Feedback!
Author: vegawriters
Fandom: Silk Stalkings
Pairing: Harry & Fran Lipschitz
Characters: Harry, Fran, Rita, Chris
Rating: Kid Safe
A/N: This series is for Charlie Brill & Mitzi McCall.
Disclaimer: Silk isn’t mine. Don’t sue. None of us would have fun with it and I don’t have enough money for it to be worth your while. None of the characters are mine and I get no money from my writing/posting of them.
Summary: His predecessor felt the need to reassure him that his top team wasn’t playing bunk monkeys? Yeah, that was just a matter of time. And now, of course, he was on the lookout for anything suspicious.
June, 1993
Harry Lipschitz had lived a good, godly life. He’d served his time in the Army, he’d married the first woman he’d made love to, he’d always walked the good path on the force, he attended Temple every Sabbath. He belonged in New York in his good, comfortable, close-knit Jewish neighborhood where he and Frannie could walk to Temple and where he could walk to the brownstone precinct that had been his home for twenty years. But no, here he was, wondering if Palm Beach even had a Temple and he had to drive to the mirrored, spacious, overly colorful precinct that belonged in a much larger city.
What had he been thinking? Oh sure, he knew that everyone his age was moving to Florida. Yeah, the money was better. And, Frannie’s arthritis pain would definitely be eased in the warmer temperatures. But still, it was Florida. And not just any big, comfortable city in Florida. No, he couldn’t have been sent to Orlando or Miami or Tallahassee. No. His sentence was the tiny, island resort of Palm Beach. He couldn’t even call it a town. No. It was a world of private beaches and high rent condos. It was the playground of the young, bored, and wealthy. Sodom at its high point.
When the Messiah came, he’d start any Earthly cleansing with Palm Beach.
“There are too many young guys in our department, Harry. You’re getting passed over. Anyway, Palm Beach is a great option.”
“You’re transferring me or retiring me?”
“Don’t put it like that, Harry. Come on, we’ve known each other too long.”
“Exactly.”
At first glance it was actually an ideal world for law enforcement. The tiny city worked well with the other cities around it – sharing jurisdiction with West Palm and the Dade and Palm Beach County authorities. Given the security needs of the rich, it was a larger department even than the one he was leaving behind. One hundred officers patrolled the grounds – seventy beat cops, twenty detectives, and an elite SWAT team that moved between Palm and West Palm. Five captains (Beat, Vice, Rape, Robbery, Homicide) and two lieutenants (Chief of Detectives and Chief of Street) worked closely with the County Police Commissioner and the Chief of Police. The DA had never been so close to a precinct, the crime scene techs where shared by the county and the cities, and the IAD team was actually run from the Dade County offices, making it easier for the internal workings of the department. It was a system that worked well and had for decades.
Harry, who had worked his way up through the ranks to lead the elite homicide units in New York (and now Palm Beach) was stunned by the manpower given to the division. He wouldn’t have thought that such a small island would have six detectives assigned (let alone twenty) with four of them solely in homicide. But it was clear that given the needy nature of the rich and powerful, more time was spent in court than on the leg-work of cases. It took a long time to investigate and prosecute people in secrecy. Two of his detectives split time between Robbery and Homicide, depending on the need. Two covered the low-ball worries – beach combers, gang and drug related shootings. But for the first time in his history in leadership, he had two red-ball hotshots. And they were younger than veteran detectives had any right to be.
The files on Penderson, McKinley, Bonner, and Kineely were simple and to the point. Few shootouts, typical firing range scores, and no IAD investigations. It was Lance and Lorenzo who were already giving him an ulcer.
Multiple IAD investigations – all dropped. Multiple complaints from the DA and IAD. More trigger pulls than the rest of the division combined. Shooting scores that would make any perp cry for his mama. And neither were even thirty.
Of course, it would be these two that rose to the top of the pack. Both graduated top honors from the academy. He the youngest in division history to earn his gold shield. She the first female sergeant in division history – not to mention in a three county range.
Harry read and re-read the note from Hudson. Lance and Lorenzo will drive you nuts, but let them free to do their jobs and they’ll always bring it home. And don’t be fooled by how close they are, they aren’t sleeping together. Terrific. His predecessor felt the need to reassure him that his top team wasn’t playing bunk monkeys? Yeah, that was just a matter of time. And now, of course, he was on the lookout for anything suspicious.
He had a feeling that was what Hudson’s intent had been.
Glancing up at the clock, he realized it was now or never. Night shift had officially switched over and it was time for roll call. Did homicide even do roll call down here? Wait, that was up for him to decide now. It really was his call and frankly, he hated the rigidity of roll call. As long as they checked in, he didn’t care. Anyway, he’d already met McKinley and Penderson. Bonner and Kineely would come in on the swing shift. But right now, it was Lance and Lorenzo.
Two young beauties breezed through the swinging doors of the department. The guy was dressed in a pair of dark gray slacks, a white shirt, a gray jacket, and a tie that gave Don Johnson a run for his money. The woman was wearing what he was sure passed for a skirt down here but he’d seen bigger belts. A tight, white top hugged her slender body and she had a hot pink jacket slung over her arm. Three inch pumps that couldn’t possibly be regulation gave her a bit of height but it was clear she was tiny. Perhaps almost too tiny to pass any kind of physical testing. Weren’t there height and weight regulations down here? The gun on her hip probably weighed more than she did. He glanced at the team, glanced down at the files on his desk, and groaned.
Yep. The photos matched the people in front of him. Sergeant Christopher James Lorenzo. Sergeant Rita Lee Lance.
Already he could tell Lorenzo was the type of headache that every captain dreaded. Rita carried herself with a pride that showed she knew her role in the department and she wasn’t going to take any crap from anyone. But even being from New York, he wasn’t used to female detectives outside of vice. This was going to be interesting.
Slowly, he got to his feet and moved to the doorway of his office. His introduction was stalled by the trailing end of their conversation.
“No, really, it’s good to have you back, Sam. I had a feeling Bob was going to keep you in Cabo.”
“I was tempted to let him. We were having a great time.”
“I don’t want to know, Sam. Seriously. The thought of you with other men bothers me. Though, your tan is really sexy.”
“Thank you.” Rita laughed and tossed her jacket over the back of her chair, “Anyway, so you’re offering now? Bob is the jealous type I’ll have you know.”
“Bob is on the other side of the country so don’t be telling me it’s a long term thing.” Chris laughed, “Coffee?”
“Please.” Rita turned her attention to McKinley, who handed over the night shift call sheet. “Thanks. Get some rest, Ben.”
“Thanks, Rita.”
“Lance! Lorenzo!” Lipschitz had to get it over with.
Rita turned to face him and Harry found himself suddenly hit with a feeling he’d never felt with a female subordinate – a need to be parental. Under her tough exterior and smiling eyes, there was something about Rita Lance that made him yearn to reach out and hold her. Quickly, he ran his mind through her file. Nothing stood out, other than her life didn’t seem to begin until the age of twenty-one but that only meant she’d kept her nose clean as a kid. Still, the feeling of fatherly duty was new to him and he rolled his eyes at himself.
“Oh, you must be the new Captain?” Rita walked toward him, catching Chris by the arm.
“Captain Lipschitz. I make you for Lance and Lorenzo?”
“Made us right.” Chris handed Rita her coffee.
“All right. Come on in and bring your recent cases so we can touch base.”
“Harry?” Frannie met him at the door, her lace shawl covering her head. Harry touched his hand to the small symbol outside the doorframe before he entered their home. “How was your first full day?”
“I miss New York, Fran.” He dropped a kiss to his wife’s forehead and smiled as she took his jacket. “How are you?”
“Well, I’ve found the other Jewish women in the complex and there isn’t a Temple too far from here. It’s not within walking distance, but they all take turns driving. We were invited to dinner tonight, but I figured you would be worn out from your first day.”
“Thank you.” He sighed and collapsed onto the couch.
“What is it, Hesch?” Frannie brought over a glass of water. “You look tired.”
“I am.” He reached up and touched her chin. “Frannie, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, Honey.”
“Have you ever met someone who instantly made you think of Sarah?”
Frannie’s eyes quickly filled with tears. She took a breath and nodded. “All the time. I’ll see some young woman who would be her age and I wonder what Sarah would be like… why?” She kissed his fingers tenderly. “Why bring this up, Harry?”
He sighed and opened his arms. Frannie snuggled down, resting her head on his shoulder. “I was introduced to someone today who made me think of her. Of course, I have to work with her.”
“One of your detectives?”
He nodded. “I should be over it, Frannie. It’s been twenty-six years since … and I don’t think about it all the time, not anymore. But I looked at Lance today and something clicked in me. I did some digging and it’s like her life doesn’t begin until she turned twenty-one. It’s not unusual, but … I get the feeling her juvenile records were sealed when she turned eighteen.” He laughed a bit, “Though, from the few minutes I spent with her today, I can tell she’d probably be completely insulted if she knew her boss was digging like this. She’s a good detective.”
“And to keep yourself from getting attached, you’re already giving her the disdainful shoulder, hmm?” Frannie shook her head. “Just like you, Harry.”
“Thanks.” He sighed and closed his eyes, images of their daughter dancing before his eyes. After a minute, he chuckled. “Her partner is head over heels in love with her.”
“Do you think they’re together?”
“No, I overheard them talking about someone she seems to be dating. But Lorenzo was clearly jealous.” He started to laugh, realizing he was actually interested in the gossip of his detectives.
“So be disdainful to him. He’s the young man chasing after someone you’re already thinking of as a daughter.” Frannie smirked, but there was a sadness in her voice. She hadn’t wanted to leave New York any more than he had, but Frannie had been the one attached to that decades old headstone in the cemetery.
Had it really been twenty-three years?
Harry shook his head, trying to keep the tone light. “She’s the highest ranked woman in the department. I doubt she’d like to know I already think of her like a daughter.”
“Then I’d watch out for her, Harry.” Fran chuckled and touched his nose, “ Not only will she be after your job but she can definitely take care of herself.” She stood up and adjusted her scarf. “I have to finish setting the table.”
“What’s for dinner?”
“Soup, noodles, and mushrooms. Come on, it’s almost done.”
“Sounds perfect.” He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Frannie bent forward and kissed his cheek. “Go wash up. It’s almost sundown.”