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Chapter 6

John walked around the murder victim wearing his latex gloves, he crouched down and studied the victim, a twenty five year old woman, she had brown her and was skinny built, around her was a liquid, he placed his finger into, brought it to his nose, red wine, he said out loud, he carefully took the bottle it had obviously come from, the bottle the killer placed in the girls hand. He looked at the label, it was cheap stuff he thought, he had seen it in the liquor store a few times, he called over a few of his officers and told them to bag the bottle and have it analyzed, he continued to look over the crime scene for another hour as he gathered anything from the park that seemed odd or out of place.

John was just winding down his canvassing when Bo called him on his cell, told him to meet him at Rodi's for lunch so they could discuss the case.

John walked over to Bo at a table and sat down, they discussed the case and Bo informed him that a Lt from Philly who had been working on a similar case was on his way over to discuss the case with him, to see if the two were connected.

Natalie was in the process of Making the bed, she had woken several hours ago but felt lazy this morning, she felt like just doing nothing but calling John and maybe spending time with him after he got of work tonight. She smiled as she fluffed her pillow, she brought it to her nose and could almost smell him on it, the soap he used with the distinct smell about it. She closed her eyes and remembered what it felt like to kiss him, to touch him, she shook her head getting excited by her thoughts, she quickly sobered from them when she wondered what she would tell Jake, and what exactly was going on, they hadn't talked, her and John, about what happened prior to her leaving, all the problems, the miscommunication, the hostility. She smiled, cause she just didn't care, she didn't want to care about all that, for the first time in a long time she felt good, she felt at home, comfortable. They would talk when they were ready but for now, for now she would be happy, he would be happy, he certainly seemed happy last night. If it was finally meant to be this time it would happen, they would work all the details out at a future date, she was more than happy living in the now with John, at least for the next week.

Natalie got dressed and was on her way to meet Rex at Rodi's for Lunch, they had arranged to meet today when she called him yesterday.

Bo excused himself and left John sitting alone at a table in the middle of Rodi's. They had discussed the case for a few minutes and then his phone rang.

John was deep in thought reading thru his preliminary reports on the Vic when he saw a tall, muscular man with sandy colored hair walk over towards him.

"Excuse me, the bartender told me commissioner Buchanan was at this table a few minutes ago." Jake asked John as Bo approached the table and them before John could say a word.

'Lt Harrison, nice to see you again" Bo told Jake as he motioned for him to have a seat. Jake thanked Bo and sat across the table from John.

"Lt Mcbain this is Lt Harrison, head of the homicide Department for the Philly Pd" Bo introduced the two men by their last names and neither had any idea who the other really was, or how much they both had in common.

"Lt Harrison here broke the Red Wine Killer case in Philly a few days ago, and I thought it best to see if maybe this was a copy cat or even if maybe by chance the wrong man was arrested." Bo told John and then Jake spoke.

"Well actually it was your niece who broke the case, she broke the case almost all by herself, and easily I might add, she was amazing to watch in action" Jake said and John felt weird, had a strange feeling that he ignored for a few minutes.

Natalie entered the bar and she noticed John and her uncle sitting next to each other and they seem to be speaking with someone sitting across from them but there was a few people in the Bar standing in her view of that side of the table she smiled and started to walk over to say hi when she stopped in her tracks a few feet away from them as she saw Jake was the person with them.

"So you work with Nat" John asked

"I'm sorry I should've mentioned that, John. Jake is Natalie's superior, they work very closely together" Bo said the words and upon hearing the first names used the others automatically realized who each of them were.

John sat shocked as he checked this guy out, really looked at him, he was definitely different than himself, he was clean shaved, short hair, he was continuing to watch the man who was about to speak when he and Bo both noticed Natalie standing frozen a few feet away from the table.

"Natalie honey, I'm glad you are here, we were just talking about you, Jake was just telling us how amazing you are" Bo told her and she tried to form words but couldn't, she walked closer to the table, smiled weakly as she turned to Jake. Jake looked at her.

"Lt Harrison, what brings you to Llanview?' she asked him as he stood, he smiled at her. Natalie's heart skipped a beat for a minute there she thought he was going to kiss her in front of John, in front of her uncle, she held her breath as he offered her his chair and moved over to a near by table to retrieve another.

Natalie sat in the chair Jake had given her an felt John's staring intensify, she sat across from Him and her uncle and she was pretty sure by now her uncle who wasn't a stupid man had the picture, understood her awkwardness.

Bo looked at his niece before he started to take the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Natalie, I called the Philly Pd, Jake came to Llanview because if seems we either have a copy cat or the Red Wine Killer or it's possible the guy behind bars isn't the real guy." Bo told her and she closed her eye's briefly.

"Some one else was killed? Here in Llanview? I should have known; he was trying to send me a sign."

"What? Honey what are you talking about?"

"Bison, that's the guy in Jail, he's probably a set up, I should have known it came so easy, figuring it out, I should've known when the Red wine had been served to me last night"

"So you think he was sending you a sign when he had that waitress send you the wine last night?' John questioned and Jake picked up on it, he now knew she wasn't alone last night when she got that funny feeling about her.

"Yeah, it just seemed to weird, I never should have ignored it, we arrested the wrong guy, I'd bet money on it, I should've known I wasn't good enough nor had enough experience to catch that guy all by myself. He was a plant, a set up" Natalie said regretting everything about the case, doubting her skills.

Jake reached a hand over to hers and without realizing in front of Bo and John he placed it on top of hers. John noticed his hand on hers immediately, Bo also.

"Natalie, don't go there, you're good, really good, the best I've seen, you have a head and an eye for what you do, don't second guess yourself" he told her and she looked up at John after looking at his hand on hers. She quickly removed hers from his.

"I'd like to see the file, the file on the girl, I'd like to compare it to the others in Philly" Natalie asked Bo

"Natalie darling, it's our case now, let us handle it"

"I understand that uncle Bo but there has got to be a reason he's in Llanview, all the other murders happened in Philly, it doesn't add up that he just jumps a few cities in Pa and he so happens to pick Llanview, and at the same time I'm here for a visit"

"She has a point Bo," John told him and Bo reluctantly handed the file from on the table over to her.

"I'd like to see the murder scene, where was she found?" Natalie asked as she started opening the folder and looking thru it.

"The park Huh? Jake did you happen to bring the files on the girls from Philly?"

"Yeah, there in my car"

"Good, I'll take all the files with me to the scene, if that's alright Uncle Bo, I kinda feel responsible for this case, and since it seems the killer is here for me, went out of his way to help me close a major case, I really want to help on this one, please?" she told him and then begged a little to allow her to help.

"Nat, I don't think that's such a good idea" John told her as his fear set in again, fear of her being involved and fear that she was right that the killer was here in Llanview because of her.

"Well, I think it's an excellent idea, she's amazing to see at work" Jake chimed in as he smiled at Nat, Nat smiled back, what ever she didn't feel for Jake she sure did know that he believed in her. Not that she thought John didn't but.. but John was always so afraid she would do something stupid in the past, fear she would get hurt and that really was what forced her to leave all those months ago.

"Natalie, I really think you should stay out of this, this killer is going to target you at some point, let me take care of it, let me S-----"

"Save me? Is that what you were going to say John"

"No it wasn't"

"You've saved me enough in this life time John, I'll be fine, I can take care of myself. I need to make a call and then I'm heading to the park with or without any of you" she told them as she got out of her seat, she walked over to the bar and made a phone call to Rex telling him she needed to reschedule their lunch.

Bo, John and Jake stood silent for a few minutes as John and Jake sized each other up. Bo turned to them as he was standing and told them he was going back to the station.

"Jake, we would appreciate if you could stay around for a few days and help with the case, I'll call the department and talk to your boss." Bo said and then he opened up his mouth again.

"Play nice you two. I want no problems," Bo told the both of them as he left them alone.

"Nice to finally meet you John, Natalie talks so much about you, I feel like I already know you"

"That's funny, we spent the whole night together last night and she barely mentioned you' John told him back cocky. Jake wouldn't be baited into a pissing contest.

"Why don't we just get this out and in the open, shall we, then we can work together on this case without conflict." Jake told John and John nodded.

"I know who you are to Natalie, and with the look on your face you know who I am to Natalie, I won't be backing down, In about a week or so, she will be leaving Llanview and coming home with me, to me and to my department"

"I highly doubt that, this is Natalie's home and she will be staying and staying with me."

"Not sure what exactly you've heard about me but.. don't underestimate me, I won't be backing down from this fight, not now, not ever again, she is to important to me, I've already missed to much time with her" John told him as he continued to stare intently

"Now that we understand each other and where the other stands, is there anything else LT?" Jake asked

"Yes there is.. don't underestimate what Natalie feels for me, you haven't a clue what she and I share"

"You do mean shared, don't you?"

"Share" John said as they intensely stared as Natalie walked over. She looked back and forth between the two men, her two men, how the hell did she get herself in this position again. She asked herself

"I'm heading over to the murder scene," she announced as the both men got up and started walking with her.

"Not alone you're not," John said and he walked faster to catch up with her, Jake also caught up with her.

"I'll drive you"

"No, I'll drive her"

"No, she'll drive herself" she told them as she started to get annoyed, she looked between them for a minute and she knew she needed to talk to Jake, she needed to end things, it wasn't fair, fair to him because she was still in Love with John, and with what almost happened last night, she knew it definitely wasn't fair.

"Jake, you don't know Llanview well and we need to talk, ride with me" she told him and he smiled, John however didn't like the thought of them alone in a car, especially when his mind flashed back to what she was doing to him last night in his car. He tried to protest but she put up one hand, he backed down, she walked closer to him for a second.

"Why don't you go back to the office and see what you come up with as for why he dumped her in the park, please? I'll come to the station when I'm done and we can talk, alright?.. Jake won't let anything happen to me, I promise" she told him softly as she looked into his eye's, he relaxed when he saw her eye's shining at him, he nodded alright and everyone left Rodi's, even the killer.