This maybe the last post for a couple weeks or so. I'm off on holidays, and doubt I'll be writing much. I have a one-off almost completed, though, so I'll try to post that while I'm away just to keep people entertained!

Thanks for all the reviews. They let me know there's real people out there reading and are fodder to the writing flame. I'm glad so many people remember Terry fondly. He'll be in and out of this story now until the end, I think. Diane, merci beaucoup for the beta-ing, as always.

Nova Scotia, here I come!

Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel

Chapter 12

After Samantha left, Jack regarded Terry with a mixture of amusement and something not so easily defined. "Geeze. I've seen it before, but I'm always caught by surprise how smoothly those size twelves fit in your mouth," he said.

Terry sat down in the chair vacated by Samantha, his expression genuinely confused. "What the hell happened? I took for granted that-"

Jack held up a hand. "Never take anything for granted," he interrupted. "Samantha's seeing Martin Fitzgerald now."

His friend gave a low whistle. "Holy hell. Victor Fitzgerald's kid?"

Jack nodded. Knowing this conversation was inevitable, he prayed to God he could keep it brief.

Terry looked over to where the two people they were discussing prepared to leave for the night. "I'd never have thought-" He turned his gaze back towards Jack, and for once seemed almost at a loss for words. "It's serious?" he finally asked.

Jack shrugged. "It appears so. They've been pretty quiet about it. No announcements, or anything like that." Eyes unreadable, he looked out into the bullpen. "They're good together, I think. Martin's liked her since the day he started here. He's good to her. Good for her."

Terry recognised the sound of a man trying to convince himself of something he found unpleasant and maybe heartbreaking. Knowing anything approaching sympathy would not be well received, he commented, "Daddy's not going to like it."

"Maybe not, but they're being discreet. Fitzgerald probably doesn't even know, yet. Besides, Samantha's more than just beautiful - she's a good person."

Terry shook his head. Dying to know what the hell had happened, but knowing better than to ask, he said, "It'll take more than a pretty smile to win him over. Vic's got plans for his son, and I don't think they include him being seriously involved with someone who doesn't add to the family status in some way."

"He'll get over it," Jack said, wanting this line of conversation to end.

"Will you?"

The question had come like a bullet, hitting him squarely in the gut.

Jack winced. "God, you and Janice," he said.." Between the two of you it's a wonder I have any feelings left. What do you do? Compare notes on low blows?"

Terry put both hands up in the air. "I'm sorry. But you can't blame me for wondering. I know what I saw when I was here on the Spaulding case," he said, his voice quiet and low. "This-," he looked towards the now vacant bullpen area, "This... well, it's not what I foresaw when I heard that Maria was in Chicago and you were divorcing."

"Obviously psychic prediction is not your calling, then. And it's not something we're going to discuss , anyways. You're here about the Filipino women, remember?"

Terry regarded Jack with dark eyes, then shrugged. There would be time to talk this out later. Knowing when to back off, he smoothly switched tracks and said, "Yeah. I guess I am. I wanna talk to this Juanita woman. This is the first time we've had a live confirmation that there's some sort of system in place for removing women from the Houston area and setting them up here in New York. I'm wondering if there's a connection to the serial killings somehow. Both appear to be confined to Filipino women, after all. That kind of coincidence draws my attention." Terry moved to cross one long leg over the other. "I wonder if the woman that your MP was supposed to meet is dead. If she's not and we can find her, she may have seen or heard something and be the golden lead we need."

Jack regarded him silently, uncertain how an underground railroad for Filipino women related to the serial killings Terry was investigating. A railroad rescued people; it didn't kill them...He shook his head. It just didn't make sense. "There's no way Georgina Blackwell was involved in some sort of 'move them out and murder them' scheme," Jack told his friend. "And Nina - Juanita Fiero, that is - is living proof of that."

Terry nodded. "You're right. What I want to find out from her is if there is some person she's met along the way who connects with some of the people we've met during our murder investigations. You know how I enjoy finding coincidences."

Jack nodded in understanding. "And I suppose I'd be doing my part by comparing the people I find involved with the missing cases to the other two groups..."

"That would be most helpful, yes," Terry agreed amiably. He spread open his hands expansively. "See how we can all help one another?"

"Don't act as though I need convincing about the value of cooperation!" Jack grumbled. "You called to complain about my being on your territory, not the other way around. I never said I minded other people involved."

Terry grunted. "Especially since you shouldn't be involved in the first place. You know the NYPD would be damned ticked off if they found out you're conducting your own little investigation on the side. So would your boss here, for that matter." He cocked his head to one side and his eyes closed slightly as he stared at Jack and finished, "It's just eating you inside about who killed this Blackwell woman."

Knowing he was right, and worse, knowing Terry knew he knew he was right, Jack didn't bother to argue. He had no explanation for his reaction, anyways. It just bothered him. The thought that someone so young, so involved and alive should end up the way she had...Pulling himself together, he changed the subject. "And when are you going to let me in on what you've profiled about the guy doing the killings?" he asked. "Are you going to talk to the NYPD? You'll want the forensic information from the murder site. There wasn't much there that looked helpful, but we were thinking one murder, not a series."

Terry regarded Jack with serious eyes. Considering what he had just learned about Jack's personal life, he strongly suspected that Jack's focus on this case was largely due to his need to give his attention to something other than his personal disappointments. Wise enough not to make that observation aloud, he said, "I've got an appointment for tomorrow morning already." He tapped a finger on the arm of the chair. "It's about time more people were let in on this."

"I'm half surprised you haven't done something in that direction already."

Terry shrugged. "It's always difficult to know when to make these serial things public - you don't want to spur the perpetrator on and you definitely don't want copycats or media hysteria or evidence interpreted the way some fool thinks you want it interpreted. We're going to have to take the risk, I suppose."

Jack nodded. "I'll give you Juanita's information. I think she'll talk to you, no problem, but I want to make sure she's kept safe. It might sound alarmist, but if whoever killed Georgina finds out that there's someone here talking, they may want to silence her. I'd like to prevent that from happening."

The phone rang. Jack picked up the receiver quickly, listened a moment, then said a quick, "Send her up." Placing the receiver back on the telephone carefully, he looked over at his friend. Setting business aside for the time being, he smiled and said, "Janice is here. Now you two can join forces and really make my life painful."

Terry laughed. "Nah, we'll go easy on you - for now. I kinda want to know what's going on with her. Why's she here, anyway? I thought she was happily ensconced in some little English village, playing lady of the manor, or something."

"You'll have to ask her yourself. Not having your propensity for gossip, I don't have all the finer details."

The barb had no effect, clattering to the ground unnoticed. Jack sighed inwardly. Terry had the hide of a buffalo.

"Anything else about the case can wait for tomorrow, right?" Terry asked.

Jack nodded, thinking of Victoria Newbury and the cleared-out house, and of Stefano Rossi's visit to the husband. Yeah, there was more to the case he could mention, but it could wait. He allowed himself a moment's satisfaction that here was something interesting, something different to take his mind off the things it needed to be taken off of. He looked across his desk at Terry, and thought of him and Janice. Here, too, were old friends. In spite of his saying otherwise, it would be good to have them close for a while.

He heard heels tapping a staccato on the hallway floor and watched Terry rise to observe Janice as she walked by the windowed walls to the office door.

There was something in his expression that Jack was pretty sure he recognised.

When Janice entered the room, she immediately flung her arms open. "Terry!" she exclaimed, allowing herself to be engulfed in the tall man's embrace. "It's so good to see you!" Stepping back, she looked up and asked, "What are you doing here? You look fantastic, you know that? This is such a wonderful surprise! What's it been? Four? Five years?"

Terry frowned in thought, then said, "Five, I think. I was in London, speaking at a convention."

"That's right! And I only found out you were there by accident!" Janice scolded. "You should have been ashamed of yourself. Good thing I read obscure things in the newspaper, or I'd never have have known! I can't believe you didn't let me know yourself!"

Jack watched the two of them as they continued to discuss their last meeting. Clearing his throat to draw attention to the fact there was someone else in the room, he said, "Excuse me for butting in, but maybe you should just agree Terry won't ever show up in England without notifying you again?"

The two smiled at one another.

"I think that's fair," Terry said.

Janice laughed and looked at Jack. "If he can agree with something you say, I suppose I have to! And I can't believe you didn't tell me he was coming!" she scolded.

The accused threw his hands up. "I didn't know he was here myself until about forty-five minutes ago. He never tells me anything."

Terry came to Jack's defence. "This time, he's telling the truth. I phoned him from the lobby downstairs."

Janice glanced from one man to the other. "Then you're forgiven," she told Jack in a gracious tone.

"So I can safely get my jacket and we can leave?"

Janice nodded. "You can get it, but you won't need it. It's an oven out there, though I have to say I rather like it. The news is giving heat warnings, and saying dire things about heat strokes and air quality and all sorts of horrible stuff." She pretended to shudder. "We never have to worry about that sort of thing at home." She looked out towards where a wall of windows faced the outside. "I can't say I mind the heat, though. It's comforting, somehow."

She looked cool and fresh in a thinly-striped sundress that skimmed her figure and left her arms bare. Considering her appearance and the heat they were about to enter, the two men felt suddenly rumpled and hot.

Avoiding making a disparaging comment about English weather she might feel a need to get him back for, Jack rolled up his sleeves. "Okay then. We'll go somewhere that's got good air conditioning."

"No, we're going to go to a place I just found that has an outside patio," she said happily. "It's called Malinche and I've made reservations. I'm told simply everyone goes there and it's not to be missed." Glancing up at Terry with a smile, she said, "I'm sure they can accommodate one more person."

She spoke with a conviction Jack could only hope was well-founded.

Reaching for his jacket, he turned and looked at her. She stood talking and smiling up at Terry, showing no sign of the worried, hurt woman he had been with the night before. Terry, too, seemed happy just to stand there and talk. He smiled. This reunion of theirs might be good for all concerned.

With that comforting thought, he walked towards the door. Looking at Terry, he winked. "Last one to the elevator pays," he said, as he strode quickly out into the hallway.

End Chapter 12