by Mary Head
Juliet frowned, her heart beating a little faster. “Sir, I don’t –”
“Be careful, Juliet,” Harry interrupted gently. “Just be careful.”
He looked at her a moment longer before turning and striding down the hall.
Juliet stared after him, still frowning, and then continued to the elevator.
◊◊◊
A short while later, Juliet arrived at David’s house, letting herself in and stepping into the living room where David was on the couch, going through the files they already had. He looked up at the sound of the door closing and smiled when he saw Juliet.
“Hey,” he said, standing and coming to take some of the files from her arms.
“Hey,” she replied, forcing a tight smile.
The coffee table was littered with yellow papers from his legal pad and the existing files were arranged in stacks covering all four corners, and David frowned as he looked at it.
“Guess we’ll have to put these in the office,” he muttered before turning and striding down the short hallway. Juliet trailed after him, her arms tight around the remaining folders.
He set the files down on his desk, sliding a few off the top and examining the labels. A few seconds later, he set them back down and walked over to where Juliet stood, taking the rest from her to add to the others.
“You want a beer?” David asked as they exited the office and walked back into the living room. “The greenie left about twenty minutes ago to pick up some stuff from the store. There’s still plenty of food left over from what Izzie brought, but we were running low on some things, like beer and soda, and he offered to go.”
“It’s – it’s fine,” she replied absently, looking around the room. It reminded her of the way his office was at the Bureau whenever he got a little too deep into a case. He would pull out everything, pile it around him, and immerse himself in the facts, the victim, the family, until he found answers. She admired his work ethic and loved his passion, but it was unhealthy, not just for him but for all of them.
Collateral damage, she thought.
David moved around the coffee table and stood in front of the couch with his hands on his hips, staring down at the organized chaos. “These two piles,” he began, pointing at the left end of the table, “are done and you can take them back tomorrow. I want to finish going through these others, but I think there’s better chances of finding something in what you brought. So how about you finish these, and I’ll go –” David broke off abruptly as he looked at her, frowning a little as he picked up his beer from the coffee table. “You okay?”
Juliet shook her head, pushing her hair behind her ear as she stood at the end of the couch. He turned and started to move towards her, but stopped when she took a step back.
“Jules?”
Juliet bit gently on the inside of her cheek, looking everywhere but David’s face, and then sighed as she lowered her gaze to the floor.
“I’m not bringing over any more files,” she said quietly.
Silence followed, and when she finally looked up, David was staring at her, holding his beer bottle loosely at his side. She took a breath, her hands rising to her hips.
“You have to stop interfering with this investigation. You need –”
“No, Jules,” David interrupted. “This is Hannah. I’m not stopping anything until she’s found.” He shook his head and glanced back at the mess of paper on the coffee table before muttering, “I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” as he lifted the bottle and took a sip.
Juliet felt a white hot flash of anger at his words. “Excuse me?” Her hands fell to her sides and tightened into fists as she stared incredulously at him. “I love Hannah. I want her back just as much as –”
“But nobody else’s fucking world ends if she doesn’t come home!” David yelled, his free hand also balling into a fist as his other tightened around the neck of the beer bottle.
“Fuck you! You are not the only one affected by this.” She pointed a stabbing finger at him. “I love Hannah. Chris loves Hannah. Do you know how hard he’s working on this case? How much stress he’s put on himself? And not just because of you and what you are to him, but because this is important to him too.” She shook her head, her entire body trembling from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “But no, I guess you wouldn’t see any of that, since that’s what you do, you push people away when you need them the most, when they try to help you.”
David spun away abruptly and flung the bottle in his hand to the floor, scattering brown glass and the remainder of his beer across the wood. He whipped back and stalked towards her, stopping when they were almost toe to toe, but Juliet stood her ground, unflinching and unafraid.
“You think the way any of you feel right now compares to how I feel?” he said loudly, eyebrows rising as he jabbed his finger against his chest.
“Oh, here we go,” she said, shaking her head again. “It's all about you, isn't it, David? It always is, whenever we get a case like this with a victim we know, that we can see ourselves in or see someone we care about. It's why you wanted Ramirez so fucking bad, because that girl they killed in Pittsburgh was the spitting image of Hannah, even though no one would dare say it in front of you. We all knew, David. We knew. And Harry let a lot of things slide because of it, because he knew he couldn't stop you - can't stop you, not when you're like this. You push everything and everyone away for your righteous crusades. I let it go, too, I helped you! And I almost lost my job and my life. Not again.”
David’s eyes flashed, but before he could speak Juliet spun on her heel and stalked to the door. Her hand touched the knob, and then she spun back around, stepping back into view.
“And what do you think Hannah would say if she could see how much you’ve been drinking?” she asked, pointedly looking at the shattered bottle on the floor.
David glanced down, and then up again when he heard the front door slam.
Juliet stalked down the driveway to her car, vaguely registering the fact that Eli had returned with the groceries. She thought he said something to her, but didn’t pay him any attention as she yanked open her car door and got in. Her hands slid over the steering wheel, and she rested her forehead against them, taking a few deep breaths to try to calm herself. She thought of Hannah, knew how upset she would be if she knew about the fight that had just happened, and the ache in Juliet’s heart increased. She needed to get away from this for a while, needed someone else to talk to, and lifted her head as she suddenly thought of Hannah’s best friend.
Guilt blossomed in her chest as she realized that as far as she knew, nobody was keeping Madison in the loop, so Juliet started the car and headed straight for Madison’s apartment.
Chapter 41
When Juliet arrived at Madison’s apartment complex, she took a moment to compose herself, not wanting Madison to think anything was wrong, and then got out of her car. With spring fast approaching, the landscaping was green and blooming, and it made Juliet smile for the first time since that morning as she walked towards Madison’s building.
When she reached Madison’s apartment, she rapped her knuckles on the door, and took a breath to calm herself even more. The door opened after just a couple of seconds, and Juliet smiled again as Madison peered out at her, her expression wary at first, then surprised.
“Hey, sweetie,” Juliet said. “Have you had dinner yet?”
“Hadn’t even thought about it,” Madison answered, turning her head to glance at the clock on the wall over the TV.
Juliet gave a quick laugh, and then raised her eyebrows. “Do you want to come to dinner with me? And maybe we could talk?”
Madison’s expression turned relieved, and she nodded. “I would seriously love that. Come inside for a minute while I put on some real clothes.”
Juliet laughed again and stepped inside when Madison held open the door wider. Juliet closed the door while Madison hurried into her bedroom to change clothes, and stared around the space. Madison was
an artist, and therefore had a great love of colors and patterns, and though Juliet hadn’t had many opportunities to visit Madison in her apartment, she always admired the way the younger woman had decorated, making what was originally a plain, boring apartment into a perfect reflection of her personality.
A painting hung on the wall to the right of the door, and Juliet’s heart clenched as she looked at it. Hannah was more of a photographer, but every once in a while, she got the urge to paint, and she’d painted the brightly colored garden scene a few years ago. Madison had loved it so much that Hannah had given it to her, and seeing it displayed so prominently on the wall, where it would catch the attention of anybody coming inside, was a testament to how much Madison loved Hannah, and how strong their friendship was.
Madison emerged from her bedroom, dressed now in jeans and a baggy sweater, and Juliet pulled her gaze from the painting to smile at her and ask if she was ready to go.
“There’s a restaurant up here, the Rhodeside Grill,” Madison said as they walked outside, pointing up the road. “It’s your average American style place, but it’s not bad, and I need some carbs.”
Juliet smiled and nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“We can walk,” Madison suggested. “It’s not far.”
Juliet nodded again and they started down the street.
Once they were settled at their table with their drinks, Madison looked up at Juliet, shifting in her seat as she tugged the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands.
“So, um, is there anything new?”
“Not really,” Juliet admitted with a sigh. “At least nothing good. The, um, kidnapper called David on Friday from Han’s phone.” She sighed again, lifting her hand to rub her fingertips against her forehead. “We – we have until Tuesday night.”
Madison’s mouth fell open, her eyebrows knitting together as her eyes filled with tears, and Juliet leaned towards her.
“Nobody’s giving up, Maddie. We’re going to find her. Chris and the team are following up on leads, and David – David is doing his own thing too. I swear to you we will find her.”
Madison nodded, sniffling quietly and swiping her sleeve over her eyes. “I’m just really scared.”
“I know, sweetie. I am too.”
“My dad keeps asking if I want him to come out here,” Madison continued, lifting one hand to play with the edge of her napkin. “I keep telling him no, but part of me does want him here.” She shrugged, her eyes on the movements of her fingers. “I just feel so out of the loop on everything, and really alone.”
“I know,” Juliet murmured. “Things have just been so crazy, and I’m sorry that you’ve been so left out.”
“It’s okay,” Madison replied with another shrug. “I mean, I know you guys are busy trying to find Han, and I’m kind of the last person on anybody’s mind right now.”
Juliet looked at her a moment, feeling a strong surge of sympathy, and then stretched her hand across the table to rest her fingers on Madison’s. The action made the younger woman look up, and Juliet raised her eyebrows.
“Until we find Han, if you ever want to know where we’re at or what’s going on, you can call me or send me a text. I can’t promise I’ll be able to get back to you right away, but I will as soon as I can. You deserve to be kept in the loop. Does that sound good?”
Madison nodded, looking relieved. “That sounds really good. Thanks, Jules.”
Juliet smiled and gave Madison’s fingers a quick squeeze before sitting up again.
“Tell me about you,” she said, taking a breath as she pushed her hair behind her ear. “How’s school?”
Madison shrugged once more. “Slow as ever. Still only taking a couple of classes a semester.”
“Yeah, but you’re working too. Didn’t you just get a promotion?”
Madison smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Sharon made me a manager. I guess after five years she figured I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Juliet laughed, and Madison’s smile widened as she reached for her drink.
“I just hope it doesn’t take too much longer to finish up school.” She sipped her soda, then set her cup down. “At this rate, it’s going to take me as long to get my bachelor’s degree as it takes Han to get her doctorate.”
Madison’s smile faded a little, and Juliet shifted in her seat.
“Look at it this way,” she said bracingly, drawing Madison’s attention again. “At least maybe this time you guys will get to graduate together.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Madison replied with a short laugh.
Over dinner, the conversation shifted from Madison’s current art projects, to how her dad and stepmother were doing, and then to her little brother. Mostly, Juliet just wanted to keep her talking and distract her from thinking too much about Hannah, even if only for a little while, and really, Juliet needed the distraction too.
When the bill came, Madison started to reach for her purse to pay for her meal, but Juliet waved her away as she pulled out her own wallet.
“Thanks for dinner,” Madison murmured when they were outside.
Juliet just smiled and shook her head, and they started back up the sidewalk to Madison’s apartment, arms linked together.
Just as they approached the complex, Madison stopped suddenly, and when Juliet looked over at her, she was startled to see the tears in Madison’s eyes.
“Sweetie, what is it?”
“I have to tell you something,” Madison said, sniffling. A breeze blew by, tossing her hair around her head, and she raised a hand to push the red strands out of the way, staring down the sidewalk before looking at Juliet again.
“What is it?” Juliet asked again, concerned as she stared at Madison.
Madison sniffled again, folding her arms tightly over her chest. “For the past few weeks, Han said – she said she felt like – like she was being watched, or followed. But she wasn’t sure. Like, she never saw anything weird, it was just this feeling she had. But she thought it was just her imagination, that’s why she didn’t tell you or her dad, and why she told me not to say anything either, she didn’t want to worry you guys.”
A tear fell from Madison’s eye, and she wiped at it with her sleeve, pressing her lips together briefly as her chin began to quiver.
“But I keep thinking – I should’ve said something. I should have told you or Mr. Cole, and maybe you could’ve done something.” She gasped sharply, raising her hand to her mouth as more tears fell from her eyes. “Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Maddie, sweetie, listen to me,” Juliet said softly, stepping close to the young woman and raising her hands to her arms. “This is not your fault. You did what Han asked you to do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t blame you for any of this, and she wouldn’t either. Please don’t blame yourself.”
Madison sniffed loudly, her hand rising to rake her fingers through her hair, and Juliet pulled her into a hug, holding her tight as she began to cry in earnest. Madison clung to her, sobbing into her jacket as she gripped the back of it in her fingers, gasping, “I just miss her so much,” against her shoulder.
Juliet nodded, gently stroking Madison’s hair and feeling tears rolling down her own cheeks as she whispered, “I know.”
Chapter 42
Not long after he saw Juliet leave, Eli was sitting in his car in front of David’s house, trying to decide what he wanted to do.
After he’d brought in the groceries, David thanked him, and then told him to just go home.
“Are you sure?” Eli asked, concerned as he looked at the other man.
David seemed distracted and restless, and as Eli thought about how Juliet had stormed from the house, he wondered again what exactly had just happened between them.
“Yeah,” David murmured, flashing a tight smile before lowering his gaze to the counter. “I just really need to be alone right now.”
Eli obeyed his wishes and left, but he didn’t want to go home. Home meant sitting around and doing
nothing, watching TV all night and thinking too much.
In the next instant, he reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found the newly added entry for Chris. He answered after a few rings, and Eli cleared his throat.
“Hey, um, it’s Eli. What’re you doing?”
“Working,” Chris sighed, sounding tired. “Going over the files Juliet gave me the other day.”
A glance at the clock told Eli it was almost five, and he frowned. “Have you eaten today?”
“Um.” Chris hesitated, and then gave a short laugh. “I honestly can’t remember.”
“Why don’t we get something to eat, then? You probably should take a break.”
“Yeah,” Chris murmured. “That actually sounds really good. Have you heard of Whitlow’s on Wilson? It’s this bar on Wilson Boulevard, sort of like The Pint, I guess, but with less FBI agents.”
Eli laughed slightly. “Yeah, I think I’ve seen it. I’m heading that way now.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there.”
Since Eli was already in his car, he beat Chris to the bar, and secured them a table, waving at Chris when he turned up several minutes later.
“Hey,” Chris said wearily as he pulled his chair out, and ordered a beer when the waitress appeared as he started to sit.
“I don’t think I have enough energy to actually get drunk,” he said, reaching for his menu, “but today has been pretty much shit, and I just need at least one beer to take the edge off.”
Eli nodded, throwing back a swallow of his own beer as the waitress returned with Chris’s. She took their orders and then departed again.
Chris took a long sip from the cold glass in front of him, and then sighed. “We identified the body from this morning. Kristen Snow, 26, married, with a two-year-old son. According to her husband, she was a waitress at an all-night diner, and was working the night shift. Sometimes she liked to crash at a friend’s place close to where she worked when she got off work so she wouldn’t have to drive home tired, which is why he wasn’t concerned that she wasn’t home yet.”
