-1Hey Guys,

A huge thank you to everyone that read and reviewed Chapter One. I hope you all enjoy Chapter Two

Chapter Two

August 18th 2255

"Sonofabitch!" Baldwin slammed his hand against the wall of the room, his body taught with anger and frustration. "Sonofabitch! I knew there was something that didn't sit right with his story."

"How come we're only hearing about this now?"

"We're slammed." Lindsay shrugged apologetically. "Mac, Stella and Hawkes caught a triple of Broadway. Me and Danny, we're covering the rest of the shift." She shrugged again. "We thought it was open and shut."

"We all did." Clarke slumped into the other chair, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "What now, boss?"

"He's jerking us around. All we've got is his confession and now you're telling us that aint worth shit." Baldwin shook his head. "We've wasted half the night with this prick."

"You certain he didn't pull the trigger, Lindsay?"

"Absolutely, Lieutenant. His GSR came back negative. I even tested his clothes for trace, just to be sure. Nothing." She shrugged again, helpless and frustrated. "There's no way he pulled the trigger."

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July 7th

"So what's up, Jason?"

"What? You meant I cant take my sister out for lunch?" He stopped at a hot dog stand, smiling at the vendor. "Could I have two, please? One with onions, one without."

"When you said you were going to take me out for lunch, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"It'll do you good to get out of that office for a bit." He pulled out a small role of bills, handing across enough to cover their lunch and handed one of the dogs to her. "Come on, it's a nice day for a walk."

Jessica took a bite, falling into step beside her brother, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face, the noise of the Park around them. Waiting for Jason to ring up whatever was on his mind.

Jason was right. It was good to get away from the office for a bit, good to get away, escape, from the problems and the complications there. Even if it was only for a little while.

"I need to ask you something, Jessica."

She sighed heavily, seeing her beautiful lunch time melt away like dew in the sunshine. "Jesus, Jason, what the hell have you done now?"

"It's not like that."

"What is it like?"

"You saw them. The other day. Same as me. What did you think of them?"

Jessica sighed again, throwing her half eaten hot dog into a nearby bin. Suddenly her appetite had deserted her. "You know what I think of it. I thought she was going to leave him, get away from it. But you talked her into staying."

"I know." Jason looked away from her, reluctant to meet her eyes. "I heard them, Jess. On the 4th, I heard them…"

"Oh Jesus, Jason."

She put her hand on his shoulder, and he jerked away from her touch. "You were right, Jess." His face contorted in anger, and just for a second, he looked so much like their father that it stole her breath, his features shadowed and angry, strained.

Then the shadow passed and he looked like her brother again, upset and frightened. "She should have left him when you said, Jess. I talked her into going back to that. This is all my fault."

"No its not. You hear me, Jason?" She stood on her toes, putting her arms around him, differences and squabbles forgotten. "This isn't your fault. Its on him. Its all on him."

"I have an idea to get her out." His arms tightened around her, his voice quick and urgent in her ear. "Can she stay with you?"

"Of course! I just want her out of there."

"I'm sorry, Jess."

xxxXXXxxx

August 18th 2255

"Are his fingerprints on the murder weapon?"

"Yeah, but they're smudged. Looks like he's tried to wipe the weapon clean and screwed up."

"Has he got a record?"

"Couple of bar fights, nothing major." Clarke shrugged. "Hell of a step from there to murder."

"Your move, Counselor. What do you want to do?"

Jim sighed heavily, staring through the glass. He didn't want to put her through this. She deserved better, deserved more than that from him. Especially from him. He owed her that much.

But he knew his job, knew what he had to do.

"Go back at him."

"With what?"

"We know he's lying. He's protecting someone. Find out who it is, and then charge him with obstructing a homicide investigation."

Clarke and Jones exchanged glances.

Jim saw them, and his voice hardened, cold and angry. "Something wrong, Detectives?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Counselor? We got at him like that, he's not going to co-operate with us, and we need him to tell us what's going on. Are you sure we want to go down that road?"

He hesitated for a moment. Of course he wasn't sure.

He wanted to phone Alex, explain the situation to her, tell her that he had his doubts. Ask her what she expected him to do, what she wanted him to do.

Tell her that…

But Alex had had enough of his doubts and mistakes. She didn't need to hear anything else from him.

"Counselor? Maybe if we threw him a bone, offered him a deal…"

He knew what she would tell him.

"Just do it, Detective. I'll get the paperwork started."

xxxXXXxxx

July 20th

She could hear him snoring in the living room, drowning out the noise coming from the television set. If she was lucky, he'd sleep through until morning.

If she was lucky.

She walked carefully across the hall, stopping at the bathroom door. Holding her breath.

Waiting.

Nothing.

She breathed a sigh of relief, closing and locking the bathroom door behind her. She leant against it, longing to give in, surrender, just slip away.

She took the bottle out of the pocket of her dressing gown, barely able to uncap it. Greedily swallowing two of the pills, slipping the half empty bottle back into her pocket.

How many times was this?

The pain faded to a dull ache, and she forced herself away from the door. Pausing after every step, her heart in her mouth, wondering if she had woken him.

His snores echoed through the small house.

She stopped in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection. Old and haggard. Almost overnight, she had turned into an old woman.

She shrugged off the dressing gown and let it fall to the floor. Staring, now, at the bruises, some yellowed and fading, some fresh, drawn onto her flesh, signs of her husband's affection. She ran her left hand across her abdomen.

Flinching, even her light touch too sensitive, her ring burnished gold against the discoloured flesh.

She lifted her hand, staring at her wedding ring, her eyes filling with tears.

When had her marriage turned into this?

xxxXXXxxx

August 19th 0130

"I'm sorry, Jessica."

"It's okay, Ma."

"But Jason…"

"Don't worry about Jason, Ma." Jessica wrapped her arms gently around her mother, holding her as closely as she could. "It's okay. I'll take care of everything."

"Your father…"

"I'll take care of everything."

The door knocked, sudden and jarring.

Jessica glanced at her mother, then stood and walked over to the door. Years of habit made her glance through the peephole.

She saw two men standing in the corridor outside her apartment. One of them held an NYPD Detective shield up to the peephole.

She opened the door carefully. "Can I help you?"

"ADA Jessica Rossi?"

"Yes."

"Detectives Clarke and Jones, 15th Squad. Can we come in please?"

"Why?"

"We need to talk to your mother."

End of Chapter Two

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