Hey! It's Thursday already! Itofosho...thanks for the reminder I should be posting another bit! Thanks to everyone for the reviews - I'm not sure, exactly where this story is going to end up, but I'm glad people are still interested so far!
Just as a point of interest...this chapter holds a bit of a surprise...
Diane: thanks for the beta . You know how much I appreciate your eagle eye!
Disclaimer: as everyone should know by now, I own only the characters I've created, not the ones we love from the show...those I've just borrowed to play around with. I always return them unharmed...
Relatively speaking...
Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel
Chapter 4
Victoria Newbury, as it turned out, was unavailable for immediate questioning. "Good thing we called in advance," Samantha commented as they rode the elevator up to their office floor.
Jack nodded. Mrs. Newbury had left a message for them with her personal assistant filled with apologies for her being unavoidably called away and providing an emergency number if they "absolutely had to speak with her". Given the number of charities the woman was involved with and an upcoming black tie concert to benefit one of them, it made sense that she had a busy schedule. "At least she left a message," he said. "It's probably not a bad thing. I'm counting on Danny and Martin returning soon. That'll give us a chance to sit down and compare notes. Vivian may have some new information, too."
Samantha smiled. Jack was far from disgruntled by the postponement of Victoria's second interview. He liked knowing as much as possible before he interviewed someone he thought might not be telling him everything, and though he'd said nothing, she knew he had left the first interview with Victoria far from satisfied. This gave him an excellent opportunity to discover information that might give him an edge during his questioning.
The elevator door opened and they stepped out. After walking a few steps, Jack halted. "Samantha, you go ahead and let Vivian know I'm ready to hear what she's got. I'll go update Olczyk," he said, referring to the AD who had replaced Paula Van Doren. "By the time I finish with him, Danny and Martin may be back, or will at least have called to let us know who the husband was expecting."
Samantha nodded and headed towards Vivian's desk.
Fifteen minutes later, Jack emerged from the AD's office. Walking into the bullpen, he looked around and asked, "Any word from Danny and Martin?"
Vivian and Samantha both shook their heads.
"Then let's meet in my office," he suggested.
Once all three were comfortably seated, Vivian began to fill him in on Rebecca's credit card and bank activity.
"Her husband provides her with a generous living allowance, and for the first three months after their separation, she paid her bills promptly. Then she stopped and hasn't paid any of her regular bills since then. The money, however, is still being taken out - in lump sums. Usually five or six hundred dollars at a time. Always in cash."
"So she's spending it."
"But how? On what?" Vivian asked. "I can see going through a month's worth of cash pretty quick if you had something expensive come up you had to pay for - you'd set your regular bills aside and try to catch up the next month - but it seems out of character for her to go more than two months without making a single payment on anything."
Jack nodded. "So we need to find out what the money got used for."
"Drugs, maybe," said Samantha.
"Or blackmail?" Vivian suggested. "Even without her sister in the equation, she and her husband ran in fairly powerful circles. Perhaps someone found out something she doesn't want known."
"I think we need-" Jack's sentence was cut off by his phone ringing. Frowning, he picked it up. "Malone," he said, expecting to hear either Martin or Danny's voice respond.
He was mistaken. The voice at the other end spoke quickly and was difficult to understand. Jack caught the part about it being someone on front desk security, but after that he was damned if he could make out anything else.
"Slow down. I can't understand you," he said, frowning. "What?"
Jack pressed the phone tight against his ear. An exasperated male voice again launched into a diatribe he could still only partially understand. The problem seemed to involve someone without clearance trying to get up to the twelfth floor to see him. Jack could hear a steady stream of words in the background, which made it even more difficult to hear what was being said. The voice was feminine, and sounded angry.
"No, I'm not expecting anyone. Who did-" Jack stopped abruptly when the feminine voice in the background got suddenly clearer.
"Jack, is that you?"
Jack frowned, trying to recall the voice. "Yes," he said abruptly. "Who's this?"
"God! At last! Jack, it's me, Janice!" the woman exclaimed. Her very English accent clipping each word, she continued, "I don't know what's wrong with this fellow! Tell him I am unarmed and totally harmless! Tell him I failed chemistry class, do not intend to blow anyone up, and am frightened of guns. My God, all I wanted to do was sneak up and surprise you!"
Jack's heart stopped as memories came flooding back. "Janice?"
He could almost hear her triumphant smile. "Yes! I told you I'd look you up next time I was on this side of the pond! And here I am, love, and I've been trying desperately for two whole days to get hold of you!"
She made it sound like a year.
"Have you moved?" she continued without taking a breath. "I've dropped by the address I have for you, but you're never there. I've been ringing you, too. Did you know there's no machine picking up? I think you should take a look to see if it's working properly; heaven knows how many calls you've missed. And now that I've finally had the chance to pop 'round here, this wretched man insists I'm a security threat and won't let me up to see you."
While she took a moment to inhale, Jack spoke. "No, I haven't moved, and that 'wretched man' you mentioned is only doing his job," he said. As far as he knew the answering machine worked just fine, too - Maria had taken it to Chicago months ago. He wasn't about to get into that now, however. "Last I heard, you'd decided to stop travelling and settle down. What are you doing here?" he asked.
What are you doing here?
Memories danced through his mind. As a kid, his family had been stationed in Germany, and he'd not been happy. Preferring his own company to those of the other army brats who ran the streets in his complex, he had thought himself lucky to find an old abandoned shed behind a nearby house. No one seemed to use it, and he had done his best to fix it up into a secret place just for himself.
One day he'd opened the door to find someone comfortably seated on the floor under a window, reading one of his comic books.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Reading," the young girl replied, lifting the comic to show him.
"Those are mine."
"I figured as much," she said, her manner unconcerned and her accent unmistakably English. Looking at him with eyes that sparkled, she explained, "You're the only one who ever comes here, so they'd have to be."
He frowned. "Who are you? How did you know I come here?"
"I'm Janice, and I've seen you around," she said. "I couldn't figure out what you did with all your time, though, so I followed you." She looked around. "I like it here. It's quiet." Her eyes slid away from his, and for the first time since he'd opened the door, he thought he detected uncertainty. "You don't mind, do you? I promise not to tell."
That glimpse of uncertainty had touched something in him and won him over.
The friendship they developed was as strong as it was unlikely. She was the only child of a widowed British liaison to the American Army - a man too busy to notice she was rarely where she should be. He was a young, angry army brat who didn't want to be at home with a mother too depressed to cope with living in a country where she was surrounded by people speaking a language she didn't understand. Not wanting to explain why he couldn't invite new friends to his home, he had held himself aloof from his counterparts since his arrival.
Over the next three years, he and Janice became each other's family, looking out for each other, keeping each other company, and telling each other their secrets. When he was fifteen, Jack's father was transferred back to the States, but the friendship continued in brief phone calls and letters sent across the Atlantic to wherever either of them happened to be.
When his mother committed suicide a year after their return to the U.S., it had been Janice he called. Only she knew some of the pain and uncertainty he endured in the aftermath of her death. He had poured his heart out to her, feeling safe in confiding in someone far away and unseen, but close enough to understand.
Years later, when he was in the army, they had met while he was on leave during a tour overseas. She had been working on a story and waiting, at the age of 21, for her first divorce to be finalized. Their meeting had held none of the awkwardness of people long separated. Janice had announced their friendship made in heaven. He only knew that of all the people in his life, she was the most constant.
After their time together overseas, when he returned stateside with a bummed out knee and a depression that frightened him, she had again been the one he phoned. She had provided him with another perspective, an optimism and an exuberance for life that he needed and trusted.
Thinking back, he realised it had been over a year since he'd heard from her - the longest time ever. He'd half been expecting another wedding invitation to arrive soon. The frequency of those invitations (if he remembered correctly, she was presently on her fourth marriage) had led him to once jokingly suggest she didn't need to use marriage as an excuse to write to him.
And now she was actually here in the city. Downstairs. And doing what she often did: proving him mistaken.
"You thought I was in England? I guess that is what I told you last, isn't it? My wonderful publishers had other ideas, I'm afraid, and decided it's high time I did something on this side of the Atlantic. I told them yes, providing I could be in New York! There'd be little point in coming all this way and not seeing you!" she said. He frowned a little, and wished he could see her face, because he was sure there was something in her airy tone that was amiss.
Then he heard a male voice in the background. It sounded angry. Jolted back to reality, he asked, "Janice, you had better give the phone back." He was pretty certain from sounds in the background that she was busy fending off security's attempts to recapture it. He closed his eyes. Some things never changed.
"Janice-"
"Jack," she cut in. "Please. Tell him to let me come up. It's not as though-"
Jack opened his eyes and stopped her from finishing. Speaking in a voice meant to be obeyed, he said slowly, "Janice. Give him back his phone. I will tell him to let you onto the elevators. Get off on the 12th floor. I'll be there to meet you. You can explain what you're doing here then." His voice gentled. "It'll be good to see you."
"It'll be good to see you, too, love," she said, pleased she was finally getting somewhere.
He heard a rustle, a muffled remark, and then: "Sorry, sir. She wouldn't take no for an answer."
Jack smiled in spite of himself. "She rarely does. Is this Thompson?" he asked, wanting to know which security person to apologise to in person.
"Yes, sir," Thompson replied. He launched into an explanation of what had happened and why. By the time he was finished, he sounded much calmer.
Jack nodded when he was finished. "There wasn't anything else you could have done. Could you please let-" He paused, totally unable to recall what Janice's latest last name was. Unsure she would be travelling under it anyway, he began again, asking, "Could you please show her the way to the the elevator?"
"Should I send someone with her, Agent Malone?" Thompson asked, now all business.
"No, in spite of first appearances, she's harmless," Jack told him in a dry tone. "I'll take care of her on this end."
He thought he heard a muttered 'good luck', but the connection was too quickly broken for him to ask.
Hanging up the phone, he stared at it a moment before Vivian cleared her throat.
"Jack?"
He started, then collected himself . "Sorry. That was an old friend of mine. Met her when I was a kid and my family was posted in Germany. She's in town. Haven't seen her in ages..." His voice drifted off. Security must be good, he thought, if she hadn't managed to slip past them in her quest to surprise him. Just like her to brazen her way in anyways. With a rueful smile, he added, "She asked to be allowed up to surprise me. When they insisted they needed to call first to get approval, she pretended to leave and then tried to sneak up." He looked at the phone, still smiling. "She hasn't changed."
That thought seemed to prod him into action. "I'd better get to the elevator," he said. Rising, he quickly made his way out of his office.
Vivian and Samantha stared at one another. "I think we should maybe add ourselves to the welcoming party," Vivian suggested, intrigued with the idea of meeting someone from Jack's past. She'd known him the longest and knew next to nothing about his personal life. The person on the other end of that conversation sounded interesting. No point, she thought, in passing up the opportunity.
Samantha was interested for different reasons. She'd seen the look of surprise on Jack's face and then seen it melt into a look of pleasure. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but knowing it was a woman who had caused that look motivated her to rise and follow Vivian out the door.
When the elevator door finally opened, a petite, dark-haired woman stepped out. Dressed in white pants, white tank top, and a perfectly tailored beige linen jacket, she stood for a moment, grasping a small leather shoulder bag that matched her heeled beige sandals. A large brooch gave her outfit a bright dash of colour. Looking elegantly casual and confident, she gazed around. As soon as she spotted Jack, she smiled broadly and strode towards him.
They greeted one another with a huge hug. A huge, long hug. Taking what Samantha felt was far longer than necessary, the two finally parted. Stepping back, the woman spoke. Again, Samantha was surprised. She had expected a German accent, since that's where Jack had said he'd met her. Her accent, however, was definitely upper-class English, her voice soft and pleasant. "I can't believe I'm finally here! That fellow was bloody impossible! He simply wouldn't listen!"
"Oh, he was listening," Jack said, his face breaking out into an unaccustomed full grin. "You were just upset he wasn't letting you have your own way,"
She ran slender fingers through short, dark hair that was sprinkled with grey at her temples. "Well," she admitted, her eyes twinkling, "that may have been part of it! But I wanted to surprise you, and he insisted on speaking to you first! That would rather have spoiled the surprise, now, wouldn't it?"
"So you tried to sneak up, got caught, and then grabbed the phone out of his hand when he called me?"
"What else could I do? The least he could have done was let me speak with you myself first! He was treating me like a bloody criminal," she insisted.
Jack grinned again. "Which is not something you're unaccustomed to," he reminded her.
She opened her mouth to speak then closed it. It was a comment she couldn't argue. Smiling, she grasped his forearms and shook her head. "God, you look bloody awful," she said, before wrapping her arms around him again.
Jack returned her hug, chuckling. Thinking she looked wonderful, he told her, "And you're a sight for sore eyes, too, Jan. Now tell me: what the hell are you doing here?"
The woman held him tightly. Not answering his question she said, "It's good to see you again."
Samantha and Vivian watched in surprise as Jack placed a gentle kiss on the top of the shorter woman's head before slowly releasing her. Looking down at her affectionately, he said, "Same here." He'd noticed her evasion, but knew better than to press too hard.
She smiled up at him, her eyes shadowed. Seeing the question in his eyes, she shook her head. "It's a very long story, love, and I promise to tell you the whole thing. When there's time." She turned a quick, violet-eyed glance towards the two women who stood to the side watching. "But something tells me you don't have that at the moment."
Ever observant, Janice had noticed Samantha and Vivian draw to a halt when she'd exited the elevator. Since they'd not got on the elevator and had stood by watching her and Jack with interested expressions, she expected that they were with him. She looked at Jack and took a step backward. "You were working and I've interrupted. I'm sorry."
Jack, seeing her glance in his co-workers' direction, lifted a hand in their direction. "Janice, I'd like you to meet Samantha Spade and Vivian Johnson. They work with me. Samantha, Vivian, this is an old friend of mine, Janice..." again, his voice trailed off. He still had no idea what her last name was this time.
Janice smiled and stepped towards the two women. Holding out her hand, she said, "Hello there." Tilting his head in Jack's direction, she said, "He has no idea who to introduce me as! I suppose it would be easier if I kept my maiden name, but I never do, which inevitably means people have to suffer through these pauses until I introduce myself! Today, I'm Janice Spencer. And I'm not half so old as he'd like to make me out to be," she said, her eyes sparkling. After they shook hands and murmured the usual greetings, Janice told them, "I'm very sorry to be a bother. You're probably working on a case. I was simply so determined to see him I didn't stop to think." She looked at Jack, her face showing her concern. "Do you have a few minutes or should I come back?" she asked him. "I want to catch you up on where I'm staying and we can make arrangements to meet properly. I intend to monopolize every free moment you have while I'm here."
Vivian appeared amused. Samantha wasn't sure what she felt. There was an open friendliness about the woman that made her likeable, but the piercing gaze Janice had directed at her as they'd shaken hands had made Samantha feel thoroughly examined and evaluated. She wondered fleetingly if Jack had told her about his affair and who he had had it with. She found the thought discomfiting. Then another thought occurred to her: if Janice planned to monopolise all Jack's free time, it was obvious she already knew about Maria's departure.
Jack stepped forward. "I can spare a few minutes," he said, knowing that was all he had. "We're waiting for the rest of the team to return."
Janice turned to him with a smile. "Then my timing wasn't totally awful!"
Jack found himself smiling in return. He'd been trying not to feel anything for a long time and had been working hard at keeping himself aloof from others. Now, thrown off balance by Janice's surprise entrance, he felt himself relax.
It felt good to smile openly into eyes that smiled back.
Suddenly aware there were two other pairs of interested eyes watching him, he decided to change venue. In a gruff voice he asked Janice, "Are we going to stand here for the rest of the afternoon, or can I show you to my office?"
She nodded. "Lead on, McDuff!"
He pressed his hand against the small of her back and moved her gently towards his office. As she was guided past Samantha and Vivian, she looked at them and smiled. "Thank you. He'll be all yours in just a tic." Continuing to look at them as she passed, she added with a grin, "He doesn't know it yet, but we're going to have so much fun while I'm here!"
Samantha watched, speechless, as they entered Jack's office. As she and Vivian walked past on their way back to their desks, she saw Jack and Janice walk towards the sofa. When they settled down on the edge of it, angled towards each other, Janice placed a familiar hand on his knee while they talked.
Samantha wasn't the only one who noticed that. Giving an amused snort, Vivian observed, "Looks like there's quite a history there. I wonder if it's hearing about his divorce that's brought her here." She turned to Samantha. "How many years did he say since he's seen her?"
Samantha shrugged. "I'm not sure. She's wearing a wedding ring, though, so maybe it's just a visit to say hello."
Vivian's looked over at the two seated figures and thought there was much more behind Janice's visit than a desire to say hello. She guessed it would be very interesting to see what that 'much more' was. Looking at Samantha she grinned to herself. It would be interesting, she decided, in more ways than one.
End
Chapter 4