Chapter 63 - Time to Return
It was almost 7 PM when Detective Kripke knocked on Hogan's front door and it was only a couple moments later when a older man opened the door to greet him. "Can I help you?"
Kripke held up his badge, "Dr Hogan?"
"Yes, can I see your identification?" Hogan looked extremely serious at the police officer which surprised Kripke.
"Sure." Kripke handed Hogan his badge and identification and watched as the man studied it for a few seconds before handing it back.
"What can I do for you officer." Hogan then asked formally.
"Could you give me some time, I have a few questions." Kripke politely asked, a forced smile on his face, his best I am your friend act.
Hogan looked at him then nodded, "Please come in." Hogan then lead Kripke to his living room and offered him a seat on the couch.
Kripke sat down as Hogan sat down across from him, but Carl wasn't really prepared for Hogan to start asking him questions and putting him on the defensive as soon as they started. "Officer Kripke, I was notified you stopped by the department office today looking for me while I was working. You were then informed that I was unavailable due to some work I am doing for the US Government. I am curious why you are here now, when I also know you were told you could make an appointment with the department to talk to me at a later date."
Kripke was at a loss for words for a few seconds, but quickly recovered, "Dr Hogan, this involves a homicide and you are obligated to provide all information to help with the police investigation." Carl said smugly.
Hogan's facial expression didn't change, but he slowly shook his head, "Not exactly, I cannot tell you anything about my US Government work at the university, Officer Kripke."
Kripke was then surprised as Hogan stood up and went to a drawer in an end table, he actually put his hand on his gun, not knowing what Hogan was doing. However Hogan brought out a tape recorder, putting it on the coffee table between them and turned it on. "Officer Kripke, I am recording this conversation for US Government Security. I am Dr Hogan and I work at Cal Tech. I am informing you that all requests for information on my work must be directed to the US Government as I cannot discuss them with you."
Kripke stared at the recorder and then at Hogan, this was not going the way he had planned, and again he was at a lost for words. Hogan brought him out of his trance, "Officer Kripke did you understand what I said?"
"Yes Dr Hogan, I understood." Kripke said under clenched teeth, now a little angry at the scientist who seemed not very concerned about him or the authority of his position.
A few seconds passed before Carl spoke again. "Dr Hogan do you work with a Dr Leonard Hofstadter?"
Hogan shook his head in a very dismissive way that only made Carl mad. "Officer Kripke, I told you a minute ago, I will not discuss my work with you."
"Surely you can tell me if you work with Dr Hofstadter." Kripke said raising his voice.
Hogan now stared at him, "Who I work with is part of my work. You need to direct that question to the US Government, not me."
"Dr Hogan you will answer me or I will take you to the station. Do you work with Hofstadter and what are you both working on." Kripke was almost shouting now.
Hogan just stared at Kripke, "Are you arresting me?"
Kripke was at a loss for words again, he never expected Hogan to pull his bluff. He stared back at the man and swallowed, "No Dr Hogan, I am not arresting you."
"Then are there any other questions you would like to ask, that have nothing to do with my work?" Hogan stared with intensity and Carl now, which made him feel that he had just lost a battle of wills with the scientist.
Carl thought quickly, "Dr Hogan, are you friends with Dr Leonard Hofstadter?" Carl was then surprised to see the confusion in Hogan's eyes, his question obviously hit a nerve with the man.
Hogan thought for a minute, he had to answer, even though he didn't want to. "Yes Dr Hofstadter is a friend."
Carl now forced himself not to smile. "How long have you known him?"
Hogan sighed in defeat, "Over ten years."
Carl now barely held in the smile, "Do you know his wife, Penelope Hofstadter?"
Hogan now was serious again, "No, I have never met her."
Carl was taken back by the answer, he thought he had a way in on getting more information from Hogan, but the scientist had just closed the door. Carl had planned to use Hofstadter's new wife as bait to get information, threatening that she might be in trouble, to make Hogan talk some more about Dr Hofstadter, but Hogan didn't know her. "Are you sure you don't know her, Dr Hogan."
"I am perfectly sure, I have never met her or could I tell you anything about her." Hogan said with confidence.
The rest of the conversation went down hill for Carl after that, Hogan not giving him anything more he didn't already know. Carl's attempts to intimidate Hogan turned out to be useless and Hogan told Carl a couple more times that he was asking questions that could only be answered by the US Government, during the questioning. Carl finally had to go, he had a headache, Hogan seemed to know exactly where he stood with information he knew and seemed to actually dislike him. "Thank you Dr Hogan, we'll be in touch." Carl finally said as he stood up to let himself out by going to the door.
Carl had just opened the door and started to walk out when Hogan said something to him, that stopped him in his tracks. "Officer Kripke, please notify me in advance when you want more information so I may have a government security representative with me. Also Officer Kripke, I am obligated to report our conversation to US Government Security to inform them of all the times you tried to get information about my work. I think they will be in touch with you soon." Hogan then closed the door on Carl.
Kripke just stood outside the closed door for a few seconds staring and wondering what just happened, had Hogan told him he was in trouble? Carl turned and snorted in amusement, thinking that what a fool Hogan was to try and intimidate him, after all he was the police. However as Kripke approached his car, his confidence was slowly disappearing and he thought he better find something important on this case before he really got in trouble.
The drive to his apartment, Kripke thought over what all he knew. Every piece of evidence was somehow linked to Hofstadter, who according to Dr Cooper had been doing very strange things before and after the CheeseCake Factory incident. Hofstadter was really the key, he either was involved or knew a lot about what happened, and Kripke needed to get him so he could pick his brain. Cooper told him that Hofstadter and his wife were returning the day after tomorrow, so Kripke decided he would pay the Hofstadter's a visit as soon as they returned. He would greet them as soon as they returned home and arrest them, he could keep them for 24 hours before he let them go, and he thought that would be all the time he needed. Separating the good doctor from his new wife and then threatening locking her up for being an accomplice to the homicide, should shake Hofstadter up, enough to get the information Carl needed. Considering how close Hofstadter was to wife, according to Cooper, Hofstadter would probably tell him everything to keep her safe. Carl smiled as he drove and turned on the radio, he now had a plan and he would execute it in less than 48 hours to get the information he needed.
-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-
The day before Penny and Leonard left Nebraska was mostly spent with her parents, they had a wonderful time there and they wanted to just spend their last day with them showing them how much they appreciated it. The day turned out great and they even had dinner in downtown Omaha that night, at a really nice, and not too fancy, restaurant that Penny and her Mother especially enjoyed. The night even became romantic and perfect at the end, the restaurant had a dance floor and Leonard and Wyatt took their girls dancing, to say the girls where in heaven would have been an understatement.
The magical night before and the wonderful month that had flew by, found mother and daughter crying in each others arms the next day at the airport, while father-in-law and son-in-law shook hands with solemn faces. The four of them had really gotten close, Penny's parents had taken immediately to Leonard and Leonard considered them the family he never really had. So just like the first time their daughter left for California, Wyatt and Meryl had to watch again, as their daughter and new son-in-law, they both loved, were leaving again. However, unlike the trepidation they had when Penny left with Kurt, this time they were comforted that she would be safe and happy with Leonard.
"Mom, I already miss you." Penny said between sniffles.
"I know Sweetie, I feel the same way." Meryl hugged her daughter harder.
"Son, be careful and take care of yourself, my daughter needs you and you are part of the family now." Wyatt said to Leonard.
Leonard nodded, "I plan on being very careful from now on, I promise. I don't ever want to hurt Penny."
"You are always welcome back Son, just remember." Wyatt added.
Leonard smiled, "That is another thing I promise, you will see a lot more of Penny than you have the last few years. As matter of fact could we reserve a room for Thanksgiving."
Meryl heard Leonard and turned to him. "Sweetie, your reservation is booked. We would love to have you."
Penny smiled at Leonard, "I love the idea of Thanksgiving here."
"Good, then Thanksgiving it is." Wyatt said with a smile.
They all hugged one more time then Penny and Leonard made their way through security, Penny looking and waving repeatedly at her parents until they were on the other side and couldn't see them anymore. She then grabbed Leonard's arm and put her head on his shoulder, sniffling the whole time to her gate, she had never missed her parents so much in her life, maybe it was a sign of being more mature, she didn't know, but her life had changed so much the last few months, she wasn't sure. She leaned over and hugged Leonard when then finally got to their seats at the gate, it was a wonderful feeling knowing you always had someone to comfort you at times like this. "Why do I miss them so much?"
"Maybe because you went through hell these last few months and they were there for you. Maybe because you are married now and they treat you more like an adult than a child. Maybe you just love them so much and you understand them more now since you are older and married." Leonard offered.
Penny smiled. "Or maybe all of that and more."
Leonard smiled, "Or maybe all of that and more." he repeated her words.
"I love that you want to go there for Thanksgiving. Being around my family at Thanksgiving is just so…..I don't know…..comforting." Penny tried to explain.
"We could go there for Christmas too, if you want." Leonard added.
Penny lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him, "Really, you don't mind doing that?"
Leonard chuckled, "No, of course not. I actually think it would be fun to be somewhere that everybody was in a Christmas mood and there was even snow on the ground."
Penny giggled. "You might not say that after a Nebraska winter."
"Hey, I'm from Jersey, so snow don't bother me." Leonard said with his best Jersey accent.
Penny giggled and playfully swatted him, which was the response he had hoped to get from her, her sad mood now completely gone. The next hour they just talked quietly, most of the time making their plans for the now planned holidays back in Nebraska, Penny actually learning how much vacation time Leonard really had and getting excited all over again when she found out they could spend two weeks back there for Christmas. The aircraft boarding found Penny bouncing with each step and Leonard smiling from ear to ear, they were still disappointed about leaving, but more than happy about going back to their home, their home together.