TITLE: The Bet Chapter 8

TITLE: The Bet Chapter 8

RATING: T or PG or whatever
BETAed by: Brynna
ARCHIVE: Anyone who would like. Drop me a line so I can visit.
SYNOPSIS: Logan and Barek make a wager.

COMMENTS: Inquiring minds want to know are they or aren't they.

Carolyn returned to her desk and picked up her pen that was discarded earlier. She resumed the report she should have completed before lunch time. Mike what were you thinking? The captain won't can us, but we might pull a two week suspension without pay. She finished the needed corrections and typed the revised work into her computer. Or worse - we could get meter maid duty for a week.

She hit print. Well, now I can totally obsess on our fate. Barek glanced about the bullpen and her eyes located Alex and Bobby at their desks. Just like any other day, no one in the squad would believe what just transpired on deck two. Hell I'm not sure I know what happened and I was there. Mitchell handed off a fax to Alex, who rose and nodded to Bobby.

Logan strode up to the desk and asked his partner, "So whom did you talk to?"

"Nobody." She watched and nodded in the direction of Eames and Goren as they left.

Logan looked to see them exit the pen, raising his eyebrows. "They must have caught a break in their case." Facing Barek again, her statement re-registered in his mind. "Nobody? What do you mean nobody? How are you going get to the bottom of this?" He pointed at his wrist watch. "We are short on time here."

"Yeah, well I decided to finish my last report." She crossed her arms in total defiance. "And thanks to you, that is what it just might be my last report."

"Oh, come on." Mike plopped down in the chair to her left. "The Captain will just bark at us, give out some grief. He doesn't want to lose us. Besides if we figure this one out, this could be your last report."

"Well when you put it that way." She rolled her eyes. "So who have you talked to?"

Mike grinned. "The shorter list would be who I didn't talk to." Looking around the room briefly, he lowered his voice and added, "The guys are worse gossipers than the girls."

"And this is a surprise to you? Mr.-I-got-to-know, damn-it –all-Logan?"

Pointing to his watch again Mike stood up to leave. Barek asked, "Who now?"

"Aw, the best for last." Mike put both hands on the back of the chair he just rose from, leaned down and whispered, "Rodgers," then quickly headed off to the Medical Examiner's office.

Hmm, Shotgun vs. sniper. Carolyn makes her way across the pen and stops in front of the desk of the only person she thinks will have the answer Mike so desperately needs.

The younger woman looks up from her file folder. "Detective Barek, something I can help you with?"

"I am positive there is."

"Have a seat." She closes the folder and drops it atop her desk. "What is this about?"

Watch for it, the reaction is going be there. "Goren and Eames."

"Ok, the two top Detectives in Major Case and you need to know what about them?"

Doge and parry, very good skill sets in a cop, almost pulled it off. A non profiler would have missed it.

"Something I think out of this whole department, I believe only you would know."

Almost instinctively, like a mother dog protecting her pups, she leans back in her chair, arms crossed, putting distance between Barek and herself. "You are barking up the wrong tree Detective."

Barek smiles "Oh no, defiantly right tree, right guard dog." Carolyn looks around the busy room. "Take a walk with me, hear me out, and I'm sure we will talk."

Mike hands off a request for the surveillance tapes he wants pulled. "I'll be back by the time you get it set up. Thanks Tim." Around the office who would Goren and Eames see almost as often as the captain? The M.E. of course. Logan walks over and punches the down button on the elevator. The ride is short, the walk down the hall even shorter. He peers inside the open doorway. "Hey, Rodgers, you got a sec?"

The M. E. looks up from writing on her report laden clipboard. She eyes the Detective and weighs the decision to toss him out or talk. Rodgers points and Logan looks to see the empty autopsy table. "You got until the next body gets here." Logan looks back at her. The doctor feels the need to state the obvious "It doesn't stay empty very long"

"Right…" Logan trails off. I better make this quick. "I need, or would like your opinions on a couple of people, here in the squad." Rodgers knots her brow thinking she should have gone with the tossing. Mike sensing that a thought like that might be crossing her mind adds, "Um, off the record, just for my own better understanding of them."

Rodger sets her clip board on the counter and sighs, "Who? Logan."

"Ah." Mike clears his throat, "Goren and Eames"

Rodgers, who still appears to be contemplating pushing him out the door, looks down at the floor momentarily then back to Logan. "Well, it is a good partnership. Probably a good pairing, because it is well balance. I like Alex; she is the quieter of the two. Not verbally quiet, just in overall demeanor type of quiet." Rodgers paces over to the opposite side of the empty steel table. "She is quick on the up take, and somehow follows Goren's seemingly erratic bouncing ball of logic." The M.E. looks at the blank table then back up at Logan. "But you should think of her like nitro glycerin." The doctor narrows her eyes to drive home her point. "You don't want to jar that container; you won't be able to out run the blast."

Mike didn't say anything he just nodded in agreement. Preaching to the choir, Doc.

Rodgers figured that was enough for him on Eames. "Goren" She smiles briefly, "Now he used to down right annoy me. Asking questions that seemed to have no connection to other questions he had, odd bits and pieces. Come in here and want to poke and prod at the bodies. But, after awhile, I realized it was with done with respect for the dead. He needs to see and check the body for clues. Goren needs the visceral contact. He is a sideways thinker, throwing himself into his cases. Goren just wants to do his job," Rodger crosses her arms signaling she is done, "with his partner, Eames."

"Yeah, Yeah, O.K." Logan starts, "The partnership seems pretty firm, um, any speculation to that pairing off the clock?"

"You want to know if they more than partners?" Rodgers shook her head no. "They have each other's back. Either would take bullet for the other. Those two have a dedicated rock solid bond." In all the time I've see them around here, nothing indicates that they are anything more than a steadfast detective team."

The sound of gurney wheels arriving at the door ends their conversation. Mike steps out of the orderly's way.

Rodgers shakes her head. "It's a shame, really." She moves toward the draped body. "I'd think they could make it work."

Mike waves good bye as he heads out the door, "Yeah, I think your right, doc, and thanks"