A/N: A special thanks to GeorgeAndrews. Your constant support is meaning a lot. Thank you.
Chapter 08: Briefing
A bitter comment broke the tense silence of the room:
"Pizza was the only positive thing"
Six pairs of eyes turned toward the voice.
"What? Lunch was long time ago..."
"This is the reason why you ate like there was no tomorrow?"
"Partly... other reason being I'm frustrated"
A long resigned sigh went through the room. Flack was right: Two homicides and no solid leads to follow. And no one liked the idea of someone out there organizing undisturbed another killing.
Stella studied her notes: "Let's sum up what we have: Two victims, a man and a woman, they didn't know each others and didn't have similar hangouts. The only common point is the death of someone they loved happened a year ago. They've been killed with a high caliber gun. The bodies, wrapped in a dark blanket, have been dumped far from the crime scene. In both houses we have found a sheet with the question Where were you when your world has ended? printed on it. On the paper there was no numbers, other words or references. We're still analyzing the paper and the ink, but they seem to be common. We took the victims' laptops and Adam is checking the files"
"Right now nothing abnormal. No strange contacts, no mysterious mails, no dangerous web sites... just normal traces of everyday surfing and more than normal files"
"Okay. Am I forgetting something?"
"The cell phones"
"We didn't find them, so I'm not forgetting them"
Stella ended and the rest of the group went back to their own notes. Some minutes later, Jess noticed Flack staring kind of blankly in front of him, a thoughtful expression etched on his face.
"Hey...", she lightly slapped his arm, "Pizza was too much?"
He blinked, frowning a little: "No, just thinking about a thing..."
"Is something case-related or is it about the wedding of the year?"
"It's about the question"
"What question?"
"Where were you... Have you never asked yourself this question? Maybe, using other words, but..."
Hawkes and Danny stared at each other, shaking their heads. The girls too appeared confused. Mac simply kept his unreadable expression.
"You have?"
"Well... I have. Don't look at me that way!", Flack raised the voice.
"Care to elaborate?"
At that moment Lindsay entered, holding some photographs. Don glanced briefly at her, but she let him go on.
"Okay... it wasn't exactly in these terms, my world hasn't ended, but if the question would be Where were you when your world has almost ended? I can answer it. Without even thinking"
Angell tilted her head looking intensely at him: "The bomb?"
He shook his head with a strange smile on the lips: "2009, May the 20th, Mount Sinai hospital, seated in front of the OR"
Jess, without realizing, reached out and squeezed his hand. Flack looked at her, looking embarrassed.
"It's a good intuition"
"But, as you said, only an intuition. We don't have any evidence, unless our Linds has discovered something"
"Your Linds detected a partial foot print on victim number one's blanket. I calculated 7.5, male, and the sole is the sole of a flip-flop"
"What? This case is becoming more and more absurd... Weren't witnesses talking about boots?"
Flack nodded: "Yeah, but I know a person who was wearing flip-flops"
"Classy!"
"You can say it... not case-solving, but I'm satisfied", Don was smiling one of his arrogant smiles.
"Satisfied?"
"The flip-flops owner swore he didn't go near the body"
"He's a suspect, then!"
"No, Adam, William Rodriguez's ID is smaller than a nut, he can't be our killer. But I'd love to have a little talk with him", Flack stood, gulping down his remaining water.
"Do you know where to find him?"
"Claro que si, as he would say. You know I can smell lies from miles. Detectives..."
"Call you later"
"Copy that", Flack closed the door behind him.
Stella sighed: "It's not a bad intuition"
"It could take us somewhere", Mac's comment surprised the team: Normally he only relied on evidences.
"It's humane nature", and I can answer the same question, too. I didn't immediately think at him, it's been too long, but Don is still affected, "Let's give it a try. Where were our victims when their world has ended?"
The group studied the newspaper articles Adam had previously printed. The journalists had written down all the details of the accidents.
"We have the addresses. Danny and Hawkes, you two go to the Franklin, at the crossroad with the 111th; Stella and Lindsay, you are going to the Madison. I'm going to stay here to coordinate. Jess, you..."
"I'm going with Flack, if that's okay"
Mac simply nodded and, waving, dismiss his team.
Flack was about to open the car door when Jess reached him with long strides: "Good, you're still here"
He stared at her, narrowing his eyes: "Any news?"
"No... well, Mac is sending the CSIS to the accident locations, but I'm going with you"
"Are they listening to me?"
"It's a good idea, if you stop and think at it"
"But it could be just useless...", Flack sounded downhearted.
"What is the alternative? Staying up there, analyzing evidences which are already analyzed, reading again the autopsy reports... what's the matter with you?"
Don shook his head: "Nothing, it's... uff... c'mon, let's get in the car"
"I'll drive", she stole the keys from him and, swiftly, entered the car, sitting in front of the wheel. Flack could only step around and take place in the passenger seat. Jess started the car and reached the street. At the second stop sign she decided it was the right moment.
"Don..."
"It's so absurd! We have two people, two individuals who – till a year ago – had friends and colleagues and relatives. These people has been described as funny, kind, full of life, and then, boom! - as Danny would say – this horrible thing happened. The person they love died under their eyes. And, little by little, their social web disappeared in the thin air. And I'm being told things like: He preferred to be alone, he preferred not to be disturbed by anyone. How is this possible? Buster had a sister and she was his only family and she called the police after days. Days! And you know why she called? It was the first anniversary of his wife's death and she tried to call him but he didn't answer. So she went to his house, knocked a couple of times. She left when he didn't open the door. Three days later and still no news, she called Missing Persons. How fucked is this world? And, icing on the cake, at least one person saw the corpse but didn't spare his precious time to give us a call. Everybody minding its own business", he had talked almost without taking a breath, sounding bitter and disappointed. Jess didn't like it, he didn't even seem her Flack.
She stopped the car.
"Jess...?"
She faced him and got hold of his hand: "The thing you said about the hospital... we never talked about it"
"I guess it never was the right moment. The surgery, closing the case, your family, the job, and then you were suddenly at home and we started talking about getting married, so..."
He fell silent, and for the first time Jess felt the frailty he used to cover under layers of strength and determination. Her love for him grow even deeper.
"If you add that our friend here uses a .50"
"It's the "in" weapon...", he tightened the hold on her hand, stroking lightly the palm, "... sometime I wish I had a normal life with no dramas, but I know I'll miss the real fun", he managed a little smile.
"Without forgetting you wouldn't have met me"
His smile grew, "A true loss", he released her hand, "Better going. I guess Willy isn't excepting us yet"
She started the car again and drove away. Things would be sorted out, she was sure. When we'll be surrounded by Irish heath we won't even remember this case...
You know, this story revolves around Flack so he was the one to have the great intuition...