I'm watching "Smile" tonight as I'm editing this, and it always kind of struck me as a shippy kind of ep, especially from Alex's point of view. She did not like Leslie LeZard. Okay, back to 2011 and our story. This includes the continuation of Bobby's birthday celebration (the adult one), a new case to vex our detectives, family, therapy...yada, yada. I do not own them, just borrowing. The M rating still applies.
Alex woke to an empty bed. She found Bobby in the living room, reading through the stack of cards and notes from the party yesterday.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she pressed a kiss on his ear.
"Morning," he wiped a bit of dampness from his eyes.
"What?" she was concerned.
He picked up a handful of the greetings "I had no idea...how many friends..." he was choked up.
"Doesn't surprise me," Alex said softly, stroking his hair.
"Things that...I didn't know how much I help..." he fumbled with the words.
"Look at me," she said quietly. "For so many years, there were...forces in your life, that made you doubt your place in the world. Yes, it was your birthday yesterday, but I wanted you to know...you matter, and to a lot more people than me. That you are loved and cherished. You talk about legacies...it's not about tangible things, children, monuments. It's about living your life knowing that maybe by one word, one act, one person is left better by you being here."
He pulled her into his arms, sobs muffled into her shoulder.
She gently stroked his scalp, his neck, making soothing sounds.
"I musta done something right," he sniffed. "'Cause I have you."
"Um hmm," she rubbed her face in his hair. "So, are you gonna feed me breakfast?"
He reached past her to his partially-eaten plate of party leftovers, picked up a piece of prosciutto-wrapped melon, and fed it to her.
"For breakfast?" she chewed.
"Oh, would you rather have marinated artichokes? Or tiramisu?" he teased. "There's some very nice salami, bocconcini or maybe some pepperoncini."
"I should have yogurt and coffee," she demurred, but snatched an olive and tore off a piece of crusty bread.
"It'd be a crying shame to let this food go to waste," he grinned, biting into a mini muffaletta.
"It would but...you have to save room for dinner later," she took the last bite of the sandwich before it disappeared into his mouth.
"Thief," he mumbled, his mouth full.
"Such talk," she laughed. "What time are you supposed to see Gyson?"
"Uh, two o'clock," he began to nibble at her shoulder.
"Take her some cake," she sighed.
Bobby grumbled, "Don't want to talk about her, want to talk about this dinner thing."
"It's still your birthday weekend, and I thought we'd have a little private dinner celebration tonight," she breathed, running the tip of her tongue in his ear.
"Private?" he chuckled. "As in seduction, clothes optional?"
"Oh, there'll be clothes," she breathed, "A few select garments."
He pushed the green silk nightie over her head, then hauled her beneath him on the couch, "Or we could have a naked brunch."
"That too," her breath hitched as she shoved his briefs off and shifted her position , endeavoring to torment him with her mouth and hands.
"Jesus, Alex!" he closed his eyes in abject pleasure.
"Just a little preview," she breathed, extending her tongue.
Bobby's hips flexed, "Main event," he groaned, moving her back up into a kiss.
Their bodies joined, balancing rather recklessly at times on the couch, until they goaded each other into release.
"So, no hints about this little soiree?" he teased as they showered and dressed.
"Sexy food, sexy clothes...an evening of pure pleasure," she ran her hands down his chest.
"Maybe I should skip therapy today, because you're doing such a good job..." he ran his hands under her shirt.
"Not a chance, mister," she laughed. "And I'm serious, take her some cake., as a thank you from me."
"Thank you?" he was quizzical.
"For helping you with your recovery, which has given me amazing benefits," she swooned a bit as he grabbed her butt.
"I'm not going to tell her that part," he objected.
"It's okay to talk about me in therapy," she said matter-of-factly.
"Even our sex life?" he countered.
Alex looked at him, considered, "Anything that helps you, Bobby."
"Um, my girlfriend, Alex thought you'd enjoy this. "It's, um, a slice of my birthday cake."
Dr Gyson was surprised and touched by Bobby's offering, "Thank you, Robert." She put it away in the little office fridge. She indicated his usual seat. "You seem much happier than last week."
"Yeah, it's been an interesting weekend," he began. "Alex..hosted a surprise party for me yesterday."
"Surprise parties can be disconcerting," Gyson commented.
Bobby nodded, "I was a bit taken aback, but then there were so many people there, a lot of old friends, some I hadn't seen for years. Some buddies, musicians, played all afternoon, Alex's family did the food. It was an incredible day."
"Sounds very nice," she commented.
"It was. There were all these notes and cards. People thanking me for doing something that impacted their lives," he was still astonished by that.
"A milestone birthday. We talked about that a bit in our last session. About the concept of family. Of having children. Any thoughts on that?" she asked.
"Alex gave me a unique perspective this morning. That our legacies might not be children or tangible things, just the impact we live on other people's lives." he seemed fascinated by the thought.
"Not the same as having children," Gyson said.
"We have children in our lives," he said soberly, "not our children, but...I can see the upside of it being just Alex and me." Bobby shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Really?" Gyson wondered.
"We-we have this...our focus is on each other, and we can do what we want, when and where...the mood takes us...without concern about getting a sitter, or being up with a fussy baby all night," he explained.
"Sexual experimentation and developing intimacy," Gyson said. "I do have an observation...you referred to Alex as your girlfriend, rather than your partner.
"She's both, obviously," Bobby mused. "Now that we're a couple...changes my perspective, I guess."
He left the session, thoughts absorbed by the sea change in his relationship with Alex. He'd always been good at compartmentalizing, until this summer. Therapy, age, and loving his partner had shaken that up a little. Well, a lot. And there were times it gave him pause. Today wasn't one of those times.
Bobby let himself into his apartment, to find a note from Alex on the table. "The pleasure of your company is requested for an evening of dining and pleasure in Forest Hills. Drinks and appetizers at five, dinner and other diversions to follow. Dress casual. RSVP not required." He laughed out loud as he reread the missive.
Alex spent her afternoon preparing the menu she'd clipped from a couple magazines last winter. The appetizers were culled from the party leftovers, she cooked the rest. First, she made the dessert: cocoa crème brulee. Next, she prepped the entree and side dishes. With an eye on the clock, she stirred the risotto. She seasoned the steaks. The vegetables were roasting in the oven, where the steaks would finish cooking while they enjoyed the appetizers. She set the risotto aside, and added the chopped lobster meat. The wine was chilling nicely.
She hurried into the bedroom, and spread a butter soft light blanket on the bed, set a multitude of candles on the nightstand and dresser, and found the bottles of oils she'd purchased earlier in the week. She laid out the black silk boxers she'd bought for Bobby, then changed into a black silk teddy, with a matching short sheer peignoir.
Alex was setting out the appetizers when Bobby rang the bell at a few minutes before five.
She hurried to the door, to find him standing there with an armful of red roses.
"Wow!" he gasped.
"What? Oh," she laughed, forgetting her skimpy attire for a moment, as she took the bouquet. "Do you like it?' she asked shyly.
"Uh, yeah," he chuckled, reaching out to finger the sheer fabric.
She closed the door, and walked into the kitchen to put the roses in a crystal vase, "Thanks, you didn't have to," she smiled.
"Wanted to," he said, still mesmerized by her sexy outfit. He cleared his throat, "Dinner smells great."
"It'll be ready in a little bit," she came over and kissed him lingeringly. "You're overdressed."
"Hey, I'll be happy to strip for you," he smirked, pulling her body tightly to his.
"Nuh-uh, your evening wear is in the bedroom," she shoved him away lightly.
Bobby found the boxers and disrobed, entranced by the atmosphere in the bedroom. He came back into the kitchen, "Do I pass inspection?" he smirked.
"Oh, yeah," she handed him a glass of wine, and indicated the plate of appetizers.
He sat at the little table, watching her work at the stove, "I think I could get used to you cooking in something like that every night," he smiled. "Although we might eat a lot of cold food," he reached out to stroke a thigh as she brushed past him.
Alex slid the seared steaks into the oven to finish cooking, then joined him at the table.
"You could sit on my lap," he suggested, arousal stirring as she leaned over to light a couple candles.
"Dinner before dessert," she laughed, pouring her own glass of wine, sitting in the chair next to him.
They talked about the party, his therapy session as they dined on beef tenderloin, lobster risotto and roasted vegetables.
"This is so good," Bobby praised as he took a last bite of the buttery steak.
"I have to say I was nervous, hadn't made this stuff before," she admitted.
"Sexy food," he chuckled. "And the cook is pretty hot, too."
"The seduction dinner for my smokin' boyfriend," she laughed, getting up to sit in his lap.
"Mmmm," he buried his face in her neck.
"I made dessert," she whimpered as he nibbled her earlobe.
"You're my dessert," he put her hand on his erection.
Alex pushed herself off his lap reluctantly, "Give me a minute, I'll meet you in the bedroom."
He lit the candles, then lay back on the bed. Alex appeared in the doorway, looking like a black silk clad angel, the transparent fabric giving her an ethereal appearance. "So what's next on the agenda?' he waved his hand towards the bottle of massage oil she was holding.
"Guess?" her voice was husky.
"A massage? But my muscles are pretty relaxed already," he smirked. "With one notable exception."
"So I see," she said dryly, kneeling on the bed. "How about you lie on your belly?" she murmured. "After these come off," she tugged at the waistband of his boxers.
He chuckled, "Different than the last time you gave me a massage. Does this mean you want me to stay awake for this one?"
She brushed her fingertips over his evolving erection, "If you can," her laugh was husky.
He rolled to his stomach, sighing in satisfaction.
Alex let the sheer silk shell drift to the floor, and left the teddy in place. She straddled him and poured a puddle of warm oil over his low back, then began kneading the muscles of his neck, arms and shoulders. Her hands moved lower, tracing each vertebrae, and the taper of his hips to his buttocks.
Bobby felt as though her hands were silk and fire and...The movements became slower, more deliberate as she massaged his buttocks and thighs. He felt heat spread through his body. "Alex," he groaned, fidgeting a bit as she playfully tossed a lick here and there in her ministrations.
"Hmm?" She had moved down his thighs, calves, and feet. She lifted one foot and sucked each of his toes.
Bobby's head thrashed back and forth, "Baby, that's...tickles..."
"More than tickles, I suspect," she smiled, her hand on his hip, easing him to his back.
She straddled his waist, fingertips fluttering over his chest, "Sleepy yet?"
"Hell, no," he groaned, reaching between her thighs to unfasten the teddy.
"No, not yet," she slid back a bit. "Going to massage the front, too," she whispered.
"I'm good, really," he panted. "Totally relaxed."
"Sure you are," Alex laughed out loud, pouring oil onto his chest, then resuming her sensual tending.
Bobby sought out a breast as her hands kneaded his shoulders, his mouth sucking through the black silk, while his fingers plucked at the opposite breast.
"Bobby, oh, babe..." her hands faltered in her task.
He hooked the thin straps with a finger, slipping them off her shoulders, exposing her upper body to him, "I'm naked, what's your excuse?"
"Keeping a little bit of wrapping on your present," she moaned as he splayed his fingers over her breasts.
"I see," he heaved a sigh, hoping he was going to last through this sexual...feast.
Alex made her way backwards, a flash of arousal on her face as her sex rubbed over his. Still, she continued the massage over his belly, down his legs to his feet. She noted with some satisfaction that his extremities were literally twitching with his attempt to maintain control. She kissed the sole of his foot, then moved back up to lie next to him, to kiss him, "Ready?" she traced the outline of his lips with her tongue, while reaching for another small bottle on the nightstand.
"God, yeah," his hips rose. His gaze followed as she poured something into her hand and massaged it onto his erection. "What the hell...what is that?"
"A personal lubricant that enhances male satisfaction...at least that's what the bottle says," she recited, her hand still moving. "You'll have to tell me if it's true," she added with a smirk.
"Oh, it-it...Jesus, Alex," he was as close to sensory overload as he'd ever been. He was nearly thrashing on the bed, but he caught sight of another bottle. "Wha...is this one for you?" his hand was shaking as he reached over her for it.
"Tonight's about your pleasure," she rasped.
"Our pleasure," he groaned. "Help me open it."
Alex's felt herself shaking in anticipation as she opened the bottle.
He took it from her and poured a small stream into his palm, then reached between her thighs and caressed her, seeing her eyes dilate with pleasure. "Tell me how it feels."
"Like the most intense..." her words ended in a strangled sob.
He rolled her onto her back and entered her, unable to wait any longer. He grabbed onto the headboard and brought her into a half-sitting position as they moved together, eyes locked. Their release was so loud, surely anyone awake in the adjoining apartments heard it.
Alex wasn't entirely sure that she didn't pass out in the last few seconds, as she lay in Bobby's arms.
He was totally malleable as the red haze of his orgasm receded, "Ever heard of la petit mort?" he panted.
"Yep, and I'm pretty sure that was just where I was," she breathed.
"Me, too," he groaned. "I know the market is tanking, but we ought to buy stock in that stuff."
She giggled, "Or we could make one of those commercials. Make a million bucks"
"Right," Bobby was amused. "Preview it for the brass, then tell 'em to go to hell."
"Videotape their reactions," Alex added. "Screw the regs."
"Pretty sure we've been doing that for a while," he yawned.
"Tired?" her kisses were gentle.
"Aren't you?" he murmured, burying his face against her neck
"Um hmm," she snuggled her head in the crook of his arm, spooning against him. "Love you."
"Love you, too, baby," he whispered. "Best birthday ever."
"You're welcome," she grinned drowsily.
And though it wasn't eight o'clock, they fell into an exhausted stupor.
Bobby woke a little after one, extinguished the candles, then went to the bathroom. He recalled Alex saying that she wasn't going to survive if the sex was like their first time every time. "Damn straight," he muttered. He couldn't believe he was hungry after the dinner they'd had. He rummaged in the fridge and found the crème brulee that they hadn't taken time to eat earlier. He found a spoon and took a bite. Really good, he decided.
"There's the man who didn't want dessert," she came up behind him, squeezing an arm around his waist.
The teddy was gone, and she was wearing just the sheer peignoir. Bobby's boxers were still somewhere on the bedroom floor.
"Burned enough calories that we need more sustenance," he spooned the rich treat into her mouth.
"That's crazy good," she licked the spoon.
"Would you like to take this back to bed?" he fed her another bite.
"Oh, yeah," she took him by the hand.
Two bowls, one spoon, they shared the cold creaminess, then crawled under the covers.
Monday morning arrived too soon to suit Bobby and Alex. He was shaving while she was trying to apply her makeup, each jockeying for position at the bathroom mirror. Their height difference helped in the close quarters of the bathroom.
Major Case was occupied not only with the Epstein fraud case, some European diplomat's daughter disappeared after her first week at NYU. And a female body was discovered at nine-thirty this morning, in a dumpster near One PP.
Captain Hannah doled out assignments, saying, "Don't all jump at once."
"Kind of sick of dealing with the privileged upper crust," Bobby muttered.
"We'll take the DB in the dumpster," Alex spoke up.
"Dumpster diving, great way to start the week," Bobby said, poking around, sniffing the corpse's hands.
"Hey, we could have been hobnobbing European diplomats," she teased. "Anything besides garbage?" she inquired dryly.
"Um, something sweet, lime, cherry brandy," he took another whiff. "Butter and salt."
"College girls cherry limeade and popcorn," Alex opined.
"Could be," he looked at the vic's clothes. "Jeans, nice shirt. Still has her shoes on. No obvious signs of sexual assault. And she doesn't match the description of the diplomat's kid."
Alex gazed at the collection of rotting garbage pulled from the overflowing dumpster, "No purse or ID." She looked at the shoes, "Jimmy Choo's, not a lot of wear on the soles but scuff marks on the sides. Killer could have dragged her. What do we have here?" she gently untangled a white gold necklace and diamond star pendant from the girl's butterscotch hair. "This looks familiar, like something I've seen in an ad or in a magazine lately."
One of the CSU techs, Angie, overheard, "That's Kwiat, retails between one and two grand. What can I say? I like bling."
"It's pretty," Alex slipped the jewelry in an evidence bag. "Any ideas on the rings?" One was a braided white and yellow gold band on her right thumb, the other looked like a ruby and diamond ladybug on her left index finger.
Angie shook her head, "Nah, looks like old estate junk."
"Robbery was not the motive, I guess," Alex left the rings intact as the hands were bagged.
"Run her through the system to see if we get any hits, also check missing persons," Bobby was covering their metal checklist aloud. "She's got ink, inside right forearm and left shoulder."
Once the crime scene was released, they made their way uptown to interview wits in the Epstein case. They were unable to see the daughter, Barbara Hall, because she was recovering from an emergency C section that morning. They had better luck connecting with Epstein's son, Jonah.
He was at his place of employment, a graphic design agency on west 57th. "I don't know what else I can tell you, detectives."
"Is there anyone that comes to mind that would have access to your family's finances?" Alex queried.
Jonah shook his head, rubbed at a few days' worth of stubble, "Sorry, my brain is a little fried. Been at the hospital with Barbie and Greg. The only people I can think of are the ones I told you about last week."
Bobby nodded, "We heard your sister had her baby. Everything okay?"
"Uh, yeah, a little boy," Jonah's face lit up. "He's little but a fighter, weighed three pounds, seven ounces."
"Makes you an uncle," Alex smiled.
"Yep, first time," Epstein nodded, showing them a picture on his phone.
"Wow, tiny," Bobby commented with a grin.
"Look at the little face and all that dark hair," Alex added.
"At least he came out at thirty weeks instead of twenty-five," Jonah sighed in relief.
The interview ended when the Rodgers texted Alex, "Post done on your Jane Doe."
In the morgue, Dr Rodgers reviewed the autopsy, "Well nourished white female, estimated age 22 years. COD was blunt force trauma to the right occiput, causing cerebral hemorrhage. Liver temp indicates she's been dead about nine hours. No sign of sexual activity or assault. BAL was negative, remainder of tox screen pending. Scar on abdomen consistent with a low transverse C section approximately a year ago. The ink she had was unremarkable, rose on her left shoulder, and the name Brian on her forearm."
"Brian could be a boyfriend, husband, or her child," Bobby ruminated.
Alex nodded, "Someone has to be missing her. How come the fast turnaround on this girl?"
"When she's found within spitting distance of One PP, she gets put to the head of the class," the ME said sarcastically. "Trace is working on her clothes and shoes."
The detectives left the morgue, walking in somber silence.
"Want to get some lunch?" Alex said.
"Maybe something to go, so we can search the databases, look at surveillance video," he agreed.
They chewed on Chinese while reviewing missing persons reports, both statewide and nationwide. "She could have come into the city for the weekend, and her family didn't expect her home til later today," Alex considered.
Bobby hauled himself out of his chair, "Let's see if the vid guys have anything for us."
No clues on the discs from around One PP, no hits on the jewelry.
Josh came bounding into the vid room around six thirty, "Detectives, I think I may have a lead on your fraud case."
"Great!" Alex stretched and yawned.
"May I?" he pointed at the keyboard.
"Have at it, Simmons," Bobby invited.
"Uh, detective...happy birthday," Josh fumbled. "I mean, a couple days late."
"Thanks," Bobby grinned. "And thanks for helping my partner with the party. We didn't see you there."
"My girlfriend's parents were here from Arizona, so...were you really surprised?" he wondered.
"Really," Bobby said firmly. "Now, the Epstein case?"
"Oh, yeah! When I went digging into the family records, I found that Epstein has three kids, not two. A daughter, born ten years before he married his first wife. Sedona Mariah Everett."
"What is it with these secret spawn?" Alex groaned. "You know where she is?"
"She grew up in Bangor, Maine, but she lives in New Haven, Connecticut. She's married to a Gordon Raider, has a couple kids," Josh informed them.
"Raider. Great name for a thief," Bobby scanned the records on the screen.
"Thief is right. Raider works for the same brokerage firm as Epstein senior," she pointed out. "Son of a bitch."
Joe walked by, seeing the detectives having an animated discussion in vid conference, "Hey, don't you have homes to go to?"
"Yeah, yeah," Bobby waved a hand. "Simmons may have just busted our fraud case."
Hannah looked at the monitor, "I'll be damned. Why don't you take a run up there in the morning and see what they have to say for themselves?"
"Will do, boss," Alex agreed.
"In the meantime, get the hell out of here. Oh, and if I didn't say it this morning, great shindig Saturday," the captain's eyes twinkled.
As they were powering down their computers, Bobby's desk line rang.
"Don't answer it," Alex hissed.
He shot her an apologetic look as he picked up, "Major Case, Detective Goren." His expr4ession changed as he scribbled a quick note. "Got it." he hung up. "ID on our Jane Doe."
"Who is she?" Alex sighed.
"Mariah Raider, age 20, from New Haven, Connecticut," he replied.
"No fucking way," she said in disbelief. "Our fraud vic's granddaughter?"
"Looks like," Bobby agreed. "Missing persons wants to know if we want to do the notification."
Alex shut her eyes, "You said we would, right?"
"With the traffic, might take us a couple hours," he demurred. "Sorry."
"The element of surprise might help," she admitted.
It was a quarter to nine when Alex pulled up to the Raider residence. It was a tidy saltbox, with electric candles at each window. A woman of about forty answered the door, a baby in her arms.
"Ma'am, are you Sedona Raider? We're detectives from New York City," Bobby said, he and Alex flashing their badges. "Could we come in?
Her face crumbled in fear, "I uh, yes, I'm Sedona," her voice rose a few pitches. "Gordon, the police are here."
They followed her into a comfortable living room. Toys were scattered on the floor, a playpen in the corner. A tall man of about fifty stood and took the now wailing child from his wife's arms. "I'll go put him down."
"It's...it's my baby, isn't it?" the woman quavered, collapsing into a wing back chair.
"Is Mariah Raider your daughter?" Alex asked gently.
"Yes, she is. She-she was going to New York to see her boyfriend yesterday. And wh-when she wasn't here this morning to take Brian to the sitter...I knew something was wrong," she buried her face in her hands.
"Brian, your grandson?" Bobby asked.
"Mariah's little boy. He-his birthday was last week," she explained. "What happened to my daughter?"
Bobby pulled the morgue shot from his binder and showed it to Mrs Raider, "Is this her?"
She nodded, "Yeah. What...did Curtis do this to her?"
"Curtis?" Alex wondered.
"Mariah's boyfriend, Brian's father," Sedona explained. "He...Curtis has-had a drug problem. They broke up because of it. Supposedly he went to rehab and was clean. Curtis is a sweet kid...except when he's drunk...or high," her tone was bitter.
"Your daughter use?" Alex prompted.
"No," Sedona's was adamant. "I think that was the attraction-she was trying to save him. Oh, my God...how am I going to tell Brian his mommy...isn't coming...home?" she wept.
Gordon Raider came back into the room, and comforted his wife. He wore an expression of abject misery.
The grieving parents readily gave them their alibis, and the address for Curtis as well as his parents. Bobby got behind the wheel for the return trip to Brooklyn.
"They were totally blown away by this," Alex sighed.
"Yeah," he signaled a lane change and accelerated. "Might have a connection to Epstein's money, but we can chase that tomorrow."
It was nearly midnight before he parked the SUV near his apartment and walked Alex in.
"I am so tired and so hungry," she groaned, kicking off her shoes and dropping clothing as she walked towards the kitchen.
He locked up and followed her, pulling party leftovers out of the fridge, "Beer, wine or soda?"
"Beer," she said through a mouthful of bread and cheese, now clad in bra and panties.
He piled food on a tray and popped open a couple cold bottles, "How 'bout dinner in bed?"
"Sounds like a plan," she took a long swallow of brew.
They mowed down, not even bothering to take the tray back to the kitchen when they were finished.
"Ugh," Alex groaned in the morning. "I think I fell asleep with cake in my mouth."
Bobby emerged from the bathroom fully dressed and tossed a pillow at her, "Hurry up or you're gonna lose your ride."
"Says the man who had to answer his goddamn phone last night," she snarked.
"I'm dedicated, what can I say?" he smirked.
"Get out of my face," she muttered as she dove for the shower.
They spent the morning bringing Hannah up to speed and contacting Mariah's boyfriend. Curtis Renfield seemed genuinely devastated by Mariah's murder, and had a bullet-proof alibi-he was a bartender in a bustling West Village bar, with a multitude of patrons and employees to vouch for him. He also provided them with a very interesting bit of information: Mariah was aware who her grandfather was, and had plans to meet him in the city Sunday evening. "I wanted to go with her, but she said she had to see him on her own. Something about money," he put his head in his hands.
"She trying to shake him down?" Bobby was direct.
"No, no! She's not that kind of girl! Not sure, but think it had something to do with her dad. Too many goddamned secrets in that family," his tone was bitter.
They left Curtis and plotted their next move. "Think it's time to pay Mr Stephen Epstein a visit," Alex said.
They found him outside the NICU at Mt Sinai, at the scrub sink next to his daughter and son in law. "Mr Epstein, we need to talk to you about the murder of one of your family members," Bobby got straight to the point.
Epstein stopped scrubbing his hands and turned to them in surprise, "Who?"
"Your granddaughter," Alex said succinctly.
"Detective, the only grandchild I have is a grandson and he's in there," he waved a hand. "Safe and sound."
Bobby walked over to him and bent to look him square in the face, "Maybe you'd like to speak to us alone."
Epstein glanced at his daughter's worried expression, "It's some kind of mistake. Go on in and cuddle my grandson."
They walked down the hall to a family consultation room. Epstein was obviously angry.
"What business did you have saying that kind of garbage in front of my kid?"
"Garbage? Since when is the truth garbage?" Bobby spat.
He leveled a stare at him, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about?"
"We know, Mr Epstein. About your daughter Sedona. We met her last night," Alex's diction was deadly. "She seems like a nice person. Of course, it was kind of hard to tell, since we had to tell her her daughter had just been murdered."
"Mur-murdered?" he had the grace to look ashamed. "Was it Mariah or Melisande?"
"So you do know them," Bobby shook his head.
"I-no, not really. Just their names. Sedona...was lost to me a long time ago," his gaze shifted.
"Ever met your granddaughters?" Alex prodded.
"No, I told you," Epstein was pissed.
"Really? Because we heard that Mariah was in the city to see you this weekend," Bobby's voice dripped acid.
"I never saw her, wouldn't know her if I passed her on the street," the man ground the words out.
"How very sweet," Alex sniped. "Such devotion to the little one in the NICU, just no time for the others."
"If you have anything more to say to me, call my lawyer," he practically threw a business card at them and stormed back down the hall.
"Think we should go after him?" Alex wondered. "Bobby?"
"No...just, no. Let's get the fuck out of here," He got to his feet and strode towards the elevator, anger coming off him in waves.
The silence in the SUV was deafening. Her attempts to engage him in conversation produced only monosyllabic responses.
"Look, you can't let that asshole get to you," she said quietly.
"I know," he muttered, at length. "'wouldn't know them if he saw them on the street.'"
"Pissed me off, too, Bobby," she tentatively reached for his hand.
He tried to shake off his anger, focusing instead on her thumb stroking the inside of his wrist.
"Better?" she asked as she swung the SUV into traffic.
"Uh-huh," his mind wandered back to Sunday night, the feel of their bodies together...he felt his groin tighten.
"Just thinking," he tapped his fingers restlessly against his binder.
"'Bout what?" she wondered.
He shifted towards her, ran his hand under her skirt."Sunday night."
"Why didn't you say so?" she muttered under her breath.
"Uh, turn up there," he indicated the next block.
"Okay," she assented, unsure if what he wanted was going to help.
"We're pretty close to my place," his tone was tense.
"Uh huh," she inhaled sharply, finding a parking spot a block away.
They strode up the street, to all appearances in a hurry to interview a witness, or catch the subway.
He slammed the door and shoved her up against it, unzipping his pants with one hand.
"Bobby," she groaned as he pushed her skirt up, moved her panties aside. "Not sure if I'm ready..."
"Feel ready to me," he said roughly, guiding himself into her.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyelids as she braced herself for his body's assault. The initial shock was rapidly displaced by baser sensations. She gripped his shoulders as he lunged into her over and over.
Bobby felt an all-consuming fire, some deep force driving him. His brain was screaming to slow down but his body wasn't listening.
She shivered, excitement washing any residual fear away, "Keep going," she squeaked.
Bobby finished quickly, still holding her against the door, then he started to sob, "I'm sorry, baby, sorry."
Her own body was quivering, and she didn't trust herself to speak.
They were frozen against the door, deeply shaken, when the building began to shudder.
"What the...?" Bobby groaned.
"An attack?" Alex's mind tried to process it.
"Maybe...maybe...earthquake?" he muttered.
"Maybe we should..." she tried to push him away.
"If it is an earthquake, safest place is here," Bobby said in her ear as he set her on her feet.
They leaned together until the movement subsided. They tried to tidy up their clothes, and made their way to the couch. Alex reached for the remote. CNN was confirming a quake in the DC area. "Gives a whole new meaning to 'the earth moved,'" she snarked.
Bobby put his head in her lap, regret rampant on his face, "I shouldn't have...so sorry."
"Sorry you caused an earthquake?" she stroked his hair absently.
He reared up, "Sorry I damn near rape-"
She slapped her hand to his mouth, "Don't you ever, ever say that, damn it." Her expression was fierce. "If I didn't want you, I would have said so."
"But all I wanted was..." he sighed.
"An angry fuck against the door?" she suggested.
Bobby barked out a shocked laugh.
She grinned at the look on his face, "It's okay to want that once in a while."
"I don't think you got as much out of it as I did," he said regretfully.
"It doesn't always have to be about me," she kissed him carelessly.
Bobby pushed her skirt up, "I think I kind of trashed this."
"Probably," she tried to get off the couch as their cells started ringing. "We have to call in."
"In a minute," he undressed her from the waist down.
"We can't," she moaned, realizing his intent.
"We will," his tongue snaked up her thigh.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as he satisfied her, knowing that it wasn't worth arguing when he was like this.
"Better now?" she asked as she got her breath back.
"Yeah," he sighed.
"We have to go back to the office," she groaned.
He helped her off the couch and they went into the bathroom to clean up. Alex grabbed a couple cartons of yogurt and some fruit on the way out to the SUV.
Their mildly disheveled appearance escaped notice as One PP was buzzing over the earthquake coverage.
Alex got a text from her brother Patrick a little after six, "Quake party tonight at Chez Eames in Islip. BYOB."
"Quake party. What the hell?" she muttered.
"Sounds like fun," Joe chuckled. They were in the conference room discussing the latest twists in the Epstein case.
"I've heard of hurricane parties," Bobby commented.
"If the weather geeks are right, we might be doing that next weekend," Alex commented, preparing to text her brother back.
Bobby glanced at her, a question in his eyes.
She shook her head nearly imperceptibly.
Joe had to laugh, "Look, you've put in a good couple days of work. Take off, and don't answer your phone." He strolled back to his office.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, fingers poised over the phone.
"Sure, why not? Not every day the earth moves," he grinned, making her blush.
They stopped at a bodega to pick up soda, chips, and sandwiches, then headed to the party. The yard was lit with tiki torches, and the kids were running around, full of chatter about the earthquake.
Jessica was trying to set food out, while dodging her youngest daughter's attempts to toddle around the kitchen.
"Aunt Alex, didja feel the earthquake today?" Four year old Cade ran to hug her legs.
"I did, so did Bobby," she laughed.
"Were you scared?" his eyes were like saucers.
"Nope, not a bit. Were you?" she accepted a cold soda from Patrick and sat in the nearest lawn chair.
"My mom made me take a nap so I missed the whole thing," he sounded disgusted.
"Aw, that's too bad," Bobby sympathized. "Maybe next time."
"Let's hope there isn't a next time," Liz commented wryly.
"Hey, cheer up, maybe we'll have a visit from Irene this weekend," Eric laughed.
"All these idiots on TV, acting like the world is ending," Johnny grumbled. "Earth moves a little, we'll get some rain and wind, ain't Armageddon."
"But Grandpa, my teacher said we're gonna have a horror-cane!" Nate objected.
"Bullshit," Johnny grumbled.
"Dad!" that came from both daughters.
"You kids heard a lot worse than that," he shook his head.
"Two parties in a week, hey we're setting a trend," Liz laughed as they sat down to eat.
"Hey, I hope I thanked you ladies for all your hard work Saturday. The food was great," Bobby said warmly.
"Anything for a brother," Liz smirked. "And we had a blast, didn't we, girls?"
"We did," Ashley agreed, taking a huge slice of watermelon. "My latest craving," she explained.
The evening passed pleasantly, with weather disaster stories and tall tales. The adults played an impromptu round of volleyball, with the kids running interference. Bobby wanted to drop Alex at her door, but she insisted he stay the night.
"You're sure?" he asked tentatively.
"I sleep better when you're here. And you can save me from nightmares about earthquakes and horror-canes," she added teasingly as they snuggled under the covers.
And that's chapter nine. Poor Bobby and Alex, they seem to be getting this run on imperfect fathers and family secrets. And gosh, I seem to be in a bit of a smutty mode lately. Maybe it's LOCI withdrawal. Sigh. I'd love to hear what y'all have to say on the subject.