Worth
After his blackout and waking up on the Brooklyn Bridge, Vincent was determined to figure out exactly what happened and ran every medical test he could think of. Well into morning, he was checking his blood pressure and was so focused on that, he didn't even register a second heartbeat enter the loft.
"Vincent?" a voice echoed in his ear, the sounds of heels clanking across the floorboard. "What are you doing?" He felt a hand barely touch his shoulder and he jerked around, his stethoscope clattering to the floor. Kaitlynn held her hands up in defense, "Woah, I'm unarmed." she took a few steps back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay. I forgot to turn the security system on again." Vincent replied, removing the blood pressure cuff from his arm. "What's going on?" He put his medical instruments back in the drawer.
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure that..." the young detective licked her lips, "um...is everything okay?" she glanced to the open drawer of medical instruments.
"Yeah." he assured. "I just wasn't feeling so great."
Kaitlynn nodded, tucking her curled hair behind her ear, "So is that why you didn't show up for dinner last night?" she asked, nervously brushing her bangs aside. "Because I kinda thought that you stood me up." she slid her hands into the pockets of her black, leather jacket.
"No, I just, uh..." Vincent stammered, getting to his feet, "...should've told you that I wasn't gonna make it."
Kaitlynn set the plastic shopping bag she carried in on the table, arching her brow in slight confusion over her friend's weird mood. "I found the present you left me on my windowsill, which was sweet. Thank you." she walked closer to him, a smile on her lips. "And then I realized that you must have left it during my birthday party, which involved many, many Tequila shots and margaritas, and, I've been known to make..." she nervously chuckled, clearing her throat, "...and uh, I wondered if, maybe, when you left it, you saw me..."
"You don't have to give me an explanation." Vincent cut off, turning his body to face her.
Kaitlynn's brown eyes widened, "So you did see?" she gasped, biting her lip. "Because...Vincent, it was just a stupid, drunken kiss-"
"You can kiss whoever you want." he cut her off again, their eyes meeting one another's.
"No... uh, yeah, I know that." Kait shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, it's not like we're..."
"No." Vincent laughed nervously. "No, it's not." His eyes met hers and he picked up on the slight flutter of her heart. "I'm really sorry about dinner."
Kaitlynn ran her fingers through her hair, "It's no big deal." she brushed off, smoothing out her jacket. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." She took a deep breath and exhaled, "I uh, I brought some of what I made last night, if you're hungry at all." Kait motioned to the bag on the table, twisting some of her brunette locks around her finger.
The corner of his lips turned upwards, "Thanks." Vincent replied, lightly biting his lip.
Kaitlynn glanced up and met his eyes again, "Yeah, sure." she muttered, licking her lips. "Uh, I've gotta get to work." she took a few steps back, her hands falling to her sides. "But uh, feel better."
The young detective spun on her heels and walked out, rolling her eyes and mentally berating herself for acting like a stuttering, school girl, while Vincent kept his eyes on her, watching her leave.
Kaitlynn grabbed a handful of files from her desk and slammed the drawer shut, practically storming over to the filing cabinets. Kimberly arched her brow, "Who's the guy?" she asked, leaning against the cabinet with her arms folded over her chest. "You only file when there's a problem with a guy."
"That is not true." Kaitlynn rebuked, slamming the file cabinet shut. KC arched her brow again, her partner letting out a sigh. "Okay, fine." her hands slapped the sides of her skinny-jean clad legs.
"I knew it." Kimberly grinned. "I knew there was a guy."
"'Was' being the operative word in that sentence, KC." Kaitlynn pointed out, the duo walking back to their desks. "Apparently, I got myself into, yet another, complicated non-relationship that I think is going somewhere-" she leaned against the corner of her desk, smoothing out the red shirt she wore, "-only to discover it is going nowhere."
KC nodded, "Okay, well, first of all, if he's not into you, he's an idiot." she stated, her hands in her jean pockets. "And second, who is he?"
"It doesn't matter." the younger detective replied, flipping her low-ponytail off her shoulder. "From now on, I am sticking to simple."
"Simple like, your dad marrying someone young enough to be your sister?" KC asked, looking towards the entrance to the bullpen, where Thomas and Catherine just walked in, waving at Kaitlynn.
Kaitlynn waved back at her father and sister, "Dress fitting." she remembered, sighing heavily.
She walked up the stairs, leading them to the break area so they could talk in private. "Brooke forgot to take your shoes when she left this morning." Thomas handed Kaitlynn the shoebox. "She says she'll meet you at the bridal salon at 1:00."
"I meant to call, but since Heather's away in Atlantic City, I thought we could reschedule." Kaitlynn replied, holding the box under her arm. "You know, dresses are much more her thing, and I'm pretty busy."
"So am I, but I took time out of my day for this." Catherine pointed out, looping her arm through her sister's.
Kaitlynn shot her sister a slight glare. "Katie, I wish you'd just give Brooke a chance." Thomas sighed, looking to his middle daughter. "You haven't spent more than ten minutes in the same room with her since the engagement party." The young brunette sighed. "I'll see you at dinner tonight." Thomas stated.
"Byron and I will be there." Catherine smiled, lightly nudging her sister's side. Kaitlynn let out another sigh mixed with a groan.
"The reservation's for six, so if you can't bear the thought of being trapped with the four of us, invite someone." Thomas added, catching sight of Evan walking towards them. "Like that nice man from the engagement party." he noted. "Brooke really hit it off with him."
"Who? Evan?" Kaitlynn questioned.
"Talkin about me?" the aforementioned medical examiner cut in, standing beside Kait. "Mr. Chandler. Good to see you." he shook the older man's hand. "Catherine."
"Hey, Evan." Cat greeted with a smile.
Thomas released Evan's hand, "How would you like to save Katie and come to dinner tonight?"
"Daddy." Kaitlynn objected. "No."
"It would be my pleasure." Evan agreed, flashing Kaitlynn a smile. "What time?"
"Hello." the young detective cut in. "The person that you are talking about is standing right here."
"7:30, at Per Se." Thomas answered the medical examiner.
"Still here." Kaitlynn noted, looking between her father and co-worker.
"We'll be there." Evan draped his arm around Kaitlynn's shoulders.
"Terrific." Catherine grinned, ignoring the glare her sister was giving her.
Thomas smiled, brushing Kaitlynn's bangs from her face. "It means a lot to me and to Brooke." he told her, lightly caressing her cheek. "See you girls tonight." He pecked Catherine's cheek. "Love you." he pecked Kaitlynn's forehead.
"Love you too." Catherine replied.
"Me too, daddy." Kaitlynn muttered, putting on a forced smile.
Catherine walked her father out of the precinct, leaving Kaitlynn alone with Evan, shrugging his arm off her shoulders, "Before I enumerate all of the ways that that was completely wrong, we should probably talk about what happened the other night." she stated, facing him.
"Agreed." Evan nodded.
Kimberly ran up to the pair, grabbing Kaitlynn's arm, "Gotta go. Dead body down in SoHo."
"Looks like we'll have to continue this conversation at dinner." the medical examiner noted, leaning down to peack Kaitlynn's cheek before leaving.
KC's jaw fell slack, watching as he left, before she turned to her partner, "Don't ask." the younger detective groaned with a roll of her eyes.
Kaitlynn shrugged on her leather jacket and tightened her ponytail, not noticing her older sister approaching her until she turned and almost ran into her. "Sorry Katie, I just wanted to check on ya before I left."
"Sorry Cat, but KC and I have a body in SoHo." She grabbed her keys off her desk.
Catherine moved to block her sister's path, "Are you okay, Katie?" she asked. "Because if something's bothering you, you can tell me."
Kaitlynn sighed heavily, "Nothing, just...things with me and Vincent." she answered in a low voice as they walked out of the bullpen to a secluded part of the hallway.
Catherine quirked her brow, "I take it dinner didn't go so well, then?" she guessed.
"Dinner didn't go at all. He never showed." the younger Chandler clarified. "I talked to him this morning and he said he wasn't 'feeling well' last night, but...I don't know, something didn't seem right. I thought he stood me up because he saw Evan kiss me."
"Wait." the A.D.A held her hand up, "Rewind and repeat that. You kissed Evan?"
"He kissed me." the detective corrected. "It was a stupid, drunken kiss that meant nothing. And when I tried explaining that to Vincent, he said I didn't need to because it's not like we're..." she sighed and bit her lower lip.
Catherine saw the different emotions swirling behind her sister's brown eyes and reached down to take her hands. "Do you want there to be?" she asked honestly, squeezing her hands.
Kaitlynn looked down, biting her lip and letting out a shuddering breath. "I don't know. Maybe." she muttered. She took a deep breath and exhaled, pushing all thoughts of Vincent from her mind for the moment, pulling her hands from her sister's. "I've gotta go." Kait put on a smile and kissed Catherine's cheek before spinning on her heels and jogging out, passing by someone standing in a slightly ajar doorway who had overheard the sisters' conversation.
"Your dad did you a huge favor." KC stated as her and Kaitlynn walked into a SoHo art gallery. "Things go south with Mr. Complicated, he gets you a date with Evan."
"I am not having this conversation right now, KC." Kaitlynn rebuked, "And, it's not a date."
"Dinner at Per Se? That's the definition of a date." the dark-skinned detective corrected. The younger female just rolled her eyes in response. "You know what, you're hung up on the other guy 'cause he rejected you, and there's nothing more tempting than rejection."
"That is ridiculous." the olive-skinned female scoffed.
"That's Psych 101, sweetie." the older partner reminded.
Kaitlynn spun on her heels and faced her partner, "I have a Master's in Psych, remember? And that is so not what's going on. Now can we focus on the case, please?" she took the wallet collected by the uniformed officers and checked the I.D., her ponytail draping over her shoulder, "Nicholas Varkas, 26, Queens address." she read off. "Nicholas is an artist."
"Any evidence of a break-in?" KC questioned, looking around.
"No forced entry, nothing missing." Kaitlynn read-off the notes from the first officers on scene. "And the woman who found the body said that there was some art opening tonight. It looks like they're still having it."
Kimberly noticed an older, redhaired woman putting out wine bottles at a bar nearby. "Well, if we let them, they'd put a velvet rope around him and call it an 'installation'." she scoffed, her and Kait walking over to the woman.
"Are you Lauren Harris?" Kaitlynn asked as her and Kim approached the bar, flashing their badges.
The woman nodded in confirmation. "The other officers told me I can keep working." she said, unpacking more wine bottles. "We have 200 people coming here in ten hours."
"The show must go on?" KC questioned with a note of sarcasm.
"He's not gonna cancel." Lauren informed. When both detectives raised their brows, she clarified, "The owner, Marco."
"How many people have access to this gallery?" Kaitlynn asked.
"Usually, just me, Marco and a few of the assistants." Lauren answered. "But Nicholas was here loading in the final pieces last night."
Kait glanced around, "If that door was left propped open, someone could've come in from the alley." she noted, pointing to the back door.
"Can you think of anyone who'd have a beef with him?" KC questioned.
Lauren shrugged her shoulders, "I only met him a few times."
"Kait, Kim." Evan called out, motioning for the female duo to join him. "Shot in the back." he informed, pointing to the two bullet wounds. "Two bullets, low-caliber weapon. But the way he fell, he wasn't running away from someone."
"So either someone snuck up on him..." KC began.
"Or whoever he was, he didn't think they were a threat." Kaitlynn finished, the two friends sharing a look.
"I also found some white cotton fibers." Evan added. "It's a long shot, but I could run them back to the lab now."
KC glanced between Kaitlynn and Evan, sensing something in the air between them. "You two lovebirds go ahead." she said with a smile. "I'm gonna check out the art in the bathroom." she gave her partner a wink before leaving.
Kaitlynn glared at her best friend as she walked away, before turning her attention back to Evan. "Okay..." she breathed out, "...you don't have to come to dinner, my dad put you on the spot. Not that it's a big deal or anything, but the last thing I want to be doing is having dinner with another murky, undefined situation."
"This isn't murky, Kait. It's simple." Evan replied, opening the gallery door for her. "I'll pick you up at 7:00. Unless you don't think you can handle yourself around me." He added with a grin as she passed him.
Kaitlynn quirked her brow, "Of course I can handle myself." she replied, heading towards her car. "It's just, after the incident at my party..."
"You mean when you kissed me?" Evan finished.
"You kissed me." Kaitlynn corrected, stopping in her tracks and heat rising to her cheeks.
Evan noticed the slight blush, reaching forward and opening the driver's side door, "Your cheeks are turning red." he chuckled.
Kaitlynn sighed heavily, brushing her bangs aside, "Look Evan, I don't want to complicate things now." she admitted, leaning against the car door. "We're friends, we work together, and I know what it's like, to think that someone has feelings for you when..."
"There are absolutely no feelings." the medical examiner finished. "It was just one kiss."
"Right, exactly." Kaitlynn nodded in agreement.
His blue eyes met her brown ones, "Just one..." Evan leaned down, closing the distance between them, "...completely meaningless..." Their noses brushed against one another's as their eyes closed, "...kiss." As soon as Kait closed her eyes, her mind flashed back to Vincent; the warmth of his hand caressing her cheek and the feel of his lips on her forehead and the way it made her heart flutter.
Kaitlynn opened her eyes and turned away, biting her lip. "I'll pick you up at 7:00." Evan told her, flashing her another smile before turning to leave. The young brunette sighed and ran her hand over her hair.
Kaitlynn and Kimberly sat at the dining room table, across of Nicholas' mother. "Nicholas was broken up about a girl." she informed the two detectives, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "He met her at an art opening. She ended it a couple of weeks ago. But it wasn't serious, I never met her."
"Did your son mention a name?" KC asked. "Was there anyone he wasn't getting along with?"
"He had a fight, um...on the phone...two nights ago." Mrs. Varkas sniffled. "About prices. Prices of his paintings, I guess. He was yelling and it woke me up."
Kaitlynn reached across the table and patted the woman's arm. "We're so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Varkas." she consoled. "I promise, we will find who did this. Thank you for your time."
The older woman mustered a small smile, "Thank you, dear." she replied.
"11:15 p.m., Nicholas made a call to the Marco Giconni Gallery." Kaitlynn informed her partner when they returned to the precinct, handing her a magazine with the picture of a man in an expensive suit. "Our still conspicuously absent gallery owner."
"Which may explain what I found in Nicholas's bank account. Not much." The older detective replied, the pair walking towards the break room.
"Really?" Kaitlynn questioned, "I thought he'd be loaded, selling paintings for five grand a pop."
"Well, the standard gallery commission's 50%, but Nicholas was only making deposits for a couple hundred here and there." KC elaborated.
"If Marco was cheating Nicholas out of his cut, maybe he went there to confront him." Kaitlynn theorized, her phone buzzing in her jacket pocket. She let out a groan when she checked the contact name on the message, "It's my Dad."
"Checking in about your big date?" Kimberly joked with a grin.
"Not a date." Kaitlynn corrected, digging a dollar bill from her wallet and sticking it in the vending machine, punching the button for a blue Gatorade.
"Look, I know you're still holding out for Complicated Guy..." KC leaned against the machine, her arms folded under her breasts, "...but you and Evan were both blushing when I left."
Kaitlynn grabbed her drink and unscrewed the cap, "That's because..." she took a swig and cleared her throat, checking to make sure no one could overhear, "Evan, he...kissed me, at my birthday party, in the photo booth." she told her best friend in a hushed whisper.
KC's jaw fell slack, "What the hell are we, strangers? How could you hold out on me like that?" she lightly jabbed her friend's arm.
"It wasn't that big a deal." Kaitlynn admitted. Her best friend shot her a 'yeah right, not buyin' it' look, making the younger detective sigh. "Okay, it's a minor big deal." Kait corrected.
"Well, now I'm confused. Is it big or minor?" the dark-skinned woman pried. Her partner's phone chimed again. "No, no, no. Dinner's in five hours. Your dad can wait."
Kaitlynn rolled her eyes, "It's not my dad." she informed, taking another drink of her Gatorade. "It is my soon-to-be step...thingy reminding me of my dress fitting." She walked down the stairs to the first level of the precinct.
"This conversation's not over." Kimberly called after her, catching up with her best friend.
"Oh, I'm glad you feel that way, because you're coming with me." Kaitlynn told her, a smirk on her lips. "And you're driving."
In the old, chemical warehouse, J.T. was video-chatting with his colleague Sara. "I'd love to go for coffee." Sara agreed with a grin. "I'm in desperate need of caffeine, and I should probably eat something that hasn't been microwaved in a petri dish."
"The coffee at the campus diner is guaranteed to kill any bacteria you may have consumed with your lunch." J.T joked, him and Sara both laughing.
"Hey, JT, I need help with these numbers, man." Vincent called as he walked into main area of the loft.
"Who's that?" Sara asked, not recognizing the new, male voice.
"Uh, no one." J.T. lied. "I got to go. See you there?" Sara nodded and gave him one more smile before ending the video call.
"Blood pressure is fine, so please.." Vincent took the chair next to J.T., "tell me why I can't remember what happened last night."
"I don't know." the professor shrugged. "But for the third time, everything's normal." He grabbed his coffee cup and walked over to the sink.
"I woke up on the top of Brooklyn Bridge." his roommate reminded.
"I'm not saying that's not a problem." J.T. added, setting the cup in the sink and facing his friend.
"Come on, man." Vincent sighed. "This has never happened before."
"Okay, let's trace it back." J.T grabbed his work briefcase, slinging the strap over his shoulder. "What were you doing before your sleepwalk down non-memory lane?"
Vincent folded his hands in front him, "I was headed to Kaitlynn's and..." she started to say.
"What?" the glasses-wearing male asked. "What'd she do now?"
"Nothing." the muscular male answered.
"She must have done something." J.T pointed out, then he remembered what Vincent had said he'd seen at Kait's birthday party. "Wait, is this about her kissing that guy the other night?" he questioned. Vincent shook his head in response, but J.T didn't buy it. "You were thinking about Kaitlynn and some jerk in a lip-lock. Adrenaline kicks in, your heart rate increases: long story short, you fugued-out because you're jealous."
Vincent looked up at his best friend, "Fugued-out?" he repeated.
"Fugue, you're up and walking around but, it's like you got amnesia." J.T clarified, adjusting his glasses and packing his briefcase with some textbooks and notebooks.
"Jealousy cannot cause memory loss." Vincent reminded. "Besides..." he tapped the pen on the table, "I don't have a right to be jealous anyway." Despite believing that, he still felt a sting in his heart when he remembered seeing Kaitlynn kiss Evan.
"Free advice; take a chance and tell her how you feel." J.T. told his best friend, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair and then grabbing his car keys.
"Wait, who are you right now?" Vincent raised his brow, facing his friend.
"Look, I know I've been the president of the 'Stay Away from Kaitlynn Club'." J.T noted, "but...she's only gonna wait for you for so long before she moves on." He patted his friend's shoulder before leaving the loft and heading towards campus.
Vincent sighed heavily and got to his feet, walking over to his nightstand and picking up the wallet-sized photograph of Kaitlynn, a small smile forming on his lips as he stared at her smiling face and bright, brown eyes.
Kimberly sat in one of the large, white chairs while a young blonde woman in her mid-thirties paced back and forth, waiting for Catherine and Kaitlynn to finish changing into a couple of dresses that could potentially be the ones they wore as bridesmaids to their father's wedding.
"Ready?" Cat asked her sister through the wall separating them.
"Almost." Kait struggled zipping up the back of her dress. "Okay, yeah."
Brooke halted her pacing, "I can't wait to see them on you." she smiled.
The dressing room doors opened and the two sisters stepped out. Cat wore a one shoulder, long, bright pink colored dress while Kait wore a short, lime green, strapless dress with a bubble-like skirt. "So?" Kaitlynn shrugged.
"They're nice." Kimberly nodded, mustering up a smile.
"The one shoulder looks great on you, Cat." Brooke complimented. "And Kaitlynn, yours is a lovely shape and will match the flowers perfectly." The two sisters looked to one another, before glancing over their own dresses, shrugging their shoulders. Brooke's face fell the longer she looked at Kaitlynn's dress, "Sorry Kait, it looks like a leprechaun ate too many marshmallows."
All the girls burst out laughing, "Yeah, it really does." Kaitlynn agreed, looking over herself in the mirror.
"It really does, Katie." Catherine giggled.
"You're one to talk, Cat." Kait flipped her hair off her shoulder, "Your dress looks like someone poured a whole bottle of Pepto Bismol all over it." Both sisters held eachother's arms as they laughed harder.
Kimberly composed herself, standing next to the bride-to-be, "All the men coming to your wedding should thank you." she chuckled.
"Speaking of, Kait, your dad said you're bringing a date to dinner tonight?" Brooke asked, her brow arching slightly.
"Evan?" Kaitlynn questioned, stepping out of the dress and putting it back on the hanger. "No, he's just that friend that I brought to your engagement party." she brushed off, stepping into her jeans.
"Yeah, that friend that you just kiss sometimes." Kimberly added.
Kaitlynn shot her best friend a glare from over the dressing room door, "He kisses a lot of people." she replied through gritted teeth, wiggling back into her jeans.
"So did your dad." Brooke chuckled.
Both Kaitlynn and Catherine stopped for a few seconds to process hearing that sentence. "We really don't need to hear the rest of that paragraph." Catherine stated, buttoning up her blouse.
The older blonde just shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I'm just saying when the right person comes into your life, people can change."
Kaitlynn sighed, shrugging on a thin, white tank top, "Let's just say that serial dating isn't my only issue." she muttered, throwing on her red shirt next, her mind briefly going back to Vincent as she buckled her belt.
Brooke sighed heavily, "Look...I'm half your dad's age. My parents think I'm crazy. His friends think I'm a gold digger." she listed, pacing back and forth. "He has three very opinionated daughters, one of whom is warming up to me like it's the Ice Age." she cast a glance at Kaitlynn, "On the surface there are all these obstacles. But for the right guy, it's worth ignoring them."
Cat and Kait stepped out of the dressing rooms, grabbing their bags by the waiting area chairs. Brooke's phone chimed in her hand and she checked the message, "Oh, sorry girls, but I've gotta go." she grabbed her purse from the second chair, "We'll try again another day, Pinky and Lucky Charms." she giggled, walking out of the bridal store.
"I've gotta get back to the office too." Cat added, slinging her briefcase strap over her shoulder. "See ya tonight, Katie." She pecked her sister's cheek. "Love you."
"You too." Kaitlynn replied, smiling at her sister as she left.
"You know, she's not so bad." Kimberly noted, referring to Brooke. "I think you might need to replace the 'thingy' in 'step-thingy'."
Kait shrugged her shoulders, noticing something still sitting on the chair's cushion, "She left her sunglasses." the younger detective grabbed them and ran out the door, looking around for the older blonde. She spotted her on the opposite sidewalk and saw another man kiss her, and she quickly pushed him away. Kaitlynn's face fell as she watched Brooke talk with the other man before getting in her car.
The female detectives went back to the art gallery and checked out the pieces in the back. "You ran your stepmom-to-be's plates?" Kimberly gaped, reading over the sheet her partner handed her.
"And her driver's license and her name." Kaitlynn added, "Turns out she's married." she tucked some hair behind her ear, "I think that's who was kissing her, her husband of three years."
"And your dad doesn't know?" KC asked.
"He rented the Fallwyck Hotel for their wedding six weeks from now." Kait reminded, her expression falling. "What do you think?"
The two detectives looked around the storage area, going through the various pieces. Kaitlynn looked through a stack of large canvases, "Nicholas didn't just do abstract art, he also did nudes." she told her partner.
"Don't they all." KC rolled her eyes. She saw a stack of canvases that were all identical and motioned for her partner to join her, "Why would you paint the same thing over and over?" she asked, shoving her hands in her leather jacket pockets.
Kaitlynn shrugged her shoulders, "To get better at it?"
"Or sell it more than once." Kimberly shared a look with her friend.
Kaitlynn found another stack of duplicate paintings, "Maybe we're looking at some kind of art fraud."
"Collectors think they're getting a one of-a-kind, but Marco's selling multiple copies of the same painting." KC theorized.
Kait found a stack of receipts, "KC, check this out. A month ago, Nicholas sold three of his paintings to a gallery across town for a couple hundred bucks."
The dark-skinned detective arched her brow, "Why the premium rate if Marco sells them for thousands?" she pondered. "It seems the more we find out about his guy, the more confusing this case gets." Kimberly found a list of names mixed in the receipt stack. "List of clients maybe?" she showed the names to her friend.
"Maybe Nicholas threatened to tell Marco's clients that they were being swindled." Kaitlynn suggested, meeting her friend's eyes.
"That much money on the line, not a bad reason to kill him." KC added with a shrug. "That motive seems clear."
A name on the list caught Kaitlynn's eye, "Assistant District Attorney Fred Simpson. Damn. From what my sister's told me, he's a bulldog in the courtroom." The two detectives shared a long look, knowing they had their work cut out for them.
Back at the 125th, Kimberly interrogated Marco, while Kaitlynn dealt with telling her father about what she found out about his fiancé. "Okay..." Kaitlynn breathed out, sitting next to her father in the break room. "...I guess there's no other way to do this than just say it." she took a deep breath and exhaled, laying her hand on her dad's arm. "Daddy, Brooke is married."
Thomas chuckled lightly, "Is that all?" he questioned.
"Isn't that enough?" the detective arched her brow.
"Katie, it's not what you think." Thomas rebuffed. "She's going through a horrible divorce."
"Made more horrible by the fact that she isn't divorced." Kaitlynn pointed out.
"Did you run a background check on her?" Thomas questioned his daughter.
"Yeah..." the young brunette sighed, "...but I..."
"Well, you know if you hadn't stopped your research when you found something to judge..." the older lawyer cut her off, "...you would have discovered that the divorce was supposed to be finalized weeks ago. Brooke's husband's still in love with her, so he made some new demands, that's all."
Kaitlynn sighed, "I saw them kiss, Dad." she admitted, her shoulders sinking.
Thomas just nodded, "Brooke told me that he followed her." he informed. "He texted her from outside. Now I'm sure she didn't return this kiss."
"She pushed him away, but maybe she just didn't want anyone to see." Kaitlynn defended, moving her hand on top of her father's. "I think she's using you."
"Kaitlynn." Thomas sighed, meeting his daughter's eyes. "Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why I didn't tell you about her divorce myself?" Kaitlynn sighed heavily, biting her lip. "Because no one's worthy in your eyes." he brushed her bangs aside, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Now, this judgmental attitude may make you a good cop, but it also makes it very difficult to have a relationship with you."
Kaitlynn let out a shuddering breath as her father got up and left, and she wiped the moisture welling in her eyes. As soon as Thomas left, Kimberly walked in, "How would you like to go to the art opening tonight and figure out what's really going on?" she asked with a wide grin.
"Uh, yeah." the younger detective nodded. "I'd rather catch a killer than suffer through an awkward family dinner." She put on a smile and walked out.
Later that night, Kaitlynn dressed up for the art gallery opening, wearing a long, dark blue dress and stood in front of her bathroom mirror, applying the finishing touches on her makeup and curling her hair. "We just figure out where the money is coming from, and then get out of there." Kait sighed, fluffing out her curled brunette locks and unplugging her curling iron.
"Unless we meet some handsome art lover." KC replied over speaker phone with a giggle.
Kaitlynn rolled her eyes, "Focus, KC." she scolded, coating her lips with some light rustic-red lip-gloss, "I checked Nicholas's credit reports, he applied for an apartment two days ago." she informed her partner, taking her phone with her into her bedroom. "According to the landlady, he was gonna move in with his girlfriend." Kait grabbed a pair of thin, white socks and a pair of knee-high black boots. "What are you wearing, anyway?"
"Whatever's clean." KC groaned. "He was moving in with a girlfriend who dumped him two weeks earlier? That is wishful thinking. Hey, what are you wearing?"
Kaitlynn plopped down on her bed, "My long, blue dress with my black knee-highs." she answered, slipping on her boots. "See ya there, partner." She hung up and went back into her bathroom, touching up her mascara and putting in a pair of studded, fake diamond earrings.
Appearing in the mirror's reflection was Vincent, who greeted her with a simple "Hi." as he leaned against the doorframe.
Kaitlynn glanced over her shoulder at him, "I'm in a hurry, Vincent." she informed, brushing past him. "I'm on my way to a case."
Vincent watched her as she grabbed a small purse and followed her out into the living room, "A little overdressed for a case." he noted, his eyes quickly scanning her body and taking note of the way the dress fit her perfectly.
"Murdered painter. Going to a gallery opening." Kaitlynn elaborated, clasping a silver chain necklace with a heart charm around her neck. She brushed a ringlet from her face, seeing him standing in her living room. "Vincent, what are you even doing here?" she asked, leaning against her counter.
"I was just in the neighborhood." the older male shrugged, not able to take his eyes off the younger brunette.
Kaitlynn flipped her hair off her shoulder, arching her brow, "Really?" she questioned, not really buying his answer. "It's just, one minute I think we're moving in one direction, and then the next we're moving in another." she slipped her gun into her clutch bag.
"Kaitlynn." Vincent closed the distance between them, "I know that you can't wait around for me-"
"You don't have to let me down easy, I get it." Kaitlynn cut off, grabbing her purse and turning around, feeling a warmth rise to her cheeks when she saw how close they were. "You and I...this...it's just, too complicated." She slung the strap over her shoulder, sliding around her counter and grabbing her car keys. "I don't know what I thought, that you'd come over for dinner like some normal guy?" she chuckled nervously, tossing her wallet and badge into her bag, "I realize that was stupid of me."
"It's not stupid." Vincent rebuffed, sliding his hands into his jacket pockets. "Look, I should've just told you that I was okay."
"I was reading into our connection like it was fate or destiny that brought us together." Kait ran her fingers through her hair, avoiding eye contact. "But, the truth is, you've saved other people, not just me. We should just stick to working on cases."
A knock sounded on her front door, making Kaitlynn sigh heavily, "Evan." she muttered, lowering her head. She pursed her lips together, glancing up to meet Vincent's eyes, "If you'll excuse me, that's just, uh, my date."
Vincent lowered his head as Kaitlynn headed to her front door, and ran out via the open balcony doors. Kait glanced back, seeing Vincent was nowhere to be seen, feeling a small, twinge of guilt. She took a deep breath and exhaled, opening her door and seeing Evan standing in the hall, dressed in a nice suit and tie. "I thought I'd order the lobster and ask for a bib." he said with a smile, "Properly mortify you in front of your father."
A small smile crossed Kaitlynn's lips, "Sorry, I forgot to call. Dinner is off." she told him, stepping back into her apartment.
"Then how come you look so stunning?" Evan asked, glancing up and down the young brunette's body.
"Thanks." she replied, "Long story, but you are off the hook."
Evan strolled into the apartment, "And if I don't want to be off the hook?" he questioned, looking down into Kaitlynn's eyes, "We're both dressed up in the most electric city in the world. There must be somewhere we can go."
"I wish that I could, but I'm on a case." Kaitlynn replied, double checking her bathroom to make sure all the lights were off and her curling iron was unplugged, closing her fire escape window before heading back to her living room.
"Another time then?" Evan smiled.
"Actually..." Kaitlynn quirked her brow, "...what do you know about art?"
From the adjacent building, Vincent watched as Evan helped Kait with her jacket and pulled her hair from the collar, letting it fall down her back. They shared a laugh as he offered her his arm, which she took, and walked her out. As he watched, he felt a pang of jealousy deep in his heart and his eyes flashed a deep, dark gold for a few seconds, before returning to their normal brown.
Back in the warehouse, Vincent researched the case Kait was working on and decided to find a way to help. He heard the loft door open, "Coffee or tea?" he asked as J.T. walked in.
The glasses-wearing male froze, "Was I supposed to pick up something?" he questioned with a confused expression. "Why are you using my computer?"
"I needed to find a subway map." Vincent answered, writing down directions on a notepad.
"A lifelong New Yorker who's part bloodhound, and you suddenly forget how to get to Rockefeller Center?" J.T. chuckled, setting his briefcase on the empty chair.
Vincent wrote down a few more notes, "I'm going back to the old neighborhood." he informed.
J.T.'s jaw fell slack, "Why?" he gaped, then seeing the look in his friend's eyes, he knew the answer, "Kaitlynn." he muttered under his breath.
"Murdered painter." Vincent corrected. "The article in the newspaper said he was from Astoria, so..."
J.T. shook his head with a laugh, "You are so lame."
"As lame as you not telling me you were going on a date with Sara?" Vincent questioned, turning to face his friend. "She instant-messaged you, was wondering why you're late. So, you never answered: coffee or tea?"
"Green tea." J.T. replied stoically. "Loaded with antioxidants. Look-"
"After all the lectures you gave me about Kaitlynn." Vincent cut in, getting to his feet.
J.T. sighed, " All right, I should've told you." he admitted. "Just like you should tell Kaitlynn how you feel instead of using a case as an excuse to see her."
"No, she told me to stick to cases." Vincent clarified, shrugging on his dark, green jacket and heading towards the door.
"There are two million people in Queens, how exactly are you planning to help?" J.T. asked.
"By finding the one that knows everything." Vincent answered, adjusting his ballcap before leaving.
Kaitlynn, Evan, and Kimberly stood by the bar, watching the patrons of the art gallery mingle with one another. Everyone was dressed in tailored suits and high-class dresses. "Fancy crowd." Kaitlynn noted, tapping her clutch bag with her nail. "Not your usual money-laundering thugs."
A blonde woman in tall heels and a short, black sparkly dress walked past them. "Just think, Brooke could've put you in that for the wedding." Kimberly chuckled, shooting her best friend a playful look.
Evan continued to stare at the blonde as she talked with a couple of men in designer suits, before turning his attention back to the two detectives, "I don't mind it." he admitted with a shrug.
"Evan, focus." Kaitlynn whispered. "You're supposed to be mingling."
"So we know how the money gets clean." KC sighed. "Let's figure out why it's dirty."
The trio split up and talked with various patrons of the gallery. It only took them a little while before they discovered the true meaning behind the gallery and their case. Kimberly pulled Kaitlynn away from another patron, one that was eyeing the younger brunette with a less-than-polite look, "It's not art fraud." she whispered to her partner.
"Yeah, I'm beginning to see that." Kait whispered back.
"I just got propositioned." Evan informed the pair as he joined them.
"That's because they're not paying for the paintings." Kimberly noted.
"They're paying for the women." Kaitlynn concluded.
The two detectives talked in low whispers as they walked around the gallery, "So Marco's no gallery owner, he's a pimp." KC tucked some of her curled, ebony locks behind her ear.
"Well, now we know why Nicholas knocked out so many of the same paintings and why clients paid so much for them." Kaitlynn noted, brushing a ringlet from her face as she looked around at all the women in the gallery. "You pay big bucks for a painting, and a woman comes home with you. Hard money trail for the authorities to follow."
"You think Nicholas knew his art was being used as a front for prostitution?" KC asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
The younger detective nodded along with her partner's theory, "If he did, maybe he was upset, confronted Marco, and things didn't go so well."
"Ballistics just came in." Evan informed the two detectives. "The gun that killed Nicholas was a Lady Smith."
"Dozens of sexy suspects, 50 Johns." Kimberly cracked a grin. "Vice is gonna have a field day with this."
Evan shoved his hands in his pockets, "I have to admit, this is the best-looking room of suspects I've ever seen."
Kimberly rolled her eyes, "Great." she sighed, sarcastically. "Then you'll have a good time sussing out if any of them are carrying."
"Or if any of them will cop to having a relationship with Nicholas." Kaitlynn added. Evan just nodded and walked off, leaving the girls alone. Across the gallery, Kait caught sight of the curator they interviewed that morning. "Think she's in on it?"
The dark-haired female shrugged her shoulders, "One way to find out." She smiled at her best friend before heading in the curator's direction.
Kaitlynn sighed and walked around, spotting a young twenty-something year old girl in a green dress standing alone in a corner. "A girl's gotta earn a living." she said, walking up to her, putting on a smile, "But nights like these, I wish I was out of the game." she glanced to the younger girl, "I'm Katie."
"Daphne." the other brunette introduced, meeting Kait's eyes. "And there's nowhere to go. At least with these guys, you know where you stand."
"Maybe." Kaitlynn shrugged. "But I'm still holding out for Prince Charming." she chuckled, tucking some hair behind her ear.
Daphne just let out a scoff, "If you're looking for love, take it from me, it never works out. Prince Charming is a liar."
Kaitlynn glanced out of the corner of her eye, and lightly rubbed her hand over her arms, "I can't believe the artist died in here." she let out a convincing shiver. "Did you know him? I heard that he was in love with one of the girls."
Daphne rolled her eyes, "I met him, once or twice." she folded her hands in front of her, muttering something under her breath about Nicholas being 'in love' with a lot of girls.
Kait arched her brow, "I overheard at the bar that he, uh, applied for an apartment two days ago, wanted to move in with his girlfriend."
That comment seemed to grab the other brunette's attention, "I hadn't heard that." she muttered, pursing her lips together. Daphne took a moment to recompose herself, turning to face Kaitlynn. "Excuse me. You know they don't like it when we stand in one place for too long." she lowered her head and walked off.
Kaitlynn walked around for a few minutes and regrouped with Evan, "Where's Kim?" he asked, looking around.
"Either with the man of her dreams or calling Vice." The blue-clad girl chuckled. "Your guess is as good as mine." She turned on her heels to face him, their eyes locking.
Evan looked into her eyes and reached down to lightly caress her cheek, twisting a brunette ringlet around his finger, "Making me talk to other women all night, it's a strange tactic." he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "But a memorable one."
Kaitlynn angled her head away from Evan and glanced up, spotting Vincent standing on the catwalk. "Evan." she pulled back, "Excuse me for a sec." she gave him a small smile and walked away.
Evan watched her leave, a smile still on his face. He stood still and looked around, his eyes moving up and catching Kaitlynn and talking with someone on the catwalk above before taking his hand and leading him away.
"Vincent, what the hell are you doing here?" Kaitlynn asked, her and Vincent entering the gallery office.
"I needed to see you." Vincent replied, his hands in his jacket pockets.
"I'm working." Kaitlynn reminded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, that's why I'm here." he elaborated. "The, uh, murdered painter, I found his studio and..."
"You did what?" the brunette interrupted. She un-crossed her arms and ran her fingers through her hair, turning her back and started pacing.
"Well, you said stick to cases." Vincent reminded, taking a step closer to her.
Kaitlynn turned around, her hair flying around her. "I didn't mean for you to break and enter a victim's private property." she clarified, brushing some of her brunette locks aside.
"Did you see the paintings?" Vincent asked, still keeping his composure, his eyes locked with Kait's.
The young detective let out a sigh, "Vincent, the paintings don't matter." she informed. "It's just all a cover for a high-end escort service." She rolled her eyes, flipping a portion of her hair off her shoulder.
Vincent kept his eyes focused on Kaitlynn's as he took a step closer to her, holding out his hand, "Come with me." Kaitlynn looked at his open palm, swallowing the lump rising in her throat, slowly moving her eyes to meet his again. Without another word, she placed her hand in his and they closed around one another.
Vincent led Kaitlynn to the art studio and showed her what he had found. "Her name's Daphne." Kaitlynn informed, as they stared at four paintings of a young woman with a sheet around her body. "I talked to her at the gallery. She seemed...jaded. Bitter."
"Or heartbroken." Vincent added, glancing in Kait's direction.
The young detective felt his eyes on her, and it made her heart beat just a bit faster but she chose to ignore it. "Nicholas' mom said that his girlfriend broke up with him." she reminded, walking around the studio. "Maybe Daphne's just his model."
"It may have started that way, but it became more." Vincent noted, standing in front of a collection of sketches of Daphne. "I mean, look at the way he captured her; the curve of her back, the softness of her skin." He glanced to his left, seeing Kaitlynn standing there, staring at the drawings and paintings. "He spent every waking moment drawing her, painting her."
As Kaitlynn looked over the works, she could feel Vincent watching her, and it brought heat to her cheeks. She tried to ignore it, the warm feeling she felt knowing they were the only two souls in that building. "I know I'm not the detective here, but..." Vincent's voice broke her from her thoughts, "...this man, he loved this woman."
Kaitlynn swallowed the lump in her throat when Vincent mentioned the word 'love' and it only made her heart beat just a bit faster. He could hear her increased heartbeat and see the faint blush on her cheeks, and in the low light of the studio, her olive-skin glowed. "Now, maybe there was someone else, someone that didn't want them to be together." he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.
"But they weren't together." Kaitlynn corrected, rubbing her arm. "She said he loved a lot of girls." She cast a glance at him out of the corner of her eye.
"I find that hard to believe." Vincent noted. "Maybe she doubted him. The way he felt about her." He turned to look at her.
"But if he loved her so much..." Kaitlynn muttered, turning towards Vincent, "...why did she push him away?" As soon as her brown eyes met his, everything started to fade out and it was just them.
Vincent turned his whole body to face Kaitlynn, his eyes staring down into hers. "She didn't feel worthy." he answered, gently taking her hand in his.
Kaitlynn mirrored his pose, her eyes still locked with his, "How can you be so sure?" her hand clasped his and their fingers interlocked.
"'Cause I know what it feels like." Vincent stepped forward and cupped her cheek, feeling the warmth from her blush. Kaitlynn's eyes fluttered closed and she turned her face into his palm, letting out a sigh. She felt his thumb caress her cheek and his nose brush against her own, and reflexively Kait turned her head to the side, anticipating a kiss when she felt his breath against her lips.
Vincent's hand fell from her cheek and his lips took its place. Kaitlynn's breath hitched in her throat, and she squeezed his hand. Time froze in that moment and neither one of them wanted it to end. Vincent was the first to pull away and heard Kaitlynn's heart flutter against her ribs, giving her hand one more squeeze before he left. A few minutes later, Kait opened her eyes and exhaled, seeing she was alone, her cheek still tingling from the kiss.
Kaitlynn parked her car in front of an apartment building, gathering her thoughts for a minute. She could still feel Vincent's lips against her cheek, her skin still warm from the blush. She took a deep breath and exhaled, refocusing on the case at hand, grabbing her coat from the backseat and shrugging it on as she stepped out.
"Who's Daphne Finnerty?" Kimberly asked her partner, walking towards her.
"Nicholas's girlfriend." Kaitlynn answered, draping her badge around her neck.
Kim pulled her coat tighter around her. "Was she at the gallery tonight?"
Kaitlynn nodded, "She said she barely knew him, but when I mentioned the apartment that he leased, she took off." she exhaled, her breath visible in the cool, night air. "I don't think she realized he wanted to move in with her."
"Well, if she was his girlfriend, wouldn't she know?" KC noted.
"Unless someone made her doubt that he loved her." Kait shrugged. "And the person who wouldn't want her to move in with her boyfriend is her pimp."
"Try Madame." KC corrected. "Lauren, the curator, she conveniently left the gallery right after she saw me."
"Makes sense." the younger detective muttered, pulling out a pair of white, cotton gloves from her pocket and handing them to her partner. "Found these at the studio. People are supposed to use those when they move art."
"Like a curator with a gallery show." the older detective noted, sharing a look with her partner. "I had a unit put on Lauren's apartment. Our conniving curator got home ten minutes ago."
The two women flashed their badges, "Anyone else enter the building in the last ten minutes?" Kaitlynn asked the two uniformed officers standing by their squad car.
"Yeah, a woman, early 20s." one of the officers answered.
"Wearing a green dress?" Kaitlynn specified, and both officers nodded in confirmation. "That's Daphne." she informed her partner as they entered the building. When they got closer to Lauren's apartment, they could hear two women arguing and quickly drew their weapons. "NYPD!" Kaitlynn announced, banging on the door.
She and KC exchanged a look before she opened the door and they walked in, guns drawn and held ready to fire. "I swear I had nothing to do with this, Daphne." Lauren stated, her and Daphne standing in the middle of the living room, the woman in green aiming a gun at the older redhead.
"Drop your weapon!" KC ordered.
"Daphne, don't do this." Kaitlynn spoke to the younger woman.
Daphne's hands shook as she held the gun aimed at her boss, "You couldn't stand the thought that I might actually be happy." her lip quivered.
"Nicholas wouldn't want this for you." Kaitlynn spoke again, getting Daphne's attention.
"She told me I was just a call girl." the younger brunette cried, glancing at the detective she talked with at the gallery, "That I meant nothing to him. That I wasn't worthy of love."
"He was gonna leave you anyways." Lauren said. "They always do."
"And Lauren didn't want to miss one of her best moneymakers, isn't that right?" Kimberly questioned, casting a glance at the red haired woman.
More tears fell down Daphne's cheeks, "He swore to me he wasn't sleeping with any of the other girls, but I didn't believe him because of your lies." she said through gritted teeth, glaring at her boss.
Kaitlynn glanced from Daphne to Lauren, "Nicholas knew he had to get Daphne away from you." she noted. "That's what that phone call was about; not the price of the paintings, but the price of Daphne's freedom."
Daphne looked to Kait, letting out a gasp, and Lauren tried to deny the statement. "But he didn't have the money to buy her out." Kaitlynn continued. "So what did he do, Lauren? Threaten to expose the entire operation? Turn over that client list?"
Lauren dropped her hands down to her sides, her hazel eyes narrowing, "I wasn't gonna jeopardize everything for a stupid whore." she scoffed.
"You killed him!" Daphne shook the gun in Lauren's direction, choking on her tears.
"And if you kill her, you will be throwing your life away." Kaitlynn pointed out. She lowered her weapon and took a couple steps towards the young woman, "Daphne, Nicholas, he saw your true worth." she told her, giving her a warm smile. "He did, he loved you." Their eyes met and the detective nodded, "Give me the gun."
Daphne lowered the small revolver and let more tears fall, squeezing her eyes shut. Kaitlynn took the gun and handed it to Kimberly, before holstering her own and wrapping her arm around Daphne's shoulders, softly patting her hair, "It's gonna be okay." she whispered, letting the younger girl cry into her jacket.
Kaitlynn sat at her desk, legs crossed and looking over the small bouquet of blue flowers sitting on her desk, a card from her 'secret admirer' attached with a note saying 'job well done, Detective Chandler'. She put the card in her desk drawer when she saw Catherine walking over to her, "Well, what's the verdict?"
"Daphne won't be charged." Catherine answered, leaning against her sister's desk. "I just got off the phone with my boss at the DA's Office. He agreed that her statement will help make the murder and pandering charges stick." she flashed her sister a smile. "Nice work, little sister."
"I know." Kaitlynn giggled, leaning back in her chair.
Catherine glanced down at the bouquet of assorted flowers, "Pretty." she noted. "Who're they from?" the lawyer arched her brow, "Anyone I know?"
"No." the detective replied, leaning forward. "Just some 'secret admirer'." she used air quotes. "He also sent me a bouquet of roses for my birthday."
"Ohhhh." Catherine giggled, earning a slap on the leg from her sister. "Okay, jokes aside. Heather's flying back from Atlantic City later and Dad wants all of us over at his place for dinner. Since you missed last night."
"He still mad at me for running that background check on Brooke?" the younger sister asked, tapping her fingers on her desk.
Catherine shook her head, reaching out to place her hand over Kaitlynn's. "Sisterly advice, if you apologize to Brooke and attempt to make an effort at welcoming her to the family, Dad'll forgive you and forget the whole background check thing." her younger sister sighed, and glanced to a photo on her desk; one of Kaitlynn in a white summer dress and Vanessa, both women smiling. "You know she's not gonna take the place of Mom, right?" Cat asked, moving to stand behind her sister and wrap her arms around her neck.
"I know." Kaitlynn breathed out, leaning back against her sister's embrace. "It's just hard. The moving on part."
"I know, sweetie." Catherine kissed the side of Kaitlynn's head. After a few minutes, Cat patted her sister's shoulders, "Okay, I've gotta run to the store to grab some things for Dad for dinner. I can swing by your place later and pick you up? Say two hours?"
Kaitlynn glanced up and nodded, "Sure." she agreed. Catherine smiled and pecked her sister's cheek.
"Careful." Evan warned, interrupting the two sisters. "Last time I made plans with Kait, I ended up in a bordello."
Catherine rolled her eyes, "Dr. Marks." she greeted with a nod, folding her jacket over her arms. "By Katie. Love you."
"You too, Cat." Kaitlynn smiled as her older sister left.
"Nice work closing the case, Detective Chandler." Evan congratulated as the younger brunette got to her feet.
"Thanks." she smiled in reply. "And if I haven't said it already, you were great last night." She reached below her desk and grabbed her purse.
"Not quite the undercover experience that I'm used to, but I think I acquitted myself quite nicely." Evan chuckled, smiling at the detective.
"I think you enjoyed yourself a little too much." Kaitlynn noted with an arched brow, grabbing her report file.
"Well, I could say the same for you." the medical examiner remarked, walking with her towards the Lieutenant's office. "I saw you slip out of the gallery with someone."
Kaitlynn blinked, "Oh, that was just a john I was interviewing." she lied. "He said he knew everything about the scheme, but he didn't want anyone to overhear."
"Funny, I didn't peg him as a client." Evan remarked. "He shows up to an upscale escort party wearing street clothes and the only woman he wanted to talk to is you."
Kaitlynn stopped in her tracks outside Joe's office, "You know, a certain kind of woman would take that as an insult." she reminded, leaning against the wall by the door, her hand on her hip.
"Then let me make it up to you." Evan suggested, his hands sliding into his jean pockets. "Dinner, no chaperone."
"Think I'm gonna have to take a rain check." Kaitlynn replied, pursing her lips together.
"Has to rain sometime, Kait." the medical examiner reminded. "I'll wait."
The detective flipped her curled hair off her shoulder, "You're very confident, Dr. Marks." she noted with a small smile.
"And patient." Evan added, returning the smile. He leaned down and pecked her cheek before returning to his lab. Kaitlynn just rolled her eyes and shook her head, knocking on her boss' door before entering.
After turning in her report, Kaitlynn drove to the Bridal Shop and walked inside, seeing Brooke standing in front of the mirror, wearing a long, white satin gown, a pearl necklace and long veil clipped into her hair. "You look beautiful." Kaitlynn complimented, walking over to her.
Brooke turned around and was shocked to see her standing there, "What are you doing here?" she asked, nervously playing with a portion of her veil.
Kaitlynn sighed heavily, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, "I owe you an apology." she admitted. "I made, like, a hundred assumptions and acted like bitch."
Brooke nodded in agreement, "Yeah, a real cold bitch." she chuckled dryly. "But you wouldn't have had to make so many assumptions if I'd just been honest." the blonde admitted, meeting her soon-to-be step-daughter's eyes. "Your approval means a lot to your dad."
The younger brunette stepped forward, a genuine smile crossing her lips, "Anyone would be lucky to have you as part of their family." she stated. Brooke returned the smile and pulled Kaitlynn in for a hug, which she returned. "You really do look beautiful." Kait whispered, pulling back so she wouldn't wrinkle the wedding dress.
"Thank you." Brooke replied, wiping a tear from her eye. "So, will you be there for dinner tonight?"
"I will." Kaitlynn nodded. "Promise."
Kaitlynn leaned against the edge of the small table while standing across from Vincent, who leaned against the ajar window. "I waited all night for you." Kaitlynn admitted, crossing her ankles and glancing down at her feet.
Vincent glanced in her direction, arms folded over his chest, "When I left?"
Kaitlynn shook her head, "No, not last night. Um...when you didn't show up for dinner." she glanced up, brushing some hair out of her face, "But it seems like that's what I do the most with my time these days. Wait for the next moment I get to see you." Her eyes found his and a smile crossed her lips. "Vincent, it never occurred to me that you didn't know that you are the best thing in my life right now." Kaitlynn got to her feet and stood a few inches in front of him, her thumbs hooked through her belt loops. "I guess seeing me kiss another guy doesn't really help the situation much, does it?"
They both laughed dryly, their eyes never leaving one another's. "I don't know how to do this." Vincent sighed, sitting on the windowsill. "You know, that artist's studio was, like, six blocks from where I grew up." he informed.
"No, I didn't." Kaitlynn crossed her arms over her chest, her curled hair falling over her shoulders.
Vincent just nodded, "Being back there kind of got me thinking about who I used to be." he went on, "You know, if that Vincent Keller had seen you with another guy, he probably would've..." he clicked his tongue, "...smacked him square in the mouth."
Kaitlynn chuckled, flipping a portion of her hair off her shoulder, "Does it make me a terrible person to admit that I'm glad the thought crossed your mind?" she asked, arching her eyebrow and bracing her hands on her hips.
"No." Vincent shook his head, his mouth suddenly feeling dry as he continued to stare into Kaitlynn's eyes. "Who I am makes everything seem impossible."
"No." Kaitlynn whispered, taking a step forward and running her fingers through part of his hair, "Who you are..." she caressed his cheek, gently rubbing her thumb over the scar that ran from his eyebrow to the corner of his lips, "...it makes everything worth it."
She stepped forward, touching her forehead to his, their noses brushing against eachother's, when Kaitlynn's cell vibrated in her jacket pocket. The brunette checked the text, which was from her sister saying she was on her way over, "Cat's on her way to my place." Kait sighed, pocketing her cell. "We're having dinner with our dad and soon-to-be step-mom."
"Sounds nice." Vincent muttered, licking his lips.
Kaitlynn licked her lips as well, her hand still cupping Vincent's cheek. "What do you say we go away for a weekend?" she suggested. "Spend some time together away from the city and see where this pull takes us?" She placed her other hand over his that rested on his thigh.
Their eyes locked with eachother's and Vincent nodded his head, before closing his eyes and turning his face into Kaitlynn's palm as she caressed his cheek. She touched her forehead to his again, before placing her lips to his forehead. This time Vincent's breath hitched in his throat and he interlocked his fingers with hers. In that moment, all he could feel was the softness of her skin against his, the warmth of her lips and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
"Bye, Vincent." Kaitlynn whispered after the kiss. She untangled her hand from his and stepped backwards, grabbing her purse off the table and heading out of the loft.
When Vincent opened his eyes, all he saw was Kaitlynn's wavy, brown hair bounce against her back as she left, exhaling the breath he held since her lips touched his forehead. "Bye, Kaitlynn." he muttered under his breath, reaching up to touch his scar, still feeling the softness of her fingers caressing it.
Late in the night, Vincent heard the faint echo of sirens wailing in the distance. His eyes snapped open and he jerked up, finding himself in an alley somewhere downtown. He looked down at his hands, seeing them covered in blood, as was the rest of his clothes. As the sound of the sirens became louder, Vincent jumped to his feet and ran as fast as he could back to the warehouse.
A/N: Finally, next chapter done. Sorry it took a bit longer than the last update, I wasn't feeling well the past few days. Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed it. Thanks to DemonGirl123 and MakiSakura for the constant reviews.
Next Chapter: Out of Control