Chapter 84: Connecticut Healing
Later that night they were called out to a hotel in midtown. "Swanky," Gus said as they stepped into the lobby.
"Please please, don't put that everywhere," some one was pleading with a uniform attempting to string crime scene tape, "it will upset the guests".
"Where's the body?" Flack asked the uniform.
"Men's room", the uniform said.
"Just guard the door, don't worry about the tape until CSI clears the scene," Flack said, giving the woman who had been pleading with the uniform a wink.
"Well you are being awfully nice there, detective," Gus said grinning.
"Wouldn't want to upset the swanky guests," he said stepping in.
"Some one's night didn't end so well," Gus said gesturing to the woman face down in the toilet.
"What a way to go, huh?" Flack remarked.
Gus shook her head. "Yeah. I'm going to start questioning, you wait for the team?"
"Sure thing," Flack replied.
"What's a woman doing in the men's bathroom," Stella asked photographing the scene.
"Oh, I could think of a few reason's all with happier endings," Flack retorted a smile playing on his face, sliding his eyes towards Gus.
Stella looked at him and then at a blushing Gus, she raised her eyebrows before speaking. "Alright, she's ready to go" Stella said to Hawkes and the ME assistant.
"Oof, Jane Doe is heavier than she looks," Sheldon replied, lifting the body. "Check out the size of her feet," Flack remarked.
"And her hands," Sheldon responded.
"Breasts have been surgically enhanced," Stella pointed out.
Gus came back into the bathroom just in time to see Flack gingerly lifting up the vic's skirt with his pen, "better make that a John Doe".
Gus cocked her head to the side with a snort, "you know there is something mighty perverted with looking up vic's skirts, blue eyes."
Their eyes met and they both suppressed laughter. Sheldon and Stella looked at each other with knowing glance. "Come on, Flack, I finally rustled up the night manager, let's go grill him," Gus said, adding, "if you don't need some alone time with the body that is." Flack rolled his eyes, dimpled and followed her out.
The only thing they got from the manager was a headache due to the ever widening group of suspects. "300 guests at a banquet and a launch for a magazine. Fabulous!" Gus sighed, blowing her hair out of her eyes.
"Actually there was an incident at the Agriculture Taxes and Trades banquet, I did not witness it but it was reported to me by security," the night manager added, attempting to be helpful.
"I'll go talk to the security guard," Gus said to Flack, waling off and pulling her hair up. Flack watched her walk away, only half listening to the measly little night manager who had nothing to say other than hoping this wouldn't effect business.
"Congressman Eric Garth from Connecticut," Gus said coming back slapping her memo book against her palm.
"You got the name that fast?" Flack said with an easy smile.
"Yep, security guard was very helpful. Also offered to buy me a drink, shame I had to turn him down," Gus said with a sly smile.
"I'll buy you a drink later, right now I'll go let Stella and Hawkes know."
They worked through the rest of the night, trying to question whoever still happened to be around the hotel, in addition to whatever staff they could get ahold of. Gus was getting frustrated trying to reach people from the Ag banquet when Flack came up behind her massaging her neck, "let it go for a couple of hours, let catch some sleep, I am certain all the farmers are."
"You're right, I just hate having a name and no access." "We'll call the congressman's office bright and early."
"Can't wait for that or the inevitable politics to follow," Gus sighed thinking about all the corruption she had witnessed back in New Orleans.
"Hey this isn't a banana republic, if this guy did something, we'll get him."
"Yeah right," Gus said, not believing as she gathered up her things.
After some brief down time, Flack and Gus were back at the precinct, back on the case. Flack took the congressman, or more accurately one of his aides while Gus took the magazine company who was have their launch party.
"What you got?" Flack asked bringing Gus a coffee from the shop around the corner, knowing she despised the stuff in the break room and wasn't leaving working her phone to go to the lab.
"Entertainment at the launch party included a female impersonator group, and one of them is missing," she said with a grin that could only spell lead. She took a drink of coffee, "Is this a latte? You spoil me, blue eyes."
Flack dimpled. Parker looked over like a proud father, his kids were back. "Yeah, well, I figured you didn't want to stop and take time for coffee this morning but I didn't want to loose a limb so...any how, seems the 'altercation' was merely a chat about the congressman's voting record."
Gus snorted, "yeah right. But at least we haven't been blocked, yet."
"I'm gonna go check with the lab, you want to come?"
"I gotta couple more calls and a latte to drink, but we'll catch up," Gus said waving him off.
"Wanna come talk to some queens with me and Stella?" Flack asked a little bit later.
"You aren't being very PC there, Flack" Gus said with a mock glower, "some of my best friends in New Orleans were, how you say."
"The group is called the Reigning Queens, you dork," Flack replied, dimpling.
"You know I had just been thinking I don't have enough rainbow in my New York life, I'm game."
The trip rewarded them with an id for the victim, Quentin Conrad, a suspect named Bambi and some potential evidence. "I think we may have earned ourselves breakfast, ladies," Flack said as they finished up.
"You two feel free, but I am getting this to Lindsey in the lab," Stella said, excited over the watch she had collected from one of the vic's rivals in the group.
They were finishing up breakfast when Flack got a call from Stella, "watch was a bust," he said, "but they are thinking the Quentin may have met someone after her set."
"Because there was that lost hour," Gus said, chewing on her lip thinking. "Looks like we are headed back to the hotel," Flack said, paying the check.
Back at 'swank central' as Gus had nicknamed it, the night bartender was roused from his nap between double shifts. Gus was luckily able to charm information out of him, such that she got a room number of a man that Quentin had been having drinks with the night before. "I'll go make sure Mr. Clark has not checked out and run some background," Gus said.
"I'll call Stella, she'll want to help question."
Stella and Flack questioned Frank Clark while Gus ran background on both Clark and the congressman. Something wasn't sitting right with her about the altercation between Quentin and politician, they tended to not travel in the same circles. Stella and Flack had come to much the same conclusion when Flack got back to the precinct. "Hankie pankie," Flack said with self-assurance.
"Is that a technical term?" Gus said, looking down at the urgent text from Lindsey.
"Yes. So what did you find?" Flack asked her.
"See for yourself," Gus said turning her monitor towards him, "I just got a page from Linds, I'll be right back," she said rushing off. She had an inkling this didn't have anything to do with their current case.
Gus caught up with Lindsey in the canteen, took one look at her friend and pulled her into the nearest bathroom and locked the door.
"The trial huh?" Gus asked as Lindsey's eyes filled with tears. Lindsey shook her head yes.
"I just, I have to go, tomorrow. I have to testify," she said shaking.
Gus drew her into a hug. "You'll do fine, Linds, I know you will."
They talked for a few more minutes until Lindsey had collected herself. "I have to tell Stella and Mac."
"I guess you do" Gus said, handing her a paper towel, "remember what I said Lindsey, if you need anything and I do mean anything, you let me know, okay?"
"Yeah I will," Lindsey studied Gus for a moment.
"How are things with you?" she asked.
"I think they are going to be just fine" Gus said, trying to stifle her smile, as she was still hurting for her friend.
"You can be happy, Gus. I am happy for you, I just can't really show it right now".
"No problem, take care, sugar," Gus said giving her one more hug.
Flack met her in the hallway, "you ever been to Connecticut, sunshine?"
"Can't really say I've had the urge."
"Hawkes got a case to case hit on some DNA from the vic from a rape case there," Flack said smugly.
"Really?" Gus could see his wheels spinning and excitement twinkling in his eyes.
"Yeah, so I was gonna take a little ride, seeing as how the victim in the rape case was Sarah Conrad," Flack raised his eyebrows.
"I am assuming a relation to Quentin Conrad?" Gus volleyed back feeling her own adrenaline pumping. "Older sister."
"And let me guess who the suspect was and also how the victim probably withdrew the charge or her id or something."
"You are good!" Flack said in a heated tone, wishing they were alone.
"Well, obviously," Gus said, "sadly though, I've seen this played out a few times."
"I'll see you at the car in 20?" Flack said, squeezing her on the arm.
"Sure thing" Gus said, heading back to the pit.
At the car, Gus inwardly groaned when she saw Flack and Stella standing next to one of the lab's SUV's.
"Figured it would be a more comfortable ride for us up there," Stella said, sliding into the driver's seat.
"You just didn't want an argument about who was driving, admit it Stel," Gus said, trying to not be disappointed that she would be along.
Flack gave her an apologetic look, "front or back?" he asked opening both doors.
"I'll take back, long legs," she said scrambling into the over sized vehicle.
They talked about the case on the drive up, Gus working herself into a good frenzy ranting about all the political bull in cases she had witness over the years to the point that Stella said, "try to not lunge at the congressman while we're questioning him, alright?"
"I'll do you one better, I'll talk to the real eyes and ears in his office."
"Who's that?" Flack asked.
"His assistants and aides," Gus said with a head nod.
Stella and Flack disappeared into the inner sanctum of the congressman's office, while Gus chatted with the staff until Stella and Flack came back out.
The trio stood and watched as the Congressman worked a local PTA crowd, Stella and Gus both with looks of disgust on their faces.
"No luck?" Gus asked Stella.
"Slimy bastard. And he just got his fingerprints and DNA all over that rattle, if I could only get my hands on it!" Stella sneered.
Flack shot them a winning smile, "watch this" he said going over to the mother and little girl.
"Oh god," Gus smirked, rolling her eyes and staring at the ceiling as Flack charmed the rattle away.
Stella rushed back to the lab as soon as they got back to the city. Flack glanced at his watch and pulled Gus to the car. "What's up?" Gus questioned as he gently but forcefully dragged her along.
"I figure we got an hour, hour and a half tops to finish what we started on the roof and get back here before the results are done."
They flew back to Gus' place, slipping inside, avoiding all questions from the old folks gathered out front and in the lobby. Flack crushed her against the wall in the elevator, sliding his hands up her sides underneath her sweater, she shivered at his touch, kissing him deeply and loosening his tie. They practically fell out of the elevator, still wrapped in a kiss. Flack was ready to kick in the door while Gus, as usual struggled to find her keys, "I'm sorry" she said with heavy breath and furrowed brow.
"Shh, don't apologize, just find them," he said, smoothing her forehead.
Finally inside, having hung up their coats, slipped out of shoes and suit jackets, laying creds and pieces on the table they looked at one another with hesitant and passionate eyes.
He kissed her softly and said, "I'll be gentle" he said, "and safe," he added with a wry smile. She smiled back and grabbed his hand to lead him to the bedroom. And he was.
Chapter 85: Not Vegas
They arrived back at the precinct, discovering that Sheldon and Stella had discovered a literal trail from the crime scene to a certain Mr. Clark's hotel room. "Oh this is gonna be fun," Flack said outside the interrogation room with a gleam in his eye.
"We get first crack, right Stel?" Gus asked, pacing back and forth in front of the two-way like a cat ready to pounce.
"Yeah, but you making me nervous with that caged cat thing," she said with a smile.
Gus exchanged a look with Flack, trying to figure out if they were going to do the good cop/bad cop thing or the two pissed off cops thing or the snarky New York cop/cute little New Orleans girl thing. His look said, two pissed off cops thing, her gut mostly agreed, she shrugged and stepped into the room behind him.
"Whatsa matter Frank, you don't like our girls here in New York?" Flack smirked down at the man in the chair.
"Better never go to New Orleans during Mardi Gras dawlin' or you will really be confused," Gus said to suppress her snort over Flack's opening line.
"What are you talking about?" Frank Clark jiggled his knee.
Flack and Gus both caught it, Flack spoke up first, "toilet water dripping all the way from the men's room to your hotel room."
"That's just gross, Frank," Gus interjected.
"I was at the hotel for five days, I'm certain I used that bathroom," Frank protested.
"Well I don't know about you, but I use the sink and not the toilet to wash my hands." Flack shot Gus a look, she had to bite her lip and shake her head in return.
Luckily Stella walked in just then, stating, "bad news Frank, turns out your prints match one we found on the vic's earring."
"I don't know how that could happen, I never even touched her, I'm sorry- him," Frank was getting sarcastic now.
"Hey Frank, we know the drill, far from home in the big city. Get a couple drinks in you, foxy lady comes on to you and you drag her into the bathroom for a good time," Flack sneered.
"This isn't Vegas though, Frank, things don't stay here," Gus said circling around to the man's side as Flack joined her on the other flank.
"And you found out the hard way she wasn't a she and you snapped," Flack leaned in to say, "or maybe you knew she was a guy all along? And maybe you liked it. You ever see Brokeback Mountain, Frank?"
"Great movie," Gus said leaning in on his other side and then sitting on the table edge beside him.
"It's okay, this is New York we even have a gay pride parade here," Stella said, sneering at him, "there is nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm not ashamed" the man snapped, "and I am not gay!"
"Sure you aren't," Gus purred, studying her fingernails, "heard that one before."
"Then what's the problem, kitten?" Flack asked.
"That queer kissed me in front of everyone!"
"Queer, Frank?" Gus said, crossing her legs and staring down at him.
"In front of everyone and after someone told us she was actually a man. All my friends thought it was hysterical. Whole table went nuts over it. I felt like I was gonna puke, so I went to the bathroom and he was in there like it was normal. And then he told me he was too tired for sex, like that is what I had gone in there for!"
"Oh my god, Frank, sweetie, I often have the same problem with drowning men in toilets when they come on to me in bathrooms, and I just thought it was me," Gus rolled her eyes and slid off the table.
Frank surveyed her, and said with a satisfied half-smile, "when it was done I didn't feel sick or scared or anything I thought I would."
"What did you feel, Frank?" Stella asked.
Gus knew his answer before he said it, even if it was disgusting to her,.
"I felt I had done the world a favor," Frank smiled.
Flack was on him with cuffs in an instant "And now I am gonna do it an even bigger one."
"Too bad you didn't want to give it a go, Frank, 'cause there will be tons of loving for you in prison. They'll love it that you squirm too," Gus said with a wink, opening the door as Flack shoved Frank Clark to a uniform.
"Let's get some paperwork done, so we can get outta here," Flack said, coming back in."Nice work there sunshine, you are getting good at the pissed off cop thing."
Gus shrugged and smiled, "I try."
A look passed between them, such that Stella backed out of the room saying, "I'm just going to go do the lab's paperwork now, I'll see it gets in with yours tomorrow."
Flack closed the distance that was between them, wishing the blinds were shut on the room, "Why do I have the feeling you woulda had a rainbow flag out in front of ya house in the swamp?"
Gus leaned in slightly towards him, "only during Decadence, I like boys who like girls, in case you hadn't noticed," she said in the throaty whisper with a bite on her lip.
Flack swallowed, "oh I've noticed," he dimpled out, "I just really like the mad cop routine and I usually see it only on cases you get personally ticked off about."
"T-Bee" she said, sashaying out of the room, covering a stumble leaving Flack to wonder who or what a tibby was.
Needless to say, the pair finished their paperwork in record time, though it would have been even faster if Gus hadn't insisted on the usual absolute perfection. "So you like the mad cop thing, huh?" Gus said trying to smother a grin in the car.
"From you," Flack said, his jaw tightening at the traffic.
"It's none too shabby coming from you either," Gus said, looking out the window.
"What's a tibby?" he asked, trying to take his mind off the images flashing through his head on what he would like to do to his partner on the interrogation room table.
"Tibby? Oh T-Bee! Billy Brooks, my best friend in all of New Orleans. Actually maybe the whole world. Gay as blazes." Gus said, turning to Flack with a high-wattage grin.
"You know, I don't often see you mention anything about New Orleans with a grin."
Gus wrinkled her forehead, "Really?"
Flack laid a hand on her cheek, actually happy they were stopped for a second, "Nah, usually it's anger or frustration or pain or wistfulness."
"Weird, because I love a lot of things about there, I just had to move on, ya know? Well, I guess you wouldn't...city boy," Gus said, removing his hand and pointing to the moving traffic.
Later after working out both of their interrogation room fantasies in the privacy of Gus' bedroom and scrounging up food, Flack remarked, "You know, I never did get my birthday dinner date with everything."
"You are awfully needy tonight, blue eyes," she joked.
"Your point being? Most women wouldn't argue about me wanting to take them on a date."
"If it is for your birthday, I think it would be my treat," Gus said, refusing to open her eyes, knowing Flack was giving her his big blue fake sad ones.
"Come on, Gus, one normal date."
"Define normal," she said, teasing him, knowing she was already on board.
"Nice clothes, Dinner, drinks, club maybe, great sex to follow."
"Aw man, I would have to dress up and put out?" she said opening her eyes with a smirk.
"Your closet is full of clothes you never have the chance to wear and you already 'put out' as you so eloquently stated," Flack protested, pulling her to her feet and toward the bedroom.
"With such a convincing argument, how could I resist?" Gus rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
"Is that a yes?"
"Of course it is a yes," she said, pushing him on to her bed.
Chapter 86: Who Keys
Days slipped by with a contentment settling over Gus, and she supposed Flack too, who was spending most of his time at her place. The city was too cold for anyone to commit too many murders, so work was slow enough that Gus found herself digging through cold cases.
"You don't have to do that," Parker informed her one day, butt splayed on her desk, crumbs raining down on her from his snack.
Gus brushed them off, gave Parker a stare that he ignored and said, "I know, but I like to keep busy, I can't handle just sitting". Gus struggled to get the files out of the box, slitting her thumb open, "Dammit" she exclaimed, "I hate paper cuts".
"Super glue" Flack said, rustling in his drawer and throwing her a tube.
"What?" Parker and Gus both asked.
"Learned it from Adam, put it on the cut, seals it up. Don't glue your fingers together though, Gus," Flack smirked at her.
Gus found herself slinking home on a Saturday afternoon, looking forward to a long bubble bath and maybe a drink with Stella, as Lindsey was still stuck in Montana, god help her. Flack caught her on her way to the subway, "hey, sunshine, where you headed?"
"Er, um, home?" Gus said, trudging through the melting snow and slush.
"Was wondering if I can play my birthday date chip tonight" he said, coming up next to her.
His eyes were so expectant, that Gus felt guilt wash over her, "I um guess so, but shouldn't we have a plan or something?" she asked hesitant.
"Already do," he said, self-assured as always.
Gus wrinkled her face, "I guess this means I have to go home and all look like a girl."
"I guess so" he laughed, "you want a ride?"
"Fine, but if this is to be a proper date, don't you have to pick me up or something?" she teased.
"I guess I could swing that," he said, opening the car door and folding her coat in for her.
"Thanks" she said, with a slight shake of her head.
A while after dropping her off, Flack paused before knocking on Gus' door, trying to figure out why he felt suddenly nervous. Inside her apartment, Gus sat on the couch, trying to figure out why it felt like there were butterflies in her stomach and why this felt so weird. When Flack's knock fell, Gus jumped up and whipped open the door so fast that Flack stepped back.
"Um, hi," he said surveying her satin slip dress, full make-up and hair down in a glossy sheet, "you look..."
"Different, weird, like a girl?" Gus interjected, feeling a bit manic.
"I was going to say gorgeous, but all those things too I suppose," Flack said with a dimpled grin, handing her the flowers he had been holding, but she hadn't seen.
"Thanks, but wait, if it's your birthday dinner, shouldn't I be the one giving?" Gus said, taking the bouquet into the kitchen admiringly.
Flack followed her taking note that her dress was practically backless and played her curves to the maximum, he shook his head trying to ensure that they were actually going to make it out the door. Gus hopped up onto the kitchen counter, wincing as she bumped her head on a cabinet trying to locate a vase. Flack choked back a laugh.
"Watch it there, blue eyes or you will be going dinner by yourself," Gus mumbled, trying to not lose her balance.
Flack put out his hand to help her down, "watch it yourself, monkey girl, I don't want dinner in the ER."
"Where are we going anyway?" Gus asked, blowing her hair out of her face and searching for her shoes.
"Brooklyn."
"You made me get dressed up to go eat in Brooklyn?" Gus asked with a bit of chagrin.
"You are such a Manhattanite! It will be worth it I promise, humor me, sunshine."
Arriving at the restaurant and being seated at a cozy and romantic table, Gus gasped upon realizing that the trip to Brooklyn for dinner was indeed worth it.
"Told ya," Flack replied to her gasp at the twinkling and gorgeous view of the skyline.
"Do I even want to know how many girls you have made weak in the knees by bringing them here?" Gus asked biting her lip and not quite meeting Flack's eyes.
"I thought I had enough weak in the knees pull without having to do fancy dinners," Flack retorted with gentle sarcasm.
Gus snorted, "well you are more of a food from a cart kinda guy anyway," she said breaking into a smile and meeting his eyes, which were far more serious than his tone. "What, what's up?" Gus asked, her voice filling with concern.
"Nothing," he said, all the while thinking that this was the first time he had ever been on a date and hadn't been worried about how much it was going to cost or what expectations were going to be attached.
"Okay," Gus replied resignedly, and taking a big drink of wine. They sat in silence, the air feeling heavy around them. "Why is this so weird?" Gus asked Flack, leaning over their foie gras.
"I dunno, maybe because it is duck liver," Flack replied, poking at his plate.
"Not that, I mean, this...you and me on a date in public, it just doesn't seem right."
"Maybe because we haven't been on a date since we've been..." Flack trailed off, not knowing how to define whatever they have been doing.
"There was that one night when you got sort stood up but that was still before…" Gus trailed off thinking about that night and afterwards in the park.
"Well hopefully tonight you won't push me away when I kiss you," Flack said, his eyes clouding slightly thinking about much the same thing as Gus.
"Sorry about that. I just, you just..." Gus was getting flustered, she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.
Flack covered her hand with his, "That's done with, I get that you weren't ready," he said softly, waiting for the flush to leave her face, "and yeah this does feel weird. I was actually nervous before I picked you up."
"I have a hard time believing that one, Flack, I mean you have probably been on millions of romantic New York dates, with your grandmother setting you up with half the free world and all," Gus teased.
"Not my fault!" Flack protested playfully, "but I am really glad that has stopped." Flack's eyes turned serious again, deepening to a dark blue.
After six amazing courses, including a dessert replica of the bridge, Flack and Gus were happily stuffed. "It really should have been my treat you know," Gus protested once back in front of her place.
"Maybe, but I wanted to make sure you were going to...what was it you said again?" he dimpled pulling her close.
"I believe it was put out," she said, tilting her head slightly to deepen their kiss.
"Yeah, that," Flack said, loosing his breath at her kiss.
"Well, I guess you are coming in then," Gus smirked, pulling him inside the building.
Up in her apartment, Gus broke off their heated kisses and jumped up from the couch. "What, what's going on, sunshine?" Flack asked, bewildered.
"I almost forgot your birthday gift," Gus said, scrambling to her office and back.
"My birthday was weeks ago, It coulda waited," he croaked.
"You know you are really such a guy sometimes," Gus said thrusting the box at him.
"Haven't gotten many complaints about that," Flack said taking the blue box with a furrow of his brow, "but apparently you didn't get the memo, isn't this like a chick place?"
"Where did ya get that idea?" Gus asked, chewing on her lip and waiting for him to open it and hoping she hadn't made some horrible mistake.
"Stella once said she could see these boxes from space," Flack said, poking at the ribbon.
"Just open it, it won't bite I promise," Gus said, her voice slightly strangled, "or wait, maybe you shouldn't. Maybe I shouldn't have..." Gus trailed off, as Flack had already slipped off the ribbon and was staring inside the box.
He looked at it carefully and then at her and then back at the box, slowly he pulled out the key ring shaped like a taxi cab and the attached keys, "are these what I think they are?"
Gus gulped, frightened that he though she was being too forward, she started to pale and then started rambling, "it's just you are here a bunch and I know my place is closer and sometimes you don't want to have to drive back to Queens and that you have to con Mrs. Potter to let you in and she pinches your cheek and you hate that and-" Gus halted her speech when she saw the grin on Flack's face.
"You sure about this, Gus?" he asked, still grinning.
"I was until I actually gave them to you," Gus sighed.
"Come on, Gus, take me to bed. I think we both have to put out now," he said standing, and pulling her up and into his arms.
A while later, Gus rolled over, away from Flack, and curled tightly in a ball. She thought he was asleep and winced when he asked what was going on. "I just..." she trailed off, "you are alright with me giving you keys, right?" she sighed.
Flack was happy she was turned away, knowing he couldn't wipe the look of exasperation off of his face, "you gotta quit with the worrying, Gus, or you are gonna have a heart attack."
"Is that a yes or a no?"
"Whoa, apparently I have been teaching you a little too good in the interrogation department. But it is a yes, I am fine, it was one of the best gifts I've ever gotten for my birthday. Now com'ere and stop curling away from me," Flack replied, drawing her to him.
87: Hedge Games
The next week started with the pair on the evening shift. Gus and Flack were just coming in as Angell was rushing out. "Where's the fire?" Flack asked as the other female detective ran past him.
"Fifth Avenue apparently," she stated rushing off.
"Hey, Jess try to not get sidetracked at Sak's," Gus called out with a smile.
"Funny Gus, wanna do drinks sometime this week?" Angell yelled over her shoulder.
"Yeah, sure, call me," Gus yelled back.
"Something tells me this is gonna be a crazy day," Flack said, slumping down in his desk.
"Well luckily you should be caught up on sleep, you bum," Gus teased, since Flack had spent his day off napping.
"Yeah, where did you disappear to anyway?" he asked, as Gus settled in to her desk.
"Hit the gym, did some errands, had lunch with Mac. You know, life," she said, wandering off to the coffeemaker.
Nearing the end of their shift, Gus and Flack where called out to a scene in Queens. "I'm just getting the full boroughs tour, aren't I?" Gus said, pulling on her seatbelt.
"Seems that way," Flack said, whizzing through traffic.
"Botanical Gardens and Arboretum? Really? Hardly seems like a place for homicide. Especially this late at night," Gus remarked as they pulled up to the patrol cars on scene.
"No place is safe, I suppose," Flack remarked walking over to a uniform, "what's the story?"
"Some kid, probably 18-19, no id. In the hedges," the uniform said, pointing.
"Feel like a good puzzle, sunshine?" Flack asked Gus who was suppressing a yawn.
"Huh?" she said, wishing she had more coffee.
"Hedge maze, looks like we are going in," Flack said, switching on his flashlight.
"Well this is interesting," Gus remarked, following the twists and turns of the maze, "but they could have given us a map or something," Gus said running into a dead end, literally. "Ow!" she remarked, her hair snagging on the boxwood.
"I can't take you anywhere," Flack said moving in to untangle her hair from the twig. He caught her gaze with his eyes, heat passing between them. He had just moved in for a kiss when a flashlight beam passed behind them.
"It's just this way, Detectives," the uniform said, with a sly grin. "Here he is," the uniform said, passing his flashlight beam over the body of the young man in the pathway of the maze. "Grounds keeper found him," the uniform said.
Mac and Hawkes trooped up then, having more luck passing through the maze than Gus had had. "Ah the dream team is on the case."
"Are you talking about yourself again, Shel?" Gus said, walking over to her friend and lightly punching him on the arm.
"Don't be bashful on me, Gus" Hawkes replied, "you two have it solved yet?"
"Just got here, and I was about to go talk the guy who called it in, see ya," Gus walked off, giving Mac a head nod and smile as she went.
Gus got sparse and not very useful information from the grounds keeper, while Flack walked the scene with the CSIs. They met up, Gus struggling to stay awake.
"Why don't you go home, Gus, we might have a better idea after autopsy in the morning, you want to observe?" Mac asked her.
"Why are you and Sid always trying to get me into autopsy?" she asked with a grimace.
"Somehow, I am thinking Sid's reasons are different than mine," Mac replied dryly, "but it is all part of paying your dues."
"Fine, I'll see you first thing," she said, trying to find her way back out of the maze.
"This way, sunshine," Flack smirked, pointing in the opposite direction.
"Er, right, I knew that." He just shook his head and pulled her along.
What felt like far too early the next morning, Gus pulled herself from a comfortable warm bed and the arms of an equally comfortable and warm detective and headed into the ME's office.
"Sid, Mac," she croaked at both men staring at the body of the vic from last night. "Coffee pot's over there," Sid said pointing with a bloody instrument.
"Just can't bring myself to mix db's and coffee, Sid, thanks though," Gus grimaced, watching as the autopsy progressed. She would never get used to the medicinal smell of the autopsy room, despite having gotten used to the bodies and smell of death.
Chalk another weirdo point up for me, she thought, tuning into Sid's remark, "I'll take cult ritual's for $200, Alex."
"Kid doesn't look the part and we think he is a Chelsea University student. What is fraternity hazing gone bad?" Mac countered, a serious look on his face.
"I'm sorry gentlemen, thanks for playing but you are both wrong," Gus interjected, looking over at Sid's notes, the evidence and her own personal bank of information.
Both Sid and Mac looked at her curiously, though Mac looked a little more than annoyed, he was not used to being told he was wrong. "Well actually not wrong, just only half right," she backtracked, feeling she had overstepped her role. "Absinthe, maze, beating and branding sounds like our boy was part of every ivy league's favorite urban legend. Or cypress league as the case was for me, ivy doesn't grow so well in the swamp, kudzu maybe, but thank god it hasn't over taken-"
"Augusta," Mac cut in with a warning tone.
Gus realized she was babbling, "secret society. I would bet he was trying to get into a secret society. Every self-respecting uppity campus has one," Gus gave a shrug to the men who were staring at her like she was half crazy. "I'm just saying. Look, I'll be at my desk, I need coffee."
Gus was deep into paperwork, when Flack came in, look rumpled and annoyed. "Ya coulda woke me," he whispered, slumping into his desk.
"You were dead to the world and you didn't have to be here as early as me, I didn't see a point," Gus retorted, wondering why everyone was being grumpy today.
"Well ya coulda woken me anyway," Flack snapped, not wanting to admit to himself that he was in a bad mood because he had woken up to an empty apartment, forgetting Gus had the autopsy.
"I'm not an alarm clock and you can take care of yourself," Gus said, refusing to have this discussion with him and not knowing why he was acting weird. Normally it took far more than to get Flack riled up, god knows Gus had given him plenty of things to be pissed about in the time she had known him, but normally he just went with it.
Flack answered his phone, talked for a minute and hung up, pulling his jacket on. Gus looked at him questioningly but didn't' say anything. "You comin'?" he asked, still a little ornery.
"Uh yeah, I guess," Gus said hesitantly, wondering if the key thing had been her worst idea ever and thinking maybe she needed to give both herself and Flack some space.
"That was Mac, looks like we are headed to Chelsea to talk to some students." "Why does he always call you first?"
"Guess I am easier to find, and I break cell phones less."
"I highly hope that was a joke, detective."
Flack just grumbled and walked away.
Gus groaned and stomped out after him, meeting up with him, Mac and Sheldon by the department SUVs. "Hey Shel, how are ya?"
"Just peachy there, Gus, though I feel like you have been avoiding me again, Gus," Sheldon said, breaking into a big smile.
"Eh, you know, life," Gus shrugged, happily climbing into the seat beside him, happy that some one wasn't in a bad mood. Flack and Mac were glowering as they climbed in to Mac's vehicle.
"What's with them?" Sheldon asked.
"Don't ask me," Gus slumped back, "I'll never figure either of them out."
They split up once on campus, Gus happily taking the chance to track down a student in the bio labs with Sheldon. "Doctors Hawkes and Broussard on the case," Gus said in voice over style.
Sheldon shook his head, suppressing laughter, "you are certainly in a mood today."
"At least it is a good one, or I am trying to be," she shuffled along beside Sheldon. "How have you been?" Sheldon stopped and turned toward her, his dark eyes intense.
"Fine, why wouldn't I be fine?" Gus asked, unsure of what Sheldon was trying to get at and not wanting to give him anything to work with.
"It just...I know things were rough for you for a while. I wanted to make sure you were alright. I haven't seen you very much," Sheldon laid each word out carefully, as though they had been calculated, which they had been.
Gus chewed her lip and nodded guilt flickered across her face, "Sheldon, I'm sorry. Things got really complicated for me right after New Year's and I just...life got in the way, I suppose," she heaved a big sigh, "I'm a crap friend, aren't I, I can't seem to get it right." Gus fought back her emotions, she really didn't feel like she could get it right, sometimes she wished she hadn't come to New York, because while as much as she hated the way her life would have turned out in New Orleans, there she always knew what was expected of her.
Sheldon didn't know what was going on with Gus, but he knew it must be a lot of have the young women looking upset. "You do just fine in the friendship department, Gus, I just want to make sure you are doing fine in the self-care department. Friendship isn't about always being there for everyone else," Sheldon said stoically.
"Yeah, I know. And I promise I won't fall off the face of the planet again. Though it was a lot easier having coffee dates with you when I was working on staff psych," Gus grinned. "Now let's got see the vic's roommate, what's his name again?"
"Eddie Williams, has been living with the vic, Brian Miller, for a year now. Listed as pre-med major so he is of our kind".
Chapter 88: Hands On
"That kid was not our kind," Gus said, stomping out of the bio lab.
"No, I can't say he was, I certainly never paid anyone to take a test for me," Sheldon said, still amazed at the information they had gotten for the roommate.
"Me neither, though god knows I wish I would have on a couple of them," Gus huffed.
"Well here is to hoping Flack and Mac got more from Thomas Brighton," Sheldon said, texting Mac on his phone.
"I still can't believe the pen you found at the scene was filled with the vic's blood, that certainly does not look good for Tommy boy, it was his pen, right?"
"So said the serial number, nice pen too, top of the line, probably cost $500."
"I'll take my bics, thank you very much," Gus said, sidetracking to a coffee cart by the library.
"You're starting to sound like Danny," Sheldon teased.
"Whoa, hold up there," Gus said, her hand darting out to grab a fistful beige fabric, "you can't say hello? Afraid someone will see you talking to a cop?" she grinned at the student, whose jacket she had a hold of. Sheldon looked confused for a moment, trying to place the boy.
"Gus, ah um, hi," Reed said, shakily as Gus let go of him.
Gus noticed his eyes were rimmed with red, and she doubted it was from smoking pot. She gave a subtle head gesture to Sheldon who walked away towards the library, pretending to be interested in the fliers posted there. "
Reed, honey, what's up?" she asked, leading him by the arm to a bench, trying her trench closed to hide her gun and shield.
"Um, I just found out one of my friends got killed. Is that why you are here?"
"You knew Brian Miller?" Gus asked him gently, she could tell he was trying desperately to not cry.
Reed nodded, taking the crumpled tissue from Gus' pocket and blowing his nose, "we worked on the paper together. He was working on this story..." Reed trailed off, unsure if he should be seen talking to Gus.
"Do you know something about this? You have to tell me Reed, or Mac, he's working the case too," Gus fought the urge to pull him into a hug. He looked like a lost puppy, and Gus knew all too well how much it hurt to lose a friend. "You wanna go somewhere else to talk?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
"Yeah, I think so," Reed said standing up and looking around, "not on campus," he added. Gus nodded, sent Sheldon a text message to meet her at the lab and led the way off campus.
She pulled her cousin into the nearest bar, figuring at this time of day no one would be there, and certainly no one from the university. "I'm underage," Reed protested.
"And I have a brass pass, now you gonna talk or not?" Gus said, showing her shield to the bartender, and shoving Reed into a booth.
"He's been weird lately, kinda sketchy, kinda secretive. Said he was working on a big piece, all expose. Brian told me he was going to go for a Livingston award with it."
"Do you know what it was about?"
"Kings and Shadows," Reed muttered, ripping apart the paper coaster on the table.
"I knew it!" Gus exclaimed.
"Knew, what did you know?" Reed asked nervously.
"Not you hon, I thought it had something to do with a secret society, Mac was a little disbelieving, but what else is new?" Gus quipped.
Reed snorted and seemed to relax somewhat, "yeah well, Brian said he got in and was going to expose them. I am sure it would have pissed off a lot of people."
"A lot of powerful and well connected people," Gus said leaning back, drumming her fingers on the table and wishing she could buy them both a couple of shots. "You have to tell Mac about this," Gus said, leaning forward, "and watch your back" she added.
"I know, I just..."
"Dammit, Reed!" Gus pounded on the table with her fist, causing Reed to jump back, "you can't mess with these kinds of people, but Mac can." Gus took a deep breath and let it slowly out, "I'm sorry, but please go talk to him," she glanced down at the message on her phone."Look kid, I gotta go, but Mac should be back in the office. Buy yourself some lunch or something." Gus threw some money down and walked back onto the city streets.
"You get lost sunshine?" Flack asked, his tone slightly improved from earlier.
"Was on campus, had a lead, stopped for lunch, a girl's gotta eat," Gus said, stealing the file from Flack's desk.
"Whoa now, you can't just be taking files off of my desk," he mock protested.
"You would be sitting here about 10 extra hours a week if I didn't steal files off your desk to finish the paperwork. You think the files just magically come over here to get done?" Gus said grinning and making some notations, the effect ruined by her falling unceremoniously out of her chair.
"Crap, Broussard, what are you doing?" Montgomery asked at the desk behind her.
"Ow!" Gus exclaimed rubbing both her tail bone and her head, which she had whacked on the desk on her way down. Flack couldn't stop his grin, especially as she appeared to be fine. She righted her chair, took a bow, accepted the mock clapping and hollers and sat back down blowing her hair back from her face.
Late into the shift, Flack answered his buzzing phone, hanging up to say, "That was Mac."
"You first again!" Gus whined.
"Yeah and he said that if you can handle not gloating too bad, he's got one of the the Kings and Shadows members in custody and to come on over to questioning."
"Heh," Gus said, smugly.
"You wanna fill me in, sunshine?"
"Vic was writing an article about secret societies. I call that it was one before Mac figured it out. And I ran into Reed on campus..."
"You figure something out before Mac? Very impressive, do I want to know how?"
"No, because then I would have to kill you and I do rather enjoy having you around."
"Well let's go then," Flack said, setting his jaw and heading down the hall.
"So who's the lucky K&S member, Mac?" Gus asked walking into his office.
"Someone you already had some fun with today, Don," Mac said putting the file down.
"Thomas Brighton?" Flack said, shaking his head, "Shoulda known, Mr. my father knows the governor," he mocked.
"You sitting in or observing?" Mac asked Gus.
"You guys have already questioned him, I'll just observe."
"Do I even want to know how you called it, Gus?"
"Probably not." Gus said, walking ahead of the two men and leaving them to wonder about potential other unknown chapters in Augusta Broussard's life.
Gus watched as Flack paced in front of the young, spoiled man sitting at the table. She shivered with the deliciousness of his intensity while ripping into the kid about his "little social club". She listened as Mac called the boy out, smiling to herself, knowing she had called the case from the get go.
Suddenly, Flack grabbed the boy and shoved him down as he struggled. "Sit down" he said, pulling down Thomas' shirt to reveal the brand on his shoulder. Gus gasped, partially at seeing the scaring and partially at Flack's tough cop sexiness. She reigned herself in enough to listen to Thomas' story of the Kings and Shadows and how Brian wanted out of the brotherhood. She felt herself shudder, believing him full well when he said that he couldn't be protected and that possible Mac wouldn't be able to protect himself.
"What do you think?" Mac asked after finishing up with Thomas.
"I think he's telling the truth," Gus said hugging herself.
"Still is an obnoxious self-absorbed prick even if he his," Flack said, staring in at the guy.
Mac rubbed his face, knowing they had nothing to hold Thomas on, but not having any better leads. "What do you know about these kinds of societies, Gus?" he asked his niece, not leaving room for her to avoid.
"Nothing to help you, I swear, but enough to know he is probably right when he says you can't protect him," Gus chewed on her cheek, shivering.
"Cut him loose, Flack," Mac said, gesturing to the room. "Gus, head home, if you think of anything, call me," Mac said, dismissing her. Gus nodded and headed out.
She had just hung up her coat when she heard her door lock catch. Forgetting that Flack now had his own key, and more than a little jumpy from the case, her hand went to the gun on her hip.
"Damn Gus, if you want the key back, just ask, don't shoot me!" Flack said hands up as he entered.
"Sorry," she cried, flushing.
"Case got to you, huh?" Gus just nodded. "Wanna talk about it?" Flack prodded again.
She wrinkled her nose, "not really."
"Want some food?" he said, knowing she usually didn't turn down food.
"I grabbed something earlier," Gus said, stretching and yawning.
"Wanna head to bed?" Flack said, flashing her a seductive smile.
"Now you're talking," Gus said, grinning back and closing the distance between them, inhaling Flack's scent before she kissed him deeply.
"Um, that's was nice, I don't know if it is nicer than dinner though," Flack said into her neck.
"I saw that empty pizza box on your desk as I left, blue eyes," Gus replied, poking at his sides.
"Had to fall in love with a detective, didn't I?" he responded, looking down at her.
"Guess so," she stood on tiptoe to kiss his forehead, "now let's see if I can get you in a better mood then you were earlier today" Gus said, pulling on his hand and leading him to the bedroom.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You were kind of a jerk earlier, worked nicely on Brighton though, have to say it got me a little hot," Gus said, kneeling in front of him on the bed and undoing his tie and shirt.
"Maybe you should observe more often than Detective Broussard," Flack responded, kissing her as he laid her down on the bed.
"As long as I only have to observe at work, I definitely like to be hands on at home," she flirted back, shimmying out of her pants underneath him.
"I can agree to that," Flack said with a wicked grin.
Exhausted but more than content a while later, Gus curled in the crook of Flack's arm, as he ran his hands through her hair. "You could wear a man out, sunshine," Flack said to the top of her head.
"That's not a complaint is it?" she murmured, moving up to nibble on his ear.
"Nah..." he paused for a moment, "I forgot you had an autopsy this morning," he muttered, trying to keep his concentration on the discussion and not on her teeth and tongue.
"It is fine," she said into his collarbone, leaving a trail of nips and kissed on her way down.
It took all his willpower and the fact that he had just been satiated to catch her chin and make her look at him, "Gus, please!"
He was so pleading, Gus scooted back up beside him, resting her head on her hand "Fine, go ahead."
"I thought you had run away because of the key, you had disappeared on Sunday and I didn't know..."
"Flack, it's my apartment. Besides if I ever run away, I promise I will leave you a note. I gave you the key so you could come and go as you want to, so my schedule doesn't have to dictate yours."
"We work the same schedule!"
"Outside of that. I know you have this whole life outside of me, and I wanted you to be able to go about it. Just like I have to go about mine."
"So the key was about separation not togetherness?" Flack looked confused.
Gus rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, "Lord, give me strength" she muttered.
"What? I am having a little trouble keeping up with you!"
"The key was because I love you Don Flack, god help us all," Gus smiled snaking back on top of him. She gave him a long kiss coming up with a smirk.
"What, what's that look all about?" Flack asked, dimpling.
"I was just thinking if I ever get sick of you, I can just have the locks changed," and with that Flack flipped her over and tickled her mercilessly.