A Shift of Axis Chapter 8, a law and order: ci fanfic

"A Shift of Axis"

Usual disclaimers apply.

Chapter Eight

Nicole found herself flat on her back on the basement floor and three hundred pounds plus of naked male on top of her. It wouldn't be the first time, but never had she seen such murder in a pair of eyes.

"Goren, you will remove yourself from her," Rafiq said smoothly, "or I will blow a hole in the temple of your lovely Alex."

Nicole relaxed with an inward sigh. The man was a gem, a wonderful find who thought how she thought, and was both dependable and obedient.

Feeling Bobby freeze, Nicole gazed wide-eyed into his snarling face, his lips pulled back and white teeth ready to take a chunk out of her. She thrilled to this violent side of Bobby and if he only knew she continually devised ways of bringing it out in him, he wouldn't keep rising to her bait.

Nicole slid from under his raised shoulders, enjoying the extreme satisfaction derived from the dejection in his hung head. She nodded at Rafiq, sitting on the edge of the bed with his Glock pressed against the side of Alex' head. Alex had managed to wrap the bed sheet around her and, with her chin held high, was showing a brave front.

"Thank you, Rafiq," Nicole said, smoothing down her dress as she stood. "Bobby, that really was a very unwise move, especially coming from you." She smiled down at him as he pushed himself into a crouch. "Rafiq has nothing much to do here except protect me. Give him a reason to strut his stuff and you may not like the results."

"What have I got to lose, Nicole?" Bobby demanded an answer, throwing out his arms. "Despite what we did… went through… you still threatened Alex' life!"

"Don't be silly!" Nicole tossed her head. "That was a wonderful performance, and I hope you'll entertain me with many more. In fact, I'll leave you two alone now so that you can devise some different and interesting moves for next time." She wagged a finger at him. "But jump me like that again, Bobby, and I'll have to do you a serious injury."

Walking toward the locked exit, Nicole motioned for Rafiq to follow her. "Now, Rafiq, it's time for you to supply me with a little distraction too. Bobby's antics have fair damped my panties." She laughed and hooked an arm around Rafiq's waist as he joined her, still with the Glock trained on Alex.

A cell phone chirped within Rafiq's pocket and Nicole looked expectantly up at him. "Expecting someone?"

Reaching into his jacket with his other hand, he brought out a slim silver phone. "It is yours, my queen." He checked the caller ID. "Alicia wishes to speak to you."

Nicole frowned, not pleased with the interruption. "Secure the door behind you," she said as she unlocked the exit and passed through it. "We don't want those two escaping yet." Mounting the steps to the main house, Nicole flipped open the phone. "What is it?"

"Nicky, honey, it's me. How's it going up there?"

"Fine, Alicia. Can this wait? I'm in the middle of something."

"Something?" Alicia laughed throatily at the other end. "You doing Goren or the woman?"

"Don't be crass, love. Bobby and Alex are just toys for me to play with." Nicole swung a long glance at Rafiq as he opened the connecting door into the kitchen for her. "Rafiq gives me everything else I need."

"Until you tire of him."

"What do you want, Alicia? The conversation so far has been pointless." Bypassing the long wooden benches in the kitchen that gleamed with the stainless steel appliances of expensive luxury, Nicole leaned against the stand-alone bench, above which a full rectangular utensil rack was suspended, and beckoned Rafiq to her.

"Sorry, babe," Alicia said, "but I wanted to let you know that two city detectives came to my door today."

Nicole stopped in the middle of one-handedly undoing Rafiq's tie. He had her pinned to the edge of the bench, leaning in to nuzzle her neck, but she held up a hand to stop him, mouthing a 'wait'.

"What did they want?" she asked Alicia. "Not Bobby, surely? They couldn't have twigged to the detectives' disappearance this early."

"They wanted to know about Wendell."

"They found your connection so soon? But you don't have to worry, Alicia. There's nothing to connect you to the fire."

"Maybe not, but they saw a photo of you. They know you're my sister-in-law."

"Ex-sister-in-law." Nicole wasn't concerned, never bothering to hide her past, only her escape routes. "It's not your fault that I married Gavin and dragged you both into my evil web." She laughed at her own joke and finished with Rafiq's tie before starting on his shirt buttons. "Stop worrying. You've done nothing–"

"I'm not worried. I… well, I know one of the detectives."

Nicole caught her breath as Rafiq's hand stole under the hem of her dress and slid up her thigh. "I'm very happy for you, Alicia, but I have to go. Rafiq's not going to–"

"It's Mike. Mike Logan. You remember me telling you about him?"

Nicole sighed, annoyed that Alicia wasn't taking the hint. "Look, love, I recall you telling me you were hot and heavy with a cop once, but that was years ago–"

"I still want him, Nicky. Seeing him again… well, I still want him."

Nicole immediately sensed complications arising; complications she didn't need and certainly didn't want coming from the home oval. She batted Rafiq's hand out from under her dress, pushed him away and straightened from the workbench to walk over to the refrigerator.

Swinging the door open in a temper, she pulled out a bottle of red wine and shoved it at Rafiq. "Be a love, and pour us a drink. I'm going to need it."

Her teeth on edge, Nicole spoke back into the phone. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"I want to bring him up there," Alicia said. "Like you did with–"

"No."

"But, Nicole, it's my house–"

"No!"

"I don't see why not. If you can do it, I can–"

"Let me shed some light on the subject for you," Nicole snapped. "This is not a love tryst we're having up here. This is an abduction. This is bringing Bobby Goren to his knees, to hell and back and then some. You're not bringing your boyfriend into the mix. Screw him in New York if you must, but you don't need to shack up with him here–"

"It's not that simple."

Nicole rolled her eyes. It never is. She accepted the wine goblet from Rafiq and stroked his bare chest in apology for keeping him waiting.

"He's… in a relationship," Alicia said, and Nicole detected an uncharacteristic note of uncertainty in her voice. "He's not going to ditch this woman in a hurry, but if I bring him up there–"

"You bloody well listen to me, Alicia." Nicole dug her nails into Rafiq's bare chest and he growled in response. "You and no one else is going to come anywhere near this place, do you hear me? Stay in New York like a good girl and leave other women's men alone. If you can't get a man by fair means, you won't keep him by foul."

Nicole gasped as Rafiq tore her dress down the middle, buttons and lace scattering to the floor. She'd ignited the beast in him with her temper and she didn't intend to waste the moment. "Now forget this Mike Logan and I'll share Rafiq with you when we're down there again. Okay?"

"Nicole, you don't understand–"

"No, you don't understand. Stay away from here and stay away from cops. Now, Rafiq's getting impatient and I'm not going to deny him anymore. Goodbye, Alicia."

Nicole closed the phone and skidded it across the workbench. Hitching herself up on top of the flat surface, she opened her legs and beckoned Rafiq with crooked fingers. "Come to Mama, stud."

oOo

The Super shuffled along the landing, closely followed by Logan and Barek until he stopped at a door and stooped over the door lock. Taking his time flipping through his keys, he finally found one and inserted it in the lock. Carolyn's neck seized with tension, feeling an urgency she couldn't substantiate, nor ignore.

"I'm not likin' this," the Super complained. "Mr Goren, he's a very private man. Even if you are from his precinct, I reckon you should have a search warrant or sometin' before you go snooping round his apartment."

"Yeah, your complaint's been noted," Logan fudged, rolling his eyes at Carolyn. "You can tell Goren all about it when he gets back. Meanwhile, if you don't mind…"

With the door finally opened, Carolyn beat Logan into the apartment, scanning the living room and seeing nothing amiss.

"You take the bedroom and bathroom," she told Logan, pointing to a doorway beyond which she could make out the corner of a made bed. "I'll take the kitchen and living room."

She watched Mike lope off toward the bedroom and gave herself a second or two to imagine following him in there and throwing him on the bed and… Taking a breath, Carolyn shoved the pleasant thought aside and let her eyes sweep the living room more thoroughly.

Carolyn was impressed with the fastidiousness of Robert Goren. Everything appeared well-ordered and placed, not cluttered but not austere either. Not surprisingly, there was not one large bookcase, but three that she could see, each filled to capacity with books of various sizes and all hardbacks. The dining room table was cleared, chairs neatly stacked under its burnished wooden top with a square black candle on an ornate silver plate the only centerpiece.

The stuffed sofa looked old and comfortable, well-sprung and upholstered in a faded rich brocade. Matching chairs were strategically placed near the bookcases as if Bobby would select a book and sit where he stood. Seeing nothing to alert her, Carolyn moved into the kitchen.

Everything seemed in its place. She checked the fridge, found an opened quart of milk, the same of orange juice, but no mixers for alcohol. A plate of exotic-looking cheese and two covered dishes containing leftovers sat on the shelves. There was no crockery in the sink or drainer, nor scattered on the bench top. Popping the trash bin's cover, Carolyn checked out the only cast-off – a used coffee filter that was still damp. Bobby was here last night, made coffee and cleaned up after himself. Did he make coffee for two?

"Hey, Barek!" Logan called. "Check this out."

Carolyn hurried to join him and found Logan in the bathroom with the clothes hamper lid open.

"What was Goren wearing yesterday?" he asked.

"Charcoal suit, eggshell blue shirt, gray tie with thin blue diagonal stripes."

Logan lifted an eyebrow, obviously impressed with her recall, but he should be used to it by now. They'd worked together day in, day out for several months.

Logan leaned down and pulled out a pale blue shirt and gray trousers.

"He changed out of his work clothes," Carolyn stated the obvious. "Is the shower still wet?"

"Nope, dry. And look at this." Logan fished out a blue-striped gray tie from the hamper. "Now, I know Goren's particular and finicky, but no guys I know dump their ties in laundry hampers to be washed."

Carolyn's interest sharpened. "Any sign he slept here last night?"

Logan led her into the bedroom, sweeping a hand toward the neatly made single bed. "If he did, he slept alone. Who would have thought it? A single bed! I've slept in a king-size since I grew out of short pants."

Carolyn grimaced but had to agree, wondering why such a large man chose to sleep so constrictively. "Did you find his cell phone?"

"Nope. If it's with him and he's not answering it…" Logan looked hard at her. "Worth checking out Eames' apartment to see if they checked in there?"

"If we do, I want it done fast," Carolyn frowned. "It could have been a rushed moment, but I don't like that tie in the hamper either. I've got flags going up over this."

oOo

Alex' Super was more cooperative, having already met Barek when Carolyn gave Alex a couple of lifts to work. He chatted amicably but was quick to report he hadn't seen Ms Eames since yesterday morning.

"She could have slipped in and out in a hurry, of course," the Super added, "but usually she checks in to ask after the missus. My wife's been feeling poorly of late."

"We're sorry to hear that," Carolyn said, nodding sympathetically before following Logan through the door. She nearly ran into the back of him as he came to a sudden halt over the threshold.

"Whoa! The place has been ransacked!" he cried.

Barek smiled slightly, looking past him into the living room dominated by several coffee tables strewn with magazines and family photos, her dining table half hidden under a huge semi-constructed jigsaw puzzle and scattered homeless pieces. Several pairs of shoes were haphazardly stationed at the door, and she counted three coats on the backs of the dining table chairs. A rug had been tossed to the floor in front of a foldaway bed that doubled as the room's couch and three remotes were tossed on the floor beside it.

"This is normal, Mike," Carolyn said. "I've been here several times and it's the same every time. Alex likes living in a mess."

"Mess? My place is a mess." Logan shook his head in wonder. "This is a war zone. You've got the bedroom this time. I ain't goin' there. Never know what I might find."

Carolyn tossed him a look as she headed for the room beyond. "The kitchen's yours then and no eating her food. I know you and your appetite and she'll have nothing left–"

Logan was behind her, moving swifter than a cat, his breath at her ear and hands on her shoulders. "You haven't even scratched the surface of the depth of my appetite, Caromia."

Carolyn shivered at the feel of his lips on her neck, then swung round, batting him off. But inside, she was purring. "Your Italian accent stinks, Mike. Stick to the Irish blarney you're so good at."

Mike feigned a mortal wound to his chest and walked off in the direction of the kitchen. Carolyn wasn't going to scold him for being unprofessional. They were alone and weren't really on a case; just an investigation into Bobby and Alex' whereabouts. How they were going to write this up and explain the time spent here to Deakins was more of a concern to Carolyn than Mike's antics.

Like Bobby's, Alex' bed was undisturbed, but at least it was a good queen size. A bathrobe was thrown over the only chair in the room, there were more magazines and shoes scattered, and a cluttered desk, with just enough spare surface to accommodate a laptop computer, stood against the wall. A thorough search of the bedroom, closet and bathroom produced no discarded work clothes from yesterday.

"No cell phone again," Logan said, joining Carolyn empty-handed. "The kitchen's not much better than in here, but it doesn't look like it's been trashed in haste." Logan spied the desk. "I thought bedrooms were for sleeping, not working."

"I thought you thought bedrooms were for–"

Carolyn didn't get to finish as Logan swooped on her, drugging her with a knee-buckling kiss. She melted into him, her hands grabbing his arms for support and her heart pounded against her ribcage. Just as quickly, Logan let her go and Carolyn's head reeled.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding apologetic at all, "you've been asking for that with all this talk of bedrooms." His eyes twinkled as he gave her a lop-sided grin. "And I told you before, I can get creative. I don't need a bedroom." His gaze swept her body, and Carolyn's blood flamed in response.

Banking his interest and suddenly professional again, Logan looked expectantly at her. "Now what?"

"Uh, um…" Carolyn swallowed hard and collected her wits, her heart still beating erratically. "Well… what have we got?" She took a deep breath. "Alex could have spent the night at Bobby's."

"Not likely, not in that bed. I bet fifty there wasn't any action in there last night."

Carolyn ignored him, having been warned about Mike's random betting challenges. "But if she did, would she have gone off without a change of clothes?"

"Maybe she took a change of clothes with her."

"Unlikely. I've already looked and her overnight bag is still in her closet. That's not conclusive, she still could have, but I'm not convinced."

"Any other leads?"

Carolyn thought hard. The mental picture came to mind of Alicia Mateus wrapping her arms around Mike and pressing her body into his as she kissed him.

"As a matter of fact there is," she said slowly. "But I'm going to hate every minute of it."

Logan thrust his hands in his pockets, his eyebrows raised, waiting.

"You get to rekindle old flames, Mike."

oOo

Alex watched Nicole and Rafiq leave the room then turned to see Bobby push himself from the floor to retrieve his clothes. She followed his every movement, unashamed to look at him, especially now that they were alone.

"What just happened then?" she asked, clearing her throat. She'd been held at gunpoint before, but never by someone with such pleasurable detachment. The fact that Rafiq didn't care whether he blew a hole in her head or not was more terrifying than the psychotic killer who didn't know what they were doing.

"She… she was going to have me killed," Alex said, her gaze holding Bobby's as he turned back to her, jeans secured but chest bare. "I saw it in her eyes, and then… She acted like nothing happened."

Bobby pulled his t-shirt over his head and massaged the back of his neck as he sat on the edge of the bed. His shoulders rounded, he shook his head. "Nicole…is swinging between psychosis and revenge against me." He looked away in guilt, but Alex cupped his chin with her hand and brought his gaze back to her.

"Bobby, I said it before. This is not your fault. And nothing you did hurt me. You did what you had to do. We both did. I'm okay with it."

Heaving a sigh, Bobby continued. "When Nicole's regressed… as the abused daughter… she resents her mother for not stopping her father's abuse of her, maybe even… blaming her mother for indirectly causing the abuse. At the same time, the mother is seen as someone with whom to compete for her father's so-called affection and so… is a real threat to Nicole. It would serve a kind of purpose if her mother were dead." Bobby's eyes closed as if acceding to the shocking truth of his theory. "When she's lucid, she just wants me to suffer and you're merely a pawn to keep me at bay." He opened his eyes, and Alex saw the conviction and hardness there. "I've convinced her that if you're harmed, there is nothing that will protect her from me."

"Nicole's far more dangerous in her psychotic state," Alex stated, picking up his logic.

"Yes." He nodded, head heavy.

"So we've got to keep her torturing you, rather than killing me." Alex smoothed her hand up Bobby's cheek. "Sounds like a rock and a hard place."

"Yes, it is."

oOo

TBC…