A big thank you to those have favourited/followed/reviewed this story!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot and Annie. Even the title is borrowed from Van Morrison.
Italics - Spanish
Some bad words, some violence, and fade into black sex-scenes, nothing too graphic.
A shorter chapter, I know, but it was the best place for a break. And the next chapter will be a bit longer. Have a nice weekend!
Chapter 12. Friends and relations
The next morning Annie laughed sitting at the breakfast table.
"We've already got a routine for mornings."
"Mmm," Tank said. "And I'm very grateful you're a morning person. Otherwise we´d have problems."
He dropped her off at Ms. Anderson´s, and continued to Haywood. Sitting down at his computer he noticed a mail from Ranger. He quickly read it, and phoned him.
'I asked Rodriguez to help us. He apparently tag teamed with Hector, and found the blood groups of Helen, Frank and Valerie. I don't get the details, but they assure me that there's no way that Frank is Valerie´s biological father. Stephanie says that Frank most likely is her biological father, again something with blood groups," Ranger said.
"And Edna probably knew, if we consider the conversation Steph overheard."
"Most likely."
"Any recommendations, or orders, on how to proceed?"
"I´m afraid not. Both Steph and I are a bit shocked to be honest. Who could think this of the perfect, prim and proper Helen Plum. And we still don't get the connection to Morelli. I´d say you keep up the surveillance for now. Report back after you've talked to Gazarra."
"How much can I tell him?"
"Both Stephanie and I say that there's been too many secrets. Maybe this cluster fuck wouldn´t have happened without all the secrecy. Tell him as much as you need, but ask him not to broadcast it over the Burg."
"Will do. Call you back later."
After the call Tank leaned back in his chair. There was a knock on his door.
"Yeah."
Hector looked in through the door opening.
"Good morning."
"Skip the 'good'. Any ideas how we should proceed?"
"We´ll try to get Juniak´s blood type today, to see if he can be Valerie's father. And we´ll keep the surveillance on Helen Plum. I managed to get a tracker on Juniak´s car as well."
"When do you sleep?"
Hector laughed and left Tank. He sighed and plowed through paper work most of the morning. Around eleven he gave up and went down to the gym. Twelve o'clock he was fresh out of the shower and heading for the conference room. Hector came by and scanned Gazarra, who had already left his phones with today´s Rangeman at the desk, Ram.
x x x
Today Ella had made a salad, and Eddie looked at it suspiciously until he had tasted.
"Wow, I didn´t know you could get salad to taste like this."
"Ella is good at combining healthy and tasty. She even got Steph to eat salads occasionally.
Now, I´ve got a cluster fuck to tell you about. And it´s not to go round the `Burg. I don't want you to tell your wife, or your colleagues, unless they need it. And it really is need to know."
Then Tank gave Gazarra a concise summary of all that had happened or what they had learned since their meeting two days earlier. Gazarra just sat there, food forgotten.
"I´ve never heard as much as a hint that Helen Plum would have or had stepped out on Frank. And you know how efficient those 'Burg busybodies are at dredging up secrets."
"Yeah, that makes me think they haven´t had an uninterrupted affair for 35 years. Or maybe Juniak isn't Valerie´s father, and Helen had an affair with someone else who fathered Valerie, and then maybe Helen and Juniak is just these last years. I checked, he became a widower three years ago. And he and his wife had been married for longer than Frank and Helen, and they never had any children.
"Now to something else – how close are Juniak and the present police commissioner?"
"Yesterday I would had said that they aren't as close as for example Juniak and Frank, but now it seems I don't know anything."
"Is Morelli involved with any of these persons outside of what you´d consider normal for an employee for example?"
"I haven't seen any examples of that, well except for the fact that I never could figure out why Helen pressured Steph so hard to marry Joe, he never felt as that much of a catch, house or not."
"Maybe Morelli knew too much about Helen?"
"Maybe."
"You know how to reach me if you get any new leads or confirmations."
"I do. Lunch sometime next week? I'm off work on Monday, but works the rest of the week."
"Plan for lunch on Tuesday then. I´ll be in touch if there's any change in plans."
"Thanks for lunch, Tank. Oh, and the results from the DNA-tests etcetera should come tomorrow. Hopefully Morelli will be locked up then. Bye."
"Bye."
x x x
Tank detoured to the medical suite on his way back to his office.
"Brown, have you seen the blood groups round the Plum family?"
"Yeah, and Hector just gave me Juniak´s. He´s not Valerie's father either."
"Just a hunch, could you see if you can get Morelli Senior´s blood group."
"Joe´s father?"
"Yeah."
"He's been dead for a decade, but I'll see what I can do. Worst case we could try to get a sample from Joe. And since there´s a lot of people after his blood…"
"Very funny. Get back to me as soon as you know anything."
"Will do. How´s Annie? She´s landed right in the middle of this."
"She´s strong. I think her more emotional reactions has been less about Morelli and more about her ex. But her meeting with the American legal system hasn't impressed her."
"This cluster fuck has made me question the legal system, or at least some of the police in Trenton."
The rest of the day Tank worked at his desk. He glanced at his watch, and texted Annie to see if she was ready to call it a day. She texted back that she would be ready in half an hour. Tank finished up, and went to the electronics room on his way to the garage.
Hector was in there, working on a surveillance camera.
"Anything special on Morelli, Plum or Juniak?"
"No, they all seem to be where they should, or at least their vehicles. We haven't found Morelli Sr´s blood group yet."
"Joe Morelli´s DNA was sampled for the break in at Annie's apartment..."
"Interesting. Of course I´d never try the security of the police."
"Of course."
Tank picked up Annie, who was in a wonderful mood, having a breakthrough with one of the fragments.
They decided to go shopping and cook at home, instead of going out or buying take away.
Annie had found some imported beer that they drank with their meal.
"I don't like wine, but, sorry to say, the average American beer´s not that good. I agree with Monty Python. It´s like making love in a canoe – fucking close to water."
"I guess it's what you're used to. But I definitely agree that this tastes better than the average American beer."
"Would it be possible for me to use the Rangeman gym tomorrow? Otherwise I can use the one I´m a member of."
"You´re welcome to use the Rangeman gym. When would be the best time?"
"I thought we could go there in the morning, and afterwards I could take a cab to Ms. Anderson."
"Sounds like a plan. Maybe there's someone who could drop you off after the training."
"Thanks, but you can't use the company as a cab service for me. How do you feel about some stretching and cardio right now?"
"Sounds perfect."