Looking across the clean sand and blue-green water of the nearby shore as his friend collapsed on the sand beside him, Blair Sandburg pondered the events that had led to his being on a beach in San Diego with his best friend Jim Ellison.
It was odd and admittedly disconcerting that such a wonderful vacation could come at the tail end of the case they had just closed. It had been a particularly gruesome case. And at its emotional end even Jim had needed to unwind and purge his soul of the events that had transpired. Simon Banks, Jim’s boss and the Captain of the Major Crimes division of Cascade Washington’s Police Department realizing the need to unwind had insisted that the pair take off for a few days and that led to Jim and Blair’s long weekend vacation in San Diego. Jim, predictably had wanted to go fishing up north but Blair had somehow (and Blair wasn’t entirely sure how he had done it because if he knew he would bottle it for future use) convinced Jim to catch a shuttle flight down to San Diego for a sun-filled long weekend on the beach.
It had started when…
Detective James Ellison of Major Crimes and his police observer/partner Blair Sandburg had walked into the bullpen on a balmy Monday morning in late May.
Mrs. Doreen Green, 87 years old and physically slowed by her advanced age but mentally as sharp as she was years before had called the precinct asking for help. She suspected something was wrong with her neighbor, Mrs. Grant. She was sure she had heard gunshots coming from the Grants’ house earlier that morning. The police officers who had been dispatched at her call had taken her statement with some skepticism, eyeing the coke-bottle eyeglasses perched on the tip of her thin nose and her advanced age and then knocked on the neighbor’s door finding no one home and the car, usually kept in the carport, gone.
The police officers had left a note for the missing owners, written a report and filed it with the suggestion that another patrol check on the neighbors at a later point in the day, and gone about their business. But Doreen Green was not one to sit idly by when she was sure something was wrong. She tracked down the phone numbers of Homicide and Major Crimes. Homicide had been less than helpful referring her back to the main line, but Blair had picked up the call when it came in on Jim’s line and promised Mrs. Green that someone would investigate. Jim, standing by the copy machine, had heard Blair’s promise and rolled his eyes heaving a sigh. He mentally noted he would have to talk to his enthusiastic partner about following proper channels of investigation. But just before lunch Jim and Blair made good on Blair’s promise, with a wave from Simon, they headed off to visit and interview Mrs. Doreen Green.
The senior lady invited them in and again voiced her suspicions, after which the pair went next door to the Grant’s house. Walking past the somewhat run-down white picket fence and up onto the small porch where a small pink tricycle stood in the path to the door, Blair had tried ringing the bell and then knocking on the door, as Jim beside him frowned, a hand subtly reaching to unhook his gun holster.
“Blair,” he began softly a hand coming to rest on Blair’s shoulder as he slowly pushed the police observer behind him. “Call Simon, Mrs. Green is right.”
“What?” Blair turned and looked at Jim, noticing that the sentinel’s nostrils flared as he gazed at the door.
“I smell blood.”
Blair considered this, a hand automatically latching on to Jim’s arm to center the sentinel as he looked around the yard and back at Jim. “Is there anyone in or around the house?” he asked quietly, focusing the Jim’s enhanced senses.
Jim responded to the question by tilting his head and then shaking it, and Blair noticed that Jim relaxed the hold on his gun. He knew if Jim, with his extraordinary senses, didn’t hear anything; there was nothing there to hear. “No one’s in the house,” Jim continued, he didn’t add “alive” but thought it as he stepped over to the window and peered in. “Tell Simon to send CSU. We don’t need a warrant; I see a body.”
Before calling Blair walked over to the window and peered in and Jim turned, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t think I saw a body, Sandburg?” he challenged.
“I’m sure you did,” Blair responded quietly. “But I have to make sure the rest of us can see it, too. Otherwise we still need a warrant, unless you want to explain how you can see it to the DA.”
Jim nodded his understanding as Blair peered in the window before calling Simon while Jim walked back to the door, breaking in. Both men entered and looked down at the body lying on the floor of the living room. It was a petite woman, twenty-something years old, with a gaping hole in her back and a puddle of her own blood spread out on the floor beneath her. Blair turned pale and looked away, his face screwing up in a way Jim hated, but he instinctively put a hand on the sentinel’s shoulder as Jim bent down to consider the woman.
Something inside Jim always balked at taking Blair to violent crime scenes. Despite his lack of police training, Blair usually handled seeing the bodies pretty well, however, Jim hated exposing the darker side of humanity to the young man. But Blair always insisted on coming and grounding the sentinel as he looked at crime scenes, despite the fact that it was hard on the young man.
Reminding Blair not to touch anything and to stay put, he moved silently through the house, discovering three other bodies, three children - one an infant in his crib - all having been shot. Sickened by the scene, Jim moved back to the living room and told Blair what he had found and watched as Blair swallowed down bile. “Wait outside Chief,” Jim said softly, but Blair shook his head.
“We should use your senses to go over the scene before it’s contaminated by CSU. See if you pick up anything.”
“You don’t need to see this,” Jim shook his head. “It’s bad.” Blair knew if Jim said it was bad, it was very bad but he steeled himself, knowing he could help Jim focus.
“We have to do this,” Blair answered forcefully, his blue eyes large in a pale white face. Jim sighed and then nodded knowing he was right though he hated the idea of Blair seeing the children’s remains.
Together they made their way through the rooms, Jim keeping as much of an eye on Blair as the crime scene while Blair helped him filter out things so he could find clues. And Jim did find two; one in the baby’s room. The assailant must have come over and looked down into the crib before shooting the child. Jim could smell some gun residue near one end of the crib and noted a fingerprint with the faintest scent of gunpowder on the bars of the crib which he hoped was the perpetrator’s. In the living room, he found just a trace of a smell; an aftershave scent he knew. Blair nodded and promised they would work on the scent later as the CSU team arrived.
The pair moved quickly through the scenes before the arrival of the other cops, Blair breathing through his mouth, consciously regulating his breathing to keep down whatever he had eaten that day and keep Jim from worrying. He closed his eyes in the children’s and baby’s rooms, a hand gripping Jim’s arm so tight that Jim winced in pain as he worked, but the sentinel said nothing. He quickly completed the sweep of the scene and then led Blair out of the room, through the living room and out onto the porch, where Blair gulped in large amounts of the warm air.
Standing outside and trying to control his breathing, Blair didn’t realize he was still holding tight to Jim and the sentinel said nothing glad he was there for Blair. In a way, Jim didn’t mind the pain. If grabbing his arm helped Blair deal with the scene then Jim didn’t mind it. As CSU began cataloging their work, Jim moved Blair over to his truck and then went back to point out the fingerprint and talk with police.
Simon Banks arrived soon after, the horrific nature of the scene worrisome enough that he wanted to check on his detective. The three stood by the truck talking for a few minutes, Simon’s eyes going speculatively over Blair’s white face and still features. Usually, the kid was a motor mouth and whirling dervish combined, and this subdued Sandburg worried him. “Sandburg, are you okay?” he asked softly and Blair nodded.
“How can someone do that to children?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
“It would take a sick person and we have to catch him or her.”
“It’s a him,” Jim cut in, and Simon raised an eyebrow looking at his lead detective.
Jim tapped his nose. “Aftershave,” he answered and Simon sighed, looking over his detective and observer.
“I want you both,” he emphasized the word, “to see the department counselor when this is over.” He turned and looked at the small house. “Anything you need, let me know but get the sick son of a bitch Jim.” He turned towards his car.
After speaking with Simon, Jim and Blair returned to the crime scene. Cassie Welles from the coroner’s office was there directing the removal of the bodies and as Jim groaned, seeing her, she turned and gave them a grim look.
“They’ve been dead for about six hours,” she told Jim and Blair, “and I think the cause of death is clear. It won’t be confirmed until after the autopsy but I’d say the perp used a 38.” Jim nodded and Blair looked away as a small body bag was carried out. “The husband is missing,” Cassie continued. “Maybe he did it in some kind of rage.”
Jim didn’t answer. It was possible that the husband did it, but if he did, it wasn’t in some kind of rage. The person who did this stood over the infant, watching him, before taking his life. If it was the husband, than he did it out of some psychosis – which could be even more dangerous than some rage.
“Maybe you should put an APB out for him,” Cassie continued and Blair, knowing Jim found Cassie’s meddling irritating, answered.
“Already done.”
Cassie nodded and looked around. “What marital problems would cause a man to kill his family like this?”
“We don’t know he did it,” Jim answered, and Cassie gave him a slightly condescending smile.
“I spoke with Mrs. Green, he did it.”
“You spoke with Mrs. Green,” Jim practically bristled. “You are not a detective, Welles, and I don’t want you messing up the investigation with unsubstantiated allegations.”
“Oh come on Jim, I know you don’t like it when I invade your territory but…”
Blair could tell Jim was getting ready to explode and laid a hand on his arm as he turned back to Cassie.
“Did Mrs. Green tell you anything that might lead to Mr. Grant being the perp?” he asked. It took a moment, but then she looked away and shook her head no.
“Look Cassie your interference is compromising my investigation. You may have altered Mrs. Green’s perceptions with allegations. You are not a detective. Interfere again and I will register a formal complaint,” Jim warned, grinding his teeth in anger as he turned and headed for his truck.
Blair glanced at Jim’s retreating back. “Look Cassie, I know you want to help but…”
“Don’t say it Blair. I know I’m not a detective. Neither are you but he tolerates you.”
Blair nodded looking at Jim’s retreating back. “Yeah but I don’t tamper with investigations to try to get ahead of him and show I’m a better detective,” he told her gently before turning for Jim’s truck, knowing they needed to get back to Major Crimes and get some info on Mr. Grant.
At the station, Jim and Blair found that Mr. Eric Grant had nothing worse than a few parking tickets. He worked as a driver for a trucking company and, after conferring with Simon, the two headed off to the company Grant worked for.
Pulling up at Travel By Wheels Trucking, Jim looked at the office. “This is the trucking company,” he stated, looking around and seeing a small building with no trucks.
Blair nodded. “Yeah the trucks would be either on the road or in their parking area which would be somewhere a bit further from the crowded city. You wouldn’t want to try and park them in central Cascade. When my uncle was on the road, he’d either get a lift to the trucking area or leave his car in the company lot for days at a time.”
“Let me know if you see anything strange, Chief,” Jim said, as he headed for the office. Opening the door, Jim stopped in his tracks, seeing Cassie Welles in front of him talking to the secretary.
“Thank you,” she said turning and stopping at the sight of Jim and Blair behind her. “Detective Ellison,” she inclined her head. Jim ignored her for a moment and turned to the secretary.
“Good afternoon,” he indicated his badge. “I’m Detective Ellison, this is Blair Sandburg. May we ask you a few questions?”
“I just finished explaining to Detective Welles that Eric hasn’t been here in two weeks. He’s been on vacation.”
“Detective Welles,” Jim eyed the forensic chief before turning back to the secretary. “If
you’ll excuse us a minute,” he took hold of Cassie’s arm and forcefully led her outside.
“Jim - Detective Ellison - I can explain,” she began. “I thought if I could find out what-”
“Ms. Welles,” Jim answered coldly cutting her off. “When I get back to the PD, I will be filing a report. Impersonating a police officer is a crime, so I suggest you get back there and figure out how you will handle my complaint.”
Cassie pressed her lips together and then nodding, turned and headed off. “You’re not going to do that are you Jim?” Blair asked. “She’ll lose her job.” Jim didn’t answer but stalked back into the office.
The secretary, Ms. Martin, looked up at Jim and Blair’s entrance. “Sorry,” Jim smiled. “Crossed wires. Ms. Welles was supposed to be checking something else out.” Jim pulled out his pad. “So can you tell me something about Mr. Eric Grant?”
“As I told the other detective, he’s on vacation. Has been for two weeks.”
“Did he say he was going anywhere?”
“What’s this about?” the secretary countered, curiosity and suspicion evident.
“We are trying to contact him regarding an ongoing investigation.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Did he boast about wanting to go anywhere?” Blair asked with a smile. “A lot of people talk about their trips.”
“Well, he did say he wanted to take the family to Disneyland, but he was looking for a way to earn some extra money since it is an expensive trip. He wanted to do a few extra runs, but he’d put in too many hours and the boss wouldn’t let him.”
“Could he have taken a job for someone else?”
Ms. Martin sighed. “I don’t really know. I don’t know Eric that well. When he’s on the road, he’s on the road. When he’s here, he’s with his family.”
Blair and Jim nodded and then asked to look over Eric’s employment records. They followed up by looking over Grant’s usual travel routes and the cargo he generally carried before heading out the door and back to the PD. On the whole ride back, Blair tried to talk to Jim about Cassie, but Jim just shook his head. “Chief, she can’t go off and interview people. For one thing, she influences the witnesses.”
“I know man, but; come on Jim; you don’t want to get her fired.”
Actually Jim did if it would keep her out of his investigations but he sighed giving in. “I’ll talk to Simon and see where we go from there.”
In the bullpen, Jim went straight into Simon’s office, Blair slipping in behind him, and talked about the investigation and then about Cassie. Simon hearing the complaint sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching his nose with his thumb and pointer finger, a headache growing at the back of his eyes. “I’ll talk to her, Jim. She won’t interfere again.” He looked over at the two men, knowing this case was more than difficult. “So what do you think?”
Blair glanced at Jim and then answered. “I don’t think Grant did it.” Jim indicated Blair should go on with a wave of the hand. “He was trying to make money to take his family to Disneyland. I doubt someone like that would kill his family.”
“We’ve seen it before Sandburg,” Simon answered and Blair turned to Jim for support. The detective looked at both men thoughtfully.
“I think Blair might be right, Sir,” Jim agreed, noting the appreciative glance he received from his partner. “We won’t know for sure until we find him but I don’t think he did it.”
“What are you basing this idea on Jim?”
“My instincts.” Jim looked off thoughtfully for a minute, mentally reviewing the crime scene. “There was someone else in that house. I could smell a slight trace of aftershave.”
Simon didn’t argue, he would without question base an investigation on Jim’s instincts. “So go find him,” he waved away the men. “I’ll deal with Cassie while you’re gone.”
Jim and Blair left the bullpen and started down the hall as Cassie came off the elevator, looking uncomfortable as she passed them. Heading down to the truck, Jim glanced at his partner knowing this case had to be hurting the young man. “Okay, Chief, you spent a summer trucking cross country with your uncle. Where would a trucker go to find some extra work? And who would know?”
“Truckers have their own system of communication,” the anthropologist answered. “I think we should try a truck stop.”
“A truck stop?”
“Not just any truck stop, Jim. We need one on a main road that Grant traveled and I’m talking a real truck stop, where the truckers meet up and have meals together.”
“Right, where?” Jim asked as Blair pulled out a map.
“He did a run from Cascade to LA three times a week. How far it from here to LA?”
“About 900 miles.” Blair nodded and looked over the map.
“On the way down he would stop somewhere near here for dinner. On the way up he’d stop here.” Blair pointed at a general area on the map that was about 70 miles away.
“Great that’s at least an hour from here,” Jim grouched, even as he put the F150 in gear. One hour later they pulled into the rest area and Jim killed the motor, looking around in the twilight.
The truck stop Blair took Jim to was not simply a place to eat. In addition to the usual food and restrooms, there were showers for the truckers, gaming rooms, lounges, souvenir shops for buying presents and even a small theatre where truckers could relax and take in a movie.
Looking at the stop and then glancing at his partner, Blair cleared his throat. “Look Jim, I know you’re the cop and all but…”
“But this is your turf. I get it Sandburg. You lead this interrogation.” Giving Jim a smile, Blair headed into the stop.
Walking in, Blair glanced around, noticing a few truckers scattered around the restaurant area as the waitress, a middle-aged woman with bleached-blonde hair moved behind the counter. Nodding to Jim to stay behind him, Blair moved over to the counter, leaning against it, one hand on the stool, the other on the counter. A large man with tired-looking eyes and a plate of fries and meatloaf glanced up at him.
“Hi,” Blair gave his most innocent smile as he addressed the waitress. She smiled back while grabbing her notepad.
“Hi Sweetie, what can I get you?”
“Some help I hope,” Blair said, leaning forward so he could get closer to the waitress. “I need to find another trucker. He usually runs this route. His name is Eric Grant.” Blair could feel the change in the atmosphere as the truckers looked at him suspiciously.
“What do you need Grant for?” the man next to him growled.
Blair glanced at Jim and back at the waitress, aware the sentinel could hear every word. “Look my friend over there is a cop and he’s investigating the murder of someone in Grant’s family.”
“In Grant’s family?” the waitress turned wide, brown eyes on Blair searching his face.
“Who?”
“His wife.” The trucker and waitress exchanged glances and the waitress shook her head blowing out air from her pursed lips.
“He talked a lot about his wife,” the trucker stated quietly. “Would call while eating to give her an ETA.” Blair nodded and the trucker gave him a searching look. “You don’t think he did it?”
“I don’t know who did it,” Blair answered honestly. “But I need to find him.’
The trucker considered this, scratching his chin before continuing. “I haven’t seen him in a week, but he was going to do a run for Wheels Across the Country. They needed someone to drive up to Seattle.” The trucker shook his head. “But I’ll tell you I’ve never liked that company he’s doing the run for.”
The waitress nodded her agreement. “Some of their truckers are trouble.” She turned and poured a cup of coffee, handing it to Blair and moved the milk toward him. “And they do strange runs.”
“Strange?”
“Yeah a lot of unscheduleds.” The waitress glanced over at Jim and poured a second cup of coffee, signaling him to come over. “But Grant hasn’t been here, at least not on my shift in the last three weeks.” Turning, she smiled a welcome as Jim joined Blair at the counter and handed the waitress his card.
“If you see him…” he asked and the waitress nodded, putting the card in her pocket.
“Thanks,” Jim said reaching for his wallet.
“Coffee’s on the house,” she smiled, “And good luck.”
Jim nodded his thanks and handed the trucker his card before turning to leave, neither Jim nor Blair particularly hungry.
On the way home, Jim glanced at his silent partner. “Blair,” he said softly and watched as the younger man glanced over, surprised by the use of his given name. “Are you okay?”
“Every time I close my eyes I see the children, especially the four-year-old girl.” Blair wiped at his eyes impatiently, turning back to the window.
Jim nodded his understanding. This was not a crime scene he would get out of his head any time soon. “We’ll head home and get a fresh start in the morning. I want to get some information on Wheels Across the Country. Then maybe we can go visit them.”
Neither man slept well that night; Blair seeing the crime scene, Jim seeing the crime scene and worrying about Blair. He could hear Blair tossing and turning all night and felt a pang of guilt that he had exposed the student to so much ugliness.
It wasn’t surprising that after a quick, mostly picked at breakfast, the two made their way to the bullpen at 7:00.
Coming in, Blair immediately logged into Jim’s computer and ran a search on Wheels Across the Country while Jim began making phone calls. Two hours later the two men sat down across from Simon and went over their findings.
Putting together the paperwork, Jim glanced at his boss knowing Simon Banks would be excited by the info he and Blair had uncovered. “Tony Vergan is the main shareholder and the anonymous financier behind Wheels Across the Country, the trucking company Grant was supposed to be moonlighting for,” Jim stated and Simon sat back taking a deep breath. “Blair tracked Wheels Across the Country through various corporations until he came up with Vergan.”
“Tony Vergan, the mob boss. I’ve wanted to take him down for years,” Simon said, putting down his unlit cigar to grab the papers with both hands and glance over them. “Can you connect him to the murder? Is it a mob hit?”
“It might be a mob hit,” Jim answered the second question. “It has all the earmarks of one.”
“We can’t connect Vergan to Grant yet,” Blair added answering the first question. “But there has to be a connection.”
“And we’re going to find it,” Jim added. “Sandburg and I are going to head over to Wheels Across the Country and ask a few questions.”
Simon nodded. “Good. Let me know if you need anything.” He paused and looked at his best team. “Be careful, Vergan’s dangerous.”
Jim nodded grimly and the two headed out.
The ride to Wheels Across the Country main office was short. Blair spent the ride thinking over the paper trail he had followed to connect Wheels Across the Country to Vergan, and Jim thinking over whether he wanted a civilian observer anywhere near Vergan. There was a large trail of bodies that followed “Tony the Terror,” as he was called. Pulling up in front of the office, Jim leaned back in his seat and considered his friend.
“Chief- “
“Don’t say it Jim. I’m going in with you.” Jim gave a sigh of resignation. He already knew he wouldn’t get Blair to stay in the truck. The kid didn’t stay there when there were bullets flying, so a mere threat wouldn’t stop him.
“Okay, but let me do all the talking.” Blair nodded his agreement and the two walked into the office.
Jim stopped just past the entrance and Blair nearly crashed into him as Jim’s nostrils flared. “What is it?”
“The aftershave scent from the Grant’s home, it’s faint but it’s here.” Blair nodded as Jim stepped forward and smiled at a girl sitting behind a small metal desk. She looked up, from the game of solitaire she had been playing on the computer and glanced over the two men appreciatively, her eyes resting on Blair with interest.
“Can I help you?” she asked her voice low and soft.
Jim held up his badge. “Jim Ellison, I’m a detective and this is my partner. We’d like to speak with the owner.”
“What’s this about?” she asked her voice hardening in response to the badge.
“We have some questions about an ongoing investigation.”
“Mr. Donner is in a meeting,” she paused and then stood. “I could tell him you’re here.”
“That won’t be necessary Dorothy,” a voice from behind the girl answered and Dorothy turned to see Mr. Donner walking out with his 10:00 appointment, Tony Vergan. “Detective, how can I help you?”
Jim looked first at Donner and then Vergan. “We are looking for someone who was a part-time employee, Eric Grant.”
“Eric Grant? I don’t seem to remember that name. Dorothy, was there someone working for us by the name of Grant?”
“Not that I remember Sir,” she answered taking her seat.
Jim glanced at Vergan and then at Donner. “Maybe if I looked at your employee records; he might be using a different name.”
“I’m sorry Detective, it’s company policy not to divulge employee information unless you have a search warrant.”
“Something to hide?” Jim asked coldly.
“Just company policy,” Donner answered with a smirk, as Vergan chuckled and Jim turned cold blue eyes on him.
“Fancy seeing you at a murder investigation, Vergan, considering you’re such an upstanding citizen,” Jim’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Well Detective, I do own a meat packing plant so I have to ship food. Is it a surprise to find me hiring a trucking company?” Vergan answered raising an eyebrow as Donner walked to the door.
“Anything else you need, Detective?” Donner asked opening the door, a clear indication that he wanted Jim to leave.
“No, I’ll be back though, with that search warrant.”
Donner shrugged and Jim stalked past him, Blair following as Donner and Vergan walked out the door to watch them. Walking across the lot to his truck Jim stopped, holding up a hand to forestall Blair’s questions, his head tilting his eyes on the driver’s side mirror. Blair immediately recognized Jim’s listening stance and turned, pretending to look in the backseat until Jim turned and taking out his keys got in signaling, Blair to do the same.
“What did you hear, man?”
“They’re moving some weapons tonight that they’re selling to a dealer. And they’re worried about a search warrant.” Jim started the truck and pulled out of the lot. “Vergan said that Grant’s death was problematic and made it necessary to move up their time table. We’re going to have to catch them tonight.”
“And the aftershave scent?”
“Not either of those men but someone who had been with them.”
Blair nodded thoughtfully. “Another trucker?’
“Maybe,” Jim answered. “But just as likely someone with Vergan. I’ve heard his brother is a real psycho.” Jim turned toward the PD. He needed to brief Simon, because he was going to take down Vergan.
Simon was in order surprised, pleased, and then worried when Jim told him about the illegal gun running. Simon wanted to take down Vergan and wanted to be part of the action, but they couldn’t go to a judge and ask for a warrant saying Jim overhead Vergan and Donner whispering from 100 yards away. As a result, the three knew they would have to catch Vergan and Donner in the act. Accordingly, they assembled a handpicked team out of Major Crimes, telling the detectives that an informant had given Jim a tip about the arms deal transfer.
Just as the team sat down preparing their plans, Rhonda, Simon’s secretary, walked in and handed Simon a folder. Glancing over it and back at Jim, he handed the detective the folder. “That finger-print you found on the crib - it belonged to Vergan’s brother Ralph. I’ll have him brought in for questioning.”
“Wait, Sir,” Jim shook his head. “It might spook them. Let’s wait until after the raid. We can have a patrol waiting to take him.”
“I’ll arrange it,” Simon nodded and Jim began to sketch out the evening’s activities and the various assignments.
Detectives Brown and Rafe would monitor the trucking yard while Jim and Blair watched the loading area and Simon would coordinate the team from near the front gate. Making sure everyone, including Blair, had bullet-proof vests, the team set off at dusk heading out towards the Wheels Across the Country trucking yard.
Three hours later, a small truck pulled into the lot going right past Jim and Blair, the two men hidden by the loading bay. Watching the truck, his gun drawn, Jim handed Blair his phone. “Call Simon and tell him to get ready.”
Blair nodded as Jim moved around the side of the building they were using for cover to get a better view. Within minutes crates were being moved out into the truck and Jim turned to Blair. “I smell gunpowder. Tell Simon to move in and you stay here.”
As Jim gave the instructions, he crouched down and started for the truck where Donner was talking with one of his men. “Let’s move it,” Donner commanded. “This shipment goes out tonight.” As he said this, two more men appeared hauling crates and Jim stepped forward.
“Cascade PD - freeze,” Jim commanded and watched Donner and the men turn in surprise. Thinking to overpower the detective, the four men turned as one but stopped when they saw Simon, Blair beside him to Jim’s left.
The take down, though scary because of the weapons, was actually somewhat anticlimactic in Blair’s opinion. In under an hour, they had gotten the truckers, the weapons and Donner. As the forensics people converged on the scene and began working, Jim and Blair headed back to the station to interrogate Donner. All in all, they were happy with the haul. The only thing that marred the bust, they didn’t get Vergan. He was no-where in sight and, so far nothing had been uncovered linking Tony Vergan to the weapons or the Grant family murders.
Coming back to the station, Blair automatically took a seat, starting to fill out the paperwork. Jim, joining him, glanced around the bullpen as Tony Vergan’s brother Ralph was brought in for questioning and moved into interrogation room four. Sniffing the air and tapping his nose with a smirk, Jim snarled as he watched Ralph Vergan being led into the room. He was wearing the aftershave that Jim had scented in the baby’s room.
Donner was in room two waiting as Simon walked over and considered Jim and Blair. He could tell they hadn’t slept the day before and he was sure he knew why. He had viewed the bodies at the crime scene and knew how bad it had been. Still, he needed Jim calm and controlled so this case could be closed and closed up tight. “Jim you okay with this? If-”
“I won’t kill Donner,” Jim answered forestalling Simon.
“I don’t want him getting off because you trampled his rights,” Simon warned and Jim nodded.
“Understood, Sir.” Jim paused thoughtfully and then glanced at the Captain. “Simon, ask Cassie Welles to come up and bring the crime scene photos. I want Donner to see them.”
Simon grimaced but nodded his agreement and headed to his office as Jim turned to go to room two. Blair stood intending to follow but Jim shook his head. “Don’t, Chief. Take care of this,” he indicated the paperwork. “You’ve been through enough on this case,” he said almost tenderly, and Blair smiled feeling, Jim’s warmth, but shook his head wanting to support Jim.
“And you haven’t?” Blair whispered softly knowing Jim would hear him.
“Yeah, I have too, but we both don’t need to go through the next part and truth told, I want you under the radar. I don’t need the Vergans hearing about you.” Blair knew it was a useless gesture. He would, in all probability be called in to testify about the crime scene and the bust, but it still illustrated just how protective Jim was.
Blair said nothing as Jim walked off. Two minutes later, Simon stepped out of his office to watch the interrogation and Blair automatically fell in step with Simon. Whatever his sentinel was facing, Blair was facing too.
In interrogation room two, Jim stood, arms crossed over his chest and stared coldly at Donner. Donner looked impassive his smirk evident, but Jim could hear the beating of his heart and it belied the passive face. Staring down, a smile crossed Jim’s face though it did nothing to light up the icy blue eyes. “You’re going down for smuggling and murder, Donner.”
For a moment Donner said nothing but leaned back looking at the cop. “I want my lawyer.”
“You called him, he’s on his way.”
Donner shrugged. “Then I’ve got nothing to say.”
Jim nodded. “Fine. While we wait for your lawyer I’ll do the talking.” He took a seat at the table and stared at the man. “We caught you transporting guns and the truck is on its way to the dealer, an undercover agent driving, so we’ll have him too. But why kill Grant’s family? We know he did your last run. We got that much from your secretary Dorothy.”
Donner didn’t answer and Jim leaned forward. “You are going to go down for the murder of babies, you want that? The smallest was an infant.” For the first time Donner reacted, looking away and Jim leaned back watching him.
Two minutes later there was a knock at the door and Cassie Welles entered, holding a folder. Jim nodded to her and turned back, taking the folder. Slowly he laid the pictures of the Grant home on the table so Donner could see.
Cassie, standing beside Jim sighed. “The oldest, held up her hands trying to keep the bullet from reaching her. The bullet passed through her right hand,” she stated quietly, pain evident in her voice. “The two-year-old was playing with some blocks,” Cassie’s voice choked on the word blocks and she took a step back wiping at her eyes. “The baby, the bullet…” she didn’t finish but wiped her eyes and Donner looked up at her, his body language slumping in defeat.
“I didn’t do this,” he said softly.
“Who did?” Jim asked quietly and Donner glanced at the pictures and back at the detective. He knew he was caught and he knew no lawyer’s trick would get him off. Not with this!
“I want protection.”
“We’ll get the DA in here and see what we can arrange.” Jim signaled Simon and a minute later DA Beverly Sanchez walked in taking a seat.
“Why do you need protection, Mr. Donner?”
“Because Vergan will kill me if I say anything.”
“Let’s hear what you have to say,” Sanchez answered, “and maybe we can arrange something.”
Over the next three hours, with his lawyer sitting beside him, Donner told Sanchez about his illegal trucking business. He explained that Eric Grant had found the illegal weapons and so Donner was going to close down the service. Vergan had insisted he would take care of Grant. Crying, Donner admitted he knew Vergan was going to have Grant killed and the body hidden but he had no idea that the whole family would be killed. Tony had sent his brother Ralph to take care of the job and Ralph, a psycho, had taken down the whole family.
At the end of three hours, Jim rose, his body stiff, his thoughts wrung out, and moved back out to the bullpen. Simon and Blair were waiting for him, Blair handing him a cup of much needed coffee. “Good job, Jim. We’ll get both of the Vergans on this.” Jim nodded grabbing his coat and Simon sighed. “Jim I want you to take off until Monday. It’s already Wednesday; take a few days to relax. I know what this case was like.”
“Simon I don’t need-“
“Yeah, you do Jim and so does Blair,” he said his voice reflecting concern. “Hell, I barely saw this case and I’m going to see the department counselor. Take a few days, go fishing, regroup.”
Jim looked over at Blair’s strained face realizing Blair did need some down time. “Okay, I’ll be back on Monday. Come on Chief, I have a fishing pole with your name on it.”
At home, still not ready to sleep, Jim glanced at his partner. “Do you want to go fishing?”
Blair smiled. In actuality, he would go anywhere Jim went, though he tried not to think too closely about what that meant. “Sure,” he said quietly and Jim looked over hearing just a hint of hesitation.
“We could go see my cousin Rucker,” Jim offered
“Well, if you’re willing to travel that far, why not a beach in San Diego?”
Jim thought about it, looking at Blair thoughtfully. He cared about Blair – hell, he more than cared. He had never felt this strongly about anyone, not even Carolyn. And this case had been hard on both of them. Fishing would be good, but he wanted to do something special for Blair. “Okay,” he said. “San Diego it is.” He watched Blair face light up before the student glanced away uncertainly. Jim could guess Blair was tabulating costs. “And Chief, the hotel and airfare are on me.”
Blair glanced at Jim, relief and reluctance clearly showing on his expressive face.
“You don’t have to do that,” he protested.
“I want to,” Jim answered with a small smile of his own and Blair smiled again.
“Thanks, Jim.”
***
The Beach in San Diego…
Jim sighed as the heat from the sand gently massaged his sensitive skin, enveloping him in warmth. Opening one clear blue eye, he stared at his partner sitting beside him on the sand. They had taken a flight last night and checked into a nearby hotel before showering and getting some much needed sleep. Sheer exhaustion had kept away visions of the crime scene. That and the fact that Donner had turned into a state witness and was implicating both Vergans in the smuggling of arms and in the murders of the Grant family. Getting up very late, they had found a small diner near the beach, getting some
lunch before heading down to the sand.
Looking out at the water Blair took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as Jim glanced at him leaning up on his elbows. “This was a good idea Chief,” Jim admitted. “A beautiful almost empty beach,” he eyed the two people walking along the shore in the late afternoon, “and warm sunshine.”
Blair nodded his agreement and Jim glanced off into the distance. “There’s a pretty girl sitting under an umbrella down the beach about half a mile, and she is alone,” he glanced at his partner. “If you want to go - don’t think you have to stay for me.”
“Nah, that’s okay,” Blair answered. “I’m not looking for a relationship; not here, not now.”
“No?” Jim raised an eyebrow glancing over his partner. “You okay?” Blair nodded and Jim considered him thoughtfully. “I haven’t seen you on a date in a while. No other TAs, no sexy co-eds. What’s up?”
“I…I’ve fallen for someone and don’t want anyone else.”
Jim nodded and looked off at the ocean his face tight. “I didn’t realize. Is it serious?”
“For me it is but the, uh, the person doesn’t even know.”
“Why don’t you tell her?”
Blair looked down at the sand, letting his fingers dig into the warmth as he bit his lower lip before answering. “Jim, it’s not a she.”
“I see,” Jim said still staring out at the water.
“Are you mad?”
Jim shook his head. “You could have told me, I would have understood.”
“Have you ever been with a man?” Blair asked, glancing at Jim his eyelashes lowered to hide his eyes.
“Yeah, I have,” Jim admitted looking at Blair questioningly and noticing the red splotches on his cheeks as Blair avoided looking directly at Jim. “Not since Carolyn, but yeah,” he said softly as his detective mind began to add up things about Blair’s behavior, an idea taking shape.
“I…” Blair paused and swallowed, looking away. “It’s you, Jim. You’re the one I’ve fallen for, but I won’t let it get between us - I promise.”
Jim had to admire the courage that had led to Blair admitting his feelings. Certainly, he had the same feelings for Blair and hadn’t had the courage to admit them. “What if I want it to get between us?”
Reluctantly, Blair looked at his partner, his face reflecting both fear and hope. “Meaning…?”
“Meaning, I’ve wanted you for a long time but didn’t think you’d want to be with a man.”
“Really?” Blair smiled his face filled with joy and watched Jim nod as he raised a hand to gently caress Blair’s jaw, a finger running across his full lips as Blair leaned into the caress.
“Really, for a long time,” Jim smiled suddenly remembering where they were and looking around. This was not where he wanted to get his first taste of his partner. He had fantasized forever over their first tryst and wanted it to be something special. “You know, I think maybe we should go back to the hotel,” he suggested, “shower and then I’ll wine and dine you before we push the two beds at the hotel together. How does that idea sound?’
“We could skip the wining and dining if you want. I’m easy, at least where it comes to you.”
Jim thought about it a minute. It was a tempting idea but then he shook his head. “No Blair, I want to do this right.” Jim sat up giving Blair a quick peck on the lips before standing. “Come on Chief; the sooner we’re showered, the sooner our date.” Jim glanced at Blair, “and the sooner the rest of our lives start.”