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 18. AftermathAnnie quickly walked away from the park. Meeting Mrs. Plum had given her a bad taste in her mouth. A car drove up beside her, and she looked at it suspiciously. The passenger lowered the window, and she saw it was Hector.
"Get inside, there's someone following you in that blue car."
Annie quickly jumped into the car, and they drove over to Haywood. When she jumped out of the car she saw Tank. He swooped in and lifted her up, giving her a big kiss.
"You were fantastic! I didn´t think you'd get her to admit to anything, but you played her like you were a professional interrogator."
Hector and Bobby came up behind the pair.
"I agree. You did a fantastic job."
"Very good. And that is one twisted woman. I was ready to give her some sympathy because of the blackmail situation, but she couldn't own up to anything being her fault."
"Let´s go to the conference room. I called Gazarra on my way over, he'll be here soon."
"Just please let me get out of the vest first. It´s a bit restricting."
When they came to the conference room Ella had been there with coffee, tea, sandwiches and a carrot cake with cream cheese-frosting.
Tank laughed.
"Ella really likes you, Annie. But she´s used to Stephanie and her sugar addiction, not a vegetarian. But this is quite a good middle way in spoiling you a bit."
"If it means cake I'm all for it. This looks delicious, and I need it after that conversation."
Hector set up the equipment, and everyone took a coffee and tea and something to eat. Gazarra arrived soon afterwards. Hector gave him a quick scan outside the room. And this time he found something. A small microphone had been pinned under the jacket's lapel.
Annie grabbed a pad.
'Should we pretend not to have found it, or just remove it?'
Aloud she said:
"Hi, Eddie. Coffee or tea?"
"Coffee, please."
"I believe it´s quite strong, I usually have a glass of water on the side."
In the meantime Tank wrote: 'I say we remove it. Eddie?'
Gazarra nodded.
Annie held up the pitcher of water, and gesticulated for Eddie to take off the jacket. She motioned with the pitcher towards the lapel, and lifted a questioning eyebrow.
In the background Brown had trouble keeping from laughing out loud.
Eddie nodded, and Annie poured water over the jacket.
"Oh, I´m so sorry. Take of the jacket and I'll try to dry it and your shirt. Or even better, ask Ella to help."
Hector picked of the microphone and dropped it inside the pitcher, which he proceeded to take out of the room.
When he closed the door behind him the room started laughing.
"Sorry, but that was a really bad fake apology-voice," Eddie said.
"I agree, but that was all I could come up with. I´m sure the person who put the bug on you will be very suspicious, but now there´s a tiny chance they´ll think you didn´t discover it."
"Annie. You do realize that we have contingency plans for those incidents, right?" Tank said.
She just looked at him with wide eyes.
"Eh. Not really? I think I still have an adrenaline high, and then I tend to think fast, but maybe not always clear."
"It was a good solution, otherwise I´d stopped you," Tank assured her.
"Oh, and here's your coffee. It´s American strength, you don't need any water with it." Annie handed Gazarra a mug, and they sat down around the table.
Hector came back into the room, and started to fiddle with the equipment.
"Quick recap," Tank said. "Annie called Helen Plum and asked for a meeting in the park. She said she was a friend of a friend of Steph's and also that she had seen Helen driving Joe Morelli last week. Helen agreed to the meeting. We're going to play the audio. Oh, and when Annie gives Helen an envelope, here's what's in it."
Hector started the recording. The quality of the sound was better than Annie had thought possible, and she started to listen. She tried to grab her mug to take a sip of her coffee, and looked at her shaking hand.
"Adrenaline crash," Bobby whispered in her ear. "I'm surprised you didn´t get one earlier. You're tough.
"Eat some cake and get a little sugar in your system."
He gave her a big piece of cake, and she managed to eat it while the audio played on.
Afterwards Eddie just sat staring in front of himself for a couple of minutes.
"What the fuck should I do now?
"Oh, and I totally forgot to tell you that Morelli didn´t show up for his hearing. And he wasn't at home."
"He´s in a private rehab, trying to get a grip on his drinking problem," Tank deadpanned.
"Rehab?"
"Yep, quite exclusive."
"Would I be able to get any information on where he´s hidden the blackmail-material?"
"Maybe later."
x x x
Gazarra left shortly afterwards. His jacket was still damp, and the bug was back in place.
"I know almost nothing about the legal procedure in the US. Is it Internal Affairs or FBI or someone else one turns to in this cases?"
"I'm no expert, but this is too big for Internal Affairs. And Juniak is a mayor now, that's out of the Internal Affairs jurisdiction. At least I think it is. So I suppose it's the FBI.
"Hector, can you mail the audio to Ranger?"
"Of course. Oh, and Tank."
"Yeah?
"Someone was following Annie when she left the park. She definitely shouldn't be alone in her apartment."
"Who?"
"Not sure. Vince tailed, but they managed to lose him. Don't know if they were pro´s or just lucky, there was a collision just when Vince was almost close enough to get a look on the driver. The license plate was from the same car dealer where the police get their civilian cars."
Tank sighed.
"Anything on the bug?"
"Generic. Could be the police or some private person or a company. Middle of the line, OK sound, a bit big. And not resistant to being dunked in water."
Hector grinned at Annie, who just smiled back.
"You have some great instincts, and are able to think fast. Maybe you should change careers."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm quite content with my work."
Tank looked at her.
"You seem a bit tired. Wanna go home? That is, to my house for a couple of more days."
"I love your house; you know that wasn't the issue."
"I know. I think take out as well. I´m not in the mood for cooking."
"Sounds good. How about Thai or Chinese?"
"I just need to check in on Morelli."
"Of course. I´ll stay here and irritate Bobby and Hector enough so that they´ll tell me embarrassing stories about you."
Tank sighed and shook his head, before he left.
"I think we´ll save that for another day," Bobby said. "How about I share the number to the best Chinese take-out restaurant?"
"You've got a deal," Annie said, valiantly trying to conceal her yawns.
They got the take away menu, and called in and ordered for Annie and what Bobby said would be some of Tank´s favorites. She knew enough of Tank´s tastes to not order some of Bobby´s suggestions.
Meanwhile Tank checked in with the staff in front of the monitors.
"Morelli´s status?"
"He´s mostly quiet. Has eaten two times today, and still drinks copious amounts of water. He still gets the shivers sometimes. Bobby has checked him over the monitors a couple of times."
"OK, we´ll let him stew some more. I´m leaving a bit early, you know how to reach me."
Tank went back and fetched Annie. They got the take out and ate at the house.
"I´m glad that the food was good. "
"You did a good job choosing dishes."
"Thanks. Bobby tried to make me order something that I thought you wouldn't like. He seemed a bit disappointed that I didn´t order it, so I think I caught him."
"Sounds very probable."
After they had put away the leftovers and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher it was still early, but Annie yawned.
"Why don't you go to bed. I´ll just do some training in the basement gym, and I'll join you after a shower."
"Sounds good. I suppose it's a reaction after the stress."
"I must repeat that you did a stellar job. Now off to bed."
Annie just brushed her teeth and borrowed one of Tank´s t-shirts as a pajama and was out like a light after five minutes.
Tank did a thorough work out. He hadn't shown it to Annie, but he was really upset by Helen Plum and the callous way she had talked about her husband and her youngest daughter. Hell, she hadn't been that nice towards Valerie either. He needed to get some of that frustration out of the system.
He finished his workout at the sandbag, and was just pulling off his boxing gloves when the phone rang.
"Yo."
"We got the audio. Aside from all the vitriol and shit it contained I'm thoroughly impressed by Annie´s performance."
"So am I."
"What's the plan now?"
"We've still got Morelli in the basement at Haywood. We´d like to have his blackmail material. Also, we briefed Gazarra, and he's still thinking on what to do. Mostly whom he can trust, I suppose."
"I´ve got some contacts at the FBI that I know are clean. Tell him to call me. From a secure phone."
"Gazarra had a bug when he came to Haywood today. Hector found it during the scan. Unfortunately he couldn't say for sure who had planted it."
"Considering that you've got material on both the police commissioner and the mayor there are many interested parties."
"It´s mostly hearsay. The only proof we have against the mayor is adultery. Or maybe it isn't even that, I mean he's not married anymore. But I'm quite sure if it got known his political career would be over."
"Agreed. It seems that the golden goose right now is Morelli."
"Seems like it."
Tank was silent for a while.
"How´s Little girl?"
"Somehow it was a confirmation of all the shit she´s been through. And the part where Annie told Helen that she herself was responsible for her decisions and actions was priceless. Babe needed to hear that.
"I think in the long run it´ll do her good. It was pustule that needed lancing.
"Now go take care of your woman. And tell her that was first rate work she did today."
"Will do."
Tank took a shower and brushed his teeth. When he came to the bedroom Annie was asleep sprawled out in bed, and a streak of light gave her a halo. It felt like a physical blow to the gut, and he remembered what Ranger had said: When it's the right person you just know. You may not be willing to admit it even to yourself, but you know.
He silently climbed into bed and gathered Annie up in his arms. She cuddled up to him and made a content sound. Tank fell asleep holding her.