| Life's Little Disappointments Chapter 15 |
Casey fought the urge to cry as she drove home. She threw her things down and went straight to the bathroom where she stood in the shower letting the warm water run over her body. She felt so dirty! Was it Bastille's touch or Harvey's cruel words that made her feel this way? The tears began to flow again when she thought about the confrontation with Harvey. How could he accuse her of such horrible things after what they had shared the night before? They had become so close during the past five weeks and yet he spoke as though he didn't know her at all. Slipping into her bathrobe, she went downstairs to the kitchen to take some aspirin for the headache. If only there were a pill to fix a broken heart. She was tired...physically and emotionally. Turning around, she saw the roses that Harvey had sent to her. "I can't think about this tonight" she told herself as she walked to the bedroom where she lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep. * The Swat team had surrounded the enclosed compound and were waiting for the order to go in. The SIU officers joined them at the entrance with their guns drawn and Lt. Dominguez gave the signal to break in the door. "SFPD!" The sounds of police officers shouting orders to the group of people gathered inside could be heard from every direction. "Where's Gonzales?" Joe yelled to Antwon who was coming out of the building. "He got away. There was a car waiting for him in the back alley." "Damn it. He's probably headed straight to Bastille as we speak." Joe said as he pulled out his cellphone to let Nash know that Gonzales was still on the loose. Inside of the building, members of Swat and the SIU were taking inventory of the drugs that were being sold. Harvey couldn't remember the last time he had seen so much cocaine in a single bust. The officers had arrested over 25 people and were in the process of loading them onto buses for transport to the precincts. Antwon and Ronnie were doing a final room to room search making sure that they hadn't overlooked anything or anyone. Twon noticed a loose air vent swinging and motioned for Ronnie to cover him. He slowly opened the vent and grabbed the young boy by his jacket to pull him out of hiding. "Let me go man, I ain't done nothin" the boy kicked and fought to get free of Antwon's hold on him. Harvey heard the commotion and came running into the room. "What the hell.." The sight of the young kid hanging upside down from the vent stopped him in his tracks. Harvey leaned his head to the side to get a better look at the boy's face. "Stephen Griggs? I've been looking everywhere for you. Guess I wasn't looking in the right places." Antwon helped him down and searched him for weapons. What he found instead was two small bags of marijuana hidden in the boy's boots. "Planning a party, are you Stevie?" Harvey asked as he took the bags from Antwon. Stephen turned his eyes away and kept silent. Antwon placed the handcuffs on him and read him his rights as he led him outside to the buses. Harvey finished looking around and then followed them out. "Hey Antwon, put him in my car. Stephen and I need to have a talk about his cousin, Mario." * Casey arrived at the North Beach Station almost an hour early and was greeted by Toby and Brooks who were both in very playful moods. Toby: You're early. Are you feeling alright? Brooks: We thought for sure you'd be fashionably late to make a grand entrance. Casey: Very funny guys. Why don't you put it in the act? Oscar was talking with Christine when he saw the three officers enter the building. "Hey guys, the captain called a little while ago. The meeting has been moved to the SIU. He wants us to meet him there. Oh, and by the way... the SIU cops aren't happy about what you and Christine did last night, Casey. Casey shrugged her shoulders: "Screw'em." They had all noticed that she wasn't her usual happy self this morning and Christine asked if something were wrong. "No, I'm ok. Just a little headache. I'm going to get some coffee, anyone else want some?" They declined and Casey started down the hallway to the break area to get the coffee before leaving for the SIU. She checked the copy room on her way back and found the fax that Stephanie had sent. One name was familiar...Mario Baptiste. The question now was, how was he linked to the Hopper murder? "One mystery at a time, Casey" she told herself. * Following Toby and Brooks to the SIU had seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, she was dealing with two practical jokers who were beginning to try her patience. They called her cell phone every few seconds making jokes about the way she was driving. They had even found the song "Catch Us If You Can" on the radio and played it over the phone as she listened. When the phone rang for the fifth time, she was ready for them. "Casey's massage parlor...we never rub you the wrong way." She heard laughter and then a deep voice speak. "I'm sorry. I was trying to reach 555-4863." Casey was so embarrassed. This was not the voice of either Toby or Brooks. "You have the correct number. This is Cassandra...who is this, please?" "Antwon Babcock...Harvey Leek's partner. Cassandra, Harv and I need to meet with you this afternoon. It's rather urgent." Casey pulled into the parking lot of the SIU and parked the blue mustang in front of the pier as she continued the conversation. "Well, I'll be tied up for a couple of hours but I could meet with you about two o'clock." Antwon looked at his watch and noticed that it was time for the meeting with the North Beach Officers. "Two o'clock would be great. I'll call you back and let you know where to meet us. See you later." Casey sat in the car and stared in awe at the large metal object that was docked at the pier. She got out and walked over to join the others. "What in the world is this place?" Brooks was amused by the fact that she had never heard of the famous SIU building. "It use to be a fish cannery and then was transformed into a floating disco. The owner was busted for various violations and the city confiscated the barge and some of his other assets. When an earthquake damaged the SIU headquarters, they were transferred here. Pretty cool, huh?" It was at this moment that Casey realized that this was the Special Investigations Unit that Evan was assigned to. "The Floating Disco with the phantom light show" he had called it. "Yeah, It's very cool." The group had been waiting for about ten minutes before Captain Jameson appeared. "We're ready for you guys". The small group started walking down the ramp to the front door but Captain Jameson pulled Casey aside. Jameson: "I wanted to give you the heads up. Captain Nelson and Inspector Andrews are flying in today. I called Nelson and told him of the plan for tomorrow night and he wanted to be here when it went down." "Thanks for the notice." She felt her spirits rise a little knowing that Stephanie and Tom Nelson would be in town. It would be nice to have her friends around, especially now. Ron Jameson walked up the stairs and continued back to the make shift conference room followed by the members of the undercover unit. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the SIU. Please be seated." Captain Nash Bridges looked nothing like the mental picture that she had of him. He was younger and rather handsome. From Evan's description, she was expecting a much older authoritative figure. Everyone took a seat at the long table that was placed next to an open balcony. "What an incredible view!" Casey's attention had been drawn away from the meeting and she was admiring the beautiful view of the bay bridge. Evan must have loved working in such a great setting!! She forced her attention back to the meeting and took out the notes that she had made concerning the case. She slipped off her jacket and was hanging it over the back of the chair when she heard a familiar voice. "Cassandra?" Harvey sat down in the chair directly across the table from her and was very surprised to see her. "What are..." He was interrupted when Jameson began to speak. " Captain Bridges and I have agreed that due to the change in plans, our teams should meet. This has been and still is a dangerous situation and it is of the utmost importance that we all work as a team. To my right are the officers from The North Beach Unit. I'll let them introduce themselves now starting with Officer Hart." Oscar began the introductions and they continued down the line until reaching Casey, who had been seated last. She realized that Harvey was one of the officers who had been assigned to help with the investigation. His concern for her last night now made sense even though his words still cut like a knife. This was not the way she had planned to tell him the truth about herself but now she had no choice. "My name is Cassandra Reed. I'm a homicide inspector for the Amarillo Police Department in Amarillo, Texas. I am on temporary assignment with the North Beach Division." Casey explained about the Randolph Hopper murder case, Gonzales' involvement, and the new information that she had received about Mario Baptiste. "The bottom line is that we hope to gather enough evidence against Gonzales for a conviction here in California and then have him expedited back to Texas to stand trial for first-degree murder." Harvey was in a state of shock. "She's a cop...an undercover cop who couldn't reveal her identity to anyone...even a fellow officer." Now he understood about last night. He felt like such a jealous fool for acting the way he did. "That's why she asked me to trust her" he thought. Casey was asked to give the details of her encounter with Bastille the night before. "We know for a fact that this Shipment of the Decade will be happening tomorrow night. We just don't know the location...yet! I will be wearing a wire and there will be a tracking devise placed on the car...just in case I'm unable to pass on the information." Harvey had been leaning on the table with his head resting on his hand as he listened to her plan. The whole thing made him nervous and he didn't like the idea of her taking such a risky chance. "Cassandra, do you really expect us to just sit back and let you leave with him...ALONE? What happens if Bastille finds out that you're wired? This plan sounds more like an invitation for trouble, if you ask me." Casey didn't appreciate his attitude. "I don't remember asking for your opinion, Inspector Leek. But it might ease your mind to know that two cars will be following us tomorrow night. They will switch out enroute to make sure that the driver of Bastille's car doesn't become suspicious." She leaned on the table and stared at him before continuing. "And I am quite capable of taking care of myself." She and Harvey glared at each other as if in a standoff. Captain Bridges noticed the tension between the two inspectors and decided that it was time to dismiss the meeting before an argument ensued. Nash: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time. All crews will be set up as usual at the club tonight and everyone has their orders for tomorrow night. Should there be any changes, you will be notified. Good luck." * "Cassandra? If you don't mind, we'd like to speak with you now." Antwon had caught up with her before she left the SIU. He led her up to the top of the barge where Harvey was waiting for them. He appeared to be lost in his thoughts as he sat on a table staring out at the water. "Harv...she's here." Antwon started to leave and Casey took his arm. "Wait a minute, I thought you said that YOU and Harvey wanted to talk to me." He looked at Harvey and then down at Casey. "I think that he can handle this without me." Casey walked over to stand next to the rails and looked at Harvey who was still sitting on the table. "So, what's so important." Harvey: This actually makes more sense to me now but I thought that you should know. Mario Baptiste has been having you followed for the past few weeks. He has a 14 year old cousin who has been watching your every move and reporting back to Cuz. We busted this kid today at the compound raid. Gonzales got away but Twon found this kid, Stephen, hiding in an air vent. This kid doesn't have a record and I'd prefer that it stay that way. He was trying to make some quick money to help his Mom with some medical bills. I've pulled a few strings and have him in protective custody now along with his family. He's agreed to testify against Baptiste in exchange for immunity. Casey: I'm glad to hear that he's away from Baptiste. Maybe he'll stay on the straight and narrow from now on. Thanks for letting me know that I was being followed. I'll be more careful until this thing is over. If he's having me followed then he must remember me from Amarillo. He knows I'm a cop which means that Bastille probably knows as well. Harvey: Until we know more, I'm going to assign a unit to you. Casey: No..No!! I'm not agreeing to that. I told you, I can take care of myself. Harvey walked over to her and tried to argue his point but she wouldn't listen. She refused any type of protection. "Fine then, I'll watch over you myself." Harvey was quickly losing patience with her and she was growing tired of his macho attitude. "I'm not going to argue with you about this, Harvey." "I am not trying to start an argument with you, Cassandra. You just don't seem to understand that this is a life and death situation that we are talking about...your life!" Harvey grabbed her by the shoulders and leaned down to look into her eyes, trying to get his point across to her. "Don't fight me on this...please. I don't want to see you getting hurt." Casey broke free from his hold on her and began to back away from him. "Getting hurt or killed is a chance that a police officer takes every day, Harvey. I know that better than anyone." She turned and walked down the stairs while Harvey watched in dismay. * As she walked back through the SIU, Casey couldn't help but notice a desk with a Grateful Dead throw draped across it. "This has to be Harvey's desk" she thought. As she was putting on her jacket, her eyes fell upon a photo that was on the desk. It was Harvey and Evan! She picked the photo up for a closer look and saw that Evan was wearing the short green jacket that she had bought for him as a Christmas gift a few years before. With shaking hands, she took out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, mom. It's Casey. Listen, do you still have the business card that Evan's partner gave you? I need to know what his name was." Casey closed her eyes and leaned against the desk when she heard the name that Maria read from the card. "Thanks Mom. I'll talk to you later." She stared at the photo for a moment and then placed it back on the desk. "My God, Harvey was Evan's partner." She grabbed her bag and ran to the front entrance. She couldn't take the chance on seeing Harvey again...not just yet. She was fumbling around in her purse trying to find her keys as she quickly walked towards the car. When she looked up, she saw Harvey standing next to his car. Casey stopped walking for a moment to compose herself before starting towards the car again. Harvey began walking along with her. Casey: I don't want to fight with you anymore, Harvey. Harvey: I don't want to fight either, Cassandra. But I do think that we need to talk. Casey unlocked the car door before turning to face Harvey: "I believe that you said more than enough last night, Inspector Leek. As far as I'm concerned, we have nothing to discuss." She got into her car and started the ignition, but Harvey reached through the window and turned the car off. Casey could hear the anger rising in his voice. "Look...everything that you said in that meeting came as a total surprise to me. I'd say that we have a lot to discuss! We need to talk about this case and your involvement but most of all we need to talk about us." Harvey crossed his arms and leaned against the car. She could hear the frustration in his voice. "Damn it, Cassandra. Why couldn't you just trust me enough to confide in me about...everything!" Casey got out of the car to confront him. "Trust you? This has nothing to do with trust. We weren't allowed to reveal our identities, remember. How was I to know which Special Investigations Unit you worked with? Besides, you have a lot of nerve talking to me about trust. If you recall, last night I asked YOU to trust ME concerning this situation but YOU refused. I've been through hell the past few weeks wanting to confide in you but knowing that I couldn't. You're a cop, Harvey. You know the rules, give me a break." The headache had returned and she reached up to rub her forehead. Harvey noticed that the color had drained from her face and became concerned. He reached over to take her arm but she pulled away and got back into the car. Casey: I'm really tired and I'm not feeling well. I just want to go home and sleep for a while before going to the club. Harvey: Let me drive you home. I don't want you driving if you're not feeling well. Casey: No, I'll be fine. I can drive myself home. Harvey: Well, could we please get together tonight to talk this thing out? Casey: I don't think so, Harvey. We'll only end up arguing. Harvey leaned down so that he could see her face. He needed to see her eyes when she answered his question. "So what are you saying? That our relationship is over before it even has a chance to begin?" Casey looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't know what to think about our relationship. Do we have one, Harvey? Think about it...you are the one who jumped to all the wrong conclusions about me. You accused me of things that I would never dream of doing." Casey was beginning to feel sick as she lay her head back against the seat. She closed her eyes and told him quietly, "Just let it go, Harv. Let me go." "I can't do that, Cassandra." His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke. They stared at each other for a few moments before Casey started the car once again and waited for him to move away. Harvey sighed before standing up and stepping away from the car. She backed the car out of the parking space and sped out of the parking lot as he watched her leave. * * * |
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