Summer Daze

Detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames spent all day Saturday and half of Monday interviewing employees of Macy’s department store with no success. They were tired, bored, hungry and feeling hopeless.

Bobby’s cell phone clamored for attention from his pocket. He welcomed the excuse to walk away from the parade of futility that passed through the break room they were using to conduct their interviews.

“Goren.” He announced into the device.

“Ross here. How’s it coming?” his captain asked.

“Slow.” Bobby replied, “No hits yet. We still have about twenty more women to talk to.”

“Keep at it.” He instructed, “The labs came back on the gum you found at the crime scene.”

Bobby perked up at that, “Anything?”

“It’s organic. Expensive as far as candy goes…You can get it at any health food store. The saliva gave them a great DNA sample…Female, not the victim’s…Find the girlfriend and I’m betting we’ll find the killer.”

Goren hung up and reentered the break room smiling.

“Who’s next?” he asked.

Eames checked the list of employees the manager had given them, “Valerie Lynch.”

Miss Lynch entered the room timidly. Her pale features, large brown eyes, and nervous disposition gave them the impression that they were looking at a frightened rabbit in a dark blue power suit.

“You wanted to see me?” she asked softly.

“You’re Valerie Lynch?” Eames queried.

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Have a seat.” Alex indicated the chair across the table from her. “I’m sure you’ve heard what this is all about by now.”

“You want us to identify someone.”

“Right.” The detective smiled warmly, “We’re working on a case and are hoping someone in the store has seen this woman.” She moved the photograph closer to the lady and continued, “Do you recognize her?”

Valerie’s eyes barely grazed the picture, “No.” she said quickly and stood up to leave.

Goren moved in swiftly blocking her path; he leaned down, craning his neck to bring his eyes to her level and asked “Are you sure?” he reached out to take the photo from Eames and hold it in front of Miss Lynch, “Because you didn’t really look…”

“Um…” she bit her lower lip, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” he asked and pulled the picture of Star’s corpse from the coroner’s file, “How about now?”

“Oh…oh my god…” Though the detectives would not have thought it possible, Valerie’s face went even paler.

“She’s your girlfriend.” It was a statement, softly spoken and unarguable.

She nodded mutely and Bobby, with the instincts of a cobra whose prey is safely hypnotized, moved in for the kill. “That’s a lovely necklace you’re wearing. Interesting design, where did you get it?”

“What?...” she fingered the flat gold charm covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics “um…uh…someone gave it to me…”

Eames quickly searched through her files and found what her partner was hoping for before their suspect finished her lie. “Really?” she smirked, “Because it matches the description of one stolen from a jewelry store in the area just last month.”

Goren put an arm around the woman and said conspiratorially, “You’re going to need to come downtown with us.”

“No, I can’t…I” the scared white rabbit looked ready to bolt.

“Valerie Lynch, you’re under arrest for possession of stolen property. You have the right to remain silent…” Eames cuffed the suspect and they began walking her out as she Mirandized her.

As soon as Alex finished reading her rights, Valerie said, “I want a lawyer.”

Eames drove the SUV back to One Police Plaza in silence while her partner stared at his notebook and their suspect sniveled in the back seat. Bobby tried to focus on his notes, but his mind kept shouting, ‘We got her! Case closed. Summer’s going to be so happy.’

The part of him that never stopped being Detective Robert O. Goren tried to be the voice of reason, reminding him that the case was not closed. Not until they could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Miss Lynch had murdered Star Morgan. Summer was still a witness in an open case and that was why he could not claim her.
Yet there was a primitive part of him that raved at him to make her his own in every way; heart, mind, body, and soul. That primordial instinct told him that she was his woman and he must make sure she knew it, too.
The battle raged inside his head. Want duking it out with Reason for the World Championship and he wasn’t sure who he wanted to win. He had always been proud of his iron self-discipline and it had never failed him. He couldn't allow it to now.
‘I am not a fucking caveman!’ Reason screamed and, for the moment, Want was quieted.
Bobby still felt guilty for giving in to his needs the other night, no matter how impaired his judgment might have been, but the urge to reciprocate and give Summer some physical pleasure was becoming too great.

Back at MCS, he stepped into the interrogation room and back into the role of Detective Robert O. Goren. Miss Lynch sat waiting for her attorney, looking terrified and miserable. He took a seat across from her and began attempting idle chit-chat hoping he could gather some nugget of information that would solidify their hold on the suspect.

“Are you all right? Would you like some coffee? Soda?” he sounded like the perfect host entertaining in his home.

“No.” Valerie whispered as she shook her head, “thanks.”

“You have a hard time talking about your relationship.” He spoke sympathetically, “You haven’t come out of the closet.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway, “Not at work…”

“Your family?...Friends?” he asked softly.

“Yeah.”

He reached across the table and placed a hand over hers, “Your parents don’t approve?”

Valerie yanked her hand away and glared, “My father’s dead and my mother is fine with it.”

“She’s supportive.” He nodded, keeping his voice even and quiet, “You’re close.”

“Of course we’re close!” she spat, “If we weren’t I wouldn’t drive all the way to Peekskill every two weeks to see her!”

The door burst open and an angry, tired looking public defender limped in on high heels and rebuked Goren, “You know you aren’t supposed to talk to her…I’d like a moment alone with my client.”

Bobby swung out of his chair without a word and walked directly into the next room where Eames and Ross stood watching. “We need to check the pawn shops.” He said.

Ross knit his brows and responded, “We’ve checked every pawn broker in the five boroughs and turned up empty.”

“Not here.” Goren answered, “Peekskill. You heard her. She visits her mother every two weeks.”

“I’ll call Peekskill PD.” Eames said already walking toward the door.

“Have them get a warrant for the mother’s house, too.” The captain called after her and turned his attention to Goren, “This could take a day or two.” Ross advised, “We aren’t going to be able to hold her without the jewels. Her attorney will argue that Miss Morgan gave her client the necklace as a gift and she had no idea it was stolen.”

As if the captain had donned a turban and looked into a crystal ball, his words came to pass. By evening, Valerie Lynch had been home for several hours and Goren and Eames were just finishing up yet another mountain of paperwork. Alex yawned and put the last file on top of the stack in her out box.

“I’m going home.” She said wearily, “We won’t hear from Peekskill till morning, anyway”

“Me too.” Bobby replied, stacking his own remaining files neatly on the corner of his desk, “See you tomorrow.”