Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: Zoo York; Sleight out of Hand; mentions of my fic 'Rush to Judgement'.
Chapter Four – Zoo York
Jess should have been at the carousel in Central Park, where Stella, Hawkes and Aiden were processing their own scene, but, instead, she was leaning on her car outside the crime lab, waiting somewhat impatiently.
Finally, a cab pulled up and a familiar woman got out, leaning through the window to pay the driver.
As soon as the taxi drove away, Jess pushed away from her car. "Lindsay Monroe?"
Lindsay turned to face her, looking confused. "Yes?"
Jess smiled at her. "Jessica Angell, homicide. Detective Taylor got called to a crime scene; since I'm heading that way, I figured I'd give you a ride."
Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks! I knew New York was bigger than Bozeman, but you can't really fathom it until you're here!"
Jess laughed. "I know what you mean and I only moved from Jersey." She knew that someone would explain her situation to Lindsay, so moved on to pointing out various places as they drove to the zoo.
"So what's the situation here?" Lindsay asked as they passed the security outside.
"Dead man in the tiger pit." Jess answered. "Don't know anymore than that. Quick head's up: Mac doesn't like being called sir, no matter what Danny tells you. Hey, Flack."
"Jess. You must be Lindsay." Don greeted. "Don Flack; whatever Jess has told you about me, she's lying."
"Don, I have better things to do than tell the new girl stories about you, especially when I could be warning her about certain other people." Jess put a hand on Lindsay's shoulder. "If he or Danny start bothering you, just call and I'll straighten them out."
"That a threat or a promise?" Don grinned.
"Watch it, Detective." Jess rolled her eyes. "Mac's over there with the tiger; I've gotta get over to the carousel; I got a dead debutante."
"I thought Aiden said it was a runaway bride." Don frowned.
Jess shook her head. "Nope, definitely a debutante. See you later."
"See you." Lindsay turned to Don. "How'd she know?"
Don sighed. "Well, that's a long story …"
"Where you been, Angell?" Aiden asked, photographing the victim.
"Dropping Lindsay off at the zoo." Jess answered.
Aiden looked up immediately. "Did you warn her …?"
"About Danny?" Jess nodded. "Done."
Aiden sighed. "Good. Wouldn't want her to go through what I did."
"Any wedding parties missing a bride?" Stella asked, straightening up from behind one of the horses.
"She's not a bride." Jess shook her head. "You told me about this one; she's a debutante. And your explanation was a little crazy, but I got something about spider venom and a mom, but I don't think it was hers." She smiled sheepishly at the three confused expressions. "I'll know who it is when I meet them."
Hawkes examined the victim. "Angell's right; no marks on her fingers indicating wedding rings, so she's not a bride. But what's a debutante?"
"Someone who attends a debutante ball, which is the presentation of a young lady into higher society." Jess rolled her eyes. "My mother was incredibly disappointed that I never qualified. As if I'd want to."
Aiden shook her head. "I never did get the point of that. What you got, Stel?"
Stella held it up. "Looks like a button, but it didn't come from her dress. Jess?"
"Sorry." Jess smiled. "You didn't say much about it."
"You're sure it was spider venom?" Stella asked. "There aren't many venomous spiders in this part of the country."
"Didn't come from the spider." Hawkes gently turned the girl's head. "Inflammation on the side of her neck; entry point for a hypodermic needle."
Jess couldn't help feeling slightly sick as a couple of uniformed officers led Tanya Danville into Arraignment in cuffs. Of course, she'd known as soon as the woman had come swooping into the morgue with Brianna Freemont's sister that she was responsible, but her reasoning behind it left her cold.
"Angell."
Jess started, realising that she'd been standing in the middle of the precinct lobby for five minutes. "Hey Lindsay. You can call me Jess, you know. Everyone does."
Lindsay fiddled with a loose thread on her shirt. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Jess nodded towards the street. "Out there or in here?"
"Out there's fine." Lindsay mumbled.
"Okay." Jess led her out of the precinct and they walked down the street to the park, stopping at the first bench.
A sense of déjà vu descended on her for a second and she half-expected to turn around to see Lindsay five months pregnant again, assuring her that Don was just distracted by IA and clearly she was as well, because she'd just zoned out and imagined that she'd been shot and …
But that didn't happen.
"So what's up?" Jess prompted, shaking those thoughts from her head.
"Erm … Detective Flack told me your story." Lindsay began tentatively.
"Don't believe it?" Jess guessed with a smile.
"No, I believe it." Lindsay assured her. "I was wondering if you know about … about …"
Jess's smile softened. "About Montana? Your friends?"
Lindsay nodded, closing her eyes.
"You told me …" Jess hesitated, wondering if she should tell her. "When you went back to testify, you called me and told me."
"Testify?" Lindsay's eyes flew open. "They caught him?"
"Yeah, I don't know his name," Jess admitted, "but I know he went down for life. Just … do me favour and don't shut us out this time?"
Lindsay returned her smile shakily. "I'll try not to."
AN: Give me time and I promise the chapters will get longer. Please review!