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.
Chapter 13. Past relationsThe next morning they exercised in the gym, and Annie took a cab to Ms. Anderson. Tank was good at recognizing when he should push or back down. He´d decided to let Annie take a cab, and hopefully be able to convince her to be driven by Rangeman another time. He also hoped he´d be able to be a bit more relaxed when Morelli wasn´t out and about.
Tank had met Brown when he left the gym. The information regarding Morelli said that he and Valerie could be siblings. At least Morelli senior wasn't eliminated like the other candidates had been.
"Put a shadow on Valerie round lunch time. Maybe she'll stop at a fast food place and we could take her napkin. Or one of the kids´. Is that close enough to get an answer whether she and Morelli are siblings?"
"I think so. I´ll double check and get back to you."
Tank had a text a short while later. "It should be enough with one of the girls, so they don't have to keep the napkins separate, or know which person it belongs to. Just be sure not to contaminate it with DNA from one of the Rangemen."
Tank called Hal into his office.
"You're our in house expert on evidence gathering. I need you to get samples of either Valerie Plum´s or her daughter´s DNA. And without them noticing it. We have a preliminary plan where you could gather it on some napkins from a fast food place, but we don't know if they're heading for such a place at all."
"I´ve seen their car. If it's not newly cleaned, there ought to be enough things in there to get a DNA sample from a toy or maybe even a dropped pacifier. I´ll try it tonight."
"We also need samples of Joe Morelli´s DNA."
"There ought to be enough beer cans in the trash that it should be a simple job."
"Good. Leave the samples with Brown."
"Will do."
x x x
Tank had a lunch meeting at a posh restaurant, and he sighed when he changed into suit and tie. When he came to the restaurant the potential client had his wife with him. His much younger wife kept flirting with Tank, and when her husband excused himself to go to the restroom she launched an offensive.
"I´d like to meet you in private."
"I´m afraid that won't be possible, Mrs. Fraser."
"It´ll be possible if you want my husband's company as a customer."
"We're not that hard up for work, Mrs. Fraser."
"If you're refusing I´ll tell my husband you propositioned me. And we have several friends and acquaintances who are your customers I'll tell it to as well."
"Please do. And when you do, be sure to include the recording of this meeting. I can mail you the file either to your private email address, or your husband´s."
Mr. Fraser came back just a short while later, which was lucky, since the small talk at the table had dwindled.
Tank came back from the lunch meeting with a new contract, but he was in a foul mood. The rest of the day was planned to be routine work. He picked up his phone.
"Hi. I am in the mood to play hooky from work. Wanna come?"
"Absolutely. How about a picnic in the park? There's a good deli on this street."
"I´ll just find a blanket."
"Good, anything special you want from the deli?"
"I ate a posh lunch, with small portions, so buy more than you thought you´d need to."
"Alright. And the deli´s about half a block to the east on the same side as Ms. Anderson´s house."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Tank called Ella and asked for a picnic-blanket.
"Would you like some food as well?"
"Thank you, but Annie said she'd buy some at the deli."
"I tried a new cookie-recipe, I´ll pack some of those. And a thermos of coffee."
"Thanks Ella, I really appreciate it."
"I miss cooking for Stephanie. I like your Annie. She eats a lot healthier than Stephanie, but I hope she´ll appreciate some cookies."
"I´m sure she will. I´ll be right up to fetch the blanket and cookies."
x x x
Tank parked at the curve just as Annie came out from the deli. He quickly helped her gather the shopping in the basket Ella had provided along with the blanket, coffee, cookies and picnic-utensils.
"An impromptu picnic sure is a lot easier if you have Ella. Hello by the way."
Annie gave Tank a kiss and he opened the door for her.
"Any special park you had in mind?"
"I've really only been in the one close to the apartment and the one near Ms. Anderson´s.. It hasn't been that good weather until some weeks ago. So I'd be happy to see another park in Trenton."
"OK, there´s one I like a couple of miles from here."
As they drove over Tank told about the lunch and the proposition from the client´s wife.
"Is that a usual occurrence?"
"More when we had Ranger here. But I suppose some women find the idea of a big African American exciting."
"I hope you don't think that´s why I…"
"Of course not! And the reverse is true as well. I didn´t ask you out because you're a beautiful younger woman. I admired your spunk and tenacity before I saw you without snot."
"Oh you!" Annie tried to give Tank a slap, but he caught her hand and gave it a kiss.
"Anyhow, we've had it as a protocol to record conversations during these meetings for some years now. Usually we don't need it, but sometimes we've brought them up when the client disagrees with what the contract says. Funny thing is they don´t disagree until sometime after they've signed it. I don't know if they think we're gullible, or if they don't read the contract until some time has passed since signing."
Tank parked at the park, and they found a spot in the sun. The sun was rather low on the horizon, so they began to eat at once.
They had quite a lot of food, and after eating most of it, Tank laid down on the blanket and they cuddled up.
"Thank you, that was quite a variety."
"You´re welcome."
They were silent for a while.
"You wanna talk about it? Your thoughts are so loud I can almost hear them."
"I guess it was your description of your client's wife and her propositioning you. I´m…"
She hesitated.
"In a way I think it's good that we moved so fast. I have a tendency to overthink things, and hesitate. And since my ex…"
"You haven't really told me about him."
"I think I´m still a bit ashamed. I felt so betrayed, and that I ought to have understood what kind of man he was a lot earlier.
"I was a prodigy in school, so I started Cambridge two years earlier than the average student. I didn´t have that many friends, mostly people from football, and some from study groups. And also Chris, my parents´ friends' son. We've known each other since we were in diapers, although he´s a couple of years older. He studied dentistry, and planned to work for his parents before taking over. Chris introduced me to one of his friends, Mike. Mike was there on a scholarship, also studying dentistry. He was charming, intelligent and good looking. I fell for him, and I had only ever had one boyfriend before. I was nineteen years old and thought the sun rose in Mike´s eyes. I took him home and introduced him to my parents, who were overjoyed that he studied dentistry. I also visited Mike´s family.
"About a year later I was at the library studying, and lost track of time. My cell phone was on soundless, and I worked until they closed. I was so happy, having a real breakthrough on a text. When I got home I was hungry and tired, and just made some sandwiches and went to bed. About an hour after I had fallen asleep I awoke to pounding on the door and a voice yelling. I was disoriented and sleepy, but opened the door. Outside was Mike, who accused me of being unfaithful, and he pushed me to the side to search my room. I was alone, and he begged for forgiveness. He had called my phone multiple times, but I´d forgotten to look at it after leaving the library.
"I forgave him, and now a vicious cycle started. He wanted to know where I was every minute of the day. He memorized my schedule, and could pop up on my study sessions, claiming he 'was just passing by'. And once he saw me give a friend a hug. My friend was depressed because his boyfriend had broken up with him. That night when I got home was the first time Mike was violent with me. He didn´t beat me, but he grabbed my arms so hard I couldn't move, and he shook me so my teeth rattled.
"I told him to get out, and he just laughed in my face, and said he´d leave when he felt like it, not when I told him to. When he finally left he said he'd be back.
"Chris called the next day and tried to apologize on behalf of Mike. I said it was over, and that I didn´t want to see Mike again. To get away from the drama, and to be able to study for my final exams I went home to my parents for a week. I blocked Mike´s number, but he sent me texts from other phones, and filled up my mailbox."
"What did your parents say?"
"They were furious that Mike had been able to deceive them. And they said that if he showed up again I should report him to the police.
"I went back to Cambridge to sit my exams. When I came out from the building Mike was there waiting for me. He had brought Chris 'to show me he was sincere in his apology'. I told him I was sincere in not ever wanting to see him again. When I said that he grabbed me, and shook me before pushing me away – right into a streetlamp, one of the old fashioned ones made of cast iron. I hit my head, and when I fell to the ground there was glass. I lost consciousness and woke up at the hospital with a severe concussion and a twenty-eight stitches long wound on my back. Chris was sitting beside my bed. He had called the ambulance and my parents. The police had also shown up, but Mike was gone by then. Chris was really sorry, because, Mike had not been interested in meeting Chris boring little childhood friend until Chris had told him about my parent's practice, the fact that I was a single child, and not interested in dentistry. Obviously Mike had thought I was a gift that would include his very own dental practice, a stay at home wife, just like his mother, and free shagging in the meantime.
"When I was out of the hospital Mike had lost his scholarship and left. I didn´t need to testify at the trial, he plead guilty. I don't know where he is, but I moved to a new place in Cambridge, quit football and raced through my Ph. D. I´ve only been on a couple of dates since Mike, and never had sex again before you. I don't know why you've broken through my shell, but you have. Usually I befriend gay men and spend my time either working, working out or being the listening ear when another of my friends´ relationships has gone down the drain."
"Annie, I think I got through your shell because I saw another human being that had been betrayed and was as lonely inside as I was. I´ve only ever been in two long term relationships, the first one didn´t survive me being in the army, and the second one was… I don't know how to describe it, but let´s just say I totally know the feeling of betrayal, and believing that you're not good enough or interesting enough as a person to keep the interest, but your belongings and wallet are. Since Lula a couple of years ago I´ve had two one night stands, but those felt so demeaning I just gave up on meeting someone.
"Until you."
"Until you."
They kissed, and Tank could taste the tears on her lips.
"Wanna go home?"
"Yeah."
At home they fed the cats, cuddled on the sofa in front of a movie neither of them could remember afterwards, before they went to bed.
"Do you want to…"
"Yes, I very much want to. I haven´t had sex for years, I hope you don't mind me working off some frustrations on you."
"You´re very welcome."
Afterwards Tank lay awake just rejoicing in feeling Annie mold her body against his, and hearing her breathe. He finally fell asleep, content.