Part 24

Luke's eyes drifted above his computer monitor as he watched furtively as Jo paced in the corner of his office talking into her cell phone. She'd come in with it at her ear, held up a finger at him before he could say a word, and carried on with the conversation she was already having as if he wasn't there.

Not that he cared. It was just bloody rude. If you wanted to have a private conversation go somewhere private, don't walk into someone else's office and do it.

It was a typical Jo Rosati stunt. One of the many he'd long grown tired of.

And besides, he had a report to write up on his current workload. Trying to find dirt on Gail wasn't really his gig, it never had been, it was Sam Swarek's and everyone at 15 knew it even the Inspector. Jo was just happy to run with anything that had the potential to be a career changer, and this case could be.

Luke understood that. As much as he dismissed the outcome, tying Gail with solid evidence, and a wiretap confession would work especially in this city with Elaine Peck's backing, to either the shootings themselves or the body snatch and they'd have Gail over a barrel.

But last night he'd looked her right in the eye and told her she couldn't trust Holly and he'd hardly got a reaction at all. That together with the fact Elaine was the driving force with this made him very curious as to how it would all play out.

And he was getting a front row seat.

"What are you smirking about?" Jo asked as she tucked her cell phone away and moved over to perch herself on Luke's desk. "And nice to see you've finally lost the scruffy look. It wasn't doing anything for you."

Luke spared her a quick glance but kept typing.

Jo rolled her eyes. "So I might have sent those pictures to a contact of mine at Border Control and he's just got back to me. He's driving up with a partner of his and is very interested in our Joe Blog."

Luke pushed his chair back and gave the blonde a hard look. "Careful Jo, that friend of yours might just come in and take the case from you." He told her as he got up and closed over the file he was working on before leaving the room with it.

Jo shook her head at the departure. But when she caught sight of the time she lost her smile. "Shit."

Walking out of Luke's office Jo made her way to the front of the station where McNally was hanging around. "She's not shown up yet?"

Andy turned to Jo and shrugged her shoulders. "Nope."

Jo cursed and slammed her hand down on the nearest hard surface. "I knew I should have had someone on her apartment last night. Dammit."

Andy waited a few seconds, not wanting her head bitten off, especially by Jo Rosati, a woman she neither liked nor respected, not after she'd slept with Luke while they'd been engaged. And okay, she was with Sam now and happy, most of the time. But she still hated the woman in front of her.

"Maybe she's just running late." She offered softly as the detective continued to fume.

Jo snorted and spun away almost knocking into Dov Epstein as she went to find someone to go hunt down the reluctant doctor.

Dov shook his head as the blonde stormed away without apologising. He shared a look with Andy. Neither of them was that fond of the detective. In fact no one in 15 was.

"What's her problem?" He asked his friend as he took the seat beside her.

Andy sighed. "Don't ask."

"Okay." Dov left it at that and flicked through some of the night shifts desk notes. As far as he could tell nothing interesting happened. At least not for their station.

He turned to Andy as he tilted his head towards her. "You hear about that warehouse off the Sunlight motel?"

Andy shook her head.

Pleased with the bit of gossip he had Dov grinned. "Yeah, it's part of 12 Division's district, anyway," He wheeled his chair closer after glancing around to make sure no one in a white shirt was nearby.

Andy checked as well feeling nervous anyway as she waited on Holly Stewart to arrive.

"It was a mess, like burnt to a crisp unidentifiable mess." He informed Andy once he knew the coast was clear.

Andy scowled having no idea what her fellow officer was talking about. "What was?" She asked when he just grinned at her.

"The two bodies! Total barbeque. Forensics are going to have a hard time getting any IDs without dental records." He told her with a snort.

Andy winced. "That sounds awful."

Dov nodded gravely. "Yeah, just hope the poor bastards were already dead before the flames were lit."

Closing her eyes Andy tried hard not to think about it.

"Sound's like a gang hit, probably drug related given the area." Dov continued thinking out loud not even paying attention to Andy's look of horror. "Guns and gangs are going to be after it that's for sure." He paused as a thought stuck him and he nudged Andy. "Do you think I should go tell Detective Peck? He might want in on it."

Andy rolled her eyes. It was weird how Dov never spoke about Gail any more but happily played Steve Peck's errand boy.

Besides, she knew Steve had more important things going on right now.

Like trying to get one over on his sister.

Andy sighed and checked the time again. The pathologist was already a half hour late for the meeting with Jo and Luke. And Steve. Andy wasn't quite sure how that all worked given Luke was part of homicide and Steve was guns and gangs, and from what she remembered Luke never actually liked Steve.

Poor Luke.

Stuck working with his ex and a Peck.

"You!"

Andy and Dov both turned and straightened in their seats as Inspector Jarvis walked over to them looking decidedly unhappy.

Andy really hoped it wasn't about Dr Stewart's late arrival.

But Jarvis was glaring at Dov.

"You call Officer Collins and get him in here, or you go out there and drag him in from wherever you find him." Jarvis ordered. "At least his father can't make excuses for him." He added with a disgusted snort.

Dov shot up out of his chair and nodded. "Yes Sir."

Andy turned away and rolled her eyes at Dov's eagerness as she busied herself with looking up Dr Stewart's contact details on their computer system. She knew Dov was trying to do everything to get the next promotion. But from what Sam told her Dov wasn't really detective material. Not yet anyway.

Jarvis eyes Dov critical. "Good. I don't have all day to wait around. Get it done."

Dov nodded again but Jarvis had already turned on his heel away from him.

Andy waited until it was clear Jarvis was gone and Dov had slumped back down into his seat before turning to face her colleague. "What was that about?" She asked him. "I thought Nick and Duncan had already been suspended." So why was Nick expected back in today.

Dov checked to see who was around then shifted closer to Andy. "Rumour has it that Daddy Commissioner stepped in last night and Duncan might be off the hook."

Andy blew out a breath wondering how she was only just hearing about this. And when Dov became the one with all the information about what was going on around the station.

"Yeah." Dov replied then shook his head. "Blue bloods, runs deep around here doesn't it."

Gathering her thoughts Andy turned back to Dov as he stood to go and find Nick. "What's this got to do with Collins? If Duncan's got no case to answer then neither does he." Duncan was after all the one that fired his weapon.

Dov shrugged. "Guess someone's got to take the fall right? And Nick's blood's just a paler shade of blue."

Andy watched Dov walk away wondering if her friend ever really thought before he spoke. Her father had been an officer at 15. The blood might be blue but that didn't guarantee that the people around you, brothers in arms, wouldn't hang you out to dry if they had to.

xxxxx

One of Gail's favourite games when she was on foot and switching between bus routes and through shopping centres. Not long after she started working at one of Wolf's bars under Anan's watchful eyes, she began to notice the same car while she drove home or to work.

It hadn't been hard to figure out they were cops.

She'd even spotted her own brother on more than one occasion.

So she'd stopped driving, faked a mechanical problem to ditch it, and started using public transport whenever she went out.

The problem cops had when they put someone under surveillance was generally a resource problem and the length of time it could take to pay off. But with Gail they also had to contend with the fact that she knew most of the cops in Toronto, and if she didn't know them she could still spot a cop thanks to her parents idea of a childhood.

She'd enjoyed herself for a while, dragging undercovers all around the city without really taking them anywhere. But she gave them nothing for weeks. Nothing they could use at any rate. When she was at work she was doing just that. The rest of the time she stayed clear of Anan and anyone else associated to Damien Wolf.

Which had led to the clubs being raided for drugs three times the following week. A couple of bar staff and members of the public had been arrested on minor charges. But the message was clear that 15 had them under watch.

So Gail sent a message of her own. The next time she was followed she headed into a busy shopping mall and quickly lost her trailing cop. She then let him spot her and eventually had him chasing her down a back service corridor of a nearby hotel she knew well. And then Gail picked her spot around a blind bend and when the undercover cop hurried after her she let him slip past her and put her gun to his head.

Bang, you're dead.

He'd pissed himself there and then.

No one followed her after that. And the raids on clubs owned by Damien Wolf slowed down.

But her brother had been furious at her and confronted her a few days later telling her he was only trying to look out for her, that Wolf was bad news and she had no idea what she was doing.

She'd actually laughed in his face.

He'd told her he couldn't help her anymore.

She'd wondered when the last time was that he had. She certainly couldn't remember it. So she'd asked him, it had to have been before the Academy, maybe even before he'd joined himself. He always expected her full support whenever he needed it but when was it ever returned?

Because he hadn't been there after the Academy, and not when she'd struggled through her time as a rookie, dealing with being seen only as a Peck. When failure wasn't an option.

She'd done that on her own. And succeeded.

She left her boyfriend for Steve, her only real friend at 15, the one person that saw past her name. For the first time in her life she was treated as an individual and not some white shirt in training, and she ended it with Chris because she was supposed to be loyal, and because Steve was family.

But when she had been out in the cold, and sleeping in her car, where had Steve been?

When Jerry had bled out in her arms.

Where was her brother then?

She remembered the stunned look on his face at that. She'd even felt a little guilty. Steve and Jerry had been friends. But the fact was, the one time she had really needed him Steve hadn't been there.

So she didn't need him pretending to care about her now.

She hadn't spoken to him much after that. But that was okay. She had Chris, Anan, Romi and even Dieter. They'd become family to her, they looked out for her, and she looked out for them when she could.

That was just the way it was now. It wasn't better or worse, just different.

And then there was Holly.

She hadn't planned for the doctor but that was okay. Gail was enjoying the shift to her world, it had been a much longer time for her to remember being happy. Real, honest to god happy.

The doctor was worth the effort, worth the trouble, and worth the potential heartache if Gail was wrong about her.

Gail didn't want to think about that for long as she started to cut through a park. She glanced around just to check for anyone following her but for now she figured there wasn't a need to keep close tabs on her.

Not if 15 had Holly working for them now.

Gail sniffed and stuck her hands into her jacket pockets as she continued walking. It was mid-morning so the park wasn't that busy, an elderly couple with a dog, a jogger and further ahead two kids, that probably should have been in school, sucking face together on a bench.

Eww.

Gail shifted her gaze whenever anyone came close, not that she was paranoid or anything, but it was hard to describe someone accurately when you never really saw them to start with.

Plus it was a good habit to have in her line of work.

Just like the occasional looks over her shoulder and quick direction changes. Or the way she altered the way she went home, and why she didn't always stay at her own apartment.

If you got too complacent with your own safety, bad things could happen and Gail wasn't that stupid. Despite the blonde hair.

So when she got level with the pair of kids she let out a low whistle but kept walking.

A few seconds later and she heard a boy's voice protesting as the kiss was cut short. Another few second and the same voice was calling out, asking the girl where she was going. And finally, in a resigned tone that had Gail rolling her eyes, the voice asked if they were still on for tonight.

Through it all Gail kept her pace steady as she made her way through the park and out onto the streets again. A block later and she cut into a café.

She sat down without ordering in an out of sight corner and waited to see if her tail would turn up before she got bored.

It didn't take long for the seat across from Gail to be filled.

"Hey boss." The girl said with a smile and eyes not unlike the ones across from her.

Gail shook her head and tossed a twenty onto the table. "Coffee."

The girl picked up the money and went to order.

Gail watched her closely, she'd only seen the kid a week ago but she already look skinnier if that was possible. And there was a bruise on her cheek that wasn't completely covered by the make-up.

When the coffee was placed in front of her Gail didn't comment on the missing change. She just picked up her drink and enjoyed it. She wasn't the one desperate for cash or a safe place to live.

"You doing okay?" She asked the girl then gestured vaguely to her own face. The girl blushed and looked away as she ate a muffin and nursed her own coffee.

Gail sighed then pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. "You remember where that goes right? Same place as last time."

The girl rolled her eyes as she stuck the note into her own pocket. From the feel she knew there was cash inside. That made her happy, it wasn't like she had a proper job of her own anyway.

Gail took the attitude as a yes and moved on. "How's school?"

The girl groaned and Gail smirked.

She'd find out who caused the bruise later. And she'd have to keep a closer eye on the girl in the future.

"I hate school." The girl complained.

"Everyone hates school."

The girl rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I can't just get a job."

"Because you're just a kid."

"I work for you don't I?" The girl asked quietly, looking down.

Gail didn't know what to say. Instead she reached over and tore of a corner of the muffin off much to the protests of the girl and shoved her prize into her mouth. "I don't pay you a wage, I compensate you for your time, the rest of which should be spent in school. Also less sucking boy face would be good too."

That caused a loud groan from the girl.

Gail smirked and finished her coffee then stood up, she was supposed to be meeting Chris soon.

She paused and waited for eyes to lift to hers. "You know that's my number, if you need to you call me. Got it?"

The girl nodded slowly, obviously unsure of the offer. Gail had always been the one to find her when she needed something. It had never been the other way around.

"Good." Gail placed her hand on the girls shoulder and squeezed gently. But that just further highlighted that she needed to be doing a better job of watching over the girl.

But that would have to wait for now.

"Stay out of trouble."

"You too." Came the cheeky response.

Gail grinned and made her way out of the café and resumed her walk, keeping her head down and paying very close attention to her surroundings.

She jogged to the nearby bus stop and slipped in between the closing doors of the bus there, she liked doing that. She watched the street but no one seemed to be watching her or scrambling after her. Which, again, was good.

She paid the fare and took a seat in the back with a clear view of everyone in front of her. She eyed the streets that went by as she worked through where to get off and how much of a detour to take before meeting Chris at her bar.

While she enjoyed the game it was fairly obvious now that there wasn't anyone watching or following her. Not today anyway.

Which meant they didn't think they needed to.

So that left Gail wonder just how confident they were that Holly was sold on turning her in to them.

And if Holly tried to, was Gail going to let her?

xxxxxx

AN/

Thanks for reading!