The next few days helped form the routine they were hoping for. Each day started with a run, sometimes including hanging out on the beach with Mrs. Hilbert letting the dogs play together. The cops Mike had assigned to them switched off every 12 hours. Greg and Bill were replaced by Natasha and Rick.
Lucy and Tim had a bet going whether Natasha and Rick were a couple, they seemed awfully close for partners, and were more open to interacting with them, even choosing to eat dinner with them. They had no idea when Greg and Bill ate, it was out of sight completely.
Lucy met Shiobhan for lunch one day while Tim joined Patrick for golf as they'd promised. They decided to make that a weekly standing date. Most of the week passed without incident. They were continuing to look into who this person might be, including Lucy's request to look into Lucas Andersson, but so far they had nothing.
It definitely felt more like work to Lucy now than it did when they seemed to have no purpose at the home. It helped keep things in perspective with Tim. Now was definitely not the right time for them to start anything, not that it was a good time before, but the consequences were too high now. It wasn't just reputations and job security, it involved people's lives. She did worry that a lengthy undercover assignment might push back her promotion out of the rookie program. Sergeant Grey told Mike he would look into how she might be able to use this experience along with the time up until now. She had completed all the requirements on paper of the rookie program, gotten all her arrest types in, taken each test that was required, it was just the time on the streets that wouldn't be fulfilled. The final test she could take anytime this assignment was over. She was supposed to have more time to get experience under her belt. Grey had asked her if she had a preference on what area she was hoping to move into. Originally Lucy had thought either the Robbery Homicide area or Special Victims once she had a few years on patrol. Grey told her this experience may open doors to her career when it was over as well.
Tim had pretty much remained characteristically silent. She hadn't outright asked him what area she should pursue, because she thought he'd just tell her it was her decision. He had no problem in the past telling her what she did well, and of course, what she screwed up. This was different though, it had to be her decision on what path she took, she couldn't hold anyone else responsible. She remembered the time he rigged an explosive device, and she failed one of his Tim Tests and ended up with flour all over her. So maybe SWAT would be out, she smiled to herself now, at the time she'd been furious at the mess that test had made. Truth be told, all those Tim Tests really helped her. She could understand why Tim had a reputation for being a very tough training officer, but it was all to make her a better cop. She felt like she'd learned more under him than all her months at the academy. As tough as he was on her, he was also fair.
By the next Friday they definitely felt like they had a set routine down, and they purposefully created gaps to make it appear Lucy was vulnerable. The truth was, those times were actually when the most eyes were on her. They had taken over 2 homes nearby with agents from the FBI in addition to LAPD officers. Tim seemed confident in their plan as well as the backup they had, but Lucy could still see the concern in his eyes. Whether that was just concern for the rookie he'd trained up till now, or something more, she wasn't sure. Probably a combination of both. All Lucy could think about was, thank God it was her in this position and not some poor random civilian.
That Friday afternoon at the same Ralphs grocery store they'd been to nearly every other day, Lucy went to pay and her card was declined. She tried a second time but it was still a decline. Tim swiped his card instead and it went through. They gave each other a quick knowing look, not obvious to anyone else, Lucy made sure she told the girl checking them out that she had no idea what was going on with her card. They both remembered that 2 of the past victims had reported some type of fraud/identity theft involving their bank accounts prior to their murders. Lucy had chills wondering if this might be the start. It would mean this stalker hadn't seen through their ruse, and might be moving forward with a plan of his own.
Unbeknownst to them the FBI had already tracked a problem with her account, but they needed to let it play out, to avoid suspicion.
Back at the house Lucy made a call to the bank reporting it, while Tim put the groceries away in the kitchen. They advised some unauthorized activity had been tracked to Nevada, and her account had been drained. The bank assured her they were on top of it and she would be getting her money back. When she hung up the phone she and Tim just looked at each other. This couldn't be a coincidence. He walked over to where she sat at the table, pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. He took the phone from her hand, set it on the table and went back to her, holding hands in both of his. He whispered so low no one but Lucy could possibly hear. "Are you ready"?
Tim leaned forward, his knees touching hers. He studied her face, looking for any sign that she was not going to be able to handle it. Lucy leaned forward, resting her forehead against his for a moment. Then she got up, letting him hold on to her hand, stood between his knees and sat down on one of his legs. He let go of her hand, as she wrapped both arms around him, lying her head on his shoulder, and whispered up into his ear just as low, "This is what we've been waiting for right"?
Tim was torn, half of him was so proud of her, she was still the strongest woman he'd ever known. He would've liked to say this was partly because of his training, but this was just Lucy. She was a lot stronger than him in some ways truth be told. Still, the other half was chilled at the thought of anyone watching her, planning on doing God knows what to her, and all he wanted was to take her as far away from here as possible. He knew that part of him wasn't able to act those feelings, instead he wrapped her in his arms and they sat that way for a few minutes.
Tim made her feel so safe, there's no way any harm could come to her while she was wrapped up in his arms, but she knew she couldn't stay there forever. She knew she could handle this, and she had faith that Tim would have her back, and the rest of the LAPD would have Tim's.
They'd decided they wanted Tim to have some kind of standing appointment that would leave Lucy alone on a regular basis.
Tim was a stronger opponent than this stalker had faced before, so they decided he'd likely strike when Tim was not around. Tim wasn't happy about this arrangement, but it did make the most sense. He wanted to hide out in one of the safe houses during that time, but Mike wanted him out in public, somewhere easily tracked. Tim managed to convince Patrick to meet him on the golf course a couple times a week. They'd settled on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This past week Tim felt sure nothing would happen as they hadn't established any kind of pattern yet, in fact it could take a few weeks before it settled.
The rest of the weekend passed with little fanfare. Tim and Lucy spent their mornings on a run, then quick stop for breakfast, and back to the house. Saturday they had dinner over at Mrs. Hilbert's, bringing Kojo to play with Sam. Sunday night they went out to dinner, meeting Patrick and Siobhan at a local restaurant and their bodyguards came with them this time, leaving the house empty. Hoping their stalker might make another attempt to enter the house.
That night they explained the extra security to Patrick and Siobhan, as they had Mrs. Hilbert. A precaution since the break-in that Tim insisted on. They told them the cops were convinced it was just kids looking for cash, or something quick to sell. They told them all about the extra attention paid to the master bedroom, because if this had happened to anyone else, they were sure that detail would have been shared.
Another week passed, and the following Tuesday afternoon, Lucy returned to the house before Tim had gotten back from golf. He texted her that he and Patrick were staying for a drink and he'd be home shortly. Greg and Bill were on duty, making rounds outside she supposed. As the sun began to set, Lucy decided it was time someone tried out that hot tub sitting outside. She thought it might be therapeutic to relax her some. She went out back closing the gate to the deck so Kojo wouldn't head down to the beach without her. Lucy changed into the one bathing suit she had, and took one of Tim's shirts from the laundry in her closet. It smelled like him, and that brought her comfort as well. She grabbed a towel and brought a few candles outside, placing them on the shelf around the hot tub and lit them. Looking up towards the ocean, she watched the sun slowly dissolve into the distant ocean. The cloudless sky turned orange, then pink, then started to fade into blue/black. Turning the jets on, she stepped up and into the spa, letting the swirling, bubbling, warm water envelope her. Kojo jumped onto the sofa, walked over to where he could sniff her face since they were at the same level, then turned back, and settled himself onto the cushion. Lucy wasn't sure how long she was in, she was so relaxed she may have even started to fall into a very light sleep.
She was startled awake by a loud popping noise, then the jets in the tub completely shut off. Bubbles still fizzing to the surface of the water, but she realized there was no sound at all, not even the hum of the heater for the spa. She looked into the living room through the glass doors, but instead of seeing the warm light of the lamps inside, she saw only blackness and the reflection of the candles around her. The power had gone out. Kojo had been awakened by the same sound she had. At first he just turned and watched her.
Lucy heard a low hum, but wasn't sure what it was. Then Kojo slowly stood, all the hair on his back standing straight up, and she realized she was hearing him. A low growl had begun, at first barely audible. She turned around to look at him, Kojo stared at the opening to the deck stairs, not moving a muscle. The growl began to get louder, and she followed his eyes. The stairs were blocked with the baby gate they'd purchased. With no light, she couldn't see past the gate. The distant lights of Malibu and the stars lit the deck enough for her to see just what was there. Lucy was frozen for a moment, and just when she started to reach for her towel and get out, Kojo slunk off the sofa, a swift movement that reminded Lucy of a leopard getting out of a tree to stalk some poor gazelle. He was standing his ground between Lucy and that stairwell. His teeth now bared, and the growl was turning more into a snarl. She'd never seen him behave this way, he was the friendliest dog and seemed to like everyone. This brought chills to Lucy and she realized at that moment she'd let her guard down too far. Her back up weapon was not out with her. How could she be this careless. Where were Greg and Bill she thought. Maybe Kojo was just reacting to one of them patrolling outside.
Lucy finally crept out of the steaming water, and grabbed her towel. Kojo still between her and the stairs, she never took her eyes off them as she wrapped the towel around her and reached for the Satellite phone. Not looking down for a second, she just hit the preset 1. The phone rang only once before Tim picked up. "Lucy"? he asked, the concern evident in his voice. She could hear the sounds of a public place along with his voice. "Is everything okay"? Tim asked when she didn't answer straight away.
It was so quiet out on the deck, she felt like the world could hear the sound of the phone. Even the ocean was calm, waves gently lapping at the shore, not the usual crashing sounds. "The power is out" she spoke in a hushed tone into the receiver. "I don't know where Bill or Greg is".
"I'm on my way right now!" Tim exclaimed and she could hear Patrick in the background ask if everything was alright. "Do not hang up this phone" Tim demanded. Lucy stood frozen, Kojo had been locked on that spot but finally seemed to relax his muscles a minute, and he sneezed, making Lucy jump out of her skin. Right then the sliding door opened and Greg was there, gun drawn "You okay out here"? he asked.
Kojo ran towards the baby gate, jumping up onto it and barking out at the beach. It was too tall for him to jump over, which was why they'd gotten it.
Greg ran over to him and Lucy pulled him back gently by the collar. They heard a loud pop, and the power came back on, the hot tub bubbling loudly as it started back up again. Lucy and Greg saw Bill come from the side yard, running towards the sandy beach, but he looked up at them and shrugged. Lucy held onto Kojo's collar while Greg went through the gate, and down the stairs to investigate. Lucy and Kojo watched them a few minutes on the beach and in the yard. She saw them bend down where the deck met the sand, pointing at footprints or something.
At that moment Lucy could hear the front door fly open as Tim arrived. She realized the Sat phone in her hand was still connected but Tim had been listening to them and hadn't spoke. He ran through the house, out the back door, the look of overwhelming relief on his face was broken momentarily as he looked down, seeing she was wearing only her bathing suit. Eyebrows raised only for a split second before he closed the space between them, wrapping her in his arms. Lucy was soaking wet, but she didn't care. She let Tim grab her into a bear hug, appreciating the warmth of his body. She'd gotten cold being out of the water. Lucy could feel how fast his heart was beating through his shirt, the adrenaline had kicked in for both of them.
For the first time since they'd hatched this plan, she felt her body start responding to Tim in a way they'd agreed not to allow. His hands were on her bare skin, which was still slick and wet. As tight as he'd held her, his clothes were stained darker with water now. Tim kept her wrapped up in his arms, kissed the top of her head, and whispered to her "You scared me". Lucy took that opportunity to snake her arms around his waist, giving him a squeeze. His body heat keeping her from being chilled by the night air. Both his hands came to rest on the small of her back, slowly caressing the skin there absentmindedly. Clearly he must have forgotten how that affects her. Lucy squirmed a little in his embrace, trying to focus on anything but the way his hands felt splayed across her back, the motion giving her butterflies in her stomach. That wasn't adrenaline. That was just unabashed desire. She wanted so badly to turn her body, and let them slide around to the front of her. There they could roam up and over her bathing suit, how she wanted those hands all over her. She'd reach up to pull his lips down to hers while his hands could slowly move further down, where that fire had begun to smolder again... When that image popped into her mind, her heart began thudding even louder. She suddenly released her grip on his waist just enough so they had more space between them. Tim cleared his throat and also released her, he had also felt it begin to build up between them.
"What the hell happened here"? He asked, redirecting them.
"Honestly, I'm not sure". Lucy replied, pulling away slightly. Kojo had come up to Tim, accepting the pat on the head he got.
Lucy continued "But you were right about Kojo being here". She told Tim what had happened, and how Kojo had defended her against who knows what. Tim bent down, giving him some much deserved praise.
Bill and Greg came up the stairs, through the gate, and told them they'd found tracks leading to the house but they had no idea when those tracks had been made. If there was someone there, they had no idea how he'd been able to get away without one of them seeing him. They couldn't talk freely outside, in case someone was still around somewhere. Inside was out as well. They'd have to wait until either they had enough sound cover outside to talk, or they were also scheduled for another visit at Wesley's this week. They'd probably push that up to tomorrow.
Lucy had no desire to get back into the hot tub, they went up to the master so Lucy could change, Kojo following behind, leaving Bill and Greg to secure the house again. Tim sat on the bed while Lucy rinsed off in the shower, changing into some stretch pants and a t shirt. Greg informed them the house was secure, and there'd be some crossover when they changed shifts tonight just for added protection.
Lucy flopped down next to Tim on the bed, her position forcing his arm to move, so he wrapped it around her. It was becoming second nature for them to be touching, but this time they managed to keep libidos in check. Lucy appreciated the comfort and nestled into his side. She brought her lips to his ears "I'm pretty sure it was him tonight". She spoke in such a soft voice even Tim barely heard her, but he tightened his hold of her. First the bank issue, now this, they were on the right track. He got chills thinking about what nefarious plans were in this guys head. Tim did not want to leave her side at all. He knew this was their goal, but if something happened to Lucy, it wasn't that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself, he'd come to realize, flat out, he didn't want to live a life without Lucy Chen in it. If he had to move to another post, hell, even another job completely to make it happen, so be it.
They spoke in hushed tones for a while, talking about what they thought the stalker's next move would be. Lucy was slowly beginning to relax, she mentioned they hadn't even eaten dinner yet but neither of them were really hungry. Tim leaned back onto the headboard, pulling Lucy with him so she was leaned up against him. Kojo settled on the other side of Tim, not quite as content as he usually was. He kept looking out the sliding door, ears perked, dog eyebrows up. He'd refused to eat earlier so they'd left food in his bowl in case he got hungry. Tim reached for the remote to the sound system in the bedroom. There'd been a playlist already on the unit in the master bedroom the previous owners named Riding Giants. It played softly in the background from Moby's Porcelain to Sting's soundtrack to The Living Sea, the playlist called to mind the ocean, and Lucy was reminded of a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium years ago and the gentle ocean sounds slowly relaxed her to the point of drifting off. Tim and Lucy fell asleep that way. Lucy fell first, Tim could feel the rhythm of her breath slowing, and that, along with the music helped him to fall asleep too. Neither of them wanted to think about the dangerous game they were playing to catch this killer. They'd be right back in it tomorrow morning anyway. Greg had let them know they'd be meeting with the team tomorrow.
