked at her. "Okay?"

Schell slowly closed her eyes, struggling to not get overwhelmed again, then she heaved a sigh, trying to overcome her sense of shame. He reached up, settling his arm across her shoulders.

"It's okay," he murmured, gently kissing the top of her head. He nudged her towards the door. "Let's go."

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, looking confused.

He smiled sadly, nodded and murmured. "I know you are. It's all right, you're forgiven…" He opened the door, and could see her struggling not to cry again as he maneuvered her out through the door and away from the interrogation room.

It was dark out, by the time they reached the parking garage, and she was more in control of herself, albeit silent, until he reached for his keys. She stopped and looked at him pleadingly for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked, reaching for the passenger door to let her in.

"I can't go home, not just now, I just can't."

"All right…" he said, studying her. "We can do something else."

"Can we just drive?"

He smiled gently and nodded, seeing her need to just 'decompress'. She was asking for time. "Sure, climb in." he said. Before climbing in himself, he sent a quick text message to Payton telling him he'd contact him later, then he got in and started the engine.

And they drove.

It was already late when they merged into traffic heading south on I-5, and neither spoke as Horatio set the cruise control. It was later still when they reached the outskirts of Olympia, the state capitol, and for the first time since leaving the police station, Schell asked him to the take the exit marked 'HWY 101 Ocean Beaches'. He complied, glancing at her as she leaned against the door, staring out into the darkness and gently stroking the corners of her mouth.

She was much more composed by then, but looked haunted and shattered at the same time.

Silently, he reached over and took her free hand gently in his, she glanced down, looking at his hand covering hers, then up at him.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly, looking over at her with that 'puppy eyed' look she had noticed before.

"I should be asking you that…" she replied, her words full of guilt, she looked away from him, dropping her head.

"I'm fine, it's not bleeding, it's just sore."

"I'm sorry, Horatio, I really am sorry," she said softly, her eyes troubled as she took to glancing out the window again. "I just… lost it in there." She felt his hand grip hers gently, giving reassurance.

"I know…" he said reassuringly. "And that's okay, Schell." he smiled gently. "I'd have been worried if you hadn't reacted to news like that."

She looked at him again, pondering his words. "I've never…" she started. "I've never done that before. And I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for causing you so much trouble."

"It's all right, Schell…" he murmured.

"Is it?" she asked, watching the darkened, thick evergreen trees on the side of the road rush by. "What do I do now? How do I protect myself in this situation? I've never been involved in anyting like this before."

"Schell…" he said, getting her to look at him again. "I told you I would help you out with this, and I meant it. Just do me a favour, okay?"

She looked at him. Squeezing her hand, he said. "Let's not worry about it tonight, okay?"

She searched his face, studying his profile as he watched the darkened road ahead.

"All right…" she said softly, her shoulders relaxing a little as they drove.

An hour or so later, they pulled into the outskirts of Aberdeen, and Horatio located a Burger King open late near Wishkah Mall. Asking if she wanted to go inside to eat, she murmured to the contrary so he pulled around to the drive up window and ordered. Getting their food, he started to pullout when she asked him if she could drive.

He paused a moment, looking at how drawn and tired she was, but he couldn't refuse.

She continued their driving south on HWY 101, and it wasn't too much longer before his head started drooping. When he set his head against the cool window, watching another sleepy little town whisk by, he closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds.

How long they continued to drive, he wasn't sure (until some time later when he had the chance to study a map), but when he abruptly jerked himself awake, he was startled to find that the car was stopped.

It was pitch black and as he sat up straight and blinked in confusion, he began to notice he was the only person in the car.