Chapter 51: Specific Qualifications Needed
Danny and Maria walk into a taped off crime scene in a lawyer's office.
"What have we got?" Danny inquires to the uniformed officer on scene.
"Vic's name is Benton Spencer." the officer explains as Danny begins looking around "No signs of forced entry. He was apparently staying late to work on a case…" he adds as Danny's eyes land on a person on the other side of the room.
He heavily sighs.
"…was found this morning by his associate…" the officer continues "…Um her name is… um…" he hesitates as he pulls out his police notebook to reference it.
"Sydney." Danny finishes for him with a sigh "Sydney Davenport."
Maria looks over at her partner "You know her?"
Danny glances at Maria then looks back at Sydney "Yeah, she was almost my sister in law."
Maria looks at Danny in surprise "Joe?"
"No." Danny heavily sighs "Jamie."
Maria's eyes go a bit wide in surprise "Jamie?"
Danny nods "Jamie."
"Oh." Maria breathes out.
"Yup." Danny agrees as he starts to walk towards her "Come on." he prompts Maria "Sydney." he greets when he reaches her.
Sydney looks over "D…Danny." She breathes out in surprise "What are you doing here?"
"First grade Detective remember?"
"Oh right." Sid replies.
"This is my partner…" Danny introduces "Maria Baez."
"Hi." Maria greets.
"So you found our vic?" Danny questions getting right down to business.
"His name is Benton!" Sydney corrects "Was Benton." she then corrects again in sadness.
"Right. Sorry." Danny apologizes.
Sydney begins to repeatedly shake her head back and forth "Danny, this was no accident. This was murder."
Danny and Maria exchange a look.
…..
Danny and Maria walk into the bullpen with Sydney.
"This way." Maria warmly instructs as she gestures towards conference room while Danny breaks off and makes a beeline for Jamie and Eddie's office. He takes a deep breath then walks inside "Oh good." He greets "You're both sitting."
Jamie and Eddie look up.
Jamie eyes his bother "Why is that good?" he suspiciously inquires.
"Well…" Danny begins "I think we found our next undercover op… or more specifically YOUR next undercover op." he clarifies as he looks directly at Jamie.
"Mine?" Jamie questions.
Danny nods "Yeah, you're the only cop qualified for it."
"Why do you say that?" Eddie slowly interjects.
Danny looks over at his sister in law "Because he's the only cop with a law degree." he replies as Maria walks into the office.
"Okay I set her up in the conference room." Maria announces.
"Her?" Eddie questions.
Danny and Maria both nod before Maria leans towards Danny "You tell them yet?" she lowly whispers.
"No." Danny quietly hisses back "Was getting to it."
"Alright what is going on?" Eddie demands "Why are you two acting so weird?"
"Okay well see the vic's name in our new case is Benton Spencer." Danny begins "He was found this morning by his law partner – that's the her we are talking about."
"Okay and?" Jamie prompts.
Danny looks at his brother a moment then turns to looks at his partner "He's really going to make me say it isn't he?"
"Well you haven't exactly given him much to be able to figure it out on his own." Maria tosses back.
"Okay someone just spit it out already." Eddie demands "Because the pregnant lady is getting very annoyed with all this dancing around."
"Sydney." Danny blurts out "Sydney Davenport is the partner and the one currently in the conference room."
Silence as both Jamie and Eddie try to process that.
"Is she a suspect?" Jamie finally inquires.
"No." Maria states "She has an alibi for last night."
"Her fiancé." Danny quickly tacks on.
"Fiancé?" Eddie questions in shock "Was not expecting that!" She adds as she turns to look at Jamie "It was less than a year ago that she was trying to get back together with you!"
Danny's eyes go wide "I'm sorry what?"
Eddie looks at her brother in law "Sydney showed up at the 2-9 one day trying to get back together with Jamie." She explains.
"And this is the first I'm hearing of this?" Danny states in disbelief.
"Can we focus please?" Jamie counters "So if she's not a suspect, why is she here?"
"Because it seems whatever lawyer takes on this guy's case ends up… well dead…" Danny reluctantly explains.
"Oh." Jamie breathes out in understanding.
Eddie looks between Jamie, then Danny then Maria "Wait… so you want to throw him…" She tries to clarify as she points at her husband "…in line to be next?"
"Do I want to? Absolutely not! No!" Danny immediately rejects "But you know the drill – he's the only one qualified to pull it off!"
Jamie sighs as he stands "Conference room you said? Alright let's go."
"Wait. Does she know you're in here talking to us?" Eddie curiously inquires to Danny and Maria.
The partners shake their heads no.
"We thought we'd let you be the one to tell her that." Danny tells his brother.
Jamie rolls his eyes "Come on let's do this."
So one by one everyone traipses out of the office heading for the conference room.
Jamie reaches for the door, puts his hand on the knob, takes a deep breath and opens the door "Hey Sid." he greets as he steps inside.
Sydney looks over and her eyes go wide in shock "J…Jamie!"
Then Eddie walks in…
"Oh! Eddie!" Sydney nervously laughs but then she notices her rounded belly "Oh! Um wow. Look at you!"
"Yes." Eddie replies "Seems we all have a surprise or two to share don't we?" She adds as she gestures to the engagement ring on Sydney's finger.
Sydney looks down and just starts to laugh "You remember that day I came looking for you last year?" She inquires as she looks up at Jamie.
"I know I do." Eddie replies instead.
Sydney shifts her eyes to Eddie and smiles "Well I was right! Something was pulling me to that time and place…" Sid explains as she briefly glances at Jamie "but it wasn't you…" She adds before looking back at Eddie "You told me I'd find the right person and I did! I literally ran into him right there on the street that day outside the police station - that's how we met and well, now we are engaged!"
A wide smile graces Eddie's face as she pulls out a chair and sits down across from Sydney "See I told you!"
Sydney nods "You did."
Danny leans towards Jamie "Am I the only one that finds this weird?"
"Well you brought this to us so your fault!" Jamie counters back.
"Ignore them." Eddie instructs to Sydney.
"We do." Maria tacks on.
"We're sorry for your loss." Eddie offers.
Sydney's face goes sad "We just started our own law firm. This was supposed to be the case that put us on the map."
"What was the case?" Jamie inquires.
And in an instant, Jamie and Sydney are having a lawyeresk conversation that is above Danny, Maria's and Eddie's head.
"Okay do NOT make me call Erin down here to translate!" Danny finally interrupts.
"Wow." Eddie breathes out "That's a side I've never seen before." She admits as she looks at her husband a bit in awe.
"Sorry." Jamie mutters.
"My fault." Sydney apologizes "I started it. I guess I just wanted to see what you still remember."
"More then you'd think." Jamie counters.
"Clearly." Sydney accepts.
"Which is good for us and this case." Danny chimes in as he looks around the room "Right?"
…..
After going over everything with Sydney and coming up with a plan Eddie walks out of the conference room with Jamie following.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Jamie inquires after he shuts the door "And don't give me some sugar coated answer either, I want the truth Eddie because nothing is more important to me then you and our Baby so if this makes you uncomfortable or even a little bit stressed just say the word and I won't do it."
Eddie gives her husband a small appreciative smile "It's fine Jamie." She promises.
"So… no jealousy or um…"
"Hormonal over reaction?" Eddie interjects "That's what you were trying to say but not really say right?" She finishes before laughing a bit "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Jamie presses.
Eddie smiles and nods "Of course."
"Okay." Jamie slowly accepts "I love you you know. Only you."
"I know." Eddie confirms "I love you too." She adds before turning to walk away and as she does the door opens again and Maria exits.
"Hey can I talk to you a second?" Jamie requests of her.
"Sure Boss what's up?"
Jamie pulls Maria aside "Look I'm going to ask you a personal favor here…"
"Okay…" Maria cautiously agrees.
"I need you to keep an eye on Eddie for me." Jamie requests "She tells me she's fine with this but…"
"You're not 100% convinced." Maria deduces.
Jamie nods "I mean would you be?" He reasons "It's my exfiancée and Eddie's pregnant. Last thing I want is for her to be stressed and she's not going to talk to Danny so…"
"Don't worry. I've got both of you covered." Maria promises "You just do your job and focus on getting this guy and let me worry about Eddie okay?"
Jamie sighs in relief "Thank you."
…..
"Hey." Jamie greets as he heads back inside his and Eddie's office "Sid and I are gonna head out and talk strategy, you want to come?"
Eddie looks up and scrunches her face up in disgust "So I can sit there listening to you two and not understand a word you are saying? No thanks."
"You sure?" Jamie hesitantly questions.
"Yeah, pretty sure." Eddie confirms with a yawn "I would much rather go home and take a nap."
"You're sure sure?" Jamie presses.
Eddie laughs "Jamie, seriously, its fine. I'm not going to freak out okay? Yes she's your exfiancée but I think you've both moved on no?"
Jamie groans "Yes of course it's just..."
"Honestly, it's sweet of you to be so concerned but I'm fine – go do your job."
Jamie eyes his wife "Okay." he finally accepts. He turns to leave then pauses and looks back at his wife "I love you."
Eddie huffs out a laugh "Again thank you but you also don't need to repeat that every two minutes either. I appreciate the sentiment but seriously – stop!"
"Okay it just you're words of affirmation…" Jamie begins to ramble "…so…"
Getting up from her desk, Eddie walks over to her husband and just puts her hand over his mouth to shut him up "Stop." She simply instructs.
Under her hand, Eddie can feel Jamie just shut his mouth "We're good." She promises "Besides I carry a gun and I know where you both live."
Jamie lets out huff of a laugh at her words as Eddie removes her hands "Perfect. Threats."
"I know right?" Eddie tosses back "You'll stay in line now for sure!"
Jamie just shakes his head at his wife "I won't be long." He promises "We're just going to…"
"GO!" Eddie over dramatically orders.
Jamie leans over and gives his wife a quick kiss "Love you." he quickly reiterates one more time before spinning on his heels and heading out.
Eddie shakes her head as she watches him walk up to Sydney and say something.
Sydney looks back at Eddie then takes a couple steps towards her "You're not coming? because I mean by all means you can come its…"
"Oh my god you two just go, it's fine! If you think I think you need a chaperone – which I don't - take Danny or Maria!"
"Ah really?" Danny whines from his desk.
"I was kidding." Eddie states.
"I'd go…" Maria slowly states as she looks between Jamie and Eddie knowing Jamie would prefer if she came "But I promised Rosa I'd pick Elena up a bit early today – she and Mia have plans or something."
"Seriously everyone - you all need to stop." Eddie insists "The only thing that is going to stress me out here is all of you stressing out that I'm stressing out so how about we all just STOP STRESSING OUT! Okay? Geez."
Danny makes a shooing gesture with his hands towards Jamie and Sydney "Just go. You're all starting to stress ME out."
So Jamie takes a deep breath "Going." He relents as he and Sydney turn and walk out of the bullpen and Eddie turns to walk back inside her office.
Maria watches them all then turns to look at Danny "Why didn't you go!" She quietly chides.
"Because I don't like torture..." Danny explains "...and sitting there listen to those two talk lawyer crap is exactly what that would be."
Marie glowers at her partner "Aren't you worried?"
"About what?" Danny counters.
"It's Jamie and his exfiancee!"
Danny rolls his eyes "Yes and they are ex's for a reason. What those two…" he adds as he gestures in the direction Jamie and Sydney went "…had was nothing compared to what these two have." he continues as he gestures to Jamie and Eddie's office "Trust me, I've been a witness to both. You're all panicking for nothing."
"Nobody's panicking." Maria counters as she glances into Eddie's office to see her working away "We just want to make sure Eddie is comfortable with all this that's all."
"We?" Danny slowly presses.
"Yeah, you know. Jamie asked me to keep an eye on Eddie, make sure she was truly okay with this."
Danny frowns at hearing that "Watch yourself. If Eddie finds that out it could backfire on all of us."
...
