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Chapter 3
Jo was sat with Mac on the comfy chairs in his office. She had a nice hot cup of tea in her hands and had now stopped crying, feeling slightly embarrassed for having done so in the first place. The lab had now filled with more employees and so Jo wasn't ready to go out yet. Her face was stained with tears and she didn't want to appear that way in front of the people who relied on her to be strong, a leader.
"You should see where she's living, Mac. It's a mess, I kept thinking the stairs were gunna collapse beneath us, and inside her apartment is no better. She has maybe three pieces of furniture. I gave her up because I had nothing to offer her, yet nothing it what she has now. Maybe if I'd just kept her…"
"Jo, maybe's are no good. You gave her up then and you can't go back to change it, so just change it now, as it is. Be there for her now, give her what you can now that you couldn't then."
"I just feel so darn guilty when I see her. When I had her, I was living in an apartment not much different from hers. I was working two jobs, like her, just to pay the bills and keep the roof over my head but I still had so much more than she does."
Mac placed his hand on Jo's, letting her know he was there for her. "If anyone can make what happened to her last night a good thing, a new chance at life, it's you, Jo."
Jo looked at him, knowing he was right. "What should I say to her?" Jo asked, she had never felt so lost and confused.
"You could start by telling her you're her mother." Mac said with an encouraging smile.
~0~0~0~0~
Jo climbed out of her car, carrying a shopping bag. She was walking up to Beth's building when her phone began to ring. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. "Jo Danville." she answered.
"Jo, it's Mac. Where are you?" he asked.
"Outside Beth's building. Is everything ok?" she asked him.
Mac was sat behind his desk, his phone pressed to his ear as he studied the screen in front of him. "Not really. Jo, it's about Beth. I just pulled her police record."
"She has a record?" Jo asked in disbelief.
"Yes. It could explain why she is so reluctant to talk to us." Mac decided.
"What's she been involved in."
"It's not pretty, Jo."
"Mac, tell me." Jo begged
~0~0~0~0~
Beth was sat on the couch reading a book when there was a knock on the door. She pushed her aching body up and limped over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked, not willing to open the door till she knew.
"It's Detective Jo Danville." Jo said, her tone a little sharp. "Let me in, Beth."
Reluctantly Beth opened the door and walked away from it as Jo walked in. "I thought I said I didn't want you to come by to check on me…and don't think I didn't noticed that unmarked cop car down there." Beth said, sitting down on the window sill that led onto the fire escape. "It sticks out like a sore thumb!"
"What's the matter, Beth, afraid we might catch you doing something you shouldn't be?" Jo asked.
Beth looked at her, confused. "Excuse me?" she asked.
"You didn't tell me you had such a colourful police record." Jo said as she walked right up to her. "Theft, break in and entering, assault and the assault of a police officer, prostitution, drugs!" Jo yelled as she grabbed Beth's arms and pushed her sleeve up.
"What the hell are you doing?" Beth yelled back at her, slapping Jo's arms away and moving away from her as quick as her body would allow. Having to hold her side because of the pain the quick movements caused to it.
"Looking for track marks!" Jo said, following her, as tears stung her eyes. "Don't try to deny it!"
"I've not denied a thing, you just never asked!"
"I had no idea I had to!"
"Because all you were concerned about is getting your perp!"
"No…." Jo began.
"Yes!" Beth shouted back at her. "So what, you go back to your lab, do some digging on me and realise I have a past? Yeah, I stole. I hit a cop because he pinned me down and stuck his hand between my legs in the back of a police car after he arrested me and I broke into empty buildings to get out of the snow, the hail, the rain…and I slept with men to get money because I was starving to death. I'm not proud of my past. It makes my skin want to crawl off of my body just to think about it, but we can't all have squeaky fucking clean records like you, can we!" Beth said as tears now stung her eyes and she glared angrily at Jo.
"The drugs?" Jo asked her.
"I don't take drugs anymore, so you won't find any track marks on me." Beth said, pushing up her other sleeve to show Jo, just to prove her point. "You wanna check between my toes too? I got clean two years ago. I started taking whatever I could get my hands when I was twelve because it was better to feel nothing than be able to feel the abuse I got in foster homes. After foster care I got addicted on meth, I carried on because the abuse just came from different people and places and then I stopped because the only friend I ever had died in my arms from a dirty dose of meth. So don't you dare bring up my past because you know nothing about what I have been through!"
"Then tell me." Jo said, taking a step closer to her.
Beth looked at her, wondering why she should but something in her made her want to open up and confess everything to Jo, but she shook her head. "No. I need to go to work."
"You can't go to work, you need to rest."
"This is New York. You rest too long and you get evicted. I'm not going back to living on the street. Now, please leave."
Jo sighed, and shook her head. "You need to stay here where you can get better. If you go to work now you risk causing further damage to your wounds."
"Detective Danville, you are not my mother…" her words made Jo stare at her wide eyed, if only she knew "…you can't tell me what to do. Now get the hell outta my apartment." Beth said to her, biting her bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
"Your body won't heal…" Jo tried again.
"Get out!" Beth screamed at her as tears began to fall.
Jo looked at Beth for a moment, she looked so lost and broken. She nodded and looked down at the bag in her hands. "These are for you." she said placing the bag on the floor before she turned and walked out of the door, shutting it behind her.
Beth waited a moment and then walked over to the bag. She picked it up and carried it over to the couch. She studied the bag, it was from a store she had never stepped foot in before. She reached into the bag and pulled out a shoe box. Confused she opened it up. Seeing the expensive pair of shoes in it, she turned to face the door, hoping Jo was still there so she could ask her why, thank her, but she was gone.
She pulled out the black flat soled boots. They were totally practical and tough wearing. She loved them.
~0~0~0~0~
Jo was sat in her car, looking out of the window. The need to cry seemed to suddenly burst out of her and she slumped over the steering wheel and let her tears and sobs out.
After a moment she managed to get herself back under control. She looked up just in time to see a red Porsche pull up, a dark haired man was driving it. She watched Beth walk right out of the building and straight up to the car. She climbed in and a second later it sped off, the engine roaring as it did so.
Jo waited for a moment before she pulled her car out onto the street and began to follow it, signalling to the two officers on protective detail that she was doing so.
~0~0~0~0~
Beth walked into the empty bar. It was early and the place never opened till gone 8pm. She had no intention of working but she just wanted out of her apartment and this was the best place, plus her boss Warren wanted to speak to her.
She saw him sitting at the bar, going through papers. She thanked Leo, her driver and Warren's personal assistant, and cousin.
"Hey War', look who's here!" Leo shouted across the empty dance floor.
Warren turned and instantly smiled when he saw Beth. His smile was amazing, it always made Beth smile. She walked over to him and into his open arms. "How you feeling, beautiful?"
"Like I got shot." she scoffed.
Warren looked up at Leo who was lingering in the doorway. Warren gave him a quick but subtle head nod and Leo left. "You know, I have something in my office that could make you feel as good as new." he said to her with a smile.
Beth looked up at him, finding herself getting lost in his stunning cerulean blue eyes. "I'm right behind you." she said flashing him one of her best smiles.
Warren took her hand and led her over to his office. The door was open but as soon as they stepped through he closed it. Beth turned to face him. Instantly he met her lips with his, gently guiding her back against his desk. As soon as her ass hit it he placed his hands under her arms and lifted her up onto it.
His lips moved down to her neck where he traced kisses that made her body immediately react. "Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked him.
He moved back to look her in the face. "No, but you never know when we'll get to do this again." he said to her.
She just laughed at him. "I'm not going anywhere." she told him.
Warren just smiled at her before he began kissing her again, a passionate kiss. His tongue pressed against her lips, begging for access into her mouth which she happily granted. She didn't put up a fight when he reached down and unzipped her trousers. He stopped kissing her long enough to pull her shirt off her.
It was then he saw the bandage on her side. He gently brushed his fingers over it. "Just be gentle and I'll be fine." Beth told him.
Warren smiled at her and went back to kissing her as she reached down to unfasten his trousers.
~0~0~0~0~
Jo had been sat outside the bar for just under a half hour. It was closed so she didn't understand what was talking Beth so long in there, or why she was even here. Deciding she wanted to check it out further she climbed out of her car and walked up to the front door and, to her amazement, found it was open. She walked right in.
She stood in the doorway just looking around. She heard the voice that spoke to her before she saw who had said it. "We're closed!"
Jo turned to see the dark haired man she'd seen driving the Porsche. "Mmm mmm, but for you sweetheart I think I could make an exception."
Jo half smiled at him, not even slightly charmed by his sleaze, "Hi there. I'm….I'm just checking the place out." she said, not sure whether or not to identify herself as a Detective for Beth's sake.
"Let me show you around the place. I'll take you to my favourite VIP booth and you and I can get to know one an other." he said as began stroking Jo's arm. She simply looked down at his hand, debating whether or not to break it or slap him with it
"Detective Danville? What the hell are you doing here!" Jo heard Beth yell. She looked up and saw Beth coming out of the office, straightening her shirt, followed by another dark-haired man who was fastening the top buttons of his shirt up.
"I needed to talk to you." Jo said to her.
"I'm a little busy right now." Beth told her.
"I need to ask you more questions about what you saw."
Beth sighed, clearly annoyed. She turned to face the man behind her. "Can we talk tomorrow?" she asked him.
He glanced up at Jo, who was glaring at him. "Of course we can." he said as he placed a soft but lingering kiss on Beth's head, his eyes fixed on Jo the entire time. Jo found herself snarling back at him. "Speak to you later." he said to Beth when he finally pulled his lips away.
She smiled at him then walked away, right past Jo and out of the bar. Jo and Warren glared at each other a moment longer before Jo followed Beth. Warren never took his eyes off her until she was out of the bar.
He turned to Leo and said, "Get me everything you can on Detective Danville. I didn't like the way she was looking at me."
Leo nodded and walked away, but Warren still couldn't pull his eyes away from where Jo had been standing.
~0~0~0~0~
"I can't believe you showed up here!" Beth yelled angrily at Jo.
"You told me that you didn't have a boyfriend!" Jo said to her.
Beth stopped and turned to face her. "I don't!"
"Oh and I suppose that you and your boss were playing doctor's and nurses in his office."
Beth looked at her wide eyes and mouth open in shock. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Jo didn't answer she could only look at Beth, knowing she was in the wrong but she couldn't help worry for her. Beth shook her head and shoved past Jo as hard as she could.
Without thinking Jo pulled out her handcuffs and grabbed Beth's arm before she had chance to walk away. "Jo, what are you doing?" Beth asked in disbelief.
"You're under arrest for assault." Jo said, it was the only thing she could do to keep Beth somewhere where she could keep an eye on her.
~0~0~0~0~
Beth was sat in an interview room, outside was Jo and Mac. Jo suddenly hid her face behind her hands as she thought about what she had done. "Oh, what have I done, Mac?"
Mac just looked at her, not sure what to say. Jo stepped right up to him and grabbed his jacket in her hands, "Tell me what I'm supposed to do, please Mac."
"Jo, you're the parent. Why are you asking me these things?"
"Because I have no idea what to do. I've totally screwed up here. You should have heard how I laid into her after you told me about her record. I acted like…like…" Jo seemed lost for words.
"Like her mother."
Jo turned to face him and smiled. She loved how he always knew what she was thinking. "You know she told me about the assault on the police officer. She said he assaulted her first, in the back of a police car. The b&e was so she could have somewhere dry to sleep. The prostitution was so she could afford to buy food." she told him sadly.
"The drugs. She was caught with some pretty tough stuff Jo, mostly meth."
"She's quit. I believe her, Mac. About all of it. She's so desperate to be strong and independent even though she has nothing."
"Then go in there and tell her she has you." Mac said to her.
Jo shook her head. "I can't. I can't tell her yet. I don't know how too."
Mac just nodded.
~0~0~0~0~
Mac walked into the interrogation room and saw how pissed off Beth looked. "She's lying, I never assaulted her!" she told him.
"Your records tell me you have a habit of assaulting police officers." Mac replied.
"I pushed passed her, I didn't hit her."
"You mean like you hit that other police officer?" he asked.
Beth glared at him angrily, of course a cop would defend another cop, "He deserved a hell of a lot more than a slap. Look, can you just charge me so I can go?"
"Detective Danville has dropped the charges." he said to her.
Beth looked at him and he could see the confused look on her face. "She has?" she asked in disbelief.
Mac just nodded. Beth looked over at the glass in the interrogation room, she had been in them enough times to know it was a observation window. She knew Jo would be standing on the other side of it, watching. She turned to face Mac again and said, "If you're not pressing charges then I'm not staying."
Mac watched her get up and head over to the door. He had to wonder when she hesitated before grabbing the handle. "W…why did she drop the charges?" she asked as she looked at Mac.
"You should ask her that." he replied.
Beth found herself looking at his eyes, they were telling her he knew something that she didn't. She was going to question him but instead she said, "You tell her to stay away from me, or else I'll be calling you to charge her with harassment."
Beth quickly glanced at the observation window again before she ripped the door open and stormed out. Mac turned to face the observation window where he couldn't see, but knew Jo was stood looking back at him, her eyes filled with tears.
~0~0~0~0~
1.45am.
Beth placed some empty glass down on the bar and had to stop for a moment to just catch her breath. The bar was packed, more so than usual so it had been a painful struggle for her to get through to collect glasses. She had been knocked about and it had left her in pain. She was well and truly due for her pain medication that the hospital had provided but she didn't want to take them, she didn't want to take any type of drug, prescribed or not.
She thought back to when she did, how she used to feel…
Beth staggered down the street, linking arms with another girl. Who looked equally as rough. They were both just 18 and both as thin as rakes. Their hair was greasy and they were both wearing torn and dirty clothes. It was just starting to rain but it didn't matter to them as they made their way down to the door to Beth place, the basement in an old lady's house.
Once inside Alice walked right over to Beth's bed and reached underneath it for the box she knew Beth kept there. Beth stumbled over to her and collapsed onto the bed with an "Ugh." knowing what Alice was preparing she said, "Give me some too." as she stretched her arm out next to her.
She lay there, waiting for her fix to come, waiting for the rush. She smiled when she felt the needle prick into the crook of her arm. She continued to lie there as she was taken away to a place where she was happy. Alice quickly injected herself and slumped down next to Beth where they both lay motionless but in complete euphoria.
Beth shook the memory away as she felt a strong, familiar hand on her side. "You okay, beautiful?" Warren asked her.
Beth looked up at him, he truly was handsome and very tall. He was over a foot taller than she was. "Why do you call me that?" she asked.
"Beautiful?"
"Yeah," Beth said with a quick nod.
"Because you are." he told her simply.
She just rolled her eyes at him, "You're just after one thing." she replied.
"I'm not…but if you're offering." he said making her laugh.
"I'm working." she told him.
"I promise I won't tell the boss." he joked.
Beth just leant against the bar and half smiled.
"You look exhausted. Why don't you go take a break out back. Get some fresh air." he said.
Beth actually liked the sound of that plan. "You don't mind?" she checked.
"Not at all." he said with an award winning smile.
"Thanks." Beth said as she made her way through the crowd and over to the staff room; inside there was the door that led out into the back alley. Warren watched her slip through it and then turned to look across the bar. He could see a man through the crowd, he gave him a nod and the man began making his way through the crowd. Warren turned back to the staff room and watched the man slip into there too.
~0~0~0~0~
Beth was stood in the alley, her arms wrapped around her. The night air was cold but the freshness of it in her lungs felt great. The bar had been so hot and stuffy. She had propped the back door open as she was only going to take a few minutes then she was going to get back to work. She needed the distraction of it, she was getting too lost in thoughts and memories of her past.
She had to look down the alley when she heard a clatter of trash cans. She saw no one, nothing. She suddenly realised how deadly silent it was in the alley. A car then drove slowly passed the bottom of the alley, seemingly studying it. It unnerved her, she was about to turn around and go back inside when something came down over her face before hooking around her neck, a garrotte.
It was pulled so tight that she was lifted off the ground. She scratched at the hands that controlled it. The thin wire of it was beginning to cut into her throat. She tried to reach back and claw at the persons face but all it got her was a slam into the wall in front of her. She heard her a crunch as her head hit the hard brick. She barely had time to register the pain before the garrotte was pulled tighter, once more lifting her off the floor before she was swung her back from the wall only to slam her back into it.
She could only gasp in pain and for breath. God she needed to breath, her chest felt like it was being crushed, it was so painful. She wanted to cry but the sobs were stuck in her throat. Tears built up in her eyes at them same time everything seemed to start going black.
She heard a loud shot before the pressure around her neck was gone. She fell to the floor and it seemed to take forever before she could take in a much needed breath but as soon as she had one she needed another and another. She gulped greedily at the air around her as she reached up to hold her neck.
She hit out in panic at the arms that came to rest on her shoulders. "Beth, sweetheart it's Jo!"
Beth stopped panicking when she saw Jo crouched next to her. She turned to look at the body of a man who lay on the floor, his eyes wide open as blood pooled out of his mouth. She barely listened as Jo called for back up. She couldn't pull her eyes off the man. She instantly recognised him, heard his voice in her head, "Bitch fell into the dumpster, finish her."
He had been one of the men from the alley, the night she had seen the shooting, the night she had been shot herself. The night she had met Jo. She turned back to Jo who was looking at her, her hand still resting on her shoulder. "Thank you." Beth said to her before she threw her arms around her and pulled herself close to Jo.
Jo seemed to shocked to do anything at first but then she wrapped her arms around Beth and held her closer against her, resting her cheek on top of Beth's head. "You're ok. I won't let anything happen to you." Jo told her.
Both women looked up when Warren suddenly came running out of the back door, just as Jo heard sirens approaching behind them. "Jesus! Beth, what the hell happened?" he asked as he ran over to her and pulled her up from the floor, leaving Jo to pull herself up.
Jo watched as he held Beth against him. He was looking at Jo over Beth's shoulder. The look he gave her made the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. There was something else to him, she just knew it. As officers came running up behind her she couldn't help but think that one way or another she would work out just who Warren was.
TBC
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