Author's Note: Hello Everyone, Happy New year! It has certainly been a while. I hit a writer's block, after a certain someone wrote a certain episode that we shall not name and then my university work had to take my priority. I wanted to have something decent when I came back so I waited until I had no other commitments which meant the Christmas holiday.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I've got in mind, I am hoping that it will bring back a little joy after the events of the season that shall not be named.
-SHANDY-
In the morning the team looked at the letters that Sharon Beck had received. The team realized that to get a better story they'd have to interview Sharon. The Captain sent Provenza to pick her up at the Rehab center.
As they waited they sent the letters for analysis, hoping for some clues that would give them a lead on the criminal threating Rusty's mother.
Rusty's mother arrived at the PAB with Provenza just before lunch and sat with Provenza in the interview room
"Ok Ms Beck, we just need to establish a timeline. When did you move into the rehab?" Provenza asked.
"About 2 months ago, a few weeks after these letters started finding me." She answered quietly.
"Okay. How long was it before they become threatening?" Provenza continued.
"Um, maybe a month. It was just before I moved into the rehab. They scared me so much I realised my habits weren't safe anymore." She explained her hands clasped tightly together. The interview continued well. Provenza noting that the letters always looked the same and when she lived on the streets, they were tucked in the same place.
"Is there anyone, with anything against you?" Provenza asked. Sharon let out a sad chuckle.
"I'm an addict, I've upset a lot of people" She admitted sadly. Provenza slid a piece of paper over so she could start a list as she did Provenza continued to question her.
"Ms Beck, when and why did you contact Rusty?" Sharon's eyes grew for a moment, she chewed her lip, pausing her writing to explain
"I…I erm, got word that he had disappeared from the streets that some fancy lady had taken him in. I wasn't going to contact him; I do care about my son but…I got this letter, that was threatening his life and I had an urge to find him and check he was ok. He didn't answer at first so I backed off, but he came to me and…its going well. Not a single letter about him since." She explained nervously. Provenza took notes and smiled at her politely.
"Did you not think it would be safer to not contact him?" Provenza questioned her logic.
"I just needed to hear my son's voice" Sharon quipped. Provenza nodded and concluded the interview, slipping into the electronics room. He gave his captain a look of uncertainty.
"I want to speak with her, have you found anything more about this letter?" Sharon asked as Mike entered the room.
"Not really captain, although the letters are highly inconsistent. We might have to get a handwriting sample," Mike explained, before explaining the differences between all of the letters. Sharon sighed, this was going to be a long day.
Sharon slipped into the interview with Ms Beck and smiled upon sitting down. The other Sharon smiled back.
"I want to thank you, Captain. Rusty talks about you all the time and he seem so happy" Ms Beck offered her hand to the Captain, she took it and they smiled awkwardly at each other.
"I'm glad. I was happy to help him."
"Well, in just a few weeks it won't be needed. Rusty and I intend to find a place to stay" Sharon tapped the table gently. The Captain tilted her head to the side; Rusty had never mentioned this to her and to be fair it seemed as though he was finally feeling comfortable in her home and the school.
"Oh, Rusty didn't mention it." Sharon's head gently shook, and Ms Beck nodded clasping her hands together.
"Well, he is my son and I am better so it's only fair I get him back from you" She explained with a matter of fact tone. The captain slowly nodded; something wasn't right, this felt off. She wasn't an expert in Rusty, but she was fairly certain that he'd come to her with a decision this big.
"You may have to hold off for a while longer, Ms Beck. Rusty is, I'm sure he told you, but he is a material witness in a murder trial" Sharon reminded the younger who for second looked shocked and then nodded profusely.
"Well, I just wanted a little word with you. I'll leave you for now. A detective should be in soon to ask you just a few more questions" Sharon stood and headed for the door.
"That's great as long as my son is safe" the younger Sharon smiled awkwardly watching the other woman leave.
-SHANDY-
The day dragged on. They looked into all of the people on the list which took up a lot of the day. Most were dealers, but a few were ex boyfriends most importantly, Gary Lewis, who had been Ms Beck's last boyfriend and most likely the longest relationship she had had in her adult life. As the most logical place to start, Sharon sent Julio and Provenza to go and get him from his last known residence.
Provenza politely knocked on the door, at the moment there was no reason to jump to any conclusions about Mr Lewis. The first knock received no answer and Julio Knocked, slightly louder than the first time. The door cracked open and a pale face reared around the door.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Are you Gary Lewis?" Provenza asked, the man pouted his mouth in thought and nodded.
"Who's asking? I ain't buying anything." Gary asserted to them keeping the door ajar to indicate his lack of trust.
"I'm Lieutenant Provenza and…" No sooner had the word 'Lieutenant' left his mouth Gary had turned around and started running through the house. With grumble Provenza entered and Julio ran around to the back of the house. Seeing the Mr Lewis had left the premise, Provenza retreated and headed to the car; just in time for Mr Lewis to run past him.
In his speed Mr Lewis tripped, over his own feet of course. He looked up at Provenza and started yelling.
"I am innocent I haven't done anything" Julio had arrived was hauling Mr Lewis into the back of the car as he protested his innocence.
"If you hadn't run away we might be able to believe that Mr Lewis" Provenza grumbled as he drove back to the PAB.
Once returning and getting Mr Lewis settled in the interview room. Sharon and Provenza entered the room, neutral expressions in pace on their faces.
"Mr Lewis, I am Captain Raydor and you met Lieutenant Provenza earlier. We just wanted to know if you knew this woman?" She asked sliding a photo of Sharon Beck towards him. Gary shook his head.
"No, No. I don't wanna know her. She was draggin' me down, that and the kid." He whined burying his head in his hands. Sharon nodded.
"So, you haven't contacted Ms Beck since you were realised from prison, 6 weeks ago" Gary huffed.
"No. I saw her once, she wanted to get back with me but, I knew she had grassed me up, so I told her to go away. I am changing, check with my parole officer, I have tested sober for 6 weeks." He combed his fingers through his shorter hair.
"Alright, if you haven't seen her is there anyone you could think of that would want to hurt her?" Sharon continued her questioning placing Sharon Beck's photo back in the folder. Gary was quiet for a moment.
"Sharon, when I knew her, she was so destructive, and I blamed the kid. Drugs mess people up, I know that now. We are messed up, but she was messed up before the drugs" He explained, his hands flat against the table. Sharon sat up in her chair and found herself intrigued about Mr Lewis' explanations, was it right to believe what he was saying? He wasn't known for his reliability.
"If you have turned over such a new leaf; why'd you run?" Provenza asked leaning over the table.
"The police are always after me, for things I did back when I was crazy. It was stupid, but I am clean. Gary explained weakly, Sharon looked over at Provenza and silently agreed to leave for a while. They nodded at Mr Lewis and left the room.
"Well, he seems distrustful of the police, which might explain his reluctance to talk with us" Sharon mused as she entered the electronics room. The team nodded.
"However, he would have to suspect some bad action had caught up to him to run away" Mike suggested, Andy stood nearby I his usual defensive stance nodding to his colleague's comments.
"Alright, we don't have anything against him, let's talk again to Ms Beck and see if she has seen Mr Lewis recently, depending on what she says we can probably let him go" Sharon instructed and asked Amy to go and speak with Sharon Beck.
"Alright Ms Beck, I am detective Sykes and I just have some questions about your ex-boyfriend, a Mister Gary Lewis" as Amy said this Sharon flinched. The team exchanged looks, Provenza shaking his head.
"It's always the ex" he muttered as Sharon explained she had seen him once and he had threatened her.
"He said he was after Rusty, for ruining us, said he knew some people who would help him and pay him for information" Sharon Beck brushed and hand through her hair sinking in her seat slightly. Amy nodded.
"Did he say exactly who these people were?" Sharon shook her head.
"I don't remember, I wasn't in my best place and I decided to clean up and contact my son and make sure he was safe" She explained a pained expression on her face. Once again Amy nodded and reassured Sharon they would get to the bottom of this. She stood and left the room.
"Well, it's gotta be Lewis" Andy pointed at him on the other monitor. He was sat leaning back in his chair, his legs spread. The team murmured their agreement.
"Either way we only have Sharon Beck's word on this and we can't make assumptions on only one person's statement" She stood up and lead Provenza to her office. He closed the door.
"So, Captain, what's wrong?" He asks, sitting in the chair opposite her.
"I am too close to this. Rusty is my…in my care and Sharon Beck, his mother. I cannot be involved in this case. My involvement will cease, everyone will report to you and if needs be, go to Taylor. I am about to update him." She explained briskly shuffling her papers and picked up her phone pressing the buttons for Taylor's office extension. She nodded to Provenza who got up and eft to update the team.
After an aggravating call with Taylor, always so awkward, ended 20 minutes later with Sharon being given the go ahead to sign off on things that she normally would and only to go to him if it was especially urgent.
Provenza and Flynn slipped back into the interview room with Mr Lewis and relay the new information to him. He shook his head.
"I don't wanna know her. She came to me; not the other way around" he raged slamming his fists against the table. He took breath in leaning forward his forehead pressing against his clenched fists.
"So, after she came to see you…" Flynn began.
"I moved, I got my parole officer to organise something else. You can ask him if you want." Gary interrupted as he sat back up. Provenza took down the name of Gary's Parole officer and gave to Flynn to find him.
As Flynn left the PAB he ran into Rusty and Rose, he smiled at them as they stopped to speak to him.
"What's going on with my mom?" Rusty asked straight away, Rose turned to look at him with a grimace.
"Dude, the phrase you're looking for is, hello lieutenant," she scoffed then turned to Andy, "Hey Andy, how are you?" She asked with a smile. Andy shook his head.
"Rose, I'm fine thank you. Rusty, I can't discuss the case with you. We have a lot of things to look at." He smiled ruffling Rose's hair as he headed to the door. Rusty scoffed.
"Well that wasn't helpful at all" the two teens walked to the elevator.
"Rusty, it's the law." The younger teen drawls as they get into the elevator.
"Urgh, you're like a tiny version of your mother" Rusty rolls his eyes at her. The doors slide close and they make their way up to the Major Crimes offices on floor 9.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this update after such a long break and with any luck the new year will motivate me enough to get the other parts uploaded as quickly as possible. If you want to leave a review; please do I read them all and if I can try to reply.
Thanks for coming back
That-Geek