Inappropriatebehavior
Crime scene
The 911 got a call from a neighbor last night at around 10.30 about a domestic disturbance in the apartment. The police came to the apartment and the door was locked at it was quiet in the apartment. The officer got access to the apartment about 30 minutes later by the maintenance. They found a woman in her mid 20 violently stabbed to death. There were blood all over the apartment and clear signs of a struggle. The woman did not go down without a fight. Flack was called to the scene about 11.05 and he also called the CSI team. Quinn showed up at the crime scene 15 minutes later. When she arrived at the crime scene Flack had just finished an interview with the neighbor who made the 911 call, when his phone rings. He excuses himself and walks aside before he answers his phone.
"hey, babe. I'm sorry I got called to a crime scene. I will try to be home as soon as we are finished here." He says before he sees Quinn standing behind him.
"I got to go, babe. I will see you later."
He hangs up on the phone. A little embarrassed that she heard his conversation. "your girlfriend?" she asks. He doesn't respond and he puts his phone in his inside pocket of his jacket before he walks Quinn into the apartment.
"neighbor heard argument and called 911. Officer got access to the apartment from maintenance and found this. The victim is over here near the phone. She must have tried to reach the phone and lost too much blood before she could call." Flack informs her.
"detective Flack. I am a forensics expert. I prefer facts over speculations. I will let you know when I got som facts about this crime. Until then please leave my crime scene so it doesn't get any more contaminated than it already has. Thank you." Quinn informs him and then starts getting into her white rabbit suit and gloves and mask. Flack is surprised about being kicked out of a crime scene like that. Not normally the treatment he gets from Macs team. He walks away from the apartment. Before he exits the apartment, Quinn calls him back.
"detective Flack.i have told you before. Please keep your private conversations away from the crime scene. I heard from detective Taylor that you were supposed to be the most professional homicide detective."
Before getting any response from Flack Quinn starts processing the crime scene.
After about 1 hour Quinn is getting very frustrated about the ME hasn't arrived to remove the victim yet.
At around midnight Dr. Peyton Driscoll arrives at the crime scene along with a young medical examiner assistant. Peyton is coming running down the hall to the apartment. She is soaked wet from the heavy rain that has started.
"I'm sorry we are late Flack. Three crime scenes within the last three hours. Busy night. This is my assistant medical student Sandy Winslow." Peyton introduces her new assistant who is a tall blonde guy in his mid 20. Flack quickly shakes hand with the young ME assistant before he turns his attention back to Peyton. "What do we have here, Flack?" Peyton asks while looking into the starts to inform her about the case.
"are you going to stand there and complain about your job miss Driscoll or are you going to examine the body and remove it from my crime scene."
Quinn comes out of the apartment and takes off her mask and her gloves. Flack, Peyton, and the ME assistant are looking surprised at Quinn Shelby.
"excuse me. who do you think you are?" Peyton asks in shock about Quinn's entrance to the conversation.
"I am the crime scene investigator and I would have been half done by now if the body had been removed from the scene an hour ago. So if you are done complaining about your job then I think you should get to work so the rest of us can continue. There is a killer loose here and right now you standing out her chatting is helping him getting away. So should we get to work?"
Quinn walks over to a forensics assistant and hands over some evidence. Peyton looks shocked at Flack.
"who the hell is that?" Peyton whisper to Flack when they walk into the apartment to examine the body. "Macs new CSI." Peyton looks shocked at Flack. She can't believe mac would hire someone who is talking to his friends like that. Maybe does not consider her his friend anymore? She thinks while she is waiting for her assistant to bring in the body bag to transport the victim.
Homicide division 7.30 am
At around 7.30 flack finally, leaves the crime scene right after Quinn Shelby has left. Flack is now sitting in his chair at his desk and is exhausted.
"need some coffee detective?" Lovato's voice is heard from behind him. he turns around. And smiles when he sees places a cup of coffee from Starbucks on his desk.
"thanks." He says and takes a sip of his coffee. Black, exactly how he likes it. She is observing him.
"long night?" she asks. He looks around and then takes her hand and pulls her over to the interrogation room. There are only a few other detectives in the office right now. He pulls her in for a kiss.
"I thought we agreed not to do that while on duty." She whispers to him.
"I missed you." he whispers in her ear and then kisses her again.
"I missed you too. I was waiting for you last night."
While the two detectives are secretly kissing in the corner like secretive teenagers who is hiding from mom and dad, detective Shelby walks into the homicide division looking for Falck. She bumps into a uniformed officer and asks for detective Flack. The officer points her in the direction of the interrogation room. She walks over to the interrogation room. She stops when she sees flack is leaning down to kiss Lovato. She just stops and looks at them for a moment before she walks away.
Mac's office 8 AM
Mac is coming into his office and is taking off his coat and walks to his desk when Quinn walks into his office.
"morning Quinn. Heard you worked late last night." Mac says. He is in a good mood this morning after spending and quiet and relaxed evening and night with Christine followed by relaxing breakfast before going to work. No stress and no work call for either of them which have been quite rare for them lately.
"I got back from the crime scene an hour ago."
"I thought it was a domestic dispute turned into a homicide. Why did that take so long to process?" mac looks wondering at her while he is starting up his computer to get som paperwork done.
"there was some newbie who was busy complaining about her work so she slowed down the process with over an hour and some other inappropriate incidents at the scene that slowed me down. But it won't happen again, Mac."
Mac nods with a smile.
"that is good to hear. I know there is a lot of new techs here in the lab that hasn't quite gotten used to the process yet so we all need to show them a little patient for now." Mac says with a light chuckle. Quinns forced a little smile on her lips to convince Mac that she agrees with him. Mac starts to focus on paperwork. Quinn stands up and is about to leave but stops and turns around before opening the door.
"anything else?" Mac asks and looks up from his computer.
"yes." Quinn takes a seat again without waiting for Make to offer her to sit.
"I have noticed that that you and I have a slightly different point of view boundary at between what is professional and personal so now I want to ask you before I do anything wrong."
Mac is surprised about this change in her request for help on fitting in. mac likes that she is trying more to fit in with the rest fo the team. She has now been working her for about 3 weeks and he hat got a lot of complaints from Danny, Lindsay, Adam and Sheldon. But it is a positive sign that she is doing something to try to fit in.
"I appreciate that you are trying to fit in with the rest of the team. I got, to be honest with you, they had had trouble not seeing you as an inspector." Mac says with a little smile.
"I understand. I need to put the inspector away and try to be there teammate. That is why I need to ask you about this." She takes about before she continues. "over the last week I have noticed some inappropriate communication on the crime scenes such as some of the detectives and officers have answered personal phone calls at a crime scene. This morning I walk in on two who clearly was showing inappropriate behavior for a work office."
Mac smiles.
"Danny and Lindsay?" yeah sometimes they forget where they are and that there are other people around. You just tell them with a smile to save the argument for later or get a room or something. They are professional they realize it as soon as you remind them. They were woking together before they became a couple and they are very professional."
Quinn nods. "it is not detectives Messer and Monroe. It is just in general what your opinion would be about observing repeated inappropriate and… sexually characterized behavior between coworkers."
Mac can't help smiling. He has kinda gotten used to this kind of issues when Lindsay and Danny first started dating but it hasn't been an issue since they got Lucy and got married.
"Well have you told these two to be more professional."
"yes, several times over the past week," Quinn informs him.
"okay well if they don't stop and their behavior on crime scenes towards each other makes you and others uncomfortable then you should inform their supervisor so he could have a talk with them."
Quinn stands up. "thank you, Mac."
Quinn is about to walk out the door.
"Quinn…" Quinn turns around to face him. "let me know if there are any other issue or if theses two continues to make you feel uncomfortable."
"thanks, Mac." She says and then leaves the office. Mac just smiles. When He and Peyton first started to sneak around secretly and sneak a kiss when they thought no one was around and occasionally got busted in the autopsy by Sid or Dr. Hawkes no one complained about that. Neither did anyone when Lindsay and Danny were sneaking around like teenagers in love. Mac is sitting a little in his own thoughts thinking about what Quinn said about detectives answer personal phone calls while at a crime scene. All those times he has answered when Christine has called or texted him while he has been at a crime scene. Even yesterday he responded to a text from Christine while he was working on a crime scene with Hawkes and Adam.
The rest of the day Mac works on his huge stack of paperwork that has just grown bigger over the past month. While Jo and Adam have spent the day working on a young man OD in his apartment in a bad neighborhood. Lindsay and Hawkes work on a floater found in the Hudson and Danny is working on a homeless man found dead in some bushes in Central park while Quinn continues to work on the domestic dispute turn into a homicide case.
At around 5.30. Flack has found the victim's boyfriend who the victim was arguing with at the night of the crime. He has a background with a restraining order against an ex-fiance. an arrest for violence against a classmate in high school and the police have responded to multiple calls to 911 for domestic violence over the past two years where the suspect has been in a relationship with the victim. Flack has been in the interrogation room with the victim's boyfriend for 30 minutes. He claims that he has an alibi. Finally, Flack gives up and walks out of the integration room and asks an officer to book the guy so he can spend the night in a nice warm cell since he is still a suspect. Flack is walking over to Lovato who is sitting on his desk. "how is your case going, detective?" she asks. Flack can't help laughs. "my suspect has the best alibi ever. He was hooking up with a prostitute and he doesn't remember her name." they both starts laughing. "wow you are sure it is not Albert einstein you have sitting in there? With that alibi, he most has a genius IQ." Lovato laughs. After a while they both starts laughing and Lovato stands up. "so with your suspect rock solid alibi are you done for the day?" she stands closer to him with her lips temptingly close to his. He wraps his arms around her with his hands sliding down her back. "you have any idea for what to spend the rest of the day with, detective?" flack asks and kisses her.
"maybe. I can show you if you come over to my place later." She says in a flirty tone.
"okay." He says and gives her one last kiss before she walks away. He has a big smile on his face when he sits down and starts working on the impossible job of location a prostitute in New York City. They didn't realize that Detective Quinn Shelby was standing in the door to the department and saw where Flacks' hands were located on Lovato. Quinn walks over to Flack like she didn't see anything and give him the latest forensics update on the case and then walk away without comment on his sexual behavior towards detective Lovato.
Mac's apartment 6.30 pm
When Mac enters his apartment an amazing smell is coming from the kitchen. He should have gotten used to coming home to an amazing smell from the kitchen every night by now since he has been living together with Christine for almost 6 months now. He takes off his shoes, his suit jacket, and his tie before he enters the kitchen. Christine is standing over the stove and tasting the sauce she is cooking. Her favorite music is playing from her iPod that is connected to a Bluetooth speaker on the dining table. Mac is just standing and watching her for a moment. He doesn't think she has seen him yet.
"are you just going to stand there Marine or are you coming over to kiss your fiancée who has missed you all day?" he can't help smiling thinking about how much he loves this woman. When they first moved in together I wasn't sure if he could get used to having someone in his home every day but now he would live without her. She looks over at him.
"earth to Mac," Christine says. Apparently, he got lost in his thoughts… again. He smiles and walks over and wraps his arms around her and kisses her.
"I love you and I missed you too today."
She smiles and gives him a quick kiss. "now get out of the kitchen." She demands and walks over to set the table. He smiles and steps out of her way and back to his favorite spot where he is out of her way but can still watch her.
"so how was your day? Since you were so busy you didn't text or call me all day?" she says and gives him a little accusing look.
"sorry love I was doing paperwork al day… well beside a really wired conversation I had with one of my team members." Mac walks over to take out a beer from the refrigerator.
"wired conversation about what?" she asks while she is taking the rice of the stove.
"about inappropriate behavior on crime scenes. I have a CSI who thinks checking texts or answering calls from a girlfriend while at a crime scene is inappropriate behavior." He takes a sip of his beer. Christine chuckles.
"then it is a good think you don't have a girlfriend."
"yeah, I am lucky there. It is just… ridiculous."
Christine chuckles a little about his frustration. She places the food on the table and they sit down to have dinner.
Mac is laying in bed and reading a book when Christine comes out from the bathroom in one of his marineT-shirts. She is no longer wearing any kind of makeup. He really like her when she looks so relaxed. She lays down and sneaks under his arm and places her head on his chest. He puts the book away and rests his arm around her.
"way is it so ridiculous that one of your team members thinks personal phone calls is inappropriate at a crime scene?"
"it is not. It's just. If chief Sinclair hears about it. If I don't deal with it, he is going to force me to have a sexual harassment seminar for the entire lab."
Christine starts laughing.
"don't laugh does are awful. All government agencies have one every year. No one likes them."
"Why not?" Christine asks. Mac clearly has a bad experience with sexual harassment seminars before.
"why?" Christine nods. "because it makes people go crazy. Suddenly it is considered inappropriate to look at a college of the other sex. It is harassment to touch someone. Even on the shoulder. A hug is made to sound like close to rape." Christine chuckles. "I mean sexual harassment seminars is made to prevent sexual harassment, not create false accusations about harassment towards any colleague you don't like."
Christine moves to lay on her stomach and lean up on her elbows.
"what are your experiences with sexual harassment seminars. You don't work for a government agency so how do you now about it?"
"the marines. As a marine, you are trained to that there is no difference between how to treat female and male officers. But as Officer in Charge, you are being taught how to treat female officers. Like we don't know that.
Christine chuckles. "I am sure young captain Taylor definitely knew how to treat female Marines."
Mac tries to look offend by her joke but can't help smile.
"I had a girlfriend back then you know."
"hmm… like you never looked at any female officer?"
Christine turns off her light and turns on her side with her bag to Mac.
"maybe I did, but have you ever heard about look don't touch?"
"I think that qualifies as sexual harassment, Captain Taylor." Mac reaches over and slides his hand over her cover and up her body. She turns to face him.
"that is differently Sexual harassment Detective."
He leans over her and place kisses on her neck and up to her lips.
7.30 am homicide division
Flack comes in to his desk. He places his cup of coffee on his desk while he is taking of his jacket.
"detectiv Flack." A deep male voice is coming from behind him. Flack turns around. It is his captain that is calling him.
"would you come in her please?" the captain asks. Flack grabs his coffee and follows his captain into his office.
"sir I really don't have anything to rapport on the domestic disturbing case from yesterday yet. We are still looking for are prime suspects supposed alibi witness."
The captain doesn't say anything and takes a seat behind his desk and points to Flack to take a seat. The captain puts on his reading glasses and takes a letter from his desk.
"I received this letter last night Flack. I got complains about you detective Flack."
Flack look very confused.
9 Am crime lab
Lindsay is working in the trace lab when Jo comes in. "hey Lindsay how is your case going?" jo asks in her always smiling happy mood.
"morning Jo. I am working on a floater in the Hudson and trying to get anything useable of a piece of wet paper in his pocket." Jo can't help laughs at Lindsay's description of her case. "my isn't any better. I have 20 drunk witnesses. One more unreliable than the others." Danny comes into the Lab.
"morning Jo. Morning Babe." Danny says and walks over to give Lindsay a kiss on the cheek. "what are you working on babe?" Danny asks.
"a floater in Hudson," Lindsay says and sounds tired.
"have any of you seen detective Flack today?" Quinn pokes her head into the lab.
"no." Lindsay and Jo says.
"oh, I just saw Flack he is not in a good mood. Maybe you should let him cool down a little." Danny says. Quinn nods and leaves.
"what is with Flack?" Jo asks.
"he seemed pretty upset. I came out from the principal's office." Danny says.
"flack?" Lindsay sound surprised. Flack is a straight up Detective. Dany nods.
"what did he do?" Jo asks.
"I don't know. I just saw him coming out from the captain's office and not looking happy."
"who is not looking Happy?" Mac's voice I heard from the door. Everyone turns to face him.
"Morning boss," Danny says before he leaves the trace lab.
10.30 am Homicide division
All morning Mac has heard talking in the Lab about Flack not being happy and that he got called into the Captain's office this morning so Mac decides to go check on his old friend. When Mac walks into the homicide division he sees Flack sitting at his desk working on a case. Multiple times he rubbed his temples. Mac has worked with Flack for years and knows that it is a sign of stress when he does that. Mac walks over to him.
"hey, Flack," Mac says and a casual tone.
"what now?" Flack snaps before he looks up and realize it is Mac.
"oh hey, Mac."
Mac just looks at Flack with raised eyebrows. Flack nods that means you need to explain here buddy. Flack nods.
"come on let's go for a walk. It looks like you could use it."
Mac gives him a pad on the shoulder. Flack nods and stands up and take his coat and walks out with Mac.
When they get to the street they just walk for a few minutes without a word. Suddenly Mac stops.
"Don what is going on?" Mac asks. Mac is not asking him as a colleague but as his friend who knows when something is up. Flack release a heavy sign and looks down to the grown.
"I got a complaint this morning."
Mac doesn't say anything waiting for Flack to continue.
"apparently several female colleagues find my behavior towards them at crime scenes sexual characterized and inappropriate and the way I talk to my colleagues make them uncomfortable."
After a moment Mac recognizes that description from Quinn yesterday.
"do you know how has complained?" Mac asks without showing to Flack that he think he knows how complaint.
"no according to the complaint it sounds like every female employee in the department is finding me sexual harassing." Flack looks straight at Mac. "Mac… I really don't know what I have done or said wrong to anyone?"
Mac leans a hand on his shoulder.
"sometimes you there are nothing you can do."
"but… if my female colleagues find my behavior inappropriate I need to know what I do wrong."
Mac nods and gives Flack a pad on the shoulder. Mac can sense that it is not only the harassment complaint that is bothering him.
"what is on your mind, Don?"
Mac asks. Flack looks at him with a confused look. Mac is just staring at him with a raised eyebrows. Flack knows that Mac already knows that something else Is on his mind too.
"Jamie… Lovato… she dumped me…" Flack says and then starts walking and Mac follows him in silences.
"well… she didn't dump me but… she told me after I told her about the complaint that maybe we should take a break. What the Hell does that even mean?" Flack asks in frustration and stops to look at Mac.
"you two see each other every day both at work and at home?" Mac asks. flack smiles.
"yeah. I really like her. She is amazing. I am…" Flack look down at his coffee cup again. "I mean… I was supposed to meet her brothers next Saturday. That kinda makes it official."
Mac smiles at his friend's insecurity. He hasn't seemed him this insecure with a woman for a very long time.
"relax buddy. I'm sure this will be worked out before Saturday." Mac gives him an optimistic smile and a pad on the shoulder.
"thanks, Mac."
Mac comes back up to the crime lab after his talk with Flack. He has gotten a copy of the harassment complaint letter from Flack. Mac walks past by Danny, Hawkes, and Adam when he almost runs out of the elevator and into his office without a word.
"is everyone in a bad mood today?" Danny asks.
Mac takes a seat in his chair and starts reading the harassment complaint.
I am writing this letter to complain about several unfortunate incidents that recently happened at several crime scenes. I have witnessed several episodes of sexual characterized physical contact addressed towards female employees. This employee's name is Donald Flack Junior.
The latest incident was yesterday Wednesday march 25. When I walked into the homicide division and witnessed detective Flack sexually sliding his hands down a female employees bag.
Inappropriate languages such as calling female employees babe and asking female colleagues about late night sexual activities have happened several times over the past few weeks.
It is unprofessional and uncomfortable to be around and several female colleagues find it uncomfortable to be alone with detective Flack.
I am writing this letter because Detective Flack needs the proper punishment for sexual harassment. I would like to be able to work on a crime scene in a comfortable work environment with both male and female colleagues. Or work with a different, more respectable Detective. I feel that he should participate in some form of sensitivity seminar.
Mac gets angry at Quinn just by reading it. She can't believe that there would be any other female employee that would have a problem with Flack and Mac has a feeling that the incident with touching a female employee sexually or asking flirting question has most likely been to Detective Lovato – Flack's girlfriend.
Mac's phone starts buzzing. He takes it out of his pocket and sees it is a text from Christine. I was thinking of you and something we could do tonight when you get home. Shortly after another text comes from her is that sexual harassment detective? Mac can't help smiling.
"it seems like you are having an okay said you were pissed off too." Jo is standing in the door. She walks in and closes the door.
"I was… or I am. Flack has been accused of sexual harassment."
Jo looks shocked. "you mean our Flack?" jo asks. Mac nods and holds up the letter.
"that is outrages. The only one Flack would be sexual harassing is Lovato." Jo starts laughing. "and I don't think that is considered harassment when it is consensual."
Mac shakes his head in disbelief.
"its… I don't even know what it is."
"what is going to happen to him?"
"he was called into the captain's office this morning. They are talking about sexual harassment seminar."
JO look shocked. Then Adam comes running into the office. He almost runs into the glass door.
"Boss. Sorry Jo…"
"Adam…" Adam looks over at Mac. "try to open the door first next time." Mac says with a light smile. Jo giggles. " what do you have Adam?" Jo asks.
"I think I found our victims ID. Not false ID but his actual ID. He is a student at Columbia university."
Jo gets up from the chair.
"great work Lovato lets go talk some of the teachers and students." Adam leaves the office. Before Jo Leaves the office she turns back to Mac.
"let me know if there is anything I can do."
Mac nods in an appreciation.
"thanks, Jo."
Mac is sitting in his office for a while consider his next move in how to approach Quinn with this or if he should approach Quinn at all. Before Quinn leave for her lunch break she pokes her head into his office.
"hey, Mac. Is everything okay? You have been stirring out the window for an hour. I know it is a beautiful city but you should have gotten used to the view by now." She says with a small laugh. Mac doesn't laugh at her joke.
"okay Mac what is going on?" she walks into his office and closes the door.
"you can tell me." He says in a harsh tone. She looks confused. He holds up the copy of the sexual harassment complaint.
"what the Hell were you Thinking Quinn?" Mac is standing up and walking around. He can't contain his anger anymore.
"I did what you told me to do, Mac." Mac is just stirring at her with clear anger.
"YOU ACCUSED MY FRIEND OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT!"
"Mac. I have asked him to stop several times. I find it very inappropriate when he slides his hands down the back and touches the ass of a female colleague. When he answers calls from his girlfriend on a crime scene and talk about nightly activities while everyone else can hear it. Yesterday afternoon when I walked into the homicide division to give him information about our case he was kissing a colleague."
"Jamie Lovato?" Mac asks. Quinn is surprised that Mac even knows who it is.
"yes. Are you aware of it? If you knew about his inappropriate behavior towards his much younger inexperienced colleague, why didn't you do anything about it?" she asks.
"okay first: Lovato mya be young but she is a damn good detective. Second, she is Detectives Flack's girlfriend. Not a secret. If anyone finds their conversations inappropriate we just tell them."
Quinn nods.
"what about all your young CSI techs where he is looking at their asses.
Mac giggles.
"okay, Quinn relax. He is a man. They are young beautiful women. Yesterday I heard some of them in the lab talk about him. he is a handsome man. There is nothing wrong with that."
"hmm…" Quinn says. "I remember when I was looking at a handsome male colleague. I almost got fired."
"there are a difference between looking and kissing, Quinn."
"I didn't kiss you until after I quit."
"no, but you were flirting with me in front of my wife, Quinn."
Mac says a little harsh.
"so what now… I apologize to detective Flack for him making me uncomfortable around him at a crime scene and then we just move on?"
"you could try just tell him that you find his behavior inappropriate and you could have a talk about what to do differently to be able to work together?"
Quinn shakes her head in disbelief.
"I told you, Mac. I tried to talk to him. that didn't work."
"Quinn my team might be doing things differently but we do a great job. Fix this mess Quinn."
Quinn doesn't say anything before she leaves.
At around 7.30 pm Mac is about to leave his office. Lindsay is still working the floater case. Danny's case turn out to be natural causes and Jo and Adams case turn out to be girlfriends jealous ex-boyfriend who had proisent the victim. Mac closes his computer and stands up to put on his Jacket when Flack comes into his office.
"hey, Man you have a minute?" Mac turns to identify his visitor.
"sure Flack. Flack looks much happier than he did earlier.
"Whats up?"
"the complaint has been withdrawn. Apparently, it was a misunderstanding."
Mac looks surprised.
"that… is great. I guess."
"yeah, it is. Whatever you did. Thanks, man."
"I'm not sure I did anything."
They leave the office together and walks towards the elevator.
"hey, you want to go for a beer?" Mac asks.
"sorry man next time. I got plans with Jamie."
He can't stop smiling. Mac recognizes that grin on his face.
"sure. Have fun."
When they get to the main floor their ways separate and Flack meets up with Lovato.
"see ya tomorrow Mac."
Flacks wave a hand in goodbye before he leaves with his girlfriend.