All In
"Great job on your last case, Counselor." A tall man in a business suit congratulated Catherine as they exited an elevator and stepped into a garage parking lot.
"Well thank you, Judge Hanson." Catherine replied, pulling her car keys from her purse. "But, I can't take all the credit. My sister and her partner are the ones who caught and arrested him. I just oversaw the sentencing."
"Must be nice having a sister in the NYPD. You two must make quite the team." the judge guessed.
Catherine smiled and nodded. "And speaking of my sister, I'm gonna see if she wants to grab a late lunch." she waved to the judge and slid into her car, setting her briefcase in the backseat, and pulled her cell phone from her purse. Catherine scrolled to her sister's contact information, but before she could hit 'send', she heard the sounds of tires squealing and saw in her rearview mirror, an old car run over her co-worker and then back up over him before peeling out of the lot.
"Oh, my God. Brian!" Catherine hurried out of her car and knelt by him, checking for a pulse and not finding one. She immediately dialed 9-1-1 to report what had happened.
Kaitlynn jogged through Northam Collage Campus, Bon Jovi's 'Livin on a Prayer' playing through her earphones. Her brunette locks were pulled into a messy ponytail that swayed between her shoulders and she wore a New York Giants tank top with black workout pants and old sneakers. She turned a corner, catching J.T. walking out of a building with a few of his students.
"Hey." Kaitlynn greeted casually once J.T. was alone.
"Do you not have a job?" J.T. questioned, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them as they walked and conversed. "What are you doing here?"
"Look, I know it's risky, but I have no other way to reach him." the young woman noted, casually keeping pace with the professor. "I can't go to the warehouse. He doesn't have a phone. No e-mail."
"Yeah, and no Twitter, either. You know why? He can't have any followers." J.T. scoffed. "Everyone needs to believe he's dead, or he will be. For real."
Kaitlynn sighed, "We said we'd be in touch, and I haven't heard from him in, like, a week, so..."
"What? He hasn't called?" the professor cut her off, blandly. "You know they say if you haven't heard from him in three days, he's just not that into you. I'd move on."
"J.T. it's not like that." the detective corrected. "We're just friends. That's it."
J.T. stopped and faced Kaitlynn, "Do you not understand what's going on here? He is a genetically-altered...killing machine." he said the last part in a hushed whisper.
"That's why I'm here." Kait admitted, bracing her hands on her hips. "You're not the only one who worries about Vincent, okay?" she shifted her weight between her feet, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. "I hadn't heard from him and I just wanted to make sure that he's okay."
"He's fine." J.T. assured.
"Okay." Kaitlynn nodded.
After a few seconds and she was still standing in front of him, J.T. moved his hand, "So, why are you still here?" he asked.
Kaitlynn bit her lip and took a small notepad and pen from J.T.'s front pocket, jotting down a quick message. "Could you just give this to him?" she asked, handing him the note before running off.
J.T. glanced to the note. "How are you?" he gaped, rolling his eyes. "Just sign all of our death certificates." he muttered. "How are you?" he shook his head. "God, this woman will be the death of us."
Kaitlynn paused her music and took out her earphones, turning the corner to grab a water bottle from her refrigerator only to see a younger male in nothing but boxers drinking milk from the carton.
"Maybe next, we should break in the...kitchen." giggled Heather as she ran in, with a sheet wrapped around her.
"Heather." Kaitlynn greeted with a small smile, looking from her sister back to the man by her fridge. "And, you are not Brian."
"Josh." the male introduced with a half smile. "Great digs, by the way." he closed the carton and put it back in the fridge before closing the door.
Josh headed back to the bedrooms, slapping Heather's ass on the way, making the younger girl let out a dry laugh. When they were alone, Heather met her older sister's eyes, "What are you doing home?" she asked casually, as if the awkward encounter never happened.
Kaitlynn grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge before answering. "KC and I are low on the assignment rotation, so I thought I'd get a workout in." she took a few sips of water. "Clearly, I wasn't the only one." she chuckled.
"I am so sorry." Heather apologized, sitting at the counter opposite Kait.
"Heath, it's fine." Kaitlynn replied. "You're making yourself comfortable in your new apartment. Just, give me a heads up next time, kay?"
The younger sister nodded. "Speaking of heads up. Dad wants to know who you're bringing to the wedding." she slid the RSVP invitation towards her sister. "He thinks you're not filling out the RSVP card because of the plus one."
"I've been busy." Kaitlynn brushed off, taking another sip from her water bottle.
"It takes five seconds to lick the envelope." Heather reminded, taking an apple from the fruit bowl between them. "What about that cute medical examiner you work with? The one you brought to the engagement party?"
"Evan." Kait informed. "He is a total player."
"So?" Heather arched her brow. "You like players."
"Yeah well, I don't like anyone right now." the older Chandler noted, taking another sip from her bottle.
"Whatevs." Heather held her hands up in defeat. "Just invite someone because Dad's freaked out. He thinks you're going to be alone forever."
Kaitlynn shook her head, her cell ringing. She picked it up and checked the caller ID. "It's work." she glanced to her sister. "I need to get in the shower. Can you make sure that Josh is not in it?"
Heather chuckled, "I'll tell Dad it's in the mail." she gave her sister a smile before heading back to her room.
Kaitlynn rolled her eyes, "Chandler." she answered her phone, walking to her bathroom to shower and change, leaving the blank RSVP card on her countertop.
After changing into a pair of brown boots, dark jeans and a charcoal grey tank-top with her blue leather jacket, Kaitlynn met up with her partner at the courthouse parking garage. "So, I just walked in on my sister and a new friend of the male gender christening my apartment." she said causally, walking with KC to the crime scene.
"Ooh, I'd charge extra rent for that." KC recoiled. "Well this case isn't quite as salacious. Hit-and-run."
Kaitlynn looked towards the scene and saw their boss near the body, conversing with a few other officers. "Why is Joe here for a hit-and-run?" she asked. When a uniformed officer stepped aside, Kaitlynn also saw her older sister Catherine, who looked pretty shaken up. "And my sister?"
"Victim's Judge Hanson." KC informed. "And I overheard that Catherine witnessed the hit-and-run."
Kaitlynn nodded and ran up to her sister, "Cat." she called out, wrapping her arms around her.
"Oh Katie, it was awful." Catherine breathed out, embracing her younger sister. "Brian and I were just talking a few minutes ago. That car came out of nowhere."
"Hey, it's okay." Kait soothed, rubbing her back before pulling away. "What did you see?"
"I saw the car hit Brian, then back over him before speeding off." Catherine answered, pointing in the direction the car left.
"Reversed back over. It sounds personal to me." Kaitlynn noted, glancing to KC.
"Personal and merciless and gross." KC shuddered. "I hate these kinds of cases."
"We got the plates from the security cameras." Joe informed. "Car's registered to an Iris Sodkovic, a waitress at the Club Veraban."
"Sodkovic. Veraban." Kait repeated. "They both sound like they could have been cases of the judge's."
"Sodkovic was." Catherine nodded, looking to her sister. "Brian deported her brother three days ago."
"So maybe a little sisterly payback?" KC guessed, glancing down to the body.
"Sounds like it." Joe agreed. "Address is on the registration." he handed KC the paper containing the information.
"We're on it." Kait and KC moved to leave, but were halted by their lieutenant.
"Sorry ladies, but Wolansky and Boggs are running point on this." he told them.
"Unbelievable." Kimberly scoffed, her hands slapping her sides. "Those two chauvinists get the high profile case?"
"Nothing personal. They're up in the rotation." Joe assured. "You two, back them up on the arrest."
"Yeah, boss." Kaitlynn nodded, while Kimberly just stomped off towards her car. She gently grabbed her sister's arm, "You gonna be okay Cat?"
"Yeah." Catherine nodded. "Look, even though you and KC aren't running point on this one, will you still keep me in the loop? I'm gonna tell the DA's office that I want to prosecute this case. Brian was a friend."
"Of course." Kaitlynn agreed, wrapping her arm around Cat's back. "I'll call you when Iris is in custody."
"Thanks Katie." Catherine smiled at her sister and kissed the side of her head. "I was gonna call you and see if you wanted a late lunch, but I guess we'll need a rain check."
"But hey, that's our jobs right?" Kaitlynn chuckled, her and Cat standing a few feet away from the crime scene. "Maybe we can get lunch or dinner when this case is over."
"I'll hold you to that." Cat smiled and hugged her younger sister once more. "I love you Katie."
"Yeah." Kait sighed, pulling back. "Me too, Cat." she pecked her sister's cheek before running to catch up with her partner, who was still venting about not being point on the case.
"Blood and tissue along here." Kaitlynn noted, her and KC examining Iris' car. "Engine's still warm. She must have just gotten home."
"We're gonna go around the back." KC said to the other pair of detectives.
"Nah, we got this." the cop known as Wolansky brushed off. "Just call for an impound and sit tight."
KC narrowed her eyes and scoffed, digging in her pocket for her phone, "Call for an impound and sit tight." she said in a mocking tone. "Can you believe I had to partner with that guy for two years?"
"Surprised you didn't kill him." Kaitlynn brushed her bangs from her face.
"Believe me, I wanted to." Kimberly rolled her eyes and dialed the number for their precinct.
"Strange to mow someone over with your own car and not even wipe the blood off the fender." Kait said aloud.
"Maybe Iris is inside getting a paper towel." KC shrugged. Someone from their office picked up on the other line, "Yeah, it's Cooper. I need a tow and forensics team on standby."
Kaitlynn looked around and noticed a woman in a white lace top and grey jeans exit the building. She nudged her partner's arm, the two detectives staring at her. "You Iris Sodkovic?" KC questioned, and the woman turned and ran. "NYPD, stop!"
The two females gave chase, running after Iris through the back alley. Kaitlynn was the first to catch up and tackled her into a pile of garbage bags, moving Iris' hands behind her back and cuffing them. "Please." the redhead begged. "I have green card."
"You're under arrest for the murder of Judge Brian Hanson." KC stated, as Kait secured the handcuffs.
"What?" Iris questioned, her eyes wide. "He's dead?"
Kaitlynn glanced from the woman she just arrested to her partner, "Not the reaction I was expecting." she muttered, gently pulling Iris to her feet.
Kaitlynn stood outside the interrogation room Iris was in, while Detectives Wolansky and Boggs were talking with Joe in his office. "She said she has a green card." Kaitlynn muttered, her and KC walking to their desks. "If she murdered Judge Hanson, why would she be worrying about that?"
"I'd worry about having a green card, too." KC plopped down in her chair, shrugging off her blazer jacket. "Prison in Bosnia probably makes prison here feel like a five-star resort."
The younger of the duo bit her lip, "But it seemed like she didn't even know he was dead."
Kimberly sighed and looked up at her partner, "Look, as much as I'd like for Wolansky to actually have to work to close this thing, it feels like a slam dunk." she admitted, leaning back into her chair with a huff.
"The driver reversed over the judge." Kait reminded. "We assumed it was to finish the job, but maybe he knew there were cameras, and he wanted the plates seen so that he could frame Iris."
"Frame Iris?" Kimberly arched her brow. "Kait, this isn't our case. Even though we're the ones who took her down." she glared at Wolansky through Joe's office window. "I'm gonna remind him." She cracked a smirk and jumped up.
Kaitlynn sighed heavily and tapped her nails on her desk. She headed to the interrogation room and slipped inside. "Iris." she said calmly as she entered. "I'm Detective Chandler. We sort of met earlier today." she took a seat opposite Iris. "Where were you at 4:00 this afternoon?"
"Walking home." Iris answered, not making eye contact with the detective.
"Was there anyone with you?" Kaitlynn asked, her voice still soft and calm. Iris shook her head 'no'. "Is there anyone who can corroborate? Was there a witness, someone who saw you?"
Iris took a shaky breath and exhaled, "I can't." she muttered, looking away.
"Why not?" Kaitlynn pressed, seeing something in Iris' eyes and getting the feeling she was hiding something. "Iris, I can't help you if you don't talk to me." When the woman didn't respond and just kept looking away, Kaitlynn sighed and stood by the door. "For what it's worth, I believe that you didn't do this, Iris." she left the interrogation room, trying to figure out how to prove her innocence before she went to jail for a crime she didn't commit.
"Cat, I don't think Iris is the one who was driving the car." Kaitlynn said into her cell and as she entered her apartment. "Well, she hasn't confessed anything yet." she dropped her keys on her counter, "I know her alibi is weak, but...I just have this gut feeling. Yeah, but...Cat?" Kaitlynn checked her phone and saw that her sister had hung up on her.
She let out an exasperated sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. A noise caught her attention, coming from one of the bedrooms. "Heather?" she called out. She opened the guest room and saw no one in it. When she walked into her own room, Kaitlynn found a folded piece of paper with her name written on the front. She unfolded it to find a message reading 'she didn't do it'.
"Vincent." a small smile crossed Kaitlynn's lips. She spun on her heels and grabbed her keys.
Meanwhile, in the old warehouse, Vincent was busy doing pull-ups while J.T. complained about Kaitlynn showing up at campus earlier that day. "So you and Kaitlynn have decided to keep in touch?" he asked.
"Carefully." Vincent pointed out, continuing his workout.
J.T. rubbed his temples while grading some papers from his BioChem class. "So now I'm your carrier pigeon, passing notes like we're all back in high school." he sighed, shaking his head. Vincent suddenly ceased his workout and dropped from the bar. "What?" J.T. questioned.
Vincent could hear the sound of footsteps rapidly coming up the stairs. "Apparently not tonight." he corrected, grabbing a dark green hoodie and shrugged it on, zipping it up about halfway.
"Wait, Kaitlynn's here?" J.T. blinked in shock. "So 'carefully' means not careful at all. Got it."
Kaitlynn knocked on the loft door before walking in, her hands in her jacket pockets. "Hey." she greeted.
"Hey." Vincent greeted back with a small smile.
Kait felt herself smile too, "I got your note." she flipped some hair off her shoulder.
"What note?" J.T. asked, looking between the two. "You already wrote her back?"
"Vincent, how do you know?" Kaitlynn asked, taking a couple steps towards him.
"I saw her." he answered, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
"Where? When?" Kaitlynn pressed.
"Who?" J.T. blinked in confusion.
"Around 4:00 on 123rd." Vincent replied to Kait's question.
"123rd." Kait repeated. "That is her apartment." she tucked some hair behind her ear.
"That's near school." J.T. also noted. "But seriously, who are we talking about?"
"A suspect in a case I'm working." Kaitlynn answered the professor.
"That's what you're in touch about?" J.T. questioned, looking between the two. "You gonna start going on stakeouts?" he looked to Vincent.
"No. I saw Kaitlynn arrest a woman who was innocent, okay." Vincent informed his friend. "I thought she should know, that's it."
Kaitlynn quirked her brow, "Wait. You saw me arrest Iris?" she questioned, her eyes never leaving Vincent. "Have you been following me?"
Vincent chuckled dryly. "After the attack last week, I've kept tabs." he admitted, locking eyes with the young detective. Kaitlynn only smiled at the thought and lightly brushed her bangs aside, letting out a small chuckle herself.
"Okay. We're all gonna die." J.T. stated, getting up from the table he was sitting at. "I'm getting a Tums."
Neither Kaitlynn nor Vincent seemed to hear the third party's statement. The brunette detective cleared her throat, breaking eye contact with her new friend for a brief moment, "Did you see what Iris was doing?" she asked, her eyes finding his again.
"She was walking, alone, carrying a paper bag." Vincent answered.
"What was in it?" Kait pressed. "Where was she going?"
"I don't know, okay?" Vincent shrugged, walking towards the door. "I'm not Batman. I don't watch over the citizens of New York."
"No, of course not." Kaitlynn followed him. "It's just...I had this feeling that Iris was innocent, and now you've confirmed it." she leaned against the doorframe, her eyes meeting Vincent's again. "You're a witness...but you can't come forward."
"No, I can't." he agreed. "I can't get involved."
"Exactly." J.T. sighed heavily. "So stop writing notes." he rolled his eyes and gathered his papers before heading down the stairs to his own space.
"Alright." Kaitlynn sighed, biting her lip. "I'll just need to figure out a different way to prove Iris' innocence, without your corroborating her alibi." she looked into Vincent's eyes and reached out to squeeze his hand. "Thanks for confirming my suspicions."
Kait ran down the first flight of stairs and stopped, glancing back up where Vincent was still standing in the doorway. "Oh, and uh...goodnight, Vincent." she smiled and jogged down the next flight of stairs.
The corner of Vincent's lips turned upwards, "Night, Kait." he replied, even though she couldn't hear him.
The next morning, Kaitlynn visited Evan down in the morgue to hopefully get some evidence to back up her theory of Iris' innocence. She walked in and saw Evan wiping down the autopsy table, while listening to music.
"Autumn cleaning?" Kaitlynn chuckled, her hands in the pockets of her black, leather jacket.
Evan turned down the music and gave her a smile, "Medical Examiners Association's paying me a visit." he corrected. "Turns out that my old assistant wasn't filing the paperwork the right way."
"Is it a big deal?" Kait arched her brow.
"Well, they've been known to bring down the hammer." Evan noted. "Send an M.E. off to...what's the American version of Siberia?"
Kaitlynn chuckled and shook her head, "Well, I hope that doesn't happen." she playfully jabbed his upper arm. "What would I do without you?"
Evan looked down at her and smiled, "I'm sure you'd survive." he winked. "What's up?"
"The Judge Hanson case." Kait answered, following Evan as he continued to organize the morgue. "Did CSU's come in with any prints or hair or any odd personal items from the vehicle?"
"Nope. Guess it's low-priority with the perp already in custody." He took a dry towel and wiped down the autopsy table again. "But we're waiting for DNA results from the car."
"What about the autopsy on the judge?" Kait pressed.
"He was just here. Bloody mess." the medical examiner replied. "You know what two tons of steel can do to a man's insides?"
"Uh..." the detective pursed her lips together. "I'm picturing raw meat going through a juicer, how far off am I?"
"Not far at all, actually." Evan nudged her arm. "But now look, so clean, you can see yourself." he smiled proudly at his clean lab space.
"How about seeing anything that might suggest a different theory or suspect?" Kaitlynn asked as she causally walked over to another table where the victim's items were on display. "Is this his stuff?"
Evan arched his eyebrow, disposing of the cloth. "What exactly are you doing?"
"I am dotting my I's and crossing my T's." Kait answered, picking up a few of the judge's items.
"Aren't they Wolansky's I's and T's?" Evan corrected, standing beside her.
Kaitlynn held up a paper stub, "V&P Valet. 17 East 34th Street." she read off. "That's the same block that Iris worked at." she tapped the paper on her hand.
"Okay, what's going through that brain of yours?" Evan looked down at her, seeing the wheels turning in her head, coming with another theory about the case.
Kaitlynn leaned against the table, her eyes meeting his, "That maybe Iris and the judge were connected by more than just her brother's deportation case." a small smirk crossed her lips, hers and Evan's eyes still locked on eachother's.
Their little moment was halted when the morgue's entrance opened and in stepped a man in a suit and tie. "I take it you're not the pizza guy." Evan joked, turning his attention to the newcomer.
"Not that he would ever bring pizza in here." Kaitlynn covered, glancing to her co-worker. "Well, thanks for your help Dr. Marks."
"Anytime, Detective Chandler." Evan replied, as the young brunette left the morgue, slipping past the man in the suit on her way out.
Kaitlynn drove to the club where Iris worked and strode inside, asking the hostess who was working the bar two nights prior. The hostess pointed to a relatively attractive young man with dark hair and tattoos decorating both his arms. "What can I do for you?" Sam asked as the detective approached him, spitting out some chewing tobacco into a plastic cup.
"Your valet's not here yet." Kaitlynn reached in her back pocket and pulled out the stub from the judge's belongings. "Do you guys use this company?" Sam looked over the stub for a few seconds before nodding. Kaitlynn then pulled out a picture of Judge Hanson, "Do you recognize him?" she asked. "The judge who was recently murdered?"
"Yeah, he's been in here a couple of times." Sam answered, taking the photograph. "He was murdered?"
"Hit-and-run." the detective clarified. "The stub was in his pocket at the time of death."
Sam blinked in shock, "Um...let me get the owner for you. Yo, Dane! Up front!" he called out to another male, older than himself, with short, reddish-blonde hair. "You remember this guy?" the bartender showed him the picture.
"Yeah. Iris's guy." Dane confirmed. "What about him?"
"He's dead." Kaitlynn informed, getting the club's owner to look in her direction. "And Iris is accused of murdering him. Were they in a relationship?"
"I don't know if you'd call it that." the club owner shrugged. "I mean, she worked him."
"Because of her brother's case?" Kaitlynn arched her brow, her hands sliding into her jacket pockets.
"She couldn't get over the fact that she'd gotten a green card and he'd been denied." Dane added, handing the picture back to the detective.
"Hey, look, I don't want to get anyone into any trouble, but..." Sam interjected. "I did see him and Iris have an argument by the bathrooms a couple of nights ago. I don't know what it was about, but she seemed pretty pissed."
"Probably after her brother's ruling." Kaitlynn muttered. "Anyway, uh, thank you for your time." She smiled politely before leaving the club.
Kait's next order of business was to check out Iris' apartment, to see if she could find any clues to back up her theory about her innocence. "The press is all over the Hanson case, and I swear Wolansky got Botox just for photo ops." KC vented over the phone with Kait. "Where are you, 'cause I'm about to puke."
"Yeah, don't do that." Kaitlynn replied with a chuckle, thanking Iris' landlord for letting her into the apartment. "I am at Iris's apartment." she informed her partner.
"What?!" KC exclaimed, before lowering her voice to add, "Wolansky will kill you if he finds out."
Kaitlynn walked around the place, "I went by the club that she works at. Turns out her and Hanson were in a relationship."
"Okay, so now she has two motives to kill him: her brother's case or some lovers' quarrel." KC noted.
"Or... maybe it's a third party?" Kait guessed, looking around Iris' room. "Maybe an ex-boyfriend or one of the judge's old girlfriends?"
"This isn't our case, Kait." Kimberly reminded.
"I know that, KC." Kaitlynn replied. "But, I don't think Iris did this." She walked down the hallway and opened the hall closet door.
"Why, 'cause she's a cute girl?" KC scoffed. "You don't take her seriously as a criminal, just like Wolansky doesn't take us seriously as detectives."
Kaitlynn rummaged through the hall closet, finding a clothing item that didn't belong to Iris. "There's a men's extra large shirt in here." she hung it back up. "Judge Hanson wasn't an extra large."
Kimberly groaned on the other line, "I've gotta go. Wolansky's coming over to gloat." she sighed heavily before hanging up.
Kaitlynn pocketed her cell phone and continued to look through the closet. She heard something that sounded like a muffled cough. When she stepped further into the hall closet, Kait saw a fake panel that was actually a door. She gently pushed it open and walked down the stairs, drawing her weapon. She heard the coughing noise again and kept herself close to the shelf she saw at the bottom of the staircase.
She stepped around and held her gun ready to fire, only to see two young girls in front of her. One looked no older than fourteen and had long, blonde hair, while the other looked between eight and ten, and was laying on a cot. "It's okay, it's okay." she holstered her gun and took a step forward. "I'm a police detective." she lifted up part of jacket to reveal her badge. "I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Kaitlynn. What're your names?"
The younger girl coughed again, gripping her sister's hand tighter. Kaitlynn took another step closer, and she could see a faint sheen of sweat on the younger one's forehead. She looked to the older girl, "Do you speak English?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"M-My name is Cena." the blonde stammered out. "She's Mila." she looked to her younger sister.
Kaitlynn brushed her bangs aside and sighed heavily, only one person coming to her mind that could help.
As per usual, Kait parked her car in the lot across from the warehouse and slipped under the fence, making her way to the entrance. "What now?" Vincent asked, appearing behind her.
Kaitlynn gasped and turned to face him. "Look, I know you don't get involved, but I..." she looked up into his eyes, "...I need your help, Vincent. Just this once. It's about the case, Iris..."
"I'm not Batman, remember?" he told her.
"You say that, but..." she took a step closer, "...those six cases I found of you saving people..."
"Yeah, I go out at night sometimes." he cut off. "If I stumble across something, I will help out, but I don't go looking for it."
"Iris has two little sisters, and one of them is sick, she can hardly breathe." Kaitlynn took another step forward, her eyes never leaving his.
"So take her to the ER." Vincent suggested.
"I can't." Kait sighed. "They're here illegally. I take them to the ER, they'd get reported, then get sent home. Vincent please."
"I can't, okay?" he sighed heavily, breaking eye contact. "I can't be seen. I would be putting you, me and J.T. at risk."
"That's the thing, you won't be seen, because they're in hiding too." Kaitlynn added, taking another step closer. "Vincent, please. You're a doctor."
"I was a doctor." he corrected. "I'm sorry, Kait." He walked past her with his head down.
Kaitlynn sighed, "Do you remember what that was like?" she asked, turning around to face him and saw he'd stopped in his tracks. "Helping people? Saving lives?" Vincent looked over his shoulder, their eyes locking again. "Just this once, Vincent." Kait begged. "Please. Mila could die if you don't help her."
Even in the darkness of night, Vincent could still see Kaitlynn's eyes. He saw determination and the drive to protect other, specifically the little girls she was talking about. He sighed heavily, "Wait here." he told her. "I need a few things first."
Kaitlynn's lips curled into a smile and she watched as he disappeared into the warehouse.
Early the next morning, Kait led Vincent through the hidden door and down the stairs, an old backpack slung over her shoulder that was filled with some bottled water and some other packaged foods she brought from her apartment. "Cena? Mila? It's Kaitlynn." she called out, alerting the girls to her presence as she came around the shelf. "I brought a doctor to see you." Vincent stepped out beside her, but both the girls shrunk back. "No, it's okay. He's a friend." she glanced to Vincent and smiled at him as she knelt down next to Cena. "He's here to help."
She set the bag down, "I also brought some things from my place, in case you were hungry or thirsty." She pulled out a couple of bottled waters and some granola bars and frosted Pop-Tarts.
Seeing how she interacted with the two young girls, Vincent couldn't help but smile. "I'm just gonna sit right here, okay?" he sat on the edge of the cot, pulling out a thermometer from his bag before setting it on the floor. "I need you to put this under your tongue." he instructed.
Mila shook her head and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "It's okay, Mila." Kaitlynn soothed, gently moving some hair from the young girl's face.
"It's okay." Vincent repeated in calm voice similar to Kait's. "See?" He held up the thermometer and stuck a part of it up his nose, making the two girls laugh, which brought a smile to his face as well as Kait's. He removed the plastic covering placed the tip in Mila's mouth. "Stethoscope." he whispered to Kait.
"Yeah, sure." Kaitlynn blinked and rummaged through the bag, pulling out Vincent's black colored stethoscope he used during his residency.
Vincent looked to Cena, "I'm gonna need her to lean forward." he told her.
Cena leaned over and spoke to Mila in Serbian, and helped her sit up and lean forward, while Kaitlynn draped the stethoscope over Vincent's neck. "Deep breaths, okay?" Vincent pressed the bell to Mila's back and gently moved it around, listening to her breathing, which sounded more like a wheeze. He then took the thermometer from her mouth, checking the temperature, "103." he looked to Kaitlynn as the young girl laid back down. "I'm gonna have to get ahold of J.T."
"Okay, you can use..." Kait went to grab her cell from her jacket pocket, but saw Vincent pull one from his. "Wait, you have a phone?" she whispered harshly while he dialed a number.
"Hey. Yeah, I'm fine." Vincent assured J.T., and ignoring the narrow-eyed stare Kaitlynn was giving him. "Look, listen, you got a pen? Okay, write this down before you react. I'm gonna need a nebulizer, .05% albuterol. 100 milligrams cephalexin q.i.d. for ten days. And oral prednisone, 7.5 mgs." he listed off what medication he needed, and Kait's features softened. "Get them from the university lab, okay?"
"Nice work." Kaitlynn complimented. "Dr. Keller." She patted his knee, a smile on her lips.
Vincent chuckled at hearing the title he thought he'd never hear again. "My pleasure." he muttered, smiling at Kaitlynn as his eyes met hers.
"You mind staying here with them while I work to try and prove Iris is innocent?" Kaitlynn asked in a whisper, her and Vincent standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Maybe even ask if they saw anyone come into the apartment before Iris did the other day?"
Vincent nodded, "I'll try, but there is no guarantees that they saw anything." he reminded.
"At this point, anything could help." Kait sighed. "I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure Iris comes back to them." she glanced to the two little girls before meeting Vincent's eyes once more. "Thank you for doing this, I owe you." Kaitlynn flashed a smile before running up the stairs and leaving the apartment.
After running home to shower and change, Kaitlynn returned to the precinct, hoping to talk to Iris again, but was caught in the hallway by Evan. "There you are." he stopped the detective in her tracks. "Don't tell me you went to the impound, too."
"No." Kaitlynn replied. "Wait, did you?"
"Yeah, turned out MEA's quite thorough." Evan informed. "They kicked me out of my own lab for the past eight hours, so with no place else to go..."
"Did you find anything in Iris' car?" Kaitlynn asked.
"Some dandruff, some dirt and thirteen different sets of partials." the medical examiner answered.
"Thirteen sets." Kaitlynn muttered, biting her lip. "That's a lot of people in her car."
"Well, she worked at a high-end club. She probably got valet service." Evan reminded. "But you know Iris confessed, right?"
Kaitlynn's eyes widened, "She did what?!" she gasped, running into the interrogation room, closing the door behind her. "Iris, why did you confess?" she whispered, leaning into the table.
"Tomorrow is arraignment." Iris informed, her hands folded in front of her. "The lawyer says plea is best. Ten years instead of life."
"Ten years. You're innocent." Kaitlynn sighed, taking a seat opposite her. "I found your sisters." she informed in a low whisper. "I know about Mila and Cena."
At hearing her sisters' names, Iris met the detective's eyes. "What did you do with them?"
"It's okay, they're safe. No one else in my department knows about them." Kaitlynn assured. "Mila was sick when I found her, but a doctor friend of mine is taking care of her." Iris visibly relaxed at hearing this. "They're who you were coming home to when the judge was killed, right? They're your alibi...but you can't tell anyone."
"If they come here, they will be put back to Bosnia. Probably killed." Iris informed. "There is no alibi. I did it."
Kaitlynn shook her head, "I know you didn't." she told her, showing sincerity in her eyes. "But whoever did knew you'd make a great suspect." Kait leaned in a bit closer, meeting Iris' eyes. "Who knew about you and Judge Hanson?"
"That we were friends?" Iris questioned, looking away.
"Your coworkers thought it was a little more than that." Kaitlynn said.
"Who, Dane?" Iris questioned. "I never slept with the judge." she stated. "I just make friends, trying to stop him from deporting my brother."
Kaitlynn arched her eyebrow, "How'd you know I was talking about Dane?"
Iris looked down at her hand. "We were together." she admitted. "I told him nothing was going on with the judge, but he didn't believe me. He was very angry."
"You think he did this?" Kaitlynn guessed. She reached out and covered Iris' hands with her own, "Which means you didn't. Iris, if you-"
The interrogation room door opened and Joe stepped in along with Catherine. "Katie, what are you doing in here?" the lawyer asked.
"Cat, Joe-" Kaitlynn tried to explain, but was cut off when her boss raised his hand. "My office, now." he ordered.
Kaitlynn sighed and released Iris' hands, "Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay." she assured in a whisper before leaving the room, followed by sister and boss.
Kaitlynn sat across from Joe and Catherine while Kimberly stood at the back of the office. "Thanks to me catching you in that interrogation room, my signed confession is now tainted." Catherine informed, her arms folded over her chest. "Katie, why would do this?"
"Iris was confused." Kaitlynn defended. "I was just trying to-"
"Chandler, you know better." Joe scolded.
Kaitlynn sighed heavily, her shoulders sinking and eyes focused on her boots. "Katie." Catherine stood in front of her sister, "You keep insisting Iris is innocent. Is there something that you're not telling us?"
Kaitlynn looked up and met her sister's eyes. "I haven't found anything definitive." she answered. "But if..."
"This fishing expedition ends here." Joe ordered, standing up. "You're home till further notice. I need your gun and badge." he leaned against the side of his desk, his eyes moving from one detective to the other, "And, Cooper, you knew about this, too?"
"She didn't do anything, Joe." Kaitlynn covered, unclipping her badge from her belt, followed by her gun holster.
"Lieutenant." her boss corrected. "And she knew enough about what you did." he looked from Kait back to KC. "Desk duty, rest of the month. You're both dismissed."
Kimberly just scoffed and stormed out off the office, ignoring her partner calling after her. Kaitlynn set her badge and weapon on her boss' desk before leaving, followed by her sister. Catherine glanced to her sister and shook her head, "I'm disappointed in you Kaitlynn." she sighed, walking towards the exit.
Tears welled in Kaitlynn's eyes and she let out a shuddering breath, going to her desk to pack up some files. Kimberly walked over but didn't make eye contact. " KC. I'm so sorry." Kait apologized. "It's just, Iris, she..."
"You're still on this?" Kimberly questioned, her ebony hair falling over her shoulder. "Look, believe me, I wish Wolansky got this wrong, but this is how it works and these are the rules. So next time you decide to take a swan dive off the cliff, don't forget, you're dragging me with you."
"I know..." Kaitlynn began to say, but was cut off by her friend. "I know you carry a lot of baggage, Kait; questions about your mom, and you disappear inside yourself, and I get that, but lately you've been off the rails." She laid into her. "Going to Iris's apartment without telling me, going M.I.A. for the night."
"I know for a fact that Iris is innocent." Kaitlynn stated, making eye contact with her partner. "KC, I do. You gotta believe me."
"You're suspended and I'm on desk duty." Kimberly reminded. "You need to drop this. Now."
The younger detective squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from spilling over as she ran her hand through her hair. She took a deep breath and exhaled, grabbing her things and heading out, bumping into Remy on the way. "Sorry." Kait apologized under her breath, sniffling.
"Nah, it's okay." he brushed off, then catching the moisture in her eyes. "You okay, detective?"
"Yeah." Kait wiped the moisture from her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse. "I just, this case, I'm trying to prove that we have the wrong killer and in doing so I let both my sister and my partner down. It's been a long couple days."
Remy reached out and patted her shoulder, "I'm sorry." he sympathized. "If you need any help-"
"No, it's okay." Kaitlynn cut him off, shaking her head. "I'm suspended, there's nothing more I can do. I'd only get you in trouble too." She flashed Remy a smile before heading to the parking lot.
As Kaitlynn walked to her car, still feeling guilty over letting down Kimberly and Catherine, she was suddenly grabbed by someone and pulled into a side alley. On reflex, she went to punch whoever grabbed her, only to realize it was Vincent, who again blocked her punch by grabbing her wrist. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." he apologized, releasing her.
"You're lucky I don't have my gun. I could've shot you." Kaitlynn sighed, catching her breath. "What happened? Are the girls okay?"
"The day of the hit-and-run, the girls saw a man come into Iris's apartment and take her keys." he told her, making Kait blink in shock.
"They used Iris's car to kill the judge." Kaitlynn noted as she drove her car to an isolated spot under an overpass.
"Yeah." Vincent nodded. "They couldn't see who he was through the vent, but they said he had a knife in his arm."
"Probably meant hand." Kaitlynn cut her engine and turned to face Vincent, who was sitting in the backseat. "I wonder if it was her boss." she guessed, resting her elbow on the back of her seat. "They were a couple, but when I talked to him, he acted like she was just another employee. In fact, it seemed like he was jealous of the judge."
"So you think her boss is the real killer?" Vincent questioned, resting his elbows on his knees.
Kaitlynn nodded. "But, I'm suspended so there's nothing I can really do." she shook her head. "I have no badge, I have no gun. I can't even get a warrant to find her keys, even though my sister is the ADA prosecuting this case." She bit her lip, tapping her fingers on her steering wheel. "Although..." she glanced back to Vincent, "I don't need a warrant to get into Dane's club. Maybe I could sneak into his office and find Iris's car keys."
"You're gonna go alone without your partner?" Vincent asked.
"Well, kinda have to. KC's pissed at me for doing my own investigation and getting her desk duty for the month." Kaitlynn muttered, glancing back to meet his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." she gave him a reassuring smile.
As Vincent opened the door to leave, Kaitlynn reached out and took his hand, their eyes locking once more. "Thank you, for helping with the girls."
"Yeah, sure." Vincent nodded and gave her a genuine smile, before getting out of the car and watching as Kaitlynn drove off.
Kaitlynn parked her car near Club Veraband, and in order to help herself blend in more, she took off her dark blue blouse and took her hair out of her ponytail, and pulled a portion up with a clip, letting the rest fall down her back. She popped open her car vanity mirror and applied some red lipstick, dark eyeshadow and some mascara, before discarding her belt, letting her dark jeans hang loose over her hips and criss-crossed the straps of her black tank top, making it look more like a halter top and shrugged on her blue leather jacket.
David Guetta's 'Titanium' blasted through the club's speakers as Kaitlynn walked in, casually scanning the area. Her eyes landed on Dane, who was busy talking to some patrons and looked distracted, so she took that opportunity to sneak into his basement office without being seen.
She skimmed through the papers on the desk and looked in various drawers, searching for Iris' car keys, but was coming up empty. She heard the door open and looked up, just as Dane walked in. "What the hell you doing in here?" the club owner demanded.
"Looking for you." Kaitlynn answered, her hand on her hip.
Dane walked closer to her, his eyes roaming up and down her body. "In my desk?" he noted.
Kaitlynn grabbed a pen off the desk, "Needed a pen, to write down your statement." she pulled a small notepad from the pocket of her leather jacket. "So it turns out that you're Iris's ex-boyfriend. Any reason you didn't mention that?" she slowly walked around the desk, jotting a few things down in her notes.
"Because I knew it would lead to this kind of BS." Dane scoffed. "It isn't exactly great for business."
Kaitlynn leaned against the front of the desk, hooking her thumbs through her belt loops. "Here's the thing, I have two eyewitnesses that saw a man on Tuesday taking Iris's keys out of her apartment." she stated, a smirk crossing her ruby lips. "I'm betting they'll recognize your face."
"The hell they will." the club owner rebuked. "I got 200 witnesses that confirm I was here all day Tuesday." he took a step closer to her, staring down into her deep, brown eyes. "So why don't you turn around and let me watch you walk that skinny little ass the hell out of my club." he glanced down to her ass before looking back into her eyes.
The detective pushed herself off the desk, never breaking eye contact, "Charming." she said with a chuckle, tossing the pen onto the desk before brushing past him on the way out. True to his statement, Dane watched her leave, and waited till she was gone to make a phone call.
Rain had started to pour down when Kaitlynn returned to her car, but before she could get in, she heard Vincent's voice and ran to check it out. What she saw was Dane slump to the ground. "Oh, God." she muttered, kneeling next to an unconscious Dane.
"He's fine." Vincent assured.
"He does not look fine." Kaitlynn looked over her shoulder at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Vincent met her eyes, "You said you didn't have a gun." he noted.
"I also said that I would take it from here." she reminded, getting to her feet and running her hand over her now-soaked hair.
"Look, he called someone after you left his office. It was about the girls." he informed. "It sounded like it was to whoever did this."
"So what, Vincent? You thought you'd would beat the information out of him?" she questioned.
"This is why I don't get involved." Vincent argued, unknowingly moving a couple steps closer to Kaitlynn.
The detective just rolled her eyes and flung her arms out, "You're right, I shouldn't have asked you." she sighed, her hands slapping her sides. "But you're the one who left me the note."
"So, what are you saying, that I shouldn't have?" Vincent questioned.
"No, I just..." Kaitlynn sighed, licking her lips. "...I can't figure out how this is supposed to work. You and me." she admitted. "I can't go to your loft, but you can just show up at my work. I can't call you, but J.T. has your phone number."
"It's a burner for emergencies." Vincent clarified, keeping himself calm.
"Oh, my God." Kaitlynn muttered, shaking her head and letting out a dry laugh. "KC was right. I have swan dived so far off the cliff." she shook her head. "This guy is unconscious..."
"I said he would be fine." he cut her off.
"And it is all on your terms." she finally pointed out, meeting his eyes once more, her chest heaving. "Which means I'm alone in it."
Vincent kept his eyes locked with Kaitlynn's, "Yeah, well, join the club." he said, stoically, before breaking eye contact and turning away from her.
Kaitlynn's shoulders sank and she looked away as well, catching sight of some pictures in the club's window. One in particular was of Sam, the bartender, with his arms around a group of girls, and his right forearm had a tattoo of a knife. She remembered what Vincent told her what the girls said about the man who took Iris's keys.
She turned back to Vincent and placed her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to face her, "Vincent, thank you for the medical consult." she said softly, meeting his eyes with her own. "You saved Mila's life. But I've got to go by the book to see this case through. I will take it from here."
Knowing she needed something of Sam's to test in order to link him to the hit-and-run, Kaitlynn ran back inside the club. Vincent watched her run inside and heard Dane's cell ring from his pocket, with a text from an unknown number saying they were gonna clean things up. He sent a quick reply with a location and ran back into the rain.
Kaitlynn stood in the morgue with Kimberly, "First of all, I am sorry." she apologized. "I will never treat you like a non-partner again."
Kimberly cracked a small smile, "You could ditch me for a week and still be the best partner I ever had." she replied, pulling Kaitlynn in for a tight hug. She patted her back before pulling away, "All right, what's up?"
"You remember how Iris didn't seem like she knew anything about the judge being murdered?" Kait questioned, and KC nodded. "That's because she didn't. She was going home to see her two little sisters."
"Well, why didn't she just say so?" Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest.
"They're here illegally, she's got them in hiding." Kaitlynn answered, resting her hands on her hips. "She thinks they're gonna get deported just like her brother did. I think that they were smuggled here by Sam."
"The bartender guy from the club?" the dark-skinned detective arched her brow.
Kaitlynn nodded in confirmation. "And apparently coyote guy. I did a little digging and in '09 he was brought up on charges of smuggling people in from Eastern Europe. Guess who the presiding judge was."
"Hanson?" KC guessed, earning a nod from her partner. "So this was some kind of retribution?"
"I'm thinking more like insurance." Kait corrected, moving past her friend to grab an evidence bag. "So theory is; Sam panics. He sees Iris cozying up to the judge who almost put him away, gets nervous that she's giving him up in order to get favorable treatment for her family." She opened her purse and pulled out a cloth towel. "So he wants to shut them both up, by killing the judge and framing Iris."
"Okay Kait, I believe it." KC nodded along, leaning into the autopsy table. "But how do we prove it?"
The olive-skinned detective cracked a smile, unwrapping the towel she pulled from her purse, revealing a plastic cup with chewing tobacco inside. "Sam's nasty bar spittoon." she answered, transferring the item to the evidence bag. "I snagged it from the club, and I'm banking that Evan will find DNA that matches one of the DNA samples found in the car."
Her cell rang from her pocket, the caller ID reading 'Catherine'. "Hey Cat, you get it?" Kait asked, referring to a warrant for a cell phone trace. She nodded along and pumped her fist in excitement, "Yes! Thanks sis, I promise this will pay off." She hung up and looked to her partner, "Sam's phone shows him at Iris's apartment."
"Let's go tell Joe." KC voted. Kait nodded and they ran out of the morgue to their boss' office.
After giving Joe all the cause he needed, he took Kaitlynn, Kimberly, and Detectives Wolanski and Boggs, along with a S.W.A.T. team to Iris' apartment building. "I thought she was suspended." Wolanski scoffed, glaring at Kait.
"Well, looks like you took down the wrong perp, Wolansky." KC smirked.
"Okay, Chandler, what are we looking for?" Joe asked, looking to the aforementioned detective.
"White male mid-20s, medium build, brown hair, knife tattoo on his right forearm. Presumed armed, definitely dangerous." Kaitlynn informed, everyone drawing their weapons. "He might have two little girls as hostages."
Joe gave the order and the team moved out, heading up the stairs to Iris' apartment, stopping Kait before she could follow, "You better be right." he warned her.
"Trust me, I am." Kaitlynn assured. Joe gave a nod and followed the rest of the entry team. Kaitlynn's phone rang from her back pocket and she answered it, "Chandler."
"Hey. It's me." Vincent's voice said on the other line. "I got the guy who did this."
"What?" Kaitlynn breathed out.
"Don't worry, he's conscious, okay?" Vincent assured. "I'll hold him till you get here."
"Wait, where are you?" Kaitlynn asked, hoping it wasn't where she thought.
"I'm at Iris's." he answered, and she let out the breath she held. "J.T. has the girls."
"Vincent, we're already here." she informed. "You need to get out now." She hung up and caught up with the rest of the team once they breached Iris' apartment.
The split up and searched it, but didn't find any trace of Sam. "This place is empty." Joe clarified to the raid team.
"He must've heard us coming." Kaitlynn replied. "He's somewhere in the building."
"All right, fan out!" Joe ordered, leading the raid team out of the apartment.
Kaitlynn hung back and waited until she was alone in the apartment, before going through the secret door in the hall closet and down the stairs, gun ready just in case. She heard the sounds of muffled yells and turned the corner, seeing Sam wriggling free from the duct tape binding him to a chair.
Before he could remove the pillowcase from his head, Kaitlynn knocked him down with a right hook and gave him a few more punches to knock him out again. She turned around, seeing Vincent already in beast mode, "Stop! He's out, he didn't see you!" she assured, holding her hands up in defense. "Vincent, stop! We need him alive. I prove that he's guilty, Iris goes free. Vincent." she took small steps and eventually closed the distance between them, placing her hands on both sides of his face. "Vincent, Cena and Mila are okay because of you. You saved a child's life yesterday."
Kaitlynn gently caressed Vincent's cheeks, keeping her eyes locked with his. "I couldn't have done this without you." she admitted, watching as his eyes changed from gold back to their normal, dark brown. "Thank you." she touched her forehead to his as his features returned to normal. They pulled apart, but kept their eyes locked with eachother's, and a smile crept along Kaitlynn's lips.
"We placed the perp in Iris's car at the time of impact thanks to DNA material, which you asked Evan to test, even though it wasn't your case." Joe rattled off, as Kaitlynn and Kimberly sat in the chairs opposite his desk. "Which turned out to be chewing tobacco, which matched the chewing tobacco that you stole from a club that you entered without a warrant or a badge."
"But on the other hand, we tracked Sam to Iris's apartment with an actual warrant." Kimberly added on.
"Based on protocol, with these infractions, she should be demoted." Joe pointed out, pointing to Kaitlynn. "To garbage."
Kait blinked in slight shock, "Is that code for something?" she asked, swallowing a lump in her throat.
"It's code for garbage." Joe answered, sternly.
"Come on, Joe." KC sighed. "She broke the case."
"She broke a lot of rules." Joe argued.
"I know." Kait admitted. "And I am sorry."
Joe sighed heavily, "But, on behalf of my friend Brian, I'm glad you did." he told her, his features softening up a little. "But as head of this department, the rule is, I got to give you desk duty." he admitted. "One week." he extended his hand towards his subordinate. "Nice work, Chandler."
Kaitlynn smiled and shook her boss' hand, "Thank you, sir."
Kaitlynn walked with Iris as Catherine was explaining the situation with her younger sisters. "I spoke with a friend of mine who's a caseworker at the State Department, explaining to him that your sisters are key witnesses in a high-profile prosecution." she informed as they walked down the stairs. "He thinks we can get them asylum."
Kaitlynn slid her hands in her jean pockets, "I didn't want to expose them, Iris, truly." she admitted. "But...I didn't have a choice."
Iris shook her head and took the young detective's hand, "You saved their lives." she said with a smile.
Kaitlynn smiled back and squeezed her hand, "Not just me."
A uniformed officer led the two younger girls into the main lobby, and once they saw their sister, they ran right into her arms. Catherine wrapped her arm around Kaitlynn's shoulders and pulled her closer, resting her cheek against her hair, "What a sight, right?"
"Yeah." Kaitlynn agreed. "I know I broke a lot of rules Cat, but..." she looked to her sister.
"You did good, Katie." Catherine interjected, giving her sister a smile. "I mean, look." they looked to the three sisters, who were still wrapped up in eachother's arms. "To me, that sight is worth it. And I will see if I can pull some favors with friends in the State Department to get them green cards so they can stay together."
"Thank you." Kaitlynn wrapped her arm around her sister's back and laid her head on her shoulder.
"I know I'm gonna be swamped with prepping for this prosecution, but what do you say we go out and grab lunch or dinner sometime soon?" Catherine asked, glancing down at her younger sister.
Kaitlynn met her sister's eyes, "Yeah." she agreed with a smile. "I'd like that."
Catherine returned the smile and kissed her forehead, the two sisters sharing a chuckle. As Kaitlynn went back to her desk, she was stopped my Mila, who held out a folded sheet of paper and said something in Serbian, but had a wide smile on her face.
"She says, 'Will you give this to your handsome, doctor boyfriend?'" Iris translated, keeping one hand on Mila's shoulder while the other arm was around Cena's back.
"Oh." Kaitlynn took the paper, which was a homemade 'thank you' card. "Uh well, he's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend." she corrected, brushing some hair from her face. "But yes, I will give this to him the next time I see him."
"Could I possibly tell him 'thank you' myself?" Iris asked, while Kaitlynn put the card in her purse.
"I'm sorry but uh.." Kaitlynn sighed, "...no one here even knows I work with him. He's like, an off-the-books CI, and I need to keep his idenity a secret, for his safety." Iris nodded in understanding. "But, I will pass on your thanks. Promise."
Later that night, Kaitlynn leaned against her counter, sipping a glass of Moscato while on the phone with Evan, "How'd the inspection go? You celebrating?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine.
"I believe I am." Evan replied, his words slurring together. "If drinking to excess in the privacy of my lab qualifies as a celebration."
"So, all's good then?" Kait raised her eyebrow, pushing off the counter.
"Everything was in order. No demerits." Evan replied. "Inspector Man barely made eye contact with me as he left the door. You know, I didn't think I was nervous, yet I find myself flooded with relief."
Kaitlynn chuckled, "Me, too." she admitted, taking another sip of wine as she walked towards her bedroom, wearing black and purple checkered flannel pants with a grey t-shirt with NYPD printed across the chest, her brunette hair pulled into low pigtail. "Who would I rope in to my off-the-grid investigations if not you?"
"Well, come any time." Evan offered. "My door is always open."
"Okay, night." Kait hung up and walked into her room, seeing a folded piece of paper on the floor. She set her wine glass and cell phone on her desk, next to the RSVP card for her father's wedding, and opened the note, seeing the words 'fire escape' written in the center.
Kaitlynn leaned out her window and saw Vincent sitting on the stairs of her fire escape. "I'm fine. How are you?" Vincent looked to her, a smile on his face. Kait smiled back and grabbed the card from Mila on her desk, sticking it in the pocket of her cardigan before shrugging it on and joining Vincent on the fire escape. "So, how are the girls?"
"They're good." Kaitlynn answered, resting her elbows on her knees. "Thanks to you." she added with a chuckle, lightly nudging Vincent's leg with her arm.
"That little one was funny." Vincent rubbed his fingers together, his back against the brick of the apartment building, a light chuckle escaping him. "It felt good, you know. Helping."
"Worth the risk?" Kaitlynn quirked her brow, pulling her cardigan closer around herself.
"Yeah." Vincent nodded. "Although, J.T. is developing an ulcer."
They both chuckled again, "Well, luckily, you can treat that." the brunette female pointed out. She looked down at her white fox slippers before glancing back to Vincent, "You know, I think I've had unrealistic expectations. That you can communicate or be in the outside world."
"I wish I was Batman, too." Vincent admitted with a smile.
Kaitlynn shook her head, "I just wish you were a normal guy."
"Ouch." he muttered, in a lightly sarcastic manner.
Kaitlynn chuckled, "No, that's not what I meant." she clasped her hands together and rested them on her knees.
"Without all the baggage." Vincent clarified, his eyes meeting hers.
"Okay. What I am trying to say, badly, is that..." Kaitlynn sighed, looking away for a moment before meeting Vincent's eyes. "I get it. In order to be in contact with you, it has to be on your terms. It's just hard. But..." she placed one hand over his, lightly rubbing the back of it, "I'd like to make this friendship work."
The corner of his lips curled upwards as he continued to stare into her light, brown eyes. "Then maybe we need to revise the terms." he suggested. "Just in case..."
"You want to help again." she finished, both of them smiling. "Alright." Kait cleared her throat. "A week can't go by without one of us reaching out to say, I'm still alive." she gave his hand a squeeze.
"Fine." he nodded. "But my place, you can't go there. Unless it is a dire emergency."
The brunette female quirked her brow, "How am I supposed to know what qualifies as a dire emergency?"
"You call me and you ask." the older male answered, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and handed her a small piece of paper. "Don't get too excited. It's only good for three more days."
Kait took the burner number, turning her attention back to him. "Then what happens?"
"Then...we play that one by ear." Vincent replied.
"Okay, deal." Kaitlynn agreed. "Oh, before I forget." She reached into her cardigan pocket and pulled out the homemade card from Mila. "Mila told me to give this to my, 'handsome, doctor friend'." she chuckled, nudging his leg again. "I think she developed a bit of a crush on you." Vincent smiled at the handmade card and the little hearts and smiling faces, slipping into the inside pocket of his jacket.
"Alright, I have one more thing to do tonight." Kaitlynn sighed, bracing one hand on Vincent's knee as she stood up. He took her hand in his and helped her to her feet. "So, guess I'll see you around then?"
"Yeah." Vincent nodded, walking with her down the stairs and leaned against the railing as she climbed into her room through the open window. "Goodnight, Kaitlynn."
"Goodnight, Vincent." Kaitlynn repeated, watching as he jumped over the railing down to the alley below. A smile crossed her lips as she closed her window and grabbed a pen and the RSVP card, writing down her name, checking she will be attending the wedding, without a plus one.
She dialed her dad's number and it rang a few times before going to voicemail, "Hi, Daddy. It's me, Katie. I talked to Heather. I am sending you my RSVP card. No plus-one, but, that does not mean that I am alone in the world. I'll see you soon." she ended the call and stuck the card in the envelope, jotting down her father's address before turning off her desk lamp and turning in to bed for the night.
In a dark alley somewhere in the city, a black SUV was parked in an alley. The inspector from the morgue was in the passenger seat, handing Agent Silverfox the samples he stole earlier that day. "We'll understand more once these are analyzed, but it's now confirmed..." the inspector agent informed, "Vincent Keller is very much alive."
"And Kaitlynn Chandler is going to bring him to us." Silverfox added, looking to his colleague. "It's time to act."
To Be Continued...
A/N: Suspenseful ending scene, no? Hope that hooks ya'll for the next chapter. Thank you DemonGirl123, Djone246, and MakiSakura for the reviews on the last chapter.
Next Chapter: Basic Instinct.