Here we go again! Once again, thank you to dark rolling sea for all the help!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
CHAPTER 6 – Of Confession, Paperwork and Plumbing
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
After Mac had told them the sisters had been caught, it only took about an hour before they were being questioned. Despite the circumstances both seemed very calm. When the police had arrested them they had acted hysterical, but now the initial shock had worn off. Lila and Linda had known their chances to elude were very slim, and it was no surprise that they didn't even put up a fight. Instead of adamantly defending themselves, they simply told the truth of what had happened.
"I- I…" Linda's voice drifted off. "I'm the one responsible for what happened to Alan," she stated with a voice that was a bit stronger. Flack nodded and Mac looked at her intently while Hawkes and Lindsay were standing outside of the room and following the obvious confession from there.
"Me and him, we were intimate. Only he meant more to me than I did to him and I know he had numerous other women. I used to have no problem with that, but this thing we had, it lasted for over a year! I thought he might grow to like me more but no. Don't get me wrong, he was still nice to me, didn't talk down on me until that one morning,"
"And that's when you killed him?" queried Flack as he stepped closer to her.
"Yes," she admitted. "He told me I had to leave because one of his other 'female friends' was coming. He said my time was up. I got out of bed and dressed and so did he, he went to watch TV and I went to the bathroom. I knew there was a pair of rubber gloves in the cabinet and I reached for them. I knew there were unused knives in the kitchen, the bottom drawer, and no one would know if one of them was missing. When I returned to the living room I found him half asleep with the TV on. I switched it off and then… I just couldn't take it, it was too much! I don't know how I could've done it! Gone through with it!" Linda sobbed. "Afterwards I – I went to the bathroom and looking at the mirror noticed all the blood on my clothes. I tried washing it out but it wasn't good enough so I found some other clothes and changed into them, I can't even remember what happened to the knife!" she exclaimed in between the tears. "There was so much blood and I can't believe it was all because of me…"
Lila was telling her side of the story. She hadn't been there when the murder had taken place and was overwhelmed by all the things that had occurred during the last few days. Just a few minutes ago she had witnessed her beloved sister leave the interrogation room in handcuffs and a broken and stressed expression on her face. She knew she had come clean and in a way it was very soothing even though it meant they were both going to jail.
"She knocked frantically on my door and when I opened it… I have never seen her that upset! She told what she had done and I couldn't just hang her out to dry, so I told her to give me the bag with the clothes and the gloves and to go to our grandmother's old house. She left it to us when she died and no one else knew about it, so I figured it'd be safe," she sighed deeply. "It wasn't long after that when I was brought here and after I got off I knew we had to go far away if we wanted to be safe. So I went down to the house and we left with no plan of where to go… And here we are…" she finished and stared at the table in front of her.
"What's going to happen to Lila?" Linda asked when she was being escorted into a holding cell.
"What she did, covering up what you did, is a crime so she's facing prison," Flack said as some other officers took over. Quietly he thought it was too bad that once again jealousy had taken things too far.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Later that day Mac was sitting behind his desk, filling out the paperwork that had piled up. He heard a knock on the door and Lindsay poked her head in.
"Hey, you got a minute?" she asked waiting for an answer.
"Sure, I'll take any excuse to get away from this," he said gesturing at the papers.
"I need a favour," Lindsay closed the door and walked to his desk. Mac got up, still with a couple of forms in his hand. "I need some time off, only a few days…"
"Is this about your…" he asked trailing off and looking straight into her eyes.
Lindsay returned his look and continued. "Yes, I need to go see my mother," she said and turned her gaze at his desk.
"In that case, consider it done. I'm assuming you'd like to leave as soon as possible. Tomorrow?"
"That would be great if it can be arranged. I know it means more paperwork but practise makes perfect," she said trying to lighten the mood.
"If only," Mac retorted.
"So, I'm good to go?" she inquired curiously just to make sure.
"Yeah," he said with a little smirk.
"Good, I promised I'd help Danny. Apparently he has a lot of shredded paper that needs to be assembled…" Lindsay declared, turning on her heels and heading for the door but she turned back. "Thank you, this means a lot to me," she said with a shy smile.
"I know," was all he said and Lindsay left the office.
Mac looked into the direction Lindsay had disappeared. He wished she would come back – he missed her. Then it dawned to him, 'I really have to do something about this. And fast,' he thought in the privacy of his office. He also knew that the feelings weren't one-sided.
The rest of the afternoon, and the evening passed by without anything remarkable. Danny and Lindsay finished the paper puzzle and Stella was in the lab next door with Hawkes helping her. Mac spent the evening in his office and was happy that most of the paper piles on his desk had decreased to one fairly small stack. He left his office and saw Danny walking towards him with a tired pace.
"Going home?" he asked the tired man.
"Yeah, long shift. I need to get some sleep… But we're getting closer," Mac patted him on the shoulder and told him to get a good night's sleep.
"Hey is Lindsay still in?" he yelled after Danny.
"I think she went to get her stuff from her locker," Danny shouted back.
About thirty seconds later he turned right and almost collided with Lindsay. Lindsay stumbled back and smiled.
"You'd think it'd be safer around this time with less people around," she said glancing at her watch which read 8:03 pm.
"You heading home?" Mac asked her and she nodded.
"Want to walk with me?" Lindsay proposed and was a little surprised when Mac consented.
"I suppose it is time to go home," he claimed. "Let's stop by my office so I can get my coat,"
They walked back the corridor Mac had just paced through, passing a guard on the way. Lindsay rummaged through her purse, trying to find her gloves only to notice the other one wasn't there. She gave up and figured it probably wouldn't be that cold.
"How I always manage to lose one, I don't know," she said to Mac who smirked and opened the door to his office space. He glanced around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, put on his coat and turned off the light. Lindsay opened the door and he gently put his hand to the small of her back to give her a tiny push. Lindsay felt a shiver travel up her spine and boy did it feel good. She noted that the hand stayed there for quite some time and even after she felt the pressure of the nudge disappear his hand still lingered lightly on her jacket. 'I could easily get used to this…' they both thought around the same time.
The rain was nearly non-existent. If faint drizzle existed, this was it. They set off walking very close together, with their hands brushing together every so often. Neither spoke anything for a long time. It was Lindsay who finally broke the silence.
"Promise me you'll call me if you need me here," she said, turning her head to look at Mac.
"I think we'll manage on our own for a couple of days," he replied with a slight grin.
Lindsay contemplated her answer for a few seconds. "Then promise, you'll call me" Mac raised his brow, Lindsay decided to elaborate. "You know, ask how I'm doing, I'll ask what's going on in here, we'll talk about all things trivial and you can remind me how much damn paperwork you have..."
"OK, I can do that," he chuckled as they crossed a street. "Oh and I just remembered that seeing as you said you needed a few days, you have the rest of the week off. I figured four days would do but if something turns up I can extend it."
"Thanks, but I think it'll do just fine. I'm only planning on visiting, not moving back," Lindsay stated.
Soon they were in front of Lindsay's apartment building. As they walked up it appeared the building was under construction as various debris was strew about.
"What are they renovating?" Mac asked ducking to avoid hitting his head.
"The plumbing's busted and there are huge leaks in several apartments, mine included. I have no idea how long it'll take or whether –" Her sentence was cut short when she stumbled into a piece of pipe lying at the bottom of the stone stairs leading to the building. Mac caught her before she hit the ground and hoisted her small form easily back up.
"You OK?" he asked, running his eyes over her.
"Yeah, thanks…" she said, kicking the darn thing out of the way with Mac still holding onto her. His right hand was entwined with her left one and neither one of them was making the slightest attempt to let go. Their eyes met but just then there was a loud crack of thunder and it started raining cats and dogs. They looked up and so accompanied by a final squeeze, they abruptly let go and went inside into the hallway for cover.
They smiled at each other, so much for whatever might have taken place if it weren't for that irksome timing – both of the rain and them. "Well, I'd better get going, I booked the first flight for tomorrow," Lindsay said, hearing the rain outside. "Are you going to be OK in there?" she asked nodding at the direction of the front doors.
"I'm pretty sure I can handle it, I'll see you on Monday," Mac said as he walked past her, his arm brushing against her just a little.
"Goodnight," said Lindsay and started walking up the stairs, thinking how close they had been just a minute ago. There was definitely something there.
"Night," replied Mac, turning around to watch her walk up the stairs. 'So close and yet so far…' he thought as he opened the door and stepped into the pouring rain.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Now, I'm on my way to a hiding place because I know you wanted that kiss… I'm mean, I know. So all of you who are mad at me, please feel free to leave your threats under the review section because it would be to dangerous to leave an address… Off I go!