Lex Talionis – Chapter 3

"I am a single woman now."

Alex tamped down the spark of anger that wanted to bloom for the woman trying to tempt her partner. Nicole thought her sexuality could gain her anything, including Bobby Goren. Watching them now, Alex wondered how she could have ever doubted him. Last night's reassurances should never have been necessary and she promised herself she would find some way to make it up to him.

Bobby repositioned himself in the interrogation room, sitting closer to Nicole. "You want to know if you do something to me, Nicole?"

"What's he doing?" Deakins straightened from where he had been leaning casually against the frame of the two-way glass.

Alex shrugged, attempting to appear unconcerned while hiding the fact that her stomach just rode the first drop on the roller coaster. What the hell is he doing?

"Go ahead… reach out a hand…"

"Oh my…" Deakins' face was flushing red and the veins in his neck bulged with the tension of his anger. "Get in there and stop him!"

"Wait, captain… " Alex forced a calm she didn't feel as she tried to buy time for Bobby, hoping this was nothing more than his game of chicken. Although they hadn't discussed a particular approach, Alex knew he planned to stop Nicole's game before it even got started. Interesting choice, partner.

"Don't be crass, Bobby…"

The Captain blew out an audible breath of relief, but his eyes still glittered with warning when he glared at Alex.

"Just… answer my questions. Starting with her name."

Bobby, you better pray this interview proves useful.

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"Lisa," Nicole tilted her head and used one perfectly manicured finger to slide the picture away from her.

"Lisa who?"

"Smith."

Bobby scowled and felt his patience wearing thin.

"What?" Nicole crossed her arms and leaned on the table. "That's what she told me. I didn't ask for her identity card."

I suppose that's reasonable. "What's your relationship with her?"

"Relationship is overstating it."

It seemed that Nicole was determined to be combative, every step of the way. "It was certainly… more than a casual acquaintance. She was seen entering your apartment on more than one occasion."

Nicole eased into the back of her chair. "Strictly business," she clarified with a nonchalance that made his head hurt.

"What… kind of business?" Bobby propped an elbow on the table and pressed two fingers against his temple, going for a casual pose while hoping to relieve the pressure building behind his left eye.

"My turn," Nicole frowned with impatience. "Does this have anything to do with my husband's death?"

Good question. A woman they've been searching for in connection with two hangings in Central Park - not to mention the murders in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Rhode Island - turns up at Nicole Wallace's door. Her final appearance occurs one week before Wallace's husband apparently commits suicide. How could they not be related? He gave her his best answer. "I don't know."

"Honesty," she smiled and once again relaxed. "That was always one of your best qualities, Bobby."

"So," ignoring the pseudo compliment, he opened his binder and picked up his pen. "What was the nature of your… involvement with Lisa, uh… Smith?"

Nicole glanced at the picture then looked back at him. "She came looking for me." Bobby arched an eyebrow at that. "She had a lot of questions about the New York police department."

"Why would she go to you?"

"She heard you were looking for her," Nicole leaned forward and reached out to slide the photo back toward her. She studied it a moment before continuing. "Lisa doesn't want to be found."

"Yeah… well… we already figured that out," Bobby dipped his head to catch her eye. "So why did she come to you?"

"She's done her homework, Bobby." Nicole gave him a sly smile. "Lisa is especially interested in you."

Bobby frowned and shook his head. Nicole was leading him down a path and, without a map, he was having a hard time following. "Why me?"

"You're a prominent figure in law enforcement. She wanted to know more about the man hunting her."

"'Hunting' is overstating it," he paraphrased her earlier disclaimer. "So, instead of coming here to talk with us, she… went to you with her questions."

"As I said, she's done her homework," Nicole stood up and paced a few steps while rocking her head from side to side to loosen tight muscles. "She thought I could provide an insight she might not find anywhere else."

Bobby slid his chair away from the table. Standing up, he took a wide step sideways to stay within Nicole's line of sight. "And that… insight… took multiple visits?"

She stopped her pacing and simpered up at him. "What can I say…" she shrugged, "she's not the most mentally organized woman I've ever met."

"Uh, mentally organized?"

"Don't you know?" Nicole's mouth opened into a wide grin as she huffed out her amusement. "I think the woman's mad. Banging on about 'avenging angels' and 'world evil.' She's actually quite tiresome."

Bobby paused to allow time for this new information to sink in. Nicole Wallace calling someone else 'mad.' He wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Stuffing his hands into his pants pockets, he stalled a few more moments before deciding to just move on, for now. "What did you tell her?"

"Apparently not enough. Which is why she kept coming back," Nicole flowed back into her chair, placed an elbow on the table and propped her head in her hand. "I certainly didn't tell her anything she could use against you. I wouldn't want to give her the same advantage I have, now would I?"

She was looking at him with her classic smirk and Bobby was beginning to wonder if he was really accomplishing anything here. Was she telling him anything useful, or was she simply batting him around like some nasty cat with its toy?

He took a halting breath and cocked his head quizzically. "You're being extremely helpful, Nicole," he said softly. "Why is that?"

Judging by her grin, Bobby was almost certain he needed to take anything she said today with a grain of salt. "There's this matter of my husband's death. The sooner that's cleared up, the sooner I can get on with my life."

"You mean, the sooner you can inherit." Bobby closed his folder and tucked it under his arm. Barring any last minute, life-changing revelations, this interview was over.

"So cynical," she pouted. Realizing that she was getting no reaction from him, Nicole stood and picked up her purse. She walked over to where he stood with one hand on the door knob and swung her purse strap onto her shoulder. "I don't inherit. Drew and I had a pre-nup. Since we've been married less than a year, all I'm entitled to is the allowance he arranged for me."

"Which is?"

"A mere $20,000 a month. After taxes." Nicole placed her hand atop his and turned them to open the door. "Hardly enough to keep a girl in a decent wardrobe."

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The Captain was walking out of the observation room just as Bobby stepped inside.

"I'm late for a meeting with the Chief, but I want an update from you two," Deakins looked from Eames to Bobby. "Be in my office in an hour. And Goren," he stopped halfway out the door to glare at him. "Don't pull another stunt like that."

Bobby shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze to the floor before nodding. When he looked back up, the doorway was empty and he and Eames were alone in the observation room. She was grinning at him with just a little too much pleasure.

"How angry was he?"

"You don't want to know," Eames ducked past him and through the door.

He hurried a few steps to catch up to her and leaned in close so he could talk softly. "What about you?"

"Me?" she glanced over her shoulder. "I was just trying not to lose my lunch."

TBC…