Chance Meetings

By Athena13
Rating: PG13/NC-17; Strong language, sexual content and violence
Summary: Life is sometimes all about being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time and meeting the wrong people.
Note: Pretending Noir didn't take place!

Disclaimer: Don't own, want to buy them...no profit being made here!

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Chapter 1
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April 19, 1999
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"I'm sure I speak for the whole table when we wish Tom and Virginia the best of luck and happiness," Harry Lipshitz held his glass up for a toast. Over his glasses he gave Cassandra St. John, Tom's partner, a meaningful look.

"Luck and happiness," Cassy echoed in a low voice along with the rest of the table. Under the table she felt a reassuring squeeze from her date, Doctor Brett Mayron. As she took a sip of her red wine she cast a grateful glance at Brett. She wasn't sure how she was so lucky to find someone like him just when she needed him. When she and Tom had met for lunch a few weekends before and he had broken the news about her engagement she wasn't sure where she was going to find the strength to get through the rest of the day and night and return to work the next day as if her heart hadn't been torn from its chest. But then the luckiest thing had happened on the way out of the restaurant, she got hit by a car speeding through the light.

Lucky normally wouldn't have been the first thing she would call herself after such an incident, but losing consciousness had been a relief considering the torturous thoughts she had been enduring at the time. Thoughts about loss and regret that she had for years refused to engage herself with, for example. The next bit of luck was the sight that greeted her when she had hazily come back to her senses. Leaning over her prone form was a pair of the most incredible gray eyes she had ever seen. After silently running through thoughts ranging from "what happened" to "I was going to burn this shirt anyway" her vision focused and she wondered who was the god running his hands over her body looking for broken bones and internal injuries.

"I'm Doctor Brett Mayron, I'm a surgeon, you've been in an accident. The paramedics are on the way, you'll be fine," she heard his soothing voice from a distance. The funny thing was she believed him. Then she passed out again.

Ultimately, the only casualties from the accident had been her aching head and her clothes. And the driver's license of the reckless teenager who had bashed her.

Brett had turned out to be more than a bystander, he gathered her belongings up and followed her to the hospital where he coincidentally worked. He even called her partner, who was listed as her emergency contact in her wallet. Then, during the night while her head and heart hurt too much to sleep he sat at her bedside and listened to her pour her heart out about her ex-husband and his new engagement. By morning's light Cassy's normal reticence and armor had returned, but in Brett Mayron she had met her match. All attempts to thank him and push him back to a safe distance were easily parried.

Now, three weeks later he sat with Harry and Frannie Lipshitz, Tom and his fiancé Virginia and herself celebrating Tom's engagement at the Hard Rock Café. Tom had chosen the place.

"Beep, beep, beep."

"Hmm," Cassy's reverie was broken by the sound of a pager.

"Excuse me," Brett held up his offending pager and pulled out his cell phone. "Be right back."

"I'll bet," Cassy winked. Though they had been dating for such a short time, Cassy already knew that the beep on a on-call night meant he had to get to the hospital.

Brett affectionately pulled her braid before heading away to make his phone call away from the loud music.

"I can't believe he just did that," Harry shook his head at the sight of his overserious detective having her pony tail pulled by an admirer. "I can't believe you didn't shoot him."

"He's good for me," Cassy said with a smile and a shrug.

"He must be," Harry was obviously trying to come to grips with the image.

"Excuse me," Virginia stood up and headed for the ladies room. Tom resumed his seat after she had gone and refilled his glass.

"I think it's wonderful that both of you are happy at the same time," Frannie looked from Tom to Cassy.

Cassy began to laugh and raised her glass.

Tom looked at her questioningly.

"Sorry," Cassy brought her amusement under control. "Happy at the same time, struck a chord. Very wise observation Frannie."

"I think maybe you've had enough wine," Tom didn't look amused.

"Guess that's why you're my work partner and not my husband or father," Cassy's playful words had a serious undertone. "This is only my third glass all night. He's just not used to seeing me in such high spirits," she explained to the older couple, all good humor restored.

"I'm afraid I have to get to the hospital. Thank you for dinner Harry and Frannie. Tom, congratulations to you and your future bride. Honey, do you want to stay?" Brett segued smoothly between thoughts immediately upon his return, seemingly oblivious to the Tom's stiff expression.

"Actually, I think I've had enough. Virginia," Cassy turned to the returning woman. "All my best. I'm truly happy for you both. Brett must get to the hospital and he's going to bring me along. A sort of doctor's ride-along," she smiled up at her date persuasively. "Frannie, Harry, thank you for dinner. Tom, see you Monday partner."

As they headed away from the table, Brett slipped Cassy's leather jacket around her bare shoulders before they headed out into the breezy spring night.

"She's going to hang out in a hospital waiting room all night?" Virginia's lips curled distastefully.

"She's like a love struck teenager, she doesn't want the evening to end," Frannie explained gently.

"Whatever," Virginia dismissed the topic and slid her hand over her fiancé's knee.

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April 27, 1999

"Good morning!" Cassandra didn't look up from her desk as her partner took his seat Monday morning.

"You're in good spirits," Tom observed.

"And you're not, late night?" Cassy quirked her eyebrows at her partner before returning to study the case file in front of her.

"Is that the Pedron case?" Tom ignored her teasing.

"Yeah, we've had an interesting break," she said absently as she flipped a page.

"Well," Tom said impatiently a minute later when it became obvious she wasn't going to volunteer the information.

"Ryan, St. John, in my office now," Harry's order prevented Cassy from answering.

"Coffee?" Cassy offered as she dropped the file onto her desk and stood up.

"I think he wants to see us now," Tom pointed out.

"Ten seconds he can wait, coffee?" Cassy shrugged.

"If you want trouble, black," Tom said before obediently heading for their boss's office.

"Where's she going?" Harry asked when only Tom entered and sat down.

"Fetching me coffee," Tom held his palms up to show his innocence. "She wouldn't do that when we were married."

"With that attitude it's no wonder. Just take your time St. John, no need to rush," Harry said sarcastically as Cassy entered with three steaming mugs of coffee.

"I made French Roast, no way I was going to miss this pot. I got you one," Cassy said contritely.

"Sit down," Harry scowled. "I had a call from the Mayor's office this morning you might be interested in, if you have the time St. John. He's putting pressure on about the Pedron case."

"That's not exactly news Harry," Tom pointed out.

"Did you have the time to fill him in St. John?" Harry asked his relaxed looking officer.

"Not yet. I got an anonymous tip this morning on my cellular phone about another body on the Lantana. Panned out. I called Harry and got a search together and found one just where he said it would be," Cassy said with morbid matter-of-factness.

"Another woman?" Tom took a slug of coffee.

"Yes, red head this time," Harry answered. "Right now the age is estimated at thirty. No identification."

"Lantana Municipal Beach, could she have been a patron or, um, employee at the Ritz-Carlton?" Tom asked, referring to the ritzy hotel next door to the beach.

"She wasn't dressed, just like Pedron...and the other victims," Cassy imparted the last bit of information with a smug smile.

"Others?" Tom looked at his partner in surprise.

"Cassy did a little digging over the weekend, she found three more victims with the same M.O. One in West Palm and two more in Fort Lauderdale," Harry informed him.

"So we have a serial killer on our hands," Tom's face hardened. "Why didn't either of you call me?"

Before Cassy could respond Harry cut her off. "Cassy tried, you're phone was off the hook and your cellular was turned off. She convinced me not to go to your place and drag your ass out of bed."

"I didn't..." Tom started to argue but cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. He knew why his phones were disconnected. He cast a guilty look at his partner before looking down at his coffee.

"Cut her some slack Tom, I'm a cop and I couldn't handle being a cop's wife all the time," Cassy offered Virginia a defense.

Tom could understand her desire to be undisturbed, but what if his partner had really needed him? He thought after what happened a few weeks ago she had realized how important it was for him to be reachable. When Cassy had been hit by the car and been unconscious Virginia had turned off his cell phone that day and taken his apartment phone off the hook that night too. As a result he hadn't known about Cassy's accident until the next morning when he checked his voice mail. Luckily, Cassy hadn't been seriously injured or in trouble and Brett had come to her rescue and called Harry for her. Tom felt a shiver down his spine as some of the times when Cassy had called him in real danger from one of their cases flashed through his mind. What if she couldn't get through one of those times?

"Earth to Tom," Cassy pinched his arm to get his attention.

"It won't happen again," Tom informed his partner and his supervisor.

"We'll address that later. Right now you and Cassy are going to West Palm and Lauderdale to talk to the investigators on those cases. We're also running a search on the FBI database to see if there are any cases in other states that match. If there are, we may have the feds in here," Harry warned his detectives.

"Great, love those guys," Tom said sarcastically.

"Hopefully it won't be Xena and Hercules again," Cassy responded.

"Get to work, get to work," Harry shooed the comedy team from his office.

"Sure thing Harry. Since you've been on vacation for most of this, you can go talk to Morton and see what he found," Cassy informed her partner. "I know you needed some penance."

"Gee, thanks. Such a great partner," Tom was clearly not thrilled with being sent off to the morgue alone.

"I set up appointments for us already. I'll go get us a car," Cassy looked smug before flouncing out of the bull pen.

Tom spent a few seconds mimicking his partner's annoyingly cheerful and perky behavior before heading to the morgue.

End of Chapter 1