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“Drug deal gone bad,” Frank said to Gina when they got their first look at the crime scene.
“Yeah, I’m familiar with it,” Gina responded. She looked down at the lifeless young man before them and instantly thought of her own brother. The difference was that her brother was still alive, while this man had not been so fortunate.
“I was thinking you should take the lead on this one since it’s your area of expertise,” Frank said, referring to her experience in the narcotics division.
“I’ve seen enough of these to last a lifetime. When I look at him, I see someone who couldn’t cope with the pain in his life. He was desperate and afraid. He must have felt like no one understood or cared about him, and he just lost his way.”
“Like your brother,” Frank noted, making the connection.
“Yeah, but now isn’t the time to talk about it. We’ve got a job to do.”
Frank watched her put on a brave face to do the work she was trained for. As much as he wanted to understand Gina’s situation with her brother, he didn’t want to pressure her. He knew she would tell him more when she was ready. “I’ll start talking to the neighbors while you finish up here,” he offered, trying to give her some space.
The next day, Captain Michaels had some news. “Walker, Turino, and Wallace! A moment, please? I just wanted to inform you that Detective O’Brien will be returning to our department next week.”
“That’s wonderful!” Gina exclaimed.
“So, as of Monday, Walker and O’Brien will resume their partnership, and Turino will go back to working with Wallace,” the captain explained.
Frank knew this day was coming. It was only a matter of time. While he was glad to see Sean up and around at the charity ball a few weeks ago, he knew it meant his partnership with Gina would soon be over. Although he would still see Gina every day, it wouldn’t be the same. It would be an additional blow to return to Wallace, even though they made a great team.
Gina had mixed feelings. While she had enjoyed working with Sean, she would miss working with Frank. She had grown close to him, perhaps too close, and it started to show the night of the charity ball. Although some time had passed since then, she could not forget the way he’d looked at her and the way she’d felt in his arms when they had danced together. She was drawn to Frank in ways she couldn’t fully understand. He had a way about him that intrigued her, and those eyes of his were hard to look away from! Although she took great pride in being independent, she had come to appreciate the way Frank always came to her rescue.
Gina was confused. She wasn’t sure if her feelings toward Frank were those of gratitude or something more. Of course, she had been there for him many times as well. They had a close bond, as partners often do, but she had found herself walking a fine and very uncomfortable line between Frank and Carlos on more than one occasion. Maybe some distance from Frank would help heal her increasingly strained relationship with Carlos.
That week, Frank and Gina did their best to wrap up their remaining cases together. They didn’t want Sean to be overwhelmed when he returned. It was going to be a tough adjustment for him after months spent recovering from his injuries. It was doubtful he would ever be quite the same again, but Gina knew how much detective work meant to him and hoped he would eventually find his way back. She had spent some time with his family during their long ordeal, and she admired his wife’s tremendous strength, courage, and faith. They seemed to have such a genuine, unconditional love for each other, and such a beautiful family. She knew this had been the key to Sean’s survival. He had too much to live for to give up. Gina wondered if she would ever know that kind of love. How lucky the O’Brien children were to grow up in a happy and loving home! She had seen nothing but fighting between her own parents for the short time her dad had been around, and it had ruined her childhood. She had just tried to survive from day to day. She realized that even now, as a grown woman, not much had changed. While Gina had found her calling as a detective, she was merely surviving in her personal life without any sense of direction. It seemed less and less likely Carlos could ever give her what she longed for and desired, but they had known each other for so long that she felt committed to him, even though she questioned his commitment to her.
Spending time with the O’Brien family made Gina start thinking about things she’d never spent much time on before. Toward the end of the week, she found herself home alone and once again pondering her situation, but those thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. It was late. When she answered, she was surprised to hear the voice of her brother, Ricky. Their conversation was disturbing, and the call ended abruptly. Gina felt a chill run down her spine. She needed help right away and could think of only one person to call.
“Frank?”
“What’s wrong, Gina?” he asked instinctively, knowing a call from her at this hour could only mean something bad had happened.
“I just got a strange call from my brother, and I hate to ask you this, but I really need your help.”
Frank could hear the panic in her voice. “You know I’ll help you. Just tell me everything that was said between you two.”
“He seemed really nervous and said he was in an alley somewhere. He wasn’t making much sense, and I just know he’s gotten in trouble with drugs again. He told me he had a gun and was thinking about using it. I’m not sure if that meant he was thinking of using it on himself or someone else. Either way, I’ve got to find him, and I don’t even know where to start looking! He hung up before I could ask more questions. I tried to call him back, but he didn’t answer.”
“I’ll be right over. Don’t worry, Gina. We’ll find him.”
Frank had arrived home just minutes before and barely got the chance to sit down before heading back out the door. Lately, he was spending even longer hours than usual alone at the office. Ever since the charity ball, Frank had been burying himself in paperwork to help keep his mind off Gina. He assumed things would get easier once Sean came back and was doing his best to hold on until then. It seemed whenever he allowed himself a spare moment, his thoughts tended to drift in her direction.
Gina was extremely grateful to see Frank when she opened the door. Frank could tell how worried she was and that she’d been crying. Neither of them knew just what to say to each other, but Frank couldn’t bear to see her like this. He let himself in, immediately wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close to him.
Gina returned his embrace and took comfort in their long hug. With his strong arms around her, she knew everything would be alright. She always felt so safe with him, like nothing could hurt her.
Frank reluctantly tore himself away from Gina to concentrate on the problem at hand, since time was of the essence. “I need you to tell me everything you know about your brother, like where he lives, who his friends are, places he might hang out, what type of car he drives, anything that could be helpful in tracking him down.”
Gina showed Frank a picture of her brother and told him everything she knew, which wasn’t much. Ricky didn’t exactly keep in touch and rarely returned her calls.
Frank knew it would be like hunting for a needle in a haystack. “Look, I don’t care if it takes all night. We’ll find your brother,” he reassured her. “I’m glad you called me. You shouldn’t be doing this alone. We don’t know what kind of mess he might be in.”
“Shouldn’t we get going?” Gina asked impatiently.
“One more thing before we leave. How many guns do you own?”
“Three. Why?”
“Do you still have all three?”
“Well, I have my duty gun and backup on me, but I’d have to check the bedroom for the other one,” she said, walking away.
Frank followed her down the hall and watched while she searched for the gun, only to discover it missing. He saw the panic in her eyes as she thought about what that could mean.
“Has your brother been in your apartment recently?”
“Actually, no, and it’s not like someone broke in. Nothing’s missing but the gun. The only other person who has a key is my boyfriend.”
“OK, never mind. We’ll deal with that later. The bottom line is Ricky has a gun, and somehow, it could be your gun. We better get moving.”
Gina got in Frank’s car and gave him directions to Ricky’s neighborhood. It was a poverty-stricken area with many abandoned buildings frequented by drug users. The plan was to search street by street if necessary, starting with the more likely places first. But Gina couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t stop thinking about the missing gun, so she pulled out her phone and called Carlos. “I need to ask you something important,” she said firmly. “Did you take my .38 for some reason?”
“Oh yeah, I was meaning to tell you about that. Your brother called me a few days ago and asked if I had a gun he could borrow. He said something about having to visit a rough part of town and needing it for protection. I knew you had a spare, so I just gave him yours. I thought it was OK since he’s your brother.”
Gina could not contain her fury. “So, you gave a known drug addict a loaded gun? My gun? Without my permission? Unbelievable! Are you insane? What have you done? Never mind. I don’t have time for this!” she fumed, hanging up on him. “I’m sure you heard all that,” Gina said, turning to face Frank.
“Unfortunately. I guess that answers that question,” Frank replied. “So, how come you came to me for help instead of your boyfriend?”
“I knew I could count on you, which is more than I can say for my boyfriend.” Gina felt hurt and betrayed. How could Carlos have done this to her? What if her brother was lying dead in a pool of blood somewhere? She couldn’t bear to think about it and knew she could never live with the guilt if something bad happened to him, even if it wasn’t really her fault.
“Stop! That’s his car!” Gina cried out when she spotted a rusty Pontiac in an abandoned lot surrounded by dilapidated buildings.
“Are you sure?”
“That’s definitely his. I’d know it anywhere.”
“The question is, where’s Ricky?” Frank asked as he got out to investigate.
“Good question,” Gina wondered, noticing there was no sign of him anywhere, “but he couldn’t have gone far.”
“Uh, Gina, I don’t know how you want to handle this, but I found drugs in the glove box. I don’t see a gun anywhere though,” Frank said when he finished searching the front seat of Ricky’s unlocked car.
“Not here either,” Gina replied after completing her search of the back seat and trunk. “He must have the gun with him.”
“The good news is there’s no sign of blood or any kind of struggle,” Frank tried to reassure her.
“There had to be someone who saw or heard something.”
“I bet those ladies standing on the corner saw something,” Frank said.
“I wouldn’t exactly call them ‘ladies,’” Gina replied.
“Hey, I’ve learned over the years that those ‘ladies’ are often valuable sources of information. There’s not much they don’t notice, and if you treat them like regular human beings, they’re actually quite helpful.”
Gina watched Frank approach them from a distance. She knew he needed to speak to them alone, but just the thought of them possibly putting their hands on him made her uncomfortable.
“Hi there, handsome. Nice suit,” said the tall brunette. “If you’re looking for a classy girl, you’ve come to the right place.”
“Actually, beautiful,” he smiled, trying to charm some cooperation out of her, “I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“Oh, I can help you, honey,” she offered seductively while pawing at his chest. “If you’ve got the money, I’ve got the time.”
“Uh, not tonight,” Frank politely declined. “I just need to know if you saw the guy who got out of that car over there and where he was headed.”
“Why? Are you a cop?” she asked, growing suspicious of him.
“How about if you tell me what you saw, I’ll be sure not to mention your little business operation to my buddy in Vice,” he bargained as he flashed his badge. “You’re lucky I work in Homicide.”
“I saw him,” the other girl spoke up. She was able to describe Ricky accurately and told Frank when she had seen him. Then she pointed in the direction of an abandoned warehouse and the alley behind it.
“Did you see him holding a gun?” Frank inquired.
“Not that I could tell.”
“Did you hear any shots fired?”
“One, but that’s not uncommon around here.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Here’s something for your cooperation,” Frank said, handing her some money before turning to leave. “Be careful out here tonight, ladies.”
“They sure seemed to like you,” Gina observed with a hint of jealousy.
“Of course they liked me. To them, I’m a potential customer.”
“So, did they know anything?”
“They definitely saw your brother go over to that warehouse. Of course, that was about an hour ago, so he might not be there anymore.”
Frank and Gina entered the warehouse with guns drawn, not knowing what they might find. Gina’s heart was pounding so hard she thought Frank must be hearing it too, considering how quiet it was in there. She motioned to Frank to join her in the alley after they cleared the building, and that’s where they found her brother.
“Ricky!” Gina exclaimed when she saw him curled up on the pavement. “Please be alive!” She knelt down beside him and felt for a pulse. It was there but irregular. For a moment, he opened his eyes but soon closed them again. He seemed completely out of it. Gina scooped him up in her arms and tried to revive him.
“Here’s your gun.” Frank pointed to the Smith and Wesson 38 Special Revolver lying nearby before carefully picking it up with gloves on. “It’s been fired, and there’s a bullet missing,” he said, holding up an empty shell casing. “Is he shot?”
“Not that I can tell,” Gina replied. “I don’t see any blood, but there’s liquor on his breath, and who knows what else he’s taken.”
Frank decided to check the surrounding area. He pulled a brown bag from the nearest trash can. It contained an empty vodka bottle and several empty plastic baggies. At the end of the alley, he found a small puddle of blood over by a dumpster. A thin, barely noticeable trail of blood led out of the alley.
Frank walked back to Gina and Ricky. “It looks like whoever was shot made it out of here in a hurry, and they’re long gone. I doubt their injuries are that serious. I also found this,” he said, showing her the bag. “I’m guessing this was his, but it really could be anybody’s. I’m assuming he took some pills, but it’s impossible to know what they were. Do you think he needs medical attention?”
“I’ve seen him like this before. He’ll be alright. Let’s just take him back to my place for tonight. I need some time to think.”
“Sure.” Frank helped Gina get Ricky to his feet, and together they led him down the alley to the car and put him in.
“Where are you taking me?” Ricky asked, suddenly wide-eyed. Both Gina and Frank ignored his question, along with phrases that followed which made little sense, until he passed out again.
They eventually got Ricky settled in Gina’s spare bedroom and closed the door.
“How do you want to handle this?” Frank asked her. “I’ll do whatever you need me to, including forget everything I witnessed tonight.”
“You’d really do that?” she asked.
“I don’t believe it’s the right thing to do, or in his best interest, but I’d do it if you asked me to.”
“Thanks, Frank, but I’ve decided I need to turn him in. I’m used to playing the bad guy. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again.”
“So the story you told in the interrogation room a while back was true then?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m glad he’s alright, more or less, but it will still be a huge embarrassment for me to turn him in, especially since he’s a repeat offender.”
“Well, you don’t have to be embarrassed by him. You’re certainly not the first or only cop to turn in a family member.”
“I know. It’s just that I wanted a fresh start at this precinct, but I suppose everyone will find out sooner or later.”
“You’ll probably need help getting him into custody in the morning.”
“You’ve already done so much for me. I can’t ask more of you.”
“Well, he still might not be in his right mind when he wakes up, and I doubt he’s going to go willingly.”
“Ricky would never hurt me.”
“You don’t know that for sure. He’s pretty messed up right now.”
“He’ll probably be out for a while. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.” Gina paused before adding, “Would you like to sit down for a minute? I’ll get you something to drink.”
“Sure. Whatever you’ve got is fine.” Frank shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, wondering what she would say next.
Gina handed Frank a beer and sat down next to him. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did for me tonight.”
He took a sip and set it down on the coffee table. “You asked for my help, and I gave it to you. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Frank,” Gina began as she rested her hand lightly on his, “what you did meant a lot to me. You were there when I really needed you. I’m not sure how I could have done this without you.” When she looked up, Frank was staring back at her intently.
“You know I would do anything for you.” He wanted to say more but remained quiet, knowing he’d already revealed too much.
“Well, you really went above and beyond the call of duty, and I appreciate you dropping everything to come to my rescue.”
“I care about you,” Frank said softly and glanced down at their hands. He intertwined his fingers with hers before looking back into her eyes. This time he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He had her full attention, and he held the gaze, studying her reaction.
“Like a friend?” Gina waited anxiously for his response, already knowing the answer.
And there it was. Frank realized he might never get another opportunity like this again. He could no longer resist her. He had tried so hard to keep his distance, but he realized now it would never work. She had awakened feelings within him that could not be contained.
“Like more than a friend,” Frank responded. He gripped her hand tighter and leaned over to tenderly kiss her lips. How he had longed to touch her face and run his hands through her soft, beautiful hair! Things were all happening so fast, and he couldn’t think straight. Frank wondered if he had picked the right time to show her how he really felt and if she would return his feelings. But it was too late now. His secret affection for her had been revealed.
Gina felt the warmth of his hand on her cheek inviting her closer and eagerly returned his kiss. The tenderness of his touch and the familiar scent of his cologne heightened the thrill of the moment. Recently, she had caught herself more than once fantasizing about him like this but had always been quick to chase such thoughts away. Now, like a smoldering fire suddenly bursting into flames, her feelings for him ignited. It was much more than gratitude. Somehow, slowly, she had fallen for him in spite of her relationship with Carlos.
After finding Gina receptive, Frank kissed her again, more passionately this time. He simply had to be sure she was feeling what he was feeling. He needed to know if this was even real, and rejoiced that it was! It was rapidly becoming clear to him that his feelings were not one-sided. But the gentleman he was would not let him take advantage of her. “Uh, I really should go,” he said, pulling away from her gently, “but I’ll be back in the morning.”
Gina did not want him to leave, at least not yet. “It’s practically morning now. Maybe you should stay.”
Frank was caught off guard by her invitation. “You want me to stay here tonight?”
“I’m just saying you can stay if you want to,” Gina explained, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically insecure.
“It would make me feel better to be around in case Ricky gives you any trouble.”
“So, you’ll stay?”
“Yes, but we should at least try to get some sleep. We do have work tomorrow,” he said nervously. “I’ll just make myself comfortable on the sofa.”
“Not on the sofa,” Gina replied, shaking her head and motioning for him to follow her. When they got to the doorway of her bedroom, she stopped and turned to face him. “Would you hold me tonight and not let go?”
Frank swallowed hard. Was this really happening? His eyes searched hers, trying to determine exactly what she meant. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Just lie down beside me and hold me tight. It’s the only way I’ll be able to sleep.”
So that’s what she meant, and it was fine with him. He was in no hurry. He didn’t want to rush things with her. Frank was cautious when it came to women, particularly after his divorce. While he could smooth talk his way through any interrogation and stand face-to-face with cold-blooded killers, he felt surprisingly unsure of himself around her. The only other woman he’d ever truly loved had been his wife, but that was a distant memory. There was no doubt in his mind he wanted to love someone again, as long as that someone was Gina.
