"You know--we probably shouldn't even be acting as the lead investigators in all of this," said Bo as he walked up to John who was standing in the doorway of Natalie's office watching the forensics team do their job.
"You know of anyone that should be? Everyone in the department was close to her, Bo--heck, there's two guys in her office right now that went through the program with her," he said, not taking his eyes off the work being done. He'd been in that office with her a few days ago--stopped by Rodi's to pick up lunch for the two of them and they'd just sat in each others company. Everyday he was with her it seemed like they were getting closer to what they had before the accident--and now she was gone.
"Lieutenant," said one of the team members as he walked towards John and handed over Natalie's cell phone. "It was pushed between the cushions--that's probably why they didn't take it."
"They left her purse here too--this wasn't a roberry," he said as he walked away and scrolled through the last few calls. "Well look at this--right before she called me she had a short chat with Banks. Let's see what he can tell us," said John as him and Bo went to find a quiet office to start interrogations in.
"Natalie--what are you doing here?" asked Marty as she began to sit up and the room started to spin.
"I could ask you the same question--couldn't I? The last I heard you'd died in a van explosion."
"I don't remember much--Ramsey said he pulled me out of the van at the last moment--I just wish," she said as she paused to choke back a sigh. "I wish he would have saved Cole and John also."
"He told you they died?" asked Natalie.
"Yeah, he said he pulled me out of the van first--and John went into get Cole, but he didn't get out before the van exploded," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ramsey lied--neither of them died," she said, leaving out the part about how Cole was driving her Uncle Todd to insanity with getting Starr pregnant. "But they both think you did."
Marty smiled, "I'm glad to hear they are alive--I hated the thought of outliving my son. So how did you get here anyways?"
"I was hoping you would ask for my help--I'm worried about Natalie," said Jared as he sat behind a table in an empty office with John right in front of him and Bo standing in the back staying silent.
"I'm sure you are. So tell me, Banks--what did you say to her to make her call me immediately afterwards?" asked John as he slid Natalie's phone over to Jared and he saw his name on her call log, just before John's.
Jared paused before shaking his head, "All I did was apologize for something I said earlier in the day. I was a jerk to her and I felt she needed to know I was sorry."
"What did you say to her?" asked Bo, finally speaking up.
"Told her John was going to break her heart again--that she could have anything she wants in life and it seems like all she wants is you. I was jealous of what I saw everytime you two were in a room together. I screwed up the chance to have that with her and it pissed me off, ok?"
"Anything from the conversation on her end that seemed strange?"
"Not really--I asked her if she was still at work and she laughed--you know the nervous one she gets when she isn't telling the complete truth," he said as both men nodded. "Said she wasn't and she'd see me today. I don't get why she didn't tell me she was here--though I guess it wouldn't have made much of a difference, would it?"
"It could have, but who knows now," said John as he took back over the interrogation. "Anyone see you right around the time that call was made?"
"What beside the companion I bought for the night?" he said, anger in his voice that McBain could even think him a suspect. "No--there was no one--I went to my hotel room, alone, and stayed there until I got up this morning--came to work, and found Natalie's keys in the parking lot. If I'd thought of checking to see if the engine was still warm then I would have. Neither of us like each other, McBain, so let's put that aside and find what's important to both of us--Natalie."
John stared at the frozen television screen in front of him--he'd finally left the BE offices while Antonio and Talia began questioning other employees, and he was now sitting in Bo's office with the screen in front of him looking at the smart woman he loved. What he couldn't wrap his finger around was that while she needed him he was locked in an evidence room that was pulled shut by a second party. He hit play again on the video, this time without sound as his eyes connected to Natalie's and he saw it--once, twice, three times she quickly moved her eyes from the camera to the muzzle of the gun. Pausing it he got closer to the screen and studied the gun--he couldn't see all of it, but it looked police issue.
As John stared at it he looked up to see Eddie walking past the window and some pieces began to fall in place.