FINALLY lets me log in! Sorry this is so late. More of the investigation into the case...thanks for the ongoing reviews, they make my day!

Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel

Chapter 6

Jack's cell phone rang shortly after he and Samantha left Victoria Newbury's office. Stepping out into the heat and humidity of late afternoon, he flipped the ringing instrument open and said his name. After walking down several steps to the sidewalk, he drew to a halt and listened silently. Samantha stopped to watch as he nodded, began to speak, and then paused to continue listening. Finally, he said, "Okay. That's good. That's just what I was looking for. Good work, Martin." He paused a moment, then added, "And pop around to ask CSI if they've got any results in the Blackwell residence yet. It's probably too sonn, but it never hurts to remind them we're working on a timeline."

Closing his phone and putting it back on his belt, he looked both ways before crossing the street to get to his car. With Samantha keeping step with him, he said, "Vivian had Martin call one of the numbers that showed up regularly on Georgina's cell phone record. It belongs to a woman's shelter. The person he spoke to there says that Georgina volunteers there, and has for years. They haven't seen her for a couple days, though."

When they reached the car, Jack unlocked the doors and then paused before getting into it. Looking over the roof at Samantha, he continued, "He also says that the last phone call to her home phone was from a pay phone outside one of the entrances to Battery Park. Her cell phone shows that she made a call to that same phone booth about an hour and a half later. It was the last call she made."

When they were seated inside, Samantha turned to Jack. Her eyes worried, she said, "That doesn't sound good."

Jack agreed, but said, "The battery could be dead, she could have lost it...who knows? Let's go to the shelter before we go back to the office. I want to meet someone who knows her and who is willing to talk a bit. It's about time we found out who this woman really is."

Samantha nodded. After reaching over to adjust the air conditioning, she settled back into her seat.

-XXX-

"She's been one of our regulars since before I started here," the manager of the shelter told them. Loosening his already-loosened tie still further, he moved to sit behind his desk. Reaching over it before sitting down, he adjusted the desk fan so that some of the breeze it generated would hit the two agents. "Sorry about the heat," he apologised as he sank tiredly into his chair, "The air conditioning is on the blink and the guy who usually fixes it can't get in until tomorrow."

The two agents murmured understanding and he returned to their original topic, telling them, "Georgina's worked here quite a while. We certainly value what she does - she's got a real good way of dealing with women scared out of their minds that their husbands or boyfriends or pimps are going to find them."

"We're having a hard time finding out much about her," Samantha said. Glancing at the fan and feeling thankful he'd been considerate enough to send some slow moving air her way, she asked him, "Did she ever talk about her life? Is there someone in particular who might have a grudge against her because she helped their wife or girlfriend get away from them?"

The middle-aged man who had introduced himself as Frank Black frowned. Running slender fingers through his already dishevelled brown hair, he said, "Not really. I mean, once in a while some guy tries to get through the front door. Threatens whoever's there, tosses furniture or whatever, but I can't think of anyone who had it out for her in particular. And as far as her life goes," he continued, "she seemed pretty happy. I know she and her husband split a little while ago. She wasn't happy over that, but seemed to be coping okay. From a few comments I overheard, I don't think the husband liked the company she kept down here. I know sometimes she didn't show up for shifts, and I'm sure it was because he was giving her problems."

Samantha frowned, not liking the sound of that. "Was he physical with her?" she asked. She watched him closely as he replied. It crossed her mind that the man she was talking to might also have been a reason Georgina's husband didn't want her spending so much time here - he had comfortable good looks, was personable, and if you went for the type, earnest and well-meaning.

Frank put up a hand as though to stop such thoughts. "Oh, no. Not at all. I think he just didn't like her spending so much time down here. It's not their part of town and not, for the most part, their class of people." He shook his head. "Their class of people like to pretend that rich men don't beat their wives or hit their girlfriends." He grunted. "Some people just don't get that the only difference between violent rich men and violent poor men is that a rich man's wife can buy better cosmetics to cover their bruises and the neighbours aren't so close that they hear every argument." Picking up a pamphlet from his desk, he fanned himself with it. "It makes it easier to pretend there isn't a problem, that's all. They get so wrapped up in appearances that they forget what's being done to them is just plain wrong." He stopped talking and looked at the two agents sheepishly. "I'm sorry. As you can tell, this is a sore spot with me."

Redirecting the conversation back to Georgina, Jack asked, "Was there anyone here she was particularly close to?"

Frank paused a moment to think, then shook his head. "Not really. She talked about her sister a lot. I guess they were best friends. We were lucky, there. Her sister held a couple benefits for us we'd never have been able to pull off ourselves. She's the reason we have the second floor furnished and could afford to put in a small library and a play room for the children staying here. They're both great women."

"Why do you think Georgina was so interested in helping out here?" Samantha asked. "I mean, it's a worthy cause, but there are other, more fashionable ones to get involved in."

Frank shrugged. "To be honest, I never asked. Like I said, she was already here when I started. She's really dedicated, though. While the women are here, there's no one who becomes their friend faster, no one who works harder to find them places to stay, jobs if they need one, childcare if that's what will help. The tougher the circumstance, the more likely it is that she's the one who's going to help them."

"Does she keep in contact with them once they've left?" Samantha asked. There was something about the situation that prodded at her subconscious, demanding attention, but she couldn't yet put her finger on it.

"Not that I know of, but that's not unusual. The women coming in here are a cornucopia of needs. Once they leave, and if they're successful in getting their lives on track, they don't always want to be reminded of the difficult times they've had. We try to keep some sort of follow-up contact for a while, but that only lasts a few months. I figure sometimes they're scared to come back to this area because it's too close to home and they're afraid of being recognised."

"But surely not everyone's like that. Some must want to give back what they've received in some way?"

"Perhaps, but if they've talked to her, she hasn't said anything," he replied, effectively closing the subject.

"Is there anyone else here who's worked with her that we could speak with?" Jack asked.

Wiping sweat from his brow with the heel of his hand, Frank looked at a paper attached to a clipboard behind his desk. "Nina's on today. She's known Georgina for a couple years. She might know something of interest, I don't know."

"Is it okay if we go talk to her?" Samantha asked.

"I don't see why not. You'll probably find her in the basement, folding laundry." He smiled. "Lucky you. It's likely cooler down there."

As Jack rose to leave, Samantha paused to look at Frank, wondering what had led him to do this in his spare time.

Frank leaned back in his chair. A half-resigned, half-amused look crossed his features. Holding her gaze, he nodded. "Go ahead. Ask."

Lifting a hand to indicate the dingy walls, the piles of paper on the desk, the lack of air-conditioning, she asked, "Why do you spend your time here? What is it that makes you want to devote your free hours to a women's shelter?"

He looked away, then turned steady blue eyes back towards her. "My father killed my mother when I was fifteen. Threw her down the stairs one too many times. Broke her neck. I was old enough to stop him and I didn't know how." He shrugged. "I still don't know how to stop men from beating women, but I can help the women get away from the men who do. It's my way of saying I'm sorry to my mom."

Something about his even tone and the way he described his reasons hit Samantha hard. She felt sudden moisture build up behind her eyes. "Oh," she said softly. Rising, she followed Jack to the door. She turned before leaving. "For what it's worth, I think your mom would be grateful for what you're doing here."

Frank nodded. "I hope Nina can help you," he said.

As it turned out, they were to discover soon that they wouldn't need Nina's help to find Georgina at all.

End
Chapter 6
Too Good To Be True