Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: General spoilers for Season 5.
Chapter Three – Confrontations
When Jess and Don reached Claire's hospital room, Reed was still sitting outside.
"What are you waiting for?" Jess asked.
"Wanna give 'em some time." Reed muttered. "And I'm kinda nervous."
"She wants to see you." Jess assured him with a smile, peering through the door. She knocked softly and pushed it open. "Hey."
"Hey." Mac greeted. "Guess I don't need to introduce you two."
Don cleared his throat from behind her.
"Oh, Claire, this is Detective Don Flack." Mac added.
"He the one that's very good at his job but if you separate him and Messer too long they start getting very irritating?" Claire asked, her eyes twinkling.
Mac looked a little sheepish. "Yes, I think that is how I described him."
"Good memory." Jess complemented.
"I'm making up for lost time." Claire smiled.
Don rolled his eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Claire. There's …" He jerked his head at the door.
"Why's he waiting out there?" Mac asked.
"Nerves." Jess answered cheerfully, returning to Reed's side, seizing his arm and pulling him to his feet. "In you go, kid."
Mac moved back a little, but didn't leave his wife's side.
"Hi." Claire greeted in a whisper, as she set eyes on her son for the first time since he was born.
"Hi." Reed returned shyly. "Mom."
Seeing that they were both nervous and a little unsure how to go about this, Claire lifted her arm and beckoned him over.
Jess and Don respectfully stepped out of the room as Reed hurried to his mother's side and hugged her.
"Now what?" Jess asked softly.
Don kissed her forehead. "I'm headin' over to the precinct to talk to them about our shooter. I'll fill them in on this while I'm there."
"Don," Jess called as he started down the hall, "I can handle this myself."
They both knew it wasn't a plea to let her come along; they both knew that there was nothing he could do to stop her.
She just needed him to know that, if he wasn't there, she could do it.
"I can do it." She repeated. I don't need you to rescue me.
"I know." Don said simply. I'm doing this because I want to, not because I need to.
"You remind me of me and Claire." Mac commented from behind her.
Jess didn't answer for a few minutes, watching Don vanish into the elevator. "How so?"
"You don't need the words." Mac answered simply. "Danny and Lindsay – they need the words. They love each other, but they need to be talk things out. You and Don don't need to say anything; you just know what the other person means. Like just now."
Jess smiled. "You read between the lines, huh?"
Mac nodded. "You're a good fit."
When Don reached the precinct, he was surprised to find Lieutenant Scythe in the captain's office.
"Ah, Jack," Scythe said when he appeared at the door, "this is Detective Don Flack. Flack, this is Jack Browning; precinct captain."
"Pleasure." Don shook his hand. "What …?"
"We need to look for someone to cover Carter's cases." Scythe told him grimly.
Don frowned. "You're replacing Serena already?"
"Brass is making noises." Scythe sighed, nodding to the extra chair. "Besides, I'm not replacing her; I'm replacing Cooper. He's retiring; that's why we hired Carter in the first place. Sit."
Don sat down. "You know I already work for you, right, sir?"
Scythe chuckled. "Yeah. Be nice to have your input though. What brings you here?"
"CSIs got a fingerprint match on one of the bullets at the diner to a Simon Cade." Don explained. "There's a warrant out with Jersey PD. Angell was following up a cold case at the hospital so I came over in person. Figured I could kill two birds with one stone."
"Why not let Angell chase your lead if she was already here?" Scythe asked knowingly.
Don groaned. "You're not gonna make me say it, are you?" His boss's expression didn't change and he sighed. "Fine. For a minute, I thought I was Jess in that diner this morning; I guess I needed to see she was okay for myself."
"Wait; we talking about Jessica Angell?" Browning cut in. "Used to work here?"
"That's the one." Scythe confirmed. "Thanks for sending her over by the way; I owe you one."
Don cleared his throat. "Can I kill the other bird now?"
"Go ahead." Scythe told him.
"I need to talk to Detective Jameson." Don said.
"Now that's a coincidence." Scythe commented. "That's who I was thinking of moving over."
Not on my watch. "That's not a good idea, sir." Don stated coldly. "You'd be down a homicide detective if you do. Jess won't work with him again."
"What's Angell got to do with it?" Scythe asked, sounding bewildered.
Before Don could answer, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Browning called.
A heavyset man in his late forties entered. "You wanted to see me?"
"Ah, yes." Browning nodded. "Steve, this is Lieutenant William Scythe and Detective Don Flack from NYPD. Gentlemen, Detective Steve Browning."
Don nodded to him with Scythe shook his hand.
"Flack, you needed to talk to him first." Scythe prompted.
Don realised that Scythe wanted to sound out the man before offering a transfer and he was alright with it. "You remember a case that came in September 12th 2001?"
"That was a long time ago, Flack." Jameson pointed out. "You expect me to remember?"
"Woman walked into Jersey City General Hospital?" Don reminded him. "Couldn't even remember her own name? You put it down as a fall; Officer Angell disagreed but you wouldn't listen."
"Oh yeah." Jameson nodded. "It was a fall. Girl didn't know up from down when it came to the job, know what I mean?"
Don clenched his jaw and willed his temper to stay calm. "Well, she's woken up and Detective Angell was absolutely right; she came from Ground Zero. Which you'd have known if you'd sent her clothes to your crime lab or run her picture any further than Jersey City; she's the wife of one of our CSIs. You didn't even run her DNA, for God's sake."
"The information I had pointed to a trip or fall." Jameson insisted.
"And Angell never suggested Ground Zero?" Don pressed.
Jameson shrugged. "She mighta done. But if she really thought that was the answer …"
"She should've slept with you." Don finished scathingly. "Because that's the condition she said you gave."
He regretted it immediately, but he was also expecting Jameson to deny it.
"Look, she didn't belong here; just because her last name's …"
"That's my partner you're talking about." Don warned in a low voice.
Jameson snorted. "Good luck. Girl like that's only good in two places; on her back and on her knees."
That was it.
Standing up, Don unclipped his badge from his belt. "Hold this, Lieutenant?"
Their eyes met and Scythe gave him a nod, taking his shield from him.
"Thanks." Turning back to Jameson, Don raised his hand and punched him.
Hard.
There was a loud crunch as his fist collided with his nose and Jameson stumbled backwards, clutching his face in pain.
With some trepidation, Don turned back to Scythe, who handed him his badge back, his expression unreadable.
"Captain!" Jameson protested when Browning didn't move. "Did you see what he did?"
"Hmm?" Browning looked slightly absent. "Sorry, Detective; zoned out there for a moment. You see anything, William?"
"I was a little distracted, Jack." Scythe confessed. "Your shield needs a clean, Detective Flack. Give Detective Jameson a hand to his feet, would you?"
"Yes sir." Don seized Jameson's arm and hauled him to his feet, taking the opportunity to whisper, "You talk about my girl like that again and I'll make sure it's the last thing you say."
If either captain heard him, they didn't give any indication and Jameson simply nodded.
Don cleared his throat. "You were … er … here for a reason, Lieutenant?"
"Ah, yes …" Scythe hesitated. "You know, I don't think it's necessary to uproot Detective Jameson here. I'm sure we've got an officer we can promote to detective to cover Serena's caseload. What do you think, Flack?"
"I think you're thinking of Officer Wilson, sir." Don agreed, keeping a careful eye on Jameson's reaction. "Detective Angell knows her better, but she's a very good officer."
"Yes." Scythe decided. "We'll do that."
"Wait a minute." Browning interrupted. "I know you said a third grade was killed, but your retiring detective's a first grade. You can't promote an officer straight to first grade."
"He's right, Lieutenant." Don sighed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jameson straighten up and smirked inwardly, not knowing what Scythe was planning, but trusting that it would deflate the man's over-sized ego.
"Then she can take Detective Angell's place." Scythe suggested. "And we'll move Angell up. Makes more sense for you both to be on the same level anyway."
"But Angell's only a third grade." Browning pointed out. "You can't have her skip a grade."
"I did." Don protested.
"No, he's right." Scythe conceded. "What's Angell's closure rate, Flack?"
"100%, sir." Don answered proudly, getting a withering look in return. "Sorry, sir, we're not allowed to say 100 any more, are we? 99% then."
"That's what I'd say." Scythe nodded. "And how many serials has she helped apprehended since she joined us?"
"Three, sir." Don told him. "Not to mention a serial rapist, a sex-trafficking ring and an antiquities-smuggling gang."
"Damn." Browning sighed. "Is it too late to get her back?"
Scythe laughed. "Sorry, Jack; I'm not losing her."
"Me neither." Don agreed.
"Oh, Flack, wasn't there a reason for you being here?" Scythe asked.
"That's right." Don nodded. "Simon Cade."
"You requested the arrest warrant, Jameson." Browning said.
"We couldn't find him, Captain." Jameson admitted quietly, looking rather like he'd been forced to swallow his own vomit.
Browning's phone rang and he answered it, exchanging a few words with whoever was on the other end. "Dead body." He scribbled down the address. "Jameson, take it. Who was on the Cade arrest with you?"
"Parker, sir." Jameson answered stiffly.
"Send her in." Browning ordered.
Her. Don narrowed his eyes, watching Jameson close the door behind him. Then, as nonchalantly as he could, he asked, "Does he work with female officers more often than the other detectives?"
"I don't think so." Browning frowned. "Why?"
"He didn't just say things like that to her, did he?" Scythe asked darkly.
Don sighed, mentally deciding that he could deal with how mad Jess would be later. "You should've seen her, Lieu." He shook his head. "I've never seen her like that. I've been her partner for three years – three years – and she told Mac before she told me. She was almost hysterical by the time I got her somewhere quiet so we could talk about it; seemed convinced I wouldn't believe her about it …"
"You think he might have done this to other women." There was no question in his commanding officer's voice.
"I'm sure he has." Don said in a low voice. He finally met Scythe's gaze. "I'll handle it." His eyes slid to Browning. "I will."
Browning didn't argue and Don sensed that he'd rather that than call IA in over sexual harassment charges.
There was another knock at the door and the woman that entered stood tall, no signs of duress, except Don knew Jess better than he knew himself, knew the things that gave away her true feelings, and this woman was no different.
Her hands shook almost imperceptibly and there was a hint of fear behind her gaze, although was masked almost expertly.
"Officer Parker, this is Detective Flack with NYPD." Browning nodded to him. "He needs everything you have on Simon Cade."
"Of course." Parker said quietly, not meeting his eyes.
Giving Scythe a look that clearly said 'I told you so', Don followed her, sending a quick text to Jess as he did.
Call me.
"Is there somewhere quieter we can talk about this guy?" Don asked over the noise of the bullpen.
Parker hesitated. "Erm, sure." She found the file and led him into a conference room, apprehension showing in her movements.
I don't blame her, if she went through what Jess did. Don thought, trying not to let his anger at Jameson bubble to the surface.
As the door closed behind them, his phone rang and he glanced at the number. Right on time.
He gave Officer Parker a smile. "Sorry, I gotta take this."
"Sure." She smiled weakly.
"Hey, Detective." Don greeted.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Well, first of all, Scythe's right behind you." Don told her.
Jess's sigh of relief was audible even over the cellphone's reception. "Thank God. He believed me?"
"Of course he believed you." Don assured her. "Jameson's a sexist, chauvinistic pig, Jess; he didn't even deny it." He noticed Parker look up now, shock evident in her eyes.
"Why did you want me to call you?" Jess asked. "Why not call me yourself?"
"I'm just running down the lead." Don said, ignoring her question. "I'll talk to you later."
"Got it." Jess responded, evidently hearing his unspoken promise of a later explanation. "See you."
Don hung up. "Sorry about that. My partner." He explained, even though Parker made no move to ask. "She used to work here; had a bit of trouble with one of the detectives. But you knew that. Because he's doing the same thing to you. Am I right?"
Officer Parker hesitated, her hands clenching on the manila folder. "I don't …"
"It's okay." Don said softly, sensing her concern. "You're not gonna be the only woman he's done this to."
"No one else will believe us." Officer Parker said softly. "He …"
"He hasn't got a leg to stand on." Don assured. "I promise. And lemme tell you something, Officer, you're a good actress, but you use the same methods as my partner and I know her better than I know myself; did he threaten you when he sent you in to see the captain?"
"Yes." Parker whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "He did."
Carefully moving Cade's file out from between them, Don placed a hand on her arm. "Tell me."
AN: I've decided there'll be one more, maybe two, chapters to this and then I'm putting it to bed. As for Claire knowing Flack, I find it hard to believe that he wasn't a detective in 2001, given that he was a first grade in 2004. So I figure she'd met/heard of a few of his co-workers.
Review please!