No. Not at all. I figured her showing up had to feel like all your childhood fantasies come to life – well except the blackmail angle – but to have this woman, claiming to be your mother, suddenly reappear, and maybe get the answers to all those questions…I don't think its stupid at all, man. I think its' human."
"Think she might know my mother, and that's where the idea came from?"
"Big guy, I don't think it will be that easy." Blair's heart wept for the lost eight year old looking out his friend's sad eyes.
Part IV
In a small waterside park, Jim stood facing the woman, a battered gym bag in hand. "I have your money." The older woman looked at him. He could hear her heart racing, and it brought a smile to his lips. 'you better be uncomfortable about this' he thought as he watched her closely.
"Don't you want to know who your father is?" She asked, holding out her hand for the money.
"I already know." Jim responded, handing over the gym bag. She smiled at him.
"Thank you, Jimmy, you always were a good boy."
Jim held out his hand as though to shake, and she took it. He put the cuffs on. "You are under arrest for blackmail, extortion and identity theft. You have the right to remain silent …" Rafe and H appeared and took over.
At the station, after the suspect was booked, she was taken to an interrogation room. They left her there for 30 minutes with a police woman, while they debated how to play it. Jim was insistent that he do the questioning, and Simon reluctantly agreed, as long as he was also in the room.
Twenty minutes into the questioning, which was getting nowhere fast, Jim heard a familiar voice from behind the one way glass. "Oh my god, that's Evie!" William Ellison gasped. "She's Grace's younger sister – she was bout 12 when we got married. Oh my god."
Jim looked at the suspect as a predatory smile spread across his face, causing Simon to sit up. He knew Ellison was on to something. "So Evie, a little blackmail on the nephews. Can't get much lower then that, now can you?"
The woman's head shot up, and she stared at the big cop. "What?"
"We have positive ID, Evie. Now the big question is, did your sister put you up to this, or did you dream it up all by yourself." Jim was clearly focused on his prey, and moving in for the kill.
"Grace got remarried years ago to some guy with more money then even Ellison. She can't be bothered with us little people back home. I was cleaning out the attic and found a box of her things. I did a little checking, and figured Ellison Corp was worth some cash. Never figured Grace Ellison's perfect little boy, Jimmy, would stoop to something as common as police work. I was in too deep by then, so I went with it."
"Do you know where she is?" Jim asked.
"She has four or five kids already, I doubt she wants to be bothered by a stray like you," Evie spat out viciously.
"Well, you might want to contact your wealthy sister because you are going to need a very expensive lawyer to keep you out of jail. Blackmail and extortion carry minimum sentences of 8 years – add fraud, identity theft– I'd say 12 to 15 minimum. You'll be a real old lady when you get out." Jim smiled his feral smile again, and left the room.
"Jimmy?" William Ellison called as soon as the door closed.
"Dad, thanks for coming down."
"Are you okay, son?" He moved to stand next to the younger man, and hesitated a long moment before pulling him into a fragile hug. "I'm so sorry she put you through this."
Jim returned the hug, before pulling away. "She didn't get to Stevie, and we stopped her, so it worked out okay." His eyes sought his Guide, who had hung back.
That night at the loft, Jim again retreated to the balcony. Blair joined him with two cups of hot chocolate. "You doing alright, big guy?" He asked as he settled into a chair.
"I don't know, Blair. Part of me wants to hunt my mother down and find out what the hell happened all those years ago. The other part knows that whatever she has to say won't change one hour of my past. And the fact is, if she hadn't left, my home life might have been more bearable, assuming she and Dad didn't have me institutionalized. And then I probably wouldn't have joined the Rangers to escape home, and I wouldn't have been in Peru and my senses wouldn't have reactivated….so maybe in this instance, it's simply better to let sleeping dogs lie."
"Jim, you sure that's how you want to play this?" Blair agreed with the assessment, but he, also, knew that this wasn't the closure the man needed.
"Do you think talking to her will change anything?" The question was tentative, but the hurt in the blue eyes was large and loud and almost overwhelming. It told Blair what he needed to know. His partner was a man of action, not words, and all he had just spouted had been just that, words.
"I don't know if it will change anything, Jim, but it would put the issue to rest, once and for all."
Jim left the loft early the next morning, leaving Sandburg still asleep. He drove aimlessly for 20 minutes before heading to his father's house. Sally let him in, and he found his old man in the dining room. "Dad?"
"Jimmy! Everything alright?"
Jim sat down at the table, and looked at his father for a long moment. "Why did mom leave?"
"Jimmy, not this again!" His father ordered.
"The last time I asked you this question, I was eight. I think I'm entitled to answer."
"Jimmy, I don't know what you think…"
"I think that I need closure Dad. And I can do that one of two ways. You can tell me, or I can go to Charleston and get the answer from my mother. Your choice, Dad."
William came out of his chair. "Don't you threaten me, you ungrateful bastard!"
"Good choice." Jim said quietly before leaving.
Back at the loft he found his partner enjoying his coffee. Blair took one look at the older man, and cringed. "Jim?"
"Just visited my Dad."
"I take it the visit didn't go well, man."
"Understatement of the year. What would you say to a trip to Charleston, South Carolina?"
"You found her?"
Jim nodded, his eyes tight on his coffee mug. "Would you come with me…please?"
Blair reached over to lift up the iron jaw, and smiled warmly. "Wouldn't miss it."
