Chapter 20


Alex was spending her morning been fielding calls from the media about the incident and shooting in upstate New York. She'd love to know how her name and Bobby's had gotten attached to that – the one real piece of reporting she'd read about it, only mentioned the FBI and the British government working in concert to apprehend a 'person of interest' in the death of a diplomat in Cairo several years ago. A little of the truth, a little subterfuge, but it hadn't contained even a hint about her or Bobby or even who owned the cabin. After her first several calls, she'd called Lewis at his garage and warned him that he might be getting calls. He'd told her that a reporter had already stopped by the garage and that Gina had persuaded him it would be best if he left her property. She'd also called Bobby, but the call had gone straight to voicemail - a likely result of his already receiving the same media calls - and she hadn't heard from him yet.

As the phone on her desk began to ring yet again, Alex fantasized about pulling out her gun and putting the ringing menace out of her misery. Reaching for the receiver, she happened to look up just as Bobby, Hope and Sir Nigel exited the elevator and walked into the squad.

Her hand hung frozen in the air, halfway to the phone, when Bobby turned his gaze to her and nodded towards the interview rooms along the side of the room. Acknowledging his nod with one of her own, she stood and gratefully walked away from the ringing phone.


Sir Nigel noticed the short exchange between the two detectives. Speaking softly to Bobby, he turned towards the captain's office.

Alex saw all this as she approached the group. As Sir Nigel walked to the captain's office, she noted the unreadable expression on her partner's face. She'd seen that look on his face many times before, usually as every aspect of a case fell into place for him.

Once outside the captain's door, Nigel rapped twice on the door before entering. He turned and closed the door with a firm hand as the startled Ross looked up from the budget proposal he was working.

"Captain Ross, please forgive the interruption but I find myself in need of the skills of one of your officers. I realize there are official channels for this type of thing, but expediency demands a less complicated framework."

While he didn't have a clear understanding of exactly what went on upstate yesterday, he was aware of the ongoing nature of the situation to which the British Home Secretary was referring. He had been at the bottom of the list of recipients of a joint British Intelligence and FBI report about what had occurred yesterday. He knew from experience that the report he'd read only glossed over the surface of events. Quickly, he stood and came around the desk and leaned against it as he spoke, "Of course, Sir Whitledge, whatever the NYPD or my squad can do to assist you, consider us at your disposal."

"Thank you Captain. For now, I believe all that I require will be the assistance of Detectives Goren and Eames."

The captain looked out at his squad room to see Goren escorting a woman he assumed was Hope Thornton, to one of the interview rooms with Eames angling across the room to meet them at the door.

"Of course, Sir Whitledge. Whatever you need," Ross paused before adding for emphasis, "don't hesitate to let me know."

Nigel stood, looked the police captain in the eye and acknowledged the man's comments with a curt nod. As he extended his hand, he said, "Thank you, Captain Ross. After the two men shook hands acknowledging their agreement – both spoken and unspoken, Nigel excused himself, saying, "I'm afraid I must ask Detective Goren for his assistance in explaining a… a great deal to my daughter-in-law."

Watching the scene outside his office, Danny reached behind him and picked up his phone. From memory he dialed the Chief of Detective's direct line.


After seeing Hope into the interview room and getting her, Bobby excused himself on the pretext of getting coffee.

Hope nodded slowly, replying mechanically, "Light, no sugar." She followed Bobby with her eyes as he turned to open the door.

Stopping with his hand wrapped around the doorknob, he glanced over his shoulder and shot her a crooked smiled, "I remembered."

Hope looked up, smiled sadly, and slowly nodded. He noted the lack of genuine affect associated with a smile. She had shown a moment of spirit when he and Sir Whitledge first showed up at her apartment, he had witnessed her reactions and interest in her surroundings dulling. Considering the tale Whitledge was going to tell her now, he feared her reaction. He witnessed her near catatonic reaction just yesterday. Coming so soon on the heels of that extreme reaction, the possibility of a breakdown was a concern that was weighing on him. He couldn't see any way of avoiding it. He was going to have to let Nigel Whitledge take the lead on this play.

He tried for an encouraging smile, "I'll be right back with that coffee, 'light, no sugar'."

Hope watched him through the slats of the blinds on the glass walls of the interview room. She felt weighted down, as if wrapped in a wet blanket, her senses dull and her emotions dampened. She saw his partner, Alex catch up with him. She knew he was telling her things she didn't know. Yet. She felt certain another shoe was about to drop.

She reached into the pocket of her jacket and felt the folded sheet of paper, she had been about to read when Bobby and Nigel burst into her apartment. She slid her index finger across the folded edge, repeatedly back and forth. She was anxious to read it contents, desperately so, and yet fearful at the same time. She knew what she wanted it to say, but feared what she thought it said. Her rather routine and sedate life had taken a dramatic turn in the last week, since she met Bobby. She couldn't, and wouldn't blame Bobby if the note he'd written contained what she feared it did. It was a lot for someone to take on, for someone who'd just been through as much as he had, especially for someone who was a relative stranger. She bent her head as she started to pull out the page, quickly pushing the sheet back into the pocket at the sound of a tapping on the door. She swung her head up to see Nigel push open the door.


Alex listened intently as Bobby gave her the condensed version of the tale Nigel Whitledge had told him earlier. When he finished, he looked nonplussed - unsure of his next move or word.

"This is unbelievable. What if you're wrong?" Alex asked as she stared into the interview room at Hope. "The captain briefed me this morning on the report the FBI submitted to the Commissioner this morning. Apparently, a lot was left out of that report. Ross filled me in enough to help me field any media calls that got past the department spokesperson," pausing for a moment she then added venomously, "which seemed to be most of them."

"Those FBI guys from yesterday… do you know who either of them were?"

"One of them, Reynolds, we spoke a little. He seemed willing to keep us in the loop. I'll try to reach him and see what, if anything he can tell us. Or if he can – unofficially - point us in the right direction." They both saw Whitledge leave the captain's office and walk over to the interview room. "You should get in there."

Bobby picked up the coffee – the pretext he'd used to talk to Alex. "Find out what you can, as fast as you can, Alex."


Hope was running her hands through her hair as Bobby entered the room. He heard her muttering, "I don't understand. I don't…" She looked up at him as he set the cup down in front of her. He could see the confusion in her eyes, and he put his other hand on her shoulder, in an effort to comfort her.

"Do… did you know about this?" Seeing the answer in his face, Hope shrunk away from his touch. "How long have you known?"

"My dear, I only just confided in Detective Goren before we showed up at your door." Nigel interjected.

"How much have you told her?" Nigel and Hope sat on opposite sides of the table. Bobby pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table.

"How much has he told me?" Her startled look took in both men. "How much is there to tell me?" She asked unable to keep the quavering note of fear out of her voice.

Time to go for broke…

Nigel started to respond, but Bobby spoke up over him, "I was just wondering if he led with the revelation that David is still alive…"

"What?!" Hope whirled in her chair to face him. He knew Hope's shocked look would stay with him for a long time.

"Apparently David didn't die that night in Cairo. In fact, Sir Nigel believes that David is behind the attempt at Lewis' yesterday and is the reason why he's had you watched for the last three years."

"DE-tective…" Nigelsprung up from his chair and started to come around the table to reach Hope.

"…or whether he admitted to drugging you to get information from you?" Bobby stood too, blocking Whitledge. "Sit down, Sir Whitledge."

"I… I don't understand. Drugging me, I … I don't have any information. What kind of information?" Hope stared at the confrontation playing out in front of her as seeds of anger began to take root in the pit of her stomach.

"The account numbers and passwords, Hope. The Saudi bank accounts where David had squirreled away £20,000,000."

"What are you talking about?" Hope's head was spinning. "David's alive? No, I was there, I… I saw him. It's not possible. He, he's dead. And £20,000,000? There were no bank accounts, no money."

"Why would Sir Nigel tell me these things if they weren't true? What would he stand to gain by telling me these things?" Bobby turned away from Whitledge to look at Hope as he spoke. "He also told me that through a combination of drugs and hypnosis 'they' planted suggestions to you about that night. Those suggestions have become your memory."

"I have nothing to gain in lying, Hope. But I had wanted to bring this up more gently." Nigel took a moment to straighten his suit jacket and tie. Returning to his seat, he glared up at Goren. "I took it for granted that the detective wouldn't want to see you unduly stressed." He took a moment to compose himself before continuing.

"You tried to contact me before the attack. I didn't return your calls." Raising his eyes to meet hers, he continued. "After the attack, I received a disc, from you. It detailed David's dealings with people interested in bringing down British interests, his amassing those two bank accounts."

Hope sat there, shaking her head in disbelief. Why was Nigel doing this? He had to know that David was dead. They'd sat together at a memorial in his honor. How could she make them understand that what they thought was true, wasn't. How could she make them believe that her memory was true?

Hope stood and began to pace. "No. I… I never sent you any discs. I know what I saw, I know what happened and I know what I did. But, I don't know what you're talking about, Nigel." Hope turned to see Bobby watching her. "I really don't know what he's talking about."

Bobby continued watching her silently, before softly saying, "I believe you Hope. I believe in you.


Alex was taking notes as quickly as she could. The details Agent Reynolds was revealing were almost as startling as those that Bobby had just told her. Startling, but plausible given the events of the last several days.

As she set down her pen, Alex asked one question, "This is all verifiable?"

"If you're asking if I've seen all the evidence, then no, I haven't. I'm sure only a few in MI5, MI6 and maybe our State Department have. If you were asking if I believe that it's credible, I'd have to say yes. Cooperation at this level of involvement between MI5 and the FBI is - is unusual to say the least. My partner and I would never have been assigned to follow Whitledge unless someone higher up the chain hadn't been convinced."

Alex nodded, trying to put the puzzle pieces together before walking into the interview room.

"Eames?"

The sound of her name brought her out of thoughts. "Yes, I'm here. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"I asked if you would be able to hold on to him, without letting on that you're holding him. I have to make a few phone calls."

"We're at One Police Plaza and he's with my partner. Nigel Whitledge has no idea who he's dealing with." She looked up to see her partner and Whitledge, standing toe to toe. "But I think he's about to find out. Don't worry, we can hold him."

As she hung up, she muttered under her breath, "The real question is not whether we can hold him, but whether you'll be able to get my partner to let him go…"


Alex opened the door without knocking. Without acknowledging either Whitledge or Hope, she walked over and handed Bobby the file folder containing the handwritten notes of her conversation with Agent Reynolds. As he reached for the folder, their eyes met and she nodded once, almost imperceptibly. As Alex took the last vacant chair, Bobby opened the folder briefly, too briefly to read anything in it. Closing the folder, he tossed it onto the table where it landed about halfway between Whitledge and himself.

Bobby held Whitledge's gaze as he asked, "Your son isn't still alive is he, Sir Whitledge?" He saw Whitledge shift his eye line to look at the folder lying between them. He kept his voice soft as he continued to question Whitledge, "How can you be so cold and detached about the life or death of your son? Why would you lie about something so… so painful, especially to his widow?"

Hope had back up against the wall and wrapped her arms around her, as she watched the two men continue their confrontation. She looked on horrified as Nigel began to explain his actions to her.

What was in that folder? How much did he know? Quickly, he decided on an alternative track, "I'm sorry Hope. Truly I am. I had to find out the level of your involvement in David's plans. I've never lied to you Hope. I admit that I haven't been as truthful with Detective Goren, but I never imagined he would so thoughtlessly blurt out such a painful and false allegation. I may have miscalculated his usefulness in being helpful to you during this situation."

"Your miscalculation was in assuming that I would take what you told me as truth. That I would assume anyone of your stature wouldn't lie about such painful and false allegations about your own son. That I would react emotionally, allowing emotion to cloud the facts. I grant you I don't have all the facts," as he placed his hand on the folder, Whitledge followed the motion with his eyes, "but I have enough to weigh truth against fiction. I'm pretty good at filling in the gaps."

"You're twisting this. It's not like that." Turning back to Hope, he pleaded, "It isn't what he's implying. Yes, I needed to know the level of your involvement. There are still some… unanswered questions about your conduct…"

"MY conduct. I didn't DO anything. I knew nothing about what David was doing. I don't know anything about any money."

"David wasn't doing anything, Hope." Alex spoke for the first time. She stood and walked over to Hope, speaking calmly, "It was Nigel all along." Alex began to see where some of Reynolds' revelations led. "There was a disc, not one about David, but one sent by David to his handler at MI6 - one that detailed his father's treasonous acts."

"That's not only a lie, it's laughable." Whitledge rose quickly, his chair screeching as it slid on the tiled floor. Alex reacted quickly, moving to stand in front of Hope, unsure of what Whitledge's next move would be.

Whitledge was fast, but Bobby was younger and faster. He stood and blocked Whitledge's retreat. "How do you go about arranging for the murder of your own son? What's the going rate for son's life, what portion of £20,000,000?"

He continued his explanations to Hope, "This isn't what it seems Hope. You're not getting the full story. I see that let my fear for your well-being has compromised my actions, what a foolish old man, I've become. I should never have involved Detective Goren. I should have protected you from him. I've seen his file, I know about his latent instabilities. I can't even begin to imagine how he was able to convince his partner to go along with this lunacy…"

Finally finding her voice, Hope spoke out, "STOP IT. Just stop it. You're right; I'm not getting the full story. Not from you," she glared at Nigel, "and not from you." Now her glare turned to Bobby. Her anger propelled her across the room towards the door. She felt Bobby's hand grab at her arm. Pulling away forcefully, she turned on him. Pulling out the note from Bobby, she crumpled it into a ball before saying. Breathing heavily, her white-hot rage subsiding to cold anger, she lashed out, "And I have absolutely no interest in what's inside this." She let the wadded up paper slip from her trembling fingers as she ran from the room.

Ross stepped out of her way as she rushed past him, two FBI agents, and the British Embassy's Consul General.

"Detectives, Secretary Whitledge, I believe you are acquainted with FBI Agents Reynolds and Maxwell," He pointed to the man, to his left and added, "and this gentleman is Alexander Grayson. I believe he has a message for Sir Nigel."

"Sir Nigel Whitledge, it is my duty to inform you that the British government has revoked your diplomatic status and pending further investigation you have been removed from your duties as Home Secretary as of three hours ago. You will be transported back to London to await the outcome of this investigation."

"You can't do this. You don't have the authority." Whitledge blustered.

"I have the signed authorization of…"

"You may be right about that Whitledge," a voice called out from behind the group in the doorway. "But my authority is absolute in this matter." All eyes turned to see a man step forward from the security detail that accompanied him.

"Prime Minister, this is easily explained…"

"Please, Nigel. Let's not play this game. As they say, 'the jig is up' old man. The jig is up." As he turned, he added, "Come, join me, Nigel. I'll see to it you get home safely. After that, well, we'll have to leave that to the fates, won't we?"

Two of the Prime Minister's security detail came forward to escort the now ex-Home Secretary out of the building.


Ross, the FBI agents, Alex and Bobby sat in Ross' office. The detectives listened as Agent Reynolds recounted the details of how the FBI came to be involved in the case against Nigel Whitledge. Alex listened Reynolds revealed that MI5 had been aware of some suspicious activity around Sir Whitledge for the last half dozen years. It wasn't until the death of his son that doubts had crystallized into a serious investigation resulting in documented evidence. David Whitledge had sent a computer disc to his handler at MI6, documenting his father's corruption. MI6 had never been able to verify whether Karen Whitledge had any knowledge about her father-in-law or the information discovered by her husband. It would seem now, that she didn't.

Reynolds continued, "She's the one true innocent in all this mess. Yet she seems to have paid the highest price. In all these years, that's the one thing I've never been able to reconcile, the high price paid by the innocent."

Bobby had sat quietly throughout, and he rose just as quietly and walked out of the room. All eyes turned as the door softly closed behind him.

"Even though not innocent, the not guilty often pay a high price too, a very high price." Eames stood and went after her partner. The three men looked exchanged looks. Sighing, Ross reached down into his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "I know it's a bit early, but any one want a drink?"


Alex found Bobby in the interview room. He sat coaxing the crumbled ball of paper to lie flat on the table in front of him. Quietly, she sat down. Several minutes past.

"Bobby…"

"Don't Alex. Everyone has a shot, right? Can't say that I didn't have mine, but when… but when it came down to it, when it was most important, I chose to be the detective. I had to solve the mystery, regardless of the personal consequences to 'the innocent'.

"Once she has a chance to calm down…"

"No, Alex. There's no coming back from this. Besides, what's it been, a week and a half? It isn't like either of us has invested a lot in this…"

"That's not true. I don't believe that for a second and neither do you." He'd made her angry now, and she lashed out at him, "It's been months since you told me about the first letter. I've seen the change in you. I know you were in a dark hole for a long time and I've seen you come a long way out of it. You're almost free of it, but if you let this end like this, you and I both know, you're going slide back down into that hole. You just said, 'everyone has a shot', and how many do you think we get? Do you really think you'll be able to crawl back out of the pit again, by yourself? Because… because I can't do that again. I won't go through that again." She stopped, to keep herself from choking on her words. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "One of you is really going to have to fight for this. She took a huge chance, a big leap of faith when she slid that first letter under your door. Now it's your turn, Bobby. Don't leave her hanging." She stood and left him, left him to stare after her.