| The characters of "Nash Bridges" belong to CBS, not me. Of course, if theyd belonged to me I wouldn't have cancelled the show.<G> This is just for fun, not for profit so don't sue me. Copyright 2001 Melissa Roberts The Setup Looking up from his desk, Nash snagged Evan as he walked past. "Evan, did you go see Harvey last night?" "Yeah, but he slept the whole time. At least, he slept in between the nurses waking him up to do stuff. I don't think a hospital is all that great for getting a good night's sleep. He's probably already planning his escape." Chuckling, Nash shook his head. "Well, he better not be. You going to pick him up tonight?" Walking over to his own desk, Evan nodded. "Yeah. He's supposed to be discharged about 8:00. Has anyone spotted Winwood, yet?" Sighing, Nash rocked back in his chair. "Not yet, but we'll catch him. Joe's out at the airport right now, helping to keep an eye out for him. Harv said that Winwood mentioned a morning flight, so we should be hearing something soon." Evan shot his boss a puzzled look as he rifled through the papers on his desk. "Where's Michelle? She still taking care of her mother?" "No, we got a tip that one of the drivers was staying at a motel by the airport, so she went to go pick him up. Ronnie went with her." "Who's pulling surveillance on the Harris case then?" Nash rubbed a hand through his hair and frowned. "Auto Theft is still covering for us. I'd rather have our own people on it, though. I hate owing favors." The ringing of Nash's phone interrupted their conversation. "SIU, Captain Bridges. Okay, well bring him in. Good job, Michelle." Evan looked up from his paperwork at the mention of Michelle's name. "She get him?" "Yeah, they got the driver and they're bringing him in. The idiot actually had the money on him. Sometimes these bozos just make the job a little easier." When Michelle and Ronnie returned, the driver was yelling at the top of his lungs about civil violations. He shut up pretty quickly when Nash threatened to have Ronnie toss him overboard. One look at the big, brooding cop was enough to convince the driver that he was safer if he kept his mouth shut. Nash and Michelle took the sullen driver to interrogation, but he was taking the order to shut up pretty seriously. He steadfastly refused to say anything without a lawyer. They tossed him in lockup with the other drivers, caught the day before. As the hours ticked past, Nash grew more and more frustrated. They should have found Winwood by now, if the man had a morning flight...even if that flight had been delayed. It was already past 1pm. He grabbed his phone and punched in Joe's number. "Dominguez." "Joe, where the hell is Winwood?" "That's the question of the day, Nashman. He hasn't slipped by us, that's for sure. I think maybe he got tipped off or something. He isn't gonna show, man." "Alright, leave the unies on it and come on in. You're probably right; he got tipped off, somehow. Well, he isn't gonna get far, bubba. We've got his credit cards and accounts tagged. He tries to access any of them, and we'll know about it. The bus and train stations are being watched. My guess is, he's gonna try to hole up somewhere and wait us out. Our next move is to find out where." "Be back in a flash, Nashman." Staring at the phone after hanging up, Nash rubbed his brow thoughtfully. "Evan!" "Yeah boss?" "Find out what phone Jack Duncan used to make his call yesterday, then pull up the records for that number from that day. I'm willing to bet that he didn't call his lawyer, but made his call to David Winwood." Nodding his head, Evan jumped up from his desk. "I'm on it, boss. That would certainly explain why we haven't caught Winwood, yet." It didn't take him long to run the numbers. Evan walked over to Nash with a frown, tapping a small piece of paper against his chin. He tossed the paper on the desk in disgust. "Hey boss, I ran the numbers from the phone Duncan used. He made one call to David Winwood'[s cell phone. He tipped him off." "Well, we'll just add obstruction of justice to our list of charges against Mr. Duncan." Nash rested his chin in his hand, elbow on his desk. He thought for a moment and smiled at Evan. "Alright, take Winwood's cell number and get a list of calls made in the last two or three days. Somebody's gotta know where he's hiding." "I'm on it, boss." While he spent the afternoon working on the phone numbers, Joe had come in and gone back out with Michelle, looking for the remaining drivers. It seemed to Evan that Winwood had made hundreds of calls the last three days. It took most of the day to check them, and by the time he had to leave to pick up Harvey...he still had 12 numbers to go. As Evan slipped into his tan jacket, Michelle and Joe walked in with the last armored car driver. They hustled him toward interrogation, the man protesting his innocence. Looking at his watch as he stood to follow Joe and Michelle, Nash smiled at Evan. "You going to pick up Harvey?" "Yeah, I'm on my way now. You want me to come back after I drop him off?" "No, just take Harv home, make sure he’s okay and go home. I’ll see you in the morning. Bright and early to finish up those numbers.â€� “Will do. Thanks Nash.â€� Nash waved off the thanks, and Evan grabbed his keys off his desk. “See you in the morning, boss.â€� The wind blowing through his hair as he sped down the San Francisco streets, Evan felt the tension of the day slipping away. The long days were catching up to him. He couldn’t wait until Harvey was back at work. Not only would it lighten the load a little for the others, but also…Evan missed his partner. He laughed. Harv had only been out a day, and already was missed. It was weird, really. Evan had two brothers and a sister, but Harvey was, in a strange sort of way, closer to him that his own family. Maybe because Harv took him as he was. No history or expectations got in the way. Evan didn’t feel like he had to prove anything to his easy-going partner. Yep, it would definitely be good to have him back. He found a parking space reasonably close to the hospital entrance and pulled in. As he walked to the front entrance, his steps were considerably lighter. It had been a long, stressful week, but things were looking up. They were getting closer to Winwood, Harvey was better and going home, and they should be able to wrap up the Harris case as soon as their prey finally showed up. The sight that greeted him when he entered Harvey’s hospital room made him burst into laughter. Harvey was pacing the floor, glaring at his watch. “Geez, Harv, I’m only two minutes late. You in some kind of hurry or something?â€� Shooting his partner and best friend a withering look, Harvey snatched his discharge papers off the bed and grabbed the duffle bag Evan had brought the night before. “Evan, a hospital is the last place you want to be if what you really need is a peaceful night’s sleep. I won’t even mention the food. I just want to go home, crawl into my own bed, and sleep for the next year or so.â€� Evan shuffled his feet and rubbed a finger against his nose. “Well, Rip Van Winkle, I’m afraid you’ll have to post-pone that. Nash needs you to come to the SIU tomorrow for a line-up. We got all the drivers, but we need you to identify them. It’s standard, Harv, you know that.â€� Sighing, Harvey nodded his agreement. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Tell him to call me when he wants me in. Just…tell him not too early, okay?â€� On the drive to Harvey’s house, Evan filled his partner in on what was happening at the SIU. â €œSo, tomorrow we’ll do the line-up and get the drivers transferred out. We’re still looking for Winwood. We should have a place to start looking tomorrow when I finish checking out those numbers from his cell phone. I don’t know what we’ll do if we need the surveillance van, though. It’s still out at the apartment building waiting for Pete Harris to show up. Auto is covering that for us, but Nash doesn’t like it. I don’t blame him. It’s our case first of all, and besides…now Nash owes Rodriguez a favor.â€� Leaning his head against the window, Harvey just shrugged. “If you need another surveillance truck, just get the backup and dig up some extra equipment. There’s plenty of computers and stuff for it lying around the SIU, if you look for it. There’s a bunch of stuff we confiscated from JoJo sitting in the evidence locker. Just sign it out.â€� Closing his eyes, Harvey drifted off to sleep. Glancing at his partner out of the corner of his eye, Evan smiled. If they ended up having to throw together an extra surveillance vehicle, he knew good and well what person was going to have to come in and put the electronic equipment in. If they actually wanted it to work, that is. Parking his truck behind his partner’s Ranchero, Evan leaned over and nudged Harvey’s shoulder. “Rise and shine, Harv, we’re here.â€� Sitting up with a start, Harvey rubbed a hand across his face, stifling a wide yawn. “Thank goodness. If anyone wakes me up tonight, I swear I’ll shoot them.â€� Evan chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe I should take your gun. Wouldn’t want to be responsible for a homicide.â€� “Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Ev.â€� Fishing around in his pockets as the two walked up the front steps, Harvey finally managed to find his keys. Slipping the key in the lock, he turned and frowned at Evan. “You can leave now, you know. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.â€� “Yeah, right. Then how come you landed yourself in the hospital, huh?â€� As soon as the words left his mouth, Evan winced inwardly. He knew good and well that Harvey wouldn’t have gotten quite so ill if he hadn’t had to work so many hours the last week. He saw a look of utter disbelief on his partner’s face, and when Harvey took a deep breath to give Evan a piece of his mind, Evan held up his hand. “I’m sorry, Harv. I didn’t mean that. Didn’t think before I opened my big mouth. Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll tell Nash to give you a call to let you know when to come in for the line-up.â€� Shaking his head as Evan beat a hasty retreat, Harvey unlocked the door and stepped inside. Shutting the door quietly, he flipped on the entry light and smiled. Man, it feels good to be home. It felt even better, twenty minutes later, when he crawled into his own bed for a good night’s sleep for the first time in too many days. He was so tired that the act of falling asleep was like a beautiful dream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When Evan arrived back at the SIU the next morning, he was surprised to see that he’d even beaten Nash to work. After fixing a cup of coffee, he got started on the rest of the numbers from Winwood’s cell phone. The others trickled in, but Evan still had come up empty. He had a several numbers to go. Joe and Michelle went to interrogation to try to get something out of the drivers again, but they held out little hope of getting anyone to talk. Checking the time, Nash glanced over at Evan. “Did Harvey get home alright last night?â€� “Yeah, Nashman, no problems.â€� It was almost 11am, so Harvey should have gotten plenty of sleep by now. Picking up the phone, Nash punched in the familiar number. He let it ring five times and was about to hang up, when a sleepy voice finally answered. “Leek.â€� “Hey Harvey, sorry to wake you. I figured you’d be up by now. Listen, I need you to come in for that line-up so we can get these guys processed and transferred.â€� “Sure Nash. I’ll be there in about an hour. Okay?â€� “Thanks Harv, we’ll have ‘em ready for you. ‘Bye.â€� Catching Evan’s eye, Nash waved him over. “Evan, Harvey will be here in about an hour for the line-up, so we’ll need the wagon to come get these guys later. Also, I just got a call that two of our guys are returning to work and will take over the Harris surveillance at noon, so you and Michelle don’t have to do that. â€� “That’s good, because I’ve got a few leads with these cell phone numbers. I’m going to go check them out and see if anything turns up.â€� “Take Michelle with you.â€� “Sure, boss.â€� Evan walked off to find Michelle, not sure how he felt about teaming with her. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot when she first joined their unit, and Evan hadn’t really been too sure how he should act. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. She just came across kind of strong and totally different from Harvey. That sort of threw him off his stride. Evan gave his head a shake. He’d just have to keep his mind on business. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When Harvey walked into the SIU, he was surprised when everyone stopped to welcome him back. Smiling, he headed over to his desk to see how much paper work had piled up in his absence. â €œHey boss.â€� Looking up from his desk, Nash smiled broadly. “Hey, Harv, welcome back. Joe’s getting the line-up together. How’re you feeling?â€� Settling himself at his desk with a sigh, Harvey smiled. “I’m fine, Nash. Just needed a good night’s sleep more than anything else.â€� An awkward silence settled between them. Nash felt a little guilty for Harvey working so long without a decent break. Harvey felt a little foolish for getting himself kidnapped. The two men avoided each other’s eyes for a few long moments, until Joe broke the spell. “Harvey, welcome back my friend. I’ve got the bozos all lined up and ready for you.â€� Standing with a yawn, Harvey couldn’t believe how tired he still was after more than twelve hoursâ €™ sleep. “Lead me to ‘em, Joe.â€� Since they could only have one driver per lineup, the whole process took almost an hour. Harvey unerringly fingered each driver he’d seen in the warehouse, and they were all led away to the wagon. Joe flashed a big smile as he handed Harvey a cup of coffee. “Well, that’s one thing taken care of. Now, if we can just catch the boss. Evan and Michelle should have something for us soon.â €� The two men stood companionably on the fantail, sipping coffee. Nash was also smiling as he talked to Michelle on his cell phone. “Good job, you two. We’ll have to stick a surveillance team on her. I should have known a meathead like Winwood would have a mistress. Yeah, well, we’ll just have to figure something out, because I can’t pull surveillance from the Harris gig. Okay, well you two just stay there and I’ll see what I can do about a surveillance truck. I’ll check with you guys later.â€� Glancing up as he put the phone back in his pocket, Nash was surprised to see Barbara walking into the SIU. She looked around and, spotting Nash at his desk, headed his way with a radiant smile. Standing as she approached, he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek. “Barbara, what are you doing here. You’re not going to cancel on our date tonight, are you?â€� Sitting in the chair Nash pulled over for her, Barbara laughed lightly. “No, of course not. I just dropped by on the off chance that I could talk you into lunch.â€� She looked around the ferry at the hustle and bustle and smiled while shaking her head. “Well, you certainly have an interesting office. â€� Smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling, Nash nodded. “Yeah, but at least it won’t come down on our heads the next time we have an earthquake.â€� Nash smiled even bigger at the sound of her musical laugh. The smile slipped from his face, however, when she suddenly stopped laughing and frowned. Turning around in his chair to see what she was frowning at, Nash winced. Talk about bad timing. Joe and Harvey were walking toward the desks, deep in conversation. Turning back to frown at Nash, Barbara stood and planted her hands on her hips. “What on earth is he doing at work?â€� Joe and Harvey stopped short at the angry outburst. Seeing his doctor standing four feet away, her admonitions to stay home for at least three days ringing in his ears, Harvey wished the floor would open up and swallow him. Seeing the frown directed at Nash, Harvey had a suspicion that his boss was probably wishing the same thing. He glanced at Nash and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Giving a minute shake of his head, Nash indicated that he’d handle it. Harvey was more than willing to leave him to explain things to the good doctor. Smiling, he reached out to shake Barbara’s hand. “Hey, Doc, welcome to the SIU. Uh, I’ve gotta go. I…uh…I’m feeling much better, by the way. See ya Nash.â€� Harvey made an about-face and hurried back in the direction of the fantail, Joe close on his heels. Clearing his throat, Nash got Barbara’s attention. “Don’t worry, he isn’t here to work. He only came in for a line-up. I guess you could say he’s here as a victim, not a cop. It had to be done today. He got plenty of sleep last night, and he’s going home as soon as we get the paperwork filled out.â€� “He better be.â€� Her stern expression softened at the innocent look on Nash’s face. She couldn’t help it. Laughing lightly, she shook her head. “You’re incorrigible, all of you. The look on Inspector Leek’s face was priceless. Well, are we on for lunch or not?â€� Pulling up his jacket sleeve to peer at his watch, Nash frowned thoughtfully. “Well, let me go see where Harvey and Joe are hiding and get them started on the paperwork. I’ll be right back and we’ll grab lunch. I know this great little café that’s only a few blocks away.â€� “Sounds perfect.â€� Barbara sat back down in her chair and brushed lint from her black skirt. â €œI’ll wait here for you. Wouldn’t want to scare off your Inspectors again, would I?â€� She grinned impishly. He was still chuckling to himself when Nash finally found Harvey out on the fantail, laughing at something Ronnie had just told him. “Hey, Ronnie. Harvey, can I see for a second?â€� Shrugging his shoulders at a look from Ronnie, Harvey followed Nash over to a corner. “Whatâ €™s up, boss?â€� Rubbing at his ear, Nash sighed. “Harvey, Lord knows I hate to ask, but I need you to do me a favor.â€� At a nod from Harvey, he continued. “We need the backup surveillance truck put together, and put together quick. I think we may have found a way to catch Winwood. He’s got a mistress, and we want to keep an eye on her house. If I try to find someone else to hook everything up, it could be tomorrow before we get things together. Will you do it?â€� Smiling wryly, Harvey nodded. “All you had to do was ask, Nashman. I want this guy caught as bad as you do, or worse. I’ll do what I can. It won’t take me all that long, really.â€� Nash slapped Harvey on the back, pleased and grateful for such good people working under his command. “Thanks, Harv. Um, do me another favor will ya? I’m taking Barbara out to lunch, so call me when you’re finished. I’ll keep her out until you’re gone, so we’re both spared her wrath. I told her you weren’t working.â€� Harvey laughed at that. “You bet, boss. I don’t want her mad at me, either. Officially, sheâ €™s got me on the sidelines until the day after tomorrow. She wants me to stay home for three or four days, but I figure I’ll be going nuts by then. She compromised at Sunday and I don’t want her to change her mind.â€� “I hear that, bubba. Just give me a call when you get ready to leave. I’ll get Joe to start the paperwork on the drivers for you.â€� “Man, anything to get me out of paperwork!â€� They shared a brief smile then went their separate ways. Harvey headed over to Evidence to wheedle some equipment out of the Sergeant. Nash returned to Barbara and escorted her out to the ‘Cuda for their lunch. Having sweet-talked the needed equipment out of Evidence, Harvey lugged the box out to the spare truck. He made several trips back and forth for the components he needed to get everything set up. After the second trip, Ronnie noticed what Harvey was doing and offered his help. Grateful for the big cop’s strength, Harvey readily accepted his assistance. Ronnie enlisted the aid of two other officers and, between the four of them, got everything Harvey needed. Wiping his brow and swearing softly, Harvey was lying on his back under the narrow shelf bolted to the truck’s wall that served as a desktop. If he could just get this one connection, everything would be ready. He figured he owed Ronnie and the other two a round of beer. He wouldn’t have gotten it finished so quickly if not for their help. With a smile of triumph, Harvey finally got the two cables connected. Success! “Harvey!â€� Startled, Harvey sat up quickly and cracked his head on the underside of the desk. Holding a hand to his forehead, he rocked back and forth. “Mamma Mia! Man, what the hell are you trying to do, Joe? Put me back in the hospital?â€� Joe, trying not to laugh, reached out to pull Harvey’s hand away. “Aw, there’s not even a mark. You’ll be fine.â€� Shooting Joe a sour look, Harvey rubbed the sore spot on his head. “Yeah, well, that’s easy for you to say. What did you want, anyway?â€� “I just came to see if you were almost finished. Nash called asking if he could bring Barbara back yet. I think maybe she’s getting antsy or something.â€� Wiping his hands on his pants legs, Harvey nodded. “Yeah, I just finished. Go ahead and call Nash and give him the all clear. I’m outta here. The bugs for the phone are in that little box there on the desk.â€� Joe waited for Harvey to get out of the truck and walked with him over to the Ranchero. “Thanks for your help, Harv. We should get this thing wrapped up in a couple days.â€� “No problem, Joe. Hey, give me call if you find out anything, will you?â€� “Sure. Well, let me get back to the paperwork. I think that’s the only reason you agreed to put that surveillance truck together…to get out of filling out forms.â€� Putting on his best innocent face, Harvey placed a hand to his chest in mock disbelief. “Who, me? Never. You wound me, Joseph.â€� Not buying the act, Joe snorted. “Yeah, I’ll wound you alright. Go home, Harvey.â€� Laughing, Harvey opened his car door and waved a hand as he dropped into his seat. Joe wasn’t too far off the mark. Putting together a bunch of electronic equipment was much more preferable to doing paperwork, to his way of thinking. He popped in a tape and hummed along to “Box of Rainâ €�* as he drove home. As Nash escorted Barbara from the café, he saw a familiar blue Ranchero drive past and was grateful Barbara didn’t know what kind of car Harvey drove. She’d kill the both of them. He opened the door for her and smiled innocently. He was looking forward to their date later that night. When they got back to the ferry, Nash had Ronnie drive the surveillance van over to Evan and Michelle to exchange for Evan’s truck. Now they were in business. Evan was a little surprised to see the familiar blue vehicle pull up behind him. He and Michelle got out of his truck and climbed into the surveillance van. Ronnie crawled in the back to get Evan’s keys. Michelle was already inspecting the bugs and mikes, while Evan fiddled with the computers. Looking up as Ronnie joined them, Evan raised an inquiring eyebrow. “Hey, Ronnie, I wasn’t expecting this thing for hours.â€� Placing the bugging equipment back in its box, Michelle agreed. “Me either. What did Nash have to do to get it done so quickly?â€� Ronnie held out his hand for Evan’s keys and smiled. “Oh, nothing much. He just got Harvey out of some paperwork. Inspector Leek seemed eager enough.â€� “Yeah, well, I don’t blame him.â€� Evan hated paperwork. It was the bane of his existence. After Ronnie left, Michelle and Evan settled in for a long, boring evening. Nash’s evening was anything but boring. When he walked into the SIU the next morning, it was with a huge smile plastered to his face and a spring in his step. Looking up from his desk, Joe smiled back. “Have a good time last night?â€� Sitting down and shuffling through the papers on his desk, Nash raised his eyebrows. “I did. Barbara and I had a wonderful dinner last night. Full of interesting conversation, I might add. As a matter of fact, we had such a good dinner that she’s going to the symphony with me tonight.â€� “Oh, really?â€� Joe hoped Nash didn’t end up hurt again, but kept his reservations to himself. It was nice to see his best friend so happy. Seeing the empty desks, Nash frowned. “Are we the only ones coming in today?â€� “Nah, Evan and Michelle will be in this afternoon. They’ve got the overnight surveillance shift; 6-6.â€� “Thanks for taking care of that, Bubba.â€� “No problem, Nashman. Nobody’s seen or heard from Winwood, but I figure he’ll show up at his mistress’ sooner or later.â€� By the time Michelle and Evan began their shift in the surveillance van, however, Winwood hadn’t shown. In an attempt to make peace with Michelle, Evan had brought a chess set. They proved to be fairly evenly matched, and Evan gained some insight into the new team member. Michelle was just about to move her rook into position to put Evan in checkmate, when her cell phone chirped from her jacket pocket. “Saved by the bell, Evan.â€� She smiled as she pulled the phone from her pocket and flipped it open. “Michelle. What? You’re kidding, right? Yeahâ €¦yeah, okay. I’ll see what I can do. No…no, I don’t…I understand, but…yes…alright, Iâ €™m on my way.â€� Closing the phone with a sigh, she leaned over and rested her head in her hand. Looking back up to see the question in Evan’s face, Michelle grimaced and rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to believe this, but my mom fell while walking around on her crutches. That was her on the phone. She’s in the ER again, this time with bruised ribs from hitting the coffee table. I don’t believe this. What am I going to do with her?â€� Rubbing a hand through his hair, Evan sighed. “I think the question is more like, what are you going to do about your shift here?â€� Opening the phone once more, Michelle started dialing. “I guess I call Joe and let him sort it out. There’s not much I can do about it. I’m all she’s got, and somebody’s got to stay with her tonight.â€� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hanging up the phone, Joe dropped his head in his hands. It was almost 11pm. Who on earth was he going to get to replace Michelle? He’d do it himself, but he was home alone with Lucia again. He’d never get a babysitter this time of night. He made a few phone calls, but couldn’t get anyone to come in. Nobody needed overtime…they’d all gotten plenty during the last two weeks. Pacing the floor, Joe sighed. He’d hate to have to interrupt Nash’s date for this. Well, there was one more person to try. Nash would probably not like it, but what choice did he have? Joe rubbed his eyes and punched in the numbers. He was mildly surprised to hear the phone pick up after only two rings. “Leek.â€� “Uh, Harvey, it’s Joe. Um, listen, I didn’t wake you did I?â€� “No. Actually, I pretty much slept most of the day. That was probably a mistake, ‘cause now I’m wired and can’t get to sleep. Oh, hey, did you catch Winwood?â€� Joe cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. “Uh, no Harv, we haven’t seen him yet. Listen, Michelle just called me. Her mother’s in the hospital again and I need someone to cover for her. I’ve called around and can’t get anyone. Is there any way…?â€� He heard Harvey’s chuckle over the line. “Yeah, Joe, I’ll do it. I’m going nuts here anyway. Just tell me where and when.â€� “Harvey, you’re a life-saver.â€� Joe gave him the address and told him to head on over there so Michelle could leave. Hanging up with a sigh of relief, Joe smiled and headed off to bed. Another crisis averted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harvey parked his car and headed toward the surveillance van. Looking around, he rapped lightly on the door and slipped inside. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen the man standing in the shadows of the doorway two houses down. But the man had seen him. Evan looked at Harvey is surprise. “Harvey, what are you doing here?â€� “Joe called me. Michelle, you can go now. Tell your mother I hope she gets better soon, will you? â€� Michelle gathered her things and stood up to give Harvey her seat. “Thanks, Harvey, but I feel kind of bad about this.â€� Waving his hand, Harvey brushed off her concern. “Don’t worry about it, Michelle. You need to take care of your mother. Besides, I was going nuts at home.â€� Harvey’s smile was infectious and Michelle smiled back. Giving him a quick hug, startling both he and Evan, she thanked him again. “Well, anyway, thanks again Harvey. I don’t know what Iâ €™d do without you. You two stay out of trouble.â€� Watching as she stepped out the door, Evan shook his head. “She may loosen up after all, Harv.â €� “Ah, you just stuck your foot in your mouth the first day and didn’t know how to pry it out. She hasn’t been that bad. At least, not to me. But then, I didn’t make a complete fool out of myself. Unlike some people I could mention.â€� Seeing Evan’s pointed glare, Harvey clarified. “Hey, I said ‘complete fool’. I should have known not to take part in your hair-brained scheme. You’d think I’d learn from watching Nash and Joe.â€� Unaware of the friendly bantering inside the blue van, the shadowy figure in the doorway tried to think of a workable plan. He’d come to his girlfriend’s house for sanctuary, but had seen the van parked out front. Suspicious, he’d waited and watched for hours. His patience was finally rewarded when he’d seen two people walk up to the van, knock on the door and enter. A few moments later, two different people had walked out. Cops. He’d hidden in the neighborhood, trying to think of a way to get rid of the intruders. He couldn’t believe his eyes when a man he recognized approached the van. A moment later, a beautiful Asian lady stepped out and headed down the street. He had to get rid of those cops. Getting rid of that one cop would just be ironic. He needed a plan. The lone figure slipped out of the shadows and drifted away. He had things to do, people to see. Circling around the block to come up to the back of the house being watched, he slipped a gun from his jacket and checked the clip. Fishing a key ring from his trouser pocket, he sorted through them until he found the right one. Making sure he couldn’t be seen from the van parked on the street, he inserted the key into the lock and quietly stepped inside. His lover gave a squeal of surprise when she saw him walk through the door. He smiled and placed a finger to his lips, silencing her in case the place was bugged. Using a writing tablet, he worked out a plan of action. It would require using the girl as bait, but sheâ €™d keep her mouth shut. He had her in the palm of his hand. Besides, she wanted a share of the money. Once she understood her part, he gave her a quick kiss and left the same way he had come. Walking quickly to the nearest payphone, he punched in her number and let it ring a couple times. Just long enough for her Caller ID to get the number, then he hung up. He waited for her to call. The phone was ringing. Harvey pressed two fingers to his earphone and ducked his head, listening. When he heard Laura Becket answer, he motioned for Evan. “Hey, she’s got a call.â€� Slipping his own earphones onto his head, Evan glanced at his partner. Harvey had already started the trace. The phone only rang twice then the call was disconnected. Seeing the shake of Harveyâ €™s head, he knew it wasn’t long enough. Evan noted the time on the log, anyway. A moment later, they both heard the outgoing call coming from Becket’s house. At the sound of the familiar voice, Harvey sat up straight and waved a hand at Evan to indicate that their mark had called. They listened to the conversation eagerly. “Honey, I’m so glad you finally called. I was getting worried.â€� “Listen baby, I need you to do me a favor. I need you to bring me some cash and I need to borrow your car, okay? You know where to come.â€� “I don’t have much cash, but I’ll stop at the ATM on the way. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes or so. Are you okay?â€� “I’m fine, Laura. I’ll be waiting for you.â€� Click. Typing what they’d overheard into the log, Harvey motioned for Evan to take the driver’s seat. They’d follow Laura Becket and hope she would lead them straight to David Winwood. Just as Harvey crawled up front with Evan, they saw Laura step out and lock her door. She looked around then headed straight for her car. They followed Winwood’s mistress as she stopped and withdrew some cash from an ATM machine then headed south again. When she finally parked her car, Evan pulled out his cell phone and called the location into dispatch. Slipping quietly out of the surveillance van, Harvey and Evan followed the young woman. They almost lost her when she ducked around a corner, but saw her again as she neared the end of a narrow alley, tucked between two empty buildings. Laura was standing in front of a darkened doorway, talking and gesturing widely. Exchanging looks, needing no words, Evan and Harvey drew their weapons and walked silently toward the woman, keeping to the shadows. So intent on the conversation ahead of them, neither was prepared for what happened next. Harvey, walking just behind Evan, heard a slight sound to his right and spun around. Having only a split-second to react, he turned his head and barely got his arm up to deflect the blow. It wasn’t enough. The board glanced off his forearm and made contact with the side of his head. He hit the ground and almost literally saw stars. He shook his head in a desperate attempt to clear the fog that seemed to immediately settle on his brain. He couldn’t seem to get his arms and legs to coordinate their movements. He dimly heard the sound of another blow, and was momentarily surprised to not feel additional pain somewhere. Then he remembered Evan. Unaware of anyone hiding in the doorway they’d just past, Evan was startled at the thud and grunt of pain he heard from Harvey, a few steps behind him. Turning around, he doubled over as the board made contact with his ribs. His left side was on fire and he couldn’t draw in much-needed air. It felt like his lungs had deflated like a balloon. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, until the air finally rushed back into his lungs. That wasn’t much better. The pain flared across his chest and side and Evan knew he’d cracked a couple ribs, if not broken them. This was not good. The cold barrel of a handgun was pressed against Evan’s head. He felt the warm brush of air, as someone spoke into his ear. “Move, and I kill you and your partner. Cooperate with me and you both may walk out of this alive.â€� Getting his breathing under control, Evan nodded. He glanced over to Harvey, trying to get up off the ground. “Harv, are you okay?â€� Still trying to speed up his thought processes, it took a few seconds for Harvey to answer even such a simple question. “Uh, yeah Evan, I’m okay.â€� Tucking Evan’s gun into his own pocket, Winwood handcuffed Evan’s hands behind his back. Passing his weapon to Laura, he had her keep it trained on Harvey. Leaning down to search him, Winwood gave Harvey a wicked smile. “Well, well, Inspector. Seems every time you and I meet, you end up on the ground. I would advise you to cooperate with me tonight. I wouldn’t want you to be responsible for your young partner’s untimely death. Would you?â€� Chuckling at the glare he received from the Inspector, he pulled a pair of handcuffs from Harvey’s pocket. Cuffing Harvey’s wrists in the same manner as Evan, Winwood grabbed him by the arm and hauled him to his feet. Taking his gun back from Laura, he told her to go home then prodded the two Inspectors ahead of him. Taking them back to the surveillance van, he pushed them against the side. He opened the passenger door and gave Evan a shove. Trying to climb up into the passenger seat with cracked ribs and his hands cuffed behind his back wasn’t easy, but he finally slid into the seat. “Inspector, if you so much as move an inch, I’ll shoot Mr. Leek. Do I make myself clear.â€� “Crystal.â€� Evan narrowed his eyes in anger. He’d like nothing better than to wrap his hands around Winwood’s neck. Locking the door, David slammed it shut and turned to his other captive. Opening the side door, he manhandled Harvey into the back. Pushing him to the floor, David removed Harvey’s tie and used it to tie his ankles together. “Now, you be a good little cop and stay out of trouble. Remember…I’ll have your partner up front with me. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, now would we?â€� He gave Harvey a parting kick and left to get in the driver’s seat. â €œDamn interfering cop.â€� Rolling his eyes at their predicament, Harvey looked up at all the computer equipment above his head. It might as well be on the moon. There was no way he could get to it without Winwood noticing, and he couldn’t risk anything happening to Evan. He felt a lurch as the van spurted forward. Their captor was in a hurry, apparently, and Harvey had to brace his bound feet against a pole to keep from being tossed about. He hoped someone realized they were missing…and soon. Evan had pretty much the same thoughts, as Winwood drove behind an old, dilapidated building. Winwood parked the truck and walked around the front to the passenger side. Pulling Evan from his seat, he ordered him to open the side door and help Harvey out. Untying his partner’s ankles, Evan looked him over. “You okay, Harv?â€� Wincing as he blood returned to his feet, Harvey shrugged. “Yeah. What about you? The way you’re moving, I’m guessing you got some busted ribs.â€� “Yeah, maybe. That’s probably the least of our worries.â€� Evan sucked in a quick breath, and instantly regretted it, when David pushed him roughly aside. “Stop talking. You…Leek…get out of the van and join your partner.â€� Looking around as they were prodded into the old building, Evan hoped it didn’t fall down on them. It looked like a good, stiff wind would knock it down. Stumbling over the debris littering the grimy floor, he blinked in the dimness, trying to find any opportunity to overpower Winwood. None came. He was shoved inside a small windowless room, Harvey pushed right behind him. They both turned to glare at their captor, who laughed harshly. “Well, boys, this is the end of the line. Maybe someone will find you, maybe not. Doesn’t matter to me, in any case. You know, Inspector Leek, we should stop meeting this way.â€� Laughing at his own joke, Winwood slammed the door shut, and the two handcuffed men inside heard the bolt slide home with a loud click. Listening as Winwood’s footsteps faded away, Harvey walked over to lean against the back wall with a sigh. “Well, we’re in a helluva mess this time.â€� Pacing the tiny room, Evan shook his head in disgust. “I don’t suppose Winwood missed your handcuff key.â€� He’d only been dimly aware of being searched, but Harvey was fairly certain Winwood wouldnâ €™t have missed something like that. “I don’t know. Check my pockets and see. It’s worth a shot, I guess.â€� Maneuvering so that Evan could get his cuffed hand into Harvey’s pocket took a little doing, but they finally figured it out. It proved to be a fruitless search, however. Sliding his back down the wall to sit on the floor, Evan couldn’t see much of anything in the dark room. Only the cracks in the wooden floor above let in any light. He could hear Harvey pacing, leaning his shoulder against the wall as he walked to keep oriented in the darkness. Five steps down, five steps back, his jacket making a slithering noise against the wall. “Stop pacing, will ya? All you’re going to do is tire yourself out.â€� The sound of pacing didn’t even pause. He thought he could hear Harvey’s breathing increase. “Harvey? Harvey!â€� The shuffling sound stopped a moment. “What?â€� “Stop pacing. You’re going to get tired, plus drive me nuts.â€� His partner’s breathing appeared to get even faster. “Harvey?â€� Trying to smother his mounting anxiety, Harvey took a deep, shaky breath. “Evan, we’ve got to get out of here.â€� Rolling his eyes, even though Harvey couldn’t see it, Evan snorted in disgust. “Tell me something I don’t know, Harv.â€� Harvey shook his head, taking another shaky breath. “No, you don’t understand. I’ve got to get out of here. This room’s too small. There’s not enough air, Evan.â€� “Oh, damn. Your claustrophobia, I forgot about it. Look, Harv, just try to relax. This roomâ €™s not airtight and you know it. There’s plenty of air. We’ll get out of this room, I promise. You just have to stay calm, okay?â€� “Calm. Yeah, I can do calm.â€� Yeah, right. You’re gonna flip out and you know it. Harvey resumed his pacing. At least it gave him something to do. Unknowingly copying Harvey, Joe paced the floor, holding the cordless phone to his ear and waving an arm in frustration. “What do you mean you found the surveillance van abandoned? Where? They called in when? Where were they? Okay, okay. So nobody’s heard from them since then? Alright, this is what we’re going to do. Get somebody over to Laura Becket’s house and bring her in. Get the CSU people to go over the surveillance van with a fine-toothed comb, and find out if anyone saw the van being dropped off.â€� Joe hung up and glanced at his watch. It was a little after midnight. With a resigned sigh, he dialed Nash’s cell phone. “Nash Bridges.â€� “Uh, Nash, we have a problem.â€� “Bubba, why do I get the feeling I’m not gonna like what you have to say?â€� “Probably ‘cause you’re not. A patrol just found the surveillance van abandoned…across the city from Laura Becket’s place.â€� “What?! What about Evan and Michelle?â€� “Um, Nashman, it’s not actually Evan and Michelle. It’s Evan and Harvey.â€� “Harvey? What was he doing there? He should be home right now.â€� “I know, Bubba, but Michelle’s mother fell again and Michelle had to go meet her at the ER. I couldn’t get anybody and Harvey said he was going nuts at home and was glad to do it. I’m home alone with Lucia, again.â€� “Alright, look, find somebody to keep Lucia, or bring her with you, but meet me at the SIU.â€� “You got it, Nash. See you there.â€� Nash closed the phone and dropped it in his jacket pocket. He could feel the stare coming from Barbara, sitting next to him in the ‘Cuda. “Listen, Barbara, I need to get over to the SIU right now. Two of my men are missing. I’ll find someone to take you home, or get you a taxi or something.â€� She continued to stare at him for a moment then frowned slightly. “Tell me you have more than one Inspector named Harvey.â€� Busted! Nash sighed. He really didn’t want to argue with her at the moment. “No, it’s the same Harvey Leek. There was an emergency and he went to cover a few hours on surveillance. Something happened, though, because a patrol found the surveillance van abandoned, with no sign of my men.â€� Barbara smiled and rested a hand on Nash’s arm. “You cops are all alike. I didn’t really expect him to wait very long before coming back to work. I just hope you find them and, if you donâ €™t mind, I’d like to stick around the ferry until you hear something.â€� Giving her hand a squeeze, he smiled. “You’re one in a million, Barbara. You’re welcome to stay, but we could be up all night.â€� “It wouldn’t be the first time I pulled an all-nighter.â€� When they got to the SIU, two officers were just bringing in Laura Becket. Nash had them take her to interrogation and gestured to Barbara to take his desk. “Why don’t you wait here. I’ll let you know if we find out anything.â€� After fixing himself what he was sure was just the first of many coffees that night, Nash strode over to the interrogation table. Laura Becket was sitting at the table, staring at her hands. To Nash, she had guilt written all over her. Guilty of what, was the question. He stood opposite, staring at her and calmly sipping his coffee, letting her sweat a few minutes. He was about to start asking her questions, when a movement out to the corner of his eye caught his attention. “Joe, that was faster than I thought. What did you do with Lucia?â€� “Your date is watching her for me. Barbara seems like a real nice lady.â€� He nodded at the young lady sitting at the table. “This Laura Becket?â€� “This would be she, Joe. I was just about to ask her what she’s been doing tonight. Shall we? â€� “Let’s.â€� They both took a seat and stared at the unfortunate young lady. Nash sipped his coffee then set the cup down. “Now, Miss Becket. Suppose you tell me what happened to the two officers that were sitting across from your house. And don’t tell me you don’t know. We know for a fact that they were following you to a meeting with your boyfriend, David Winwood.â€� Joe chuckled at the startled look of panic that settled on her face. “That’s right, one of the officers called the address into dispatch and that they were about to apprehend Winwood. Only thatâ €™s the last anyone’s heard from them, and we found the surveillance van.â€� Leaning forward and lowering his voice threateningly, Nash narrowed his eyes. “If anything has happened to those two Inspectors, you will be convicted of accessory. Do you understand me? Help yourself. Tell us what you know, and it will go a whole lot easier for you. I don’t think you’d have a good time in prison, if you know what I mean.â€� When she still hesitated, Joe slammed a hand on the table, startling her. “Winwood set you up as bait, young lady. He left you to take the fall. Wise up and tell us what we need to know!â€� Nash sat back in his chair and gave Laura a pitying look. “Sister, you are in more trouble than you can possibly imagine. We’re showing you a way out. I suggest you use it.â€� When she spoke, they almost didn’t catch it. She spoke softly and haltingly. She told them everything. “I told you where David is, but I don’t know what he did with those cops. He drove them away in that truck they were in. I don’t know where he went. I swear it’s the truth.â€� “Sister, it better be the truth.â€� Gesturing to the uniformed officer standing off to the side, Nash indicated for him to take her back to holding. “Joe, take some backup and go get Winwood.â€� “I’m on it, Bubba.â€� Standing by the table, staring out at the water, Nash ran a hand over his face. Man, this case is gonna give me an ulcer. I sure hope Evan and Harvey are okay. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Evan sighed as Harvey once again kicked the door. “Harvey! If you don’t stop that youâ €™re going to break something. And I don’t mean the door.â€� He watched as Harvey stopped, panting, for a moment. It didn’t last. Harvey swung a leg up and kicked the door again, grunting with the effort. Evan rolled his eyes. If they didn’t find a way out of there soon, he was going to have to find a way to knock his partner out…for both their sanities. Think! Think! Suddenly Evan groaned. “Damn, why didn’t I remember it before? Harvey! Harv, come over here.â€� He sighed with relief when he finally got his partner’s attention. Harvey shuffled over and stopped, panting for breath. “Harvey, I’ve got a couple paperclips in my left pocket. See if you can fish them out.â€� It took some contorting, but Harvey got the paperclips and handed one to Evan. They carefully straightened the little clips, and Harvey handed his to Evan. They stood back to back and Evan felt around with his fingers until he could poke the wires into the keyhole of Harvey’s handcuffs. When his hands started to cramp, Harvey took the wires and worked on Evan’s cuffs. Just when he was about to give up and return them to Evan, he felt the tiny mechanism begin to move. “Oh, yeah. C’mon, c’mon baby. I think I’ve got it, Evan.â€� There was a soft click and Evan’s right arm came free. “Oh, man. That’s so much better.â€� Evan rotated his shoulders a few times then went to work on Harvey’s handcuffs. It was much easier with his hands free and this time he got the cuffs open. Harvey massaged his wrists and walked back over to the door. “Well, our hands are free…but we’re still stuck in this damn room.â€� Evan joined him and examined the door. The hinges were on the inside. Now that their hands were free, maybe they could somehow pry the hinge pins free. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, removed a credit card and went to work. When he realized what Evan was doing, Harvey also dug out a credit card. Kneeling next to his partner, he started on the bottom hinge. It was painstaking work. When he finally got the hinge moved enough, he traded the card for a quarter. The quarter would work much better. Evan did the same. “Hey, Harvey. Have you always been claustrophobic?â€� Wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, Harvey shook his head. “No, not always. It started when I was a kid.â€� Evan’s fingers began to cramp, so he switched the quarter to the other hand. “Yeah? Did something happen? I mean, people don’t just suddenly get claustrophobic do they?â€� “No.â€� Harvey sighed and sat back on his heels for a moment. “I was eight years old. A bunch of us kids were hanging around the local junkyard one day. It was summer and we were bored. Somebody suggested we play hide-and-seek in the junkyard. Lots of great places to hide there, right? Well, I found a great place to hide, all right. It was almost too good. I had found an old refrigerator and, by the time my friend Peter found me, I was out of air. Peter told me afterwards that when he opened the door and my body came flying out, he almost peed his pants. Another minute in that refrigerator and I would have stopped breathing.â€� Harvey went back to prying on the hinge pin. “Scared the hell out of me. Of course, when my parents found out…well let’s just say I was in deep ca-ca. I’ve been claustrophobic ever since.â€� “Damn, Harv. I would be, too.â€� They worked in companionable silence, slowly working the rusty pins free from the hinges. It seemed to take forever. When he got it pried out enough, Evan used the handcuffs to try to pull the pin free. When the hinge finally released its hold on the pin, Evan was caught off-guard. “Harvey, it worked! Mine’s free.â€� “That’s great, Ev. Give me a hand with this one, will you?â€� Working together, it only took a few more minutes to pull the stubborn pin free. It took a few tugs to get the door to separate from the jam, but they got it open. Slapping Harvey on the back, Evan smiled. “You first, Harv. Let’s blow this pop stand.â€� Stepping over the door, Harvey stumbled out into the hall and gulped in the fresh air. Freedom! When Evan joined him in the hall, he pointed to the left. “I think the exit’s that way. Let’s get out of here, shall we?â€� “Lead the way, brother.â€� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When Joe brought in Winwood, Nash had him taken to interrogation. “So this is David Winwood. â€� “That’s him, Nashman. Not much to look at, I admit.â€� Nash sat on the corner of the table and smiled. “Joe, the CSU boys just called a minute ago. Guess whose fingerprints were found on the driver’s side seatbelt?â€� “Why, I don’t know, Nash. Could it be…David Winwood’s?â€� “Well, you got it right in one try, Joseph. Congratulations.â€� Nash leaned closer to Winwood, his smile disappearing. “We have Laura Becket. She told us everything. Now, I’d advise you to come clean with us, before things get even worse for you.â€� David Winwood stared innocently back. “I don’t know what you are talking about, but Iâ €™m not saying anything without a lawyer.â€� Standing up and placing his hands on the table, Nash frowned angrily. “You listen to me, Bubba. You’ve done something with my Inspectors and you’d better tell me where they are or Iâ €™ll make sure you get into the toughest prison in California. You get my drift?â€� “I’m not talking without my lawyer.â€� “Get him out of here!â€� Joe went to stand next to Nash, his arms crossed over his chest. “Well, Nashman, now what?â€� Nash headed back to his desk, shaking his head. “Well, Bubba, now we search every damn empty building in San Francisco until we find them.â€� He was about to let Barbara know what was happening, when a commotion at the door drew his attention. “I don’t believe it.â€� Joe and Barbara both turned around to see what Nash was looking at. Joe’s jaw dropped in surprise. Harvey and Evan had just walked in the door. Their clothes and faces were streaked with dirt and they each had handcuffs dangling from one wrist, but they looked okay. When the two reached his desk, Nash smiled and shook his head. “How did you get here?â€� Harvey shrugged. “We took a taxi.â€� “I didn’t mean literally, you knucklehead.â€� Nash laughed, just grateful the two were home safe. “Well, boss, it’s a long story. Winwood…â€� “We’ve got that meathead in holding.â€� Nash interrupted. Evan smiled with satisfaction. “Good. How’d you get him, anyway?â€� “Joe picked up Laura Becket and she rolled over on Winwood. Told us the whole story. We nabbed Winwood, but couldn’t get anything out of him. Of course, now we don’t need him and he gets no deal. Karma.â€� Looking at the bedraggled pair, Joe raised an eyebrow. “You two okay?â€� “I think they both need to go get checked out, Nash.â€� All four men turned toward the new voice to see Barbara standing there. Harvey shook his head, envisioning another sleepless night in the hospital. “Oh, no. I’m fine…just tired, dirty and hungry. I can take care of all that at home.â€� He wondered if he should mention Evan’s ribs, but one look from his partner told him the answer to that one. No. Unfortunately, Joe ruined it for both of them. He nudged Evan with his elbow when he moved aside to let someone by. Evan couldn’t stop the wince of pain that caused, and Barbara saw it. “I saw that Inspector Cortez. That settles it. I’ll make sure you two aren’t cleared for duty, unless you go to the ER with me to be checked out.â€� Smiling at the way she had Evan and Harvey cornered, Nash shrugged. “You heard the lady, boys. I don’t see as you have a choice…do you? C’mon, I’ll drive you three to the hospital.â€� He took Barbara’s arm and led her off the ferry, listening to Harvey and Evan grumbling behind them. “She’s your doctor, Harv.â€� “You’re blaming me? I had it made, ‘til you got her attention.â€� “It’s not my fault, Harvey.â€� Nash overheard their arguing and leaned over to Barbara, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I don’t know. Maybe we’d be better off if they hadn’t gotten free.â€� Barbara giggled and slapped his arm. “Nash, you don’t mean it, and you know it.â€� Imagining the things that could have happened, Nash gave her hand a small squeeze. “Yeah, I do know it.â€� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END * “Box of Rainâ€�, by The Grateful Dead. (One of my favorite songs.<G>) |
