Chapter 2

Jamie sat in the ER waiting room at Presbyterian Hospital. He'd checked in at the front desk and was given a dubious look when he had identified himself as a police officer. He'd explained the situation, telling them that he just wanted to know if the baby that was brought in by ambulance was okay. One of the nurses overheard him - she'd briefly seen the unresponsive infant – and took pity on him, telling him to have a seat and she'd let him know something when she could.

So he took a seat, looking as miserable, if not worse, than the others waiting to get medical treatment for whatever ailed them. He'd leaned back and closed his eyes in exhaustion, but all that did was make him see the lifeless little boy in the car seat, so leaned forward and held his head in his hands, staring sightlessly at the scuffed linoleum floor.

"Hey, kid. You okay?"

Jamie jumped to his feet upon hearing the familiar, gruff, but gentle voice call out.

"Danny? Hey. What are you doing here?" Jamie looked around the waiting room and realized the sun had set outside.

"Caught a case," Danny explained.

Jamie studied his face and his brow furrowed. "The baby?"

"Yeah," he confirmed.

Finally, he thought, he was gonna get some news. "Is he ok? Nurse said she was gonna let me know, but she never came back out."

Danny's lips clamped shut, but his eyes said it all and Jamie felt like he just got punched in the gut.

He dropped back into his chair. "When?"

"Not long after they brought him in. They couldn't revive him." Danny took a seat next to his brother. "Officer on the scene said you gave him CPR."

"Lotta good that did," he whispered as he rubbed his neck.

Danny could see the guilt on his brother's face. "Hey, kid, listen to me. Don't do that. You did all you could."

Jamie didn't respond and Danny knew he wasn't hearing him.

"Why?"

Danny tilted his head – he wasn't following.

Jamie met his brother's eyes and asked, "Why was he in the car. How long was he there? Was that the father back there?" His voice grew angrier with each question.

Danny nodded. "Unis are taking the dad to the squad for questioning. Guys on the scene didn't get much out of him after they told him his son was on his way to the hospital. Said he appeared distraught." Danny emphasized the word 'appeared' because the officer told him he had a feeling something was off.

"All he was worried about was the damn car." Jamie's jaw clenched. "He'd been drinking," he added.

"What?" Danny asked.

"When he came back to the car, I could smell alcohol," Jamie clarified.

Danny didn't miss the way his brother's hands clenched into tight fists. "I'll know more once I talk to him. We're trying to track down the mom," he said.

"What was his name?" Jamie asked.

Danny leaned forward and folded his hands. That was about all the uniforms on the scene got out of the father. "Aidan. Aidan Monroe."

Jamie stared ahead.

"You up for coming back with me so I can get your statement? Baez is getting the car."

Jamie ran a hand across his weary face. "Yeah."

"You sure?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. I just want to get this over with," Jamie responded and got out of his chair.

Danny looked at him worriedly.

/

Jamie followed Danny and his partner into the squad.

"Cop a squat next to my desk, kid. Just gotta check in with the Sarge first," Danny instructed as he threw his suit jacket over the back of his chair.

Jamie said nothing, just like on the ride over to the squad. Maria shot Danny a look and Danny just shrugged back before walking over to Gromley's office.

Jamie sat quietly and leaned against the desk, placing his arm atop a stack of files. He was trying to think of anything but Aidan Monroe when he heard a semi-familiar voice behind him. Jamie pivoted in his seat and recognized the man pacing the box. He was shouting, demanding information on his kid, but the concern in his voice was more for himself than for the baby on his way to the ME's office.

Jamie turned back around and clenched his jaw. He didn't think he'd ever felt such disgust for another human being. And that disgust led him to lose control for the second time that day. A blind anger fueled him and he shot out of his seat, making a beeline for the interrogation room. The uniform standing guard had been talking to another officer and couldn't react quickly enough to the flash of gray that flew by him. Jamie slammed the door open and went after the father again.

"What the hell are you -" the father snarled before he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and thrown against the far wall of the room. He had a good few inches on Jamie, but Jamie had no problem manhandling the larger man.

"You killed him! Do you even care or are you more worried about yourself, huh!?" Jamie spat in his face.

The stunned man just stared at him with wide, frightened eyes. There was a commotion behind Jamie and he felt hands pulling at him, but he wasn't budging.

"Answer me!" he demanded and shook him as hard as he could manage.

"Hey! Let him go!" Danny ordered. "Jamie!" He was trying to wedge himself in between them to get Jamie to release the father.

The sound of his brother's voice drew his attention away from his target and gave the officers behind him a chance to pull him away, but not without Danny having to rip the man's shirt from Jamie's fists.

Jamie stared back at his brother. Danny stood in front of the other man, a hand on his chest to make sure he stayed put with his own wide eyes aimed back at him.

"Get him in the other room!" he shouted at the uniforms.

Jamie's chest was heaving once again as the officers escorted him out. It wasn't until then that he realized what he'd done, walking past the shocked faces of Baez, Gromley and the rest of the squad.

Once Jamie was out of the room, Danny turned back to Brian Monroe.

"I want him arrested! He's crazy, man! That's the second time - " Monroe complained before he was cut off.

"Shut up and sit down!" Danny shouted back.

Monroe complied, but not without first glaring at the detective. Gromley and the other detectives left Danny and Maria in the room, closing the door on their way out.

Danny rubbed at his flushed face.

"Is it true? What he said?" Monroe asked.

"What?" Danny asked.

"About Aidan. Is he dead?" Monroe looked back up a Danny, but there were no clear signs of grief or shock.

The uniform had been right, there was something off about the guy. If he thought his kid was dead, there should have been something more in his voice or in his eyes, but there wasn't. As a father himself, Danny would feel great heartache in having to deliver that kind of news to another parent. But the only heartache he felt in this case was for the baby and for his brother. A person with no ties to the child other than trying to save his life showed more true emotion for the little boy than the man sitting before him.

Baez saw it also. "Aidan's dead. They couldn't revive him after he was pulled from the car," Maria informed him coldly.

Monroe placed his elbows on the table and ran his hands across his face slowly. Maria and Danny exchanged another look. Danny knew he shouldn't be quick to judge, but he got the feeling that even though this man was Aidan's biological father, he probably thought his responsibilities began and ended with conception, at least in his mind.

"Why was Aidan in the car by himself?" Danny asked forcefully, no compassion in his voice at all. He was barely keeping himself in check - he'd probably kill the bastard with his own hands right now if he could.

Monroe dropped his arms on the table and shook his head. "I wasn't supposed to have him," he said in his defense.

"That doesn't answer my question and that's not an excuse," Danny shouted back at him.

"Jesus." Monroe covered his eyes. "His mom made me take him for the day, okay? Said she had to work and no one else would watch him so she dropped him off even though I said no. I had things to do, but she just up and left him. He was sleeping when I left my apartment and I forgot I had him with me, I swear." He shook his head as his face began to crumble.

Danny wasn't buying it. His reaction was forced.

"But I wasn't gone very long!" he added.

"First, it wasn't like he was some dog you could leave in the car with the windows cracked open. Second, in this heat, you don't even do that to dog. And third, that little boy was in that car for more than a few minutes. So you're going to tell me where you went and when and give me his mother's information before I decide to stuff you into the back of a locked car myself and I guarantee you no one around here will care if I do," Danny threatened.

"I hear we'll have a high of eighty-eight tomorrow," Maria added.

Monroe looked at the two detectives with fearful eyes.