Chapter 25
~Michael~
"He's gonna cry."
"I know."
"You're gonna have to let it happen. You can't give in like you always do."
"I know."
"You gotta make sure Michael 'cause I won't be there to help you."
I grinned at him. "You worry too much Jace. I can handle it."
Jason shook his head. "You always let Timmy take advantage of you and he's gonna do it again today."
I glanced at Timmy, who, up until he'd heard his name, had been fully focused on his bowl of cereal. Now he looked up at me and Jason; intrigued.
"Every kid cries on their first day of school. I can handle him crying today because I know that the more he goes, the more it'll become normal for him."
Jason looked skeptical. "You don't think straight when it comes to him."
I frowned. "That's not true." But Jason rolled his eyes.
"Maybe I should just come with you. I can be late for work just this one time." he said as he stood and stretched across the table to pick up my plate.
"It will be fine Jace. I'll go, I'll leave him with the teacher, he'll cry, I'll give him a hug and leave. Simple."
He watched me with raised brows; the skepticism rolling off him in waves. I shook my head and turned to Timmy. "Are you finished now?"
He looked down at his bowl and frowned. "No Micha. See?" he tipped the bowl in my direction so I could see that he had more milk and as expected, he tipped it too far and it spilled all over the newly washed table cloth.
I sighed and Jason grumbled under his breath as he went around the counter to deposit our plates in the sink and grab a dry dish rag. I was seriously considering just doing away with table cloths completely until Timmy at least turned ten. My mother would be scandalized.
I stood. "Okay little man, go put your shoes on." I told him and when he slid down from the chair and ran into the family room, I stood and helped Jason clear the table.
When he looked toward to family room he frowned. "He don't like being left alone and now we're gonna leave him with a bunch of people he aint never even seen before."
I nodded. "We all had to go through it. It'll be fine."
"What if the other kids are mean to him?" he asked worriedly. I smiled.
"He'll be fine Jace. Timmy's a tough kid."
He shook his head. "Not really. He aint used to all of this. It might be too much for him. I feel... I feel nervous."
"Mom said she felt the same way when she dropped me off at school my first day and she felt the same way with my sister. It's completely normal. I'll send you a picture of him when I drop him off."
He thought about it for a moment. "Okay."
"Micha I no no Timmy shoes!" the kid called out from the other room. Jason gestured for me to leave the clearing up to him and I went to help the boy in question.
....................................
The morning ride was unusually quiet. Even Timmy, who was usually talking a mile of gibberish per minute or singing along to the songs on his favorite kid's radio station was sitting quietly in his car seat.
When I dropped Jason off at work Timmy waved goodbye with his usual gusto, but was otherwise quiet. It was as if he knew something was coming; even if he wasn't completely sure what it was.
"Remember to send me the picture." Jason told me before he hopped out of the car.
"I will. I'll see you later."
"You're going to be a good boy at school today right?" I asked him and glanced briefly in the rear-view so I could see him frown. "You're gonna meet a lot of kids your age and you'll have a lot of toys and friends to play with. Doesn't that sound fun?" he continued frowning at me-- eyes narrowed in suspicion.
When I glanced at the rear-view again, it was to see him wrap his arms around his head and pout. It was the same stance he used whenever he learned we'd be going to get his hair cut and I realized that he'd misinterpreted my school reassurances for the reassurances I usually gave whenever we were to the hair salon.
I sighed. There would definitely be tears today.
Timmy craned his neck to watch the kids passing by the window when we pulled up at his new school. He was intrigued; good.
"Ignore the tears, give him a hug, tell him you'll be back and leave." I whispered the words under my breath. Simple. It was ridiculous that Jason thought I couldn't do it.
I unbuckled him, picked up his bags and then lifted him in my arms. His eyes darted everywhere as we made our way across the grounds. It was probably the most kids he had seen in one place in his life. I felt a strange sensation in my chest and after a moment I realized I was nervous.
Why was I nervous? There was no reason for it. This was school, Timmy would be fine. He'd meet new friends, play with more toys than he'd ever laid eyes on and everything would be great. Jason had even hidden two pieces of candy in his lunch bag. I almost wished I could see the look on his face when he spotted them later on. I smiled at the thought, and the woman who was walking down the hall caught my eyes and smiled back.
The classroom, when we got there, was filled with little people, running about and making as much noise as you'd expect a bunch of two year old monsters to make. The chairs were tiny and colourful and there were charts and colourful artwork on the equally colourful walls. I noted that there were no chalk boards and I figured there really was no point in one when the kids would mainly be doing arts and crafts, finger painting and all the other random stuff kids Timmy's age did.
Timmy was by far the smallest kid there—wait no. There was one boy close to his size who was sitting quietly on a bench in the centre of the room and sucking his thumb. Maybe they could be friends. I pictured the play dates coming in the future and set Timmy down only to pick him back up just as quickly when a screaming, hyperactive little monster almost ran right into him. I turned to watch her as she ran in between desks and chairs with her frilly pink dress and pigtails.
"Stay away from that one Timmy." I whispered conspiratorially and Timmy nodded.
The next time I set him down and out of harm's way, a woman approached; the teacher. I remembered her from our meeting only weeks before.
"Aww is this little Timmy? She grinned as she approached, and when I nodded, she crouched to his level and held out one of her hands. Timmy moved away from her to hide behind my leg.
She stood and held out a hand which I shook. "It's good to see you again Mr. O'Connolly. I'll take his bags." I handed them off to her, suddenly dreading the thought of leaving him. It would be the first full day I'd be spending without him since he and Jace had come to live with me.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine." she said as though sensing my reluctance. "I'll send you pictures of him throughout the day. We'll do arts and crafts, have a little story time, he'll go outside for a while and play with all his new friends. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"Yeah of course. This is all just completely new to me." I crouched and pulled Timmy in for a hug. "You be good alright. I'll be back for you later."
Timmy frowned. "Ms. Rhonda is going to take good care of you until I get back." He nodded, which surprised me, but when I stood, thanked the teacher and turned to walk away, he trailed along behind me and I realized he hadn't understood a word I'd said.
"No Timmy, you have to stay here. I'll be back later okay?" I gave him a gentle nudge back toward his teacher, but when I turned again to leave, he followed.
I looked helplessly at the watching teacher and with a knowing smile, she came to the rescue, offering Timmy a toy she'd snagged from the toy box, but Timmy was not easily bribed. He shook his head.
She tried another tactic. "Look at that." she pointed across the room. "All of those toys are there for you to play with." she told him in that sing song voice adults reserved for children. When Timmy looked, she waved me away and I backed away quickly and quietly from the room, closing the door behind me.
It felt like a betrayal somehow; sneaking away without him knowing. I shook my head and made my way down the hall. I hadn't gone more than three steps before I heard his high-pitched wail.
"Just leave. Just leave." I muttered to myself as I walked but I could hear him crying as clear as day and the moment he screamed my name I couldn't help it. I turned right back and pulled open the classroom door to see Timmy struggling to get out of his teacher's arms. She was trying and failing to calm him down and when Timmy looked up and saw me, he fought harder.
"Micha!" he cried and the teacher looked up at me with something akin to pity, before releasing him. He ran into my arms and I stood with him.
"We'll try again tomorrow." I assured her.
"Okay, but it will be that much harder tomorrow." she said. "This is completely normal. Just give him time to adapt."
Timmy's arms tightened around my neck.
"I know but...tomorrow we'll be ready."
She shook her head, but smiled and handed me his bags.
"Micha no leave Timmy." he mumbled against my neck as we made our way down the hall.
Jason was going to kill me.
...............................
The moment we entered the bureau, he demanded that I set him down. He pulled his lunch bag and bunny from my hands and ran towards the chief's office. When Simon caught my eye from his spot by the copier, he shook his head in obvious disappointment.
Beside him, Eddie laughed and I watched as Simon grudgingly handed him a crumpled hundred dollar bill. When I sat at my desk, it was as if the last few months had never even happened. My chair still squeaked when I leaned forward and the surface of my desk was still scratched and ugly. Eddie's desk in front of mine was still cluttered with files, papers and the usual random junk and Simon's desk across from his was in its usual pristine condition.
The Notice board to the far front of the room was just as empty as the first day I'd started and save for John and Nate's absence and the crayon marks on the walls, nothing had changed.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep and satisfied breath. This felt like home. When I opened them again, Simon and Eddie had pulled their seats closer to mine. Eddie ginned and offered a hand which I shook, while Simon watched me with narrowed eyes.
"I just don't get it." Simon began. "How do interrogate drug Lords and take bullets with ease, yet allow a two year old to wear you down?"
I shook my head. "In my defence, he's almost three." Simon was not amused. "I just figured I'd give him one last day of freedom."
Eddie chuckled. "Bullshit. The kid's got you wrapped around his little finger."
"You just cost me my lunch for a week, just so you know." Simon grumbled, before swivelling back behind his own desk.
I shook my head. "Alright give me an update on the case."
"Jason's case?" Eddie asked, but continued before I could give an answer "The shop keeper came in to give his statement. He says he was held up by only one guy, but his face was covered with a mask and he couldn't identify him if he was standing right in front of him."
I frowned "One guy?"
Eddie nodded. "I know. It's a direct contradiction of the girl's confession. When we arrested her she told us they all robbed the place and that they got the gun from behind the cash register. The store keeper said he never had a gun."
"What about the security footage?"
He shook his head. "The camera's just there for show. Hasn't worked in years. They're all sticking to their new story. We've got nothing." he glanced at Simon, who shrugged. "Well nothing unless Jason testifies."
"The guy pointed a gun at me. I witnessed them holding a gun on Jace. He won't have to testify."
Eddie frowned. "Yeah well now they're all claiming they found the gun in a dumpster, they thought it was a fake and they were drunk."
"No way that story holds up. We found that stolen liquor on them."
"Which they claim to have found too. We all know its bullshit, the world will think its bullshit, but the shop keeper's place was ransacked, he couldn't even tell what was stolen. And before you ask; no, he doesn't keep a proper inventory, he barely even keeps receipts. They claim they weren't holding the gun at Jace, they said they were all playing around. So unless he testifies..."
I thought about it for a moment but what we all wanted wouldn't matter. I knew Jace well enough by now to know that he wouldn't be approaching that stand no matter what I said to him. "How could they suddenly all have the same story? Were they left alone with each other at any point after the arrest?"
Eddie hesitated. "We passed them off to another agent after the arrest. Could be that it wasn't handled properly." Eddie said carefully.
My eyes narrowed. "Which agent?"
More hesitation. "Ramirez."
I cursed under my breath and Eddie held up a hand as if to defend himself. "I know. I know."
"I want to talk to them."
He was already shaking his head. "Chief wants you shuffling paper for a while."
When I raised a brow in question Eddie and Simon groaned. "Since when have we ever played by the rules?"
Simon propped his head in his hands and directed his attention to Eddie. "And to think we went all these months without worrying about losing our jobs." then he looked at me. "You're back all of five minutes and I'm already trying to figure out if I have enough money saved up to survive after chief cuts me loose." I watched as he stood with a sigh. "Follow me."
.............................................
Her name was Sharon McKenzie.
She was twenty-two years old according to her file. She'd run away from home when she was thirteen. Her mother was a junkie and her father had died from an overdose when she was three. She wasn't from here originally. She tended to hop from state to state; claiming she liked to travel— if one could call stealing rides on city buses travelling. It was an interesting tactic; tell the truth about everything else hoping to throw us off when the lie came. I smiled as I watched her.
She tried to put on a brave front; folding her arms before her now that I'd removed the cuffs. She sat completely still, eyes trained on me and body language telling the world to back off. To the untrained eye, she looked the epitome of calm with a pinch of annoyance, but there were subtle hints that made it clear she was anything but. There was the fact that she couldn't seem to meet my eyes, instead they settled somewhere just below my chin. Her arms were folded a little too tight in front of her and she was biting her lip so hard I had to wonder why it hadn't started bleeding yet.
"Why'd you change your story?"
"I didn't."
"You confessed to everything when we arrested you."
"I lied. I thought if we were cooperative then maybe you'd let us go."
It was bullshit, but I didn't call her out on it
"What's it like living on the streets?" For a moment she seemed surprised, as though she'd come prepared to answer another question and this one had thrown her off.
She hesitated for a moment, her expression uncertain, then she schooled her features and shrugged. "It's great."
"Is it?"
"Yup." she still couldn't quite look me in the eyes.
"How so?"
Another shrug. "I do what I want, when I want. Life's a party." she said drily, the sarcasm clear in her tone.
"How do you survive out there?"
"By being smart."
"Does being smart involve conning people out of their hard earned cash? Stealing maybe?"
She rolled her eyes. "I don't have to steal to get by. I've got people who take care of me."
"Really now? Because it looks to me like you're all alone."
She chuckled; a cold, un-amused sound. "In case you haven't noticed by now, I've got plenty of friends."
I grinned. "Oh you mean the rest of those guys we brought in? Are you sure they're your friends?"
Her eyes narrowed, but she remained silent.
"If they're really your friends why would they give you up?"
Finally her eyes flashed to mine briefly, before they skittered away again. "They didn't give me up because we didn't do nothin'. We found the gun in a dumpster and we found the liquor there too. How were we supposed to know it was used in some crime?"
"You go dumpster searching with your friends often?"
She shook her head. "It's a free country."
"Yeah? Well where you're going you'll never be able to use that phrase again. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"
"I didn't do anything."
"If you're innocent then why are you in here and your friends are back out on the streets?"
She gaped at me and I nodded.
"We released them an hour ago after they finally broke down and confessed that you were the one who went into the store with that gun. They told us how you dressed up in a grey jumpsuit and put a mask over your face and went in and robbed some poor old shop keeper." I made use of the store keeper's description of the assailant.
"I didn't"
"They said it was some store over on Lake View. It's only a matter of time before we find that store keeper Sharon and when we do, we'll be checking out that security tape and then we'll know for sure."
She shook her head. "Well you can watched whatever tape you wanna watch, you'll see that it wasn't me."
I smiled. "No, something tells me the only thing we'll be seeing is a person in a grey jumpsuit and a face mask, just like your friends described, and then we'll definitely know it's you."
I stood then and she watched me with wide eyes. When I turned and headed for the door I could feel them boring a hole in my back, then just as I was about to turn the knob she shouted;
"Wait!"
I smiled as I paused, then schooled my features before I turned around again.
"It wasn't me!" she wailed.
"Why would your friends all lie? They all said--"
"Because they're trying to save their own asses. I never went into that store. We stayed outside. It was Ronny. He had the gun and he did it. They're lying!" the tears were streaming down her face as she said it.
"So you're saying you didn't find the gun in some dumpster?"
She shook her head. "I don't know where Ronny got it. I swear! But he had it, we had to do what he said and he wanted to hit that store, so what did you expect us to do? He's the one who went in there, not us. I didn't do anything they're all lying." she sobbed.
I looked toward the mirror and grinned. A moment later Simon came in to replace her cuffs and take her away.
One down, seven to go.
"Bring in the next one."
His name was Martin Taylor; the son of a single mother who'd had five other mouths to feed and couldn't handle another. He'd been given up at just a year old and had lived his life in the foster system. He'd never been arrested, certainly wasn't a troubled child according to the four foster parents he'd lived with over the years. In his last home, one day he'd been sleeping quietly in his bed, one day he wasn't. His foster mother had been distraught.
Unbeknownst to Martin, she'd been planning to adopt him. At the time, she hadn't been able to believe that he'd run off. She had the police and anyone who would listen convinced that someone had taken her boy. They'd searched for weeks. He'd been placed on the missing children database. If she'd had her way, his face would have even been plastered on milk cartons across the state, but eventually the search ended and she'd never learned what had happened to him. Until now.
She'd been over the moon when she'd learned that after twelve years he'd been found and heartbroken when she'd been told that he'd run away all those years ago. When she had been informed that he'd been arrested, she'd asked to see him. She thought she could convince him to talk. She wanted to know why he'd run; why he'd left her home behind when all she had done was love him.
Unfortunately for her, when she'd come into the bureau he hadn't wanted to speak with her. He'd been taken into the room anyway and had sat in silence while she asked him over and over again why he'd left. She'd told him she'd loved him and wanted him to help him, but Martin had sat in silence the entire time. In fact, the only time he'd looked at her from the time she'd entered the room was for a brief moment when she'd confessed to him that she'd been in the process of adopting him when he'd run away. The woman left without ever hearing his voice and shortly after she did, he'd sat there and cried until they'd taken him back to his cell.
I closed the file and watched him. He kept his head down, hands clasped in his laps despite the fact that he was finally free of the cuffs. He also kept his eyes averted. He was at his breaking point. He could keep cool in a room with his former foster mother, but under my watchful gaze he was crumbling. This one would be as easy as the last. More so actually, because I knew his weakness.
There was one person he'd been asking about since we'd dragged him into the bureau on that fateful night—Sharon.
"I thought you might like to know what happened to your friend Sharon."
His head shot up at the sound of her name but he said nothing.
"The others confessed." I told him. "They said she robbed the store keeper. They said it was her gun and she's the one responsible for the whole thing."
His eyes were wide as he watched me. He looked like he was about to be sick.
"She's going away for a long time Martin."
He shook his head. "It was Ronny."
I chuckled. "Don't try to lie to me now. First you tell us you found the gun and the liquor in some dumpster, then your friends all tell us that it was Sharon and now it's Ronny?"
He nodded vigorously. "We didn't find the stupid gun. It was Ronny's. He stole it off some guy who he beat down a couple weeks ago. He's the one who went in there and robbed that guy."
"Oh yeah? What was he wearing?"
He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "A mask...and a grey jump suit. He made us wait outside. Sharon didn't do anything I swear!"
I nodded. "And what about Jason? How was he involved?"
He shook his head. "He wasn't. We saw him coming out of that house he used to live at and Ronny made him come with us. He had a gun on him, Jason didn't have a choice. None of us did. Sharon didn't do anything." he swallowed hard, "Ronny probably cooked up some story to make the others say it was her, but it wasn't."
I glanced at the mirror and waved them in. Martin begged me to believe him as Eddie put on his cuffs and carted him away.
.........................................
Dave Fairfield was intelligent. Why he was on the streets was anyone's guess. He'd come from a good family. According to the file, his father was a successful businessman and his mother a college professor. He'd been an overachiever; straight A's all through school, a bright future ahead of him and a younger sister who was steadily following in his footsteps.
According to his parents, he was all set to go to the college of his dreams last fall. He'd walked out the door with bags in hand and a brand new car; a gift from father to son to commemorate his first day of college. When they'd visited the school one weekend to see their prodigy, they'd learned that he'd never registered. The last time they'd seen him was the day he'd set out for college but he made sure to call in at least once a month to let them know he was alive.
Interesting. He was certainly new to this whole thing. I wondered if he'd been able to last for the rest of the year if we hadn't caught him. Would he have run back home to his parents when he learned he couldn't hack it out in the world or was he cunning enough to make do? Something told me it was the latter.
He watched me with his head titled slightly to the side. I saw no fear in his eyes. He wasn't nervous nor was he frustrated that he'd been left in the room to stew for over an hour. He seemed intrigued.
"I remember you." he initiated the conversation.
"Is that so?"
He smiled. "Yes. You're the one who saved Jason. The boyfriend I'm guessing."
"You're the only one who hasn't said a thing about what happened that night. Didn't they clue you in on the story?"
Again, he smiled. "You mean the one where we found the gun and the liquor in some dumpster in the middle of nowhere and we invited Jason over to some woman's backyard so we could reminisce about the good old days?"
"Are you saying it's not true?"
He watched me in amusement. "It's too much of a coincidence that we just happened to find a gun and just happened to find stolen goods, then just happened to accidentally break into someone's backyard and somehow it just looked like we were holding Jason captive, but really, we were all just playing around. Isn't it?"
"You tell me."
"If you don't get us on the robbery, then we're at least going down for the trespassing, oh and the part where Ronny pointed the gun at you, so what exactly are you waiting for? Why not go ahead and take this to Court?" he asked, tapping his chin as though in contemplation. "Oh wait, because there's just the slightest possibility that your boyfriend might be implicated in this right?"
I watched him in silence; eyes narrowed when he leaned forward. "I want to make a deal. I want immunity. Wipe my slate clean and I'll tell you everything."
I chuckled. "Your friends have already confessed, why I should waste time giving you a deal. This is just a formality."
He seemed to think about it for a moment. His intelligent gaze caught and held mine. He was certainly an interesting character. Smart as a whip no doubt, cool under pressure, a little cocky. He reminded me of Simon.
"This isn't just a formality." he said finally. "I believe you that they might have confessed." he said. "But not all of them."
I stood and turned to go, wondering what reaction I would get from him when he realized he wasn't going to get his deal.
"Sharon is weak. No doubt you got her to talk in no time, but she's loyal to a point. There's no way she would turn against any of us unless she thought we'd turned on her and if that's the tactic you used, then I commend you, but when someone's under the gun they'll say anything to survive, so her confession is hardly worth much in Court. Her attorneys can spin it any way they want and you'll have lost your case."
I turned to watch him. He had leaned back casually in his chair; one leg propped up against the edge of the metal table.
"No doubt you even got to Martin. He's in love. He'll say anything to get his little girlfriend off the hook. Maybe he confessed to doing it himself..." he trailed off. "But no, he wouldn't do that because he wouldn't risk never getting the chance to see her again. He wants them both out, which means, he gave someone else up. His confession is definitely not gonna hold up when all he was doing was calling names just so he and his girlfriend could go free."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe they did confess, but so did the others and they all named one person; you."
He grinned. He was enjoying himself. "If Martin and Sharon pointed the finger at the same person, even if they said it was me, which I doubt, their testimony will still be weak. It's just two people who are in love with each other, looking out for each other. The jury will see right past that."
The smug son of a bitch.
"As for Ricky. You'll never get him to talk. You could beat him half to death with a ten foot pole and the most you'll get out of him is blood, so don't even try to play that angle. As for Ronny," he laughed. "He'll rat out anybody to save his own ass. He's been in and out of Juve all his life. There was even a time he went to therapy; no doubt his shrink has some notes somewhere about what a pathological liar he is."
"You seem to have it all figured out." I commented. "You haven't mentioned Joseph, Paul and Sophie. Why is that?"
He snorted. "You think anybody's gonna believe the testimony of three siblings? Of course they're gonna lie for each other. O fcourse they're gonna point the finger at anyone but themselves.
"Who knows, you might go to Court and you might win, but with the other side boring holes in your witnesses I doubt you'll stand a chance. Every single person you put on that stand will be badly flawed. Even Jason; who won't be going anywhere near that courthouse unless you drag him kicking and screaming anyway. So if you really want to get the real mastermind, I suggest you give me my deal, because one of us threatened to kill Jason's kid and one of us won't stop until the job's done." He paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. "So you better be prepared to protect your boyfriend and his kid for the rest of your life if the wrong person goes free just because you decided I wasn't worth a deal."
I nodded and turned to go. When I pulled the door open though, I paused and turned back towards him with a smile.
"Hey Dave, You're not getting that deal." I told him. "I lied. Not one of those knuckle heads confessed, so you just spent the last fifteen minutes telling us exactly what to do to make them all crack. In fact, you just won us this case. Enjoy your cell." I finished and the last thing I saw before I turned and exited the room was the colour draining from Dave's face.
I walked into the observation room to find the chief standing before the two-way mirror with his arms crossed before him and little Timmy standing beside him and pulling on his pant leg. I braced myself for the reprimand that would surely follow but it never came. Instead, the chief gestured to the assailant sitting in the interrogation room.
Dave, who had remained completely unfazed throughout the entire ordeal, now looked uncertain. He crossed and uncrossed his legs twice before setting them firmly on the ground and closing his eyes. We watched as he seemed to take a deep breath before opening them again. When he did, the calm exterior was once again set in place.
Eddie was the first to speak. "We're making a deal with him aren't we?" the idea seemed distasteful to him.
"He would make a decent profiler." Simon murmured as he watched Dave. He was deep in thought. "We've used criminal consultants in the past." he continued, oblivious to the fact that he was speaking out loud.
He was largely ignored.
"We might have a problem on our hands." The chief said, finally lifting the fussy Timmy into his arms. Timmy grinned at me triumphantly. "If that assho-- "he glanced at Timmy and cleared his throat."If he's telling the truth, then this could mean one of two things; either he's subtly threatening to go after the kid once we give him his deal and he goes free, or one of his friends means to do Timmy harm. Either way, letting any of them loose until we figure that out would be a step in the wrong direction."
"We've held them for long enough, eventually one or all of them are going to get bail." Eddie commented and the chief nodded.
"Jason knows these guys. He knows what they're capable of. I think we need to have a sit down with him."
"I'll find out what he knows."
The chief shook his head. "No. Bring him in tomorrow. I want it all on record."
"Dad—"
"I said bring him in Michael." his tone brooked no argument. I nodded and gestured for Simon and Eddie to take him back to his cell.
When we were alone, he turned to me. "As much as I love spending time with the kid, this is no place for him on a daily basis."
"Yeah I know, he's officially starting pre-school tomorrow."
Dad grinned and patted me on the shoulder as he passed me. "Try not to cave next time alright? I just lost a hundred bucks to Reynolds and I don't need to watch him gloat for any longer than I have to."
I shook my head. That damn Eddie.
"What do you want for lunch kid?" dad questioned Timmy on his way out and when I glanced at my watched I realized it was already past twelve. I cursed under my breath as I pulled the phone from my pocket. Three missed calls and about a dozen messages from Jace. I'd promised to send him a picture of Timmy in his new classroom.
I sighed, typed a quick message and hit send. 'He cried and I couldn't leave him. I have him with me at the Bureau. Tomorrow will be different'
'I know it will cause i'm gonna be there.' he replied in an instant and with one last look at the now empty interrogation room, I headed out for lunch.
My partner Jimmy and I sat across from each other at our favorite lunch spot; an often crowded little cafe which was a good twenty minute drive from work but completely worth it. We'd been visiting the place almost every day since the chief had stuck us together and would no doubt continue to do so until one of us (Jimmy) decided to find some other fancy employment with better benefits and less risk.
As always, our spot had been reserved by the rosy-cheeked owner; Sally, who would mother us to distraction if we let her and never let us leave without our complimentary blueberry muffins. I took the final bite of my stuffed taco and sat back with a satisfied smile. "It's been way too long." I grinned.
Jimmy dabbed his mouth with one of Sally's embroidered napkins and grinned back, but all too soon, his eyes turned serious. "Alright I know you're dying to ask so shoot."
I sat up and leaned forward. "Alright. Tell me what's going on with my case."
Jimmy raised a brow. "Oh it's your case now is it?"
I watched him with narrowed eyes. "I'm a key witness. I watched them shoot that kid. I watched him bleed out right in front of my face. So yes, my case." I crumpled my napkin and dropped it onto the table. "Besides, I'm back now. It's time I know what's going on."
Jimmy shrugged. "Only one problem with that." he said. "Chief turned it over to Jacobs. Says you're taking it personally."
I cursed under my breath. Of course he'd turned it over to the one asshole who hated my guts. "So you haven't heard anything at all?"
Jimmy stood and placed a few bills on the table between us. "I told you to bury the hatchet with that moron three years ago. Now it's coming to bite you in the ass."
"Jimmy."
He held up his hands in surrender. "I'll see what I can do, but no promises."
I nodded and stood just as Sally came bounding over with our goodie bags.
"How's the shoulder?"
I slipped into the passenger seat of his car and unconsciously put a hand to it. "As good as new." I told him. There was no point in bringing up the fact that every now and again it ached like a sun of a bitch, or the fact that if I did strenuous exercise it felt like my arm weighed a ton.
Neither did I need to mention the fact that I didn't think the arm would ever be the same again. What was important was that I could still do my job. I could still shoot accurately at a moving target. I could still provide excellent backup to my partner when necessary. I could still get the job done. The pain I could deal with.
The thought didn't prevent me from being any less worried about my upcoming physical exams. Unless I wanted to spend the rest of my career behind a desk, I had to pass. Not even the great Chief could pull the strings necessary to get me out of that particular challenge.
................................................
After lunch, I took Timmy to my mother's where he would stay until the end of the workday. He'd made a fuss when he'd realized he would have to leave my dad behind and I'd seen the flash of guilt that had crossed my father's face when Timmy had turn those big tear-filled eyes up at him. It was a new experience seeing him in this role when all my life I'd known him as the strict, tough as nails guy who never showed weakness.
Timmy had changed so many lives since he'd come into the world and he didn't even know it. The kid was a blessing. Sometimes it was difficult to process just how much I loved him. The feeling was like a massive weight on my chest. It made it harder to breathe, harder to think and easier to smile.
I often found myself wondering what my life would have been like had I not ventured out that cold Friday night, but it was never a thought I liked to dwell on. An hour after I'd dropped him off, my mom sent me a video of Timmy in an apron rolling dough. He was messy from head to toe and grinning from ear to ear. His dimples were pronounced, his eyes were gleaming and focused on my mom as she demonstrated the right technique. I forwarded it to Jason with a grin, then schooled my expression as I pocketed the phone and entered the interrogation room.
Dave had been right about Ricky. Ten minutes with him and I knew I wasn't going to crack him. There were no sympathies to play on because there was nothing he cared about—no one he cared for. What mattered to him was loyalty. It wouldn't matter to him if they all went to prison. What mattered was that he wasn't the one who sent them there.
He was a roadblock and no amount of threats, cajoling or promises was going to get me through.
He was the youngest of them all. A year older than Jason, but with far more scars to prove to the world that he was tough enough to live in it. That, or his misplaced loyalties caused him more problems than he'd care to admit.
"You think they deserve your loyalty?"
He shrugged. "They're family."
"What if I told you that family just gave you up?"
He shrugged. We can't all be loyal soldiers."
Interesting choice of words. "Your father was in the army, wasn't he?"
He nodded. "He died for his country. He was a hero."
"Do you think he'd be proud of you right now? Do you think he'd want you to go around robbing hardworking people and holding innocents at gun point?"
"Doesn't matter. Like I said, he's dead, but I'll tell you this." He said leaning forward. "Jason's hardly innocent. He's no different from the rest of us. No, he's worse actually, 'cause when you got a kid, you'll do just about anything to protect it. I could talk for days listing out all the shit he's done."
My eyes narrowed as I listened. "I thought you didn't snitch on family."
He shook his head. "Jason's never been family. He cares about one thing and one thing only; his kid."
"And you think that's a bad thing?"
Ricky seemed to think on it for a moment, then he shook his head. "No. I respect what he's doing. Always have." He said. "Which is why I'll tell you one thing; Jason was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's got nothing to do with anything." Then he paused for a moment before he added "None of us do."
.......................................
"We've got a lot." Eddie informed me when I'd done my final interview for the day. "The only people who knew what that robber was wearing is the store keeper and us. Martin described the costume to a Tee. It at least put him at the scene of the crime. We were all there when Ronny threatened you and Timmy's life. We watched him point that gun at Jason. We have the stolen goods. It's a lot."
I wasn't so sure but I nodded anyway. Tomorrow I'd be interviewing the rest of them. Ronny I'd save for last. Something told me he was going to be my biggest challenge.
"I want to have a sit down with Dave in the morning."
Eddie frowned. "Again?"
"Yeah. We have a lot more to discuss."
................................................
Not five minutes since I'd picked him up and he was already fast asleep. When I came to a stop at the intersection, I glanced at him. I noticed the dark shadows under his eyes; testament to the fact that he hadn't slept well the night before. No doubt the whereabouts of his long-time friend haunted his dreams. He'd practically dragged himself out of bed this morning and I had a feeling tonight would be no different.
It was strange that those thoughts would bother him now after all these years, and I wondered what had triggered them. I wondered just who exactly this 'Cam' was and why his continued absence affected Jason as much as it did.
I would find Cam for him of course, but some selfish part of me dreaded the thought of what might come out of that reunion. Was Cam really just some long lost friend or had there been more? The thought worried me. I reached out to push his curls off his forehead. His skin was warm to the touch.
He'd made me fall in love with him, but in the process he'd obliterated my confidence. The fact of the matter was, Jason could up and leave any time he wanted. He had a steady job now; soon he'd be able to get himself a decent place for him and Timmy and nothing and no one could stop him.
It was hard to admit, but it terrified me that I was the only thing keeping him here. People who had lived the way Jason had for most of their lives didn't know what it meant to settle down. There would probably always be that part of him that was ready to head for the door.
Sometimes I'd see it in his eyes; this flash of fear; like an animal that had been cornered and the only thing on its mind was flight. It was always brief but it was there. It made me harbour crazy thoughts. It made me almost wish I could just lock all the doors and keep him from running away from me; from the life we were building together.
Damion always said love was nothing but an unnecessary burden. He's run from it all his life. Sometimes I wondered if maybe I'd be better off doing the same, but one look at Jason, one giggle from Timmy and I knew I was right where I needed to be. I just needed to work harder to convince Jason he was right where he needed to be too.
My mind drifted back to my buddy Damion. He'd invited me over a few months back. If we could sort out Jason and Timmy's passport situation soon then maybe we could all go. A weekend away was probably exactly what we needed. Timmy would get a kick out of the fact that Damion was a firefighter and Jason could use some time away from everything; especially when he learned that he'd have to go in to the Bureau in the morning.
He woke up when I pulled up into my parents' driveway and reluctantly followed me inside. Dad was still at the office so it was just my mom and Tommy who greeted us at the door. Timmy was all cleaned up; not an ounce of flour to be found on him. He launched himself into Jason's arms the moment he saw him and Jason hugged him back with the same amount of enthusiasm.
The babbling came not long after that. Timmy of course, had to tell Jason about all the important aspects of his day. He started with the most recent; which had to do with cookies and 'gwammy' only getting one piece of candy from her candy jar. Then came the gibberish which Jason could clearly decipher while I was still as always at a complete loss.
My mom ushered us into the dining room. She'd set the table and fussed over us as we took our seats.
Timmy had already eaten and so was given a bowl of fruit to occupy his time.
"How was work sweetheart?"
It took Jason awhile before he realized that she was talking to him and I watched in amusement as he nodded enthusiastically before swallowing his food. "It was okay. I got to work on a car all by myself today. No supervision." He said with a slight smile and my mother beamed proudly at him.
"You know what that means don't you?" she asked and he shook his head.
"It means they trust you. They think you're good at what you do. Keep it up sweetheart."
Jason shrugged, though the glint in his eyes told us he was pleased with her words. "Cars are easy."
"Can you drive dear?" she continued her interrogation.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, I learned a long time ago. It's easy enough." Then he paused as though something had occurred to him and he glanced my way. "But...I don't got a license or nothin' so of course I don't drive. I'm just saying I know how to."
I held up my hands "Hey, I don't need convincing." I grinned. He was a terrible liar.
"The boss says I gotta get one 'cause sometimes we gotta pick up people's cars when they're broken down on the road and stuff. He's got two tow trucks you know." He was clearly impressed.
"I'll sort it out for you then."
Jason glanced at my mom then back at me before he nodded.
"How was your first day back?"
I waved it off. "Nothing too exciting; desk work." I said, but my mother smiled knowingly, raising a brow in question.
I sighed. "Dad told you."
Jason looked between us in confusion.
"No. Simon stopped by. You know how he feels about my pies." She said. "But of course I should have known you wouldn't take it easy on your first day back. You're just like your father." She scolded, but her eyes gleamed in merriment.
"Gwammy I no like dis." Timmy held up the half eaten slice of kiwi.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should take one last bite and then decide." She said, and with a furrowed brow Timmy popped what was left of it into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. When he was done, he frowned and shook his head.
"No. I no like Kwiwi."
My mom grinned "Oh, before I forget!" she hopped up from her seat and went to fetch her purse from the kitchen counter. I watched in confusion as she fished around in it for a minute before pulling out a twenty dollar bill.
My confusion only grew when she took her seat and handed it to Jason, who took it with a grin. "I can admit when I'm wrong." She said as Jason gleefully stuffed the bill into his pocket.
"Okay, what did I miss?" I asked.
Mom looked at me with one slightly raised brow. "You just lost me twenty dollars, that's what you missed."
Jason chuckled "I knew you'd let Timmy walk all over you."
I watched them in complete bewilderment, before my mom took pity on me. "We had a bet. I lost."
I looked between them in disbelief and threw up my hands. "What's with everybody today?"
Across the table Timmy giggled.
..........................................
It was late by the time we got home. My father had arrived shortly before we had been about to bid my mother good night and he'd not only convinced us to stay awhile longer, but he'd also managed to break the news to Jason before I did. I'd watched for signs of disquiet from him for hours later, but none came. He had simply agreed to a visit to the bureau in the morning and to my surprise that was that.
Now he was with Timmy putting the little monster to bed, while I stood under the spray on the hot shower, trying to work the twinge of discomfort from my shoulder. So caught up was I in my own thoughts and the calming effect of the hot water that I almost jumped when Jason slid the shower door open.
I blinked over at him as he stood there, but when I reached over to turn off the tap he shook his head. "I was just wondering if you were gonna be done soon." He asked, arms crossed before him as he leaned a shoulder against the wall.
"Ah...yeah." I stepped back from the spray and ran a hand over my face.
He still stood there biting his lip and looking far more uncomfortable than he had any reason to be.
"Everything alright"?
He nodded and when his face grew scarlet, I realized why. I grinned. "You know there's room for two in here?"
He gave a short nervous laugh, before lifting the hem of his shirt and pulling it quickly over his head. Everything else soon followed and a moment later I was stepping back to allow him entrance into the shower with me.
He had a hard time looking me in the eyes. I laughed and pulled him toward me.
His kiss, when it came, was unhurried and exploratory. He surprised me by gently pushing me against the tiles and pressing the full length of his body against mine. As he deepened the kiss I wondered what had gotten into him. He was never so forward; never one to take contro—
Jason sprung away from me when the shower door slid open and Timmy's face appeared through the crack.
"Jesus Timmy." I sucked in a breath and glanced at Jason, who was standing to the back of the shower; his face riddled with guilt.
"Timmy no seep." The kid whined and pushed the door open further, before he stepped back to pull off his own clothes. He was fully prepared to climb into the tub with us, but Jason recovered quickly enough to hop out, wrap a towel around his waist and pull a half-naked Timmy with him out of the bathroom. He left a trail of water across the floor as he went.
I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and leaned against the wall. "Jesus." I whispered into the quiet space.
I let Jason handle whatever awkward and certainly difficult conversation he would have to have with Timmy about what he had seen, and hid out in our bedroom, worrying; among other things, about the kid's interpretation of the events of the night.
I sat in bed; covers drawn up to my waist, and waited for him to appear. When he did, it was difficult to decipher his expression. I noticed that this time he made sure to lock the door before he came any further into the room and without a word to me, he entered the bathroom and locked that door behind him too.
I was sitting in the same position, with the same thoughts running through my mind when he exited the bathroom twenty minutes later. I watched him run the towel through his heavy curls before dropping it onto the chair by the wall.
He was stark naked as he crossed the room and came to a stop by my side of the bed. As I watched, he turned out the lamp and surprised me by climbing onto my lap. "What's gotten into you tonight? I asked, though truth be told, I certainly didn't mind the attention.
My hand settled on his hips. "What did you say to him?"
He shrugged. "He made me sing him a bunch of songs and then he fell asleep."
I watched his expression carefully in the moonlit room. "That's it?"
"What else did you want me to tell him?"
"I— he—Jason, he just saw us in there."
Jason shook his head and bent to plant a kiss on the side of my face. "He never saw anything. Just his daddy and Micha having a shower."
When I frowned, he smoothed my furrowed brows with the pads of his fingers, then he leaned in to kiss my forehead. "Jace, I really think—"
He cut me off with a kiss on the lips and after a moment of getting distracted by him, I pushed him gently away from me and held his arms to keep him there. "I don't think we should send him to school tomorrow." I said seriously and he grinned. "This is serious Jason. This is the type of thing you see in the movies. You know, where the kid goes to school and draws a picture of what he saw his parents doing in the dark." I tried to get my point across to him, but his smile only grew.
"Timmy can't draw." He said simply and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"You know what I mean. Kids have a way of getting these things across to...you know." I gestured to the ceiling and when he looked up I sighed. He was grinning when he looked back at me.
"Timmy can't get anything across to anybody and it don't matter anyway 'cause he never saw anything. What's he gonna say anyway? That he went and saw his dads showering? He can't even say the word properly. Everything's fine." He tried to assure me, but I'd stopped listening when he'd said the word 'dads'.
I didn't think he'd even realized what he'd said, but his words had sobered me and I watched him in shocked silence. "What?" he asked with a frown. "You're the one who wanted him in school so now you can't go and back out. He's going tomorrow and he's gonna stay there until the end."
I nodded slowly, barely listening to him as I tried to wrap my head around what his little slip of the tongue could mean. Was that how he thought of us now? As Timmy's parents? The joy, when it finally bubbled to the surface was breath-taking. I held him hips and flipped him onto his back. He laughed; only going silent when I covered his lips with my own.
When we finally pulled away for air, he pushed at my shoulders and I pulled away, watching him in confusion as he slid out from under me and once again found his way on top. He sat with his legs on either side of mine. I could feel the brush of his engorged flesh against my own.
When I gripped either side of his hips again, he pushed my hands away; directing them above my head. I allowed him to wrap my fingers around the rungs in the headboard; curious about what he might do next. This Jason was completely new to me. He was never so bold; never one to take charge.
I liked it.
I let him run his fingers slowly down the inside of my arms, across my shoulders and down further to brush against my hardened nipples. I sucked in a breath; aroused. He kissed me then; on my nose, my chin and continued trailing until he reached my neck; where he suckled hard. He'd no doubt marked me.
I liked that too.
I closed my eyes when he tongued one nipple and then sucked it into his mouth. I felt his teeth scrape gently against it as his fingers squeezed and played with the other. When he pulled away he blew and I shivered. He eased off my legs, moving lower as he trailed his hands down my body. I raised my head to watch him, but it was too dark to properly see the features of his face. The next thing I knew, he'd taken the length of me in his mouth and he did sinful things to me with his tongue.
It became difficult to control my breathing as his head dipped and rose and dipped and rose; over and over again until I saw stars. When I released the rungs and made to put my hands on his head, he pulled away and the all-consuming heat I'd felt around my turgid flesh disappeared.
He didn't look at my face as he positioned himself over me, but he did make sure to push my hands right back where he wanted them; above my head and far, far away from his body. I didn't care; so long as he kept doing what he was doing with his hips, nothing mattered. I groaned when he took hold of me and guided my flesh into his heat.
My eyes rolled back in my head and I arched my hips; trying to get as deep as his body would allow. His movements were careful and unhurried when I wanted fast and hard. He knew it was what I wanted. He knew what my body craved, but for whatever reason he wanted to deny me. With the moonlight streaming through the crack in the curtain I watched his smile; a slow satisfied upturn of the lips that told me he had me exactly where he wanted me.
He was the devil. When I tried to thrust my hip up to meet him, he shook his head and I was forced to wait achingly and torturously long for his slow slide down. I released the rungs again, intending to move my hands to his hips where they belonged, but he caught them before I could and slid hands into mine. Our fingers curled together above my head and my toes curled as he continued his slow glide up and down.
"Jace." I breathed.
He leaned closer, his movements coming to stop. "I can give you what you want." He whispered. His breath against my neck made me shiver. I could feel his wet heat around me and I throbbed inside him. I swallowed hard "Yeah." But he didn't move.
"I can give you what you want." He whispered again and this time I got his meaning.
"You want me to beg?"
He smiled. The dirty little minx.
"And if I say no?"
He clenched around me and I grunted from the simple ecstasy of it. "I could just overpower you." I whispered against the lips that had come to meet mine. I felt his smile.
"You could."
I began to pull my hands from his to do just that, but he held on tight. In the dark, his eyes met and held mine. From what little I could see in them, I was enraptured. He was beautiful and just as far gone as I was. Maybe more. It wouldn't take much to make him bend to my will, but I would give him what he wanted.
"Please." I whispered and I felt him clench. I drew in a breath.
"Please what?"
"I want you." I breathed. "I need to feel you."
His answering smile was slow and lazy. His lids were half closed and his breathing was shallow. "What do I get?" he teased and finally, I felt the achingly slow glide as he rose and fell.
"Anything you want." I whispered and gasped when he lowered his mouth to my neck again and sucked; marking me where the world would see. After that I was lost. I pulled my hands out of his and took hold of his hips.
I flipped him smoothly onto his back and he let me, then I rode him the way I'd been dying to since he'd started his little game. He clung to me every step of the way and I lost myself in every groan, every gasp, every sound that I managed to rip from his lungs. When he came it was a powerful thing, and as I watched him caught up in his own bliss, I felt my own release.
It was a long time before we could manage to move. I rolled off him and watched as he hopped from the bed and grabbed the towel from the chair. He cleaned us up and dropped it in a pile by the foot of the bed. I pulled him to me when he finally climbed back into bed. His eyes were wide with wonder as he watched me. He ran his fingers over the marks he'd made and I smiled in satisfaction.
"Now the whole world will know I'm yours." I told him.
The slight wind had blown the curtain back into place which succeeded in blocking out the light. I couldn't see his face. I couldn't guess at what he was thinking in that moment, but when he tilted his head up and kissed me with all the left over emotion he could manage for the night, I knew exactly what he wished he had the courage to say— I love you.
He'd only ever said the words once, but at times like these, once was more than enough.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
The last time I uploaded we were all young and vibrant, now we're old and wrinkled.
Thank you for your patience. This was a ridiculously long wait and if you're still here then I'm lucky to have you.
I appreciate your continued support. The next time I upload we'll all be just as old and wrinkled as we are now. Let's revive A Home for Timmy.
P.S Yes that's Damion from my book Dominance and Submission.
-DoUbLe.A
-unedited.