Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or the movie "Presumed Innocent." I ruin the ending of it, so don't read it if you want to know.

Author's note: Okay, I'm upping the rating to T, so little ones, avert your eyes. Please review - this physical stuff is uncharted for me as a writer. Thanks for your support!

Chapter 14

Lindsay surveyed the scene before her and shook her head. The woman, identified as 26-year-old Jennifer McClaren, a divorced legal secretary, was splayed out on her bed, legs open underneath her skimpy red negligee. Her dazed expression revealed surprise at being shot once in the chest at close range.

"I'm thinkin' she must have known her killer. There's champagne in that bucket over there, and two glasses. Probably a boyfriend or somthin'," Danny said. "She's definitely dressed like she was waitin' on someone special."

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, she was definitely waiting for someone. Hammerbeck will check for signs of sexual activity. I'll keep processing." She walked over to the answering machine, and a variety started to play. The most interesting message was at the end.

"Hey baby. I'm just finishing up here. I'll be there by 8 o'clock. Wear something special. Love you."

It was a man's voice, and the tone was intimate. "Hear that, Danny? The time on the machine says this was left last night. We've got to find out who this guy is."

Danny nodded. "Let's check the Caller ID."

A few hours later, the pair was questioning Charles D. Roberts, partner at the law firm Jennifer had worked for. Hammerbeck had confirmed evidence of semen on the victim, and said there were no signs of force, so the act was likely consensual. She and Danny theorized the killer might be her lover, and suspected Roberts, based on a conversation with one of Jennifer's good friends. "She was having an affair with a married man, and was thinking of breaking it off, but he wanted to hold on to her," the woman had confided. "He promised he would leave his wife, but you know how that goes."

Jennifer's Caller ID revealed the call on the machine had come from Roberts' office, and when they played the tape, he admitted it was him, but swore he never made the call. "I don't know how it got there, and I swear I didn't kill her."

"Well, then you won't mind givin' us a DNA sample, then?" Danny whipped out a swab with a flourish. Surprisingly, the man readily agreed, and Danny and Lindsay headed back to the lab. They chatted about the case, and Lindsay couldn't help thinking about how well they worked together despite their relationship.

"Other than Flack, I think we're in the clear," Lindsay commented. "Stella is even off the track."

"Yeah well, we're professionals, Montana. I would never do anything like this while we're working." Danny leaned over the car's console and stole a short but sweet kiss. Lindsay smiled. Eventually they would have to let Mac know if things kept progressing, but she was having too much fun to spoil it at the moment.

She and Danny had continued to date, hitting various restaurants, although some of their best times were spent at each other's apartments, eating takeout or watching movies cuddled up on the couch. The only frustration came at the end of the evenings, when kissing begged to lead elsewhere. But one or the other would always put on the brakes. "We'll know when it's the right time," one would invariably say.

Back at the lab, they submitted Roberts' sample, and a few hours later, Hammerbeck confirmed that it was a match, although he had an interesting fact to add. "There was evidence of spermicide the semen, which along with trace amounts of latex, leads me to believe a condom was involved."

"Hmmm, maybe it broke?" Danny speculated.

"I think we need to talk to Roberts again," Lindsay said, and called Flack to have him brought in for questioning.

Roberts was sweating and panicked. "Look, we were having an affair, but I swear, I didn't see her that night, and I didn't leave that message. My wife and I got into a fight, and I left."

"Can anyone confirm your whereabouts?" Lindsay asked. Despite the evidence, something told her this man was telling the truth.

"No - I didn't go anywhere, just drove around."

The questioning ended with Roberts being taken into custody, as the evidence seemed stacked against him. But Lindsay wasn't satisfied. "You know, Danny, something is telling me he didn't do it. I have an idea."

A short time later, they were talking to Rick in the audio lab about the answering machine tape. "You're right, Lindsay, something's off. Roberts definitely made this message, but this is actually a recording of a recording. If I isolate the background noise -" he did so, and a slight buzz could be heard - "the sound is consistent with message being played from a tape into the phone receiver."

"So what your sayin' is, someone took a recording of Roberts and played it on the phone onto Jennifer McClaren's answering machine," Danny surmised.

"You are learning grasshopper," Rick joked. Danny swatted him.

Danny and Lindsay left the lab and talked about what they learned. "Okay Danny. Hammerbeck said the vic died between 7 and 9 p.m. Roberts said he and his wife, Karen, argued around 7, then he stormed out. The phone company puts the call coming in from his office to Jennifer's phone around 7:15 …"

"So you're thinking …" Danny prompted.

"I'm thinking we need to talk to Karen Roberts."

A few hours later Danny and Lindsay were sharing a celebratory drink at a bar called Pulse. Danny knew the bartender from his younger days, and everything was free.

"Gotta give credit where it's due, Montana. You never pegged the husband as the shooter," Danny said, smiling at her.

"Actually I have to give credit to the movies - 'Presumed Innocent' with Harrison Ford." At his confused look, Lindsay explained. "Well, in the movie, Harrison Ford looks guilty because his semen is found on his murdered mistress. It turns out in the end that the wife used sperm from her diaphragm to plant it on the woman after she killed her to frame her husband. When I heard there was trace amounts of latex, I had a feeling. Then when the message on the machine turned out to be a recording …

"You put two and two together. You figured out that the wife swiped her husband's key to Jennifer's apartment, left the message for the vic, then let herself in and killed her. Luckily for us she still had her key on her key ring - how stupid was that? Then she left the goods on Jennifer for us to find. Impressive, Montana."

"No big deal," Lindsay said, but glowed with his praise. The music in the place - which was more of a dance club than a bar, they were just there for free drinks - was starting to increase with the evening crowd. "Well, you want to head home? This place is going to get busy."

"Now wait, what's the problem? You can only shake your tail feathers with Hawkes? Now he can move, definitely, but why don't you give a kid from Staten Island a chance?" Danny held his hand out, and Lindsay grinned, grabbing it, and they headed to the dance floor.

A beat-laden techno/hip-hop mix was playing. He can dance, Lindsay thought. As the song progressed, the crowd increased, and Danny and Lindsay were pushed closer together, their bodies responding to the music and each other. Danny's hand snaked behind her back, pulling her even tighter against his frame, and they began to move as one. His eyes burned into hers, and she felt a familiar burning sensation that seemed to hum through her body whenever Danny touched her.

Reaching up around his neck, and still keeping with the beat of the music, she kissed him. There was nothing sweet about it - it was as raw as the music, and Danny responded hungrily. When they pulled away for much-needed oxygen, Danny yelled into her ear: "Let's get outta here."

They went back to her car, and they couldn't keep their hands off each other, stopping for a heated exchange of lips, tongues and hands before she started the car. "Hurry up, Montana," he growled, and she made her way as quickly as she could to her apartment.

Fate seemed to be with them - traffic was actually good by NYC standards, and they seemed to pass only green lights on their way back to Lindsay's. They practically bolted up the stairs, and Lindsay's hands fumbled with her key. Damn! she thought. Finally, Danny took the keys from her and they were inside. From then on, time seemed to stop.

Mind-numbing kisses were only the beginning - Lindsay felt like she was on fire. Wherever he touched, she felt branded. "Jesus, Montana," he breathed in her ear. "If this isn't the right time, I don't know what is." Lindsay didn't respond, but pulled impatiently at his shirt. He raised his arms to assist her, and she did the same for him. Even though there was no music, they moved together as seamlessly as they had in the club.

Once their clothing was disposed of, they moved into the bedroom, greedily taking from each other, then giving back. She couldn't even begin to describe the feeling of his body against hers. Just when Lindsay thought she would die from anticipation, Danny paused above her. "Open your eyes. Look at me, Lindsay."

Lindsay, who had her eyes pressed closed, overwhelmed with the feelings washing over her, opened them to see Danny's blue ones searing into hers. "I love you." Before she could respond, he kissed her deeply, and they truly became one.

In the aftermath, they lay intertwined in the twisted covers, recuperating. "You know, Montana, I thought I was in good shape, but you can bring a man to his knees."

Lindsay smiled, her head resting against his chest. "I try, Messer, I try."

"Yeah. I know you did - especially since you've been beggin' for it since that first day in the zoo."

She heard the humor in his voice, knew he was baiting her, but she played along anyway. "What? Please, Messer, your tongue was practically wagging that day."

"Yeah, and you practically slipped in your own drool."

That did it - the massive pillow fight of 2006 was on. They laughed hysterically, swatting away, and finally collapsed together on the bed. As their giggles died down, Lindsay grew quiet, and Danny let her be, stroking her hair. I hope I didn't mess things up, he thought, remembering his declaration. She probably wasn't ready to hear that. That's okay, I can wait.

A few minutes later, he thought she was asleep when she suddenly proppedherself on her elbow. "Danny?"Helooked at her intently.She leaned forward and kissed him, this time gently, before pulling back and touching his cheek.

"I love you, too."

TBC