Chapter Three – Sleep Well

His eyes were closed. His head leaning on his hand at the gate at LaGuardia. She stopped and appraised him, as if for the first time. He was a very good looking man. He was tall and trim and muscular. Dark and yet with pale blue eyes. She wondered to herself why she knew that, his eyes were closed. If you asked her what color Mac or Stella's eyes were she would have to give it some thought. But it seemed to be ingrained in her mind that Flack had soft blue eyes.

She sat in the open seat next to him and softly said, "Flack." He opened his eyes and

raised his eye brow.

"Monroe, good morning." He didn't move except to sit up only slightly. He was clearly tired.

"What are you doing here?" her tones were soft. They didn't indicate that she was mad or unhappy that he was there.

He cleared his throat. "I thought it might be a good idea to get out of the city, see some big sky." He eyed her playfully. She smiled in return, but she was too tired for banter. He continued, "you can tell me to go home if you want to. Or if its an intrusion that's not my intent. But, I thought you could use a friend." He cocked his head to the side slightly, "Maybe a friend who was a cop. Maybe just a friend from New York who knows Lindsay Monroe, NYPD CSI as more than just a Montana girl." Then he flashed her a grin, "Oh, and, I have weeks left on leave, and its either a trip to Montana or I try to put an addition on my apartment." She smiled at his gentle humor.

"Flack, its not an intrusion. But this is a huge burden. I can't ask you to do something like this."

"Look Lindsay we would all like to go. Mac, Stella, Danny, Hawkes. But they got keep running the samples or whatever you guys do. I am the only one able to go, and I'm glad to do it. Besides you didn't ask me, I want to."

She sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. She kept accepting kindness from this man and she didn't know why. But she knew that she liked having him around. She knew that it didn't feel tense to talk to him. She knew that weight of this trip to Montana seemed to lift ever so slightly with the thought of Flack being there with her.

She opened her eyes, and turned her head to him "You're here first thing in the morning, you're packed, you're through security so you have a boarding pass. I assume that means you are sure its not a burden."

"Its not a burden," He said sitting back in his chair too. "trying to explain a new deck on my 7th floor apartment, that would be a burden." She smiled.

"Danny called me last night, twice. Once while I was on the phone in the car, once when I was on the phone later in the night. But I didn't call him back, I just don't have it in me to say it all out loud right now." She rubbed her temples.

Flack raised one eyebrow. Once while they were in the car, that meant while he was on his date with Maka. "I'll call him later, catch him up, don't worry about it."

On the flight she had the window, Flack the aisle and the middle seat was open. Just after take off he noticed her head bobbing forward in sleep. He moved to sit next to her, and stretch his own sore leg with the extra room. He eased her head onto his shoulder. She slept the whole flight, and he most of it.

When they landed they had to wait to collect their baggage. Given that they were both transporting their weapons, they couldn't be brought in carry-on. Lindsay was glad to know Flack packed his gun too. They got Lindsay's' rental, and Flack asked her if she wanted him to drive so she could rest. She said no, she knew the way. Little of the two-hour drive was silent. But Flack let Lindsay drive the conversation as well. He didn't push things when she seemed tense about discussing them. But occasionally he asked a question.

"Sorry if this is crossing a line, but is your Mom out of the picture?"

"Yeah. She's dead. My Dad raised us alone for the last twenty years."

"Three daughters, alone. Good man." Commented Flack sincerely impressed.

"Exceptionally good." She then seemed lost in her own thought and he regretted that the conversation had drifted there at all. Lindsay saw similarities between Flack and her Dad. She was saddened to think Flack could never meet him, they would have liked each other.

Flack decided this was her turf, her family, her time, he would follow her lead and unless she told him she needed space he would be next to her for the next three days.

As they approached the Centerville Police Station she said "Its not like New York. There are no dedicated CSIs. The regular officers process the scene. Unless it's a big one, or they can tell they're out of their depth. Then they call in the state for help."

Flack nodded. "Did you ever work here?"

"No. I got my degree in Bozeman and worked there. I was the state for a while. But nothing ever happened that called me here."

When she parked, Lindsay popped the trunk. She went around back, opened her luggage and attached her badge and revolver to her belt. Flack did the same. He was wearing jeans and polo shirt. He seemed uncomfortable wearing the shield and the piece without the suit, but he did it for Lindsay. Lindsay also grabbed her CSI kit and brought it with her.

Naturally she knew everyone. A few she had gone to high school with. The chief came out to meet her. He personally took her to the morgue. She was about to become a player in a scene she had seen too many times before. A loved one IDing a body.

The ME came out to meet her too.

"Lindsay Monroe," he said. He was a round, balding warm man. He hugged her. His arms encircling her, hers went up behind him. It warmed Flack to see. The pair shared affection and it was good to see Lindsay receiving some comfort.

"Tuff, I'm so glad to see you." It was the first time since speaking to her nephew that Flack had heard a break in her voice as if she were holding back tears. She trusted this man hugging her.

The body wasn't in a drawer, it was laid out on a table covered by a sheet as it would be when Hammerbach reviewed a vic with her. The ME released her and held her by the shoulders.

"Lindsay, do you want me to?"

"I want you to run it Tuff. Go through it all with me."

"Ok" he said softly pulling on gloves.

Flack unsure of his place, stood just behind her. He was keen to learn what he could of the case as well. If he heard it first-hand, she wouldn't need to repeat it.

The ME pulled the sheet down to just under the chin. Lindsay took one slow deep breath in. She didn't gasp or cry.

"Single gun shot wound to the head." Flack wondered to himself if they get so few around here that the don't use the 'GSW' shorthand they do back at home or if the ME was just trying to be thorough and thoughtful for Lindsay. "A nine millimeter. Death was instantaneous. It was quick Lindsay. He felt no pain."

A portion of the vic's forehead was missing. Blood and tissue were exposed. Flack himself had seen enough bodies in the morgue to know that this ME had taken special care with this body to minimize what the shock would be when he pulled back the sheet. There was a pause, a silence. Lindsay wore no gloves, and cupped one hand on her father's cheek. She made no eye contact with anyone but her dead father's closed eyes. One single tear ran down her cheek. She looked to Tuff.

"And?"

"From the angle it would be inconclusive if it was self-inflicted."

She half-nodded and returned to her focus to the body.

"What else? Any signs of struggle?"

The ME pulled the sheet down to the man's waist. Flack was impressed, her Dad was fit and young looking. Lindsay took a half step backwards at the sight of the autopsy incisions on her father. Flack was close enough behind her that she knocked into him. He rested both hands on her shoulders to steady her. When she took the half step forward again, he left his left hand on the small of her back.

"Your Father was a rugged Montana man Lindsay," Tuff continued. "He has rope burns across one forearm which appear to be a few days old."

She smiled. "He was teaching Tyler to rope."

"Ok that might explain this also." The ME half turned the body to expose one shoulder blade and there were five tiny half-circle bruises.

Lindsay ran her hand over them. "The calf bolted on Ty. It scared him. My Dad must have picked him up, and he clung to Papa for safety."

"Other than that Lindsay, there's nothing I can see out of the ordinary."

"No defensive wounds?"

"No."

"Trace under the nails."

"Normally in this case I wouldn't have collected it. But I did for you. Its there." He gestured to a set of evidence envelopes on the table.

"Tuff what time did he die?"

"Approximately 10:45am." Lindsay's lips went tight, she seemed to swallow hard.

"Who found him?" She turned to the Chief would have been standing by the door.

"Joe Macineryne. He went in for some supplies your Dad had ordered for him. When he wasn't in the front, Joe went around back to the office and saw him."

"Nothing else Tuff?"

"No Lindsay. I've been thorough, I've checked and double checked for you. There's nothing else honey."

Tuff reached for something from the table behind him and handed it to Lindsay.. "I saved this for you. There's no prints or trace on it. Its not evidence. You can take it."

"Thank you." She said in almost a whisper. She opened the small plastic bag and removed a gold wedding band. She held it up to the light. From his view, Flack could see she was checking an inscription although he himself couldn't make out what it said. Another single tear escaped from Lindsay. Her fist formed around the ring.

"Lindsay, he wasn't wearing it. It had apparently been in his left palm."

Her eyes narrowed and she looked to her father. She held her closed fist to her heart and closed her eyes. When she leaned forward Flack's hand fell from her back where he had forgotten it was. She planted one soft kiss on her father's cheek. Her cheek rested against the cold face when she whispered into his ear "I love you Daddy. Sleep well. I'm on watch now." She thought she was quiet enough for it to only be a message between her father and herself, but Flack heard every word.