Ch. 5: Repercussions
Vic hadn't expected to see the DCI Agent when she looked up to see who she had run into. An apology was already halfway out of her mouth when she realized who was holding her arm.
"Sor…"
Vic tugged at her arm. For a second or two, Whitlock maintained his hold on her. The hand on her arm wasn't tight, but firm. Almost the way a parent would hold onto a child, except that she didn't really know this man and both she and Walt were apparently near the top of his suspect list for a murder they didn't have anything to do with.
She pulled at her arm again, this time with more force and Whitlock released her.
"Sorry, I didn't see you."
Vic opened her mouth to respond when they both heard an entirely different voice coming from a few feet off.
"Hey."
Vic recognized Walt's voice immediately. Whitlock looked in his direction and took a step back.
"Mr. Longmire."
The formality sounded strange to Vic. No one who knew him ever called him Mr. Longmire. It was always Walt. There were still even some old timers around town who still called him Sheriff. But, not Mr. Longmire.
Walt ignored Whitlock's greeting and looked her way.
"Everything okay?"
She nodded.
"Yeah…I just…"
She gestured at Whitlock.
"…wasn't looking where I was going."
Whitlock nodded.
"Same. I apologize."
Whitlock lifted one hand towards the Busy Bee.
"I was on my way to have some breakfast. Is that what you were doing?"
Vic narrowed her eyes at the question.
"Is that an official question?"
Something crossed Whitlock's face that she couldn't name. She could've sworn that he almost smiled, but he managed to keep it suppressed.
"No."
She didn't answer him. Instead, she took a step away from him and towards the street.
"Well, don't let me keep you from breakfast."
Whitlock looked at her without wavering for another moment before he offered up a polite, businesslike smile.
"See you around."
With that, he turned away and carried on into the café. Walt pushed up the brim of his hat as they both watched him disappear through the doors. Once Whitlock was out of their sight, Vic started towards her SUV with a shake of her head. She could feel Walt beside her.
"What's going on?"
Vic released a sigh.
"I was talking to Cady. She called me while I was dropping off Julian and asked me to meet her."
Concern eased into his face.
"What did she want to talk about?"
Vic shrugged.
"Just…the case. Whether or not I'm coming back."
They reached Vic's SUV and stopped. Vic leaned up against it.
"Did you tell her?"
"Yes, but now we have to wait for this investigation to be over. Doesn't look good if she hires me right now."
Walt didn't look happy about the idea.
"Make sense."
The words conflicted with his expression.
"What are you doing here?"
"Buying feed…."
His words trailed off and he looked up and around. His eyes focused and Vic turned to see Cady walking over holding Anna.
"Everything alright?"
Vic nodded and smiled at the toddler that Cady held.
"Yeah."
Anna reached out her arms and Vic took her, resting her daughter on her hip and bouncing out of habit.
Cady let out a breath and looked at Walt.
"For a second…the way you walked off…I thought you were gonna hit him."
Walt shook his head.
"No. I…"
He stopped and looked at Vic.
"He say anything else to you?"
"No."
His eyes lingered on her before he looked away.
"I should get back. Eli will think I got lost."
Cady looked between them.
"I'm going to work now. You two…stay out of trouble."
She smiled and left them. Walt reached out and touched Anna's soft hair.
"Want me to take her?"
"No, she can stay with me. We'll…be home in a while."
He tilted his head.
"Staying in town?"
"For a while. I'll take her to the bookstore or something. Kill some time."
He nodded and took a step away from them.
"Okay. I'm headed home."
Vic watched him cross the street and get into the Bronco. Anna moving brought her back to the moment. She looked down the street and then back up. Whitlock must have been eating in the Busy Bee as he hadn't reappeared. She looked at the café for a long minute before she started walking down the sidewalk towards the bookstore that Walt frequented more than she did. She liked to read when she was bored. But, sitting for long periods of time wasn't as easy for her as it was for him. So, she read in short bursts and moved on to something else while Walt was able to exist in a book for far longer.
After what just happened, though, she wanted to clear her head and take a few minutes. There was no good reason the encounter should have bothered her. It was just Whitlock and the way he held onto her for that brief span of time.
Vic shook her head, pushing the thoughts away. She was on edge. That was all.
She walked into the bookstore and set Anna on the floor. The older woman who ran the store with her husband looked up with a smile that she gave all of her patrons. Vic couldn't remember her name just then.
Walt would have known.
"Morning."
Vic smiled in return as she headed for the shelves that were stocked full of books.
"Good morning."
She took Anna's hand and led her to the children's section. From where she stood, she was facing the street and she could see her SUV. As Anna babbled on and looked at books, Vic took in her surroundings out of habit more than anything. She alternated between watching Anna and looking out the front window of the store.
After a few minutes of this pattern, her eyes lifted to the window and stopped. Where no one had been around her SUV before, now there was a figure standing by it. Vic leaned forward and looked, fighting the glare of the sun.
Whitlock.
He wasn't simply walking by it either. He was looking at it with purpose and intent. After a minute, she'd had enough.
Without much thought, she lifted Anna, who grunted in protest, and left the store.
Whitlock was still there when she emerged and headed right for him.
"What are you doing?"
The question came out sharp and he looked up, his eyes landing on her. His expression was even.
"Good morning for the second time. What are you still doing around here?"
The question was conversational, but odd in her mind.
"I…live here."
He gave her a half smile.
"You don't live in town."
Vic rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.
"You would know, wouldn't you?"
He cocked his head to the side, obviously hearing her tone. It was not a tone that could be interpreted as anything other than the hostility that it was.
"I'm sorry. Did I do something to offend you?"
Vic stared at him.
"You mean other than accusing me or my husband of murder?"
He gave her a placating look.
"I haven't accused either of you of anything. I'm simply investigating."
"Is that why you're hanging around my car?"
He didn't answer her question. Instead, he looked at Anna and smiled the first real smile Vic had seen.
"Cute kid."
Leaving her there, he turned and walked away.
xxx
"How's he doing?"
Vic leaned on the fence beside him. He knew it was her without looking. They were both watching Julian ride Blaze in a small circle around the pasture. Julian sat upright with both hands on the reins. His posture alone told Walt that he was trying to do everything right.
Buying a horse for Julian hadn't been a choice they came by easily. At first, Vic had been opposed to the idea. It didn't help that they were going through personal issues when he first introduced the idea. Over some time, Vic came around to agree with Walt that having a horse of his own could be beneficial for several reasons.
While the horse wasn't exclusively Julian's, and Vic rode the horse as well, Walt wanted the boy to learn how to care for the animal and the sense of responsibility that came along with the horse. Julian responded as Walt expected him to. Enthusiastically.
Walt took time to show Julian how much to feed the horse, the importance of brushing out his coat regularly to keep him comfortable and clean, why fresh hay was important, and several other lessons he hoped Julian would carry with him into adulthood.
"Good."
He kept his eyes on Julian, whose face was set in concentration. A few minutes of silence passed while they watched him ride. Off to one side, Anna sat in the grass playing. Walt could hear her chatting and singing to herself from where he stood.
"I want you to stay away from Whitlock."
He could tell that he caught her off guard when she turned all the way to face him.
"What?"
She pushed the word out. Walt finally looked away from Julian and Blaze to look her way. He opened his mouth to repeat his earlier words when Vic shook her head and cut him off.
"I heard you."
Her brow furrowed and she didn't look happy. That was an instantaneous reaction.
"Don't get mad."
His tone was low and careful.
"Why would I get mad? Because you just gave me an order?"
Walt sighed. Naturally, she leapt right to that. If there was one thing Vic hated, it was feeling like she was being told what to do. It didn't matter who it was either. Even back when he was her boss, that was a tricky road to navigate. She admittedly had issues with authority. Thankfully, they found a comfortable rhythm that kept the peace.
Mostly.
As her husband, he was equally careful to not make it sound as though he were ordering her around. He wasn't, of course. She was free to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted without anyone's permission. There were trip ups in the past. Mostly when there was some danger or he was worried about her. Even then, she was resistant and always quick to voice her opposition to the idea that he held any authority over her. He didn't and he knew that. Theirs was a partnership that different greatly from both of their previous marriages in different ways.
"It wasn't an order, Vic. It was…more of a request."
She eyed him.
"I ran into him today, Walt. I wasn't in town looking for him."
Some of the possible anger in her had ebbed.
"Not the second time."
He hadn't been thrilled when he found out she saw Whitlock around her car and went to confront him. He was well acquainted with Vic's temper and knew better than anyone that it could get her into trouble when it got the best of her.
She made a noise and looked away.
"He was snooping."
"That's his job."
She looked at him again with a sharp expression.
"Whatever."
Walt took a breath. Her mood was sour now and he didn't want to get into it with her. Especially not out here with both kids present.
"I'm not looking to…piss you off."
He used the words she would have used and it sounded off coming from him. Something in her face did ease up.
"I just think that we should be careful. Both of us."
She held his gaze before looking to Julian. He noted that her shoulders seemed to have relaxed. She wasn't mad. Thankfully. While parenthood had softened her somewhat, there was no denying that Vic could be volatile at times. It was simply part of who she was. It was an aspect of her personality that he knew well.
The last thing they needed right now was to devolve into the problems that plagued them recently. The trip back to their version of normal wasn't always smooth. Despite their best intentions, there were bumps in the road.
"I'm…sorry."
Her apology came out hesitantly. He knew it wasn't easy for her. Or, for him. They were both stubborn people in their own right. He dismissed the apology he didn't see as necessary. All things considered, he did appreciate it.
"It's okay."
"I'm not gonna tiptoe around, though."
He might have known it wouldn't be that easy.
"I'm not asking you to."
Julian pulled the horse to a stop in front of them and Walt turned his attention back to the duo.
"Looking good."
Julian smiled with obvious pride as the horse shifted his weight slightly. Walt entered the pasture and lifted him from the horse. Julian patted Blaze and looked at Vic.
"Did you see me?"
"I did. You're better than me."
Another proud smile. It was hard for Julian's excitement not to be contagious. She smiled at him in return.
"Come on. It's time to get a bath."
Julian frowned at the idea.
"Aw…"
Walt tapped his back gently as he took the horse.
"Go on. I'll put the horse up."
Julian drug his feet. Walt led the horse from the pasture, stopping to watch the three of them head towards the cabin before he continued on his way. In the barn, he removed the saddle and bridle and gave Blaze fresh water before shutting him safely into his stall for the night. From the stall beside them, Lady neighed. On his way out, Walt patted her nose and gave her a smile.
"Goodnight, old girl."
He secured the barn and lingered outside looking at the cabin. The lights on inside had a warm glow about them. It was welcoming, a beacon in a sea of darkness.
He knew that he would not allow anyone to threaten it.
xxx
She shouldn't have snapped at him and she knew it. It was the exact kind of knee jerk reaction she had promised him she would try not to have as often as in the past. Thankfully, when he came in from the barn, he didn't seem angry with her. He was quiet, but not in any way that was directed at her. She wanted to apologize and talk further. Unfortunately, there wasn't time just then. There were baths and the process of getting both children into bed.
By the time she finally found her way into the bedroom, he was in the shower and she needed one. She tried to take a quick one only to find that he had already drifted off while she was finishing up. Vic sighed as she flipped off the bedroom light and slipped into bed beside him. He couldn't have been asleep for long. She could always wake him up.
Vic shook off the idea. If he went to sleep that fast then he must be tired. There was no reason to wake him up just to say that she was sorry. Vic settled in beside him and lay on her back looking up at the dark ceiling. The room was quiet except for Walt's breathing. Twice, he moved in his sleep and made a sound that approached snoring. Both times, he stilled and his breathing evened back out.
No, she definitely wasn't going to bother him. As a matter of fact, she was jealous of him. She wished it was that easy for her to fall asleep. Vic didn't know how long she simply lay there as the night unfolded around her. She hadn't bothered looking at the clock when she went to bed and she made no move to check it now either.
She took deep breaths and tried to will herself to relax in hopes it would bring about some level of sleepiness. No luck. Figured. Insomnia wasn't exactly a stranger to either her or Walt at different time for varying reasons. Granted, the last couple of weeks, she'd been sleeping well and without complaint. It wasn't until this mess started with the murder of Garrett Perry that the sleeplessness began to plague her again.
Vic finally got tired trying. She pushed off the covers and slid from the bed carefully so that she wouldn't disturb Walt. Grabbing her Flyers hoodie, she tugged it on and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her carefully. In the living room, it wasn't quite as dark with a fire going. Vic sat down on the couch and pulled her feet up. The air in here was warmer. Vic leaned back and let her eyes sit on the flames as they flickered and snapped with ever changing patterns. It was hypnotic and more time eked by her. Her eyes started to grow heavy and she closed them without any resistance.
Vic didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until her eyes snapped open.
There was a hand on her shoulder.
"Vic."
He said her name so softly. Vic blinked in the firelight and saw a silhouette hovering over her. At some point, she laid down on the couch and curled onto her side.
"Vic."
He repeated her name, this time with more questions than anything. She cleared her throat as she sat up and tried to get her bearings. Walt withdrew his hand as Vic stretched her legs out to the floor and took a breath.
"I…what time is it?"
She looked around. It was still dark out and she go the impression it wasn't all that close to daylight. Walt reached up and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
"After two."
Vic pushed out a breath as she stood up.
"Why're you sleeping in here?"
Walt mumbled the question as he followed her to the bedroom. Vic pulled her hoodie over her head and tossed it aside without much thought as to where it landed. She would worry about that in the morning. For now, she got back into bed and let her head sink into the pillow. The mattress shifted as Walt slipped in beside her.
"I…couldn't sleep. Just…went to sit on the couch."
Her voice wasn't much more than a murmur. His arm slid around her and he was facing her, getting back into a comfortable position. His head was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his exhales on her ear as he breathed.
"Something wrong?"
Vic shook her head. She was on her back with Walt sidled up beside her. He was warm and his presence was comforting.
"No. Just couldn't sleep."
She expected him to go right back to sleep. He did not. He continued to lay there and look at her as well as he could in the darkness. Vic turned her head on the pillow so that she was looking at him.
"I'm sorry."
She whispered the words. Walt's eyes stayed on her hers. They were focused in spite of the hour.
"I just woke up and you were gone."
He thought she was apologizing for waking him up. That hadn't actually crossed her mind since she'd been sleeping herself. She hadn't woken him up. It was her absence that got him up and looking for her. Not that he had to look all that hard.
"No…I mean…"
Vic swallowed. She was sleepy now and her mind was swimming with fatigue. She was finding it hard to keep her concentration on Walt. But, she didn't want the moment to pass her by. She was aware enough to know that.
"No…earlier…outside…"
She paused, trying to corral her scattered thoughts.
"…I'm sorry I jumped on you."
Her eyes were only half open at this point, but she could still see him there in her line of sight. He smiled at her and lifted his head up from the pillow. Leaning forward just a bit, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. At the contact, Vic closed her eyes all the way. Walt lingered there with his mouth pressed to her skin and the feeling warmed her up all the way down to her toes.
After a moment, he pulled back, but stayed close.
"Don't worry about."
Vic kept her eyes closed, but nodded in response.
"Kay."
She couldn't see him now but sensed a smile coming from him. He kissed her again, this time on the mouth softly.
"Go to sleep."
She hummed out wordless noise as Walt settled back in beside her.
She was doing exactly that as her mind pulled out of the conscious world and retreated back into the realm of sleep. She could still feel Walt there beside her. She could smell him as well, her senses honing in on all that was familiar in his being there with her.
The last thing she felt as she drifted off was the feel of his fingers pressing in on her stomach as he also went to sleep. This time, she didn't have any trouble at all and would later wish that every night was as peaceful and comfortable as that moment.
xxx
It felt like a dream the next morning even though he knew that it wasn't. It was blurry but he remembered waking up to find the space beside him vacant. It only took seconds to realize she wasn't in the bathroom and the lights were all off. Walt wandered into the living room and saw her immediately asleep on the couch in the firelight. She seemed confused when he woke her up telling him that she wasn't just dozing.
It didn't take either of them long to fall back to sleep.
Walt was up and in the kitchen before Vic. That wasn't unusual. Although there was a twinge of worry in him that she might not be sleeping well. It wasn't exactly new territory for either of them.
Vic walked in and she looked tired. She was dressed and her hair was already pulled back, but there were dark circles under her eyes. She silently took the cup of coffee that he offered her and added cream and sugar. Walt watched her, knowing full well that was likely to annoy her this early in the morning.
She turned to face him as she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a sip. Her eyes landed on him and connected with his. She didn't offer up any kind of greeting and neither did he. Vic lowered the cup.
"What?"
There wasn't irritation in the question. To be honest, it was slightly flat. She was still tired. He could tell.
"You wanna talk about what had you up last night?"
Vic shook her head predictably. Admittedly, this wasn't the best time. Anna was already in her high chair eating her breakfast and Julian would be in momentarily.
"Nothing to talk about. I just…couldn't sleep. I didn't plan to fall asleep on the couch."
It was a reasonable enough answer and he opted to let it go. Whether or not it was the truth remained to be seen. He just knew that continually pushing her about it would only create another burst of irritation. There wasn't any need for that.
"Okay."
She looked at him with some level of expectation. She clearly didn't believe that was all he had to say.
"That's all?"
Walt shrugged and drank his own coffee.
"Yep."
Before either could speak again, Julian came in, his eyes sweeping around the room.
"I'm hungry."
Walt smiled at him.
"What do you want to eat?"
Julian shrugged his small shoulders.
"Don't know."
"Okay…how about…"
"Why don't we get something on the way to school?"
Vic broke in and Julian's eyes lit up.
"Can we?"
Walt gave her a curious look.
"You and him or…"
She shook her head.
"All of us. Won't take long. Let Eli know that you'll be back."
He took in the suggestion and nodded to her. It sounded like a good idea to him. It was outside their normal morning routine, but in a good way as far as he was concerned.
"Sure."
Walt finished off his coffee as Vic motioned at Julian.
"Go brush your teeth and get your shoes on."
The boy darted off. Vic stayed in the kitchen drinking her coffee while Anna continued to eat while he stepped outside. Eli was just getting started and smiled amiably when Walt said they were going to get some breakfast. He offered to bring the young man something back only to have Eli turn down the offer. As usual, Eli's grandmother had already ensured that he ate a good breakfast.
Before he reached the cabin, Vic was already loading both kids into the backset of her SUV. Walt walked around to get in the passenger seat as Vic slipped behind the wheel and started up the engine. She turned on the heater and aimed the center vents towards the backseats. It would take a few minutes for the interior to warm up.
Vic started out, taking the dirt road slowly. Walt gave her a look before turning his eyes back to the road. In the seat behind him, he could hear Julian saying something to Anna, though he didn't really listen. Now that she was learning more words, the two of them carried on conversations that only made sense to them.
The thought brought a small smile to his face.
"What?"
Vic glanced his way quickly.
"I'm…glad they get along."
Vic gave him a smile that possessed some skepticism.
"They get along now. Give it time. Wait until he's older and she annoying him."
She was speaking from experience. He knew that. As one of five children, Vic was well versed in sibling rivalry and the dynamics that came along with combining conflicting personalities. As a girl in a family of boys, that seemed heightened. Even from across the country, there was no telling which of her brothers she would complain about and what they might have done to warrant it.
"True."
He was an only child as was Cady when she was growing up. Siblings weren't something he could relate to personally. The closest he had was Henry. They were like brothers, fought like it at times even though there was no biological connection between them. But, with Henry, there would always be some division.
"I assume you argued a lot with your brothers when you were younger."
Vic smiled more to herself than anything.
"I would use the word…fought and not argued. Yes, we drove my parents insane. I don't know how they put up with us. I'm not sure how we're all still alive either."
Walt knew from her own stories that her biggest conflict came with her oldest brother, Victor Jr. Fissures ran deep between them and it went farther than merely ordinary disagreements. They were very different people with different ideals. Neither was the type to back down and that could lead to explosions.
"Maybe they'll be different."
He could hope.
"Maybe."
Vic didn't sound as optimistic about that as he did. No wonder when he considered her own personal experience. Vic pulled into the main strip of town and found a parking spot on the street, easing in. She unbuckled and tossed a smile his way as she pulled her door handle.
"Let's get some breakfast. I'm starving."
xxx
It was a nice change of pace to have breakfast in town. Once in a while, it did them all some good to break out of their ruts and do something different. There would be plenty of time to get Julian to school and there might not be that many more mornings that would allow them to take it easy.
Dorothy greeted them cheerfully and brought them coffee to start with. They didn't need menus and she didn't offer them any as she poured the coffee.
"Morning. What will it be this morning?"
Walt slid his coffee cup closer to him.
"What's the usual this morning?"
Dorothy didn't miss a beat.
"Pancakes with eggs, bacon, and sausage."
He nodded his approval.
"I'll take it."
She smiled at him before shifting her eyes to Vic.
"Vic?"
"Um…eggs and toast for me with a side of bacon."
Dorothy nodded and directed her attention at Julian.
"Young man?"
He gave Dorothy a shy smile.
"Pancakes."
"And the little one?"
Vic looked over at Anna.
"She ate already, but maybe some fruit. And…"
Vic waved her hand at both kids.
"…milk for them."
"Coming right up."
Dorothy hurried off. Vic stirred cream and sugar into her coffee under Walt's gaze. He didn't comment on how much she added to her coffee. Not this morning, anyway. There was still a hint of humor in his expression, though. Vic ignored it and set the spoon aside, taking a sip.
Dorothy came back over with the cups of milk before she was off again. As usual, the café was bustling with morning patrons, most of whom were stopping in for a bite before work.
"Busy this morning."
Walt made the observation and she noticed he was looking around as well
"Yep."
"So…when Cady is ready…do you have a date in mind?"
"Not really. I'll need to talk to Zeke about that. Don't want to leave him in the lurch. Probably be a couple of weeks. Why?"
"Just curious. He's going to miss you. Qualified help is hard to find."
Vic gave him a look.
"He's in Sheridan at least. A few more people than around here. It's not like what I do is hard. Anyone who is tech savvy could do it."
Walt clearly disagreed with her assessment.
"Your law enforcement background will be hard to match."
She had considered all of that. Zeke blew off her concerns, assuring her that he would be just fine as would his business. And, it would. He'd been a PI before she ever entered the picture and that wasn't going to change with her leaving. It was just that she liked Zeke better than most people and didn't like the idea that her leaving might make his job harder, even if it was only for a while.
"I guess he'll figure it out."
That was all she said. Thankfully, their food arrived which gave them both something else to think about. Walt helped Julian pour syrup over his pancakes and they started to eat, falling into a comfortable silence.
They were halfway through the meal when Vic's phone buzzed. She checked it, but silenced. Walt was watching when she looked up.
"It's Cady. I'll call her back when we're done."
He nodded and went back to his breakfast. She wasn't sure why Cady would be calling her, but she could muster up a guess or five. With everything that was going on, the potential topics could be endlessly wide ranging. She would call her. She just wanted to eat her breakfast in peace. The phone went quiet and there was no voice mail. Maybe it wasn't all that important.
Vic turned back to her breakfast and checked the time. They would need to leave in fifteen minutes to make it to the school on time. Thankfully, they were all almost done and Walt had already paid the bill. Once she was done, Vic used a clean napkin to clean off Anna's hands and face while Julian attempted to get sticky syrup residue off his fingers.
"C'mon."
It took a moment for them all to pull on their jackets in preparation for the outside temperatures. Walt lifted Anna from her seat and Vic guided Julian out with a hand on his back. Sure enough, the cold weather hit her in the face as soon as they left the warmth of the building. Vic started for her SUV, but stopped. Walt, who was behind her, stopped and nearly bumped into her back.
"What's wro…"
He broke off mid question when he saw a familiar figure standing near Vic's SUV yet again for the second morning in a row. Vic sighed as the Agent saw them and waited, his eyes tracking them as they approached them.
"Morning."
He sounded pleasant enough, but there was nothing really behind the greeting.
"What do you want?"
He didn't seem taken aback by Vic's bluntness.
"I was actually going into the Sheriff's Department when I saw your vehicle. As luck would have it, that saves me a ride out to your place. Having breakfast with the family, huh?"
Again, he sounded nice in a way that was hollow. It bothered her. Before, he'd been cordial and polite. This was different, though. There was something in him she hadn't seen the day before or on any of their previous encounters. She just didn't know what it was.
"Yes."
It was Walt who answered, stepped up to her side, and pulled Whitlock's attention away from Vic.
"Now, if you don't mind, why were you coming to our house?"
In spite of the time that lapsed between Walt's retirement and this moment, she could detect the moment he slipped seamlessly into what she called Sheriff mode. He was direct and to the point in a professional way. It reminded her of countless conversations over the years.
"If you don't mind…"
He gestured.
"…we can talk about this at the Sheriff's office where it's warmer."
Walt didn't move.
"Well…we need to take our son to school so…"
He left the comment unfinished. The meaning was clear. Whitlock eyed Walt then turned back to Vic.
"Okay. If that's the way you want it. I got a call this morning. We got the comparison tests back on the bullet we pulled out of Garrett Perry and the gun we found at your house. The 9mm that you said was yours."
Vic felt a rush of heat in her ears that produced an odd whooshing sound. He seemed way too smug and every instinct she possessed was telling her that was not a good thing.
"Okay."
She pushed out the word, keeping her voice as nonchalant as possible. It wasn't a match. There was no physical way for it to be a match. It simply wasn't possible. There wasn't anything for her to be worried about. That knowledge didn't stop the thumping in her chest as Whitlock continued to look at her with a cool expression.
"My people told me that bullet was fired from your gun."
The thumping in her chest increased and Vic shook her head even as she looked at Walt with an incredulous expression.
"That's…not possible."
For a long moment, Whitlock simply looked at her. It felt like an eternity. It wasn't, of course. It was almost a relief when Walt spoke up even though she knew exactly where this conversation was headed just as well as Walt seemed to.
"It's not."
Walt reiterated her statement. Whitlock didn't even look his way. He kept his eyes trained on Vic.
"We also dusted the gun for prints to be thorough."
That time, his eyes did flick to Walt's before they returned to Vic.
"I wanted to make sure that this was handled correctly because I do not like mistakes. Since your husband had access to the same gun. Your…gun."
She felt Julian's hand on hers and wondered how much of this he actually understood. Julian moved slightly behind her during the conversation, keeping the contact between the two of them. His small fingers tightened on her slightly.
She didn't need for him to say anything else. The emphasis he placed on the word 'your' told her all she needed to know.
"We only found one set of prints and it was yours."
She felt Walt move in closer, his arm brushing hers. Normally his touch would have brought her some comfort. Right now, it didn't. While he was talking, Whitlock's hand shifted to his back and when it appeared again, there was a set of handcuffs in it.
Vic shook her head at him.
"You can't be…no."
He simply kept the cuffs down at his side and motioned for her.
"I need your hands."
"Agent…"
It was Walt. He took a step towards Whitlock who shot him a warning look.
"Don't make me arrest both of you. Take your kids and go home."
He turned his eyes back to Vic.
"Let's not make a scene."
Her mind was rolling through about a thousand different thoughts. She managed to pry her hand loose from Julian's. That might be the only thing he was right about.
The cold metal closed over her wrists as Whitlock started to speak again.
"You have the right to remain silent…"
The rest faded into the fog of her mind.