60

Aligned Design

Chapter 11.

"How shall we do this?" Deakins asked the two psychiatrists.

"How about if we hear from Detectives Eames and Sledge first and they can get back to work?"

"Sledge, tell the doctors what you told me," Deakins said.

Sledge relayed, almost word for word, what he had told the captain. He included the news about Gleason leaving. Sledge ended with, "He said how he wanted things to be like they were before."

"What's odd about this is the fact that Goren should call Sledge in the first place." Deakins said, "They don't get along at all. I just find it strange that Goren should call Sledge."

Eames shifted in her seat. Sledge was a rock. "Who knows why he would call me. He was drunk. People do all kinds of things when they are drunk."

"That's true," Huang said. "Is there anything else you think might be relevant, detective? Any little detail of what he wants to be the same?"

Sledge thought back over what Bobby had said in his monologue. "Well, he talked about how he didn't know what had happened between him and Gleason; what he did to make her leave him. He said he didn't understand why the anger management classes didn't work. Sledge glanced at the beautiful black woman, "Uh, he said he didn't think his post trauma counseling had worked either."

Dr. Stephens smiled and said, "It appears it hasn't, detective."

Sledge continued, "He even said he didn't know why he still smoked after quitting a bunch of years ago. He mentioned that he thought he was drinking too much. I don't know how true that part is, though. I don't think he drank excessively with Gleason around. I can't see him doing that. Sledge looked at each of the psychiatrists. "I sure hope you can help him."

"Thanks, detective." Sledge pushed back from the table, stood, and slid the chair back in and left.

Bobby watched the tall man leave the conference room. Sledge glanced over at him. He stopped, thought a minute and walked over to Bobby's desk. Bobby's eyes never left him.

"Say, Goren, how are you?"

"I'm ok," he replied softly.

"Uh, in there, what's happening . . . this is a good thing. You know?" Sledge actually looked pained.

Bobby's eyes slid over to the conference room. "I know. Depending on what you said in there, I guess I should say 'thanks'; or, 'you sorry bastard, why'd you screw me like that?'" Bobby said it with a straight face; he was being sincere.

Sledge looked at the other man, and then threw his head back and laughed out loud. He put his hands on his chest and howled. Bobby watched the guy bend over laughing and smiled. Then he started to laugh as well. The two men laughed until they teared up.

"Oh! Oh, god, Goren! You are either one crazy bastard or you are healthier than all of us. Oh, man!" Slowly they regained their composure. "Say, want to get out of here and get some lunch?"

Bobby considered it. "Yeah, I could eat."

He stood, and the two men headed for the lifts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone at the table turned and looked at the sound of Sledge laughing. They watched Bobby start to laugh, watched him stand and watched the two men head out. They watched Sledge clap Bobby on the back in a good fellow kind of way. No one said anything for a moment.

"Those two don't get along, you say?" Dr. Stephens asked.

"So I thought," Deakins responded. He shook his head and then asked, "Eames, tell us how he's been lately."

"He's only been back two weeks but I've noticed a difference."

"How so?" asked Huang.

"Well, his temper, certainly. Everyone knows Bobby has a temper; but before, he'd only go off as a last resort. Now, he flies off at the slightest provocation. Actually, he doesn't even need to be provoked. It's as if he has a hair trigger. He seems angry all the time. He's preoccupied."

Eames relayed the event at the gallery the preceding day with Canvettelli and the tantrum outside. She told about the smashed cup in the coffee room yesterday morning. And, how he was short with her on a number of occasions.

"When did this behavior begin to manifest?" Stephens asked.

Eames thought a moment. "I have to say right after the shooting. That night at hospital, he was an absolute wreck. Everyone thought Gleason was going to die. The tension was sky high. He lost it in the men's room, punched the wall and broke his hand."

Eames looked at her hands in her lap, her voice softened, "He was so full of anger at me. He blamed me for siding with Sledge. Sledge didn't think we should pick up Elliott Baughman and I agreed. He was angry with me for convincing him not to pick up Elliott Baughman, the shooter." She looked up at the others, "I think that anger consumed him. I think it permeated every fiber of his being and it was hard to let it go. Maybe this is the residual effect from that anger." She looked back down at her hands.

"I also think things were different between he and Gleason during her, and his, recovery. She was so sick when she left hospital. He looked after her. Their relationship may have changed. Sledge said Bobby said he wanted things like they were before. Maybe he's angry at the way his life is right now. Maybe he's frustrated.

"And now Gleason has left him. He's probably feeling lost, out of control." She looked up and saw the other three thinking about all she had said.

"Do you have any idea when Gleason left or why? Do you know where she went?" Stephens asked.

"No, I didn't even know she was gone. What I do know, is that Bobby loves her like none other. Whatever he did to drive her away must have been terrible."

"Why do you think he did something?" asked Huang.

Eames didn't say anything for a moment. "I, I just figured the way he's been here, maybe he flew off at her." She thought again. "Or, maybe she just left, for no reason. I don't see that, though. They seemed dedicated to each other."

"Did you socialize with them during their recovery?" asked Deakins.

"No. It's just a feeling I guess. He never really spoke of her at work. I spoke with her briefly once on the phone and had one short conversation with her on the Saturday before the shooting when they came in to drop off some evidence. You could see the feelings between them, the way they stood together."

"Anything else you can tell us?" Deakins asked.

Eames shook her head, "No, that's all I can recall."

"Well, thank you, Detective. You've given us a great insight into how he is. Thanks, Detective." Huang said.

Alex stood and left the conference room.