CHAP 5
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Amy.
I had planned on this to be about 6 chapters long, but it looks like it's going to land on about 9 or 10. Anyway, do review I'd like to know people are actually reading the story. Enjoy.
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As Hawkes and Amy were about to begin processing their evidence Mac stopped them, "There's been another fire, it's best if you two take it; since you processed the first fire you'll be able to see if there is a connection between the two."
The scene had taken six hours to process. They got it all back to the lab and started comparing it with their finds from the first fire. The same ingredients used in the smoke bombs were used again but instead of soda cans they found traces of some kind of a plastic box. They both felt they were looking at the same arsonist.
"He could have started out wanting it to look like a fire the first time and when it did actually turn into a real one he just went with it and just set the second building on fire" Hawkes said as they stood by an evidence table filled with bags and burnt objects.
"You're probably right, but that doesn't answer the age old question, why? Why these buildings? …What else do the fires have in common?" she started rummaging in the large heap of things on the table. Their order from Mac was to find a pattern in order to try and stop whoever was doing this from doing it a third time.
"Talked to Sid, our two first victims died of smoke inhalation and luckily there were no fatalities in this fire, half the building was empty for repairs", he said as he compared photos, "this means he isn't doing it to hurt as many people as possible…maybe he has a grudge against certain people who lived in these buildings?"
"I'm saying no right now, no way I'm questioning all those tenants about grudges", Flack said as he walked in.
"You might just have to" Hawkes answered with a grin.
Ignoring him Flack turned to Amy, "I followed up on that missing person, Angela Wicker, like you asked and she is still missing. Her boyfriends' story that she was in his apartment is backed up by his neighbour who says he heard her singing about half an hour before the fire."
"Ok, so say she was there, where is she or her remains now?", she fell silent as she thought as to how this all fitted together with the fire.
"…it's just bad luck, I mean Gary just moved into that apartment a month ago with his wife, paid a fortune for it.", Flack was making conversation with Hawkes as Amy had slipped into her own thoughts, she did that a lot. Though she slipped right back out when she realised what Flack was saying.
"Who's Gary?", she asked.
"Gary Stolls, he's a fellow detective down at the precinct, this second fire was at his building. You've met him; large guy, shaggy brown hair..."
"Could this be the other piece that strings the two fires together: The NYPD? Joe Martinez is a police officer and so is Gary", she felt triumphant, but as the notion sank in she realised what she was saying.
"Wait, this loves-playing-with-matches wacko is targeting police?", Flacks anger was quite visible, attack one of the NYPD and you've attacked them all.
"Hang on, no police have been harmed, unless you count the fact that there homes burnt down", Hawkes reasoned.
Amy fell into her thoughts again, then another one hit her, "Don, Garys wife, where is she?"
"How should I know? I'm having hard enough time keeping track of you", he answered making Hawkes laugh.
"Call Gary now!" as Flack dialled on his phone Hawkes just looked at Amy with a questioning look.
"You think he's targeting the loved ones of the police?"
"Well it looks that way, he seems to have planned these fires well and if his intention was to kill a police officer then he would have checked if the actual police was at home first right?"
Flack shut his phone, "Gary's at the hospital, he's waiting for the ambulances to come in. His wife was at home when the fire began." He had grim expression on his face.
"So she is in an ambulance on her way to the hospital then?", Hawkes asked.
"He doesn't know…"
The silence was broken by Hawkes, "We'd better tell Mac".
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The whole team was brought in on the case, it had gone from simple arson to serial arson and possible multiple kidnapping. It had gone twenty-four hours since the second fire, everyone was pins and needles; was there going to be a third?
Flack had been questioning a known arsonist who recently had gotten out of jail; they figured he would defiantly have a grudge against the police. But it turned out he had a secure alibi so they had no choice but to release him.
As he wandered into the lab to tell the others he saw Hawkes and Amy walking towards him.
"Hey, where are you guys off to?"
"Mac said we'd been working for thirty-eight hours straight and that we're no help to anyone if we fall asleep standing", Hawkes said, his voice telling them that he found it outrages.
Flack turned to Amy who was yawning, "…I think it'll be better when we come in tomorrow with fresh eyes", another yawn, "…and bad news; Garys wife is missing, which confirms our theory. I'm sorry Don, you and Gary seemed close."
Flacks heart sank, "yeah, we did a few cases before I became a detective...I should give him a call." He felt a hand on his shoulder looking up he saw Amy looking back, "we'll get him ok? He's not getting away with this"
He smiled, he knew they'd get him but it felt good to hear it.
"I know…"
"Need a ride Amy?" Hawkes asked, "That would be great Sheldon, thanks". They said their good byes and Hawkes and Amy headed to the elevator, Flack turned when Amy called his name.
"The better-if-you-get-some-sleep rule applies to you too, remember that!" she smiled as the doors to the elevator closed.
He laughed and continued walking into the lab, he remembers someone saying that it would be a total pain to be married, having someone nagging about every little thing you do, but to him it was comforting to have someone who looked out for him.
For every day that passed together with Amy the fake marriage felt more and more like a real one.
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Dumping her bag on the hall way floor she made her to the couch and flung herself on it. She hadn't felt tired until Mac had ordered her to go home, but Hawkes had to shake her awake when they arrived at her door.
Not wanting to fall asleep on the couch she got up and headed to the bath room, a quick shower and then straight to bed. The sooner she fell asleep the sooner she could be back in the lab and find evidence that would lead them to a suspect.
Drying off she wondered if Don was going to come home and rest too, Mac didn't have the power to force him like he could the rest of the team, but perhaps if Mac said something Don would listen. She looked around for her regular sleeping attire, on a chair in her bedroom she found it; one of Dons white shirts. Putting it on she remembered why Don had given it to her. They had been lounging and enjoying a day off watching TV when a clip of Tom Cruise dancing around in his underwear, socks and a white shirt appeared on screen.
"Ever done that?" he had asked her.
"What, jumping on the furniture?"
"No, well that too. Have you ever turned up the volume and just let yourself go?"
"All the time, until you moved in of course. If I had continued prancing around wearing barely nothing singing into a hairbrush you would have thought I was crazy or something", she answered amused.
"Crazy is such a harsh word, entertaining, yes I would have found you entertaining", he grinned at her. He got up and left the room and he came back holding one of his white shirts.
"Here, for you. When ever you feel the need to let loose pull this on and crank up the volume."
She took the shirt and smiled at him, "is that what you do when I'm not around?", "wouldn't you like to know", sticking out his tongue in childish manor, they both laughed uncontrollable in the couch.
She smiled at the memory, she had indeed taken his advice and he had come home one night to find her jumping on the couch singing along to Basement Jaxx's 'Where's your head at'. She hadn't noticed and he had watched her for minute or two and even filmed her on his cell phone. He had threatened to show the rest of the lab, but Amy wasn't worried, she knew he wasn't that mean.
As she curled up in her bed she thought for a moment how good it felt to have Don around, she felt so much safer. But was that it? Was that the only reason she liked having him so close by? In fact lately she had been feeling really good whenever he stood especially close to her, whenever he stood close enough she would stare into those eyes…
She lost herself in that thought for a moment and snapped out of it. She only felt this way because she was thankful, of course that's what it was, she was thankful. She slumped down on her pillow, "Who am I kidding…" she said out loud to herself. Pulling the covers tightly around her she figured she shouldn't think about that now, she had to sleep.
She did eventually fell asleep, but not after going through all the reasons why she shouldn't fall for Don in her mind.
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Nursing a cup of coffee Don shut his eyes for a moment, he was intending on going home but they were waiting for AFIS to come up with a match 'after that' he told himself.
What felt like seconds later someone was shaking him; he opened his eyes and found Danny looking down at him.
"Sorry, drifted off. AFIS come up with something?"
"No, no…Flack, man, I'm sorry…", Danny wasn't smiling, he had a very sorrowful look on his face.
"For what?…Messer, sorry for what?" he got up from his sitting position.
"There's been a third fire…Don its Amy's building. They're waiting for us; we're heading over there now".
The ride over was a blur, not much was said, but the second he opened the car door a wave of different sounds hit him. He stood frozen to the spot just staring at the blazing structure in front of him. Sirens, people screaming, the roaring fire and all the other noises just spun around in his head.
The voice of Mac filtered through, "…Don, what would she be wearing?", he just stared at Mac for a moment dazed by the whole situation.
"My shirt…white"
"Good," Mac turned to Stella and Danny, "go check with the EMTs if they have treated anyone matching her description", with a nod they rushed off.
Mac turned back to Don, when the call about the third fire came Stella told Mac about her suspicions about Don and Amy's friendship. Mac couldn't tell from Dons emotionless face on what level he was worried, but he knew it was tearing him apart seeing this.
"Don, you should head over to the hospital and question the relatives of those injured." Mac got one of the officers at the scene to drive Don to Trinity hospital; he was in no shape to drive by him self. Maybe putting him to work would be considered a bad idea, but Mac knew that the workaholic in him would go in to auto pilot and what ever horrible feelings he felt would be pushed aside for now.
