After Mass Sarah, Mark and the girls came over along with Joe's father, Joseph Sr., for a BBQ and much needed family time. Joe's mother had been gone about a year and both Joe and Sarah tried to get him out as much as possible. A retired cop himself, he often felt restless alone in the house. The guys were in the backyard enjoying a beer while assuming grilling duties and watching Corey, Sophie and Claire playing. Joe found himself able to relax a little for the first time.
"So you want to tell me why there's an unmarked car outside your house, Son?" Joe Sr. asked as he flipped the burgers
"Pop, what are you talking about?" Joe asked, he hadn't told anyone not wanting to frighten them and he thought it wouldn't be obvious but his father was still a cop, retired or not
"Come on, Joe. I know an unmarked car when I see one." He insisted
Joe sighed and took a drink of his beer, "There's something going on but it's under control."
"What are you talking about?" Mark asked, "You have a police car outside your house?"
"It's nothing, Mark." Joe insisted
"I'm not a cop but I know you don't have someone watching your house for nothing, Joe." He replied
"Son, what's going on?" Joe Sr. asked again, "You can trust your family."
He sighed again, "We think a guy I arrested may be trying to get revenge so we're just being careful."
"What?" Mark asked, "You might be in danger and you asked us to come over and put us in the middle of it? My wife and my kids?"
"Calm down, Mark. Nothing is going to happen." Joe insisted
"You're damn right, not to me and my family." Mark stormed off toward the house, "Claire, Sophie! Come on we're leaving."
"Mark, come on." Joe Sr. said
"No, I will not come on." He said, "My family could be in danger." He called to the girls again, "Girls, I said we're leaving."
The girls and Corey came over to them, "Daddy, we just got here. Why do we have to leave?" Claire, the nine year old asked
"Because I said so."
"Uncle Mark, please don't leave. We were having fun." Corey pleaded
"I'm sorry Corey but we have to." Mark said, "Girls, let's go inside and get your mother."
Corey hung his head and walked toward his dad and grandfather as Mark and the girls went toward the house.
Mark entered the kitchen with the girls, "Sarah, we're leaving."
Sarah and Michelle looked at each other, "What are you talking about? We just got here."
"I said we're leaving. Now let's go."
Just then Joe and Corey came in leaving Joe Sr. watching the food, "Mark, please just listen for a minute."
Michelle sensed this was going to be a heated conversation, "Corey, sweetie, why don't you take the girls up to the playroom? You can show them the new game you got."
"Okay." He said and the girls followed him out of the room
"What is all this about?" Sarah asked again
"What this is about is that your brother didn't bother to tell us that some maniac may be after them and there's a police car outside the house." Mark explained angrily
Sarah looked at Joe, "So that's why you wouldn't let Corey go with us yesterday?
"Yes, I knew if he were here he'd be okay. But out in public I wasn't so sure." Joe explained
She turned to her husband, "Honey, do you really think Joe would knowingly put us in danger?" Sarah asked, "If he didn't think it was safe he wouldn't have invited us. The police are here, that's a good thing."
"Mark, I'm sorry. I guess I should have told you." Joe said, "Things have been really stressful for us and we needed some down time, to do something relaxing and be with family. I promise you it will be alright."
Mark thought for a moment and sighed heavily, "Alright but I want the girls in our sight the entire time."
"I'll call them down." Michelle walked to the front of the house and in few minutes returned with Corey and the girls to find Mark and Joe shaking hands and relaxing and Sarah was smiling. Michelle smiled at her husband.
Joe Sr. came in carrying the plate of hamburger patties, "Well, the burgers are ready." He said, "How many do we need?" He looked around at everyone
Joe smiled, "We're all eating, Pop."
Joe Sr. returned his smile, "Good, then let's get to it."
After eating and Joe, Mark, Joe Sr. and Corey playing some touch football while the girls did their thing, Mark and Sarah left with the girls but Joe Sr. stayed behind. Corey was upstairs so he took the opportunity to talk to Michelle and Joe as they enjoyed the last of the afternoon sun on the deck.
"So, you two wanna tell me what's really going on?" He asked
"Pop, I told you." Joe replied taking a drink of beer
"You gave Mark the sugar coated version to calm him down." Joe Sr. said, "I'm a cop, I know there's more to it and I promise not to tell anyone."
Joe looked at Michelle then back to his father, "There's a guy named Mike Falco who I arrested about ten years ago on racketeering charges. He vowed to get revenge when he got out."
"And…" Joe Sr. replied
"And he approached Corey at school the other day and he's been seen outside our house. Or at least we think it's him." He paused, "And we think he killed one of the officers watching the house."
"My God, Son. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked, "This is serious."
"Because I didn't want to worry anyone." Joe said, "We've been trying to handle this discreetly."
Joe Sr. looked at Michelle, "Is he always this stubborn?"
"Hmm, I hear he comes by it naturally." Michelle replied, she and Joe's father had always had a good relationship
"Well, you better hope it skips a generation or you gonna have your hands full." He quipped, gesturing to Michelle's abdomen
Joe was sitting next to Michelle and he reach out and caressed her abdomen, "Lily is going to have her mother's charm and good looks."
Michelle flinched slightly and Joe became concerned, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She assured him, "The baby just changed position."
Later that night Michelle was standing at the bedroom window watching the patrol car outside. Joe came out of the shower and quietly came up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist he rested his hands on her abdomen, startling her out of her thoughts.
"Hey, you sure you're okay, Babe?" He asked
"Yeah, you just startled me, that's all." She relaxed against him
"Tell me something." He said drinking in the smell of her clean skin, "Why do you dislike the name Lily so much? I know that's why you were so uncomfortable earlier not because the baby moved."
She sighed, "I thought you would know." She explained turning around to face him, "Edward Lilly is the man who was accused of killing the woman who lived in my house, remember?"
"Yeah, but he didn't do it." Joe said
"I know but the name reminds me of the whole thing." She explained, "It just makes me uncomfortable."
He looked into her eyes and could tell how deep it went, "Okay, we'll name her Emma, like you want."
"Honey, if you don't like it we can pick another name all together."
He thought for a moment, "How about Emma Margaret?" Margaret was Joe's mother's name
She smiled, "I think that's a wonderful name."
Joe caressed her belly and smiled, "What do you think, Kiddo? If you don't like it now's the time to speak up."
The baby kicked and Michelle placed her hand over his, "That's her way of saying she likes it." She pressed his hand closer, "And that she loves her daddy."
He leaned in and kissed her sweetly and she rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel the baby continuing to move and he didn't let her see a single tear escape his eye and travel down his cheek.
12TH PRECINCT POLICE STATION
Joe had just returned from being called out on a robbery case with his partner Detective O'Donnell. He was feeling exhausted and the truth was he hadn't slept well since this whole thing started. He found himself waking up and watching his wife sleep or going to check on Corey. He noticed a folder on his desk when he sat down. He opened it and it was the ballistics report on the bullet that shot Benson, a nine millimeter. He got up and knocked on Captain Harris's door.
"Yeah?" Harris replied
"I saw the ballistics report so what do we do now?" Joe asked
"Nothing." Harris said leaning back in his chair
"Nothing?" Joe repeated, "A cop was killed, Sir."
"Joe, what are we supposed to do?" Harris asked, "We don't have any other evidence. We can't even find Falco."
"I know but we can't just sit on our hands. Someone must know where he is."
"We are covering every angle we can think of."
"Yeah and in the meantime my family is in danger and has to have round the clock surveillance." Joe replied
"Joe, you've been under a lot of stress. I should order you to take a leave of absence." Harris said
"And do what?"
"I don't know." He replied, "But you're not doing yourself or me any good when you're not one hundred percent."
"Captain, with all due respect I can't do that." Joe said, "You've already banned me from doing any work on this case. I have to keep busy or I'll go crazy."
"Alright, I can't force you at this point but believe me we're doing all we can with what we have."
As Joe started to get up there was a knock on the door and Joe's partner stuck his head in, "I'm sorry Captain." He said, "But Joe, there's trouble at your house."
TBC