DICLAIMER- Pendergast, Proctor and Constance belong to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Halo Spencer, Ryan Elmasy and the plot belong to me. -Gadget

Chapter 3 Halo's POV

What could they possibly expect me to say? The police knew I hadn't been at my house when Ryan was attached and they knew I hadn't witnessed anything or anyone 'abnormal' in the neighborhood. But they just kept asking the same questions in different ways. But I really couldn't blame the detective and CSI that were questioning me; the CSI was just a kid, maybe a year or two older than me. And the detective looked like he might just be a few hours from his retirement party.

"So Mister Elmasy was your lover?" Detective Gorman asked.

"Yes," I said. He'd asked that question eight times now; fucking hell, it wasn't that weird for two guys to date.

"How long had you lived together?" Ninth time he'd asked that.

"A little over two and half years,"

"How did you meet?" Second time...

It would always be a fond memory, the first night I met Ryan. "We met at a club in upstate New York."

The CSI looked over at Pend, studying him with his dark eyes. "What's your relationship with Mister Spencer and the diseased, Agent Pendergast?"

I hadn't wanted to be left alone with the detective and CSI and I had begged Pend to stay with me. I promised I would make it up to him as long as he didn't leave me alone. He had agreed with barely any reluctance.

"Spencer is my former partner in the Bureau and my friend." He told the younger man. "Ryan Elmasy, as his lover, was simply my friend."

"Was there ever anything between you? Something other than a work relationship?" The detective asked; the first time he'd covered that topic.

I have to hand it to Pend; he didn't so much as blink. The truth was that for a small time we had been lovers, and every now and then when I was dating Ryan, I had gone to Pend for a night of fun. And before you criticize me, Ryan knew what Pend and I were doing. But it would always remain a secret between the three of us.

"No."

Both men wrote that down in their notebooks.

"Tell me the events of your day before your found Mister Elmasy." The detective said.

This was the question I had been dreading even though I knew it would come up eventually. I ran my hand through my hair, suddenly wanting to cut it all off but Ryan had loved its length and I couldn't destroy something he had loved. It seemed almost sacrilegious to do so.

"Mister Spencer..." Gorman said.

I sighed. "I was buying dope." I said. "Ryan smoked with me sometimes after I got expelled from the FBI last year."

"Where did you buy your marijuana?" The CSI asked.

Pend tapped the table. "That's not what this meeting is about."

"This is about murder, not narcotics kid." Gorman told the CSI. "What made you go into the backyard?"

I shifted in my seat, looking at Pend for support, the agent nodded. I hadn't told him anything, had forced myself to not even think about yesterday. But I knew I had to speak about it now, I couldn't put it off for a moment more if I wanted even a second of peaceful sleep.

"We were gonna smoke and make a snowman," I smiled slightly, thinking about our discussion that morning and making the plans. "I didn't see him when I went inside so I went to the backyard, thinking that maybe he had already started on the snowman. Sometimes he got really impatient..."

I had to stop for a moment, seeing the unfolding events in my mind. I took a few deep breaths, closing my eyes and Pend set his hand lightly on my back. I shook him off, couldn't let the cop and CSI get any ideas about the truth.

"There were footprints in the snow and they were too big for Ryan and they weren't mine. They were bloody...I called to Ryan but he didn't answer me so I ran and then I found him..."

I stopped, letting my hands cover my face because I just couldn't say any more.

"You were there while he bled out, correct?" Gorman asked softly. Imagine that; a cop with a decent heart.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Anyone suspicious in the neighborhood? Did Mister Elmasy have any enemies that you know of?"

"No, to both." I said, thought about it. "Not that I can remember, Ryan is...was a pretty cool guy."

I was proud of myself for not breaking down but then I remembered that I still had the rest of the day, the night and the rest of my life to go. The rest of my life without Ryan, and I wasn't sure if I could do it.

Pend held the car door open for me when the detective and young CSI got done with us. I slide onto the leather seat until I was pressed up against the opposite door. Pend slid in next to me, pulling the door shut and telling his driver to take us back to Riverside.

I let the silence gather for nearly half an hour before I looked to Pend, found him looking at me. I sighed and reached into my pocket, pulling out a little doll made of burlap and hemp. I held the doll up, watching Pend's face as he studied it.

After a moment, he let his head fall back against the seat. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked.

"I couldn't."

"They asked if Ryan had any enemies and you said no."

"Ryan doesn't have enemies," I countered. "I do though."

"Didn't have enemies," Pend corrected and I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach.

"Right," I murmured.

"So his murder was a warning to you," It wasn't a question.

"Yeah,"

"I'm sorry for your loss Halo." Pend said gently.

"I want to call my grandmother when we get back."