FAMILY
CHAPTER 11
This chapter moves back to Bobby and Annie, and I threw in Alex Eames and an OC we met in chapter 6—Tom Spencer. It begins with New Year's Eve 2003, takes us into late January 2004, and will reference the episode "Pas de Deux".
Thank you, as always, to my beta Spook.
Annie loved New Year's Eve. She always felt like a princess at a ball. That feeling was partly because of the dress that Bobby gave her for Christmas every year, chosen especially to make her look and feel sexy. It was also partly because her tall handsome husband was as close to Prince Charming as she had ever seen in real life. A big part of the feeling was because every year they attended a party at a very nice restaurant owned by their neighbor, Rob's, brother. And then there was the dancing! She loved dancing with Bobby anytime, but somehow it was always magical on New Year's Eve. Fast or slow, every dance was intoxicating. There was never a question as to how the evening would end once they returned home and sent the babysitter home.
They were sitting at a table with their neighbors, Rob and Janey, and another couple, Jim and Lois. A few times over the last few years, Alex Eames had joined them with a date. But tonight she said that she was staying in and babysitting her nephew so that her sister and brother-in-law could go out. Everyone at the table was laughing at a story Rob had just told. Annie looked at Bobby and was happy to see him laughing and relaxed. The tension between them since the debacle at Thanksgiving seemed to have dissipated tonight and they were simply enjoying being with one another and with friends. His right arm was resting on the back of her chair and his fingers were drawing designs on the bare skin between her shoulder blades, making it difficult for her to concentrate on the stories being told at the table.
She was the only one at the table not drinking alcohol. Bobby was drinking Glenlivit and she noticed that his glass never stayed empty for long. He noticed her watching him and smiled at her, his eyes slightly glazed. He leaned over with his mouth close to her ear and asked softly, "May I have this dance?" sending chills down her back. She blushed and lowered her head briefly before nodding her consent. Bobby stood up and pulled her to her feet, asking the others to excuse them, and led her out onto the dance floor. It was a slow dance and he held her close, his hand on the small of her back lightly pressing her hips close to his. Looking up into his eyes, feeling as though he could read her every thought, and as though she were the only person in the world whose thoughts he wanted to read, she wished this moment could last forever.
As midnight neared, the large screen TV in the bar showed Times Square and the ball. Standing in front of Bobby, pressed up against him with his arm around her waist, Annie leaned her head back against his chest. They all joined in the count-down and watched the Waterford Crystal Ball drop. As a cheer went up and "Happy New Year" rang out around the restaurant, Bobby turned her to face him and lowered his lips to hers. He pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply, ignoring all the people around them breaking into "Auld Lang Syne". Finally he lifted his head and smiled down into her eyes. As the band began the next song, he guided her back to the dance floor.
"Our first dance of 2004," he whispered into her ear as they began to sway in time to the music.
They stayed another hour, alternately dancing and settling at their table to talk to the others. Rob and Janey were still enjoying the party, knowing that their children were with Rob's parents and there was no hurry to get home. Bobby retrieved their coats and they told their friends good night. Rob looked with amusement as his much taller neighbor weaved back and forth ever so slightly.
"He's not driving, is he?"
Annie looked up at her husband, then back at Rob and Janey. "Definitely not," she said with a laugh.
Annie and Bobby walked the two blocks to where his car was parked. Bobby put his arm around her and pulled her close as they walked. At the car he reached to open the passenger door for Annie. She moved in front of the door so he couldn't open it. She smiled up at him and held her hand out.
"Keys, please," she said.
Bobby smiled a slightly goofy smile and put both hands on top of the car, on either side of Annie. He moved his body close to hers and leaned down with his mouth a whisper away from hers.
"You want to drive my Mustang?" he said in that soft, deep voice that never failed to send chills down her spine. "It'll cost you."
His lips touched hers gently before he parted her lips with his tongue and explored the warmth of her mouth. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist as he continued the kiss. Bobby put his arms around her and leaned his body against hers. She realized she was trapped between his warm body and the cold car, but suddenly she couldn't think of anyplace else she wanted to be. They stood there for several minutes before he pulled his head back and looked down at her. He was silent, just looking into her blue eyes.
Finally Annie giggled as she said, "Robert Goren, you are tipsy."
He smiled and kissed her again. "We should probably go home to finish this," he said in a husky voice that sent another thrill through her.
He pulled away from her and handed her the keys. He walked her around to the driver's side and opened the door for her, then got in on the passenger side. On the drive home he kept Annie giggling, and aroused, as he made suggestive comments and drew patterns on her thigh with his finger.
At home, they paid the teenage neighbor who had babysat the kids. Annie told Bobby she would watch Leslie walk home, which was three houses down the block. When she came back in the house, Bobby was standing just inside. As she closed the door, he pulled her coat off and backed her against the door. He kissed her and ran his hands over her as he pressed himself against her.
"It's been a long time since we made love down here," he whispered in her ear.
Annie giggled and said, "Bobby! The kids might wake up and come downstairs!"
He whispered in her ear, "Then don't scream."
She laughed and put her hands on his chest to push him away. "You are tipsy," she said, taking his hand. "Come with me, Big Boy."
She led him upstairs and into their bedroom. Bobby made a big show of locking the door before turning to her. She smiled as he put his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her gently. She reached up and began to unbutton his shirt, kissing his neck and chest as she went. He sighed and laced the fingers of one hand through her hair. He pulled her head back so that she was looking into his eyes before kissing her deeply.
He kissed her throat and murmured, "You have no idea how much I want you right now."
Annie felt a shiver run through her. "I'm so glad," she said softly. "Because I've heard that men of a…..um…..'certain age' sometimes have difficulty."
Bobby pulled back to look at her. She smiled up at him innocently and added, "Especially when they've had a little too much to drink."
He smiled down at her and tightened his embrace, pulling her hips firmly against him as he leaned down and kissed her until she couldn't catch her breath.
"I will never be too old or too drunk to make love to you," he growled in her ear as he turned her around and unzipped her dress.
Bobby opened his eyes to the early winter morning light. He was lying on his back with his arms spread. He looked to his left and saw Annie sprawled on her stomach, sleeping soundly. She was covered with the sheet and blankets but he knew that she was naked. A dull throb in his temples reminded him of how much he had to drink last night. But his memory of the entire evening was clear.
He remembered watching Annie come down the stairs wearing the silver dress he had given her for Christmas. He remembered the excellent dinner at the restaurant and the chatter and laughter of their friends. Most of all he remembered everything about the beautiful woman who was his wife. He was aware of her every movement, every word she spoke, the sound of her laughter, the way her blue eyes looked up at him as though no one else existed, the feel of her in his arms as they danced, the taste of her as they shared a kiss at midnight. And he remembered everything that happened after they returned home. He remembered her teasing him about his age and the Scotch he had consumed. He remembered how her voice changed from teasing laughter to the husky sounds of passion and pleading as they made love. He remembered that twice more during the night she had awakened him to make love again.
He sighed and turned on his side to face her, careful not to wake her up just yet. He watched her face, relaxed in sleep and sated from their lovemaking. The five weeks since Thanksgiving had been difficult for her and he knew that he was in large part to blame. He suspected that the passion that had driven her into his arms three times during the night was fueled in part by her relief that the undercurrent of anger he had been suppressing since Thanksgiving seemed to be gone. But he thought that she probably didn't understand just yet the depth of the consequences of what she had said to his mother that day.
Since their marriage, he and Annie had been involved in this complex, intricate dance with his mother. While his and Annie's relationship had been solid and unshakable, and Annie's relationship with his mother had been close and uncomplicated, his own relationship with his mother was fraught with pitfalls. His mother relied on him and resented him at the same time. The son for whom she'd had such high hopes had disappointed her but she couldn't admit that he had failed. And so she complained to Bobby, and about Bobby. He was used to it, resigned to it. But since marrying Annie there had been a relief in knowing that finally there was someone who would share the responsibility with him. For the first time in his adult life there was someone who would willingly go sit with his mother when she was having an "episode", someone to listen when he was frustrated, someone to be a buffer between them when his mother was raging at him.
Now it felt as though his only support system had been stripped away and he was left once again to manage her care alone. With a few careless words Annie had unintentionally positioned herself as his mother's enemy. While Frances had somewhat forgiven Bobby for what she believed he had done to Frank, he had expected her to continue to bring it up whenever she was upset. But knowing that it was Annie, not Bobby who had sent her precious Frank into rehab infuriated Frances. She felt this "betrayal" was worse than the many things she had blamed Bobby for over the years. Although he kept reassuring Annie that his mother would get over it, he wasn't sure it would blow over. And if he were completely honest he had to admit that it made him angry. While Annie thought she was protecting him, what she had done would only make things harder for him because she had left him to deal with his mother alone.
It was exactly what he had thought would happen and that was why he had asked her, had ordered her really, not to tell her. There had never been anything slightly authoritarian in the way he related to Annie; he wasn't in the habit of giving her orders or making decisions without her. But he thought this time she understood how important it was to him that she do as he asked.
He watched the gentle rise and fall of her upper back as she breathed and the way her long blond hair was splayed around her face. He loved the feel of her hair; he loved to brush it and braid it for her, or simply run his fingers through it over and over. He thought about the uninhibited and exuberant way she loved him and it made his own heart ache with love for her. When he thought about the depth of love she exhibited for him, it reminded him of a fractal; a geometric shape that looked deceptively simple and orderly, but looking more and more closely you find that it is extremely complex, made up of smaller, repeating, geometrical shapes that look like the larger one. The more he tried to examine the smaller components of her love, the more he saw the same repeating patterns of her admiration, respect, passion, and even awe. It was hard for him to accept that anyone, especially Annie, could feel all of that for him. Yet for twelve years she had never wavered.
She had given herself to him completely and without hesitation. While they argued on occasion, the argument about pressing charges against Frank had been the most serious. He had to admit that she was more often the one willing to apologize, wanting to make up more than she wanted to be right. She looked for ways to make him happy and it created in him an equal desire to please her. She was a virgin when they married and she had given herself to him unreservedly in this area as well. She enjoyed sex and her passion matched his. Inexperienced as she was when they married, she was willing and eager to learn from him. She would try anything he suggested, trusting him completely to stop if she didn't like it. She had also enthusiastically done her own research, often bringing home books and asking him if they could try the things she found.
She stirred and opened her eyes. She looked up at him and smiled. Bobby reached for her and pulled her against him. He kissed her softly and she returned the kiss with equal passion as it deepened. Her hands caressed him and he smiled against her mouth in wonder that she wanted to make love yet again. He returned her kiss and his own hands began to move across her body. She rolled onto her back and pulled him on top of her.
The ringing of the phone interrupted them and she groaned as he broke the kiss and disengaged from her embrace to answer the phone. There were only two possibilities he could think of for someone to be calling this early on a holiday morning; neither of them was good. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Mr. Goren," came a woman's voice. "I'm sorry to call so early. This is the charge nurse at Carmel Ridge Treatment Center. We are having some difficulty with your mother and she is asking for you."
He listened for a few more moments before sighing and telling her, "I'll be up there as soon as I can."
It was three weeks into the New Year and Alex Eames was in a foul mood. It wouldn't have surprised anyone in the Major Case squad room to see a little black cloud over her head, following her everywhere she went. The scowl on her face was enough to keep most of her coworkers from even saying "Good morning" to her. Even her partner, who was not usually intimidated by her bad moods, watched her carefully and only spoke to her when necessary. Of all the people in the squad, Bobby at least understood the reasons for her bad mood.
It had been a promising New Year's Eve. Rather than going out and partying, she had stayed home and her nephew had spent the night with her. It was the first time she had kept him all night. She knew that overprotective new mother Liz hadn't really been ready to leave him for the entire night, but her husband had convinced her. Alex also knew that Liz had done it as much for her as she had for herself and her husband's yearning for a romantic interlude.
It was a wonderful night. The baby woke up just in time for her to change him, warm his bottle, and settle down in her comfy overstuffed chair to feed him while watching the ball drop. It was the best New Year's she had ever spent. She had laughed to herself as she thought about all the parties she had gone to over the years, and even the romantic New Year's she spent with Joe. By far her favorite was snuggling with her nephew in her quiet apartment and watching others party on TV.
But as January progressed her happy mood was replaced with her present bad one. She and Bobby had been investigating a case of a bank robber killed when the bomb he was wearing exploded. As they closed in on a woman who they believed was being manipulated by the same "mastermind" into committing bank robberies with a fake bomb strapped to her, they were convinced it was a matter of time before she too ended up being killed when a real bomb would be substituted.
In the middle of that investigation they recieved the news that Nicole Wallace had been acquitted. It was inconceivable to Alex that a woman who used and killed so many people could convince a jury of her innocence. As she had many times, she wondered how the blond serial killer could turn her big brown eyes and innocent smile on people and convince them to do things that common sense would rule out. Even her own partner, who saw Wallace for what she was and knew what she was capable of, had some kind of bizarre fascination with her. While she usually tried to understand the peculiar way Bobby's brain interpreted the world around him, this was something she could not understand. And at the moment it was only adding to her irritation.
Then came the confrontation with the mastermind who had so far convinced two people to strap what they thought were fake bombs to their chests and rob banks for him. Alex had come so very close to shooting the man when he tried to draw down on her, only to discover that the gun he fumbled and dropped in the street was a starter's pistol. He had tried to use Alex Eames to commit suicide by cop and she still shook inside to think how close he came to succeeding. She had shot and killed one person in her police career and it had been a difficult thing to live with, despite reassurances that it had been justified. It infuriated her that she had nearly been driven to killing another person.
But the phone calls from the lawyers had become the biggest reason for her mood. Three months earlier Alex, Bobby, and Annie were on the scene when a little boy died after being hit by a car. The parents of the boy were suing the driver of the car and their lawyers were contacting everyone they could to get statements. She knew that Bobby and Annie had both talked to them and answered questions, but the lawyers became focused on her because she had been looking in her rear view mirror and actually saw the car hit the boy.
The phone calls were becoming more frequent and more adversarial as the lawyers tried to find something in Alex's statements that supported their claims of negligence. Alex relived the events over and over as the lawyers asked her repeat her story again and again. Although her story didn't change, and she insisted the driver could not have prevented the accident, still they questioned her. They asked her the same questions in as many different ways as they could conceive. In addition to the annoyance of their badgering her to say what they wanted to hear, it was difficult having to relive the experience again and again. The pale, still little boy was haunting her dreams.
This morning one of the lawyers was on the phone with her again, asking the same questions. As Alex again told him exactly what she saw, he kept cutting her off to ask about another detail. Bobby glanced up from the paperwork he was working on as he heard the frustration in her voice. They had a lot of paperwork to get through this morning and Alex was becoming angrier and angrier at being kept from it in order to go through yet another grilling.
"So, Ms. Eames," the lawyer said, "you saw the boy as your car came around the curve?"
"Yes."
"And you slowed down and swerved around him?"
"Yes," she bit out.
"Then there's no reason that the car behind you couldn't have also slowed down and swerved, isn't that right?"
"She did slow down—as I have already told you several times," Alex said irritably.
"But she didn't swerve, did she? Had she swerved, she would have missed him just as you did."
"There was too much traffic for her to swerve…."
"Yet you managed to, didn't you?" he interrupted.
"There wasn't a car next to me," she said, "and the boy didn't step in front of my car. He walked into the road directly in front of her car."
"So Dr. Roque chose to run over a little boy rather than cause a dent to her expensive car by side swiping another car?" The lawyer's voice sounded triumphant.
Alex decided enough was enough. "Do you want me to tell you whose fault this was?" she asked in a low voice. Bobby looked up at her as the tone of her voice registered with him.
"Yes, Detective Eames," the lawyer said condescendingly. "I would like your professional opinion of who was at fault for the tragic death of this little boy. It seems obvious that it was the careless and negligent driver of the car that ran him down. What is your opinion?"
"As a matter of fact I don't agree…..Sir," she said in the same tone. "That boy's parents are the ones who are responsible."
"What?!"
"That boy was only five years old, yet his parents didn't know where he was for at least an hour. In that time he had already walked across four lanes of a busy highway. The woman who was supposedly babysitting him 'sent him home'. She sent a five year old boy home on his own without even escorting him and making sure he was with his parents. Then that same woman interfered with rescue attempts and attacked one of the people giving him CPR. I know that she was high at the time and I have no doubt that the parents were, too. If the police hadn't been so focused on the rescue of the boy, they might have decided they had probable cause to search the parents and their trailer. Would you like to make any bets on what kind of drugs they would have found?"
"Th….that's just conjecture! You have no proof that they were in possession of any drugs!" The lawyer was now as furious as Alex was.
"You think so, Buddy? Tell you what, go ahead and depose me, call me as a witness at trial. I'll get up there, with my gold NYPD badge prominently on my chest, and I'll tell exactly what I saw. I will tell how I saw this five year old boy, all alone and unattended by the parents who were responsible for his safety, standing on the side of a busy highway. I'll tell how I watched that boy walked into the path of Dr. Roque's car, as she was trying to slow down and avoid hitting him. I'll tell how I approached the parents and I'll tell exactly how they and their babysitter were acting. I'll explain how, in my professional opinion, they were all under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both. I'll tell how the babysitter attacked one of the rescue workers and I had to threaten to arrest her to get her to leave. So you go ahead and put me on that stand, you ambulance-chasing leech!"
Alex's voice got louder and louder as she spoke, until everyone in the squad room could hear her. Everyone became silent and they all turned to stare at her as she slammed the phone down. She looked across their desks at her partner with furious eyes.
"You got something to say, Goren?" she asked. Bobby didn't answer. He shook his head and raised his hands up, palms out in surrender. The phone rang almost immediately and Alex snatched it out of its cradle.
"Listen, you scum-sucking low-life, if you want me to testify at trial then serve me with a subpoena. But don't ever call me again or I'll hit you with a restraining order. You got that?!"
"Uh…Detective Eames?" This was not the voice of the lawyer.
"Who is this?" she demanded crossly.
"Uh…th….this is Tom Spencer. I…um….I was just….well….if this is a bad time, I can call back later."
"Who is this," she asked again, more gently this time as she realized this was not one of the lawyers hounding her.
"Tom Spencer. I met you when that little boy was hit by the car a few months ago. I helped give CPR to him."
"Tom Spencer? The firefighter, right?" Alex remember the big man asking if he could help and later sitting in the trooper's car with her as they waited to give their statements.
"Right, the firefighter," he said,
"What can I do for you, Mr. Spencer?"
"Please call me Tom. I…uh…I just wanted to see how you are doing."
"How I'm doing?" Bobby noticed her brows knit together in a frown. "Why?"
"Well...I know you were pregnant that day we met and I know you must have had the baby by now. I…uh…I just…"
"How did you know where I work?" Alex asked suspiciously.
Tom sighed. This was not going well. He decided he better come clean.
"Look, I know I sound like some kind of creep, or a stalker, or something. It's just that I liked you and wanted to find out if you were married or involved with someone. So…" he trailed off.
"So….what did you do?"
"I looked your brother up and asked him."
"My brother? Danny?" She had a vague recollection of telling him that her brother was a firefighter.
"Yeah, Danny. I asked about you. He said you had the baby right before Thanksgiving. He said that you aren't married or seeing anyone and I should give you a call. He gave me the number for One Police Plaza and told me you work for the Major Case Squad."
He waited for her reaction. He didn't have to wait long. After a few moments of silence, Alex began to chuckle. Then she began to laugh, loudly enough to again attract the attention of her coworkers. But while most of them tried to pretend they didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary, not wanting to incur the wrath of the moody detective, her partner showed no such fear. He stared openly at her as she sat across from him laughing and holding onto the phone. Bobby raised one eyebrow quizzically and Alex laughed even harder. On the other end of the line, Tom Spencer was silent, not sure what to make of her outburst. She finally got her laughter under control enough to be able to speak.
"So two months after I give birth, my baby brother is giving my number out to any man who calls? And you called to…what? Ask me out on a date?"
"Well….for pie, anyway."
"Pie?"
"Yeah. Do you like pie?" he asked.
Chuckling, Alex answered, "As a matter of fact, I do like pie."
"Do you know the 'Coffee and Pie Cafe'? It's just a couple of blocks from my station house. They have great pie. I thought maybe we could meet there sometime. Just pie, coffee, and conversation."
Making a quick decision, Alex said, "What about tonight after work?"
Tom managed not to sound as incredulous as he felt. "Tonight would be great. Do you need to make arrangements with your babysitter and get back to me?"
"Babysitter?" Alex asked.
"Um…for your baby?"
So Danny hadn't told him everything. "No, the babysitter isn't a problem. I'll be there at 5:30."
"OK, great. I'll see you then," Tom said.
As she hung up the phone, Alex's expression dared Bobby to say anything. He just shrugged and went back to his paperwork. At 5:00 Alex gathered her things to leave. Bobby was still at his desk when she left. She had noticed lately that often he was staying at work after she left and she wondered if everything was alright with him and Annie. But neither of them had mentioned any problems to her, so she said nothing.
She walked into the Coffee and Pie Café at exactly 5:30. Tom Spencer wasn't hard to spot. He was a big man, nearly as tall as Bobby, and muscular. His blond hair was cut short and his smile as she walked in the door reached his hazel eyes. He was wearing dark blue FDNY-issue pants and tee-shirt, his heavy coat was lying on the seat next to him. Tom stood until she sat down across the table from him. The waitress came and took their orders for pie and coffee.
"So…" Tom said, still smiling. "You look great. How have you been?"
"I'm OK," she said. "But I'd be better if the idiot lawyers would leave me alone. Have they been calling you?"
"The lawyers for the parents?" he asked. Alex nodded. "They called a couple of times and got my statement. Are they bugging you?"
"I had the bad luck of actually seeing the car hit the little guy. So they keep calling and trying to get me to say what they want to hear."
Tom smiled as understanding dawned. "And that would be the 'scum-sucking low-life'?" he asked with a chuckle.
Alex smiled back at him. "That would be the one. I had just hung up on him and I thought it was him calling back." She took a bite of her apple pie. "Let's talk about something else. They really do have the best pie here."
"Yes, they do. I come here a lot, since it's so close to the firehouse."
He took a bite of his rhubarb pie. They were quiet for a few minutes as they finished eating. The waitress came by and refilled their coffee cups.
"So, you had your baby. Your brother said it was a boy. Congratulations. Is he keeping you up at night?"
"No," Alex said slowly.
"You've got him sleeping through the night already? That's great. It seemed like my boy didn't sleep through the night for a year. It was really only about three months. Seemed like a year, though," he laughed.
Alex shifted in her seat. "Look, uh, Tom, I think Danny must have forgotten to mention one little fact about me."
"What's that?"
"The baby isn't keeping me up at night because he doesn't live with me."
"I don't understand," he frowned, trying to make sense of it. "He's with his father?"
"Well, yeah….and with his mother." Alex smiled as the confused look deepened. "He isn't my son. I was a surrogate for my sister and brother-in-law. He's my nephew."
"A surrogate? Wow, that's….well, I guess that's great. Right? I mean…you're OK with that?"
"Yeah, I'm more than OK with it. It was a great experience and now I spend as much time as I can with him. My sister is happier than I've ever seen her, and it makes me happy that I could do that for her."
Tom nodded. "So…." He said with a smile, "you gave birth to your nephew. That's a great story to tell in a bar." Alex laughed with him. "Your brother says you aren't married. Have you ever been?"
"Yes," she told him. "I was married once. My husband, Joe, was a cop too. He was killed in the line of duty."
"I'm sorry," Tom said softly. "How long ago?"
"Almost six years ago." Alex sighed and changed the subject. "How about you? You mentioned kids. I hope you aren't married, what with calling up detectives for pie and coffee dates."
"No, not married anymore. I've been divorced for three years."
"And your kids? How many?"
"Two. My oldest is a boy. Aaron is ten years old. And then there's my daughter, Mandy. She's six."
"Divorce is hard, especially with kids. Do you see them much?"
"Every chance I get. My ex and I are friendly….well, we're civilized anyway," he smiled. "I got an apartment close to them so that the kids can stay with me on my days off and still be close to their school."
They talked about Tom's children, about their jobs, about the holidays that had just passed. Finally Tom looked at his watch and said he had to get back to the station. He paid their bill and they walked outside.
"Thanks for meeting me here, Alex," Tom said, turning to face her. "Maybe next time we could go to dinner? I mean, a real date. I'd like to see you again."
"Yes," she smiled up at him, realizing just how big he was now that they were standing face to face. "I think I'd like a real date." She wrote her cell phone number on the back of her business card and handed it to him. "Call me."
Tom took the card. "You can count on it, Detective."
Annie had just discharged a little girl who had needed sutures below her lip after falling while ice skating. It was lunch time and it looked like she might actually get to take hers on time today. She walked to the reception desk to let them know she was leaving when Jody told her there was a phone call for her. Sighing, and hoping this wouldn't take long, Annie picked up the phone and pushed the blinking light.
"This is Annie."
"Annie, darling! How lovely to hear your voice! I do hope I haven't caught you at a bad time. I would so love to catch up with what has been going on with you and your family since the last time we talked."
Annie had only heard this voice once before, but she knew instantly who it was. "You and I have nothing to talk about, Nicole."
"Oh, now that's rather rude, don't you think? I thought you would at least congratulate me on my acquittal. I so was hoping you and Bobby could join Gavin and myself for a little celebratory dinner one night this week. How about it?"
"My husband and I don't celebrate murderers walking around free," Annie said coldly.
"Tut, tut, tut," Nicole laughed. "A jury of my peers said that I couldn't have possibly committed those terrible crimes as Detectives Goren and Eames claimed. But everyone makes mistakes and I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. Can't we just be friends?" Nicole Wallace laughed merrily.
Annie hung up. She stood looking down at the phone for a few moments. She knew that she needed to call Bobby and let him know that Nicole had called. But she remembered how he reacted the last time Nicole had contacted her. It was as close to panic as she had ever seen in her husband. He had insisted that she and the kids go to Connecticut until they could find the evidence they needed to arrest Nicole Wallace. They had arrested her, but now she was free again. As she said, she had been acquitted by a jury. What would he do this time? Surely he wouldn't make them leave again.
Sighing, she told Jody that she was taking her lunch break. She got her coat and walked outside in the cold. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her lunch time, and it wasn't the way she wanted to have this conversation, but she knew Bobby would be angry if she waited to tell him. She pushed the speed dial for his cell phone.
"Hi Babe, I can't talk right now. Eames and I are in the middle of something."
"I'm sorry, Babe, but I knew you would want me to call you right away. I need to tell you something."
This time, Bobby didn't panic. Although the thought of a serial killer like Nicole Wallace talking to his wife caused a vise-like grip of fear around his heart, he agreed with Annie that Nicole simply seemed to enjoy using her to taunt him. There didn't seem to be any reason to suspect she would hurt Annie or the kids. And short of packing up his entire family and going into hiding, there was nothing he could do.
"We could get a restraining order," he told Annie.
"Yes," she said thoughtfully. "But maybe she got it out of her system and she won't call me anymore. Let's just wait, OK?"
"OK, we'll wait and see. But if she calls you or you see her again…"
"I'll call you," she reassured him. "I should go eat my lunch now and let you and Alex get back to work. I love you, Bobby."
"I love you, too, Annie. I'll see you at home tonight."
They ended the call and Annie shivered in the cold. She headed back into the warm hospital.
End chapter 11
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