Chapter 35
Jamie sat in the ambulance patiently waiting to hear the paramedics tell her that her baby is okay. She didn't second guess her actions she just wanted to know that the baby was as strong as she was. If she knew that then she wouldn't have to second guess her actions on the job. She looked at the paramedic that was checking her out. "The baby is fine. However I recommend that you go to the hospital and get an ultrasound." He told her.
"Now?" Jamie asked.
"I would recommend it."
"You told me the baby is fine, why would I need an ultrasound?"
"Just to make sure that everything is totally fine."
"So you're not sure?" Jamie asked.
"As sure as a paramedic can be."
"Just check the little paper off that I am fine, and when I can I'll go get the little ultrasound you want me to get when I have time."
/Chung Chung/
Nicole looked at Munch, "Shouldn't we get off this roof so I can kill Lee?"
Munch looked at Nicole's arm which was covered in blood. "Shouldn't you get that checked out, first?"
She looked at her arm, "Fuck, damn him." She sighed, "Ah we can bandage it up at the station. I want my hands on Lee before he wants a lawyer."
"Okay." Munch sighed.
/Chung Chung/
Nicole was sitting at her desk as Fin was wrapping a bandage around her arm. Munch was getting himself his tea. "Not so tight." Nicole whined.
"I'm not exactly a doctor you know." Fin said as he pulled it tighter.
"Hey!" Nicole almost yelled as she went to hit him.
"Aww, look at Fin, he's playing paramedic with a violent detective." Jamie said walking in.
"I'm not violent." Nicole replied.
"Really?" Munch asked.
"I'm not." Nicole stated as Fin finished wrapping the bandage.
"From what I heard you broke what's-his-face's nose." Fin replied.
"He deserved it."
"It's not every day you get a knife to your throat." Jamie piped up.
Munch sat at his desk. "You know what?"
"What?" The rest asked in unison.
"We have everything but why these guys are originally after Nicole and now us."
Nicole looked down and thought. "It doesn't make sense. Lee, I always thought was clean. And for some reason he and his buddies want not only me but now you guys dead."
"Lee, if that is his name. Two names came up when Fin and I ran his prints and DNA." Jamie said looking through her desk to find the papers.
"What is the motive here, it can't be because they just don't like you." Fin comments.
Nicole thought, "If it's just Lee calling the shots here, why didn't they just finish me off in the warehouse?"
"Could be to make himself look good." Jamie thought.
"There has to be something you saw or heard." Fin stated.
Nicole stood up, "Damn it! I didn't see something or hear something for this to happen. Well not that I can think of. I trusted Lee with my life for fuck sakes. Now he wants me dead! How do I know that he didn't put a price tag out on my head! He tried to even kill Munch and Cragen by setting my house of fire."
"Geeze, settle down." Jamie said standing up. "Okay, so he tried to BBQ their asses, but I was also shot and Kathleen was kidnapped. So we know they are trying to really mess things up. But we still don't know why."
"It has to do with you, Nicole. You're the reason for this." Fin said.
"Fin!" Jamie glared at him.
"What? It's true."
"It is. I trusted the wrong person. Who now wants me and you guys dead." Nicole sighed. "Lee has to be the center of this."
Munch was just sitting there watching all of it, and trying to piece it together.
"I don't know why he's doing this. Or how he got the others in on this." Nicole said sitting down.
Jamie sat down on Munch's desk. "He has to be holding something over them. Which means he has some kind of power. Enough that he doesn't have a file in Dallas and has two known names in the system."
"Yeah the shit you can get from a coffee cup." Fin commented.
Nicole thought for a second. "I wonder if the last case I did with him has something to do with this."
"Why do you think that?" Jamie asked.
"Lee and I went undercover to do a drug bust. But we put away the head honcho."
"Okay, can you get the case files on it?"
"Who do I ask? Who should I trust?" Nicole asked.
"You worked Narco down there, Fin and I did here. Chances are we can pull them."
"Good luck."
Fin smirked, "I'll make a phone call."
Munch took a sip of tea, while Fin was on the phone, "Why don't we let the five of them sit in the cell for a while, and get some sleep?"
Nicole looked at him, "Sleep? You want me to sleep?"
"It's been a long day." Munch commented.
Jamie thought for a while. "They can't talk to each other. And it might work in our favor. Plus we haven't slept in a while."
"Both of you want me to sleep?" Nicole asked shocked, but a yawn made it's way out.
"Okay, got the files coming in tomorrow." Fin said, interrupting as he hung up the phone.
"Bed?" Jamie asked. "We all need some much deserved sleep."
Nicole furrowed her brow. "Sleep? What exactly is this sleep you speak of?"
Munch shook his head and took Nicole by the arm. "Okay, my little smartass, that's proof right there that you need some."
Fin nodded, "I don't think any of us have slept since this started."
/Chung Chung/
Nicole was lying in bed, she really wanted to sleep. But her mind wouldn't shut off. She couldn't help but think of how much she trusted Lee and how it ended up back stabbing her. Never in a million years would she have thought he would be behind this or even do something like this. Why? Why would he do this, or even go to this length.
She rolled over and looked at Munch who was sound asleep. She wondered what the case file was going to hold. Or even if it was the truth was in it. She wasn't sure who she could trust anymore.
Even the man that was laying sound asleep beside her, a man that she should trust without ever having to question it, is becoming a big question mark to her. If she can't trust Lee anymore, someone who, when she looked back on it, saved her so many times from so many situations, if she can't trust him can she really trust the people that she surrounded herself with now on a daily basis.
Then she started to think that with the way everyone has been backing her lately with everything that has gone, is exactly how Lee used to be and look how that whole relationship turned out. How can she be sure anymore that Fin, Jamie, Cragen, Elliot, Liv and even Munch aren't lulling her into a false sense of security?
But then would they really risk their own lives to save her? Well, Lee did at one point. The whole trust factor was becoming difficult for Nicole grasp after everything that had gone down.
She would just have to deal with the situation after all the facts were laid out on the table for her.
/Chung Chung/
The next morning Nicole and Munch made their way into the bullpen. Nicole walked over to the coffee pot, while Munch sat down at his desk. She poured herself a cup and looked over at Jamie. "When did you get here?"
"About an hour ago." Jamie replied.
Nicole sat down at her desk. "Where is everyone?"
"Elliot took some time off to be with his family. Cragen's in his office and Liv hasn't come in yet."
"And Fin?"
Jamie shook her head. "Left home early. Said he had something to do. You wanna get started with Neuman?"
Nicole nodded. "I just want to get this over with and get some answers." she said as Cragen came out of his office.
"Nicole? Can I see you for a minute?"
Nicole stood up and walked over to Cragen's office. "What's up, Don?"
"You ready for this interrogation? Cause if you're not, I can get someone else to handle it."
"No, Captain, I wanna be in there. I think I'm entitled."
Cragen nodded and sighed. "Yes you are. Alright whenever you're ready we'll bring him in."
"Right now. I wanna do this now."
/Chung Chung/
Nicole walked into an interrogation room and looked right at Lee who was sitting on the other side of the table. She just looked at him long and hard, trying to figure out why she never saw the man he truly was and how she could be so foolish as to trust him as completely as she did.
She sat down across from Lee and Cragen sat beside her. Cragen glanced at Nicole and then looked at Lee. "Let's start with an easy question. What's your real name?"
Lee stared at Nicole but answered Cragen. "My name's Lee Neuman."
"Bullshit! We got your prints and DNA and they tell a different story."
"I never gave you permission to take either and I'm pretty sure I didn't see a court order." Neuman said smugly, while still looking at Nicole.
"We got them from the coffee cup you discarded in the hospital. We don't need a warrant for that."
"You think you have it all figured out, don't you?" Lee asked.
/Chung Chung/
Jamie had just received the case files of the drug bust that Nicole was involved in back in Dallas. She was sitting at her desk going over them when Fin walked into the bullpen. Jamie looked up at saw him. "Hey, got the files..." The she did a double take at what she saw. "What the hell did you do?"
"What?" Fin asked.
Jamie stood up and walked over to him. "Your ponytail's gone. You got a total crop job. What made you do that?"
"Time for a change. What you don't like it?"
"Actually, if it's possible, I think you look even sexier." Jamie said as Munch walked into the bullpen.
"Do I have to get the hose for you two?" Munch asked and then noticed Fin's new do. "Whoa, nice haircut, man."
"Thanks. So what's going down?" Fin asked.
Jamie picked up the file from her desk. "Got the case file on Nic's last case in Dallas, so I was just going over it. She and Cragen are in there with Neuman now." Jamie said, pointing to an interrogation room.
/Chung Chung/
Nicole sighed, "Why don't you humor us. Tell us what you think we know."
Lee laughed, "You think I'm that stupid? C'mon Nic you know me better than that."
Nicole stood up. "You stupid fuck. After all this you think that I still know you? You have three known names. Which is which?"
"Yeah, so who are you really? Rob Thiessen or Dez Taylor?" Cragen asked.
Lee shook his head. "Neither. And that's all I'm saying about it."
Cragen saw Nicole was fuming and placed his hand on her arm. She glanced at him and then back at Lee. "I want to know who the fuck you really are and why you tried to kill me."
"You know, you turned out to be a lot tougher than I gave you credit for." Lee stated.
"Obviously you knew me about as well as I knew you. So how much of our past is a lie? All?" Nicole asked, sitting down.
Lee smirked. "You tell me."
Nicole stood back up. "Enough of this." She yelled jumping over the table grabbing him by the shirt. "Why did you try so many times to fucking kill me?"
"Because it didn't work out the first time." Lee said sarcastically.
"You fucking prick." Nicole yelled and slammed him against the wall.
"Nicole! Let him go! Now!" Cragen yelled and pulled Nicole off of Lee. "Now sit down, both of you or this interrogation is over."
Nicole dropped Lee on his butt. "Didn't work out the first time? Look at me, look at what you've done. I want to know why before I kick your ass all over New York."
"Nicole, calm down." Cragen said pulling her arm towards the chair.
Nicole sat down as Lee pulled himself up off the floor. "You look like an ad for death. Too bad you ain't in the ground."
"Lee, tell me why you've done this? Does it have to do with something back in Dallas when we worked together? Something to do with the warehouse?" Nicole asked, hoping for something to give.
"You know damn well it does. You should have just kept your nose out of my business."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You started poking your nose around and went to Spencer about missing drugs from evidence. You should have just stayed the hell out of it."
"You took the missing drugs?" Nicole asked. She knew drugs were missing but she had never suspected Lee to be involved.
"You're telling me you didn't know that?"
"No, I didn't."
Just than there was a knock on the door. Jamie poked her head in, "We need to talk."
/Chung Chung/
Nicole walked out into the observation room and looked at Jamie. "This better be good. I was finally getting somewhere with him."
"I just finished a phone call with Mickey Santiago..."
"The drug kingpin we busted?" Nicole interrupted.
"So you think. The guy's doing a life sentence because he claims he took the fall for Lee. According him, Lee was or actually is running the whole drug operation."
Nicole thought for a second, "The missing drugs, the way he acted in the undercover. He thinks I knew and was waiting to rat him out."
"Bingo." Jamie said, "It's the only thing that makes sense."
"The funny thing is... I didn't suspect him for a second. I thought it was really Santiago behind the whole thing."
"Yeah, that's what he counted on."
"Why all of a sudden is Santiago ratting Lee out?"
"Because Lee was supposed to get him out and instead he's leaving him there to rot." Jamie replied.
"Thanks." Nicole said and went back into the room.
/Chung Chung/
"You actually are more stupid than I thought." Nicole said sitting down next to Cragen.
Lee looked at her, "What do you mean?"
"The whole thing with Santiago."
Cragen looked at her, wondering what now was going on.
Nicole smirk, "Did you ever think that he was going to keep his mouth shut. Just got word from him that it was... you running the ring. You actually had me believing you were not involved. Now I look back and it all makes sense. You wanted me dead because you thought I knew."
Lee sat back and laughed. "Really, do you think that's the only reason?"
"What's the full reason Lee?" Cragen asked.
Lee looked at Nicole. "I loved you. But you wouldn't even give me a second glance."
"You tried to kill me because I wouldn't let you get in my pants?"
"I couldn't stand back and watch you with another man and if you didn't want to be with me then he couldn't have you either."
Nicole almost laughed. "You gotta be kidding me. Are you nuts?"
/Chung Chung/
Jamie looked at Fin and Munch. "He's gotta be psycho!"
"Yeah, he's good. What, he's gonna play the heartbroken angle now?" Fin asked.
"How can he be heartbroken over a relationship he never even had to begin with?" Munch said.
"Well, maybe not in reality but he's got a whole fantasy world in his head." Jamie replied.
/Chung Chung/
"You mean to tell me I was in a relationship I wasn't even aware of?" Nicole asked.
Cragen couldn't believe it. What was next?
"You stupid bitch. This all just a big joke to you, isn't it?" Lee asked angrily.
"Joke or not, Lee, you fucked up big time and now you're going away for a long time." Nicole said confidently.
TBC...