Reminder from Mairead: if you haven't read my profile, you're going to want to do that eventually, and sooner is better than later with a long story like this.

Thanks for keeping up with us, Nutmeg9Cat!

Chapter Fifteen: Moving In

RayV and I watched RayK interview our suspect. This part was less diverting for me than the tracking part, but I did take an interest in the Chicago PD's interrogation methods, especially those of my friends. There seemed to be a little less yelling involved this time around, though I could see that there was plenty of the body language in which RayK put so much stock.

After the first round, we learned that our second man had been found; the uniformed officers had redeemed themselves for losing the stolen car in the chase Saturday night. RayV took his sister away so she could avoid confrontation with the man who had assaulted her. Diefenbaker had remained at the Vecchio house, and for a while, there was nothing to do but look through mug shots.

When the second kidnapper arrived, RayK began searching the database for his face, since, like our first suspect, he was not forthcoming about his identity. If they had criminal records, their fingerprints would turn up before long, but if we were lucky, this might be faster. I used what I had learned from a cursory look at the first man, along with what RayK and Francesca had told me about him, to narrow down my search for him. By the time RayV returned, I had a possible match; he confirmed it by his usual method of nose comparison.

It was then that I noticed the smell on RayV. It was subtle, but I realized I had smelled it on him before and not noticed it consciously. It was a smell like tobacco smoke and something else. I pushed the curiosity away for another time.

Armed with the first suspect's name, RayK went back in for a second round of interrogation. Then the lawyers arrived, and negotiation began. As we expected, it was the younger man who cooperated.

When the day was finally over, we collected Francesca and Diefenbaker before going out for a Chinese dinner. On our arrival, Dief took RayK by surprise with a round of licking. I guessed that like me, the wolf had noticed something bothering him. He seemed to want to cheer him up, and I remembered that I still hadn't told him that I planned to take the apartment across from his. It wasn't the right time now, with RayV and his sister present, so I again decided to wait.

Mr. Lee and his family gave us exceptional service. I knew he was grateful for our help in recovering his son, and his gratitude extended to our friends and family. I made certain to assure him that there was no need to go so far, while at the same time being careful not to insult his hospitality. Honor, respect and gratitude come with particular expectations in Chinese culture. Diefenbaker had no qualms about accepting whatever was offered him in his usual greedy manner.

In the course of discussion, we came to the conclusion that Francesca ought to take a self-defense course. She is quite disarming in appearance: petite, pretty, feminine. So, one tends to think of her in a vein of vulnerability. If we, her friends and family, felt that way, those with bad intentions were sure to as well. We would all feel better for her safety if she learned to defend herself. And, since her brother did not like the idea of her carrying a weapon, a self-defense course at the police academy was the logical choice.

When we parted ways, I noticed a wistful look in RayK's eyes as he said good night to Francesca. I thought this might be more evidence of whatever had been bothering him of late, and I decided to try to get to the bottom of it. However, he quickly redirected the conversation onto my own agitation. I decided to confess my worry about RayV and the unusual smell. My friend reminded me that I had always been able to trust RayV, and I felt reassured that if it were important enough, he would tell me about it eventually.

When we got back to the consulate, I felt it was finally time to bring up the apartment. At first, I thought I had misunderstood his feelings on the matter, because he just stared at me for a moment. Then his face lit up.

"Hey, that's great," he said.

"I'm glad you think so. I'll move in in a couple of days." I got Dief out of the car. "See you tomorrow... neighbor."

"Yeah, see you."

He looked so happy, I was sure I had made the best decision.

RayK proved very helpful in moving me into apartment 308 and assisting me in finding furniture for it. He even let Dief stay in his apartment while we were out at the thrift stores. After we put together my bed frame, he surprised me with a box of ice cream which we ate right out of the box with plastic spoons. Though he was a good friend, I hadn't expected such a thoughtful gesture from him.

Ray has a few odd quirks. For instance, he has no problem eating out of the same dish as someone else, but he objects very strongly to our utensils coming in contact. I tried to tell him there was no logical sense behind the distinction, but he wouldn't hear it. I thought over our time in the Yukon and recalled many occasions on which one of us had been eating something and then handed off the dish to the other to finish. The dish was the same, but I couldn't recall whether we had ever eaten off the same fork or spoon without washing it. I thought it must have happened, because our chances to wash things properly had been few and far between. Still, I didn't mention any of that, knowing it might spark an argument that would get us nowhere.

He offered to let me sleep on his sofa until I acquired a mattress, but I was used to sleeping on my bedroll from time to time, and I preferred sleeping in my new residence to imposing on his hospitality.

Dief and I walked to the door with him and watched until he was inside his own.

"Good night, guys," he said with a small laugh.

"Good night, Ray," I answered.

He hesitated a moment before closing his door. I wasn't sure if he had wanted to tell me something, or if he'd thought I wanted to tell him something... I guess I got a little lost in thought. I was thinking about sleeping outside in our bedrolls, tucked under the same wool blanket to keep each other warm. Thinking about how dependent he had been on me during that time for his very survival, and how he had never doubted that I would take care of us. Here, he was the one looking after me. I wasn't used to that. By example, my father had taught me to look after myself, and not to count on anyone else for help. It was hard at first not to feel that I was coming up short somehow, needing to accept this level of assistance from someone else.

Dief nudged my hand and I closed our door. I followed him over to my bedroll where he sat and waited expectantly. I unrolled it and went to brush my teeth before putting the light out and bedding down. Dief curled up beside me, resting his head on my shoulder, and I felt better. Was a wolf weak for depending on his pack members to help him run down game, or keep watch over him at night? No. He was intelligent to work with other wolves. Cooperation makes work easier and leisure more restful. It was something my grandparents had tried to instill in me, in spite of my father's example.

I stroked Dief's smooth head. "Good night, old friend."

Dief's tail thumped against the floor three times. Then he sighed and closed his eyes.

The next day when his shift was over, RayK helped me find a mattress at the outlet he had recommended. We picked up some sheets as well, and he helped me make up the bed when we got back to my apartment.

He told me that he had managed to get in touch with Paul Vecchio while I'd been at lunch with RayV. I hoped the plan would come together. RayK seemed very intent on making it happen. Having had little experience with my only sibling, whom I still barely knew, I was almost as ignorant about sibling relationships as my friend was, so I could offer little insight or advice.

When Ray left the apartment, I scolded Diefenbaker for sniffing him in an attempt to find food. "You can't expect him to give you something every time we see him," I said.

Dief grumbled.

"I know we're neighbors now, but that doesn't mean that all pretense of etiquette should go out the window." I waited, but got no response. "Oh, I see. Go ahead and sulk. I'm about to make dinner now, and if your attitude hasn't improved in time, you won't be getting any."

He was over his sulk by the time I finished cooking, as was usually the case. After we ate, I retired to my bedroom, which was looking more comfortable now that I had added a dresser and a rug for Dief to sleep on.

I settled in to read a little Stevenson before going to sleep. Dief curled up beside my bed. I read aloud for a while, to show him that our disagreement earlier was completely forgotten. Then he was asleep and I read a while longer before putting my light out.

Dief woke me a few hours later. He pounced on my shoulder and yipped, a fairly uncommon behavior from him. I sat up and looked around. I realized I had neglected to bring a clock into the apartment, and I couldn't see my watch in the dark.

I got up and went to the window to see if dawn had come yet, but Dief ran to the front door and barked.

"What is it?" I asked, going to join him. I realized that he couldn't read my lips in the dark, so I put the light on when I reached the door. He stood with his paws against it and barked again.

I opened the door and looked up and down the hall. No one was outside. However, Dief ran across the hall and began giving Ray's door the same treatment, barking and pushing on it with his paws.

Beginning to feel concerned, I knocked on Ray's door. "Ray?" I called. When there was no answer, I tried a second time. Perhaps Dief had scented smoke or a gas leak and Ray was unconscious in his apartment.

I moved back and Dief scampered to the side. I was about to kick the door in when I heard it unlock. Then it opened, and there was Ray. He looked sleepy, squinting at me in the light of the hall.

"Fraser?"

"Ray."

"What's going on? It's two-thirty in the morning." His voice was thick, slurred with sleep.

"Diefenbaker woke me," I told him, just as bewildered as he appeared to be. "He seemed to think you were in some distress."

"Really?" He looked at Dief and cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, he sounded less hoarse. "I figured only one of those epiphany thingies would get you over here in your Boy Scout pajamas..."

"So, you weren't in distress?" I asked, wanting to be sure.

He glanced at me and then down. "Well... no, not really."

"Not really?"

He licked his lips. "Well, I was... having a sort of a... a nightmare."

"Oh." I had known Ray to have an occasional nightmare when we were together in Canada, and Dief had often woken him with nudges and licking. Ray would wake up, mutter a complaint to the wolf, roll over and go back to sleep. He had always seemed his usual self in the morning, and I didn't tend to ask what he had dreamed about. After returning to the United States, I kept meaning to ask him what became of the dream catcher I'd made him, but I kept forgetting.

I glanced at Dief, who was watching Ray intently.

"But he's deaf," Ray went on. "So, how would he know that from inside your apartment?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps he detected adrenaline in the air."

"Are you for real, Fraser?"

"Vibrations through the floor..."

"That's really... far fetched." He looked at Dief again, and the wolf moved closer to him. Ray petted his head. "I'm fine," he said, sounding admirably kind considering that Dief was responsible for interrupting his sleep.

"Did this nightmare have something to do with a case?" I asked, thinking that perhaps it featured a version of Francesca's kidnapping in which the abduction was successful.

"No. Well, not directly," he answered. He looked uncomfortable. "It was just a dream."

"Quite... well, if you're all right, we should go back to bed."

"Yeah. G'night."

"Good night." Dief and I went back into our doorway.

"Fraser? Thanks... for checking on me."

I nodded. "Of course." I closed the door.

Dief grumbled.

"Well, he didn't want to talk about it," I said indignantly. "Maybe he will tomorrow, or maybe by then he'll feel better. Either way, that's more than enough excitement for one night."

He grumbled once more, a little more quietly, and went to curl up by my bed again.

Thank you kindly for reading, and for your continued interest. ~B. Fraser