Woody sat across the desk from Lu. He absentmindedly tapped his foot .
"You feel guilty for lots of things that aren't your fault." Lu stated.
"I'm Catholic. I thought it just came with the territory." Woody responded dryly.
"I'm serious. You came to me and said you wanted to deal with this stuff, but if you're not willing to change the way you think about it. It won't help."
"Like what?" Woody asked.
Lu raised an eyebrow in response.
"It's not your fault you were shot. It's not your fault your brother got into drugs. And, you don't need to feel guilty for being happy." Lu stated firmly.
Woody stared at her before looking down at his watch.
"Well, this was nice, but I need to go." He flashed a smile, grabbed his jacket and quickly went to the door.
Woody walked beside Jordan as they left the auto shop.
"Ever since they pulled her out of the swamp, she's been nothing but trouble." Jordan let out a frustrated sigh
"What was it this time?" He asked, nodding back toward the auto shop.
"I tend to glaze over when mechanics talk about my car. All I heard was "manifold" and "$300." She answered with a shrug.
"You should have let me look at it." Woody offered.
"It's alright, besides you've been busy with your project." She said pointing to the car they were walking toward. He had come to her a couple months ago, excited he had found this car. His father had owned one years ago. He'd taken over the garage at Max's house, working on it on the weekends.
"Now this, Jordan, this right here is a ride. Listen to that kitty purr!" He explained as he started the engine.
"Muy macho." Jordan said with a suggestive smile
"You got that right, baby!" Woody matched her look and Jordan leaned over to give him a kiss. Just then a patrol car pulled up behind them with lights and sirens.
"Friend of yours?" Jordan asked sarcastically. Woody just rolled his eyes.
"License and registration, please." The officer requested once he was at the window.
"I'm on the job." Woody explained curtly as he flashed his badge.
"Did you know you parked in a red zone, Detective?" Jordan couldn't help, but roll her eyes.
"Spalding, is it? Oh, you're probably over at 117. You know my good buddy Will Higgins. Everybody calls him "Little Willy"."Woody said, flashing a charming smile.
"New policy in effect. Nobody slides." Spalding explained firmly.
"Woody, maybe we should just
get this over with, right?" Jordan offered.
"I'm not going to ask you again, Detective. Now we can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way."
"Aha. That's a good one. That is really a good one. I want to use that." Woody laughed sarcastically. "You gotta give me that speech again so I can write it down.Something about the easy way?" Woody pulled his license out of his wallet roughly and handed it over.
Just then a car came speeding past.
"Your lucky day." Officer Spalding offered quickly and handed back Woody's license.
"Keep in touch!"Woody offered loudly to the retreating officer.
The radio in Woody's car came to life.
"All available units, code - .Rabbit on the run.
Gray Dodge Intrepid. All units…"
"Feeling adventurous?" Woody asked with a smile.
"Let's roll."Jordan said, returning the smile.
It wasn't long before Woody's car began to sputter then stop in the middle of the street.
"Come on, come on!" Woody begged hopelessly.
"Oh, come on! Come on!" He hit his hands against the steering wheel in frustration.
"Muy muy macho." Jordan said, trying to repress a laugh. Woody was about to reply when gunshots rang out.
"Call it in." Woody ordered quickly before exiting the car.
"This is unit 377 requesting backup. Corner of Washington and 32nd."
Woody quickly disappeared down the alley. Jordan was fighting the urge to leave the car. Her promise to Woody to try to stay safe was battling with her gut instinct. She sat still for a moment longer before she shook her head and reached for the door handle. She heard the sirens in the distance as she made her way down the alley. She stopped when she saw the body in the open trunk. What the hell was going on? Jordan was pulled from her musing when she heard Woody's voice. She quickly found him urging the officer from not 10 minutes ago to stay with him.
Jordan got through with the initial exam of Lisa Radlaurer and went to her office for a break before starting the autopsy. She saw him through the window before opening the door. Woody was sitting on her couch. He was leaning back with eyes closed. He had gotten a few hours of sleep at most between the late hour they arrived home and the nightmare that unsurprisingly pledged his sleep that night.
"Hey." She said, as she opened the door.
"You get a look at the body?" He asked without opening his eyes.
"Yeah…Yeah, no autopsy yet,uh... but it's pretty clear she was bludgeoned. Bug's still in Trace. So any word from CSU?" Jordan finished, joining him on the couch.
"Uh, no. The car was clean. No prints. No blood other than hers.We got nothing. Except two orphans. A sixteen year old boy and his little sister." He said as he ran a hand over his face before looking at her.
"Woody…" Jordan said as she reached for his hand.
"I've got to find this guy, Jo." There was a mixture of hurt and determination in his eyes.
"You will. The evidence is there, we just need to sort through it." Jordan offered.
"I got the husband coming in soon. Maybe he'll give us a lead." He took a breath and stood up. "There's a wake for Officer Spalding tonight, if you…" He added
"Yeah, of course." She said, wishing she had more to offer. He gave her a quick kiss and left. Jordan watched sadly as she watched him go. It was almost as if she could see the invisible weight on his shoulders.
Woody and Jordan walked into Officer Spalding's house together. Woody's hand lingered on the small of her back as they made their way through the house. They found Renee Walcott.
"How's our case?" Renee asked.
"Progressing." Woody responded as he poured drinks for the three of them.
"Four months ago,the husband, Robert Radlauer, got an above market offer
on their construction company. He wanted to sell. She didn't. It caused friction. One month later, he took out a million life insurance policy on her." Woody summarized.
"All good. All circumstantial." Renee evaluated.
"Yeah, we are still working out the physical evidence." Jordan jumped in.
"I've talked to friends, work colleagues. He's the only one with a motive and the only one without an alibi. He's our guy, Renee. I can feel it." Woody added with conviction.
"Don't let your emotions cloud you on this one, Hoyt.The last thing we need is to get prematurely excited." Renee gave a slight look between the two. "Pardon my French. Put him inside that car.You do that, it's a two-fer. If he was driving the Intrepid,
we've got him for his wife's murder as well as Officer Spalding." She said, raising her glass and taking a drink.
"Excuse me." He said as he noticed Jesse Spalding outside through the window. He went outside leaving Renee and Jordan alone.
"He seems…determined." Renee offered, but Jordan knew what she was angling toward.
"Don't let your emotions cloud you on this one, Hoyt.The last thing we need is to get prematurely excited." Renee gave a slight look between the two. "Pardon my French. Put him inside that car.You do that, it's a two-fer. If he was driving the Intrepid,
we've got him for his wife's murder as well as Officer Spalding." She said, raising her glass and taking a drink.
"Jordan, I wasn't…" Renee started, But Jordan cut her off.
"Sure you were." Jordan focused on keeping her voice low. "He's fine." There was a finality to her tone.
Renee just nodded.
"Woody, I want to catch this guy as much as you do, but CSU already scoured this thing with every toy they've got." Jordan said as they entered the impound lot. Jordan woke up in the morning to an empty bed and a note to meet him here.
"Come on, Jordan. We both know that
they miss stuff all the time." Woody offered as they approached the car. It wasn't a minute later that Woody noticed something.
"Jordan. Jordan, come here." He beckoned her. "What is that?" He asked, there was an anxious edge to his voice.
"A cell phone in almost plain view." Was her bewildered response.
"I got Robert Radlauer's phone number." Woody pulled out his notepad and his phone."Come on, baby. Please work.
Please work." He pleaded as he dialed.
The phone rang and Jordan looked at him.
"Bag it and tag it. We are sending a cop killer to jail." He said as he closed his notepad.
"Woody, uh, this doesn't really make sense.
I mean, this thing was not here yesterday." Jordan warned as she tried to figure out what was going on .
"Well," he decided, "it's here now."Jordan caught his slight hesitation.
Jordan sat at her desk. She wanted to call Woody, but he hadn't answered her last two calls. He had called earlier to tell her they were arresting Robert Radlaurer, but she hadn't heard from him since. She decided she needed some coffee despite it being early evening. She made her way into the hallway when she noticed Renee Walcott leaving Garrett's office. The two women made eye contact. Jordan didn't miss the look Renee gave her before she turned and left. She looked angry, but when she locked eyes with Jordan there was something else…was it pity?
"Jordan, my office… now." Garrett's voice pulled Jordan from her thoughts.
"I have to take you off the Radlauer case." Garrett started.
"And to think I was just starting to like her." Jordan laughed humorlessly.
"It's not Renee's fault. She had no choice but to drop the charges." There was irritation in his voice.
"Because of the cell phone?" She asked.
Garret nodded and laid out the two photos of the car side by side. Jordan ran a hand through her hair.
"It's bad enough that you were the one that took the second photo, but now that she's launching an investigation, you can't be anywhere near this."
"She's investigating Woody?" She was surprised despite the circumstances.
"What choice does she have?" He asked back.
"He didn't do this!"
"Then you can provide his alibi?"
Jordan hesitated. She couldn't. Woody had left early in the morning, leaving her that note to meet him in the impound lot.
"He all but admitted it, Jordan."
"What?" She asked. "That's not possible! You have to let me work the case so I can clear his name. There has to be an explanation." Her mind was desperately trying to logically explain what was going on.
"There is. He planted the cell phone." He answered flatly.
"He wouldn't." She said, shaking her head. Her head was still confused, but her heart was screaming he would not do this.
"Damn it Jordan. None of us wants Woody to have done it, but look at the evidence." He said forcefully, pointing to the second picture.
"No." She said quietly.
"Jordan." Garrett rubbed his temples.
"No." She repeated firmly.
"Aren't you tired?" He asked.
"What?" She asked back.
"Tired of putting your trust in men undeserving men." He said in a sardonic tone. Jordan's eyes Jordan eyes widened as she quickly realized he was referring to Max, himself and now Woody.
"What happened to you? She asked. "Ever since you came back to work…"
"Jordan." He warned.
"No! You're so quick to write him off, why? Because it's easier than trying to figure out what really happened? Because if you believe the worst then you won't be disappointed? Or is it because it makes you feel better about yourself?" Jordan was angry now. He sat back down at his desk, refusing to engage, silently confirming to her that there was something very wrong.
"Go home, Jordan." He said without looking at her.
Jordan stared at her mentor with tears shining in her eyes. He didn't react. She turned and left him alone. After she was gone, he took a long drink from his coffee cup.
Jordan sat on the couch nursing the whiskey in her hand. She was contemplating calling Woody again when she heard a key in the lock.
"What the hell, Woody? What's going on? Where have you been?" She asked in quick succession.
"Any particular order you want those answers?" He asked sarcastically.
"Don't be cute. Walcott came to the morgue. She thinks you planted the cell phone. Garrett took me off the case. "
"I'm sorry you're caught up in this." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Caught up in what? I can't figure out what happened. We were building a good case, it was just going to take some time."
"You think I did it?" Woody's eyes locked with Jordan's.
"Apparently, I should." She closed her eyes for a second thinking of her fight with Garrett. "But I don't." She shook her head. "Everything inside of me says no, but I don't know what I'm supposed to think. You're not telling me what's going on. " Jordan said, her eyes pleading for an explanation.
"I can't." He responded softly.
"You can't? A few months ago you agreed you wouldn't shut me out?" She responded, her voice rising with anger
"It's not like before. I'm trying to protect you." He answered.
"Protect me? I don't need you to protect me. I need you to talk to me!" She yelled.
"We aren't married yet." He stated matter-of-factly.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" She yelled back.
Woody just looked at her.
"Oh, my God. You want to make sure I don't have anything to testify about since I wouldn't have immunity." The realization hit her.
"I'm sorry." He said softly.
"Damn it, Woody. You have to let me help you!" She yelled again.
"No, I'm not jeopardizing your career."He answered sternly.
"Right, just yours? That career you worked so hard to get back. For what? I can't figure out why…" Jordan trailed off as she thought about what she was saying. "Or for who?" A sixteen year old orphan?" She posed it as a question, but when Woody wouldn't look at her she knew she was right.
"I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner. You told him you were going to search the car. He planted the cell phone, and you're protecting him. "
"Jordan."
"You can't do this! You could lose your job or worse.This is serious."
"You think I don't know that?" He answered incredulously
"Woody…"
"He's just a scared kid, he doesn't deserve this." There was something about the way he looked at her in that moment that made him look much younger. She could almost see the sixteen year old who stood at his father's grave holding his little brother's hand.
"You're right, he doesn't. " She responded softly. She offered him a small smile and grabbed his hand. "We'll figure this out in the morning…together."
The next morning started abruptly with a call about Jesse Spalding getting caught outside Radlaurer' s house with a gun. Woody went off to deal with that and Jordan headed to the morgue. Jordan moved with purpose through the halls, not actively avoiding Garrett, but silently hoping not to see him. She found who she was looking for when she found Bug in Trace.
"Did you figure out the murder weapon?" Jordan asked.
"Jordan, Dr. Macy took you off the case. We shouldn't be talking about this." Bug answered.
"Bug, please. He didn't do it."
"Jordan, the evidence…"
"Proves the phone was planted, it doesn't mean he did it. I know he didn't do it… I know." She emphasized the last two words. "I know you've stuck your neck out for me before, and you don't owe me a thing, but I'm asking for your help. I have to help him and I can't do it alone. What if this was Lily? You knew she needed your help, what would you do?" She looked pleadingly at him. She knew it was unfair to bring up Lily, especially since was dating Jeffrey Brandau, but she needed his help.
Bug nodded. "She was beaten with a golf club."
"Thank you, Bug. What else do we have?"
Jordan ignored all the looks and sideways glances she received as she entered the precinct. She walked straight into Lu Simmons office.
"Lu?" Jordan asked as she slowly opened her office door while lightly knocking
"Jordan." Lu stated with certainty. The two women had yet to work a case together, but Lu was very aware of Jordan Cavanaugh.
"I need to talk to you about Woody."
" Come in." Lu said despite the fact that Jordan was already in.
"It's about the Radlauer case, Woody didn't plant the cell phone. He was covering for someone else."
"Jesse Spalding." Lu concluded. Jordan nodded.
"That's why I'm here. So what I'm thinking is… if between us we can build a case against Radlauer, a strong case with no ties to the tainted cell phone, the D.A. might drop
her investigation of Woody." Jordan presented her plan.
"What have you got?" Lu asked.
"Not much. Uh, just some forensics that point to a golf course." Jordan offered.
"I can work up some background. Friends, family, see if I can scare up a phone record or two. But I don't think this is going to help your cause very much." Lu said, looking up at Jordan as she laid down the newspaper. Jordan picked up the paper and looked over the article with Woody's picture prominently placed for all of Boston to see.She squared her shoulders and looked back at Lu.
"Call me when you have something. And, Lu, thank you." Then she turned and left.
"Blood spatter. Weapon. Prints. Phone records." Jordan presented the evidence to Renee. Between Woody, Lu , Bug and "unofficially" Jordan, they managed to put a case together.
"Rock-solid case built on old-fashioned shoe leather. Evidence tampering. Double homicide. He's just a messed up kid." Woody offered, hoping Renee would drop the charges against Jesse Spalding.
"Dr. Cavanaugh, I thought you were taken off this case?" Renee asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, ma'am. If you check the reports, it was all done by Dr. Vijay. He was busy and didn't have time to come here. I was helping out, just being a team player." Her tone was nothing but serious and professional.
"You caught me in a generous mood. Don't say I never did you any favors." She grabbed up her bag and started to walk away when she turned around. "I'm glad it turned out this way." She added before making her way out of the precinct.
Jordan and Woody just nodded. Once Renee Walcott was gone, it was like they released a collection breath.
"Well, we did it." Jordan turned to him and smiled.
"Yeah…. Thank you for your help, Jordan."
"Just being a team player." She responded. Woody just chuckled.
I better get back. I have a report I have to finish. See you at home?
"I have a better idea."
"Hey." Woody greeted from the doorway of Lu's office.
"Long day." She offered.
"Long week." He countered.
"Yeah." She agreed.
"Your husband doesn't mind you working so late all the time?" He asked.
"My what?" She asked. She was confused until he motioned with his hand. " Oh, this. Um... it's just a decoration." She dismissively waved her hand.
"Oh. Something to keep the boys away." He concluded.
"You know, I tried a fly swatter, but it just encouraged them." She offered
" Listen, um, I know it wasn't an accident, you asking me to help with Jesse."
"It wasn't." She confirmed.
" I... I get it. I was him and he was me. I wasn't born yesterday."
"You're going to be okay, Woody."
"Yeah, I think I am. " He smiled at her. "Hey, I'm meeting Jordan for a drink, why don't you join us?" He asked.
"No, I've got some work to do." She tried to decline.
"Come on… please." The smile he gave her, with those dimples, she couldn't say no.
"Okay."
Woody held the door to the bar open for Lu. She quickly saw Jordan. If the brunette was surprised to see her she didn't show it. They sat at the bar for a while, just talking about different cases. Woody mentioned he planned to meet Jesse Spalding the next morning to give him his father's badge. At one point Woody excused himself. A few moments later, Jordan's head turned quickly toward the jukebox when the familiar melody of Dirty Water by the Standells started to play. Woody beckoned Jordan to the dance floor with one finger. Jordan just let out a bewildered laugh.
"I think you should get over there." Lu said, noting a wide dimpled smile, similar to the one that had gotten her here. Jordan just nodded and got up from her bar stool.
When Woody described Jordan, Lu always thought he was exaggerating her characterization, but then she met her. She was fiercely loyal, extremely smart, and undeniably beautiful. Lu watched them dance. By far, the most envious thing about Jordan Cavanaugh was the fact that she unequivocally had the heart of Woody Hoyt. Lu ordered another drink and took a quick greedy swallow as she watched the lighthearted dance turn slow despite the upbeat music.
On the dance floor Woody pulled Jordan close.
"Thank you for trusting me." He said sincerely.
"You trust me, I trust you. Isn't that what we're doing here?" She offered.
"Jordan, we both know it's bigger than that… for us. A couple weeks ago you were worried about falling into old patterns, you were afraid you would run." She nodded. "Well we made it through and you're still right here." He smiled at her, pulling her a little closer.
"What you did for Jesse Spalding. I'm proud of you. You really are a good man." She said, placing her hand on the side of his face.
Woody kissed her. As the song ended they moved to leave the dance floor.
"Not that I'm not having a good time, but why did we come here tonight?" Jordan asked.
"Isn't this what we do when you save my career?" He asked with a smile.
"I guess." She agreed, remembering the Cynthia Montgomery case. "But let's not make a habit of it."
"Agreed." He grabbed her hand and led her back to the bar.