"Yes?" Walter said.
"Detective Lorenbrance, LAPD. I'm in charge of the investigation into the attack upon you. I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes, see if there is anything you can tell me." Det. Lorenbrance said as he walked on into the room.
"Of course, but really, there isn't a lot." Walter told him as he gestured to Toby. "A friend of my sister, Dr Toby Curtis." Walter introduced him.
Toby's mind was still reeling from Walter's words and actions and this just overwhelmed him even more.
"Nice to meet you Doc, though you look a little green, you okay?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
Toby nodded slowly before reaching a hand out and shaking hands with the detective.
"Sorry, I just had a shock today. Please have a seat." Toby told him as he gestured to the other chair.
Det. Lorenbrance smiled as he sat down.
"Really, anything at all you can remember might be helpful Mr. O'Brien. The video footage isn't the best angle and there was no sound. Did your attacker say anything?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
Walter frowned as he thought back as best he could.
"Walter, please. Well I seem to remember he said that I would never have her. I'm unclear of whom he might have been speaking of. But I'm not very positive about what happened, he was pretty angry about something." Walter finally told him.
The Detective nodded as he made a note.
"The video only showed one person attacking you, but was there anyone else there? Perhaps a neighbor of your sister?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
"Not that I am recalling Detective. Though there are some homeless in the area. In the few minutes of consciousness I've had, I kind of wondered if it had been one of them. One of them could be unstable to begin with or got into some substance that caused them to weird out. Or perhaps one of them saw what happened." Walter told him.
Det. Lorenbrance nodded.
"We've talked with several of them but so far nothing probative has come out of it. We also received a tip from a Ms Dineen last night. She said she was concerned that the attacker might have been her ex." Det. Lorenbrance explained.
"Hrmm…Drew Baker then? I wouldn't have guessed." Walter said as he thought.
"Do you know Drew?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
"Not personally. When I knew I wanted to pursue a relationship with Paige I did a bit of a background search on her and he came up in it." Walter told him and noticed the expression on his face. "It isn't as weird as it might sound, detective. I'm often involved with sensitive projects and I have to know who I'm getting involved with." Walter explained.
"That's one way to put it." Toby snarked.
Det. Lorenbrance looked at Toby trying to ascertain his meaning even as Walter looked at him for a moment and laughed.
"Oh Toby, sometimes I swear, but going back to our previous conversation. If you really want to get somewhere with Happy, you will need to work on your snark. With all she's been through she'll be very guarded around you like that." Walter told him seriously.
"Who's Happy?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
"A beautiful young woman who I wasn't very nice to. Well to be perfectly honest, I was a complete arsehole to her. If when you walked in you said you were here on a complaint against me by her, I would deserve it." Walter smiled.
"Is that what you really think I'd do?" Happy asked as she stepped into the room. "I agreed, however reluctantly, to what we did."
"Happy, I honestly didn't expect to see you. No, but I wouldn't blame you if you did. What brings you here?" Walter asked.
"The Doc and I have got to get going." Happy told him while refusing to meet Walter's eye.
"We'll pick up where we left off later Walter." Toby said as he stood.
"Take care, both of you." Walter said as he watched them leave.
"So, are you saying there could be someone else that might have done this in retaliation to what happened between you and Happy?" Det. Lorenance asked.
"Oh, no, absolutely not. Toby is the only one who might, but he isn't the kind to get physical. Now if my coffee was spiked with one poison or another, then yeah, that could be Toby." Walter smiled.
"Does it give you a perverse pleasure to know you elicit that kind of response?" Det. Lorenbrance asked.
"No, not really. I just enjoy being able to measure people in such things. For all his vaulted Harvard training I can give the Doc a run for his money in analyzing people." Walter told him.
"Okay, well I can't think of anything else right now but if you do remember anything, here is my card." Det. Lorenbrance said as he extended the card out while standing.
"I will. Thanks so much." Walter smiled and watched him leave.
Walter sighed after the detective left. It had been nice having someone there to talk to. And then a minute later a smile stretched across his face even as his hand stretched out towards the door.
"Good morning Cabe, it is good to see you." Walter said sincerely.
The words and action impacted Cabe as he froze at the greeting.
"Son…" Cabe finally voiced. Walter could see tears in his eyes. "This isn't a trick, is it?" Cabe almost begged.
Walter shook his head.
"I'm sorry Cabe, for my attitude and actions. While I still disagree with your decision not to tell me, I know you did it out of love. Thinking you were doing the right thing for me. And I appreciate you caring enough about me to do that." Walter smiled.
Cabe walked on in and slowly he reached out with his left hand and took Walter's hand.
"Thank you Walter, that means a lot. I wish I had known how you really would have felt about knowing the truth. I would have told you." Cabe said as his other hand came up and tapped the back of Walter's hand. "How you feeling?"
"Not too bad overall. But having my jaws wired shut is really annoying." Walter smirked.
Cabe grinned as he nodded.
"I've got Homeland hot and heavy looking into the footage of what happened." Cabe told him.
"Why? I'm not involved with Homeland." Walter asked as Cabe sat down.
"Well it happened on Centipede Partner's property and as a contractor it gives us a small window to help." Cabe smiled.
"Det. Lorenbrance was just here, you might have bumped into each other as he left. He said Paige called and told them she's afraid it was her ex, Drew Baker." Walter explained.
"I didn't think that guy was visiting a sick friend, but I didn't peg him as LAPD. Drew Baker huh? I'll have to get that to Homeland, might help." Cabe told him.
"So, what brings you by? I can't imagine what it would take to bring you here." Walter asked with a smile.
"Well to be honest I had to come and see if the things Megan and Mark have said are true." Cabe said.
"Well, I'm not sure what they said so I can't confirm or deny." Walter chuckled.
"That's the laugh I remember from you growing up." Cabe said as tears welled up in his eyes. "I wish I could go back and change what happened. Give you the chance to stop them from using your software to bomb Baghdad. I'd gladly spend my life in prison to stop the path you went down because of that." Cabe sniffed.
Walter smiled as he reached over and patted his hand.
"Don't worry about it Cabe. We'll figure something out as we move forward." Walter told him.
"Walter?" Paige said quietly from the doorway.
Walter smiled as he looked up.
"Hey Paige, come on in. This is Cabe Gallo, with Homeland. Cabe, Paige Dineen." Walter said as he looked at Paige.
"I couldn't get a sitter, is it okay if my son comes in?" Paige asked softly.
"Of course, as long as I don't scare him." Walter grinned.
"Ms Dineen." Cabe said as he stood up and gestured to his chair which was closest to Walter.
Paige smiled as she walked in, her hand slightly behind Ralph as he walked in with her.
Walter noticed he'd pulled away from her hand and Paige pulled her hand back further from him.
"Hello Ralph, it is nice to meet you." Walter smiled.
Ralph seemingly barely noticed and was looking about the room.
"Please don't worry or think he doesn't like you. Ralph is…challenged. It takes him a bit to acclimate to things." Paige apologized.
"Not a problem Paige." Walter touched her hand as she sat down in the chair.
"It's nice seeing you again Ms Dineen." Cabe told her as he looked at Walter. "Would you like me to come back later?"
"It is nice seeing you too, agent Gallo, but please, just call me Paige." Paige smiled.
"I can do that, call me Cabe." Cabe smiled.
"If you need to leave Cabe, that's fine, but I don't think we'll be doing anything that would require you to leave." Walter chuckled even as Paige blushed.
Walter's eyes flashed over as Ralph was digging different packages out of the cabinets.
"Ralph, please don't make a mess." Paige called to him.
"It's okay Paige. Let him explore." Walter smiled even as Cabe sat down.
"How old is your boy?" Cabe asked.
"He'll be nine this December." Paige smiled.
Cabe chuckled.
"Something funny?" Paige asked, puzzled.
"I was just thinking of what this guy did when he was nine." Cabe told her.
Paige looked at Walter puzzled.
Walter smiled.
"I hacked my way into NASA when I was nine, I wanted the shuttle blueprints to put on my wall." Walter smiled.
"Oh my gosh, at nine? I knew you seemed to be really intelligent from our date but I had no clue how intelligent." Paige smiled.
"Fourth highest IQ measured so far." Cabe told her proudly.
Walter smiled.
"So did you get sent to jail for hacking NASA?" Paige asked.
"Temporarily detained." Walter smiled.
"Yeah, but it took us two years to finally figure out who did it." Cabe laughed.
"Thanks to my future brother-in-law." Walter chuckled. "But I've got a feeling that my position will change soon." Walter told him.
"What do you mean? You can't move up." Cabe asked.
"No, but I can be moved down." Walter told him and then looked over at Ralph.
Cabe looked to Ralph and then back to Walter.
"You think Ralph is a genius?" Cabe asked, shocked.
"Oh I don't think so, the doctors all talk about this condition and that condition, definitely not a genius." Paige told them.
Walter smiled and cleared his throat.
"Not a genius huh?" Walter asked her before looking back at Ralph. "He's not challenged, Paige. That is part of his problem. He isn't challenged enough. See what he is doing? Do you know what he is doing?"
"Making a mess?" Paige asked while clearly confused.
"No, he set up a chess board." Walter told her. "Ralph, Queen bishop's pawn to C6." Walter told him.
Ralph spun around and stared at Walter for a moment as his head tilted to the side.
"Queen knight's pawn to B3." Ralph countered.
Paige and Cabe watched the pair as they kept calling off chess board moves until Ralph's seventeenth move and Walter grinned and then chuckled.
"I concede Ralph, you got me." Walter nodded.
Ralph stood there grinning.
"Thank you for the game." Ralph told him as he stepped closer to the bed. "Are you in much pain?"
Paige's mouth dropped wide open as she stared at her son, her eyes swimming with tears.
"Just a little. Nothing I can't handle" Walter smiled.
"Are you serious Walter?" Cabe gaped. "He beat you? Fair and square?"
Walter nodded.
"Well I'll be. He beat a grandmaster." Cabe said, amazed.
"You're a grandmaster chess player?" Paige whispered while still looking at Ralph as she struggled to keep the tears under control.
"Yes, the only one who has ever truly come close to challenging me is Sylvester." Walter said.
Walter reached out and picked up his phone.
"Call Toby." Walter said.
"The Dr is in, please deposit five cents for the first three minutes." Toby said as he answered the phone.
"Toby, I need a favor. Paige's son has been misdiagnosed. I need you to come and examine him, please." Walter asked.
Toby looked at Happy as they were driving down the street.
"Uh, oh, okay. I can do that but it will have to wait until later after Happy has finished this job we're going to." Toby said back.
"Thanks Toby, I'll text when I know his Mom's schedule to set up a time." Walter said before hanging up.
"Who's Toby?" Paige asked quietly while still in shock.
"A pain in the…" Cabe looked at Ralph. "Backside."
"He's a pretty brilliant if not annoying psychologist and medical doctor. He works for my sister and brother-in-law." Walter told her.
"Oh that reminds me. I met them last night, here at the hospital. I'd called and made a fool of myself. They were both very kind. They gave me a ride home and then she brought her car over for me to use since mine broke down." Paige smiled.
"I'll have to thank her for that." Walter smiled.
"May we play another game?" Ralph asked as he stepped up closer now bored.
"Sure, do you want to go first?" Walter asked with a smile.
Paige sat stunned as the two of them played game after game. With Ralph winning two-thirds of them.
"Well this seems like a happy group." Megan said as she rode into the room.
"Deirfiúr, it is good seeing you." Walter smiled.
"Deartháir, I'm so glad to see you really awake for a change." Megan said as she stopped not far away.
"I've had some really good company. Even Toby was pretty decent while he was here." Walter laughed. "And that was very kind of you to let Paige have your car. Thank you."
"Now I know the world is ending." Megan smirked.
Walter chuckled.
"Well I probably should get going anyway, I've got to close tonight. I just hope Ralph will be good for his babysitter since he couldn't put up with school today." Paige sighed.
Walter nodded with a slight frown on his face.
"Just let me know a good time for Toby to talk with Ralph. I'll make it happen. Ralph, it was really nice meeting you. I'll have to have my sister bring my tablet over next time she comes to see me and I'll give it to you. It has a lot of brain games on it, it will help you not be so bored." Walter smiled at him.
"Walter, you guys are too much." Paige said blushing with a smile.
"I've got a lot of past misdeeds to make up for Paige and besides, Ralph needs the stimulation these games can give him. The tablet isn't a big expense, so please, don't think of it like that." Walter asked as he reached out and took her hand.
"Well I guess, in a way I feel so guilty because I think my ex did this to you." Her eyes flitted to Ralph for a moment and Walter just nodded.
"No, you shouldn't feel guilty. Hopefully I'll be out soon and maybe we can go on another date." Walter smiled.
"Well I can come back up here to visit too." Paige told him as she squeezed his hand. "I'm off tomorrow if you think this doctor can see Ralph then. It's a lot to hope for, on Saturday."
"Centipede Partners is open on Saturdays, Paige, that shouldn't be a problem. Right Megan?" Walter asked.
"Not a problem at all, what time is good for you?" Megan asked.
"Umm, eleven?" Paige asked.
"We'll see you then." Megan smiled.
"In that case, if you would get my tablet out of my car and give it to them tomorrow. And just so you know, the area is a little run down, so don't despair over it." Walter grinned.
Greetings! I hope this finds you well! Well good news, I've been writing a lot again...Bad news, it is for a totally new story and not finishing this, Callan 2003 or Lady Aine's story. LOL It is a story the has been in my head since after The Masked Calculator. Another new origination story for our geniuses. Originally I thought it would only be a 3-4 chapter story but is currently 6 and might make it to 10...we'll have to see.
JerBr23 - Patrick would have made a good choice! He's probably the one of them all that would try and hire a hitman, but of course being in prison makes that a little difficult, but could still be pulled off. Walter definitely could if that is what she wants!
Railman - Yep...both of those trees are vining towards each other, hard! lol Looks like the reaction is very positive between Walter and Ralph. hehe There are so many chapters to this story. When I first started it, I never expected it to go beyond 10-15...but now on 28 and looking at maybe 3 more? Still have some things to wrap up with it.
Jennee - That is so sweet! Thank you, so glad my stories bring you such pleasure! You're welcome, thank you for taking the time to let me know you enjoy them!
LouBe - Right? Definitely seemed more likely that it would be someone else seeking revenge...I will say there are a number of chapters before we find out much more about this situation...Chapter 24 actually! hehe I'm glad the explanation for Happy made sense! That line definitely made me laugh. lol Yep, Walter had to be the one, but at least in this story I'm not sure if Mark would have, but it would have been cool. Currently Mark is so fixated on finding a cure for Megan that he'd probably miss it. Yaaa! I converted ya! lol Embrace the good Mark! Yeah, Megan would definitely go up against him to protect her. But she is very hopeful that whatever it is between Walter and Paige will turn Walter around and so she'd do almost anything at this point to ensure that happened. Was next chapter too long? hehe But oh no...she's going to the Garage...meeting Toby, maybe Happy? Uh oh...lol Wish granted, he was there just about the attack. lol
Pearliegirl - See...that's what you get for waiting...lol So glad you are enjoying it! A hint or scrap huh? At what? lol What do you want to know? You want a tidbit from a upcoming chapter? You got it...
"What's this Toby was telling me about you going to Paris next week?" Cabe asked Happy as they sat eating lunch.
To the Adventure! -Tim