Chapter Seven

Setting the Trap

Alex and Robby arrive at the hospital early this Monday morning. Bobby is dressed and anxious to leave. The smile on his face is a mile wide when his family appears at the door. "Ready?" she asks as they enter the room.

Nodding, "Yes, since six this morning, I've been ready."

Following directly behind them is Doctor Friedberg. "Good morning all," he says as he hands a slip of paper to Bobby. "This is a list of the do's and don'ts and I suggest," he wags his finger at his patient. "No, I implore you to follow them implicitly."

Alex removes the paper from her husbands' hand, "Don't worry Doctor, he will," she glances up at him, "Right?"

He nods a few times as he picks up his son, "I will, I promise."

He does his best to relax and with Alex by his side, she makes sure of it. Having the time to actually sit and think, he has devised a plan to trap the devil's daughter.

A Few Days Later

Alex arrives home a little after 3 pm, accompanied by Captain Ross.

"Bobby," she calls to him.

"I'll be right there," he answers. He descends the stairs, reaching the last step he sets Robby down, "Mommy," he says excitedly as he sprints to his mother.

She squats down, scooping him in her arms, "Hi sweetie did you and Daddy have fun today?" Nodding his head as he squeezes her as tight as a toddler can.

A quick glance at her CO and she spots a small sparkle in his eyes, he reaches for the boy, lightly patting his arm. "Hey Robby," he says with a smile.

Robby studies the man's face, then smiles, weakly he says "Hi." He gives a nudge to his mother which means I want to get down.

"He's adorable," he pauses, "Goren," extending his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you," he shows him to the couch. "Please sit, can I get you something to drink?"

"I could use a beer but I think I've have a soft drink, whatever you have."

"Sure." He calls to his wife, "Alex you want something?"

"No, not right now, Captain if you'll excuse me, I want to change, I'll be right back."

Nodding his head as Bobby hands him a can of soda, "Thank you." He opens the can and takes a long sip, "I am very anxious to hear what you have to tell me about our Miss Wallace."

Bobby informs Ross about their suspicion of Detective Brown. He is shocked and disturbed by their notion but with Bobby and Alex's knowledge of Nicole, he agrees to comply with their plan.

"One of the first things that you have to do is find a case that Logan and Wheeler are working on and assign Alex and Lange to help them. They have to appear to be working on it as a team. Nothing brings people closer than working a case. It won't seem unusual for Megan and Alex to be speaking about the case but also some personal issues. Now since I am to be suspended, reason unknown, it doesn't matter. Danni will be partner less; is that a word?" he shrugs his shoulders. "Anyway, she can also help the other four. Phone calls, trips to the lab, things of that nature."

"But in actuality," Ross says. "The case that they will be working on is getting to Nicole. Also then the women will be free to discuss," Ross points at him, "You."

Bobby nods his head, "Yes, exactly."

Alex has since returned from upstairs, "Maybe we should let him in on it and then follow him," she says.

"No, not yet," Bobby says shaking is head. "Let him feed Nicole this information and then we will get him off the street. He has to feel that he has not been suspected of anything. We can't guarantee how he might react when he speaks to her. He has to be calm and confident; he might not be able to do that when he knows that he is lying to her. If he cracks she will dispose of him and disappear and be free to reappear God's knows where and when." He picks up his soda can, taking a long sip, "I am not going to go through this shit again." Setting the can down, "We have the perfect opportunity to get her and we can't let her slip away…..once more."

The Next Day

One Police Plaza

Ross opens his door, "Logan, Wheeler," he waves to them. "In my office."

Mike leads the way, holding the door for his partner, "Captain."

"Please sit," Ross closes the door. "For the next week or so we are all going to be on a special assignment. That assignment, find Nicole Wallace and force her to show herself."

"How in the hell are we going to do that?" Mike asks.

"I had a meeting yesterday with the Goren's," he laughs. "I still can't get use to that, oh hell, Goren and Eames." He sits on the edge of his desk. "Goren was always under the impression that Nicole was watching him, in a way he is correct, she is, through Detective Browns' watchful eye."

Megan frowns, "He's been feeding information to her?"

"Yes, reporting to her as to things that he has seen here. Now, as we all know it has taken its toll on him but he has come to realize exactly what her plan is."

"What is that?" Mike asks.

"To do nothing."

"Nothing," Megan scoffs, "Nothing could make a person go over the edge then waiting for retaliation from another person."

"Wow I was right about her," Mike says. "Beauty brains and a complete psycho."

The trio laughs at the statement, "We can laugh," Megan says as she crosses her legs, "But she knows people and she knew exactly what to do to him."

Ross continues, "The first thing that we are going to do is to get Alex and Mark involved in your case, more comradely between all involved. But in reality the four of you plus Matthews will be working on the Nicole Wallace case." He stands and walks behind his desk, "Tomorrow Goren will be in my office and we are going to play, Goren gets suspended. Over the last two weeks Brown has been dropping comments to Lange and Eames. We are hoping that he will again tomorrow.

The Next Morning

He watches them as they enter the Captain's office, walking slowly through the squad, he stops when he approaches Mark. After a quick glance around the room he leans up against his colleagues' desk. The two men look up when they hear the Captain's voice, the words are unclear but the sound is of anger.

"I had heard that he wasn't due back till next week."

"Me too," Mark says. "But he is hoping to return today."

Tom lowers his head, "I don't think that's going to happen."

Mark closes up a folder and then stands, "You know," he coughs. "Alex certainly has her hands full, don't get me wrong I like the guy, he's alright but I think this situation has taken him over the cliff."

Tom asks, "From his own doing?"

Mark lowers his head as his stuffs his hands in his pockets, then the phone on his desk rings, "Excuse me."

"Sure," Toms wanders back to his desk.

The Captain's Office

Alex is sitting, Ross and Bobby are standing, Bobby is leaning on the desk. "Is he watching?"

Ross moves his eyes but not his head, "Yes, very nonchalantly, if you weren't looking for it you wouldn't notice. He just spoke a few words to Lange and then Mark's phone rang, Logan right on cue."

Bobby sits back in the chair, his demeanor is of defeat.

Ross follows his lead and resumes his seat behind the desk. "I was a little apprehensive about this but, shit you guys were right." Leaning forward, "The only thing is can you be sure that she will contact you?"

Bobby leans back in the chair, staring at the ceiling, "I have a suspicion that it was Nicole's idea to call in that sighting in February." Bobby lowers his head leaning his elbows on his thighs, "She won't be able to resist. She's not only a psychopath but an egomaniac, when she is sure that she has won the game she will have to show me up."

Bobby abruptly stands which causes Ross to sit up, "I'm leaving the office, when I get halfway through the squad room, call, no yell to me and demand my weapon."

The door opens suddenly and all eyes look up, "Detective." Bobby stops suddenly, "Your weapon."

Walking slowly he takes out his weapon, stopping at his desk. He removes the clip and slams it down. Alex remains in the Captains office, when Ross returns the two stand face to face.

"He just passed my office door."

Alex turns abruptly and with one quick motion the door is open, all eyes focus on the sound, Alex turns, "I had hoped that you were the kind of man to give someone a break when they were down, I guess I was wrong." Closing the door loudly she jogs through the squad.

That Evening

"So, Boss," Alex says as she sets the teakettle on the stovetop, "What should we do tomorrow?"

"Nothing we have to take our time, we can't do too much too soon."

He is sitting at the table with a white pad and pencil, placing her hands on his shoulders, she leans over. "What are you writing?"

"It's an outline for a story that you are going to confess to Megan and Danni, in the cafeteria, on Monday."

"Can I read what you have already?" The whistle blows on the kettle.

He stands, "I'll get it," turning off the burner. "So what do you think?"

"This is good, I like it. It makes sense and it is believable." She reads further, "I get to kick you out?" She asks surprisingly.

He nods as he pours the boiling water into a cup. "I already found a place to hideout. Remember the bar I told you about, Murphy's?"

He hands her a cup of tea, "Thanks, yes I do."

"Above the bar is a one bedroom apartment, used mostly as a storage area but I spoke with Sam this afternoon and," Bobby chuckles. "He thought it was cool that we'd be using his place for a police undercover operation, anyway I….we just need to clean it out a bit and for 50 bucks a weeks it will be my new home."

The Home of Tom Brown

He sits down at his computer; it is close to 10 P.M. He clicks new message.

I have some information.

He hits the send button; ten minutes go by and his email has an answer. He is given an address and a set of instructions. He is in his car and finds the diner. He enters the men's room, first stall, inside the tank is a note wrapped in plastic. He opens it, written in bold print the place and time for their next meeting.

TBC