Title: Privilege

Author: NightMage

Rating: maybe PG13, to be safe.

Summary: The team gets very, very frustrated with doctor-patient privilege! And Sam deals with a problem of her own. My very first M/S fic.

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Chapter 5
FIRE-AND-BRIMSTONE

"Alright, what have we got?" The team sat around the conference table in the office the next morning, trying to make sure there was nothing they had missed.

Martin began. "We know Carolynn Casper went missing four days ago, on June 2, from an apartment shared with her father and possibly her boyfriend, probably after arguing with friend Cai Sanford, and after almost calling a priest who is now also missing," he reeled off.

Danny continued, "We know Cai Sanford won't admit to the argument, but does admit to calling a psychiatrist from the same phone booth as Carolynn Casper after Carolynn Casper, and said shrink will not be helping us."

Vivian's turn. "We know that Father Channel Garver went missing the same day as Carolynn Casper, which is probably a connection, but may not be. We also know Cai Sanford and Carolynn Casper's activities may not be entirely legal. Strong suspicion of drug use, possibility of shoplifting." Viv looked over at Danny for confirmation, and he nodded. "If she is on something, it could have gotten her into trouble."

"Or killed," Danny added.

"We know Carolynn Casper has a lousy father and a lousy job," Samantha finished up, "and a lousy manager. It's possible that she was attacked or kidnapped by an obsessed fan of her magazine photos, but so far nothing supports that."

"All in all," Jack concluded, "We got nothing."

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There was a vase of flowers on Andrew Carter's desk when he finally got to work. He stared at it, confused, until he noticed the writing on the white envelope next to it: Samantha Spade. Oh. More stuff for him to deliver to the blonde chic three floors up. This did not improve his mood, which was already running low because of the two trains and the detour that had made him very late for work. He had enough to catch up on, without delivering love notes to someone with a better job than his.

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"Vivian." Jack turned to face her. "I want you on the Garver Case. Danny, you too. Visit his church, ask around, find out what you can. Martin, Sam, stay with the original case, we need more. Maybe revisit some of the friends and family, someone has to know something."

"Oh, someone definitely knows something," Martin commented dryly. "That doesn't mean they're going to tell us."

Jack ignored him. "Try the neighbors, they might have seen something. Can I help you?" This last comment was directed to the man from the lobby, who was standing in the doorway. (Andrew something? Sam thought, focusing on the less important – and less embarrassing.) The man was holding a huge vase of flowers, and looking very grumpy. Shit, thought Sam.

"Samantha Spade?" The man asked tonelessly. Yes, definitely not in a good mood. Everyone turned to stare at Sam, who ignored them all and gestured vaguely toward her desk. "Yeah, just... under there."

The man turned and looked at the first floral bouquet, which was still stuffed under Sam's desk. "There's no room," he said flatly.

"I... okay, wherever."

The man plunked the vase down right there in the doorway, turned, and left.

Sam turned to look at her coworkers. "What?" she challenged.

Danny turned back to the open file in front of him with a little amused smile on his face. Vivian shrugged. Jack raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

Martin was openly staring at her.

Sam opened her mouth, gave up, closed it, and shrugged.

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"Here we are, St. Anthony's." Danny got out of the car and looked up at the old stone building in front of him and Viv. He held the door for her, then followed her in.

"And it is for this reason that we must repent. We must turn to God. For the Bible says, 'The great day will suddenly close in on you like a trap,' so be on the watch."

Viv turned to Danny with one eyebrow raised. "I thought fire and brimstone died out a while ago."

They walked down the aisle, past the empty pews, as the priest finished his sermon. He came down from the altar to meet them. "Hello, there. Just getting a little practice in before mass on Sunday. And how can I help you two?"

Viv flashed her ID. "We're here to inquire about the disappearance of Father Channel Garver."

The priest's fatherly smile vanished, and he suddenly looked tired. "Ah, yes. I'm Father James, the pastor of St. Anthony's. Channel and I are good friends."

"Can you tell us when you last saw him?"

Father James nodded. "About a week ago. He came to me. He wanted to talk."

Danny and Viv looked at each other. "Was he in trouble?" she asked.

"Well," Father James hesitated. "He was... worried."

"About what?"

"Something someone had said to him in the confessional. He wasn't sure if he ought to tell someone. It must have been very serious, you know. We are very firm on the silence policy. He would never disclose anything said in that room." The Father nodded his head toward the little enclosed space in the back of the church. "But this time, he was struggling with it, whatever it was."

"Do you have any idea what it could have been?"

"No, he never did tell me. I didn't push it."

"If he thought it might be that important, you didn't think that maybe you should know what it was about?" Danny asked.

"I trust his judgment."

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"So what have we learned?" Vivian was driving, Danny was flipping through his notes.

"Well," he said, "we know Channel Garver went missing the same day that someone told him something in a confessional. Something that made him edgy. It was also the same day that Carolynn Casper probably almost phoned him, then hung up."

"So you're thinking she's the one in the confessional. Had something too important to say on the phone."

"It's a good possibility. And if Channel Garver almost blurted, maybe he decided to do something about it himself, save himself the inner struggle."

"Could be. If so, what was it, and where are they now?"

"I wish I knew."

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