Ice Lessons 3
Jack
He sat in the back of the police car trying to find a comfortable way to sit without the cuffs pulling on his wrist and failed. On the plus side at least his nose had stopped bleeding. On the down side he could feel his face swelling up painfully. He could feel the eyes and minds of the officers on him as they sped through town. There was nothing he could say or ask- they seemed to have judged him already. How am I going to make this up to Cassie? What was she going to think?
Of all the things he could imagine himself being picked up for, this certainly wasn't it. A parking ticket, a fight in a bar maybe years ago when he'd sunk too many beers and whiskies after Charlie died and the divorce. But not this.
He knew he hadn't done anything and he felt unclean already.
Hell, he knew how he felt when he saw news reports of kids going missing only to turn up later traumatized in one way or another, or dead. He knew what it was like to lose a child. He knew how he felt when he saw reports of parents or trusted people abusing children in their care. This was not like fighting the Goa'uld, facing planetary dangers every day; this was a whole different ugly war.
On arrival at the station he was processed, the fingerprint card routine was especially painful. At least they could send that off to various databases- he knew his service record- such as was available publicly - would turn up in due course.
They could confirm things with General Hammond and he would be so out of here. The General was going to blow a gasket for sure. He wondered how Cassie was, and the Doc.
He waited, he wished he could pace up and down- something- but that would make the police officers even more wary. His being a USAF officer didn't seem to be helping the situation any, if the looks he was getting were anything to go by.
"Hey, stop that!" growled a voice
But it was going to take a bit of time. Would they start questioning people? Sara? God he hoped not. He'd put her through so much hurt she didn't need any more. He wondered if they had already pulled in his truck or if they were going to search his house in the next few hours. They wouldn't find anything of course; he knew the authorities had procedures and leads to follow through. He didn't blame them really; just hoped things wouldn't get too ugly before the cavalry arrived. He still waited.
He was jerked out of his musings by a vicious kick to the chair he was sitting on.
"What?"
"I said stop doing that! You're distracting everybody."
Then he realized he'd been tapping his feet against the chair legs and metal bin. He supposed it was better than the usual 'Kree' and whack on the back of the knees. The damn god wannabes never understood that with his knees he couldn't kneel for minutes without agony, let alone hours.
Just then a detective from serious crimes appeared with a folder and printouts.
"I think we can lose the cuffs now Heywood." he nodded to the officer who had brought him in and processed him.
"Didn't the police doctor come up and check you out? Don't answer that- I can see for myself. The name's Langley- special crimes." he introduced himself.
"I called but he's busy elsewhere, on his way." said Heywood as he came round the desk with the key
Great, was this it? Was he going now? Jack thought as he stood up and turned around so the cuffs could be undone. His left wrist throbbed as it swung lose.
"I can't interview you if you're not fit. Do you want to wait for the doctor or we can get a paramedic." Langley offered.
"No I'm fine. Really, had worse, it just looks messy. It'll clean up."' Jack reassured him. Willing the other man to believe him so they could get this over with.
"Colonel? If you'd like to follow me please."
He was tempted to say no actually he didn't want to. He wanted to go home, have a beer, and watch some hockey.
"Sure." he said and followed the man. The quicker he got this sorted out the quicker he could be off doing those things.
He was led into an interview room. The room was very small so the table was right next to the wall. The opposite wall had a window, but Jack knew this was one of those 2 way mirrors. Jack had been on both sides of the interrogation scenario, so he waited for the other man to make the first approach. The detective put the folder and printouts onto the desk and unwrapping a new cassette he put it into the tape recorder. After introducing himself, dating and timing the interview he began.
"Colonel Jonathon O'Neill. Is that correct?"
"It's Jack, only my mother ever called me Jonathon."
"Is it ok if I call you Colonel?"
"That's my name and rank."
"I'm just going to say for the record that you were brought in with facial injuries that the police doctor hasn't seen you yet, but that you still agreed to continue. Is this correct?"
"Yes it is." agreed Jack
"I've been watching you; you're a pretty cool aren't you. An innocent man would be shouting and yelling by now. But you, nothing."
"I tried the shouting bit it got me nowhere. Besides I'm waiting for you to find out what a big mistake you've made."
"Oh, so you think we're stupid is that it?"
"Not at all, you're just doing your job. You've got me confused with someone else. You need to sort that out so that I can go back to my job too. Cassie doesn't need to go through all this."
"Ah finally- well- family liaison are interviewing her and her mother as we speak. The students are doing their bit and then we can all compare stories while we check out a few things. We'll need to your consent to provide a blood and DNA sample."
"Oh for cryin' out loud!"
"Are you refusing Colonel O'Neill?"
"No, it's just that you can get that from my medical records."
"I'm sure we can but we'll do our own just to be sure. I'm sure you'll understand."
"Are you arresting me?" there he'd said it
"That depends doesn't it?" replied the detective
"Do you know why you've been brought in Colonel O'Neill?"
"Something about a guy abducting girls."
"Do you like girls, Colonel?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
"Just answer please."
"I like women."
"That's not what I asked and you know it."
"I know- whatever I say you'll twist. I like children- just not the sick way you're implying."
"Who's Cassie?"
"She's the adopted daughter of Captain Janet Fraiser the CMO where I'm based."
"Known them long?"
"Several years."
"Get along well with both of them?"
"Yes."
"Where were you three weeks ago, Colonel?"
"Not in Colorado Springs." Hathor!
"Where exactly?"
"I can't tell you, it's classified."
"Oh don't give me that crap Colonel. I thought you'd be better than this!"
"Look- I'd like nothing better than to give you an alibi in a crowded restaurant, believe me, but I can't. We'll both have to live with it. You know I work at the base." he said hotly
"Are you away a lot?"
"Sometimes - days, weeks here and there."
"Where were you on 25 March and 3rd January this year?"
"What? God I don't know."
"Think, Colonel."
He thought for a few minutes.
"I was on medical leave in late March, but you could check the duty roster for exact dates. I know I was confined to the base for a day before going back to my house. But I was back on light duty soon afterwards." He said remembering the painful shoulder blast from the Reetou gun.
"What kind of injury or illness was it?"
"I damaged my right shoulder, no driving for a few days."
"January?" Langley prompted again
"I was in Washington at the Pentagon with my CO General Hammond. A nice way to start the year."
"Colonel, this is no joke."
"I know."
"Okay, let's move on."
"Why don't we."
"Do you have a cabin or country house?"
"Yes I have a cabin - I like to go fishing."
"Where is it?"
"Minnesota." Jack thought he saw Langley's eyes flicker at that answer
"How often do you go there?"
"When I can."
"What does that mean?"
"What it says."
"Have you been there recently say in the last three weeks or before that?"
"Not recently. I've been away I just told you, and not for a while."
"Can't you be more specific?"
"No, I'd have to check with personnel, things get complicated at work, I suddenly get time off and just go."
"Has Cassie ever been there?"
"No."
"Has Cassie been to your house here in town? I presume you have one?"
"Yes to both those questions."
"On her own?"
"Not usually."
"Who with?"
"Her mother Dr Fraiser, other members of my team, and even my CO - he brings his grandkids over too." replied Jack pointedly.
"How tall are you Colonel?"
"6ft 2."
"Ever worn a beard or moustache?"
"Not in the Air Force."
The detective opened the file he'd brought in with him and slid three photos onto the desktop.
"Do you recognize any of these?"
Jack stared at color pictures of three girls roughly Cassie's age with long blonde hair. Two were school photos and posed, the other showed a girl making faces at the camera whilst hugging a large ginger cat.
"No!"
"Sure?"
"Absolutely."
The photos went away again.
"What make is your truck?"
Jack told him.
"And it's black right?"
"No, its dark green actually, sometimes it looks black."
"Sure?"
"It's my truck I should know!"
The questions went round and round again, a run of the same thing then a swift change trying to catch him out. Jack waited for the detective to turn up the heat a little it's what he would have done- heck had done.