WPCTS16

“We just got a line on Jackie Pat,” Antwon said, his enthusiasm evident in his voice as he placed the call to Nash.

“Where are you heading?” Nash asked as he watched the mayhem unfold at the SIU.

“Down to Pier 57. She’s suppose to be holed up at a bait and tackle shop down there.”

“By the book,” Nash ordered. “Jackie Pat the systems rat is her nickname for a reason. And watch your backs.”

“You’ve got it boss.”

Nash flipped his cell phone closed, then signed off on several papers. “Joe!” He called out to his partner who was distracted with directing traffic for a stream of flowers. “Joe!” he tried again, then finally walked over to him. “Want to tell me what the hell is going on?” he asked.

“Inger went on a spending spree,” Joe informed him. He caught his wife’s eye as she started up the stairs to the top deck and gave her a cheery smile along with a wave. “When I told Inger that Harvey and Rachel were getting married here tonight she bought out the local florist and hijacked a truck to bring it all here.”

Nash chuckled as he watched one person after another heading up the stairs, their arms filled with an extravagant assortment of blooms. “Whoa! Look out Harv!” he yelled when he saw a collision about to happen and Harvey was able to make his way over to them un-accosted.

“What the heck is going on here?” he asked as he joined Joe and Nash.

“A wedding present to you and Rachel from me and the missus,” Joe informed him with a bow. “When she heard that you were forgoing the extras to get married today, she couldn’t just stop with a bouquet. She insisted that the SIU be filled with flowers.”

“You’re kidding?” Harvey returned in disbelief, then laughed. “That’s great man! Thanks. Rachel is going to love it.”

“I see you managed to get yourself cleaned up a bit,” Nash commented on the light gray suit and crisp white shirt with a colorful Grateful Dead tie and his ever present armband. “Is that why you took off out of here so fast?”

“This old thing?” he joked as he smoothed a hand over his new tailored suit.

“Off the rack is getting better, I see,” Joe teased as he removed an imaginary thread from Harvey’s shoulder.

“Actually, getting spruced up was just an afterthought. This is what I had to get.” He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and lifted the lid so that they could admire the ring he had chosen for Rachel.

“Wow,” was the first word out of Nash’s mouth and he leaned closer. “That looks hand crafted?” he said as he looked back at Harvey.

“It is,” he returned. “It was so strange. The guy who made it is named Cato down in Chinatown. It was almost as if he knew Rachel and had made the ring specifically for her.”

“Cato?” Nash said the name as he looked over at Joe for confirmation as his partner continued to admire the ring. “I thought he owned a restaurant?”

“He does,” Joe returned, still admiring the ring. “Along with half a dozen other businesses including a partnership in one of the biggest mahjong parlors in the Chinatown.”

“She’s going to love it,” Nash said to Harvey, returning to the original topic as he gave him a swift pat on the shoulder.

“You think so?” Harvey asked skeptically.

“No doubt, man,” Joe assured him as he pulled out a jewelers eye piece to get a closer look at the stone.

“Will you put that away,” Nash scorned him as he handed the ring back to Harvey. “She’s going to be blown away by it. By the way, were you able to get everything straightened out with your attorney?"

"Get this," Harvey returned. "Greg already made sure that the marriage would be legal and had it added to my custody suit before we even left the barge."

"That's probably why he's the best custody attorney in town."

“Oh! There you are!” Inger cooed when her eyes fell upon Harvey as she came back down the stairs. “Congratulations Harvey. I am so happy for you!” She gave him a light peck on the cheek. “Everything is just about ready upstairs and I brought you a flower to wear on your lapel. I’ve got one for you too, Nash,” she said as she handed over a rosebud to Joe. “Could you help him with that please Joe.”

“Thank you, Inger,” Harvey said sincerely. “You’ve really made this day special.”

“Don’t stick me with that pin, Joe,” Nash warned him when Joe moved toward him.

“I won’t stick you w....”

“I mean it. Don’t forget the last time you...”

“I promise I won’t stick you with the pin.”

“Remember the Pepe incident?” Nash reminded him.

“What are you bringing that up now for?” Joe asked in anger. Inger already referred to Nash as Joe’s other spouse and Pepe only intensified things between them.

“Are they always like this?” Inger asked Harvey as she adjusted the delicate rose on his lapel.

“This?” he asked, hitching a thumb over to Nash and Joe who were still quibbling. “This is nothing. You should see them when they’re stuck on a stakeout together. Things get really weird then.”

She smiled at him, then leaned in to give him another peck. “There is a reason that Joe and I have been able to stay together for so many years,” she informed him, ready to impart her words of wisdom. “There are just some things that you simply don’t ask about.”

“Ouch!” Nash yelped.

Harvey’s smile broadened and he kissed her slender hand. “Where were you yesterday when I needed some advice?” he asked.

“Making sure Joe’s life insurance is paid up because he’s going to have a stroke when he finds out how much money I’ve spent,” she shot back.

“Shall we go upstairs and see what the florist has done?” Joe suggested cordially as he offered an arm to his wife.

“There’s blood on my shirt Joe,” Nash insisted as he followed them up.

* * *

Harvey looked down at his watch, then stuffed his hands into his pockets. “She’s fifteen minutes late,” he stated. “She’s having second thoughts.”

Nash chuckled as he grabbed Harvey by the arm. “Would you calm down? The woman is getting ready for a last minute wedding. Hell, it probably took her half an hour just to decide what to wear.”

“Not to mention hair and makeup,” Joe interjected. “That’s an hour right there.”

“You’re right. You’re right,” Harvey returned nervously.

“Hey partner!” Antwon called out as he joined them on the top deck. “I’m gone for a couple of hour and you go and get hitched on me? What gives?” He gave Harvey a firm handshake as well as half a hug.

“You haven’t missed anything yet,” Harvey returned. “Rachel still hasn’t shown.”

Antwon waved it off. “She probably had to stop and buy a new dress which will go on your credit card,” he teased.

“Give me some good news,” Nash ordered the new arrival.

“Jackie Pat is down in holding,” Antwon complied. “By the book. We didn’t even have her back to the car when she started rolling over on Gary Bledsoe.”

“Have her tested for drugs and alcohol,” Nash ordered. “The last time she gave us information, it was thrown out because her lawyer claimed she was under the influence at the time.”

“Got it.”

A bright flash suddenly went off that had everyone rubbing their eyes. “What the hell was that?” Joe asked. “A solar flair?”

“Whoa, loose the wattage bubba,” Nash begged.

“Oops! I’m so sorry,” the familiar voice apologized. “I was just helping out with a rock video and had the flash set all the way up.”

“Pepe?” Joe asked, trying to blink away the spots.

“Of course!” Pepe returned. “I can smell a wedding a mile away. Besides that, Inger called and said you were in need of a photographer.”

“Wait a minute,” Joe stopped him. “Inger has your phone number?”

“Of course!”

Joe and Nash exchanged a wary look. “I don’t think I like the sound of that,” Joe muttered.

“I’d be worried,” Nash assured him.

At the sound of tires screeching to a halt in the parking lot, the men turned to see Rachel bolting from her car which she had left cockeyed and taking up nearly three parking spots.

“It looks like she’s a bit anxious to get here, wouldn’t you say bubba?” Nash teased Harvey as he put a hand on his shoulder, but his friend was already lost. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his dashing bride. Nash shook his head then signal to the others that it was time they made a discreet exit.

Harvey’s smile grew as he watched Rachel race up the gangway to the SIU, chuckling when she lost a shoe along the way. She stopped to retrieve it, but instead of slipping it back on, she took the other shoe off and started running barefoot.

Then, just when she reached the main deck of the barge, she suddenly stopped, looked up and there he was, golden in the light of the setting sun. It was as if something inside of her knew that he would be standing there, watching over her.

Rachel’s heart flipped over repeatedly when she caught sight of Harvey standing near the rail on top of the barge. She had worked herself up into such a panic when she started to run late that she was sure he had left. Her relief only amplified her joy. He was there. He was actually there waiting for her. The wind tossed his hair lightly as his eyes locked with hers. It was as if the entire world held its breath. The rush of the wind drown out the traffic noise and the last rays of light caught the flash of white in his hair. She knew that moment in time would remain with her, etched into her soul throughout eternity.

“Get up here and marry me McCabe,” he called down to her, then laughed when she started running again. She was oblivious to everything as she made a path straight to Harvey. His laughter increased when she threw herself into his arms, practically taking them both over the rail. Then the rest of the world melted away as their lips met.

“You’re here,” she whispered against his lips as she held him close. “You’re here.”

“Where else would I be?” he asked just as breathlessly, unable to keep from stealing another kiss.

“Anywhere, nowhere,” she returned, then laughed, a spring of pure joy welling up inside of her in anticipation. “I was so sure you would be having second thoughts....that you wouldn’t be here when I got back especially when I started running late.

He chuckled at that. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with insecurities.”

Rachel laughed as well. “I had no idea it was possible to be this happy. Tell me this is really happening,” she begged. “Tell me this isn’t a dream.”

“It is, it’s not,” he promised, his mouth claiming hers again. He couldn’t remember wanting anything more than he wanted Rachel at that moment. Her passion ignited his. It wasn’t until the plaintive sound of a distant fog horn sounded that he remembered where they were. He pulled back slightly and memorized every inch of her face. He smiled as he reached up and caught a ribbon dancing erratically in her hair. “You’re stunning,” he whispered, surprised that she had chosen the gold dress that he had given her for their weekend retreat. As an added accent, she had curled ribbons and baby’s breath into her hair as a substitute for a veil. “You’re a golden flower child,” he teased.

She smiled as she twisted a lock of his hair around her finger. “No beret tonight?” she asked, and he shook his head as her hand slid down his arm to make sure the armband was still where it should be.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take that off before the ceremony,” he assured her.

“You do and you’ll be standing up there alone,” she shot back. She smiled when she saw his shocked expression. “Your unique quirks are one of the many reasons I fell in love with you. I don’t want to change that, Harvey. Not even for our wedding.”

“Really Rach, it’s not that big a deal.”

“It is to me,” she insisted.

“The honeymoon generally comes after the wedding,” Nash said pointedly to remind them of the gathering crowd. “If we get this show on the road, you’ll have a sunset wedding,” he tempted them,

Harvey smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose. “That sounds perfect to me.”

“Ditto,” Rachel returned, smiling up at him. “Oh no! Wait!” she said with concern as she looked around at the gathering crowd. “Jerry isn’t here yet?”

Harvey gave her a sad smile. “He’s not coming,” he told her, the disappointment evident in his voice. “When I asked if we could have him for a couple of hours, Anna gave me some lame excuse about her parents coming into town just to see Jerry unexpectedly today.”

“So what?” she returned. “It’s not like they have to drop him off and leave. They can come with him if they want.”

He shook his head. “When I told her why I wanted him here, she hung up on me. Greg says I can’t force the issue because, technically, this is her night to have him and the fact that our plans were so last minute...” he trailed off.

“So we’ll put the wedding off until he can be here,” she returned, not noticing the startled gasps all around from the eavesdropping multitude.

“Are you kidding me?” Harvey shot back with a laugh. “If we try to get off of this tub without getting hitched, we’re liable to get lynched instead,” he teased. He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. He was touched by her offer. “Besides, I can’t wait another minute to make you my wife, Rachel McCabe,” he whispered. “Marry me. Right here. Right now.”

She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. His eyes held her captive. She had no idea where the bouquet in her hand had come from. Or why there were bright flashes of light going off around them. Or noticed how a sudden turn in the breeze from the bay smothered their guests in a blanket of perfumed petals. None of it mattered. The details were lost on her. The only thing she knew was that the man she loved was holding her hand and promising to be hers for eternity. When Nash asked her the only question she needed to respond to, instead of “I do”, the only two words out of her mouth were “it’s perfect.”

A smile grew on Harvey’s face. He could sense that she had become part of the moment, unaware of it’s very existence and yet the essence of it. “Not quite,” he whispered in return. Both of them were oblivious to the giggles spreading throughout the crowd as friends and coworkers clung to their every word. Harvey released her hand just long enough to slip the ring out of his pocket, then he held it up for her inspection and was gratified by her gasp. “This was suppose to be your engagement ring,” he told her as he slipped it onto the appropriate finger, then brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the glistening heart set in white gold. “Oh Harvey,” she whispered, her hand trembling. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

He reached up and touched her cheek so that her eyes would return to his. “I have,” he told her, then claimed her lips.

Nash cleared his throat and received a laugh from the crowd. “We haven’t gotten to...” he began, but knew instantly that it would do no good. “Of for....” He shook his head and laughed along with everyone else when the couple remained lost in the consuming kiss. “By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He held his hands up to draw the crowd’s attention. “Everyone,” he said as if directing a choir.

“You may now kiss the bride,” rang out from the masses, then the air erupted with applause.

* * *

Harvey held Rachel’s hand and they cruised out of town. They were only getting twenty four hours for their honeymoon with the custody case pending, but they were going to make the best of it. “I can’t believe you got reservations at that hotel in Santa Barbara,” he remarked as he gave her hand a squeeze. “I heard that you’ve got to have mega bucks just to get the desk clerk to talk to you.”

“Really?” she said with smile.

He shot her a glance. “Come on, McCabe,” he taunted her. He was glad that she was taking his name, but the friendly banter between them was something he didn’t want to lose. “I can tell you’ve got something up your sleeve.”

“Give me a break, Leek,” she countered. “I’m an old married woman now. The mystery is gone. I’ve got to have a few secrets left.”

His smile broadened, then he brought her hand up to his lips. “Do you mind if we pull over for a few minutes?” he asked, then gestured out to the coast line. They were approaching his favorite stretch of beach and he couldn’t pass by without paying homage.

“Of course not.”

As Harvey pulled into the parking area, he caught sight of a new feature out of the corner of his eye. Once parked, he slid out of the PT Cruiser and walked around to open Rachel’s door and confirmed his suspicion that there was indeed a new addition to his beach. “I hope that’s not what I think it is.”

“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked as she looked up at him, then shaded her eyes so that she could see what he was staring at.

“Looks like someone put up a sign,” he returned as they moved toward it. “If it says keep off the beach, we’re stealing it,” he told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“There’s the honest cop I know and love,” she teased in return, cuddling close.

“I would just hate to see anyone ruin what little bit of coast there is left around here.”

As they drew closer, Harvey’s mouth dropped open, then he smiled. “Talk about a coincidence,” he said, then started to laugh at the sign which had only two words carved into a plank of old driftwood. Harvey’s Haven. “What are the odds of something like that happening?” he asked.

“I’d say they were pretty good,” she returned as she stared up at him. “Especially when you’re the one that owns the property.”

“What?” he said with a disbelieving smirk.

“I knew that you were worried about someone buying up this plot of land and putting up a surf shop or something.” She shrugged her shoulders at her solution. “Now you don’t have to worry about it unless you’re the one who wants to put up a surf shop.”

“You’re serious?”

She gestured up to the sign. “That’s why I was running late last night,” she explained. “The guy who made it wouldn’t do the rush job unless I brought him cash.”

He shook his head, speechless for a long moment. “Rachel, how can you afford something like this? How can we afford it?” he corrected himself. He was already envisioning a lot of overtime.

She gave him half a smile, then slipped both of her arms around his waist. “Remember that trace program I made?” she asked and told him how her initial product had spawned a second and a third edition. “I can’t give you an exact figure, but they average about six figures.” His eyes opened wider. “Each,” she added and smiled when he started to sway. “A year,” she concluded.

“Oh, I’ve got to sit down,” Harvey said in shock and started stumbling toward one of the massive boulders. He took his beret off and fanned his face when he started to feel a little light headed.

“Are you okay?” she asked with a chuckle.

“I can’t even fathom....” he said, but couldn’t finish the sentence. Suddenly revelation dawned and he gazed up at her. “That was what you used to finance all of those missing person searches.” He was stunned when she nodded. He had always wondered how the clients she worked for paid her expenses when they looked like they could barely manage to put food on the table. She had footed the bill herself. “I can’t believe that you managed to keep something like that quiet for so long.”

“Hey, when no one really knows anything about you, it’s easier to get by with things.”

“You are amazing,” he said softly, then his curiosity got the better of him. “So just how much money are we talking here?”

Her smile was from ear to ear. “We’re not going to be on the Fortune 500 list, but we’ve got plenty to retire on whenever we decide that will be. If you wanted to, we could get that road side stand tomorrow and spend the rest of our lives making candles and doing macrame without worries. Jerry and his six other brothers and sisters could still attend Harvard with or without scholarships.”

He thought about that for a long moment, then looked back at her. “Six!” he said in surprise.

She laughed out loud as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer. “I plan on having my way with you and every given opportunity, so you’ve got to expect a few consequences.”

“Oh really?” he returned, the sparkle back in his eyes. “Does that include newly acquired pieces of beach front property?”

She glanced around quickly. “Do the seats fold down in the Cruiser?” she asked.

Harvey held her gaze for several seconds, then both of them started running for his car.

Epilog

Harvey felt Rachel’s fingers toying with the curls on his forehead and smiled. His eyes were mere slits as he peeped at his new bride leaning over him suggestively. “Morning beautiful.”

“Hey handsome,” she returned. “Breakfast is on the way up,” she told him. As much as they both wanted to stay, they knew that they were needed back in San Francisco. Her fingers lightly brushed his cheek as her hand slowly traveled lower. “I figure we have just enough time to satisfy our hunger and maybe even squeeze in a bite to eat before heading home.”

His smile grew. “I like the way you think, Mrs. Leek.”

Just as his arms were slipping around her, the phone started to ring. “That’s got to be Nash,” Rachel said as she shook her head. “Only he’s got that kind of timing.”

“You’re probably right,” he agreed as he slipped out of bed. “Tell him that we quit,” he joked as he headed toward the bathroom.

Rachel chuckled at the thought, then picked up the phone. “Morning Nash.” She smiled when he was at a momentary loss at her psychic greeting. “Technically, I’ve still got him for the next six hours. You had better have a damn good reason for interrupting my honeymoon,” she warned him, then fell silent as she listened intently. “Clear the roads for us Nash because we will be flying.” She paused once more, then heaved a sigh. “Thanks. See you shortly.”

The phone found its way to the cradle with a clatter, then Rachel rushed over to knock on the bathroom door. “Harvey? Come on. We’ve got to go.”

“Damn woman,” he called back in return. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“This is serious Harv,” she insisted and he opened the door seconds later. “That was Nash on the phone. Apparently Sarah Drake found some sort of proof linking Anna to Dabney Charles’ death.”

“What?” he said in shock.

“I don’t have all the details,” she rushed on. “But Anna found out somehow that a warrant had been issued for her arrest.” She hesitated a second, but knew that it would be best plainly said. “Anna pulled Jerry out of day care and fugitized. Nash and Joe are all over it, but it looks like she made it out of the city.”

He moved around her quickly and went in search of his clothes. “Why the hell didn’t someone call us sooner?” he asked, finding his pants and jerking them on.

“This just happened less than an hour ago,” she assured him as she pulled on her clothes as quickly as possible. “Nash pulled in a couple of favors and managed to get us a police escort.”

“Even with that, it’s going to take us forever to get back,” he snapped, the guilt for leaving his son during such a precarious time even for his honeymoon was weighing heavily on his shoulders already.

She shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she returned. “The local PD has made their helicopter available to us,” she explained. “We will have to leave the Cruiser here, but we will be able to search the coast on the way back.”

He nodded, his mind already reeling with details, dates, addresses, anything that could be a clue as to where Anna had taken his son. He was so focused on getting to the police station and catching the flight back that he was heading out the door before Rachel was able to get his attention again.

“Let me do this,” Rachel pleaded as she grasped his arm to stop him. “I can find Jerry. This is exactly the sort of thing that my system was designed for. Let me do my job.”

Harvey searched her face. There was no one he trusted more. “You’re hired.”

* * *