OMEGA

Friday 23rd July

Interview Rooms, Major Case

Captain Danny Ross refilled his water cup and returned his attention to the room beyond the one-way glass and the sounds coming from the speaker. He had lost count of the occasions like this.

Eames and Goren next door with what they were sure was the prime suspect in the murder of Phoebe Walters. Armed only with their wits and evidence so thin and fragile it would never stand up in court with a smart defence attorney. Tissue paper they had to turn into something rock solid via an admission of guilt.

He watched them play the "nice cop/nasty cop" routine. The voice of Eames and her words harsh, insistent and verging on aggressive. While Goren as he did so often, mirrored the body language of the suspect to set them at ease, spoke more quietly and used words of sympathy and persuasion. It was hard to put your finger on the exact moment when they switched around.

The moment when Goren began to draw on all those observations made during previous encounters with the guy. Mental notes of body language and words he began to throw back at him. Digging into his psyche, finding the weak spots of character and background to needle, to wheedle and to break the calm demeanour.

Ross still did not know how much those flaws and weaknesses were part of Goren's own character because he was able to identify them with such apparent ease. To what extent he laid bare his own soul, his own dark thoughts and privately held fears. And to some extent Ross didn't care so long as Bobby got the job done.

And, as her partner picked at the weak spots, rubbed on the sores of discomfort and opened old scars, Alex did her job. Knowing through long experience when to throw in those solid titbits of evidence they did have to support Goren's assertions. And the clever way she used "could" and "may" as she laid out for the guy what they still expected to uncover. Their conditional meanings lost on a man now rattled and very discomforted by Goren's exposure of his motivations.

It was not long before uniforms were escorting the perp to holding cells and Eames was gathering the bagged evidence and various papers. Ross had switched off the sound so he didn't hear if Goren, back to him, said a word. He was fairly sure Alex did not speak but he could not fail to miss that look she gave her partner. The one that that had a touch of "well done" but mostly appeared to convey sympathy. For what the process had taken from him.

As she left the room and he turned his back on it, Ross saw Goren's head go into his hands. It would stay there a minute or two as he mentally re-grouped and regained a little emotional energy before returning, as if nothing had happened, to the Squad Room.

Eames stepped into the observation area.

"Nicely done" said Ross. "I'll give the DA a call"

She nodded "I always wanted to work a case where it turned out the butler did it"

Ross half smiled at the recollection of a few classic crime novels and black and white movies.

"Is...um...are we...okay...later I mean?"

"Uhuh" she smiled.

Major Case Squad Room

Eames leaned over to take something from Goren's desk. In return she got that slightly irritated look. He liked things just so, hated his space being touched or things moved and had all the annoying qualities of a neat freak.

Like putting witness statements in plastic folders which in this instance and thanks to her rush, slid all over and in some cases, to the floor.

As she scrambled to pick them up Alex did not look in his direction. Bobby's most annoying expression was that "told you so" one.

She turned to her computer and began to take it out on the innocent keys, well aware she was getting hot and her haste was starting to slow her down. Goren's calm, methodical and therefore more accurate approach to the resulting paperwork just fuelled the fire on this occasion.

"You coming for a beer later?" he enquired mildly.

"No" she said shortly as she tapped the delete key.

"Something else to do?"

The pause in the tapping was fractional before she replied "Yeah"

"Alex? If you need to get away, have a date or family thing I'll finish off if you want"

Eames glanced at the clock on the wall behind him, well aware that if they had ever kept score on which of them had helped out the other the most they were probably even.

"I'll finish this first" she answered.

"Sure"

Eames was aware of him almost unfolding himself from a seated position to go get some water or a soda. Five minutes later she was out the door.

Goren finished organising all the papers and evidence on his desk the way he liked them, flipped shut his folder and gave an unseen little shake of the head and smile to himself.

Wondering if Alex could really expect him not to have picked up on the change of "atmosphere" between her and their Captain and speculating where Ross planned to take her tonight. Which reminded him of something else.

He still had to book a table for tomorrow night for himself and the new ME.

THE END

AN: So who cares what might have happened in the middle!