Act 7
"Mrs. McDaniels," Nick was saying at the door of the townhouse apartment, "My partner and I thought we'd check in with you and see how Tommy is doing. May we come in?"
Laura McDaniels held the door open wide enough to let her head peek out and have a conversation with the detectives. She was in no mood to dance with these people. The less they talked with her son the better. "He just left with his grandparents a half hour ago. I thought it was best he stayed with them."
*Best for who, him or you?* Katherine strained to see around the figure blocking the doorway without success. What little she did see revealed a sparkling clean room with no indication a child lived there. No toys, nothing. *Such a sterile environment. Poor little kid.*
This had contrasted sharply with Daniel Givens' apartment on the other side of town. They had just come from there and from the looks of his place, one would have thought he spent the majority of time at his dad's. Daniel Givens had clearly loved his little son. Now all Tommy had left was his mom.
Nick confirmed the address of Daniel Givens' parents. He was stalling for some reason. A hunch, a feeling that all was not as it seemed in that apartment. He was hoping to talk his way in. No such luck.
From somewhere deep inside, the phone rang. Laura McDaniels looked at both of them. "I've got to answer it. I really rather you left my son alone. He's been through enough." She shut the door. They could hear her bolt it before she answered the phone. Both of them listened intently to the conversation inside.
"Hello. Yes, this is she. No, he's not here right now. Nine thirty in the park. Fine, I'll see that he gets the message."
They stood staring at the door as she shut it tightly. They lingered long enough to catch the conversation on the phone. "What do you say we visit the park in a little while?" Nick asked his partner as they walked to the elevator.
"Why, Nick, are you asking me out on a date?" Katherine laughed as she pulled on her gloves.
The doors parted and out stepped Michael McDaniels. He nodded at them and headed for the door they had just walked away from. He looked about the same height as he did on the news. *Funny,* Katherine reflected, *I always thought you looked smaller on TV.*
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"Mrs. Givens. I'm Detective Knight and this is Detective Collins with the Toronto PD." He held his badge and ID for the grey-haired woman to read. "We are terribly sorry about your son," he told her. "My partner and I were the ones who found Tommy in the park. We were just at his mother's apartment and she told us that she sent him here. We just wanted to see how he was doing."
"Nick!" A small familiar voice rang out from behind his grandmother. "Katherine! Gramma, these are the policemen I was telling you about!"
"Yes, Tommy, I can see." The sweet lady bent down and hugged the little boy. *Just like your father, so full of life.* She held him just a little longer. *Daniel, Daniel, so young. Why did I have to lose you so young?*
She stood up and invited the detectives in. The house was enormous. Yet not so big that it overpowered the love that emanated throughout. There were pictures everywhere, of Tommy at different ages, Daniel and his sister. The contrast between this place and the one they'd just left was stunning.
"How ya doing, sport?" Nick smiled and held out his arms for a hug. Tommy ran into the waiting embrace with exuberance. "I'm okay, Gramma was just getting me some chocolate chippers. Do you want some?" He looked at both of them with childlike innocence.
"No, Tommy, but you go right ahead." Nick straightened up, smiling.
"Excuse us for a minute." Mrs. Givens headed for the kitchen She had long ago dismissed the servants. There just was no need anymore with just the two of them. Besides, no one was going to take away the time she spent with her grandson. He was so precious.
She soon returned to the living room. "Tommy tells me you are the ones who found him and my son in the park. Thank-you for taking good care of my little one. My son would have been grateful." Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked away. "I'm sorry," she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "It's just that you expect your children to outlive you." She sighed. " At least we have Tommy." She watched him finish the last cookie with one big bite. "Finish your milk sweetheart, and then it's off to brush your teeth."
"Aw, gramma," he gurgled through the cookie.
"Now, sweetheart, you know it's past your bedtime. Besides, I think these nice police officers have other things to do."
"That's right, honey, we just wanted to see how you were doing." Katherine picked up on grandma's cue. Little boys needed their sleep and this little one was going to have sweet dreams in this house.
"Ok. But, you promise to come back, ok? I'm staying with gramma and granpa for awhile."
Mrs. Givens and the detectives spoke for a few more minutes. Then Nick and Katherine got up and left. Both were satisfied Tommy was in good hands.
"I feel better. I wish she was MY grandma," Katherine said as she got into the car.
"I know. She's great. She really loves that little boy."
"Could you help it?"
"I guess not. Let's check in with Natalie." Nick headed in the direction of the medical examiner's office.
Act 8
"Did you speak with the realtor I gave you?" Natalie looked up from a stack of reports she'd been working on when Nick and Katherine walked in. They had some time to kill and stopped by to check for any updates.
"No, I had a rough day, but I'll call tomorrow. I'm off, so I should be able to get something done."
"You weren't at my place this afternoon." Nick looked at Natalie with expectation. "Everything okay?"
"Had a few things to take care of at my place." Nick started to ask what, "Personal things, Nick." She felt a little uncomfortable in front of Katherine, who picked up on the moment.
"I think I'll go get something to drink. Need anything, Natalie?"
She waited until the door closed behind the detective. "You two look like you're getting along. Is she going to work out?"
"Sometimes it's like working with my shadow. She knows what I'm going to do before I do it. It's kind of weird and at the same time, not bad. It's the first time I've worked with anyone that I haven't had to hide what I am. It could work out."
Natalie watched him as he spoke. She realized it had been a long time since she had seen him so positive about anything. Actually, it was probably the first time. "Nick, we need to talk. Am I staying at your place for now or what? And what do I do with mine if I stay?" She sighed heavily as if the world were on her shoulders. A large part of her wanted to make the move, stay with him, wake up with him every afternoon. 'Normal. Normal is nice,' she'd once said. *I'd like normal, for a night shift person. On the other hand, was it too soon to make this step?*
Nick watched the confusion in Natalie's blue eyes. He almost heard her thinking. "I don't know, Nat, that's up to you. It's been nice having you there when I wake up."
*This is a step. He thinks it's nice I'm there. Maybe...*
"But we need to talk it over more," he was saying as Katherine returned. The air was full of anticipation for a minute and then it faded. "We'd better get going. Sorry."
Nick gave Natalie a look. "I'll see you in the morning?" His eyes asked please and she nodded.
"Ok, ok. Be careful, you two." *They're probably the two safest people on the street, Nat, and you tell them to be careful.*
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The park was deserted save for a silver Mercedes Benz parked at the far end of the parking lot. Its lights were dark, and the hood steamed, betraying it in the dim lighting. Nick and Katherine waited only five minutes before a second vehicle slid into the space next to the Benz.
The passenger of the second car exited the vehicle as the Mercedes driver slid his window down. A manila envelope passed between the two. "Tomorrow night will be the last hit. That should convince the old man to play it our way." Michael McDaniels nodded his head in understanding as he took the envelope. The other man got back into his vehicle and it drove off. 937-0H5, Katherine wrote the plate number down. McDaniels eased his car out of the lot and drove away.
Nick stayed a discreet distance in back of the car, and headed to the apartment building they had left a few hours ago.
"What now?" Katherine asked her partner.
"If we go in, we'll tip our hand and we really don't know that much for sure. I'm going to call Reese and get him to put a cop on this guy. Let's run the plates, too." He reached for the mike on the radio. In a few minutes, the stake-out team was on its way and they had an ID on the car from the park. Nick briefed the team when it arrived. Before long, they were on their way back to the station.
"I've got men watching McDaniels, and others tracking down that plate you called in. Care to let me in on what you two are thinking?" Reese sat behind his desk, demanding some answers.
Nick and Katherine exchanged glances. *You go ahead,* hers read. "Well Capt., it looks like Daniel Givens was murdered because he wouldn't get involved in an insurance scam going on with one of the arson squad guys and the guys in the car of that plate we gave you. We're not sure, but it's beginning to look as if this deal could bring down the entire TIA. Givens' father is the head. The clincher is that Givens' ex is married to the arson squad guy we're watching. We know that McDaniels received a package we assume are instructions for the next hit tonight in the park. That's it in a nutshell. I don't think we have enough yet to go to the prosecutors. We're hoping he makes the next move soon and we'll catch him in the act."
Reese tapped his fingers on desk blotter. "You think he's behind Givens' murder in the park?"
"Yes. His little boy describes a man very much to the description of his stepfather. Why he didn't come out and say it was him, we don't know. Maybe it was the shock of the whole scene. The tape from news broadcast shows McDaniels in the background. Why he was still there is another mystery, but there he was, in his yellow coat and all." Katherine got up and paced the room. Her mind raced. There was something they were missing, the feeling was strong, but what?
"I agree it's not enough to go on. Most of it seems thin, but I can see where you're going. We've got to nail this guy and it needs to be clean." He looked at both detectives in the eyes, "Get him, and make sure it sticks." Discussion over, Nick and Katherine turned to leave. "Knight, hang in there a minute."
"What's up?"
"You doing ok? I mean losing Vetter was a tough one and now you're tossed another partner. Just want to check with you."
"It's ok, Cap'n." Nick said with a smile. "I'll get through this. Tracy was a good cop. I miss her, but getting back into the trenches helped. Collins is a good cop too. She's seen a lot and has experience under her belt. It's working. Anything else?"
"No, that's all I wanted to hear. Keep on your toes on this one. A bad cop or a fireman does no one any good. The sooner we get him, the better."
"Don't worry," Nick said as he left the office. He walked back to their desks and looked over Katherine's shoulder.
"What did Reese want?" she asked without looking up. The computer was being particularly slow.
"He was checking to see if I was ok and to see how you were doing. Did you locate him yet?"
She shook her head. " That's what I'm waiting for now. Why is this thing so darn slow? Did you give me a good report card? Ah, there we go."
"4950 Main Street, apt D. It's nearly 2, hardly the time to go calling on someone. Let's finish the paperwork and call it a shift."
"You didn't answer my question."
"Huh?" Nick pretended to be confused.
"Did you give me a good report card?"
"What do you think? So far so good. Now how much of the report do you have done?"
"Ugh! Slave driver!" She pretended to pout and reached for the stack of papers in the out box. With a satisfied look on her face she pulled a folder off the stack and handed it to him "It's all up to date, boss."
"It's done? Schanke and Tracy were always years behind. How did you do it?"
"That's simple. I hate paperwork. The sooner it gets done the better. I hate it haunting me. I once had a nightmare that my captain was chasing me with mounds of paperwork all through the department. He kept yelling at me 'finish the paperwork' in one of those horror movie voices. It was hideous. I went in and caught up on all the work and have never been behind since." She shrugged her shoulders. "Just a quirk of mine."
Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head "You need help."
They were getting up to leave when Reese came by. "Collins, I know it's your night off tomorrow, but I was thinking, with all you've got going down, maybe you could come in and we'd schedule another shift off later?"
"Well, I was going to start looking for a place to rent, but I guess it can wait."
*Good answer.* Nick thought. "It's too late to go knocking on doors any more tonight. We'll get an early start tomorrow. Is that ok with you?"
"You'd probably find people at home now, but I don't want a ton of phone calls tomorrow questioning my officers' perception of time. Ok. See you both tomorrow night. Thanks, Collins." Reese turned in response to the desk sergeant's call.
"What kind of place are you looking for?" Nick asked on the way out.
"I don't know. Anything but that hotel room would do. I think I'd like something with two bedrooms and one that would take pets. Not too expensive, either. Nice neighborhood, you know."
"You've got a pet? What kind?" It never occurred to him that she was a pet person.
"A dog, medium size. She's in quarantine. Can get out in about a week. I miss her, she's my buddy."
They paused at her car. Nick studied the car thoughtfully. "You are a mix of different people, Katherine Collins. See you tomorrow night."