CSI:NY The Saints Aren't Coming

When It Rains

Chapter 82: When It Rains

Gus walked through the pit, catching sight of Stella and Flack interviewing someone. She stopped, trying to figure out what she had missed in her trek back out to the crime scene.

She was able piece together that Dario Gonzales apparently was picking up extra cash bilking tourists with card games and one of the other Three Card Monty guys was less than pleased at having somebody else in his territory.

Gus hadn't ever given much thought to the con men working near the ferries, it was usually a fairly victimless crime and a misdemeanor not worth the time or paperwork.

Judging by their harsh interrogation, however Gus surmised that Stella and Flack thought Curtis had something to do with Dario's murder, given that the man had already done time for assaulting him.

Gus watched raptly at the scene unfolding before her. Stella was her usual razor edged self, but Flack...Gus suppressed a shiver. She couldn't pinpoint if she was attracted to or repulsed by the way Flack was questioning Curtis, and this frightened her.

Gus knew she needed to step back from the situation, focus on it just being about work, otherwise Daddino might end up taking both their badges. This was nearly impossible for her to do, however, Flack was more than just an ex to get over, he was the missing puzzle piece that helped complete everything.

She shook herself back into the present, the first thing she had to tackle was getting their work partnership back on track before Flack found himself on leave

"Nice work," Gus said, as Flack came out of the interview room with Stella staying behind for a handwriting sample. Gus hoped if she pretended nothing had happened early so would he.

Flack shrugged, "not that it helped, didn't get anything out of him. The scene choke up anything else?"

Gus gave an inward sigh of relief. Maybe he wasn't so far gone. "Nope, not a damn thing except some perky little clean up tech trying to steal Adam's job," Gus replied.

Flack smirked, "she still at that?" He looked everywhere except directly at Gus, though he was grateful she didn't seem to be bringing up their argument in surveillance earlier.

Daddino had given him an earful, though he had only listened to every third word the Lieutenant was throwing at him. The man had gotten his point across, work with Gus or don't work at all.

"Seems that way," Gus tried to ignore the fact that Flack couldn't seem to make eye contact with her. At least they weren't yelling at each other.

"Looks like it is up to the lab. Guess we should go return the media calls that I am sure have piled up. Did he really have to string that guy up on Ellis freaking Island?" Gus sighed.

"Murderers are so inconsiderate these days," Flack smirked back, a small slice of his former wit coming though, enough to give Gus a kernel of hope at least until Cliff Angell came walking into the pit a while later.

Gus pretended to be captivated in her phone call with some grating reporter, all while truly listening in on the conversation happening over at Flack's desk. Her heart dropped a little upon hearing Cliff invite Don over to the Angell's house for an old fashioned Sunday dinner to mark what would have been Jess' birthday. Gus was expecting Flack to decline, making up some excuse, so she almost fell out of her chair when she heard him tell Cliff to count him in.

Gus quickly righted herself, but not before Parker shot her look. "You okay over there, Slugger?"

"I'm fine, you got any more donuts over there?" Gus sighed, needing the sugar, trying to ignore Flack's frame slumped at his desk as Cliff Angell left the precinct. He was putting on a good show, that was for sure, but Gus knew all too well what was happening behind the curtain.