Danny had gone with Lindsay to another 419 only a block from where Robert’s body had been found. Taylor had headed back to the break room, trying to hide from the violent ghost. It had appeared again, not long after Danny had gone, and thrown Danny’s mug at her. It had shattered on impact, leaving what was promising to be a nice bruise on the top of her left arm. Thankfully, before he could send anything her way, he had been tackled out of the way by Maddy and Robert, but not without a shout of rage telling her to stay out of their business.
So far, the ghost hadn’t found her, but it had certainly left Taylor thinking. She was sat picking at her cast when Stella walked in. “How are you holding up?” Stella asked her as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Taylor shrugged, “Fine, I guess.”
“Don’t worry,” said Stella. “We got a match on the DNA we found under your fingernails. Hawkes left with Flack a good hour ago to follow up on that.”
“That’s good,” said Taylor.
“You don’t sound too happy.” Stella came and sat down next to her.
Taylor leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes. “Stella, if this is related to the Brooklyn Bullets in any way, I’m going to end up dead. I can’t go to court and testify against them – all their witnesses never make it there.”
Stella placed a hand on Taylor’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t need to. The DNA is strong enough evidence.”
“Are you sure?” Taylor asked, hopefully.
“Yes,” said Stella, firmly. “Besides, they don’t know if you’re alive or dead.”
“I think they might notice when I continue to publish my column,” Taylor told her.
Stella frowned, “Well, when I interview the suspect, I will make sure that he knows the only reason he’s there is because of the DNA, that you couldn’t testify to anything.”
“I don’t want to go into hiding, Stella,” Taylor whispered.
“You won’t have to,” Stella promised her. She glanced down at her pager which had started beeping at her. “Speaking of, Flack is back with the suspect. Do you want to watch?”
Taylor bit her lip and frowned, “Yeah,” she said, finally.
So far, the ghost hadn’t found her, but it had certainly left Taylor thinking. She was sat picking at her cast when Stella walked in. “How are you holding up?” Stella asked her as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Taylor shrugged, “Fine, I guess.”
“Don’t worry,” said Stella. “We got a match on the DNA we found under your fingernails. Hawkes left with Flack a good hour ago to follow up on that.”
“That’s good,” said Taylor.
“You don’t sound too happy.” Stella came and sat down next to her.
Taylor leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes. “Stella, if this is related to the Brooklyn Bullets in any way, I’m going to end up dead. I can’t go to court and testify against them – all their witnesses never make it there.”
Stella placed a hand on Taylor’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t need to. The DNA is strong enough evidence.”
“Are you sure?” Taylor asked, hopefully.
“Yes,” said Stella, firmly. “Besides, they don’t know if you’re alive or dead.”
“I think they might notice when I continue to publish my column,” Taylor told her.
Stella frowned, “Well, when I interview the suspect, I will make sure that he knows the only reason he’s there is because of the DNA, that you couldn’t testify to anything.”
“I don’t want to go into hiding, Stella,” Taylor whispered.
“You won’t have to,” Stella promised her. She glanced down at her pager which had started beeping at her. “Speaking of, Flack is back with the suspect. Do you want to watch?”
Taylor bit her lip and frowned, “Yeah,” she said, finally.
* * *
The suspect, Theodore “Sours” Castle, was sat opposite Mac and Stella with his appointed attorney, sporting a black eye. “I want to make a complaint,” Sours started. Mac looked at him. “I want to complain about police brutality,” he said, pointing to his eye.
“You were resisting arrest, Castle,” Stella pointed out.
“Due force,” said Sours, turning to his attorney. “Does that look like due force to you?”
“I expect to see an investigation launched into this,” the attorney told Mac.
“And there will be, Mr Wright, however, the arresting officer, Detective Flack has already filed assault charges on Mr Castle here, and is currently having stitches to his own face.” Mac pulled out a sheet of paper from the manila folder in front of him, “We aren’t here to talk about that.”
“Where were you last night between ten and ten thirty, Mr Castle?” Stella asked.
Sours shrugged. “About.”
“You want to narrow that down, only about covers a very large area,” Mac point out, patiently.
Sours looked at his attorney, who nodded, “I was with some friends cruising in my car.”
Stella nodded. “Did that car make it anywhere near Central Park?”
“Nah, 'fraid not.”
“That’s strange,” said Mac, “Because we have evidence that you were in Central Park.”
“My mates will tell you otherwise,” Sours informed them, smugly.
“I’m sure they will,” said Stella coolly, “But they would be lying.”
“You have no witness that can prove that,” said Sours his expression still smug.
Stella smiled at him, “No, but we have enough evidence that we can charge you with assault.”
“Assault?” asked Sours in surprise.
“Oh,” exclaimed Stella in mock surprise, “Were you expecting a murder charge?”
“You don’t have to answer that,” the attorney told his client.
“No,” continued Stella, “The woman you attacked survived. True, she didn’t see you. And true, her feeble statement would get torn up in court – she didn’t see anything,” Stella emphasised. ”But the thing is, she doesn’t need to see anything. We got you, Mr Castle.”
Mac handed the sheet of paper over, “This is the result of a DNA test. She had your DNA under her fingernails. She could be dead now, but that evidence is still enough to make sure you get sent to Rikers.”
“You were resisting arrest, Castle,” Stella pointed out.
“Due force,” said Sours, turning to his attorney. “Does that look like due force to you?”
“I expect to see an investigation launched into this,” the attorney told Mac.
“And there will be, Mr Wright, however, the arresting officer, Detective Flack has already filed assault charges on Mr Castle here, and is currently having stitches to his own face.” Mac pulled out a sheet of paper from the manila folder in front of him, “We aren’t here to talk about that.”
“Where were you last night between ten and ten thirty, Mr Castle?” Stella asked.
Sours shrugged. “About.”
“You want to narrow that down, only about covers a very large area,” Mac point out, patiently.
Sours looked at his attorney, who nodded, “I was with some friends cruising in my car.”
Stella nodded. “Did that car make it anywhere near Central Park?”
“Nah, 'fraid not.”
“That’s strange,” said Mac, “Because we have evidence that you were in Central Park.”
“My mates will tell you otherwise,” Sours informed them, smugly.
“I’m sure they will,” said Stella coolly, “But they would be lying.”
“You have no witness that can prove that,” said Sours his expression still smug.
Stella smiled at him, “No, but we have enough evidence that we can charge you with assault.”
“Assault?” asked Sours in surprise.
“Oh,” exclaimed Stella in mock surprise, “Were you expecting a murder charge?”
“You don’t have to answer that,” the attorney told his client.
“No,” continued Stella, “The woman you attacked survived. True, she didn’t see you. And true, her feeble statement would get torn up in court – she didn’t see anything,” Stella emphasised. ”But the thing is, she doesn’t need to see anything. We got you, Mr Castle.”
Mac handed the sheet of paper over, “This is the result of a DNA test. She had your DNA under her fingernails. She could be dead now, but that evidence is still enough to make sure you get sent to Rikers.”
* * *
Taylor walked out of the adjoining room. She couldn’t watch anymore. She was shaking too much. Instead, she headed straight back to the break room and poured herself a coffee with shaking hands, hoping the caffeine would calm her nerves.
“Are you alright?”
Taylor dropped the mug and spun around as the coffee splashed all over the bottom of her combats. “Maddy! Don’t do that!” she squealed in fright.
“Sorry,” she muttered, watching her pick up the pieces of broken china and throw them in the trash can. “Robert’s here to say goodbye.”
Taylor looked over at the ghost, now clad in white, “But we haven’t found your killer.”
“The two detectives that went to the call near where I was found – they found my killer.”
“But if they found him without you telling me where he was, why did you need to stick around?” Taylor asked, puzzled.
“Because the help I needed wasn’t to find my killer. I needed your help to help Amanda,” Robert Replied
Taylor sighed sadly. “I don’t think I can help her.”
“You already have,” Robert assured her.
Taylor frowned, “How?”
“You made her promise that she would go to rehab.”
“Yeah,” said Taylor, “But if she was withholding information on Biggs, how’s that going to help?”
“Biggs is too far up on the food chain for Amanda to have had direct dealings with him. She knew his name by reputation only.”
“How are we going to prove that?” Taylor asked him.
Robert shrugged, “How are you going to prove otherwise?”
“I hope you are right,” sighed Taylor, “Because otherwise she’s going to end up back where she started.”
Robert stared at her. “Will you make sure she makes it to the rehab centre?” Taylor nodded. “Thank you.”
“Right, I’m going to take to Casper to where he needs to go, and then I’ll be back,” said Maddy.
Taylor nodded again and watched them go. She frowned and began mopping up the coffee when Danny came in.
“Is it you was responsible for the disappearance of my coffee mug?”
“No,” she sighed. “It was the ghost. He threw it at me.”
“Are you alright?” Danny asked, watching her.
“I will be,” she assured him, getting back to her feet.
Danny nodded. “I dropped the assault charges, and we found Robert’s killer.”
“I know. About his killer, that is,” Taylor added. “He came to me to say thank you. You dropped the charges?”
Danny nodded, “You were right. Just because she’s a junkie doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
Taylor smiled, “Will you help me with something?”
Danny looked hesitantly at her, “What?”
“Will you come with me to drop her off at the rehab centre?”
A look of relief passed over him. “Sure. I just need to finish up some paperwork. You want to meet me in my office in half an hour?”
Taylor nodded and the returned her attention to mopping up the coffee as he left. No sooner had she finished, then Maddy appeared again. “He’s gone.”
“That’s good.”
“I meant the second ghost,” Maddy clarified.
Taylor looked over at her, “Why was he there in the first place?”
“I don’t know how much I can tell you,” sighed Maddy.
“Well, surely you can tell me something? My arm is in a cast,” Taylor told her, holding her arm up to emphasise the point. “I deserve something.”
Maddy bit her lip, “There’s a balance between good and evil. What was that sciencey law – something about every reaction having an equal and opposite reaction?”
Taylor pulled a face, “Seriously, Maddy-”
“No, really,” insisted Maddy, “Light/dark, sweet/sour, high/low, warm/col-”
“I get the law, Maddy, the point is, what does that have to do with my cast?” Taylor asked, rolling her eyes.
Maddy gave her a look which implied she thought her friend was asking a stupid question. “Well, bad people die too.”
“Maddy, you are not telling me anything new,” Taylor quickly pointed out.
“I’m trying, Taylor, but here’s the thing, if I tell you the wrong thing, it could alter what’s going to happen.”
Taylor felt like hitting her head against a wall: she was sure it would create a similar result. “Alright, just tell me this – is this,” she held up her cast, “Likely to become a reoccurring theme?”
Maddy sighed, “I think so.”
“So, you’re telling me that not only do I have to watch out for the bad guys that are alive, that I also have to look out for the bad guys that are dead?” Taylor asked incredulously.
Maddy looked sheepishly at the floor, “Yeah.”
Taylor sank onto the couch and sighed, “Figures.”
“But what you do does help,” Maddy told her, almost pleadingly.
“I know, Maddy, but I’m not some superhero who’s got super fast regenerative skills. It hurts when things get thrown at me.”
“Well, it would help if you didn’t run around Central Park by yourself in the middle of the night,” Maddy couldn’t help but tell her.
“This cast has nothing to do with that,” exclaimed Taylor. “That crazy ghost attacked me. And something tells me, if you hadn’t have disposed of him, or whatever you did, that he would still be running around trying to attack me.”
“If it helps, he was a member of the Brooklyn Bullets. He was killed a week back,” Maddy told her.
Taylor paled, “Hang on, you’re telling me that not only can these guys escape going to prison, they can escape going to Hell, or wherever it is they get sent?” Maddy nodded. “Maddy, I can’t do this job if I’m scared for my life! I won’t!” Taylor cried, her eyes wide in alarm as she ran through the consequences. “I’m not going to risk someone else getting hurt in the process. And you can go tell those Powers That Be, that!” Maddy watched her friend and nodded, before disappearing to, Taylor assumed, pass on the message.
Taylor glanced at the clock. More than half an hour had passed, so she headed to Danny’s office. Part way there, she found Flack heading towards her, sporting a black eye and a cut eyebrow. Taylor’s mouth dropped open. She’d been expecting a cut, but he looked like he’d come off worse in the fight. “Jeeze, Flack! Are you alright?” she cried heading towards him.
Flack nodded. “He was wearing enough rings and jewellery to make Mr. T jealous. Caught me with a ring with a hefty sized rock in it.”
“You should put a steak on the swelling,” Taylor told him, staring at the wound as she chewed on her lip.
“A steak?” He raised his eyebrows then stopped, wincing in pain.
“It’s supposed to help. Well, that’s according to my mother, so take that advice with a pinch of salt,” she added.
Flack managed a grin, “Sorry I yelled at you earlier.”
“It’s alright, I deserved it,” Taylor sighed.
Flack looked at her, thinking about something, then rubbed his neck, “Do you want to go for a coffee?”
Taylor stared in puzzlement at him, “Coffee?”
“I know we wouldn’t win the most attractive couple award, what with all the injuries, but yeah... actually, never mind, it was a stupid suggestion,” he trailed off, making to leave.
Taylor grabbed his arm and sighed, “Flack, no, I would, only I have plans.”
“Oh,” he said, looking hopeful.
“TAYLOR!” Flack and Taylor turned to find Danny heading towards them, a grin on his face. “You ready for our date now?” he shouted down the corridor. Taylor turned to Flack to explain, but Danny was already there, draping his arm around her shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Hey Flack,” he greeted his friend cheerfully. “Hope the eye feels better!”
And with that, he ushered Taylor towards the elevator, barely giving her time to throw a goodbye in Flack’s direction. “Did you see the look on the lab ladies faces?” he asked her, a grin on his face, as he punched the button for the ground floor. “They came running when they heard me shouting – it was priceless.”
Taylor nodded, even though, in truth, the only face she had seen was Flack, and for some reason, she couldn’t get the betrayed look out of her mind.
“Are you alright?”
Taylor dropped the mug and spun around as the coffee splashed all over the bottom of her combats. “Maddy! Don’t do that!” she squealed in fright.
“Sorry,” she muttered, watching her pick up the pieces of broken china and throw them in the trash can. “Robert’s here to say goodbye.”
Taylor looked over at the ghost, now clad in white, “But we haven’t found your killer.”
“The two detectives that went to the call near where I was found – they found my killer.”
“But if they found him without you telling me where he was, why did you need to stick around?” Taylor asked, puzzled.
“Because the help I needed wasn’t to find my killer. I needed your help to help Amanda,” Robert Replied
Taylor sighed sadly. “I don’t think I can help her.”
“You already have,” Robert assured her.
Taylor frowned, “How?”
“You made her promise that she would go to rehab.”
“Yeah,” said Taylor, “But if she was withholding information on Biggs, how’s that going to help?”
“Biggs is too far up on the food chain for Amanda to have had direct dealings with him. She knew his name by reputation only.”
“How are we going to prove that?” Taylor asked him.
Robert shrugged, “How are you going to prove otherwise?”
“I hope you are right,” sighed Taylor, “Because otherwise she’s going to end up back where she started.”
Robert stared at her. “Will you make sure she makes it to the rehab centre?” Taylor nodded. “Thank you.”
“Right, I’m going to take to Casper to where he needs to go, and then I’ll be back,” said Maddy.
Taylor nodded again and watched them go. She frowned and began mopping up the coffee when Danny came in.
“Is it you was responsible for the disappearance of my coffee mug?”
“No,” she sighed. “It was the ghost. He threw it at me.”
“Are you alright?” Danny asked, watching her.
“I will be,” she assured him, getting back to her feet.
Danny nodded. “I dropped the assault charges, and we found Robert’s killer.”
“I know. About his killer, that is,” Taylor added. “He came to me to say thank you. You dropped the charges?”
Danny nodded, “You were right. Just because she’s a junkie doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
Taylor smiled, “Will you help me with something?”
Danny looked hesitantly at her, “What?”
“Will you come with me to drop her off at the rehab centre?”
A look of relief passed over him. “Sure. I just need to finish up some paperwork. You want to meet me in my office in half an hour?”
Taylor nodded and the returned her attention to mopping up the coffee as he left. No sooner had she finished, then Maddy appeared again. “He’s gone.”
“That’s good.”
“I meant the second ghost,” Maddy clarified.
Taylor looked over at her, “Why was he there in the first place?”
“I don’t know how much I can tell you,” sighed Maddy.
“Well, surely you can tell me something? My arm is in a cast,” Taylor told her, holding her arm up to emphasise the point. “I deserve something.”
Maddy bit her lip, “There’s a balance between good and evil. What was that sciencey law – something about every reaction having an equal and opposite reaction?”
Taylor pulled a face, “Seriously, Maddy-”
“No, really,” insisted Maddy, “Light/dark, sweet/sour, high/low, warm/col-”
“I get the law, Maddy, the point is, what does that have to do with my cast?” Taylor asked, rolling her eyes.
Maddy gave her a look which implied she thought her friend was asking a stupid question. “Well, bad people die too.”
“Maddy, you are not telling me anything new,” Taylor quickly pointed out.
“I’m trying, Taylor, but here’s the thing, if I tell you the wrong thing, it could alter what’s going to happen.”
Taylor felt like hitting her head against a wall: she was sure it would create a similar result. “Alright, just tell me this – is this,” she held up her cast, “Likely to become a reoccurring theme?”
Maddy sighed, “I think so.”
“So, you’re telling me that not only do I have to watch out for the bad guys that are alive, that I also have to look out for the bad guys that are dead?” Taylor asked incredulously.
Maddy looked sheepishly at the floor, “Yeah.”
Taylor sank onto the couch and sighed, “Figures.”
“But what you do does help,” Maddy told her, almost pleadingly.
“I know, Maddy, but I’m not some superhero who’s got super fast regenerative skills. It hurts when things get thrown at me.”
“Well, it would help if you didn’t run around Central Park by yourself in the middle of the night,” Maddy couldn’t help but tell her.
“This cast has nothing to do with that,” exclaimed Taylor. “That crazy ghost attacked me. And something tells me, if you hadn’t have disposed of him, or whatever you did, that he would still be running around trying to attack me.”
“If it helps, he was a member of the Brooklyn Bullets. He was killed a week back,” Maddy told her.
Taylor paled, “Hang on, you’re telling me that not only can these guys escape going to prison, they can escape going to Hell, or wherever it is they get sent?” Maddy nodded. “Maddy, I can’t do this job if I’m scared for my life! I won’t!” Taylor cried, her eyes wide in alarm as she ran through the consequences. “I’m not going to risk someone else getting hurt in the process. And you can go tell those Powers That Be, that!” Maddy watched her friend and nodded, before disappearing to, Taylor assumed, pass on the message.
Taylor glanced at the clock. More than half an hour had passed, so she headed to Danny’s office. Part way there, she found Flack heading towards her, sporting a black eye and a cut eyebrow. Taylor’s mouth dropped open. She’d been expecting a cut, but he looked like he’d come off worse in the fight. “Jeeze, Flack! Are you alright?” she cried heading towards him.
Flack nodded. “He was wearing enough rings and jewellery to make Mr. T jealous. Caught me with a ring with a hefty sized rock in it.”
“You should put a steak on the swelling,” Taylor told him, staring at the wound as she chewed on her lip.
“A steak?” He raised his eyebrows then stopped, wincing in pain.
“It’s supposed to help. Well, that’s according to my mother, so take that advice with a pinch of salt,” she added.
Flack managed a grin, “Sorry I yelled at you earlier.”
“It’s alright, I deserved it,” Taylor sighed.
Flack looked at her, thinking about something, then rubbed his neck, “Do you want to go for a coffee?”
Taylor stared in puzzlement at him, “Coffee?”
“I know we wouldn’t win the most attractive couple award, what with all the injuries, but yeah... actually, never mind, it was a stupid suggestion,” he trailed off, making to leave.
Taylor grabbed his arm and sighed, “Flack, no, I would, only I have plans.”
“Oh,” he said, looking hopeful.
“TAYLOR!” Flack and Taylor turned to find Danny heading towards them, a grin on his face. “You ready for our date now?” he shouted down the corridor. Taylor turned to Flack to explain, but Danny was already there, draping his arm around her shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Hey Flack,” he greeted his friend cheerfully. “Hope the eye feels better!”
And with that, he ushered Taylor towards the elevator, barely giving her time to throw a goodbye in Flack’s direction. “Did you see the look on the lab ladies faces?” he asked her, a grin on his face, as he punched the button for the ground floor. “They came running when they heard me shouting – it was priceless.”
Taylor nodded, even though, in truth, the only face she had seen was Flack, and for some reason, she couldn’t get the betrayed look out of her mind.
Originally posted: 25/06/2006