252
Aligned Design
Ch 46
Rodgers dictated her findings as she sliced and diced the two thieves. Nearly three and a half hours later, she summarized each autopsy and sent the tapes to transcription with directions for the reports to go to Goren and Eames in Major Case. She sent the photo film canisters to development with the same directions. A radiology technician developed the x-ray films on site and Rodgers kept them; Goren will be down to see them on Monday, she figured.
She asked her assistant to prep the bodies for storage and eventual disposal. There's no rush, she thought, Goren will want to poke at the bodies himself. Then she cleaned up, called her sister, was sorry she did so, and headed to her sister's house. I am taking Monday off, she said to herself.
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"How many bodies did we get out of this vehicle?" the inspector said to his colleague. "I got two wallets here. One on the seat and one on the floor. There's probably one with the body, doncha think?"
"So, where are the other two bodies? Tell me there's been a mix up. Damn. Let me call Sam upstairs." The inspector's colleague walked over to the phone on the counter.
The inspector set each wallet in an evidence bag, filled out the front of each bag and set them inside the evidence bin for this vehicle. He continued searching what he could get to in the mangled wreck.
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"Where is she? When did she leave? Oh, Jesus, Jim, why does she do this?" Angie was beside herself. Julie had done this four other times. She had been a good girl, for the most part, until she turned fourteen. These last eighteen months had been hell.
"Look, calm down. I'll get cars out looking for her. She always comes home. She'll come home this evening. Calm down, Angie. She'll be ok. She'll come home. She always does."
Jimmy Deakins did not want his wife to know how frightened he was. One of these times, Julie was not going to come home. One of these times, she's going to get herself into real trouble. Then, a pair of his own people are going to come knocking on his door and that will be the end of Angie. She will loose her mind if anything happens to Julie.
Deakins walked to the phone in the hall.
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"What do you want for dinner? I'll make us something. Or do you want to go out?" Bobby asked Gleason. They had driven to one of those huge grocery stores.
"I don't care. How can we buy food after eating that huge breakfast? I'm going over here. I'll find you." Gleason walked over to the personal items section while Bobby gathered vegetables and fruits.
Gleason got what she needed, found Bobby looking at meat and said, "Can we hurry and finish? I really want to go home." Gleason slipped her arm through his and leaned into him.
"Are you ok?" he asked, looking at her.
"Let's just finish up and go home. Ok?"
Bobby headed for the check out.
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"Here we go, a match on the stippling on the Glock .22 slugs," the tech said to no one.
He printed out the file with the cross matches. Three other unsolved shootings showed up on this weapon's report. Five people died because of this gun. Last registered to a Marquand Paris, deceased, Mr. Paris' son reported it stolen two years ago when the son was clearing out his father's effects.
The file, rather long at four pages, printed out and the tech sent them up to MCS, attention Detectives Goren, Eames/Sledge, and Bishop.
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Jimmy Deakins drove around looking for his daughter. She could be anywhere. She could be with anyone. Angie was home calling Julie's girlfriends, talking with their moms.
"Yeah," he said into his cell phone.
"Honey, Jimmy, Caitlyn's mother said, Caitlyn told her that Julie is seeing a boy who's nineteen. That means they're in a car. Jimmy they can be going anywhere!"
"Angie, calm down. What kind of car? Did you ask? Who is this guy? Did you get his name? Ange?"
He heard her sobbing. "Angie, Ange. Calm down." He spoke softly, calmly. He waited.
"She, she said his name is Matt. She didn't know his last name. He has a blue car, she didn't know what kind."
"Ok, good. A name is good. I'm going over to Caitlyn's house and talk with her. Relax. Ok? I'll call you."
Jimmy Deakins turned around and headed to his daughter's best friend's house.
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"What are you going to tell him? He's going to want to know who we sold the paintings to. Are you going to tell him they were stolen? You can't tell him that, he thinks you needed the money to –"
"Will you shut up! Jesus, Tilley. I'll take care of it. Don't I always take care of things? Don't worry." Jenese put his hand on his lover's knee and patted gently. Then he took the other man's hand and held it. "I'll take care of everything. Don't worry. Don't I always take care of you?" Jenese gently leaned against Tilley.
Tilley sighed and whispered, "Yes, you always take care of me."
"And I always will." They sat quietly for a few minutes. Then, Jenese asked, "Did you see a men's room anywhere? I bet you need a men's room, huh? I bet I can help you in that men's room, huh?" Jenese' hand left Tilley's and slid up Tilley's thigh. Jenese cupped his lover's goods and whispered, "Go find the men's room and wait for me. No, get yourself going and then wait for me."
Tilley smiled and stepped past Jenese in search of the men's room.
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Bobby had to park around the block. He wanted to drop off Gleason in front of the building, but she wanted to walk, said it was good to walk. They each carried a bag of groceries and then trudged up the steps.
Bobby took her bag from her and said, "Here, give me this. Why don't you – "
Gleason suddenly bent forward with a groan. She leaned on the back of the chair and Bobby was over her in a heartbeat. "What? Gleason, what's wrong? Honey?"
It passed and Gleason stood upright. "It's just cramps, Bobby. Just cramps. I need these."
She took the package and went down the hall.
Bobby had no experience with this whatsoever. He knew about periods, of course, just as he knew about other things. But being with a woman during this time, no idea. He didn't even know when Eames was . . . at that time. And, honestly, he didn't want to know. Even with Madelyn, back in the academy, he never knew, and they had practically lived together. Women and their functions were mysteries to him.
He had put away the groceries and was folding the bags when Gleason returned to the kitchen. She went to him and he held her. "Are you ok, Sweetheart?"
She just leaned against him, arms folded between his chest and hers. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.
"Huh uh," she answered, not moving away. Bobby held her and rocked slightly. He felt her begin to shiver.
"Are you cold?"
"A little."
"Why don't you go lie down and take a nap? I'll cover you up and you can rest. Ok?"
Gleason nodded against Bobby's chest and they moved to the bedroom together. Gleason went to her side of the bed and lay down. Bobby pulled up her green throw, covered her and sat beside her.
"Gleason, is this just your period?" Bobby asked softly.
She looked up at him, "What else would it be?"
He didn't want to go into it again, but it had occurred to him, this might be the end of something. But he didn't know. She knows her body better than me, he thought. But he still wondered. "Are you warm enough?" he asked.
"I would be warmer if you laid here with me. Lay with me for a bit?"
Bobby put his hand on her neck, bent and kissed her softly. "Of course," he replied.
He went around the bed, kicked off his shoes and lay next to her, holding her, warming her back, loving her. Wondering.
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"Matt, I don't want to do this," Julie told her boyfriend.
"Come on, baby, if you love me, you'll want to. You love me, don't you?" Matt was a scrawny, dirty, doper dropout who occasionally worked in a fast food joint. Julie thought he was cute with his long hair and slouchy build. Besides, he was the exact opposite end of the spectrum from what her parents would approve of.
"I do love you but I don't want to. Let's go sit on the swings. Ok? Let's just be together." Julie didn't want to make out. It was a nice day and she really wanted to be on the swings with him. It would be fun. Romantic. She reached for the door handle and he grabbed her hand.
"Come on, I said. Let's do it. I'll be quick. It'll feel good, come on. Let me." He slid his hand up under her tiny skirt and grabbed the top of her panties.
"No! Matt, stop it! I don't want to." Julie pushed his hand away and turned toward the passenger door again.
"Well, I want to, bitch!" Matt grabbed her around the waist with one arm and undid his pants with his other hand. He was erect.
Julie fought him and he went nuts. He struck her with the hand that had opened his pants and she screamed. And screamed. And screamed.
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Bishop and Sledge pulled into the parking lot at the pier and met Petty Officer Petrosky.
"Where's this body?" Sledge asked him.
"Over here. It looks like he was beaten."
"What makes you think he's associated with the sailboat? The boat's been missing nearly ten days." Bishop asked.
"Well, wait till you see him."
The two detectives followed Petrosky around the back of the stationhouse. Two uniforms stood over the crumpled, beaten body of an older, bald man.
"Looks like he's been a few hours," one of the uniforms reported.
Sledge bent over the body, pulling on gloves. CSU was combing the area for spent shells, any kind of weapon. The ME's van was open and two techs were bringing over the stretcher. Bishop talked with the two uniforms.
"How was the body discovered," she asked.
"A kid brought his girlfriend down here for some nooky on his dad's boat. They were on their way back to the car when they found him. They're over in the back of the patrol car." He nodded to the black and white parked nearest the dock. The back doors were open and Bishop could see a couple in the back seat.
"Ok, thanks." Bishop walked over to the patrol car and interviewed the kid and his girlfriend. They passed by the station house at about two on the way to the kid's dad's boat and saw nothing. The craft sat docked on the far end, so they heard nothing – not that they would have with the fun they were having. They were on their way back to their car at about seven when they saw the body. They called 9-1-1 and then the Coast Guard showed up, followed by the NYPD. "Ok, thanks."
Sledge was walking away from the body as Bishop was returning. "This is a roll and toss. No way is it connected to the sailboat. Jesus." Sledge pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his coat pocket.
"What made Petrosky think it was?" Bishop asked.
"The guy is an absolute ass kisser. Detective wannabe. Thinks he knows. Perceptive, you know, always been. Missed his calling. Ya-dah, ya-dah." Sledge said it all with mocking distain.
"So, what now?"
"We let the ME's bus take him in, we turn it back to the locals and we head back to work."
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"That's a good boy, Marshall. Good boy." A man walking his dog heard a girl screaming. He saw a blue Malibu parked along side the tree line in the park and thought he saw struggling in the front seat. He reached for his cell phone.