Author's Note: Another huge thank you goes out to all my readers! You guys are just blowing me away with your reviews and alerts. I also wanted to make a disclaimer back in the first chapter and I forgot about it. I hope no one thinks that I'm anti-police or think that departments are filled with corrupt and second-rate cops. I know there's some out there (I'm not naïve) but I do have a huge amount of respect for our men and women in blue. I choose Fitchburg because I've been there, not because I think their police force is bad. So with that said, onto to chapter three...

The Blue Line Job

Chapter Three: First Day on the Job

The post office was located in another small town 20 minutes west of Fitchburg, which was where Hardison and Parker were at the moment. Nate had told them that Jo had sent a payment that hadn't been deposited yet which meant there was a chance it was still in the Gardner post office. The first three hours of the stakeout hadn't been bad but Parker was getting restless and it was starting to wear on Hardison nerves.

"Parker, why don't you go walk up and down the street?"

She fidgeted in the van chair. "I might miss the pick up."

"Then at least cut back on the coffee. That's what, your fifth cup?"

"Seventh, actually," she corrected.

"Seventh, nice." Hardison looked back at the monitors that were showing him people walking in front of the post office. "You just better hope that I can catch your heart when it blows out of your chest if you keep drinking it."

"Oh please," Parker tossed the empty coffee cup in the corner with the others. "I switched to decaf five cups ago."

Hardison opened his mouth to comment on how that made him feel slightly better when Parker pointed to one of the monitors.

"That's him!" she exclaimed and was gone.

Hardison watched the monitors and saw Parker appear on the screen. He zoomed in to the post office lobby and tried running a facial scan on the only other person in there but the glass was making it too hard for the program. Parker stepped into the lobby and milled around, looking at posters.

"Parker, the PO Box is 1427."

"That's the one he's at," she whispered back.

Hardison heard her open and close the out going mail box as if she was mailing a letter and then bumped into the guy at the door as he was leaving. Hardison snapped a shot of the guy as he set off at a good clip down the street. He ran the facial recognition program again and got a match just as Parker returned to the van.

"Got his wallet!"

The computer dinged. "And I got a hit on the facial recognition program."

Parker pulled out the driver's license. "We are looking for a Mr. Calvin Metzger."

Hardison pulled up the file on the computer and frowned. "That's not what the computer came up with. The hit came back for a Jake Henderson."

"So which one is real?"

Hardison started shutting down his equipment so they could head back to the Inn. "Nate isn't going to like this."

Eliot knew he wasn't a tall man but when Jo was called into the office and stood next to him, the height difference was almost comical. The top of her head reached his nose which put her at about 5'2" but the way she moved seemed to add a couple inches to her stature. The couple times she had been around the team, she had been relaxed. Now, she reminded him of a coiled spring, tense and ready to defend herself at any given moment.

"Officer Wyatt," Reilly said, "this is Officer Turner. He was suppose to do his probation period with the Boston PD but they won't have a senior officer to take him on for another two weeks so they shipped him out here. Think you can handle showing him the ropes?"

Jo smiled but her facial muscles were tense. "It's better than spending two weeks at a desk until Swanson comes back."

"Don't be a hero, Wyatt. Just show him basic things. Leave the real training to Boston PD."

"Yes, sir."

Eliot jammed his hands into his jacket to hide the fact his fists were clenched. He had personally gone over Jo's police record and knew what kind of a cop she was: honest, hard working and one of the most successful arrest records in Massachusetts. He bit his tongue to keep from telling Chief Reilly that Jo could train the Boston PD herself. He followed her out into the maze of cubicles and desks and watched as she opened desk drawers, dumping walkie-talkies, a badge, gun and a box of ammo in front of him.

"I assume you know how to handle a gun," she asked quietly.

"Yeah but it's not my weapon of choice."

She set down a Glock 27 in front of him along with a box of ammo. "I don't care if you use it or if you even load it, but you do have to carry it."

Eliot slide out the cartridge, saw it was empty and double checked the chamber which was also empty. He switched on the safety just in case before holstering the gun. "Is this your personal gun?"

"Yup," she clipped her radio to her shirt and straightened her badge. "I normally carry a Bersa Thunder though. It's more compact-"

"Less of a kick back and lighter to carry. Ammo is smaller too but packs the same punch."

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Impressive. Here's your radio, we're on channel 5."

He followed her example and clipped the radio near his left shoulder and holstered the gun. She handed him his own clipboard, loaded with forms, and tucked her hat under her arm.

"Ready to hit the streets?"

"You tell me."

She gave him a cursory glance over and nodded. "Hardison did a great job."

Eliot didn't respond, figuring Hardison was listening in on the conversation and wanting to just annoy the hacker by being silent. Jo headed out of the building and towards the line of police cars, unlocking the one with the number 8 painted on the side. She slid behind the wheel, tucked her clipboard between the front seats and started the car. Eliot got into the passenger's seat and looked around at all the equipment. Hardison would have a field day with all the scanners, monitors and flashing lights.

"What's the matter," Jo asked. "You've never been inside a cop car before?"

"Not up front, no."

"Any questions before we head out?"

He shrugged. "I tend to learn as I go."

"Fair enough." She put the car in reverse and soon they were heading out to patrol the streets of Fitchburg. They didn't make it a block before the first call came in over the radio.

"We have a 51 in progress on Waverly."

"10-51, Unit 8," Jo responded.

"10-4, Unit 8."

Jo flipped on the lights and siren and hit the gas. "A 51 is code for trespassing and 10-51 means I'm en route. I've been out here before on Waverly."

"What's the deal?"

She shook her head. "Ex-husband keeps coming around despite restraining orders. The wife calls it in as a trespassing violation and that's how we treat it because he's usually out of his mind drunk."

"Charming."

"Hence the 'ex' part of 'ex-husband.' He's pretty docile, just emotional so you can do your rookie thing and stand back and watch me work."

He didn't like the idea of that too much but realized the role he was playing required him to be less hands on than he was used to being. They arrived at a large home that had been split up into two row homes. A young woman was standing on the porch, throwing flowers from a bouquet at the disheveled man at the foot of the stairs. Jo gave Eliot a sad smile before parking the car and getting out.

"Simon," she called. "Simon, what's going on?"

"Eliot, you there?"

Eliot jumped slightly, completely forgetting Hardison had the ear buds on and was listening to him. "Where else would I be? What?"

"When Jo finishes with the sad sack Simon, you need to ask her if she knows a Calvin Metzger or a Jake Henderson."

"Two guys picked up the mail?"

"Kind of," Parker added.

"Yeah," Eliot watched as Jo put her arm around Simon and started leading him back to the car. "Not following, Parker."

"Well, his wallet had a ID in it which said Calvin Metzger but-" Parker started.

"When I ran the facial recognition scan, he came up as Jake Henderson."

Eliot nodded. "Fake ID, then. Was there a rap sheet on either one?"

"No," Hardison answered. "The guy's squeaky clean. Too squeaky, if you ask me."

"Alright, I'll run those names by her."

Jo put Simon in the back seat and returned behind the driver's wheel. "We'll drop him off a couple blocks up the way here."

"You don't take him to the station?"

"Only if Julie tells me to." Jo waved at the flower throwing woman on the porch. "Simon's sister lives around here and on days when Julie is feeling kind, she tells me to drop him off at his sisters to sober up. Simon's a nice guy, he's just..." she looked over her shoulder at the now passed out man. "Down on his luck."

Eliot knew how that went. They rode in silence until Jo pulled up to another row home and was greeted by a tired looking woman. He helped Simon out of the back seat of the car and into the spare bedroom of the house. They waved good bye to Simon's sister and Jo turned towards her radio.

"Dispatch, the 51 is a 10-98."

"10-4," came immediately back.

"Hardison came up with a coupleof names and wants to know if any stick out to you."

Jo pulled away from the curb. "Okay."

"Calvin Metzger."

Jo shook her head. "Not ringing any bells."

"How about a Jake Henderson?"

She stopped at a stop sign and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. "Now that rings a bell."

"Jake Henderson," Hardison called up the driver's license photo from the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles on the TV in the hotel room. "Kid is nineteen, high school drop out and all around moocher. He lives with his mom and stepfather and as far as I can tell, stays in their basement playing video games all day."

"Unless he's running pick up trips to the Gardner post office," Nathan added.

"This is the loan shark?" Sophie asked incredulously. "A nineteen year old drop out?"

"A nineteen year old drop out who just bought," Hardison clicked a button and a 2010 Ford Charger appeared on the screen, "a new car with cash."

Nathan shook his head. "He's not the loan shark, though. He's only working for the guy we want."

"So we tail him for a few days," Sophie asked, "and see who he goes to with Jo's payment?"

"Possibly. Hardison, did you find any connections between this kid and Jo?"

"You bet your bottom dollar I did. Pow!"

A new picture appeared on the screen and Nathan frowned. "That's Chief Reilly."

Hardison nodded. "I would like you all to meet Jake Henderson's stepfather."

"I like it," Eliot spoke up. "I needed a good reason to break that bastard's nose."

Nathan studied the picture of Reilly. " We have to confirm that Reilly is the loan shark. Who did Jo say she makes the check out to?"

"She doesn't. She leaves that line blank and her bank doesn't post scans of the checks."

"So the only copy of that check is sitting in the vault of Boston First National," Nathan concluded. "Parker, I'm going to need you to get into that bank and find the voided check of Jo's. Hardison, keep listening in to conversations and see if Jo can't give you some more info. Sophie and I will keep an eye on Junior here and see if he makes his way anywhere in the next couple days. If he doesn't, then we can be fairly certain Reilly is the shark. And Eliot, don't break any noses yet."