All The Pretty Things

by Magdon, Rae D

  "As a matter of fact, she did," Tess said, a little surprised.

  Robin clenched her teeth as she pulled into the parking lot outside of Tess's building, sliding into an empty space near the door. There were almost no cars parked in the lot at this late hour, and even the traffic on the road was sparse. She unlocked the doors and stepped out, waiting while Tess grabbed her purse and slid it over one shoulder. The politician was dressed meticulously for a negotiation, wearing a form-fitting skirt, suit jacket, and heels. Robin had been surprised how quickly Tess had donned the outfit and fixed her makeup back at the apartment.

  "Ready?" Tess asked, a little breathless as she slammed the passenger's side door shut.

  Although she still had her doubts, Robin knew she could not let Tess see them. "Ready," she said. She waited as Tess fumbled for her keys, nearly dropping them with a shaking hand as she opened the front door.

  Tess walked through the halls cautiously, as if she expected someone to leap out of the shadows. Logically, she knew that there was no one else in the building, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Dismissing her paranoia, she listened to Robin's soft footsteps. She wasn't alone, and Robin would keep her safe.

  The two of them stopped in front of her office, lingering outside for a minute before Tess decided to unlock it and turn the lights on. “I guess he’ll find us,” she said, stepping in front of her desk. Briefly, she was comforted by the memories of what she and Robin had done on it the night before. Still, she was far too energized to take her seat in the large leather chair. She began walking back and forth in front of the desk instead, unable to remain still.

  Robin watched Tess pace, wanting to say something, but unsure what would set her at ease. The politician's nervous energy was starting to set her on edge. A car's headlights flashed briefly through the dark glass of the window, and Tess turned to watch them pass, the muscles in her shoulders bunching. Robin walked over to her and touched a tense arm. Tess jumped, practically vibrating.

  “Relax,” said Robin. “We don't want to spook him

  Tess took a few steps away, staring off into space. “Right,” she said. She sounded distant, though Robin couldn’t blame her. They heard a door shut. “He’s here."

  The seconds seemed to stretch forever as they waited, listening intently. It was probably her imagination, since the walls were thick, but Tess thought she could hear Brian walking in through the unlocked front door, perhaps pausing in the entryway before passing by Mike's empty desk. Since everyone else had gone home for the night, he had as well.

  "If he shows any signs of reacting violently after you confront him, I'm dialing 9-1-1," Robin whispered while they were still alone.

  "Not 9-1-1," Tess protested softly, her heart hammering along at double speed. "They could alert the media..."

  "Fine." Robin took out her cell phone and pulled up Slade's number instead. She wasn't completely sure she could trust him to keep Tess's secret, especially since this wasn't an assignment from the Bureau, but if she had to call for help, he would be a better bet than local law enforcement. She slipped her phone back into her pocket with the number still pulled up, feeling strangely naked without her gun. She hadn't thought to bring it to Tess's place, and it was secured in her portable gun safe back at her hotel room.

  The sound of the door opening made Tess's hands clench. When Brian stepped into the room, she expected to feel something – anger, fear, resentment, righteous indignation. Instead, she felt strangely numb as she turned to face him.

  "Tess. What's this about the blackmailer contacting you? Has he asked for more money? I thought he already made his demands." The look of shock on Brian's face was genuine, even though he was clearly lying through his teeth. He had definitely not expected the 'blackmailer' to call again.

  “The blackmailer’s demands are the same,” said Tess. She thought about how she should handle this, debating her options. She was hoping to convince Brian to come clean and skulk away quietly. That possibility was extremely low, but she had to try to salvage what was left of her clean campaign. Even if she was the victim in all this, she did not need the media to find out about how her own campaign manager had decided to betray her for money.

  “So, why did the person contact you again?” asked Brian. “You didn’t pay up, did you?”

  Tess shook her head. Of course he was concerned someone else was going to take his earnings. “No, but he is getting impatient with us. He made a mistake, actually...” She wished she could hold Robin’s hand, but that would not help the situation. She needed to do this on her own. “We know who the blackmailer is,” she said, meeting Brian’s gaze directly.

  The man swallowed. His eyes widened for a brief moment, but that was the only flicker of panic she saw before he mastered himself once more. “Well, why are we here, then? Why aren’t you going to the police?” He watched Robin casually step toward the conference room exit. She looked like she was just pacing, but she had just sealed him in.

  “Because the blackmailer is someone we know, someone I’ve known for a long time,” said Tess. She took a step closer and Brian twitched. “I wanted to give him one last chance to stop this insanity and put it all behind us. I wanted to give you one more chance, Brian.”

  The silence following her declaration sounded like a roar in Tess’s ears. Brian stared at her with such a mix of emotions that she did not know what his next move would be. He backed away from her, but nearly jumped when Robin slammed the door shut and locked them in together. “Tell me why you really called me here, then,” said Brian. “Are you going to have your new girlfriend beat me within an inch of my life? Is she here to drag me off to some dark cell where I’ll never see daylight again?”

  Robin snorted. “It’s what you deserve.”

  “Don’t you dare tell me that you’re here to give me a ‘chance’. No politician is that naïve. What do you really want?"

  Tess shook her head in bewilderment, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. "You really think I want to extort you now? After the hell you just put me through?" She narrowed her eyes at him, anger replacing the hollow emptiness she had dealt with earlier. It was a relief to finally be angry. "I don't want anything from you," she continued, stepping forward and claiming more space. "I just want you to walk away. Make up some pathetic excuse, quit my campaign, and leave me the hell alone. You don't out me, I don't turn you in to the police."

  "I can't trust you. Why else would you have her here?" Brian asked, jabbing a thumb at Robin.

  "Look," Robin said, "I'm not going to do anything to you unless you make me... however tempting it is. Tess is offering you a very fair deal here. You both walk away and forget all of this. No one finds out."

  Brian's eyes widened, and he raised his arms as if preparing to defend himself. "You're lying!" he shouted, unsure whether to look at Robin or Tess. "You probably have that slimy computer guy recording this whole thing!" He was beginning to panic, and Tess desperately tried to defuse the situation.

  "I'm not. The two of us can still work this out –"

  Brian wasn't listening. Instead, he lunged forward, grabbing for Tess with both hands. She screamed as she felt his fingers curl into the sleeves of her jacket and tugged. Instinctively, she kicked out with one of her feet, doing her best to aim as the world spun. The blow glanced off Brian's shin, making him shout in pain, but he managed to keep his grip and yank her forward.

  And just as quickly as it had started, it ended. Robin leapt forward and pulled Brian off of Tess, tossing him into the nearest wall. He banged into it with a painful smack, and before he could recover, Robin had him pinned, forcing one of his arms into a stress position by twisting his shoulder. Brian went limp, all the fight draining from him in moments.

  Tess stared at the scene in shock, unable to process it. Brian had attacked her. If the man had been armed, she would have been dead. The whole confrontation just made her feel more naïve. She was so blind, so easily trusting. She shou
ld not have tried to negotiate a deal. Worst of all, there was no way they could go back now. As soon as Brian was taken in to custody – and his arrest was inevitable now – he would out her.

  “Tess... Tess!” Someone was shouting her name. Tess blinked and looked up at Robin. The agent seemed fine. Brian was still slumped forward against the wall. Robin kept up the pressure on his shoulder to prevent him from trying to escape. “Grab my phone out of my back pocket and call Slade, okay?"

  "Slade?" Tess asked, her forehead creasing in confusion. She was still coming around from her adrenaline rush, and she thought she could hear her heartbeat inside her ears.

  "Another agent, Cincinnati office. We need back-up that won’t cause a scene.”

  “Right.” Tess stood up and pulled the device from the back pocket of Robin's jeans. “What should I say?” she asked. The number clearly showed on screen. All she had to do was hit ‘call’.

  “Just say Robin needs him here to assist with an arrest, and wants to keep it quiet.”

  Still unsure of what she was going to say, Tess dialed the number and listened to it ring. She wondered what she would do if it went to voicemail. On the final ring, someone picked up. “All right, what’s gone south now?” growled a very tired sounding man on the other end of the line.

  "Sorry to bother you,” Tess blurted out, unsure what else to say. The other end of the line stayed silent. Eventually, she repeated exactly what Robin told her. “Robin needs assistance with an arrest. She’s busy restraining him right now, but she doesn’t want to cause a scene.”

  Tess could hear shuffling in the background, and then, “Where are you guys?”

  Robotically, she gave him the address of the building, just as she had done over the phone countless times before. Once he had repeated the address to confirm it, he ended the call, and Tess set the phone down on her desk. “I think he’s on his way.” She sank into her chair. Her knees felt weak.

  “Good,” said Robin. “The sooner we deal with this ass, the better.” She looked around the room before noticing Tess and her overwhelmed expression. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  Tess nodded, though she still seemed to be in shock. “I was just thinking,” she whispered. “I need to come out.”

  Chapter 32

  Cincinnati, Ohio: October 16th

  "Okay, let me go over it again" Slade said as he looked at Robin with exhausted eyes, rubbing his forehead briefly to ease some of his late-night headache. The two of them were standing outside of Tess's office, leaning against the wall by the door. "Your boss sends you to Cincinnati to investigate a corrupt politician, and you end up stopping his opponent from getting blackmailed by her own campaign manager?" He sighed and shook his head. "Damn, Hart. There's never a dull moment with you, is there?"

  Robin shifted her weight, curling her toes in her shoes. "That's how we do it in Washington," she said, but the joke fell flat. Even though she trusted him, she was uncomfortable under Slade's scrutiny. Once he found out the whole story, she would need to distance herself from the Saunders investigation as much as possible.

  "So, aside from the security camera footage of him attacking Theresa Daubney, do you have any evidence? We need something to use in court."

  "Confiscate his phones," Robin said after a moment of thought. "He should have two – his work phone, and a prepaid one somewhere on him. He's been using that one to leave threatening messages. A colleague of mine recorded his demands on Tess's computer and tracked his cell phone signal. I'll make sure to give you his contact information."

  Slade nodded, apparently satisfied. "If you have a recorded call and the phone it was made from, that's pretty damning evidence. I think we have enough grounds to make this a Federal case."

  That eased a little of the tension Robin felt. She trusted the FBI to be discreet more than local law enforcement. "Look, there's more to this. I need to call my ADIC and take a leave of absence or something. I can't be involved in either of these investigations anymore. I'm too close."

  "The Saunders case, too?" Slade asked, looking surprised. "But we just started that one."

  Robin dipped her head slightly. As much as she hated to admit it, confessing her conflict of interest and backing away before she tainted the investigation any further was the right thing to do. "Tess and I are involved. That's what Tisdale was blackmailing her about... sort of. When people find out I'm sleeping with the opponent of the guy I was supposed to be investigating, it's going to look terrible."

  Slade did a double-take, blinking rapidly for a moment. "You're shitting me," he said, but the expression on Robin's face did not change. “You’re not shitting me.” Slade shook his head and let out a low whistle. “For how long?”

  “Officially? A couple days, although I’ve had a crush on her since I ran into her, I think.” Robin blushed and crossed her arms. It wasn’t like her to fall head-over-heels so rapidly for someone, but Tess was an exceptional case.

  “So it’s not such a terrible mistake,” said Slade. Judging by his annoyed expression, he still thought it was a mistake. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re doing the right thing. This Saunders guy is dirty, and I don’t want anything cropping up that would let him slip away.” He paused and placed his hands on his hips. “They’re going to send over some ass who’s too big for his shoes.” Even though he had not said it, Robin knew Slade meant it had been a pleasure to work with her.

  “I’ll try and make sure it’s someone tolerable,” she said.

  Slade shrugged and glanced down the hall. Tess sat on a bench, staring at nothing while the two of them discussed the investigation. “It seems like she needed someone in her life,” said Slade. He nodded in Tess’s direction. “Why don’t you go talk to her while I get Tisdale ready to head down to the precinct?”

  “Are you sure?” asked Robin. “I wouldn’t want to put you in danger at all.”

  Slade laughed. “This guy doesn’t have the guts or muscle to overpower me. He had a moment of panic and figured he could take a couple of women, but I think he’s realized the trouble he’s gotten himself into.” Slade glanced over at Brian. The man had been handcuffed and forced into a chair at the dead end of a hall. He had nowhere to go. “He knows his best bet is to cooperate.”

  Robin began to turn away, giving Slade one last look. "Hey... thanks. This probably isn't going to stay under wraps for long, but you bought us a little time. I appreciate that." The SAC gave her a nod to show he understood, and then, slightly uncomfortable at how personal the conversation had become, he strode back over to Brian.

  Tess didn't look up as Robin approached her, staring down at the carpet instead until the agent's flat, practical black shoes were directly in her field of vision. She took a deep breath before looking up, shoving her glasses back up on her nose, not sure whether to cry or laugh with relief. "We need to talk," she said, surprised when her voice didn't shake with doubt.

  "I know," Robin said, taking a seat beside Tess on the cushioned bench. There was a long, awkward pause before Robin decided to start the conversation. "Look, I understand that you've got a career to worry about, and coming out could ruin everything you've worked for. We've only known each other two weeks..."

  Tess pulled at her lower lip with her teeth, but she reached out to put her hand on Robin's knee. "Two weeks isn't enough time to know if I've met my soul mate... but spending them with you was enough to make me realize that I can't keep living this lie anymore. I want to see where this goes, Robin, but even if I didn't, I need to come out anyway. I was suffocating before I met you."

  "So, that's it? You made your decision?" Robin asked, not sure whether to be overjoyed or nervous. "And... how much does this decision involve me?"

  "As much as you want it to," Tess murmured. "I'm not going to lie. The press is probably going to find out about you. And if you want to... I'd like to acknowledge the truth."

  Robin felt her heart rush up into her throat and begin throbbing there at double speed. Her palms began to s
weat, and she reached up to rub the back of her neck. "And what is the truth, exactly?" she asked, feeling hope soften her face into a smile. Warmth melted in her chest when she saw Tess smile back at her.

  "That you're my girlfriend. If you want to be. God, that term sounds so juvenile..." Tess never finished her sentence. Instead, she found herself wrapped in Robin's strong arms, her face buried in the shoulder of her leather jacket. The scent was already growing familiar to her, and it was instantly comforting. Her wavering emotions finally settled at one place: happiness.

  Tess pulled back, cupping the side of Robin's face and tilting her head. Taking the unspoken invitation, Robin kissed her, stroking the back of her neck as her other hand settled protectively around Tess's waist. After a long moment, they pulled away, staring at each other with a mixture of giddiness and disbelief.

  "I know I should be scared about coming out," Tess said, still smiling, "and I suppose I am, but right now... I just feel overwhelming relief. I want to do it. Even if it costs me the election."

  "I think I know someone that might be able to help you," Robin said, stroking back a piece of Tess's hair that had escaped from its pin.

  "Really?"

  Robin nodded. "Uh-huh. Unfortunately, this interview probably won't have Chinese or Thai, but I can promise it's with a real reporter this time."

  "Well," Tess sighed, "if Nina Stryswicki isn't available, I suppose that will have to do."

  ***

  Harkiss strummed his fingers on the desk as he glared at Tess and Robin in turn. “So, let me get this straight,” he said, and then paused to chuckle at his own pun. “You aren’t gonna give me your big FBI scoop because you’ve been taken off the case.” Robin nodded. He turned to Tess. “And instead, you want to give me your ‘coming out’ story.” Harkiss clearly did not know what to make of the deal.

  Robin shrugged. “Aren’t you reporters the ones always saying, ‘sex sells’?”