GOOD MAN TURNED BAD?

Chapter 5

Horatio sighed. "Natalia… Well, I can hardly blame her…"

Calleigh shook her head. "I've tried, Horatio. I told her I was handling things, but she's not seeing anything happen. And she won't, now that Leverbrook's backed down. And I'm sure as hell not discussing your personal business with her."

"I could."

"No, you couldn't! Horatio, that would be crazy. You're her supervisor. No way can you tell her what you're doing! Promise me you won't!"

He realised she was right. Any admission of his personal problems would immediately undermine his authority. It would destroy their confidence in him. Ultimately, it would destroy the team.

Calleigh added, more quietly. "It's OK that I know. We've been friends a long time. Nothing is ever going to alter my opinion of you. But you can't, you really can't, make this public knowledge. You do see that?"

"I suppose I do. So… any suggestions?"

"You could just ignore it, and see what she does. I personally think she'll report you, at which point an IAB enquiry is inevitable."

"I can handle that."

"I'm sure you can, but you'll break this team in half. How are you going to work together? Will it force her resignation? And if it does, how are the others going to see it? You crossed the line, and she resigns?" She dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry, that was out of order…"

"No, it wasn't. You're absolutely right. None of this is Natalia's fault."

"There's a chance she won't say anything, but you're still left with a member of the team who doesn't trust you and who you'll have a hard job working with."

Horatio's earlier optimism drained. After his meeting with Cecile, he had felt almost buoyant, on a path to recovery. Now, all he saw was another insurmountable problem.

"What on earth do I do, Calleigh?"

"I don't know… I'll admit I find it quite hard to read Natalia… I am reasonably certain she hasn't discussed this with anyone but me, which is good. I'm also certain she's as uncomfortable about it as you are. She very much wanted to be part of your team, you know. She worked fantastically hard on her firearms training… She always wants to impress you…"

"And I shattered her illusions."

"Something like that."

"I've got to talk to her… Find a way to put this right…"

"You need to be very careful what you say… I'm sorry, I don't mean to tell you how to behave…"

"Don't pussy-foot round me, Calleigh. We're speaking as friends. Say anything you like. Anyway, I'm damned if I know how to approach her…" He ran a hand through his hair. "Coffee?"

She nodded, and he stood up and went to the coffee machine. They were both silent while he poured the drinks and brought them back to the desk.

He sat down. "I think a straightforward admission of guilt… I lost my temper. I shouldn't have. An apology to her… An offer to go to IAB myself… What do you think?"

Calleigh smiled. "Clever… Very you, actually. You're thinking she'll almost certainly say that IAB doesn't need to be involved… Should I sit in, do you think?"

He considered. It was something he'd rather do alone… but Natalia had trusted Calleigh, and it was doubtful she trusted him. "OK… Yes. Stay. Let's get it over with."

During the brief interview, Calleigh had to hide a smile. The conversation went exactly as Horatio had predicted. Faced with an act of contrition from her boss, Natalia seemed only too happy to put the matter to rest. If the air wasn't cleared, it was at least a little less murky. As she went out, Calleigh smiled openly.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You're good."

"I did mean it. I'm hardly proud of it…"

"I know… I didn't mean you weren't sincere. It's just… well, you have an instinct about how people will react."

"I would hope so, after all this time. No, I'm not proud, Calleigh… But I'd hate to be responsible for damaging this team… and I think I'm close to doing that."

"You're putting it right. I think the cracks will heal." She studied him for a moment. "You seem… I don't know… a bit less down…"

He sighed. "It comes and goes. But at least I'm trying to do something… And I'm never going to be able to thank you enough."

"No need, Horatio. It's what friends do." She stood up. "I must get back to work."

He nodded, watching her go, with a girlish wave of her hand. He sat back with a sigh. A sigh of relief for once. He knew he'd been let off the hook, far more easily than he deserved. Now he had to make sure the brutality didn't repeat itself.

He felt he needed a tough case to get his teeth into… Preferably one that didn't involve a sneering lunatic that he was likely to beat the crap out of. He thought about Eric's Jane Doe. He had seen the body on the beach… A totally unmarked body, in bra and panties… No ID. They had both thought 'natural causes', even though dying a natural death on a Miami beach in your underwear wasn't an everyday occurrence. But maybe it wasn't so natural…

There was a time when Jane, or John, Does worried Horatio more than anything else. The idea of someone so alone, so outside of society, that they could die and no one notice, affected him deeply. Of course, it was rarely so simple… He was conscious, however, that his level of empathy had waned, or at least changed. If someone wanted to be that far off the radar, didn't they have the right? Maybe they wanted to 'erase' themselves. Be forgotten, rather than remembered. Sometimes, he knew he did. Once or twice lately, he had even envied a dead person. Envied their peace…

He walked slowly down to the lab where Eric was working.

"Eric, your Jane Doe… What have you got?"

His colleague gave him a fond smile, as much as to say, 'I'm happy to see you, even if I don't need any help here.' Aloud, he said, "Not much. Tom found some tiny fibers in the trachea - very tiny, and a long way down…"

"What made him look again?"

Eric laughed. "I think he had time on his hands. 'Natural causes' seem to offend him."

"So… fibers?"

"Cotton, probably a towel. She's not a homeless person - her underwear is store-bought, but tidy, her nails and hair are clean… She wasn't moved… single lividity… No recent sexual activity. No signs of a struggle. No purse or other clothing. Though she could have walked there in her skimpies - this is Miami…"

"But Tom's sure it was suffocation?"

"Ask him - about ninety percent sure, I think."

Horatio nodded. He really had nothing to add - Eric knew what he was doing. "Keep at it… Someone must be missing her." Or were they?

Eric turned back to his work, but said quietly, "I heard you had a few problems with Justin Leverbrook…"

"A few. It seems to be sorted…"

"As long as you're all right."

"I am. But thanks."

He walked through the other labs. Everyone was in - it was an exceptionally quiet week as far as fieldwork went - but busily occupied. Ryan was so engrossed in something under the microscope that he didn't even see him. He nodded to Natalia, and got an uncertain smile in return - well, it would take time.

He returned to his office, and pulled up the staff appraisal forms. In the initial, 'General Comments', section, he typed, 'I don't deserve them,' then smiled and quickly deleted it.