"Did you have to take all the hot water, Daniel?" Jack looked a little pissed when he saw Daniel and Sabrina enter the kitchen; both of them looking freshly scrubbed and slightly flushed, their hair still damp.
"What makes you think I took all the hot water, Jack?" He maintained a look of innocence even as he winked at Sabrina, who picked up a cup and poured herself some coffee. She tried, unsuccessfully, to keep a straight face.
"I saw that!" exclaimed Jack.
"Come on, Jack. This is an old house. The hot water heater is probably on its last leg. Right, Sabrina?" He was determined he was going to protect her honor. The shower marathon had been his idea, after all.
"Absolutely. It's always breaking down." She looked at Daniel and then burst out laughing. He felt his lips twitch and realized the jig was up.
"I told you we should've showered together," said Sam. "I had plenty of hot water."
"D'oh!" Jack picked up the paper and started looking through the sports section, a disgusted look on his face. Sabrina raised her eyebrows questioningly at Daniel.
"'Simpsons' fan," explained Daniel. "He's got all the DVD's."
"Ahh."
By mutual agreement, they had decided to have cereal for breakfast this morning. Daniel poured himself some cornflakes and milk and joined Sam and Jack at the table. Sabrina brought her coffee over and sat down next to Daniel.
"When are you guys leaving?" asked Daniel. Obviously he had been hoping they could stay until this was resolved, but evidently that wasn't to be.
"I've got two meetings scheduled for early afternoon, and a briefing with SG-3 at fifteen hundred hours." Jack could almost hear the unspoken 'oops' coming from his former teammates.
"SG-3?" asked Sabrina.
"Girl Scout troop…They need to tour a military base to get a badge—'Defending Your Country…from Aliens.'" Jack was smooth. Sam almost choked on her coffee, but covered well. "So we need to leave no later than eleven hundred hours." He went back to checking the hockey scores.
"How about you, Daniel?" Sabrina looked at him apprehensively.
Daniel looked at Jack for confirmation, who nodded at him in response. "I have some vacation time built up," he said, "so I can stay a little longer…if you want me to, that is."
"Oh, that would be great." She looked relieved.
"Hey, at least the two of you should have plenty of hot water with us gone."
"Jack? Bite me."
"Well, on that happy note, I think I'll go get my gear. Carter, you want some help packing up your equipment?" Daniel noticed that Jack had already slipped back into military mode.
"No, sir. I think I can handle it." And just like that, 'Samandjack' were packed carefully away, to be taken out the next time they had a few days off.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Guess what I found out." Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace.
"That you like extremely long showers?"
"Well, besides that." Daniel grinned at Sabrina.
"Aha! I knew it!"
"No, seriously." He held the necklace out for Jack and Sam to see. "It's a locket."
"Sweet. What's inside?" Jack looked on as Sam took it from Daniel and tried to open it.
"You have to press on the edge opposite the chain." Daniel took it from her and popped it open.
"Are these pictures of Catherine and Ernest?" she asked as she held the locket up to catch the sunlight.
"I thought so at first, but now I don't think it's her. I mean, I'm pretty sure that's Ernest, but Catherine had dark hair when she was young. This girl looks a little like Catherine, but her hair's blonde."
Sam took a closer look, and soon she was agreeing with her friend. She and Daniel had both met Catherine while they were on a time-traveling jaunt back to 1969; and they both remembered her well from that time period.
"You're right. This isn't Catherine. And look; the picture quality, the hair style…this picture is much newer."
"But who is it?" asked Jack.
"I have no idea," Daniel answered. "Sabrina, do you have any idea…?" But when he turned around to look for her, she was gone.
"Maybe it says who it is on the back," Sam suggested. Daniel used the end of his spoon to pry the picture out of the locket. He turned it over and read one word. He stared at it for several long seconds while his thoughts started to spin and his stomach clinched. Oh, no.
"What does it say, Daniel?" she asked.
"Nothing. It says…there's nothing there." He snapped it closed and put it back in his pocket, a grim look on his face. "I uh, I need…" He walked out of the kitchen, leaving Jack and Sam to exchange worried glances.
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He finally found her sitting on the verandah. Her back was to him and she was shivering in the early spring morning. He pulled what he guessed was an old jacket of Catherine's from its peg next to the door and then went outside to join her.
She must've heard him open the door, but she didn't turn around. She sat on the end of a whicker chaise lounge, her arms wrapped around herself to ward off the chill.
He draped the jacket over her shoulders, and then swung one leg over the lounge so that he could sit behind her.
"I didn't know it was a locket," she said, miserably. He could tell she had been crying. "Was anything on the back of her picture?"
"Yes, the name of the girl…'Sabrina'…" He rubbed his hands over her arms as she dropped her head to her chest.
"You're Gretchen, aren't you?" When she didn't answer, he pulled her back so that she was leaning against him. He could feel her silent sobbing in his arms and chest.
"Tell me about the accident, Gretchen," he sighed. The name felt strange and foreign to him.
"Sabrina…" Gretchen's voice was shaking. "Sabrina rented the car in her name. But she asked me to drive that afternoon. She said she had a headache." She leaned her head back against his shoulder. "When I woke up in the hospital, they thought I was her, because I was the one…you know…driving."
"But you didn't correct them." Daniel wondered if she could feel the disapproval in his voice.
"What do you want me to say, that I wanted her life?" She sounded almost hysterical. "That I wanted her inheritance? That I wanted to remake myself in her image?" She was sobbing out loud now, and Daniel wasn't sure he could offer her any comfort. He wasn't sure he wanted to.
"What was on the security tape, Gretchen?"
Gretchen took several deep breaths, trying to stop crying. Finally, the combination of her arms wrapped around herself, the presence of Daniel's arms over hers and the feel of his heartbeat against her back served to calm her down somewhat.
She sighed. "I was on the security tape, my mother and me." She sounded spent, resigned, almost relieved to have this over with. Daniel kept silent, letting her tell the story at her own pace.
"Mother wanted me to stay in Europe. She didn't want me to risk running into Catherine and having her find out her 'beloved Sabrina' was dead."
"So Barbara knew about the switch?"
"It was her idea." Gretchen was sniffling, but Daniel didn't have a handkerchief to offer her. He waited for her to continue. "I called her to let her know I was alright and to tell her about the mix-up. She told me to keep my mouth shut and she'd take care of everything."
"It was her idea to swindle Catherine?" The idea was so repugnant to him that Daniel considered releasing his hold on her and getting up, just to clear his head; but he also wanted to hear the rest of the story.
"Mother was already in the will, for a fourth of Catherine's estate. If I got Sabrina's share…well, you can see…you can see how…" She hung her head in shame.
"Yeah, I can see." She hadn't even mentioned the generous allowance that Catherine was probably giving Sabrina on a regular basis. Daniel heard movement behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Jack and Sam next to the door. He sent them away with a shake of his head. "Why did you come to Denver? Why were you on that tape?"
"Curiosity. Greed. I'd been exchanging e-mails with Catherine since Sabrina died, so she wouldn't suspect anything; and I knew, or thought I knew, that she was going on a month-long cruise."
"She'd been having some chest pains," said Daniel. "She had to cancel the cruise."
"Well, I didn't know that!" Gretchen cried. "I thought the house would be empty. She said she was giving her staff the month off. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see Catherine's home."
Daniel thought that was the saddest thing he had heard her say. "So you and Barbara broke in?"
"No, no, I had a key. I had Sabrina's key. But I didn't know about the security camera." She relaxed in his arms once again. "I didn't even think about it until you mentioned the camera at the hotel in Boston." He must've telegraphed his confusion, because she continued. "When you kissed me, you said something about our kiss being caught on tape." Daniel remembered now, all too well.
"What happened when you got to Catherine's?"
"We let ourselves in and looked around. We were afraid to turn on lights, so we just used our flashlights. It was amazing. Everything was so beautiful, so refined." She seemed lost in thought. "Suddenly the lights came on, and Catherine was standing there in the middle of the living room. I would've known her anywhere."
Daniel could picture his friend facing down intruders in her home. Catherine had always been fearless. "Then what happened?" he prodded.
Gretchen looked up at the sky. Daniel could see tears streaming down her face. "At first she thought I was Sabrina. We looked a lot alike." Her smile was twisted, forced. "Then she recognized Mother, and it was like something clicked. She knew who I was, and she knew Sabrina was dead."
"What do you mean?"
"I had e-mailed her, telling her about the accident and about the death of her cousin, 'Gretchen'. I guess when she realized who I really was; she also…realized that Sabrina was the one who was dead." Gretchen turned sideways on the lounge so she could look at Daniel. "I wish it had been me who died."
Daniel pulled her into a loose hug. "What happened next?"
"We tried to explain what happened," Gretchen whispered, "but she wouldn't listen. She kicked us out. She was so angry, so upset. I've never felt so humiliated, well…until now." She looked at him, saw only condemnation in his eyes, and then glanced away. "She told us she was going to change her will; that everything was going to charity. Then we left." She looked imploringly at Daniel. "She was alive when we left; you've got to believe me! If I had known she had a heart condition…"
"I believe you." And in spite of everything, he did. He knew now that Catherine's death hadn't been murder at all—just terribly, terribly sad. "Why the break-ins?" he asked.
"I called Mother from the hotel after you kissed me goodnight, and I told her we needed to find out if Catherine had a security camera. I had no idea she'd take care of it that night."
"Who did she get to break in?" Gretchen said nothing, obviously not wanting to incriminate anyone else. "Was it your brother?" When she didn't answer immediately, he knew he had guessed correctly.
"James lives about an hour from here," she replied. "He broke in while we were in Boston and found the tape for the night Catherine died."
"Did he break into my house, too?" Daniel asked. She nodded. "Why? What was on that tape?" She pulled away from him, sitting up straighter on the chaise lounge.
"James looked at the tape before he left the mansion. It showed Catherine sitting on the couch." Gretchen looked down and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. "After we left, she was trying to make a phone call, probably to her lawyer. Then suddenly she dropped the phone and clutched her chest."
Daniel could feel tears running down his cheeks. He hated that his friend's final moments had been so sad.
"Then she…she undid the clasp of her necklace, held it in her hand, and looked at it…like it was the answer to all her problems. Then she…she kissed it, held it to her chest…and died…"
"James told you this?"
"Yes. Mother handed me a note after the dedication ceremony, telling me to call him. He told me he thought the necklace was important. He said he'd looked for it before he left, and he wanted to know where it was; if it could incriminate us…I guess that's how the house got trashed." She shook her head in bewilderment.
Daniel decided James must be a moron. He could've taken his time looking for the Eye of Ra after Sabrina…Gretchen got back from Boston. And vandalizing the house had only brought in the police…and him.
"So when you told him I had the necklace…"
"He had to look for it at your house. I'm sorry, Daniel." The implication of what she had just said was starting to kick in.
"Who knocked me out?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. It was written on her face.
"Oh, Sab…" He caught himself just in time, and sighed.
"I know." She looked miserable. "What are you going to do with me? Are you going to turn me in?"
Daniel took a deep breath and released it slowly before answering. "I'm not going to do anything, Gretchen," he said wearily; "but I'll go with you when you turn yourself in." She just looked at him and nodded
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When they walked back into the house, they found Jack and Sam waiting for them in the living room.
"What's going on, Daniel?" asked Jack. He could tell from his friend's demeanor that something pretty heavy-duty had happened on the verandah.
Daniel shifted his arm from around Gretchen's shoulder to her waist, like he was ready to support her, should she need his help. "We're going to the police station, Jack. Could you call Morgan Peterson and ask him to meet us there? Tell him it's the main station, the one downtown."
"Sure." Jack and Sam exchanged glances. "I'm assuming you're going to explain everything eventually?" he asked.
"Yeah, just not right now, okay?"
Jack looked at his friend and then pulled out his cell phone. "Look's like I'm going to have to cancel some meetings," he said.
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Epilogue:
"So, this is it—your last day as base commander." Daniel had come to Jack's office, ready to take him out for a celebratory lunch. He hadn't actually felt much like celebrating, but he felt like it was his obligation. Jack was his best friend, after all.
"Yep, this is it. All she wrote. The fat lady has sung. The…" Jack couldn't think of any more clichés.
"Elvis has left the building?" offered Daniel. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"Exactly."
Daniel smiled. He was going to miss Jack. "I'm sorry it's just us going out for lunch," he said. Sam had left two days earlier, and no one had heard from Teal'c in weeks.
"Hey, that's okay," answered Jack. "That was a pretty nifty send-off the base threw for me last night. And besides, you and me are a party, right?"
"Absolutely, Jack." He gathered up the last box from what would soon be General Landry's desk. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"No, not really." Jack turned to look at Daniel with an unusually somber look on his face. "But I think it's time." He picked up the box sitting on his chair.
Daniel didn't have an answer for that, so he followed his friend down the hall to the elevator that would take them to the entrance for NORAD. "Jack?" Jack heard a tone in Daniel's voice that caused him to stop and turn around.
"Jack, the Daedalus is on its way back from Atlantis. When it leaves, I'm going to be on it."
Jack smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I'm not surprised, ya know. You've been wanting to visit there for years."
"It's not a visit, Jack. I've asked to be assigned there permanently." Daniel had trouble meeting his friend's eyes, so he focused instead on the box he was carrying.
"Are you that lonely here, Daniel?' asked Jack. "I know I'm leaving for Washington…Sam and Teal'c have left you high and dry, but we'll be back to visit you…" He gave Daniel an appraising look. "Is it because of what happened with Sabrina?"
"Gretchen", Daniel corrected. "Sabrina died about a year ago."
"Sorry. Is it because of Gretchen?"
"Maybe, I don't know." It had been four days since they had left her at the police station in Denver.
Daniel hadn't talked much about his relationship with the woman who was at least partly responsible for Catherine's death, and he could tell Jack was trying to give him space. He appreciated that. The truth was that Daniel's feelings were still very mixed, and so very raw.
"Have they had the arraignment yet?"
"Yeah, it was yesterday afternoon."
"Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone with you."
"I didn't want you there," said Daniel. It would've been too painful to have Jack with him in the courtroom, and he didn't want or need his sympathy. "I posted her bail…" He waited for Jack's response. Hell, he probably could've written it for him.
"You what?" Jack couldn't believe his ears. "Daniel, she cheated, she lied, she stole, she…cheated. And you're defending her?"
"She doesn't have anyone else, Jack. Her mother and brother are both in custody. I think she just got in over her head."
"I think…" Jack tapped his foot in frustration. He started to say he thought Daniel was thinking with something other than his brain, but he knew his friend was better than that, better than he would've been. "I think Gretchen's lucky to have you for a friend," he amended. "She is just a friend, right?"
"Yeah, just a friend. We had a long talk, and we both decided we were looking for something…that just wasn't there." Daniel looked older since his experience with Gretchen…and wiser. "I'll be sticking around long enough for the trial. I'm going to testify in her behalf, Jack." He looked at his friend as though he was expecting to be challenged.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Daniel," smiled Jack. "Come on, that box must be getting heavy." They stepped into the elevator. "You know, I've been thinking about that whole Gretchen thing."
"Yeah?"
"If she hadn't called you and invited you to Denver, she probably could've gotten away with impersonating Sabrina for the rest of her life."
"I've thought the same thing."
"You just can't seem to help it, can you, Danny?" he teased affectionately. "You're just a 'babe magnet'."
"Please don't start, Jack."
When Jack saw Daniel's face and realized his joke had fallen flat, he apologized. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."
"Yes, it was."
"What do you think's going to happen with Catherine's estate?"
"I don't know," replied Daniel. "It'll probably be held up in the legal system for years. If I have my way, it's all going to charity."
"Including what she left you?" asked Jack.
"As long as I get to keep the Eye of Ra, I'll be happy."
It was time to change elevators for the second half of their trip. They crossed the short hall and stepped into a second car that would take them to the entrance of Cheyenne Mountain. They made the trip in silence.
"Oh, by the way," said Jack, as he checked out of the base for the last time as its commander, "I left you a present."
"Yeah?"
"Yep, it's being delivered to your office as we speak." He shifted the box to his hip so he could unlock the door to his truck. He shoved the box into the back seat and then got in behind the wheel.
"It's not maroon leather, is it?" Daniel swung the other box into the back next to Jack's and then climbed into the passenger seat.
"Could be."
"Your chair!"
"Could be." Jack smiled at his younger friend. "Of course, you know they won't let you take that with you to Atlantis," he joked, as he backed out of his reserved parking place for the last time.
"And why not?" asked Daniel, entering into the spirit of the discussion.
"Doesn't match their 'décor'", answered Jack. "If you want the chair, you're going to have to stay right here."
"We'll see, Jack. We'll see."
The End