Chapter Fourteen

Life Goes On

It has been over three weeks since that Saturday afternoon, after a few sessions with Doctor Olivette he too has been given the okay to go back to work. He returns on a cold, rainy, Wednesday morning. I would pick a day like this to go back. Throughout the morning commute, his heart was racing and thumping in his chest. The reception from his fellow detectives is warm. The doubts and concerns he had toward his colleagues where, and he is not afraid to admit, mistaken.

Arriving before Alex, he remembered to buy her a coffee; he sets it down on her desk.

After he removes the cover to the coffee and takes a quick, Ross is upon him in a matter of minutes, "Detective," Ross sits on the edge of the desk. "Welcome back."

"Captain," He scans the room, feeling much more comfortable. "It's good to be back."

"If you are up for it, I mean if you'd rather not take on a case today….."

"I'll….we'll take it."

Ross hands him the file, "When your partner arrives come into my office. I want to discuss some things about the case with you and Eames."

"Yes sir," Bobby opens the file folder and begins to read the details of the case. This is a month old.

"A-hem," he looks up. She smiles, "Good morning."

"Morning," he returns the smile as he sets down the file, "Ross already handed me a case file."

She looks toward Ross's office, "Back to the old grind already?"

"Yeah within five minutes of my arrival, he gives us this."

She sits at her desk and the familiarly is comforting for both. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You're very welcome." He lowers his head and opens the folder, after he reads the reports from forensic and the coroner's he hands the papers to Alex.

Alex shakes her head, "I heard about this case, there was a rumor that she was a former politician." She continues to read. "Why give us a cold case?" Alex looks up and she spies Ross standing in his doorway, he signals for her. "I think Ross wants to talk to us."

Bobby shrugs his shoulders, leaning back in the chair, "Damn, I forgot Ross wants to discuss something about this case with us."

"Come on then," Alex leads the way. "Captain, you have some information about this case that is not in the file?"

Ross gestures, "Please sit," he says then closes the door.

Goren and Eames sit in the chairs directly in front of Ross's desk, "As you can see the case is cold, however not only is the victim a former congresswoman the number one suspect is a police officer."

Bobby and Alex exchange glances, "Ah Captain it doesn't say anything in here about who these people were."

"Yes Eames I realize that." Ross leans forward intertwining his fingers. "Trevor Bryce, is a well decorated 15 year veteran and….."

"No," Bobby says.

Ross looks up at his detective with a puzzled look on his face, "No, no what?"

"I….I don't want this case."

Alex taps his arm, "What," she frowns. "Why?"

Ignoring Alex's question he stands and tosses the file onto Ross' desk. "No one else wants it, and from what I can see from these reports whoever had this case before didn't do much investigating at all, so you and those…." He bites his lip. "You figure give it to me so I can further alienate myself from the cops on the force." Bobby crosses his arms, "If that is the plan, alright in a way I guess I can understand, but leave her out of it."

Alex sits back in the chair, dumfounded. Ross's voice startles her. "Eames, would you excuse us for a minute?"

"Ah, sure Captain," she tries to catch Bobby's eye as she stands but he faces forward. Bobby exhales as he sits down.

"I'm giving you this case to you and your partner because you won't lose evidence or ignore the facts. I will stand behind everything you uncover, I have in the past and I know that if this case is solvable you and Eames will solve it." Ross can tell by the expression on Bobby's face that he is still not convinced. "You were not their choice upstairs it was mine."

Bobby rubs his eyes, "Alright," he stands and picks up the file. "No interference from upstairs?"

"It will come to me and I will take care of it, you have my word."

Bobby turns toward the door taking a step forward, "Goren," Ross stands as he calls to him. "I will admit that I didn't understand you when I first got here." Ross stuffs his hands in his pockets. "But I do now; you and Eames are only interested in one thing, the truth and as I recall that is what we are being paid to do. You investigate this case as you feel it needs to be. But," he smiles. "Keep me up to date on everything."

Bobby's only response is a nod. Alex's eyes have been fixated on the Captain's office since she left. "Well?" Alex asks as Bobby returns to his seat.

"It's ours," he opens the file.

"I'm not afraid of a little heat Bobby."

"I know that," he says with his head down. "If I over stepped my bounds I'm sorry."

"Hey," he looks up, "I understand and you didn't."

He returns to reading the file, passing off what he has read to Alex. Throughout the morning their knowledge of the crime is as if they began the investigation on of the day of Paula Taylor's' murder.

They spend the afternoon revisiting family and friends of the victim and the suspect, Trevor Bryce.

Trevor's partner, Oliver Harris, let it slip that he and Paula were having an affair. Detective Harris tried to make light of it but the cat was out of the bag. "Trevor just needed someone to talk to, they met at the track. Trevor loves to play the ponies and with…." He clears his throat. "He doesn't care whether he wins or loses." He lightly punches Bobby's arm. "You know what I mean?"

Bobby returns the gesture, "Yes," Bobby says grinning, unfortunately I do.

They thank Harris for agreeing to speak with them, "I think we better dig a little deeper into the life of Detective Bryce," Bobby says as he opens the door for his partner. "Let's see how much heat we get from upstairs."

One Police Plaza

Bobby and Alex spend the next two hours researching the life of Trevor Bryce. They uncover that he is married to the daughter of the founder and president of a prominent accounting firm. "Wow," Alex says. "If I had a tenth of her wealth I'd be happy. He's married to a bank account and in love with someone else."

"Love? I doubt that." Bobby hands Alex a bank statement, "Look at the dates of these withdrawals."

"Same amount every Friday night," she shuffles through the papers. "For the past eight and a half months, three hundred dollars." Looking up at her partner, "Him? For what? Drugs? His girlfriend?"

"Nothing in his jacket about drugs, but….his partner told us he loves to play the ponies," he scans through his notes. "Two months prior his wife was diagnosed with cancer."

Alex smirks, "What a catch." She hands the papers back to Bobby, "I bet Mary Ellen Bryce thought she had a hold of a good one the day she said I do."

Bobby replaces the papers into the folder, "Coffee?"

"Yes, excellent idea, I'll get my coat."

The Eames Home

"And how was Bobby's first day back?"

Alex opens the refrigerator taking out a water bottle, unscrewing the cap, "Different," she nods then takes a long sip.

"Different," Sara raises her eyebrows, "What kind of an answer is that."

"I'm not sure it was just different," Alex sets the bottle on the table. "We worked a new case all day as smooth as ever. Things just seemed…..It was different." Alex leaves the kitchen, "I'm going to change Mom, I'll be down in awhile to help with dinner."

"Alright Alex, chicken or pasta?"

"Pasta."

She opens the closet in her temporary bedroom, staring at the items inside. "Not much in here," she counts the nights that she has been away from her own apartment. "I have to get back," she pulls a sweater from a hangar and slips it over her head. "Maybe, next week?"

She stands in front of the mirror brushing her hair. She sets the brush down and grabs a tissue, removing the makeup that hides the tiny scar. "It fades more and more every day," she smiles. The ringing of her cell phone causes her to jump. "Damn," she flips it open before checking the ID. "Hello."

"Hi Alex, its Marcy."

She sits on the edge of the bed, "Marcy, hi how are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Surviving, what's up?" Silence on the line, "Marcy?"

She clears her throat, "Katie and I want to take you out on the town Friday night. Are you up for it?"

Her first reaction, I don't want to do that. She stands and begins to pace around the room. "I think I'll...What time Friday?"

"Nine o'clock, we will pick you up. So where do you want to go Kristi's or..."

"Kristi's, I'm in the mood to dance."

"Great, we'll see you then."

"Definitely, oh Marcy?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, see you Friday. Bye."

"Bye Marcy." She closes the phone and tosses it on the bed, "Mom! Mom!"

"Yes Alex what is it?"

"When is Dad due to come home?"

"I'm not sure; you know what happens when he and his friends get together. Why?"

"Marcy just phoned and she and Katie are taking me out Friday night."

"That's good to hear, you haven't been out with your girlfriends since…." Sara turns her head away.

"It's….anyway I need Dad to go to my place….maybe I could go," she shakes her head. "Forget that."

Sara takes her daughters hand in hers, "Alex you have to make a decision about your place, either….."

Alex pulls her hand back, "Why, why should I have to make that choice? That was my house, my life and he disrupted it all." She turns away, "Every day," she shouts. "Every Goddamn day something about what happened goes through my mind. Will it ever become a faded memory?" Sara reaches for her daughter but Alex just turns and runs quickly up the stairs.

The front door opens and John walks in, "Hey, anybody home?" He calls out.

Sara answers as they hear the slamming of the door to her temporary bedroom. "Yes John," she walks down the hall to greet her husband.

He hangs up his coat, "Was that Alex? She would do that when she was a teenager, remember?"

Sara smiles, if only what her daughter was going though now was as simple as the traumatic events of her teenage years. "I tried to talk to her about her apartment, it's been over three weeks and I think she should move out."

"Did you tell her that?"

"No I never got the chance, you try. You talk to her."

John knocks lightly on the bedroom door, "Alex," he knocks again.

As she opens the door, she wipes her eyes, "Hey Dad." She turns her back on him, grabbing a few tissues as she passes the box.

"Your Mother asked me to….Well to tell you the truth I have wanted to talk to you about going back to your apartment."

She turns abruptly, "You're kicking me out? You asked me to come here."

"I'm not kicking you out but you have to face it, it's time you went back there. Even if you never plan of living there again, you have to go back." He puts his arm around her shoulder, "I'll take you, right now if you want."

"I'm frightened and I'm not sure why, I know that Jonathan will never ever come back, but he came into my home," she moves out from under his embrace. "My home Dad he invaded my space, how dare he." She runs past him into the bathroom.

He follows her, knocking on the bathroom door, "Alex, come on out. Running away from me and what needs to be done will not make anything better it will only make it worse." He hears the water run, "Alex," he says sternly as he continues to knock.

"Dad I'm busy in here."

Bobby's Place

He un-wraps the deli sandwich he purchased then sets it on a paper plate, opening the refrigerator he smiles when he sees a bottle of bud hidden in the corner, "Alright." He grabs the beer bottle, opening it before the door to the refrigerator closes, "That tastes good." He looks around the room, "Yes you are talking to yourself." Picking up the plate that holds the sandwich, he walks into the living room. After a five-minute search for the remote, he sits down in front of the box.

After his meal, he places the chair into the reclining position. Closing his eyes he listens to Bill Curtis speak at the onset of the program 'American Justice'. He scoffs, "Yeah justice, that's a laugh."

The ringing of his phone wakes him from a restless sleep. "Yeah," he says rubbing his eyes.

"Hey Bobby, what's up?"

"It depends on what time it is and who you are?"

"It's John," hesitation then a slight couch. "John Eames."

Bobby takes the phone away from his ear, Great just what I need. He takes a long breath, "Yes John, what's up?"

"I need you to do me a favor."

This time Bobby hesitates, "A favor?"

TBC