"Now, where in the world have you been all morning?!"
There was no denying that Mike was livid by the time he returned to the bullpen shortly after 1pm. Having expected the reaction long before he ever left for his morning's adventure, Steve symbolically held up a white paper bag, containing one of the Lieutenant's favorite treats…Prime Rib Sandwich for lunch.
With a cheeky grin, he crossed the busy office, ignoring the looks of fear and sympathy occasionally thrown his way as he headed closer to the lion's den. Then, pushing his luck just a little bit more, he leisurely took off his beige sports coat and grabbed some coffee, before facing the inevitable slew of reprimands.
Mike had his mouth wide open, ready to begin his plaidoyer of should have's and could have's like he'd done countless times in the past, when his eyes fell on the white bag, effectively slowing down his angry outburst.
"You might get to keep your desk up here if this is lunch."
With a soft chuckle, Steve nodded, then gently sat the bag in front of his starving partner, before sipping on some coffee.
"I didn't think there'd be much time to eat today so I wanted to get you something while we have a few minutes. Call it a…peace offering."
"Peace offering.", Mike scorned and began to dig into the bag, "Why is it that you can't let people know where you're headed? There's a war on police officers going on out there. And you continue to put yourself right in harm's way, without support or any sort of safety net. That's…beyond foolish. Do you want to get hurt? Or worse? You should know better than that. It's time you start using that…that college brain of yours to make some responsible decisions."
Steve knew that the words said in angry frustration were fueled by deep concern for his wellbeing, and as such, he nodded obediently. As he watched Mike slowly dig the sandwich, helping of fries and condiments out of the bag, he couldn't hide a satisfied smile, the overwhelming joy of taking care of his stricken partner warming his heart that morning.
"What…all that yelling and you're not the least bit interested in my findings, Lieutenant?"
Devouring the sandwich like a starved animal, Mike glanced up in between passionate chews, gesturing for him to wait until he swallowed, then helped himself to a sip of coffee before speaking up.
"Well, first I'd like to know why you smell of oregano. And I am pretty sure it isn't oregano."
The cheeky smile became a little bit more forced when faced with his partner's bloodhound instincts and Steve shifted nervously from one foot to the other, intently studying his coffee cup.
"No ehm…no. It's exactly what you think it is."
"Damnit Steve!"
Upon Mike's deep inhale, a preparation for round two of reprimands, the young Inspector raised his index finger, trying to calm his partner down.
"But…it was for all the right purposes. You see, Cappy stopped by at my place last night, gave me some ideas on the things Andrea saw in her visions, so I went up to the China Basin this morning checking out some of the hangouts of guys I knew from my Vice days, mostly artist; people who deal with the alternate crowd and might know what I am looking for. Have you ever heard of Alfonso the Great, alias Alfonso the Beast Tamer? Alias Alfonso the Goat Tamer?"
With furrowed brows, Mike grunted, then reached for a handful of fries, a distinctive sign that his anger was slowly dissipating.
"Are you sure you didn't breathe in too much of that leafy smell?"
With a slight chuckle, Steve shook his head and decided to drop into Mike's guest chair, as he watched him thoroughly enjoy his lunch.
"No, this one's real. It's like you said, some of the artists and workers of the Sorrento Circus back in the mid-60's stayed in the Bay Area after the operation shut down. And the guy who was training all the animals, the background talent, so to speak, was this Alfonso guy. Now he supposedly moved up to Marin County, somewhere near Muir Beach. Went as far as taking the animals with him so they wouldn't be given up for adoption or sent to shelters. He created his own little place of peace up there."
"So you think that Sullenger somehow found out about him and went up there for some R&R? To get away from the limelight for a bit perhaps?"
"It's a bit more interesting than that.", Steve countered and retrieved his black notebook, skimming through it to find the right page, "You see, word has it that this Alfonso guy was looking for a distinctive plot of land to retire on. He's a secluded kinda guy, very much into eastern religions, Buddhism and Zen and all that…and he settled down at some spot along Shoreline Highway right near what is called, quote, the Wish Cabin, a humble shed overlooking the ocean, used by people as a sanctuary for mediation, prayer and peace. As a thank you for the upkeep, visitors are encouraged to bring tokens such as rocks and seashells."
As his frown turned into a proud smile, Mike gestured toward the black notebook.
"Rocks and seashells, eh? Is the address somewhere in there? We should probably check both places out."
"I thought you'd never ask.", Steve countered and returned the amicable grin, "I am ready to go as soon as you are done eating."