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. Please RR!

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Chapter 12
THE LILAC HOUSE

"You two again." Rissa Thompson was less than happy to see them. Samantha had to wonder what bad experiences Ms. Thompson had had with the government in the past, that she was so prejudiced against them now. Perhaps it had something to do with ex-husband Carl's drinking problem.

"Sorry to bother you again, Ms. Thompson, but we'll only take a moment of your time." Martin paused and glanced at Samantha.

"Well, what?"

"We need to ask you about Dylan Casper," Martin said slowly.

Rissa Thompson froze for a moment, then sucked in her breath. "You had better come in."

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"Mr. Casper!" Danny banged on the door of apartment 2B for the third time. Finally, the door creaked open, and David Casper stuck his sallow-skinned, dull-eyed head out. Apparently, Danny thought, yesterday's binging had left a nasty hangover.

"What?" was Mr. Casper's only greeting.

"Mr. Casper, we need to talk about your son."

"He's dead."

"Mr. Casper – "

"Bet Lynn is, too."

"We don't know that yet. I know this is hard for you, but I need you to tell me where Dylan went to end his life."

A hard look came into David Casper's dark eyes. "Ask that bitch Thompson."

The door slammed in Danny's face. For a moment, he considered busting in and taking Mr. Casper to interrogation, but decided against it. The man was having a bad enough day already. And if what he had said was true, Martin and Samantha – Danny grinned to himself; he liked putting those names together – would be calling him soon anyway. Better to get back to the office, and prepare to act on any information coming in.

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"Make yourselves comfortable." Rissa Thompson gestured in the general direction of the living room. She remained standing as Martin joined Samantha on the couch, very carefully making sure that he was not touching his colleague. You do not need distractions right now, he told himself. Regardless of how good it felt to kiss her. He quickly banished that thought from his mind.

Rissa Thompson started to pace as she began her story. "Dylan was clinically depressed. That's the only reason he suicided. Or at least, the only reason I can see."

Her expression turned sour for a minute, and the two agents waited for her to go on.

"Everyone saw it but his own blasted father. Dave. Insisted his son was just a little down. Was so sure there was nothing wrong. Idiot."

Martin and Samantha glanced at each other.

"When Dylan died, the man was so sure it was my fault."

"Why?" Samantha interrupted.

"'Cause the fool boy decided to kill himself in the back shed of La Maison des Lilas."

"The restaurant?"

"How does that make it your fault?" asked Martin.

Rissa Thompson looked uncomfortable. "Well, you see, Dave and I…"

"We know about the affair," Samantha reassured her.

"Oh… well, La Maison des Lilas was where we always met. Dave figured Dylan was leaving a last protestation against our relationship." She scowled. "So he dumped me, right after I'd dumped my husband, and left me to fend for myself while he wallowed alone in his misery, serve him right."

Samantha stood up. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Thompson."

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Danny's cell phone rang as he was pulling into the parking lot. He glanced at the name on the display, Samantha – did I call it or what, he thought – and flipped it open. "Yeah?"

"La Maison des Lilas."

"Got it."

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