Ch. 28

While Valerie was amusing herself by teasing her boss, Dante was finding himself in the middle of what was turning out to be a very frustrating day. First there was the encounter with Lulu earlier that morning, which could have been worse, he supposed. He was still remembering her comment as he left Nathan's hospital room about how he wasn't the same person. He was trying to remain unfazed by it but it had rankled a bit, if he was honest. What exactly did that mean, anyway? As if she herself hadn't changed? Whatever. Then there was what was turning out to be a fruitless search for Scribbs. Dante pounded the pavement while visiting the various places he thought the panhandler might be hiding out. Everywhere he went, the story was similar—"Haven't seen 'im." "Scribbs's in the wind." "'f I knew, I wouldn't tell you, cop."—and so on. Feeling like the day was a waste, Dante decided to try one more place before packing it in. He made his way to the pier down by Warehouse Row on Van Nyss. There he got some information from one of Scribbs' cronies. "Have you seen or heard from Scribbs lately?" he asked wearily, not really expecting an answer after the day he'd had. "Scribbs? Don't think he's here. Think he went to Jersey." Dante's interest was pricked as he responded, "Jersey? New Jersey, or Jersey City?" "I look like his secretary or somethin'? Dunno, Jersey somewhere. Think he's got kids there or somethin'." "I'll check that out. Thanks. If it pans out, there might be something in it for you. If he does show up here, let him know he's not in trouble but we're looking to talk to him." He left the man his card. As leads went, it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Armed with this potential new line of inquiry, Dante returned to the station. He was just settling in at his desk to look up some numbers for precincts in New Jersey when Jordan approached him. "Ahh, Falconeri, there you are. I need to talk to you. Come into my office for a minute, would you?" "Great," he thought in annoyance, "another lecture about who knows what." He followed her into her office and took the chair across from her desk before she could ask him to have a seat. Thinking he was about to hear another lecture about Valerie, he was surprised by Jordan's next words. "What do you think of Hill?" she wondered, getting right to the point. "Hill? Randy Hill?" "Yeah. As a cop, what do you think of him?" "He seems squared away enough. A little green, maybe, but for a newer officer, I guess he makes the grade." "That's good to hear. Because while your partner is riding a desk, I want Hill to shadow you." Dante sat there processing Jordan's words. "You want me to ride with Hill?" he asked in dismay, adding, "Ah, no, Commish, why?"

"He needs some seasoning, like you said. I think it would be good for him to spend some time with you. He told me one of his goals is to make Detective. Show him the ropes, give him some tips. Let him work Nathan's stabbing with you, for instance."

"But honestly, why me? Wouldn't Johnson or one of the other detectives-"

"Is there a problem, Falconeri? I thought you said Hill was squared away. You trying to tell me you can't work with him?" Dante knew that was the last thing she wanted to hear. "No, Boss. I don't know if it's a good fit, temperament-wise, that's all." "And you won't know until you ride together. Anyway, I all but told him it was a done deal, so tomorrow morning, bright and early, expect a temporary partner."

"If it was already a done deal, why ask me if I'd do it?"

"Is that what you thought I was doing? I was just asking for your impression of him as a cop. I wasn't aware that I needed your permission before making an assignment, which is probably why I didn't ask you beforehand. It's not permanent, remember—just until West is cleared to return to the streets. Any other questions?"

"No, Boss. None at all."

"Good. Well, that's all I really wanted, so…" The implication being clear, Dante got up and left Jordan's office. To say he was even more irritated than he had previously been was understating the case. Getting saddled with Hill? If he was honest, it wasn't that Hill was a bad guy but ever since he had seen him and Val dancing at Jake's, his feelings toward him had soured. Especially after that crack he'd made about seeing how loose she could get. In fairness, Val had obviously been the one making all the moves that night, but feelings weren't always rational. And now he was going to be stuck for who knew how many hours a day in a car with this guy?

Dante returned to his desk and because he wasn't frustrated enough, Randy walked up to him and just stood there, a big goofy grin on his face as he remarked, "So Falconeri, I hear you and I are gonna be partners. Looking forward to riding with you." Before he could stop himself, Dante reminded him, "It's only until West is cleared to return to full duty—don't get too excited." He could have kicked himself for showing Randy how annoyed he was with the situation. "Well, for however long it is, I'm sure I'll benefit from your knowledge and experience." Dante watched Randy bouncing merrily away down the hall, and he shook his head. The universe was definitely paying him back for something… In the middle of his musings, Bill Johnson bulldozed into the squad room, making a beeline for Dante when he saw him sitting at his desk. "Heard you pulled babysittin' duties, Falconeri. Make sure you've got plenty o' Pampers and formula so you can take proper care of your newb." Laughing at his own wittiness, Johnson made his way to his own desk. Thoroughly disgusted, Dante rolled his eyes and then went back to doing what he had tried to do before being interrupted by Jordan. After placing the appropriate calls and sending faxes of Scribbs' latest picture and description to the different departments scattered throughout New Jersey, Dante decided to call it a day. If he was going to be expected to tolerate Hill for the foreseeable future, he was going to need plenty of time to decompress.

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He finally saw Val for the first time since the morning when she emerged from the basement and returned to the squad room to get her purse and other belongings from her desk. She smiled when she saw him, which made him feel a bit better about the rotten day he had had thus far. "Are you leaving for the night, Dante?" she asked for the benefit of anyone in the room who might have been listening. "Yeah, that's the plan," he answered with a smile of his own. "Mind if I walk out with you?" "Not a bit—come on." She announced her 'good nights' to the officers and admins still left in the station and then they left together. "Do you really think we're fooling anyone?" he queried. "About what exactly? It was a total coincidence that we happened to be leaving at the same time—I certainly didn't plan it. Did you?" "Not really, no," he responded, adding, "I haven't seen you all day—I thought you were already gone for the night." "Well, there you go." She hesitated for a moment. "Did you plan on coming by?"

"You want me to? I've had a pretty crappy day," he said, going on to say, "I don't know if I'd be good company right now."

"Come anyway."

"Ok. I need to stop by the loft for a while, check the mail, and do some other stuff. See you in an hour or so?"

"Perfect," she told him with a slightly mysterious smile.

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He was entering the penthouse after having used his key when he saw Valerie descending the stairs. Her face broke out in a huge grin when she saw him, which he noticed. "What're you so happy about," he wondered aloud. "I like seeing you use your key, that's all." "Makes it seem like you belong here," she thought inwardly.

"Oh," he said as he headed for the couch, "It's nice to have one to use. Makes me feel like I'm always welcome." He started to sit down, saying, "All I want to do right now is take a load off-"

"Don't!" she loudly interjected causing him to jump. "Sorry," she sheepishly apologized, "But if you're so tired that you only want to sit down, you won't want to get up later on. I have a plan of my own. Come with me." She held her hand out to him. "Val-" "Don't worry," she told him, "what I have in mind requires minimal effort on your part. Come on." She shook her hand at him and he finally reached back. She led him up the stairs to the dimly lit master bathroom. A few votive candles were lit to add a soft scent to the air. The spa tub was full of warm water, and Dante looked at Val in puzzlement. "What's all this?"

"This is something I like to call 'Dante's Time.' Lift your arms." Once he had complied, she removed his shirt from his body. Noticing that he still had his shoes on, she told him he would need to take them off in order for her to remove his pants. He toed his shoes off and she got to work loosening his belt. He couldn't help his body's response to her sliding his pants down his legs and he lifted first one leg and then the other to assist her. When she stripped his underwear from him, he sprang out at her, his body at full readiness. Archly she gazed up at him and he returned her look with a somewhat self-conscious one of his own. "You can't undress me and not expect this to happen," he told her, "so what do you intend to do about what you've done?"

Returning his smile she replied, "Only this," and then, leaning forward, she kissed him. She held him in her hand as she went on to explain, "I'm very regretful, Sir, that I upset you; however, this kiss is all you're getting." She straightened up and gave Dante a look that said "And?" He disbelievingly asked, "That's it? You're really leaving me hanging, literally?" "Yep. This isn't about sex, it's about you being able to relax." "If you really want me to relax-"

"Dante!" She pointed at the tub, further saying, "Get in." "Yes, Ma'am." "Is the water too hot?" "A bit, but it's ok. It feels good. No mood music?" "No, something better than that." She picked up the remote control and the split mural above the tub began sliding back to reveal a flat screen television. He laughed and shook his head as he leaned back in the tub. Leave it to Sonny… Turning on the tv, she flipped through the channels until she found ESPN SportsCenter. "There you go," she announced with a grin. The look he gave her was full of amazement as he said, "You are an Angel sent from above." "I know this," she smirked. She pointed to the corner of the tub's ledge and sitting there was an ice bucket with three of his imported beers cooling in it, which he hadn't noticed was there. "Not saying you have to drink all three but I thought I'd at least have that many on standby." "You rock. That's all—you just rock. Thanks for this, Val, really."

"You're welcome." She reached down and turned on the jets and the water gently swirled around him. "Of course you can adjust the jets to whatever you want but this is the most soothing setting. I want you to chill out, let the day go, and empty your mind. It's time to reset and regroup."

"You know, I could do that even if you joined me."

"Not as effectively, I don't think. Definitely next time, but this is for you. Don't come out until you're almost boneless, ok?" With a kiss on his forehead and a wink for good measure, she left the room and closed the door. Feeling pampered, he couldn't stop the big grin from forming on his face. He couldn't remember if anyone had ever done something like this for him before. To be fair, the loft didn't have a spa tub but he really couldn't think of anyone he'd been with in the past having done anything similar. He slid under the water for a few seconds and then after coming up and scooping his wet hair out of his face, he cracked open a beer and settled back to watch SportsCenter.

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It was quite some time later when Dante emerged from the bathroom wearing the robe Val had left hanging on the back of the door. She was sitting up in the bed watching a Lifetime movie and after plopping down beside her, he looked up at the screen and then back at her. "Is this a chick flick?" "Sure is. Join me. Oh, and I've got snacks," she added, pointing to the tray of mini sandwiches and fruit. He got up and grabbed a plate full and then rejoined her in the bed. "Do you really expect me to watch a chick flick?" "Um, I watched the Yankees with you, the least you can do is watch the rest of this movie with me." Resigning himself, he ate the rest of his food, set the empty plate on the bedside table, and then slid down beside her. He motioned to her as he opened his arms and she scooted over to him. He hugged her tightly and whispered huskily, "I don't know how to thank you enough—you always seem to know what I need. I do feel better." "I'm glad. Why did your day suck so badly anyway?" "I don't want to talk about it when you're trying to watch your show." "I'm a multi-tasker—I can do both." He told her about his fruitless search for Scribbs and his frustration as he went from place to place throughout the day. He mentioned the one tip he had gotten and expressed his hope that it would lead somewhere, but he was doubtful. "This is what I don't get," he explained further, "Scribbs is a panhandler. He's got no real money, so how does he just up and go to Jersey? I know it's not exactly the other side of the world, but how'd he get there? With what funds?" "Well, he's a panhandler, so he might have a little saved up…" Dante looked at Val doubtfully and she went on, "Or probably, someone gave him money to leave town. Most likely whoever put him up to getting Nathan to the mill." "So you see that, too? Poor Nathan. He really liked and trusted Scribbs." "I'm sure it wasn't personal, Dante." "Wasn't personal?" He reached out and turned her face to his, asking, "How can you say it wasn't personal? If he's involved in this, he betrayed a friend." "I doubt Scribbs saw things that way," she asserted.

"How else could he see things?"

"Look, let's be honest here. Scribbs is a source. He and Nathan have a mutually beneficial relationship. Nathan gets information, and every now and then, Scribbs gets a few dollars. Maybe some relief from being rousted by the cops when he works his corner. I wouldn't classify that as friendship, and I doubt that's how Scribbs saw it, either. On the streets, survival is the name of the game. If someone came to you and offered you, I don't know, five hundred or maybe a thousand dollars to lure someone to a certain place—more money than you'd had in forever, mind you—don't you think you'd be tempted if you were basically living on the streets? Especially if you were told no one would hurt him, just maybe scare him a bit. I'll bet that's what happened. And once Scribbs realized what the intent really was, he got scared himself and took off. Or whoever paid him told him to disappear." Dante laughed incredulously. "Check you out—all that deductive reasoning. Hanging out with a cop is sharpening your skills." She frowned up at him. "It could be that, I suppose. Or it could be that handy-dandy criminology degree I managed to get." "Well, there is that. I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, by the way. It helps, being able to talk things out with you. Whenever I think of who had a motive for wanting Nathan out of the way, I keep coming back to Joey Robbs. He felt like Nathan was nosing around his business too much, and he wanted it stopped. He's not a killer, though."

"Are you sure? Nobody's a killer until they kill for the first time."

"You're right. It wasn't Joey and it wasn't Scribbs who actually stabbed Nathan, but I'll work the Joey Robbs angle anyway, see what shakes out. Thanks for this."

"For what?"

"The night ended so much better than I thought it would. I'm rejuvenated, my brain is working again, and I've got a different avenue for my investigation, all due to you."

"You're welcome."

"Now that we've worked all that out, let's finish watching your chick flick. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

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