I hope you'll enjoy this story. Any comments are appreciated.

Past is Present
by AmandaB

Summary: Captain Deakins must deal with unresolved business from his past when a woman is murdered. Set between seasons four and five.

Disclaimer: Law and Order: Criminal Intent belongs to Dick Wolf & USA, not me.

Prologue

"Can I have the next week off?" Andrea Lewis asked her boss just as she was about to leave after her Sunday shift.

Rob Andreas looked up in surprise. In the twenty nine years that Andrea had worked as a cook at his Italian restaurant, she had rarely asked for time off. He had forgotten the last time she hadn't come into work.

"Of course, but why?"

She looked away. "I have some personal business to take care of. Thanks."

Before he could reply, she had walked out the door. Rob frowned. Andrea never talked about her personal life. As far as he knew, she mostly stayed at home with her cat Comet. Telling himself he was getting nosy, he pushed the thought aside as he closed the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Sarah Stewart was checking into the Ramada in downtown New York.

"There you go, Mrs Stewart. Room 306. Enjoy your stay." She nodded, and went to the elevators with her suitcase.

Once inside, she had just finished unpacking and was watching TV when she heard a knock at the door.

"Housekeeping." called the voice of a man.

"Come in." she answered.

Sarah quickly glanced at him, then did a quick double take as she paled at the gun pointed steadily at her.

"Where's your sister?" he demanded.

"I don't know."

"Very well, this will work just as well."

Sarah's cry was cut short by the bullet that travelled straight into her heart.

Chapter One: Connections

"So why did you call Major Case in on this?" Alex Eames asked the Detective on duty.

"Well, Mrs Stewart was the sister of a witness in a serial killing trial thirty years ago."

"Let me guess. Now the killer is out of jail and bent on revenge on everyone who put him there."

"I don't think so. He was never caught."

Robert Goren didn't say anything as he perched over the body of Sarah Stewart. He shifted slightly, and took up her right hand. "There's no evidence that she put up her hands, and from where she is lying on the bed, it looks like she was clutching the sheets."

"She was afraid of the killer, but knew what was going to happen." Eames mused.

"This is how he got in." Eames mused as Goren crouched over the body at the bottom of the stairwell closest to the room.

"It looks like he was strangled, then his card and uniform taken." Goren's fingers traced the red mark on the man's neck. "We need to find a music store." Goren stated on standing.

"You think he was strangled with a guitar string?"

"No, guitar strings aren't strong enough. But cello strings are made of steel. The thickest would have been the C string, the lowest."

Eames smiled to herself. Goren was a great partner, not only because of his intelligence and his understanding of the perps, but also because of his vast realm of knowledge. But she couldn't complain, because it helped them get the right person every time.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth Rodgers looked up in surprise as the door to the morgue opened, and Jimmy Deakins strolled through.

"Captain, I'm surprised to see you here. I was expecting to see Goren and Eames." He only nodded and stared at the body.

"What have you found?" This close, the ME could tell that he looked stressed.

"Well, I've just finished my preliminary exam. I'm going for lunch before I do an autopsy this afternoon." At his silence, she continued, "Tox reports came back negative, and I'll be able to give you stomach contents later. The method of death was a bullet straight to the heart. From where it entered, the perp was right handed and standing across the room, about ten feet away." She carefully flipped the body onto the side. "The exit wound was in her mid back." When Deakins nodded again, Rodgers flipped the body back, and pulled the sheet up slightly higher from where it had slipped.

"Thank you. Please don't tell Detectives Goren and Eames that I was here." he stated. Rodgers nodded, and then he was gone. Now that is unusual, she thought. Then her stomach rumbled, and she looked in surprise at her watch, which read 1 P.M.

When Deakins arrived back at One Police Plaza twenty minutes later, he had such a grim look of determination on his face that Detectives decided a latter time would be better to talk to him. As he walked toward his office, he carefully avoided eye contact until he heard Eames calling his name. He paused and turned around slowly.

"Captain, Sarah's family is flying in from San Diego, and they will be here later tonight."

"I see. Meet them at the airport, and take Detective Richardson as a bodyguard to be with them at all times."

"But sir-" protested Richardson, who was sitting a desk over. Deakins spun on him.

"Your partner can handle any cases you're working on. Stick like glue to the Stewart's until they leave the city. Is that clear, Detective?"

"Yes, sir." Richardson replied, subdued by Deakins's fierce gaze. Deakins nodded and quickly entered his office.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Richardson. Eames and Goren shared a look and shrugged. Neither of them had any idea either.

Once in his office, Deakins locked the door and closed the blinds. He started out the window for several minutes, before he sat down and picked up the phone.

"Hi Angie. I'm sorry to call you at work but- I need you to go home, pack something for yourself and the girls, then drive as fast as you can to your sister in New Jersey. No dear, I can't tell you why, but I want you and the kids out of the city. Thank you, I'll call you when it's safe to return. Yeah, I love you too." Hanging up, Deakins sighed. He hated having to send his family away, and he knew that Angie had a million questions, but he couldn't put them at risk. If anything happened to them, he- Pushing that thought aside, he took a deep breath and picked up the phone again.

"Andrea, this is Captain Deakins. I'm sorry to say that your sister was found dead this morning." His eyes widened at what she was saying. "What do you have in mind?" He stood up at her next words. "No, absolutely not! I will not have you sacrificing yourself to catch this guy." He looked down as she continued to talk. Finally, he spoke again. "Fine, I'll see you tonight at my house. Be careful." As he sat down again, Deakins felt exhausted. He was playing a dangerous game here, and one misstep could be disastrous. As well, he knew that Goren and Eames would have to be informed soon if this was going to work, and he wasn't looking forward to the moment they realized he was hiding information from them. I'm getting too old for this, he mused, then jumped as the phone rang again.

"Deakins here. I have Goren and Eames on the case, Chief. That's only one lead at the moment, but I understand." He paused. "I wondered if I might get the rest of the week off? No, I'm fine, I just have some unresolved business to take care of. Yes sir, thank you." As he hung up again, Deakins grimaced. The rumor mill would really be going now, considering it had been six months since he had taken time off. But he needed to be at home to protect her.

YEAH! I play the Cello, I did it!
Seriously I liked it. The opener really felt like a LOCI opener, jumbled with the stories that we know will connect eventually.
Nicely done. keep it going.
AMD

I'm glad that you liked it, and I meant the story to feel like an episode. I'll be posting new chapters on a weekly basis (probably Sundays). Now I must go and do some studying.

Considering I might not be on the Internet for the next few days, I'll post the second chapter now. Comments/suggestions are always appreciated.

Chapter Two: Family

Goren, Eames, and Richardson were waiting when Sarah’s family came through gate ten at the airport. Eames stepped forward.

“I’m Detective Eames, this is Detective Goren, and this is Detective Richardson. We’re very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you Detectives, but we-” Sarah’s mother Helen started, then abruptly stopped.

“We what?” Richardson probed.

“Nothing, Detective.” Sarah’s brother Sam replied. “I’m sure he’s busy elsewhere.”

“If he doesn’t find her in time, it will be her own fault.” stated Sarah’s husband, Tom.

Sam glared at him. “How dare you say that!”

“We both know he’s responsible, and we both know why he’s here.” Tom replied, motioning to Richardson.

“Now, now.” spoke Sarah’s father Richard. “It’s been a long day for all of us, and we’re all tired. I suggest we get some sleep, then I’m sure the Detectives will want to talk to us in the morning. Shall we?” Goren and Eames exchanged a look, but lead the way. Not everyone and their luggage could fit in the SUV, so Eames went with Helen and Sam in another car. Eames was halfway to their hotel before she spoke.

“So Helen, who is this mysterious man that you expected to meet here tonight? Another cop?”

“I really can’t say, Detective.”

“With all due respect, Detective Eames,” chimed in Sam, “my father was right. All of us are tired, and I think we can wait until tomorrow to talk to you and Detective Goren.”

Eames looked at them. Helen had fallen asleep, and Sam was trying hard to contain a yawn. Giving it up, Eames decided it could wait. Once they had gotten everyone inside the hotel, Goren and Eames went back outside.

“So did you find out anything? I sure didn’t.” Eames stated.

“No. I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow.”

“All right. See you then.”

“Good night, Eames.”

Eames had just sat down in her chair the next morning when the phone rang.

“Eames.” She frowned and looked around. “No, he’s not. Is he sick? No? Then do you have any idea what’s going on? Really. In that case, I suggest you and your daughters stay where you are, and I’ll get a squad car to keep an eye on him. Thanks, Angie.” She hung up.

“Why is Mrs Deakins calling you?” Goren wondered.

“I think she’s as puzzled over the captain’s behavior as we are.” Eames replied, then phoned for a squad car.

“All right, let’s go.” she stated a few minutes later.

Once she was driving, Eames looked at Goren.

“Do you have any ideas why Sarah’s brother seemed to dislike her husband?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should question them separately. Do you want to talk to the mother and son, while I talk to the father and husband?”

“Sounds good.”

Meanwhile, Deakins was pacing in his living room.

“Would you quit that?” asked the woman that was sitting on his couch. Andrea got up to look out the window.

“Stay away from there.” he demanded.

“Don’t worry. He thinks I’m dead.” But she stepped away from the window regardless. “It seems that your Detectives are quite concerned about you. There’s a squad car across the street.”

“What!” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll deal with it.”

Andrea stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Not without body armor you won’t, Captain.” He stepped away from her.

“I can defend myself, thank you very much.” he protested.

“I know you have a gun, but that won’t be much help if he’s come back. I think both of us know a sniper can easily hide on the rooftops. Just because you went to the convenience store a block away without incident last night doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable.”

“You’re right. I saw a suspicious car when I was out there, so it’s possible we’re being spied upon. I’m probably his next target.” He sighed. “All right, give it to me.” She nodded and retreated to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she returned and gave it to him. When he returned, he didn’t even look at her as he left.

Deakins stifled a small smile as the driver of the car jumped when he knocked on the window. A moment later, he had rolled it down.

“Hi, Captain, how are you?” the officer questioned nervously.

“Just fine, thank you. Who ordered this car?”

There was silence, then the second officer muttered, “We aren’t supposed to tell you, sir.”

“Ah, I see. Well, as I’m the Captain and outrank this officer, I’m ordering you to go back to whatever you were doing before parking in front of my house. But before you do, I’d like you to do me a favor.”

“Of course, Captain.” the first officer replied.

“I have a license number for you to run through the system. Then I want you to send me a copy of the fingerprints, if there are any.”

“What’s the number, Captain?” the second officer asked.

“R6T5V7W. Thanks, and don’t tell anyone.” Deakins turned back to the house. The officers looked at each other, but quickly drove away. Although they did not look forward to how Detective Eames would take it when she heard they were no longer guarding Deakins, they knew better then to disobey the captain.

Deakins was almost back to the house when he stopped. Years of being a cop told him something wasn’t right. He spun around, drawing his gun. The next thing he knew, he slumped unconscious onto the ground.

When he awoke, he found himself lying on his bed with Andrea sitting next to him.

“Hey.” she softly said when he turned his head to look at her. “Aren’t you glad that you were wearing body armor?”

“Yes.”

“So am I.” she replied and placed her hand on his face. Deakins flushed slightly, and quickly removed her hand, trying to sit up. He winced, and realized he must have been shot in the back.

Andrea quickly scrambled off the bed, back to him.

“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I know you’re happily married, and it’s not my intention to change that situation. It’s just-” she took a deep breath as she struggled for words. “You’re one of the few men that I’ve trusted since the shooting, and I don’t want to lose you too.”

Deakins cleared his throat.

“Andrea, I-” He silently struggled for words, floundering in unknown territory. “I care about you a great deal, but- There’s no harm done, and it’s probably best if we just forget about this.”

“Absolutely.” she replied. A meow interrupted Deakins’s reply, and both of them were relieved to get a distraction in the form of Comet. The cat had jumped onto the bed and was sniffing Deakins.

“You know you’re the only man she likes.” Andrea replied as he stroked the cat, who purred and nudged his hand.

“I’m flattered.” he replied and smiled slightly as she left the room and Comet dashed out of the room at the sound of food.

Grabbing some extra clothes, Deakins headed for the shower. Afterwards, he was going to have to talk to Goren and Eames, but he wanted to put off that uncomfortable conversation as long as possible.

Good continuation. I was a little confused by the dialogue exchange at the very beginning of chapter two. I had to go back and re-read it because I wasn't sure what was going on. After that it flowed really well. I like taht you're using a Deakins' back story, really nice. The "secondary" characters don't get much airtime and that's too bad. I'm working on a special "Ross Christmas Special".
I think it would be neato if all the fanfic writers wrote an episode each week and posted on Thursday. I'm being a geek I know, but writing is fun.

Thanks for the advice. I love writing minor characters that don't get a lot of screen time. Deakins was on the show for five years, and yet we don't know a great deal about him, so it's great to imagine his back-story. Posting on Thursdays? I can do that, especially since this story is done. That's because I prefer to write the entire thing before I post anything.

This will be the last chapter I post before the holidays. Starting the first week of Jan, I will post the rest of this story. Until then, Happy Holidays everyone. Here, Kowlaski, have a candy cane as a reward for being a faithful reviewer. Now, on to the story. Comments/suggestions are always appreciated.

Chapter Three: Answers

“We have to tell Detective Eames about this.” stated Officer Tondman, the driver of the squad car. He held up the sheet with the fingerprints that the Captain had requested.

“The captain can take care of himself.” protested his partner, Officer Brown.

“But that’s withholding evidence.” Before Brown could stop him, Tondman had jumped on the elevator. Brown grabbed his arm to prevent him pressing the button to the 11th floor. But Tondman was 3 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier, so he won.

“Listen to me. We don’t know if these fingerprints are relevant to the Stewart case. All we know is that Detective Eames is worried about the Captain.” Brown took the sheet and after folding it, he put it in his pocket.

“She’s still going to find out sooner or later.”

“Yes, well-” he trailed off as the elevator doors opened to reveal Goren and Eames standing there.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I thought I told you to watch the Captain’s house.” Eames began as she and Goren stepped onto the elevator.

“Well, the Captain overruled us and sent us back to the station, Detective.” replied Brown.

“Yes, he did.” verified Tondman. But he couldn’t help looking away, and Goren noticed it.

“That’s not all he asked you to do, was it?”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that, Detective Goren.” replied Brown, with a stern glance at Tondman.

“Just give me the sheet, Officer Brown.” demanded Eames.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was Brown’s turn to avoid eye contact.

“You’ve kept your right hand in your pocket the entire time.” Goren replied. The elevator stopped, and Brown quickly left, but didn’t get far before Goren quickly stopped him.

“I know you’re as worried about Captain Deakins as me and my partner. If he’s hiding something, we need to know what and why.”

Brown sighed. “The Captain asked us to look up a pair of fingerprints and then give them to him. Here.” He gave the sheet to Goren. Eames quickly looked around him. The fingerprints were of a man in his thirties, Tony Baggio, who had been stopped three years ago for DUI.

“Did the Captain tell you why he wanted this information?”

“No, he just gave us a license plate number.” Tondman chimed in.

“Did you notice anything else unusual?”

“No.”

“Thanks.” replied Eames, and the two men walked away.

“I think it’s high time we pay the Captain a visit.” Eames continued.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Twenty minutes later, Andrea jumped as there was a knock on the door.

“Captain, this is Goren and Eames. We want to talk to you.” came a man’s voice on the other side of the door. Cautiously, Andrea crept forward. Comet ran away and hid in the bathroom.

“Go to the kitchen and wait until they are seated.” Deakins urged. She merely nodded. Andrea heard the voice of Deakins urging the detectives to sit down, and waited until they were settled until she silently walked into the room and sat down beside Deakins. Andrea could sense both detectives turn to look at her in surprise. At 5’4 and 130 pounds with black hair, she knew it wasn’t because of her looks.

“You ready for this, Andrea?”

“Yes, Captain. Are you?”

“I wasn’t the one with nightmares last night.”

“Would someone just tell me what the heck is going on? Who are you, how do you know the captain, and what are you doing in his house?” demanded Eames.

“Yes, and why did you want these fingerprints, Captain?” Goren demanded.

“I suppose the beginning would be a good place to start.”

“Just for variety, you can start at the end if you want.” Eames replied.

“All right, Detective.” Andrea took a deep breath. “Although my name is now Andrea Lewis, I was born Zara Fiore.”

“Sarah Stewart’s sister?” Goren asked. She nodded.

“The reason I didn’t come forward when-” she looked away, then continued, “when she was murdered-well, it’s a very long story.”

“We have plenty of time.” Goren replied and sat back slightly. She smiled slightly at him, pushing aside the thought that he was very good looking.

“How familiar are you with the Knelling Killer case, Detectives?”

“We know you were a witness at the trial. But we haven’t had the time yet to question people close to the case or read the court transcripts.” Eames responded.

“Don’t bother, Detectives. Me and Andrea can tell you all you need to know.” Deakins responded.

“Were you involved in the case, Captain?” Goren wanted to know. He knew that Deakins had been transferred from San Diego where he began his career to New York, but he had never learned why.

“Andrea will get to that soon enough.” Andrea paused before beginning.

“What was not in the court transcripts are the other murders. After what I saw, the FBI decided that me and my fiancee Paul should go into hiding with two agents until the trial in a week. The only people that knew of my location were Deakins and his partner Henderson.” She swallowed hard, and the next part of what she said was directed toward the floor. “Henderson was seduced by an friend of the killer, who passed on our location to his associate, the real mastermind of the killings. The two FBI agents died shielding me. The second agent gave me his gun and the keys to his car right before he died. Paul tried to cover me as I left, but he was also quickly shot. He wanted me to escape before I died too, but I loved him and I didn’t want him to die alone.” She cleared her throat, and looked up to see Goren’s compassionate eyes.

Quickly looking away, she continued. “Paul had just died when the assassin was able to break into the room. I can still remember him standing over me and ordering me to throw the gun away. He smiled, and I readied myself to die when the phone rang. I kicked out the guys legs from underneath him, and we wrestled for the gun. It went off in his shoulder, and I remember running for the car while he was down. Captain Deakins here was assigned to be my bodyguard. While I agreed to move, and change my name, appearance, and job, I didn’t want a constant reminder of what had happened always around. So we arranged that we would phone each other once a month, which was enough for him to keep an eye on me, but not enough for anyone to get suspicious.”

There was silence for a moment.

“So that’s why you were transferred to New York.” Eames commented.

“Yes. I was still able to work on cases, and keep an eye on Andrea at the same time.” Deakins stood, and winced slightly as he did so.

“Are you all right?” Eames questioned.

“For a dead man, I’m doing all right. I need the two of you to do me a favor.” Deakins was gone briefly, then returned with two bullets in plastic sandwich bags. He handed them to Goren.

“Run these through ballistics and see if it’s the same bullets that were used in Sarah’s killing.”

“Of course, but where did you get them? Were you shot?” Goren demanded.

“Both of us were, Detective, but we’re both all right. It was a necessary ruse to make Sarah’s killer believe that we are both dead.”

“So you think these fingerprints belong to the sniper that shot at you and killed Sarah?”

“Let me see that.” demanded Deakins of the fingerprints.

“Captain, Abandanto’s been in hiding for thirty years because there's an international warrant for his arrest. I don’t think he’s going to expose himself now. This Tony guy must be a new partner.”

“If that’s the case, he’s likely in hiding, probably with AA. Eames, tell Richardson to check on Baggio’s last known address after the Stewarts have left New York.”

“I can understand why this AA wants you dead, Miss Lewis, but why would he want to kill the Captain?” Goren asked.

“Comet, no!” cried Miss Lewis, as the forgotten cat, who had come to investigate the voices, had begun to lunge toward Goren. Grabbing her from midair, Andrea looked at her sternly. “Behave.” Setting the cat down gently, which quickly rubbed up against Eames’s legs, Andrea turned to the detective.

“I’m sorry, Detective Goren. I should have warned you that my cat doesn’t like men she hasn’t met. I hope you’re all right?”

“I’m fine, no harm done.” He turned to look at his partner, who was stroking Comet.

“I always thought you were a cat person, unlike me.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Well, if that’s all, I’d better let you two leave. Let me know by email how the investigation goes.”

“Yes, Captain. Just one more thing. Why don’t you want us to go to San Diego?” Goren demanded.

“He’s right. We can’t ignore the possibility that-” Andrea started.

“No! I refuse to accept it.”

“He was persuaded years ago...”

“That woman would have been able to seduce anyone.”

“Any man, you mean.”

Deakins sighed. “Fine. The two of you can go to San Diego. I’ll see you later.” He headed to the kitchen.

"Well, Detectives, I think you can see yourself out." Andrea didn't miss the glance between Goren and Eames as they left.

I hope everyone had a good time over the holidays. Here's the next chapter. Reviews are like dark chocolate, always appreciated.

Chapter Four: Plans and Counter-plans

Alexander Abandanato smiled. Before him, tied onto chairs, sat Matthew Henderson and his girlfriend Linda Nolan. Perhaps he had been too trusting to think that Henderson would really be able to kill Deakins and Miss Lewis. Yes, he had.

“So, there’s something that puzzles me. I thought that by kidnapping your pretty little girlfriend here,” he patted Linda’s shoulder, who stiffened, “I might be able to convince you to turn on your former partner and the woman that ended all my fun thirty years ago.” Alexander paused and looked into Henderson’s eyes, which were under a blindfold. “But I suppose you still have too much guilt left, and wouldn’t want to kill again. Pity.” Henderson moved, and tried to speak.

“What’s that? Were you going to say that you took a gun and did the job I asked you to? Well, I don’t really believe you. There’s been no police reports or any media covering Andrea or Jim’s death. They are not dead, they’ve only disappeared.” He looked away into the distance.

“Now, I suppose I could just go over to Deakins’s house and kill them myself, but there’s the slight problem of the police looking for me. No, this is the only way. I don’t tolerate failure. Kill them, Tony.”

Several seconds later, Henderson slumped forward, dead. Linda jerked, and tried to turn away. Grabbing her face, Alex noticed tears streaming down her face. Such sentimentality didn’t make any sense to him. Love was just an illusion.

“Don’t worry, my dear, you’ll join him soon enough. After all, loose ends are dangerous.”

Meanwhile, Detective Richardson looked at his watch. The funeral for Sarah Stewart would be over soon, and then he only had to escort the family to the airport tomorrow. Being a bodyguard was not his usual duty, but for some reason Deakins had picked him. Standing opposite the family in a receiving line outside the door, his attention was struck by a man that Tom had grabbed the arm of. He was in his early thirties with brown hair and eyes, and at the moment, he had his eyes narrowed as he was kept in place by Tom’s grip.

“If I was you, I’d leave now. I never thought you’d have the audacity to show your face again, Luke Hedan.”

“Sarah was a wonderful woman, something you failed to recognize. Now please let me go.” the man softly replied. With a shove, Tom pushed him away, causing the man to fall down. Richardson offered him a hand up.

“Is there a problem here, Mr Stewart?”

“No problem, Detective. Mr Hedan was just leaving.”

“Yes, Detective.” Hedan replied and with one last glare at Tom, quickly strode away.

“Who was that?”

“Only a family friend.” Sam quickly replied.

“Detective, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to go back to the hotel.” Sarah's mother stated. Richardson nodded, and trailed in front of them. As soon as they got back, he was going to have his partner track Mr Hedan down and question him. It was just possible that Sarah Stewart hadn’t been killed for the reason everyone thought she had.

Later that same night, Richardson, hearing a noise, quickly jerked himself awake and raised his gun. Maybe he was being extra cautious, but he didn’t think people skulking around this late at night were up to anything inconspicuous. A man rounded the corner.

“Stop right there, and put your hands on your head.” he commanded.

The man stepped forward into the hall light. It was Tom Stewart.

“Mr Stewart.” stated Richardson, lowering his gun slowly. “What are you doing up at this hour?”

“I just wanted to get some air and be by myself for a while.” Given the fact he was wearing all black, Richardson merely raised an eyebrow.

“You might not believe me, Detective, but it’s the truth. Now I should get some sleep before we have to be at the airport.” Before Richardson could reply, he had glided silently back into his room. Taking out his cellphone, then putting it away when he saw the time, Richardson decided that it was high time he had a talk with Goren and Eames. Something he would do first thing after seeing the family off.

Goren and Eames had just finished reading the court transcripts and the police records about the seven women who had been killed by the man the media dubbed the Knelling Killer. Right now, they were on their way to the prison to talk to the man who had been arrested for the killings.

“You’ve been pretty silent since you’ve seen the police records.” Eames commented in the SUV.

“I was just thinking that the killer was very methodical. He wanted the women to be submissive, and also to fear him before he killed them. By having them kneeling, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, he ensured they couldn’t protest what he did to them.” Goren replied.

“But it wasn’t a sexual thing. There was no semen at any of the scenes.”

“No, this seemed more like revenge. He doesn’t like women in general.”

“Well, his mother is dead, he has no female siblings, and we don’t know of any girlfriends.”

“Maybe Mr Constantine at the prison will be able to help us explain why Abandanato thinks so lightly of women.”

Goren and Eames were shortly seated across from Jason Constantine.

“So Detectives, what can I do for you today?”

“Did you know her?” Eames asked, putting a picture of Sarah Stewart in front of him.

“Yeah, I saw her at the trial. What happened?”

“We found her dead in a hotel room three days ago.” Goren replied.

Jason looked down. “That’s too bad. How’s her husband taking it?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I can tell that she tried to hide it, but I don’t really think it was a very happy marriage, at least for her.”

“Interesting. I got the impression that Tom really mourned her death.”

“Then I bet he’s a good actor.”

“Now, what do you know about Alexander Abandanato?”

“I said everything I was going to say about that man at the trial. At least in here, he can’t touch me.”

“We believe he might be behind Sarah Stewart’s death.”

“If he did kill her, it was probably to find out where Andrea was.” he commented thoughtfully. “He told me he was pissed at her for ruining his plans. I got the impression that he wanted me to kill more women, but stopped himself because I was discovered. He was very patient.”

“We know that he paid you ten thousand dollars a woman. But did you have anything else to do with the killings?” Eames demanded.

“No way. AA’s the one that choose them, and choose the MO.”

“AA?”

“That’s what he wanted me to call him, and that’s how the media knew him. He never told me what it stood for.”

“Do you know why he picked women between the ages of 30-40?”

“I asked him what he had against women. I was just curious, since if I might be going to jail for life, I wanted to be able to know why. First he told me it was none of my business, but then he said the only person he could trust was himself, since everyone else would leave sooner or later. I asked some discreet questions, and I found out that his mother had been a drunk who beat him. His father took him out of the house, then moved away when he remarried a few years later.”

“Thank you, Mr Constantine.” Goren replied as he and Eames left. Their next stop was the woman’s prison where Patricia Nesoon, the woman who had seduced Henderson, was being held.

Patricia leaned back in her chair, her hands behind her head. Even after all this time in prison, she was a very attractive woman with a slim build, brown hair and blue eyes. Eames could readily believe that she would be able to seduce a lot of men, just as Andrea had stated.

“How nice of you to visit me, Detectives. What can I do for you today?” Patricia asked.

“Perhaps you know that Sarah Stewart was found dead recently.” Goren answered.

“No, I didn’t. You think that AA did it, don’t you?”

“Perhaps. What makes you think otherwise?”

“When Miss Lewis moved from San Diego to New York thirty years ago, she cut off all contact with her family, and hasn’t had any contact with them since. AA knew that, so I don’t see why he would try to intimidate Sarah to tell him where Andrea was when he was aware she didn’t know.”

Goren and Eames shared a look. If this was true, their investigation was at a dead end.

“Do you have any idea who might have killed her then?” Eames continued.

“If you want my opinion, Sarah’s husband was annoyed that Andrea had put them in danger.”

“Yes, Tom seemed to imply that AA was responsible for Sarah’s death.”

“That’s a smokescreen, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t really know if he would have the balls to kill his wife himself, but if he found out something he didn’t like, maybe...”

“You mean that Sarah had a lover?”

“I don’t know, but that’s always a possibility.” Patricia smiled smugly. “People, especially men, so rarely think with their heads. It makes them much easier to manipulate.”

Goren’s eyes narrowed. “Speaking of manipulation, have you had any contact with Matthew Henderson recently?”

“No, and all I know is that he was released on parole a week ago.” She paused for a moment. “From your expression, I would say that Captain Deakins hasn’t told you this. He always did trust Henderson too much. But then again, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

“Why do you say that?”

“After the second murder, when it became apparent to the police they were probably dealing with a serial killer, they put Deakins in deep undercover among the Italian criminals in San Diego. He made friends with Jason, and that’s why he knew where Jason would be for the last victim. Then Jason turned around and told the police who I was, since Henderson was too ashamed to admit what he’d done.” She shrugged. “I can’t imagine why, he certainly seemed to enjoy himself at the time. I made sure of that.”

Goren cleared his throat. “We just have one more question, Miss Nesoon. Why did AA wait thirty years to come out of hiding?”

“At first, he probably just wanted to wait for the police manhunt to die down. I heard he moved to New York, and I didn’t think he wanted to draw any attention to that. But he must have heard about Sarah Stewart coming to town, and decided to act.” She snorted. “No, on second thought, AA never did anything by himself unless it was really important to him. It’s possible he had someone else do the killing.”

“Whatever happened to loyalty?” Eames remarked.

“It doesn’t exist, Detective. Everyone who did jobs for AA knew that if they were found out by the police, they were on their own, he wouldn’t help them. That risk was part of the excitement of working for him.”

“You call running errands for a serial killer exciting?”

“It was better then the alternative, which in my case was working the street. I had nothing left after my parents declared bankruptcy, and I couldn’t get a job because I’d taken a joy ride in a car that turned out to be stolen a few years before.”

“That’s all, Miss Nesoon. Thanks, and you can go now.” Goren replied.

“Well, wasn’t she a veritable fount of information.” Eames commented.

“Even someone with no sense of remorse and as manipulative as Miss Nesoon is could be-” the rest of Goren’s reply was cut off by the ringing of Eames’s phone, which was handed to her by a prison guard.

“Eames. Well, we have a flight back to New York in two hours. What? Explain, Detective Richardson.” There was a long silence, then Eames continued with a sigh, “Can I talk to her?” After a brief pause, she heard the voice of Richardson’s partner, Detective Allison Pritchard. “No, Detective Pritchard, I understand. I wish you luck with him. Have you checked out Baggio’s place? That’s what I thought. What did you find out in your interview with Mr Hedan?” After listening a while, she nodded. “Have you looked at Mr Stewart’s finances? Really. Well, if that’s the case, we’ll try to find him and have a talk before we leave, though Stewart could be anywhere by now. Put out an APB, and we’ll take over from here. Thanks, we owe you one.”

“What did Richardson and Pritchard have to say?”

“Well, Tony’s place was deserted, and the landlord hasn’t seen him for two weeks. Detective Richardson also found out that Sarah had a lover, named Luke Hedan, and talked to him. Tom knew about the affair. Richardson saw him coming back into the hotel room late the night before he left, and Pritchard discovered ten thousand dollars going into a untraceable bank account, so they figured that Tom paid AA to kill Sarah. They also found Matthew Henderson and his girlfriend Linda Nolan dead. They both had a gunshot wound to the heart, like Sarah.”

“AA must have found out that Andrea and the Captain weren’t really dead.” Goren sighed.

“I know. I’m grateful that they were helping us, but-”

Goren groaned and finished her sentence. “Richardson is going to be bragging for some time.”

Richardson had only made Major Case Squad six months ago, and it was well known that he wanted the same solve rate as Goren and Eames, who had the highest in the squad. Although Goren liked the young man’s enthusiasm, he knew that it sometimes drove Pritchard, the senior partner, quite nuts. It certainly sounded like Pritchard, who had only replaced her partner when her old one had died in a shootout a few months ago, was having more trouble reining in Richardson then she thought. Goren, who had gone through many partners before Eames, understood and sympathized. But he knew better then to interfere, even if his relationship with both detectives was cordial. Pulling up to the Stewart’s house, it soon became apparent that no one was home. Somewhat discouraged, the Detectives went back to their hotel and prepared for the trip back to New York.

First, thanks for the candy-cane, it's appreciated. I like where this is going, and I liked the trip to the jail. I also like how you have eames and goren interact when the are unobserved, it's how i think they'd act. I'm curious to see where you are taking me. reading things in pieces is driving me crazy, i dont see how people did this in dicken's day!
Keep writing and finish this puppy!

Thanks for the review. I only have two chapters left, and then this story is done. I'll post another chapter next week.

This is the second to last chapter. Overall, this story is about a T (PG-13), and I've tried not to put anything in here that wouldn't be in the show, but this chapter definitely has some creepy sections. Reviews make my day. This is the revised (and final) edition.

Chapter Five: Deceptions

A/N: Thanks to AMD for her help on this chapter, which is much appreciated.

"Based on Mr Lane's testimony, I'm willing to issue an arrest warrant for Tom Stewart. But that won't help you to arrest Mr Abandanato or Tony Baggio." Ron Carver stated. He, along with Goren and Eames, were in Deakins's living room. Andrea nodded, then excused herself to answer her ringing cell.

"So, do the two of you have any suggestions of how to get Abandanato to confess?" Deakins asked.

"He's smart. I don't think he would talk without a lawyer present, and we know that he likes to have others do the work for him, so we can't pin anything on him unless he talks." Goren responded.

"But maybe his desire for revenge will outweigh his natural caution." Eames proposed.

"If Miss Lewis is willing to be seen outside, with a wire on her, and a escort, AA might just expose himself to kidnap her, and then we would have him."

"It's worth a try."

"Jimmy, he knows I'm alive. That call was from AA." stated a white faced Andrea. She leaned heavily on the couch behind him.

Eames quickly put on some gloves, and quickly picked up the cell. A GPS tracking and recording device that still had a green operating light on was embedded next to the battery in the back.

"I lost the phone a week ago in a mall. Security phoned me that night, and I picked it up the next day." Andrea stated, breathing deeply, and trying to regain control of her voice.

"Did you ask them who turned it in?" Eames stated.

Andrea shook her head no, then dropped her head into her hands. "I'm so stupid. I'm the one responsible for Sarah's death." Deakins opened his mouth, but before he could reply, Andrea continued, "I couldn't contact my family, because it might put them in danger. But it was hard, especially since me and Sarah were close. All I told them was that I was going to New York, but nothing else. Sarah found my number somehow and phoned me five days ago. She said that she was in New York and wanted to meet with me. I refused, and I told her not to call me again. The last words I told her..."

"Listen to me. You are not responsible for AA's actions. You were used, but you were not the one that pulled the trigger." Deakins replied firmly.

Andrea took a few deep breaths, nodded, and then stepped away from Deakins, smiling at Goren who was offering her some kleenex.

"You're right, Captain. I've been running too long from this, and it's high time I faced it head on." Andrea threw away the used kleenex, then turned to Detective Goren.

"Captain, Detective Eames, Mr Carver, do you mind if I have a minute alone with Detective Goren?" The three exchanged a look, but didn't protest as they left the living room, Eames holding the phone.

"There's only one way this is going to work, you know. AA doesn't like women, so Detective Eames won't be able to help us. Deakins has his family to worry about, and AA knows all the other cops that have been investigating, but not you, since he had fled New York and then you were in San Diego."

"I'm willing to be your escort until he tries to kidnap you, Miss Lewis, but won't he get suspicious and think I'm another bodyguard?"

"That's a good possibility, which is why-" she looked away and swallowed before speaking fast, "you'll have to pretend to be my boyfriend, and make it convincing. Treat it just like an undercover job, and it shouldn't be too hard unless you find me unattractive, in which-"

"That won't be a problem, Andrea." Goren softly stated. That made her look up at him.

"Really?"

"Really, and call me Robert."

Andrea was the first to look away, and mumbled, "Um, good. I mean, thanks. To be honest, I haven't been intimate with anyone since Paul. At first, I was grieving, but then I didn't want to expose anyone else to the risk. Then I suppose I got used to being alone, as much as you get used to it, anyway."

"You were alone except for your cat. I noticed she didn't try to attack me this time, but went straight for Mr Carver." He smiled slightly, able to see the humor now.

"He was fine, probably because Deakins warned him."

"Let's go talk about the details with the others." Andrea nodded, and trailed after Goren into the other room.

Andrea sat down beside Goren and turned to Deakins.

"So me and Detective Goren were thinking that he could take me out on a 'date'." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'll be wearing a wire, and after Goren leaves me and Tony takes me to AA, everyone can track me to AA's hideout."

"Absolutely not!" cried Deakins. "I haven't protected you for years to let you offer yourself up to this murderer! You know what he's capable of."

"I do." she replied calmly. "If there was any other way, I'd like to hear it. But that depends on how much you want to see this guy in jail where he belongs."

"I hate to agree with Miss Lewis, but she's right. Though you do know that a wire is not the same as a trace. If we can't follow Tony for some reason, you'll be on your own until we can find you."

"I understand, Detective Eames. Now, are we agreed?"

Everyone reluctantly nodded.

Two days later, Tony Baggio shifted slightly to get a better view through the binoculars he was holding. He was spying on Miss Lewis's house, and was ready to kill her when AA gave the word. AA didn't want any complications this time, so if Tony couldn't get a clear shot without witnesses, then Tony was to bring Andrea to AA's hideout.

Tony watched silently as a car parked outside Andrea's apartment, and a tall, muscular man wearing a trim black suit stepped out. After knocking on the door, he led Andrea out to the car, and the pair drove off. Quickly stashing his gear in a backpack, Tony jumped in his car after them.

He made sure that they weren't aware they were being followed, but judging by the fact both of them were talking, they might not notice. Then again, if this man was an undercover cop, as AA had suspected, he might be smart enough not to say anything to Andrea. It was a possibility that Andrea was wired, but he would deal with that if it happened. Following the couple to the International Center of Photography, Tony crept silently into a green space and got comfortable behind a bush. Taking out his binoculars again, he noticed the man's arm around her shoulders. Andrea laughed briefly.

It was possible, if somewhat unlikely, that this man was actually her boyfriend. But if that was the case, why had he never seen him in all the two weeks he had been assigned to watching Miss Lewis's house? It must be their first date. Keeping one eye on the couple, Tony withdrew a book. Stakeouts were usually long and tedious, and he needed some way both to pass the time, and also to look less suspicious. Tony's cell suddenly vibrated.

"Yes boss, I've sited the target. She's with an unknown man. 6'4, muscular, dark hair, wearing a black suit. Yes sir, understood. I'll take back roads as much as possible." he answered in a whisper. Tony hung up, and waited for the right time.

Three hours later, Goren walked Andrea to her door, where she paused.

"Thank you, Robert. I had a wonderful time, the best time-well, the best time in a long while."

"You're welcome Andrea, and I also enjoyed the evening." he answered. "I'll see you later." He left according to plan.

Andrea stayed on her doorstep until she couldn't see Goren's car. Sighing, she looked through her purse, and was just about to open her door when she felt a gun nestled in her back.

"Don't say anything, and don't move." Tony's voice growled in her ear.

"If you think-" was all Andrea was able to say before a chloroform rag was shoved over her nose. Trying to fight, she felt strong arms around her, and kicked out, hearing a muffled cry. Fear drove her to strike out with her arms, hoping to hit something again. But soon, the chloroform made it impossible to resist, and she slumped to the ground.

When Andrea regained consciousness, she tried to move or see, but couldn't. All she could tell was that she was wearing only her bra and panties, and was kneeling on grass.

"You're tied, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, so I wouldn't try to resist me." AA's cold voice came, and she stiffened. Even with the mental preparations to hear that voice again, she still felt a shiver of fear run though her.

"I took the liberty of removing that pesky listening device the police wanted you to wear, so we could have a private conversation. I wouldn't want to be found too soon, after all. Interruptions are so bothersome, don't you agree?" He paused. "What's the matter?" He chuckled slightly, and the sound was dead, lifeless. Andrea couldn't resist swallowing hard.

"Now, I could tell you why your sister died, but I'd rather not, since you would just run to the police. Didn't I tell you that I would find you again, sooner or later? You've given me a good chase, but your time is up now." He ran a hand down her face, and she spat on it. He immediately slapped her, and Andrea fell over, the ropes around her ankles, wrists, and waist pulling painfully.

"Still feisty, I see. That will never do. Submission is required. I'll come back tomorrow." She briefly saw a bright light, then heard a door clicking shut. Trying to get more comfortable, she did her best to fall asleep, but it turned out to be a restless night.

Andrea was awoken the next day by a kick to her side, and Tony's hand putting her back on her knees.

"You probably think it's only a matter of time before your friends in the police force find us. But they have no idea where you are." AA paused as she frowned. "Ah, I see. You expected me to kill you now. But I'm the one that decides that, not you. However, before I do that, I need to mark you as mine." He pulled out a knife, and Andrea braced herself.

"Goren! Do you have anything yet?" Deakins demanded in the Major Case bullpen. The place was swarming with police officers, and included a pair from the FBI who had come to help as the search for Andrea entered a week.

"I think I might have something, Captain Deakins." Agent Cunningham replied, and Deakins turned to look at her.

"All of AA's previous victims were from rural areas. That's probably because it was easier to capture them, and by dumping the bodies in a large city like San Diego, AA had the whole state of California in fear. It might be a good idea to canvass the more rural parts of New York."

"Good idea. I'll let you and your partner get on that, since it may take a while." She nodded and headed out.

"Captain, you called?" Goren replied.

"Yes. Angie and the girls are flying home from New Jersey today. I want you and Eames to escort them home from the airport and assign a squad car to keep an eye on them until we capture AA. I was hesitant to let them home at all, but the case isn't in my hands anymore, and as long as he has Andrea, AA shouldn't focus on anyone else."

"Yes, sir." he replied.

Two weeks later, Goren and Eames had just wrapped a new case and were ready to leave for the day when Eames's desk phone went.

"Eames." There was a long silence. "I see, Agent Cunningham. What's the address of the hospital, and when do they have visiting hours?" She pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen, and jotted some things down. "All right, I'll be there tomorrow. Thank you."

"They've found Miss Lewis? How is she? What about Tony and AA?" Goren asked.

"Both Tony and AA have fled the hideout, and Cunningham says Andrea's fine. But she only wants to talk to me; she doesn't want any men around."

"Let me know how it goes, Eames."

I read this quickly, because I'm excited about you continuing it. But I'm a little bummed out. Goren's dialogue seems wrong to me. "I'll see you later" isn't something he would say. did their date go bad? Because he doesn't even ensure that she is inside, which is very against Goren's character. He seems the typical protective guy (Pain in the A$$!), and would have made sure she was safely inside before he left. (Never having met the fictional character of course)

Also, if they were both under surveillance how was Andrea abducted? Again, I read this fast, so I probably missed something. It moves too fast from abduction time to the phone call saying she's at hospital. You could use that time to get into a character's head, either Goren's, Deakins, AA's or Andreas. it would be nice, but you're probably going to give us that in the end.

I'm a pain when I critique. I know all we are supposed to say is "yeah, great job" but that's about as helpful as a wet sock. I'd LOVE to get real criticism on my work. I like where this story is going, and without knowing the end I can't comment, but I would like to see you rework this chapter. Less time transitions, "a week later" "three hours later" "two days later" I get what you were trying to do, but it just isn't flowing right.

If this is mean, which it is NOT intended to be. Please just let me know and I'll take it down immediately. I like this story and what you're doing with it, but this chapter could be stronger.

First, thank you so much for the review. What you just said is called constructive criticism, and I appreciate that you gave me lots of specifics that I can work on while still telling me you like the story. If no one tells me these things, then how can I be a better writer? Let me address your concerns in order:

1) You're right that Bobby isn't the kind of guy to leave a woman standing on her doorstep to let herself in. But also remember that this wasn't really a 'date'. He's playing a role here, and by leaving Andrea out on her doorstep, he is hoping that Tony will expose himself, so that he can capture him in the act of abducting Andrea. But he also has to go back to his car and drive away in order to let this happen.

2) Andrea knows that AA wants her dead. Thus the comment by AA about waiting to capture her. AA is smart and patient (otherwise he would have acted beforehand) and he knows through Tony that Andrea is intentionally waiting to be kidnapped. Andrea is hoping that by having a wire, she can be tracked and AA & Tony will be captured. But AA is one step ahead of her in this area. Originally, I did spend more time with AA and Andrea, but I was having trouble deciding how to describe their interaction without being too graphic. I will probably get inside AA's head more here, but at the same time, I'm wary of doing so, because it's hard and creepy to write a believable and menacing villain. Maybe I'll have some of Deakin's POV.

3) The time shifting thing is a little awkward, I agree, but I couldn't think of any other way to do it. Maybe if I spend more time before the hospital and describe how she was found, it might flow a little better. I just did it this way to also emphasize how much time Andrea spent with AA. A personal pet peeve of mine is when I read a fan fic where someone gets rescued right away. That only rarely happens in real life, so I wanted to emphasize that.

I hope this answers your questions, and I guess I wasn't clear enough in the chapter. Keep reading, because the last chapter will be posted next week.

1. Maybe flesh out that scene a little more. I like the section where Andrea can feel the gun poke into her back, that's fantastic, nice and creepy, just how i like my crime! Maybe after she's abducted give me a scene of the squadroom with people arguing over how she got abducted out from under their collective noses.

2. COOL! I didn't really get that Andrea was mistaken that a wire is also a trace. If she thought she was lojacked (able to be found, car recovery system) then this makes sense. My bad, not a thorough reader in this case.

3. Yeah, it just seemed a little heavy with the wording. Making the scenes longer would help. keep playing with it and working on it.

I'm excited that you are finishing it. I read too much stuff that's just a scene and not a full story. I like full stories. I'm SCREWED! I have nothing to post tomorrow at noon! I have an idea and absolutely no story. I want to see if I can get it done in one night.

Here's the last chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story.

Now without further ado, the conclusion of Past is Present.

Chapter Six: Justice

"Good morning, Miss Lewis." came a voice. Andrea looked at the woman, who was dressed in a dark pantsuit with her hair swept up.

"Ah, come to give me a psych exam?" she stated, seeing the police ID hanging from the woman's belt as she sat down beside the hospital bed.

"Yes. My name is Pamela Cannel. Now, how have you been sleeping?"

"Well, the sedatives haven't stopped the nightmares, if that's what you're asking."

"What were these nightmares about?"

"What do you think?"

Pamela nodded. "Have you had them before?"

"Yes, I had them for about two weeks after my fiancee was killed and I was shot. But I saw a counselor, and they went away. I've only had them once since, before- before my abduction."

"Have you ever been depressed, or taken medicine for depression?"

"No."

"Do you suffer from low self esteem?"

"Well, I've never been the most beautiful, and now-" Andrea gestured to the scar that ran down the right side of her face. "I've been doing my best to just get on with life, and I haven't had the luxury to enjoy it."

"Do you feel you have nothing to contribute to society?"

"Well, I can cook, but that's about it."

"Do you deliberately avoid men because of your past experiences?"

"Would it surprise you if I didn't want to answer that question?"

"Irritability and angry outbursts are two more of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"I don't have PTSD! I'm fine, all right. Or I will be if you just leave me alone."

Pamela didn't blink at all. "It's my job to question you, Miss Lewis, and determine your mental state for the Detectives."

"The only Detective I'm going to talk to is Detective Eames, all right. I thought I made that clear."

"You have. Do you fear the male Detectives? They did rescue you, after all."

"Why would I fear them? They didn't do this." Andrea pointed to her face again.

"But you don't trust men."

"Can you blame me? It was a male Detective that led to my fiancee's death and my being shot. It was a man who killed my sister and who did this to me."

"Do you blame Detective Goren and Captain Deakins for what happened to you, or are you avoiding them for another reason?"

"The only person I have to blame is myself." Andrea looked down and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I knew the risks. I thought that if the police caught AA right before he killed me, they would be able to put him in prison, where he belongs." She shrugged slightly, wincing. "If they weren't in time, arresting him for my murder would serve just as well, and I doubt many people would mourn my death."

"So then you thought of yourself as a martyr. Have you had any other suicidal thoughts in the past?"

"I'm not suicidal! I just thought that if I was going to die, it would be for a damned good reason. Do not go gentle into that good night, and all that."

"Were you afraid of dying?"

"Aren't we all, despite what we might say?" Andrea looked up. "Any other questions?"

"No. Thank you for your time, Miss Lewis, and I hope you have a quick recovery." Pamela replied, then walked out of the room.


Tom Stewart nervously looked around as he parked two blocks away from OPP. He had heard about what happened to Andrea, even if she had not allowed any reporters to talk to her. The thought of trusting in a man like that had chilled him, and he knew that he couldn't run forever. Quickly ducking into the police parkade, he nervously looked around. That turned out to be his last action.

Goren looked abruptly up from his paperwork at the sound of a gunshot. Quickly glancing at Deakins, he ran toward the stairs. He noticed he was followed by the Captain, and when he got down to the parkade, there was already a police officer standing guard by a body on the pavement. The captain of homicide, Angela Martin, was on the phone a short distance away.

"Who died?" Deakins demanded.

"Thanks for coming so fast. Two of you focus on the body, particularly the neck and hands. You two, comb through this parkade. If you can use the security tape, do so." Martin replied to four CSU technicians who had just arrived. Seeing Goren and Deakins, she motioned them over.

"Me and Detective Thornet," she gestured to the detective standing guard, "were the first ones on scene. That's Tom Stewart, and he looks like he's been strangled. Rodgers is on her way, and I've got two uniforms questioning the area to see if we had any witnesses." Before Goren could reply, a young man ran up. Using the interruption, Goren crept over to examine the body.

"I came as soon as I could." The man glanced at the body. "I guess I was too late, huh?"

"Yes, Mr Wendall. You picked the worst possible time to have a coffee break. Talk to Detective Thornet, he'll take your statement."

"Captain!" called one the CSU technicians, and both Deakins and Martin turned to look at him.

"The security camera is busted, there's no hope of use using it." he exclaimed.

"Typical." Martin sighed.

"Long week?"

"Just a drive-by shooting in the Bronx that is taking too long to solve." Martin replied to Deakin's question. She glanced at Goren. "I would say that Detective Goren can take the case, but it appears he already has."

"Yes, Mr Stewart was the primary suspect in the death of his wife." Seeing the ME arrive, Deakins gestured to Martin.

"You want to go for lunch? Everything seems under control here." Martin glanced around.

"Gladly."

The next day, Andrea was let out of the hospital. She was met at the front door by Detective Eames.

"Hello, Miss Lewis, how are you?" Andrea just nodded to acknowledge her question. "Why don't we take a drive? I've reviewed the case file, and I've also talked to Miss Cannel."

Alex started the car after putting Andrea's bag in the trunk. Andrea stared out the window for some time.

"I don't want to pressure you into telling me what happened, but you haven't told anyone anything. If we're going to catch AA, I need to know what happened. Why did you ask for me specifically?"

"AA is probably in Mexico by now. I don't think you'll ever find him unless he wants to be found. As for why I want to talk to you, I know you, you seem trustworthy, and after what happened-"

"You don't want to talk to men right now."

"Not particularly."

"The Captain and Goren are both really concerned about you."

"How touching."

"Listen, I know you're irritable and jumpy right now, that's understandable. But I need to know what AA did to you. Did he-"

"No, he didn't touch me. At least not like that." Andrea tilted her head back, and for the first time, Eames could see the livid scar that ran under her chin. "This is one of seven scars he left on my body. Deep enough to bleed, but not enough to kill me through blood loss." She took a deep breath. "He told me that no man would ever want me again, because he would make sure that I was hideously ugly when they found my corpse. You guys came before he could kill me, but he was right about that."

"I'm sorry." is all Eames could think to say.

"It wasn't your fault, Detective. I know there may never be justice in my case. I just hope that you find AA before he begins killing again."

"So do I."

"If you can't, well, you can't win 100% of the time."

"No, but you can certainly try." There was a long pause. "Are you going to back to New York?"

"Yes. I'd like to have a final talk with the Captain and Detective Goren, and then I see no reason to stay."

"Any idea of where you'd like to go?"

"Are you asking on police business, or just personal interest?"

"A little of both."

"Well, I don't know right now, but I'll be sure to tell the Captain, who can tell you." Andrea paused. "If I'm going to be in the same car with you all the way back to New York, detective, then I'd like to get to know you a little better. Why did you become a cop?"

When Eames dropped Andrea off her at her apartment some time later, she promised to cheek in a week later to see how she was doing. The next day, Eames headed into work and was immediately told to see Deakins.

"How is Andrea?" Deakins asked as soon as the door closed.

"I'd say she's doing as well as can be expected. Anything new here?"

"We found Tom Stewart strangled two days ago." Deakins handed her the case file, and continued talking as Eames looked through it. "Goren went to question Lane, but he doesn't think he has anything to do with his death. He's trying to find AA's associate, Tony Baggio, right now."

"So you think Stewart was killed before he could talk to us? But if it is Tony, we know he's very professional. He hasn't left fingerprints, DNA, or the weapon at any earlier killings."

"That's true. But Tony was seen in the general area by three witnesses. Yes, it's razor thin, but it's enough to question him."

"Do you have anything else?"

"Unfortunately not."

Their conversation was interrupted by Goren and a fellow detective, who escorted a man to the holding cells.

"He give you any trouble? You guys all right?" Deakins asked when they reemerged, quickly noting the black eye of Goren, and how the other detective was rubbing his stomach.

"Yes, he did, but we're fine, Captain. At first Tony said he didn't want to talk to us. But when we insisted he come down to the station, he tried his best to get away, so we took him in on resisting arrest and assaulting an officer." Goren answered.

Deakins nodded. "Eames, why don't you question Tony, and Goren, get some ice on that eye."

When Eames sat down across from Tony, she was somewhat surprised to have a fellow officer stand by the door. Even though she could defend herself, she had no desire to test her abilities with this man.

"Hello, Tony. I suppose the phrase friendly chat isn't in your vocabulary."

"I didn't want to talk to the police. I see no reason to." he responded.

"What were you doing two days ago, at around 9:30 A.M.?"

"I was just getting up."

"That's funny, because we have three witnesses who say they saw you in the police parkade around that time. The same time, this man," she put down a picture of Stewart, "was being strangled."

"I have nothing to do with that. I've never seen the guy before."

"Really? Well, then how about this man?" Eames placed a picture of AA on the table.

"Nope. I remember faces really well, and I don't remember his." He crossed his arms. "I want my lawyer."

"Fine." Eames replied, and left the room.

"Not talking?" Goren summarized from his desk.

"No, and you really should just go home. That eye looks nasty."

"Maybe I could just try-"

"No." Eames insisted. Goren shrugged. After talking to Deakins, he quickly followed Eames's suggestion.

The next day, Goren had a talk with Tony, but he refused to say anything more.

"He's just waiting until he can be released." Deakins observed as he watched Tony talking to his lawyer.

"That will happen by tonight if you don't discover more evidence against him." Carver stated. "He has no links to any of the other deaths, and unless you can prove that, I have to let him go."

"There is one way we could possibly get him to confess. Tony doesn't want to take responsibility for his actions, because they were orders from AA. But what if he comes face to face with those consequences?" Goren proposed.

"You mean orchestrate a meeting between Tony and Miss Lewis? She was blindfolded the whole time, so unless Andrea saw him when she was being kidnapped, then she couldn't identify him." Eames answered.

"Do you really think Andrea's ready to face him again, so soon after what happened?" Deakins insisted.

"It doesn't hurt to ask." Carver replied.

Andrea had just sat down to read when there was a knock on the door. Quickly opening it, she stopped dead to see Detectives Goren and Eames as well as Captain Deakins.

"Oh. Come in, have a seat." she managed to reply, before quickly walking ahead of them to the living room.

"You have a lot of boxes around. Do you plan on going somewhere?" Goren asked.

"I'm moving to Colorado Springs in a month. I already have a house waiting for me there."

"I see." the Captain replied.

"I'll be fine, Captain. There's no need anymore to monitor my movements or stay in touch with me. I only want to hear from you on the unlikely chance that you apprehend AA and you want me to be a witness in the trial. But thank you for your concern and your friendship, Jimmy."

"Unfortunately, that's not why we're here. Have you heard about Tom Stewart?" Goren questioned. Andrea nodded.

"We have the man who we think killed him, and also killed or had a hand in the deaths of Sarah, Matthew, and Linda. His name is Tony Baggio. Here's a picture." Deakins replied, and Andrea frowned.

"Something wrong?" Eames asked.

"I can't be certain, because it was really dark, and it happened very fast, but I think that's the man who kidnapped me. You want me to speak to him, right?"

"Yes." Andrea looked away for a long moment.

"All right, Detectives, but I want you all in the room with me. If I can get justice for everyone involved, it will be worth it."

"Good. Let's go." Taking a deep breath, Andrea went back with the trio back to the station.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Goren quietly asked her as they approached the holding cells.

"I just want this all to be over, so I can get on with my life." was Andrea's reply.

"What is it?" Tony asked. Seeing Andrea, he visibly recoiled. "What is she doing here?" he demanded of the detectives.

"Well, I guess we don't have to ask if you recognize Miss Lewis." Eames answered.

"We've met." is all Tony would say.

"You've done much more then that. You kidnapped her, didn't you?" Deakins prompted.

"Come on, admit it, Tony. Your boss, AA, wanted to talk to Andrea, and so you delivered her into his waiting hands. But that's all you are to him, an errand boy. You have no protection if things go wrong, and you'll take the full blame for all these deaths. Is that what you want? Do you really fear him so much that you're willing to take all the blame?" Tony looked down, and Goren continued. "What I'm wondering is why you even got mixed up in the first place with a known serial killer. Except for the DUI years ago, you're clean. Then suddenly you start murdering innocent people. Why now?" Goren stated.

"I'm not saying anything with her here." Tony pointed to Andrea.

"Fine, if you're too much of a coward to admit to what you've done, I'm leaving." she snapped. Deakins waited a moment later, then quickly left after her.

"Well, she's ungrateful. After I treated her wounds, this is how she treats me?" Tony muttered.

"You didn't want Andrea to die?" Eames interjected.

"What do I look like to you, a heartless monster?" Tony sighed, and sat down. "Maybe I am more like AA then I ever thought. That's a horrible thought."

"AA never would have thought of the pain he was inflicting on his victims. The fact that you killed as quickly as possible shows me that you're different from him." Goren quietly replied. "But why did you kill them in the first place? Why didn't you just let AA do it?"

"I would have. I didn't want anything to do with him, but I had no choice. AA discovered something that I didn't want to be widely known. My ex girlfriend turns out to be my long lost cousin. I didn't find out about it until we talked about having a family, and I discovered who she really was. I was disgusted with myself, and I ended the relationship. But if it's ever known, some people would think it was incest, and my reputation would be ruined."

"Why didn't you know you were related?" Eames demanded.

"She was the child of an affair, and her mother didn't want her, so she was adopted. She had no idea who her mother was, and neither did I at first." He looked down. "Families are the cause of so much joy and so much pain, and in my case, they were my downfall. When AA approached me with what I had to do to keep him quiet, I took some time off work, and did what he asked. I shouldn't have done it, but I knew his reputation, and that I would be dead if I didn't do what he wanted. I'm sorry. I understand if the families don't forgive me."

Eames nodded, and got on the phone with Carver to get together a settlement for Tony. While she was doing that, Andrea crept back into the room.

"Detective Goren, Detective Eames, I wanted to thank you for your kindness throughout this investigation. There's just one thing I don't understand. Why did AA pick Tony for this?"

"When Tony was charged with DUI three years ago, the officer that took his statement was the sister of Matthew Henderson. We've been trying to track her down, but she's out of the country on vacation. I suspect that she wanted to recruit Tony to expose AA so that he would be arrested, and she could get revenge on behalf of her brother. In return, the papers with the DUI charges would be burned so that any employer would think Tony had a clean criminal record. When she gets back, we're going to arrest her for conspiracy and withholding evidence. Take care of yourself, Miss Lewis." Goren offered her his hand.

Andrea shook it. Eames hung up and then nodded in Andrea's direction. As Deakins walked her out of the station, Andrea smiled to herself. It seemed that some policemen were worth trusting after all.

I'm bumping this for two reasons:
1) The last story in my Bobby/Carolyn triolgy requires you to read this, or you will have no idea what's going on. Characters in Close to Home and it's sequel All the Way, also first appear in this story.
2) I wanted to take the suggestions of AMD and revise chapter five, so that the story is now more clear and hopefully more enjoyable.

Happy reading.

The next few chapters of my story All the Way flesh out two characters briefly introduced in this story, and Fracture, the last in the trilogy, uses two of them again, so if you're wondering who they are, here is where they first make their appearance.

Or maybe you just miss Deakins or Carver, both of who are in this story (set between season 4 and 5) aka before L/B.

If you read, I'd love a review.

I'm bumping this, so that people will understand the backstory to the end of the Goren/Barek trilogy.

I loved this story. Very nice. The end was great. I just love your writing technique and style. Very few writers have done that with me. I am going to read part 3 of the trilogy now.

Thanks, cifan. I really appreciate you reading this, and your review on Fracture. I put the latest chapter up last night, if you haven't read it yet.

Just bumping this, or others will have no idea why Blevins dislikes Carolyn....

Cuz he's an immature, jealous little boy masquerading as a grown man.

Yes, but- As always, there are people out there that you don't like, and sometimes have to work with. I'm reminded of Captain Lochley from Babylon 5 who says:
The world is full of people you don't know. How do you trust them?
To which Garibaldi (the station security chief) replies:
I know. That worries me all the time.

But everyone is complex (think of Shrek with the onions) and I wanted to show that. If you still feel that way about Blevins after finishing Fracture, then great. If I've managed to portray a character that has both good and bad qualities, well, that's all of us and very human.