Happy Monday! Thanks for hanging in there with this story. And for letting me know you're out there...
Too Good To Be True
By: Mariel
Chapter 23
As Samantha had expected, Martin made plans to spend the evening with her before his departure to Houston. First, they'd had dinner at a small restaurant near Martin's apartment. Afterwards, they'd gone to his place and, with the television on, had curled up comfortably together on the sofa.
Though she could still sense a certain tenseness in him, Samantha had been relieved to see Martin calmer and closer to his usual self than he had been earlier in the day. And so, glad both for having his company and for his going away for a few days to give her some time to think, she allowed herself to relax.
Until Martin brought up a stag and doe he was going to in a few weeks, and asked if she would like to go.
"A 'stag and doe'?" she asked. "What's that?"
"You know a stag's the party guys throw the groom-to-be, right? And I'm sure you've been to a bridal shower at some point. A stag and doe is just a stag and a bridal shower combined," he explained. "Jodie, my cousin, is getting married in December. She's keeping things simple, and figured this was one way of doing it." He smiled. "It's basically an excuse to party and get gifts."
"I've never heard of it."
He shrugged and waited patiently for her to give him an answer.
Recognising yet another ploy to make them an established, publicized 'couple', she said no, she didn't think so.
Martin's response was swift and abrupt.
"What is it with you?" he asked, his frustration with her evident. "Why do you insist on being so secretive? What difference does it make if people know we're seeing each other? I can't stand the indecision. One minute I feel as though we're a couple and everything's okay, and the next I feel as though I'm some big secret you're ashamed of. How am I supposed to know what the hell you want if you don't seem to know yourself? I mean, what am I supposed to think?"
Samantha took a deep breath. "Not now, Martin. I don't want to talk about it now."
"Like that's something new," he shot back bitterly.
Something in her face must have told him he had gone too far. Immediately remorseful, his demeanor changed completely. Lifting a hand to stroke her arm, he assured her, "Look, there'll be no pressure, and it'd be a great way for you to meet some of my family. It's no big deal, really, just a party for people getting married."
"But I've already met some of your family," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but only as a co-worker, not as a friend," he said. "I think it's time we started to let people know, and this is an easy way to do that."
She looked at him. That was exactly what she was trying to avoid.
"Martin, I'm not ready. I don't think so. Maybe another time..."
She made a feeble gesture with her hand. He had every right to be upset, but she couldn't help the way she felt. Something was wrong, and she knew how horrible it would be if they 'went public' and then had to live with it falling apart. Summoning up all her strength, she said, "Look, I'm sorry. But I've told you before: I feel really uncomfortable meeting your family just yet. A wedding is a big thing - everyone's there, right? Family, friends, neighbours... I don't think I can handle it."
"I'm not talking about the wedding. I'm talking about the stag and doe. You'd handle it just fine," he said. He watched as Samantha sat back against the cushions of the sofa, her head bent. Mistaking her pose for indecision, he felt hope stir. At least she was thinking about it.
Samantha's thoughts, however, were not what he would have hoped them to be. Having considered every possible excuse for not going, and knowing that he wouldn't accept any of them, she decided to take the easy way out. "Let me think about it some more," she said, knowing that come hell or high water, she wasn't going. "It's not until November, right? That's weeks and weeks away. Maybe by then..." Her words trailed off when she saw his expression. Martin, unfortunately, had grown tired of the 'wait and see' approach towards their being together - he wanted to take the bull by the horns and run with it.
She couldn't do that.
Wouldn't do that.
And had to find a way of getting out of it without making Martin angry or hurt.
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and felt her heart sink.
That would be impossible. His heart and mind were set on their going public. It would be their Alamo. Or their Waterloo. Or whatever crazy, losing battle you could think of. He was going to be hurt and angry and it would be all her fault, because she couldn't move forward, couldn't move backward, and couldn't even manage to stay where she was, bcause Martin wouldn't let her.
Overwhelmed, and seeing the care and concern in his eyes, she had to look away. What was wrong with her? He was a wonderful guy. When she was with him like this, she knew she must be crazy. He was most women's dream catch.
A guy too good to be true...
So why couldn't she just let go and allow things to happen with him? He was good looking and young, an energetic lover and a good friend; he treated her with care and consideration, and there was no doubt in her mind but that he had fallen for her big time.
So why couldn't she fall for him?
She liked him; liked him a lot. Why couldn't she push her heart over the edge of that 'like' and let it fall into love?
A small, tiny voice in the back of her mind suggested the answer to that was all too simple: Because your heart is already somewhere else.
She rose. "I think I should be going." Pausing, she looked at him, her eyes serious. He had done nothing to deserve the hot and cold treatment she doled out to him daily; had done nothing except remain steadfastly persistent in his determination to make their relationship work. Hesitantly, she said, "I don't know why I'm being like this, but it's how I feel. I don't want our relationship to drift, but I don't want it rowed in a direction I'm not ready to go in, either. Maybe-" She stopped herself, then forced herself to say it: "Maybe I'm not ready for a relationship of any kind just yet; I don't know. But I'm sorry I'm upsetting you."
Martin saw the honesty in her eyes. "Yeah. I know," he said in a low voice. He stared at her a long moment, then rose to stand in front of her. "Look," he said, "it's probably a good idea for you to go - we're stressed, and tired, and I've got to be out of here before dawn... but do you think maybe you could use the time I'm away to think? This could work, Samantha. We're good together."
Samantha smiled at him and wished she could feel what she thought she should. As always when she was with him and under his blue-eyed gaze, she wondered if she allowed herself enough time, if she could perhaps put her feeling aside and create new ones. Weakly, she said, "Thank you. More time is probably all I need. I'll sort myself out somehow."
He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. Bending his head, he kissed her gently on the mouth.
And felt disappointment when she responded, but without the passion he would have desired.
Understanding she was not going to change her mind and stay, he finally released her and stepped back. Lifting a hand, he slid it down the side of her head, relishing the soft feel of her hair beneath his palm. "Sleep well. I'll phone you from Houston."
Samantha nodded. As she left, she admitted to a feeling of wanting to stay. Where it was safe. Where it was predictable.
Her heart, however, just wasn't in it.
-XXX-
Within minutes of arriving at her desk the next morning, Jack handed Samantha a missing persons case to investigate. "Take a look at this, and then come talk to me," he said, before returning to his office.
Cursing inwardly, she quickly went over the details. Looking around at the empty bullpen area, she sighed. She'd rather have been looking for Jonathan Smith. Glancing at Jack through his office windows, she altered her thinking. At least she was assured of spending some time with him.
As though sensing her gaze, Jack lifted his head. His eyes met hers, and as always, she felt something electric pass through her. Lifting up the file she held in her hand to indicate she was finished, she rose and went into his office.
After reviewing the notes, they agreed to start their questioning with the roommate. Minutes later, Samantha was settling down into the passenger seat as Jack turned the car out of the parking garage and onto the street. Wanting to break the silence, Samantha asked, "Are you looking forward to the benefit dinner? It's hard to believe it's only a week away."
Jack shrugged, and his lips curved into a small smile. "I think it'll be the first time I've seen everyone dressed up all at once. It should be a good time."
Samantha paused, then said, "Janice mentioned you liked dancing."
He shot a quick look at her. "You knew that."
Well, yes, actually, she had. But still...
"Yeah, but this sounds like a step beyond dancing at the Christmas parties Van Doren used to throw."
Jack kept his eyes on the street. "When we were in Germany as kids, Janice talked me into taking lessons with her, so that she could practice with a boy instead of a girl. She's a hard woman to say no to now, and she was a hard girl to say no to then."
Samantha grinned, "So you took them and have benefited from them ever since."
He threw her an amused look. "I could probably have survived without," he opined.
"Maybe, but I'll have to pay particular attention to you on the dance floor Saturday night."
Again, he shot a look at her and their eyes held. Again, the car filled with memories and things they were still trying to ignore. Trying to keep his voice casual, Jack said, "Remind me to ask you to dance. I'll show you my skills first hand."
Unsure if he was flirting or not, Samantha smiled uncertainly and looked out her window. "Sounds good," she said to the view outside.
Mentally kicking himself, Jack allowed silence to sit between them for a while before turning the conversation away from the future and onto the case they were presently working on.
Switching easily to discussing the case, Samantha took a small moment to regret that she had not yet had the courage to ask him what his plans with Janice were. Just as she had the day she'd sat on the park bench and asked him if it were really over, she knew she needed direct confirmation from him that Janice was 'the one', and that he was settling down with her for a new happy-ever-after.
Now, however, didn't seem the time to force the point...
-XXX-
Arriving at the apartment the missing person had shared with a roommate, they were somewhat surprised by the greeting they received.
"Hey," the young woman said in an easy, friendly tone when she saw the two of them at her door.
Smiling at the casually dressed girl, Samantha held up her badge. "I'm Special Agent Samantha Spade. This is Special Agent Jack Malone. We're here in regards to your missing roommate."
The woman's eyes widened, and her demeanor changed dramatically. Obviously surprised by who they were and why they were there, she seemed at a loss for words. "Holy shit," she said faintly.
"Are you Debbie Taylor?" Samantha asked, wondering if perhaps they had the wrong apartment.
When the woman nodded wordlessly, Samantha asked, "Do you have a few moments?"
Her eyes still wide, the young woman nodded and stepped back from the door. After a shared look, Jack and Samantha followed her inside.
"Who called you? Who said she is missing?" the woman asked.
"Her parents. I'm surprised you weren't expecting us," Jack observed, his eyes watching her carefully. "You were the one who told her parents she had disappeared aren't you?"
Debbie nodded. "Well, yeah. I just didn't expect them to call you in so soon," Debbie said in a weak voice.
"You didn't expect them to?" Samantha asked in surprise.
Debbie shook her head. Turning her eyes towards the blond agent, she said, "No. Of course not! I told them to wait for a day or so. That maybe she just decided to take a break."
Samantha glanced at Jack, then asked, "I'm assuming you know something we and her parents don't?"
"Well, yeah," Debbie admitted uncomfortably. "Beth isn't missing...she's with her boyfriend. He wanted to take her to Florida for the weekend. No way was I going to be the one to tell her parents where she'd gone, or with whom. So I just said I didn't know where she was. And that I hadn't seen her for a day or so. It's up to Beth to tell them about Sean, not me."
Jack and Samantha shared another look. "So Beth has just gone off for a few days with Sean? You didn't think her parents would worry and call the police?" Jack asked.
"I told them not to worry, " she protested.
"Debbie, they're parents. They're supposed to worry."
She glanced between the two of them. "Then they should have called me first, before calling the police. Cripes. This is nuts."
"You're right," Jack agreed. "And so that we can clear this all up as quickly as possible, do you have a number where we can contact our two lovebirds?"
Debbie paused, then nodded. Rising, she said, "Sean has a cell phone. Debbie gave me the number, just in case."
"I need to have it. I'll phone to see if she's okay. Then perhaps Agent Spade and I can get back to work."
Debbie had the grace to look embarrassed, then left to get the number.
"Another one quickly solved," murmured Jack. "Remind me to find out who did the background check on this. I want to have a few words with them. We should never have been called in."
"At least she's safe, and we've only wasted a few hours," Samantha said, as Debbie returned with a piece of paper in her hand.
Fifteen minutes later, Jack had reached Sean, spoken with Beth, and instructed her to call her parents immediately.
Walking out of the building, he looked at his watch. "Hell. It's after noon. Let's grab something for lunch to take back with us. I'm hoping Danny and Martin will have phoned in to let us know if they've found anything."
-XXX-
Later that afternoon, Terry sat back and looked at Jack, worry etched deeply on his craggy features. "We're taking too long."
Jack nodded and vocalised something he'd been considering since they'd sat down to bounce ideas off one another. "Danny and Martin haven't found anything we didn't already know, and they're convinced Smith isn't there. I'm calling the two of them back. We'll let the Houston Police keep working on it as best they can. Smith must still be here in the city. And if that's so, it's likely he's preparing to kill again. He works to a pattern and to a schedule. He's going to want to get back to it."
Terry agreed. Working on a hunch, they'd looked for evidence that Jonathan Smith had left the city, but, though Samantha was still looking, they'd found none so far, and tended to agree with Danny and Martin's assessment that Smith was not in Houston. No plane, train or bus tickets had been sold to anyone with his name or description. Coincidently, the 'John' in Houston had not been seen for some time. Danny and Martin, having tracked down where Smith lived, had made a thorough search of his place there and found nothing to indicate he'd been there in weeks. And if he weren't there, he had to be back in New York.
Slouching back into his seat, Terry rested the ankle of one foot on his knee. "He knows we're looking for him. That's why he's left his apartment - not to go to Houston, but to avoid our finding him. He knows her murder is causing more interest and that there's a more serious investigation going on than happened with his previous murders." He grunted. "He's probably deciding that killing Rebecca was one of the stupidest things he's done so far. His murders have lost their anonymity." Lapsing into silence, his brow creased in thought.
It was unfair that Georgina Blackwell had drawn more police attention than had any of the young Filipina women Jonathan Smith had killed. He wondered how many more would have died without much remark before someone noticed, if Smith hadn't made the mistake of killing a socialite.
While Terry thought his dark thoughts, Jack sat quietly. A deep frown had settled on his face, and he stared at his fingers as they beat a steady, soft tattoo on his desktop. Abruptly the thumping of his fingers stopped and he spoke. "If he's still in the city, he's probably still looking for Miquella," he said in a thoughtful tone. "We don't know for sure, but he's probably never had to change his target. He's very methodical and directed. He sees each of these murders as a challenge and their completion a display of his success. He may still have his eyes set on her. He may feel that changing his target would be a sign of failure."
Terry considered Jack's words carefully. What his friend said made perfectly good sense. It certainly explained why Smith was still in New York. His mind working fast permutations, he quickly said, "And now that we know where she is, he likely does, too. It's only natural he'd do his best to keep tabs on what we're doing once he realised we were on to him."
Jack nodded. Visualizing the information still on the whiteboard out in the bullpen, he said, "His murders have been occurring at a quicker rate. We've slowed him down. He'll obsess over that. That will disrupt his thought processes, maybe make him less objective. His logic may not be so clear. Problem is," he said with a frown, "if he knows where Miquella is now, we've just made things easier for him. We've put her out into the open."
Disconcerted, Terry nodded. "And we've added the thrill of his being sought after. What he's doing isn't private anymore. It's public, and he's in the spotlight. He's going to be even more driven to succeed. Deep down, he'll like that. And want to show off."
"And if we've made him feel more daring..." Jack said.
"We'd better put someone on Miquella," Terry said quickly. He shook his head. "Damn. If I'd thought for one minute he was still around, I'd have had someone watching her all along."
Jack lifted the receiver of his phone. "Well, we've thought of it now. I'll take care of it."
After arrangements for Miquella to be put under suveillance for her own safety, the two men went out to the bullpen area. Samantha sat there alone. Jack frowned, remembering that Vivian wouldn't be back until the day after tomorrow. Mentally promising himself to ask her what the hell was going on with her when she returned, he motioned for Samantha to join them at the conference table.
"We're put someone on Miquella. If Jonathan Smith's still in the city, it may be because he still has his sights set on her. And since we know where she is now, he might, too." Nodding towards the whiteboard, he said, "He's going to be behind schedule. He'll want to be finishing up here so that he can get back to Houston."
Samantha frowned. "Wouldn't killing Miquella now be a bit risky for him? And just because we found her, doesn't mean he knows we did."
"Perhaps not," Jack agreed, "but I want to stay on the safe side. And as far as the risk factor is concerned, what he's been doing all along has been risky. Think about it: he's been playing both ends for three years, playing two different roles, maintaining two different lives. He's highly organized and lives by the routines that keep him unnoticed. He planned to kill Miquella; there's every chance he wouldn't give that up just because he's been discovered - it just increases his determination to get her."
Terry added, "His whole psychology is one of superiority. To leave without accomplishing his goal is something he probably hasn't even considered. He's just biding his time now until he gets his chance."
"But do we know for sure he knows where she is?"
Jack glanced at his watch. Looking up at her again, he said, "We don't, but we have to play it safe. Tomorrow, we'll canvass the area with the picture we got from Miquella's description. We'll see if anyone recognises him."
Mentally listing the things he needed to do before leaving, Jack said, "It's late. We should be going." He looked at Terry, "Janice expects you to come home with me - she says she's making dinner."
Both men knew that could be very, very good.
Or very, very bad.
Jack crossed his fingers that she had picked something up from that deli she liked so much, rather than attempt to put something together herself. In the past weeks, he'd become quite fond of their product, and was familiar with their menu.
Terry smiled. "I think I can handle that." He tapped his breast pocket. "I bought a roll of TUMS just this morning."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell her you come prepared," he remarked dryly.
"Do, and die," Terry threatened laconically.
Both smiling, the two men rose and then turned to look at Samantha. "You should go home and get some rest, Samantha," Jack said. "We've got someone watching Miquella, and tomorrow morning we'll check to see if anyone matching Smith's description has been seen around where she's living. It's a start, at least." He paused, then told her, "I'm going to bring Martin and Danny back tomorrow afternoon if they haven't found anything by then. I'm pretty certain they're right, and our guy isn't there."
Samantha nodded without speaking. Martin's return wasn't the good news Jack probably expected it to be.
"Have a good night, then," she said, when Jack waited expectantly for a response.
Jack looked at her as though he wanted to add something, then nodded. "Thanks," he said. Looking at Terry, he said, "I'll finish up what I've got left to do. You can call Janice and let her know when we'll be home."
Keeping her face expressionless, Samantha looked down at a file she held open in front of her. She didn't look up until she heard the two men leave for the night.
End
Chapter 23