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“Hi, Frank,” Gina said, smiling sweetly as she passed his desk.
“Gina,” he replied, motioning for her to come closer. He didn’t want Sean to overhear them, so he lowered his voice. “Hey, I was thinking about us and what happened in the car yesterday, and I just need to know, did you tell Carlos yet?”
“Frank, you know as far as I’m concerned, it’s over between him and I.”
“That means you haven’t told him.”
“Just give me a little time.”
“Gina, it’s hard for me to get so close to you and know you’re not really free to be with me. Please don’t let this go on much longer. It’s not fair to me, and it’s not fair to him.” Frank forgot himself and touched her arm. “Don’t make me share you with him.”
“It’s just that Carlos can get a little scary when he’s upset.”
“Are you afraid of him, Gina? Do you need me to be there when you tell him?”
“I think that would only make things worse. I’ll take care of it, OK?”
“Alright, but the longer you drag this out the harder it will be.”
Sean had been observing them for a while. This was clearly a personal conversation, and there was chemistry between them now that had not existed when he left. He thought it was as good a time as any to talk to his partner, so he decided to interrupt. “Gina, can we talk for a minute in private?”
“Sure,” she answered. Once they found a space to themselves, she asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“Uh, I’m not really sure how to bring this up exactly, but you know you’re like a sister to me, right?”
“Yeah? Where exactly is this headed, Sean?” she inquired, growing suspicious.
“I noticed you and Frank seem pretty close.”
“Yeah, so? We were partners while you were gone.”
“I think you know what I mean.”
“No. Explain it to me,” Gina demanded, sensing what was coming.
“Are you and Frank involved?”
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. You know I don’t need your permission, right?”
“Look, Frank’s a good guy, but he’s also divorced and a lot older than you.”
“Well, I hear older men know how to treat a woman. Besides, I’m a big girl, Sean. You don’t have to protect me.”
“Gina, it’s just that I know your life has been pretty messed up, and it’s tough to grow up without a dad around. Is it possible maybe you’re looking for a father figure in your life?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve probably overstepped here, but I don’t want to see you get hurt. You need to think this through, Gina. Are you forgetting he’s a sergeant?”
“It’s sweet of you to worry about me, but I’m fine, Sean, really. I can take care of myself.”
“Just remember that distractions in our line of work can get you killed. Please be careful, for your sake and mine. I need a partner whose head is in this 100%, and possibly more, since I’m feeling a little unsure of myself after the accident. I need you to have my back.”
“You know I do.”
“Good.”
“Sean, are you feeling alright?” Gina asked, noticing his expression had suddenly changed. “Maybe you should sit down.”
“I’m OK. I just got a little dizzy for a minute.”
“That 100% goes both ways, Sean. If you’re not feeling right, you need to tell the captain. I’m not comfortable with us going out in the field together with you like this.”
“I started taking a different medication. Maybe it needs to be adjusted.”
“I’d look into that.”
“I thought I was alright. I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t.”
“I know, but you can’t rush things. Should I call Jenny to come pick you up?”
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just go see your doctor, OK?”
“What’s going on?” Frank asked Gina when he noticed Sean’s condition.
“He’s not feeling well, and we’ve got a new case. I’ll have to go down there myself and check it out.”
“You need someone to go with you?” Frank offered.
“One final mission?”
“Yeah, if the captain says it’s alright.”
Gina smiled at the thought. “I’ll go talk to him.” She returned within a few minutes to inform Frank they had the captain’s blessing.
“Alright, I’ll go tell Tim I’m stepping out. Meet me at my car. I’ll drive.”
“Hey, Frank,” Tim greeted him. “Got any good leads on the Johnson case?”
“Not at the moment. Hey, Sean’s not well, so I’m going with Gina to cover a crime scene. I’m sure you can get the ball rolling on the Johnson case. I won’t be long.”
“Why don’t I go with Gina and you work on the Johnson case? Give me one good reason why you get to go with her instead of me?”
“I have more seniority.”
“Fair enough, but next time we flip a coin or arm wrestle or something.”
“She’s not some prize to be won, Tim. She’s a person, our coworker.”
“Right, and you mean to tell me you don’t think of her that way?”
“She’s a good detective, and I respect her. I suggest you do the same,” Frank concluded before walking out to the parking garage to meet Gina.
“Ready to go?” Frank asked her. “Tell me about this case.” He listened intently to the details while he drove.
Their investigation took them to a narrow alley behind a liquor store. The place was filthy and neglected. Rotting garbage littered the ground. Rats scurried everywhere. Being a detective wasn’t always glamorous, but they took great pride in knowing their work was important, and it helped them deal with the less pleasant aspects of the job.
“Do you hear that?” Gina asked.
“Hear what?”
“Listen.”
“I don’t hear anything out of the ordinary, Gina.”
“Quiet!” Gina ordered, putting her index finger over his lips, which quickly got his attention. “Over there, by the dumpster.”
Frank pulled out his gun, but Gina did not do the same.
“We’re not alone, but I don’t think you need that, Frank.”
“What do you mean?” He paused for a moment. “Wait. I hear it too.” Frank returned his gun to its holster and went with Gina to get a look behind the dumpster.
“How could anyone do this?” Gina reached for a tiny infant wrapped in a pale blue blanket. “There, there, little one,” she said and scooped the baby boy into her arms.
Frank watched the baby respond to her calming voice. He was cooing and babbling and seemed perfectly content in spite of his unfortunate predicament. For a moment, Frank wondered if he would have made a good father. It was obvious Gina would someday make a good mother, if she chose to be one.
“I wonder where his neglectful parents are,” Gina sighed.
“Maybe this explains it.” Frank pointed to a carelessly discarded syringe a few feet away.
“That’s another reason I hate drugs, Frank. It makes people do stupid things like this. Whoever left him here probably doesn’t even remember doing it.”
“I’ll call this in and make sure they get Child Protective Services out here.”
“Do you want to hold him?” she asked Frank when he finished making the call.
Frank was hesitant. “Uh, I don’t know, Gina.”
“Oh, come on, Frank! You’re not afraid of a little baby, are you? Don’t worry. You won’t break him, and he’s so cute!”
“Alright, fine. Give him here.”
Gina carefully transferred the baby to his arms. Frank smiled, but she could tell something was bothering him. “What’s wrong, Frank?”
“My ex-wife was pregnant once.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“Yes. We were married for three years. About a year into our marriage, she got pregnant, but she had a late miscarriage in her fourth month.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You two must have been devastated.”
“Angela took it harder than I did because she blamed herself.”
“What happened?”
“The doctor said she contracted some type of infection that caused her to miscarry. I tried to reassure her it wasn’t her fault, but the whole thing really messed her up, and I got frustrated when no amount of consoling seemed enough for her.”
“You must have been hurting too.”
“I was, but I prefer to deal with things on my own, so I buried myself in my work, and we went on that way for the rest of our marriage.”
“How sad.”
“Yeah. I became a workaholic with a bit of a drinking problem. She just needed me to be there for her, but I wasn’t, and I regret that. So, if anything, the divorce was my fault, not hers.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Frank. It’s obvious you loved her, but people don’t always do the right thing. Sometimes they want to, but they just can’t.”
“Maybe you should hold the baby now,” he said, transferring the infant back to her arms.
“So, you don’t have any children?”
“No. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Gina felt bad for him but didn’t know what else to say, and Frank had made it clear he was done talking, so she dropped the subject. They stood in silence while they waited for the social worker to show up.
The next day, Sean was back in the office, looking happier than before. “Hey, Gina!”
“Sean! How are you feeling?”
“Better. The doctor switched my medication. Apparently, I was experiencing some side effects from the other one. I won’t need the pills much longer anyway. The doctor said just a few more weeks.”
“That’s good news, partner! Glad to have you back. Frank helped me get a start on our new case.” She handed Sean a case file and brought him up to speed.
“Alright, Walker. Let’s get out there and investigate!”
Gina rolled her eyes and shook her head but could not resist smiling. Sean’s cheesy comments and clowning around were part of his charm. It was something she had missed while he was gone.
When they arrived at the residence of their primary suspect, Sean pounded on the door. “Mr. Reynolds? Chicago P.D. Open up!” Sean turned to Gina. “He’s home. He’s just not answering. Let’s take a walk around the back.”
“Nice house,” she commented sarcastically. Gina pulled out her gun when she saw Sean draw his. Things didn’t feel right, and they had to be ready for anything. She was certain her partner didn’t need this kind of stress so soon, but they had little choice. Their suspect did not intend to cooperate.
“Dogs!” Sean warned his partner.
Gina saw Mr. Reynolds step out onto his back porch holding a shotgun. He had released three large, angry Dobermans which were heading in their direction.
“Call off your dogs, or they’ll be shot!” Sean threatened.
“You shoot my dogs, I’ll shoot you!” the man hollered back.
“Drop your weapon!” Sean ordered, to no avail.
“Sean! Fence!” Gina jumped over it to safety, and Sean followed suit. Neither of them were up for shooting dogs if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
“Now we’ve lost our suspect.”
“No, we haven’t. He couldn’t have gone far.”
“Let’s go. I’m calling for backup, just in case this gets ugly.”
“It already has,” Gina corrected after the man fired a warning shot and disappeared inside.
Sean and Gina quickly made their way to the front of the house and kicked in the door. Gina swallowed the lump in her throat and scanned the room. Her senses heightened, and she prepared herself for a shootout. When they were met with nothing but silence, they began a search. Carefully and systematically, they checked the house room by room, upstairs and downstairs, including the basement, but came up short. Mr. Reynolds was not inside.
“Let’s have a talk with his neighbors,” Sean suggested. “Someone knows something, and someone must have seen which way he went. We’ll split up. I’ll go this way, and you go that way.”
Gina was about to do just that, but she couldn’t understand how Mr. Reynolds had gotten past them. Perhaps the backyard deserved a second glance, but the dogs were still there. She did not want to tangle with Dobermans, but their peculiar behavior had gotten her attention. Instead of barking at her, they appeared to be fascinated by the storage shed. Sean was now out of shouting distance, so she decided to check it out on her own. The dogs, however, remained a rather discouraging obstacle. Gina rushed back inside the empty house and into the kitchen. She grabbed some meat from the refrigerator and stepped onto the back porch. She now had their full attention. When the dogs came running, she lured them into the house and closed the door behind them, trapping them inside. Now she would have access to the shed.
Gina hoped Sean wouldn’t be upset with her for ignoring his orders. She was supposed to listen to him since she was the rookie, but her gut was telling her Mr. Reynolds had to be on the property somewhere, and that storage shed was a likely hiding place. She crept over to it, gun drawn, pulse racing, and slowly opened the door. There was no Mr. Reynolds, and at first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But things looked a little too neat and tidy in there for a storage shed. The rakes and shovels hanging on the wall appeared to be completely unused. As she went deeper in, something caught her eye. Most people would have missed it, but she was a former narcotics detective trained to uncover such things. Drugs. It always came back to drugs. So, that’s why Mr. Reynolds didn’t welcome law enforcement officers onto his property. There was more than enough to make a good living, easily thousands of dollars worth. Surely, he would be back for this lucrative stash.
But where was he now? As Gina searched the shed, she noticed the sound of her shoes was different on a small section of the floor. The floorboards didn’t quite match up either, which struck her as odd. There was a rug that had been haphazardly tossed aside, in glaring contrast to the orderly shed. She knelt down to examine things more closely and quickly discovered how Mr. Reynolds had pulled off his disappearing act. There was a tunnel connecting the shed to the main house. Maybe he was still hiding in there!
Gina stood up for a moment, pulled out her phone, and walked toward the door of the shed. She had good reason to get Sean over there immediately. While Gina was distracted by her phone, she lost track of her surroundings and suddenly found herself face-to-face with Mr. Reynolds! They were equally startled to see each other. “Put down your weapon!” Gina ordered.
Mr. Reynolds was still in possession of the shotgun, but instead of engaging her in a showdown, he shut off the lights, temporarily disorienting Gina. He sent a cascade of storage shelves, along with the collection of tools stored on them, tumbling in her direction. She barely got out a scream before being knocked unconscious. Mr. Reynolds casually stepped around Gina and the fallen debris, retrieved his stash of drugs, and left the building.
When Gina regained consciousness, she had quite the headache. She struggled to piece together what had happened. All she knew was her arm hurt, and she couldn’t move her legs. It was pitch black in there, and the lower half of her body was pinned underneath something too heavy for her to move. She remembered trying to call Sean and wondered where her phone was. Gina fumbled around for it in the dark, but she came up empty-handed. She was starting to feel a bit helpless until she heard the most wonderful sound in the world – her name! Someone was calling her name!
“I’m in here!” she yelled, hoping they would hear her. When the lights flickered on, Gina could see it was Tim who had found her.
He smiled and came closer. “I’d say you’re having a rather bad day, Walker.” He instinctively made light of her situation knowing it would help keep her calm. “Hopefully, I can make it better.”
“You already have. How did you find me?”
“Process of elimination. Are you hurt?”
“I’ve been better,” she responded weakly.
“Hold on, Gina. Let me notify the others. Frank and Sean are out there looking for you too.”
“Did you get Mr. Reynolds and the drugs? Is Sean OK?”
“Yes on all accounts, but don’t concern yourself with that, darlin’. You’ve got quite the gash on your arm.”
“Gina!” Frank called to her as he entered the shed. He was both relieved and alarmed when he saw her, and the conflict showed on his face.
“Make yourself useful, Wallace!” Frank ordered. “Help me get this stuff off her, will you?”
“Sure, Frank.”
The two men worked their way through the debris that blocked their access to Gina. They strained to lift the heavy shelf that kept her pinned down. Gina let out a sigh of relief when they freed her legs, which were remarkably unharmed.
“The paramedics are on their way, Gina,” Tim reassured her, “but it could take a bit longer than usual. It’s a busy night.”
Frank took off his suit jacket, rolled it up, and positioned it under her head in an attempt to make her more comfortable. He brought over a first aid kit and knelt down next to her. “You cut yourself up pretty bad there. Let me take a look, OK?” he said before examining her arm. “That’s a deep wound.”
“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Tim noted.
“Yeah. We need to get this taken care of the best we can. I don’t think we should wait for the paramedics.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Gina asked, growing more concerned.
“At least it’s still attached,” Tim joked. “You’re lucky. There are plenty of sharp tools lying around here that could have taken your arm right off.”
“Put your arm above your head, Gina,” Frank instructed. “It needs to be above the level of your heart to slow the bleeding. Tim, give me a hand here and apply pressure to that. I’ll also need you to help hold her arm while I wrap it tight. When’s the last time you had a tetanus shot, Gina?”
“I don’t remember. I don’t like needles, Frank.”
“Well, you’re going to need one anyway. A cut like that from rusty tools warrants a tetanus shot.”
“Fine,” she agreed reluctantly once her arm was bandaged.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Tim suggested, unexpectedly bending down to pick Gina up from the pile of debris.
“You don’t have to carry me, Tim. I hurt my arm, not my legs!”
“Well, better safe than sorry. You deserve some special treatment today after uncovering all those drugs. You’re like a German Shepherd, but a lot sweeter and prettier.”
“Thanks, I think,” she replied. Tim set her down outside the storage shed and ran over to flag down the paramedics who could be heard coming down the street.
Gina turned to look at Frank, who hadn’t left her side. “I thought you were going to have a stroke when Tim carried me out of there.”
“Yeah, well, it should have been me. I’m your...” Frank struggled to find the right word.
“Secret admirer?” Gina filled in, bailing Frank out with something she thought he might say.
“Yeah, something like that. Anyway, I’m just glad you’re alright.”
“You know, I am feeling a little lightheaded after losing so much blood. Would you be a gentleman and help a girl out?” Gina asked, smiling flirtatiously.
Frank knew exactly what she was getting at and didn’t waste any time before scooping her up in his arms. He was grateful for the opportunity she had given him to be her hero. He certainly hadn’t appreciated Tim swooping in on her like that.
Gina wrapped her arms around Frank’s neck, and he carried her to the paramedics. By then, Sean had joined the group. They watched the paramedics load Gina into the ambulance. Then Sean and Frank followed her to the hospital.
“I’ll take it from here, Frank,” Sean said while Gina was being examined by a doctor.
“But she has a fear of needles. They should know that.”
“I’m sure she’ll tell them. Go home, Frank.”
“What’s your problem, Sean? Why does it feel like you don’t want me here?”
“Gina’s my partner now, and I’ll make sure she gets taken care of. There’s no need for both of us to be here. Tim didn’t even come to the hospital. Gina will be fine.”
“Well, I’d still like to see her for myself, if you don’t mind.”
“You know, since we’re here and already on the subject, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” Sean began.
“What’s that?”
“I take it things went well being partnered up with Gina. You two sure seem inseparable lately.”
“We’ve gotten pretty close.”
“I thought so.” Sean hesitated a moment before continuing. “Frank, it’s obvious there’s something going on between you and Gina.”
“And what business is it of yours exactly?”
“What are you thinking taking advantage of a young woman like that? And you know she has a boyfriend! You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“I’m doing no such thing! I have complete respect for Gina, and I don’t appreciate you meddling in my personal life. As for Carlos, she’s breaking up with him.”
“It’s no longer personal if it’s at work, Frank. Now, you don’t have to worry about me saying anything, but I think you should talk to the captain before someone else finds out about this and gets to him first, like Wallace.”
“Now there’s a guy who goes around stalking young women! Wallace is a wild card, very unpredictable, but there’s no need for Gina and I to go marching into the captain’s office to hold hands and have a chat about our feelings.”
“Suit yourself, Frank, but people will find out. When they do, they’re going to talk, and you’re going to have a mess on your hands. You’re playing with fire. You know dating another detective is against the rules. Do you want to throw away your career over a woman? Not to mention, you’ll be jeopardizing Gina’s career just as it’s getting off the ground.”
“I’m not ‘dating’ her, exactly. I’m not really sure what you’d call it. Anyway, why do you care so much?”
“I care about both of you. I just don’t want to see my friends get hurt. So, don’t hurt her, Frank, and we won’t have a problem.”
“I assure you I’m not pushing her into anything. I would never do that. Besides, I think you’re talking to the wrong guy. It’s Carlos you should be worried about her being with, not me.”
“Really? Why? She only speaks to me about him in general terms, nothing too personal.”
“Well, you can take my word for it.” Frank paused for a moment. “You know, if it came down to it, I’d die for her. Would you? You are her partner now.” Sean’s eyes told Frank everything he needed to know. “I didn’t think so.”
“Hey, I’ve got a wife and kids who need me, Frank. They nearly lost me once. Is it selfish for me to put them first?”
“No, of course not.”
“You really do care about her, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I believe I’ve made that perfectly clear.”
“Well, be careful. Women like her have a lot of options. She could be a real heartbreaker,” Sean warned.
“I’ll take my chances. You know, I’ve been alone for a long time. It’s time to start living again.”
Sean thought about that for a moment before changing the subject. “Hey, it looks like they’re done. We can go see her now. Why don’t you go first?” he offered, indirectly letting Frank know he had accepted the situation.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Gina smiled when she saw Frank enter the room. “Hey, thanks for rescuing me. Is Tim here? I’d like to thank him too.”
“Tim went home. You can thank him tomorrow. For now, you’ve got me.” He sat down close beside her, took her hand, and squeezed it. “How’s the arm?”
“I’ve got stitches and a mild concussion, but I’ll be fine.”
“Sorry I couldn’t hold your hand while you got the shot and the stitches.”
“That’s sweet, but I managed.”
“Gina, when we were out searching for you, we didn’t know if you were alive or dead. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had lost you.” His hand brushed her cheek. “That’s a fear of mine now.”
“Now that you care about me?” she asked, looking at him intently.
“Yeah,” Frank answered before giving her a long, slow kiss.
“You mean the world to me, Frank, and I have every intention of coming back to you. But I know what you mean because I worry about you now too.”
“Good to know. I’ll try to be more careful,” he chuckled.
Their conversation was interrupted when Sean entered the exam room. “Good news, Gina. Your doctor says you’re free to go. Would you like a ride home?”
“Yes. Thanks,” she replied, wishing Frank had asked first. But she knew it was better for Sean to show up at her apartment instead, just in case Carlos was there.
