CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE. Friday afternoon, Louie's was crowded, despite the threat of snow

Friday afternoon, Louie's was crowded, despite the threat of snow. Rick looked nervously at Jake. " I don't like this one bit."

" Yeah? Well, I'm not exactly crazy about seeing a bunch of naked men either, " Jake said, as she pulled into a parking spot.

" Why in the world would he pick this place? "

" My guess is because he doesn't think anyone from the department would be here."

" I feel like we're in a damn spy movie, sneaking around like this."

" I know. I'm plenty nervous myself, " Jake admitted. She looked in the rearview mirror and met Nicole's eyes. " You okay? "

Nicole nodded. They had locked up Nicole's office as soon as Catherine had made arrangements for her patients. Nicole hated it, but conceded it had to be done. She reached across the seats and touched Jake's shoulder. " I'm okay as long as you're around."

Jake grinned. " I don't plan on leaving you."

Rick groaned. " Please, you two are making me nauseous."

Jake leaned back in the seat, keeping an eye on the parking lot for Steven's red Volkswagen Bug. " When are you and Michelle getting together? "

" Tomorrow. God, I'm dreading that."

Jake looked in the mirror again. " Michelle is his wife, " she explained.

Rick turned around in the seat, facing Nicole. " We're separated."

" I'm sorry, " Nicole said automatically.

" No, it's okay. It was my choice."

" Rick decided they had nothing in common, " Jake stated.

" Geez, it's not that, " Rick said.

" Then what is it? "

" Do we have to talk about this now? "

Jake grinned. " You might be able to get some free counseling, Ricky."

" I'm sure Dr. Westbrook has more to worry about than my marriage problems."

Jake met Nicole's eyes in the mirror. " Rick and Michelle have nothing in common. Never had, never will. I tried to tell him."

" Will you stop with that? " Rick said, as he punched Jake's arm. He turned again, facing Nicole. " Jake thought I was rushing the marriage thing. Michelle was a catch, and most of the guys on the force were eyeing her, " he explained.

" She's like... a model, " Jake said. " Beautiful."

" Well, I can see how the two of you made a perfect couple, " Nicole said.

" Are you trying to give him a big head? " Jake asked.

" No, but he's an attractive man. I'm sure that was a lure, to have an equally attractive woman on his arm."

" Yeah, he's cute as hell. But still, you have to have something other than looks between you, right? "

" Hey, guys? You know, I'm still here." He laughed. " And just what I need. A couple of lesbians fawning over me! "

" Sorry, " Nicole said. She realized then that this was the first time in her life that a straight man had called her a lesbian--and she hadn't fainted dead away! Well, it would be something to tell Dorothy, at least. She pushed her thoughts aside and reached out, grasping Rick's shoulder. " I just mean, perhaps the physical attraction was so strong that it overpowered your logical thinking. It happens sometimes."

Jake let the words settle, knowing they weren't meant for her, but unable to shake the truth. Yes, she and Nicole had a physical attraction that was... well, beyond her comprehension, really. Had it altered her logical thinking? No. Logically, they still wouldn't fit in each other's lives.

Rick ducked his head. " It was an ego thing, yeah, I admit. She liked me. And all the guys liked her. But now that we've been together..."

" You don't like her? " Nicole guessed.

" Are you like... charging me for this session? "

Nicole leaned forward. " Actually, I was thinking this was more of a friendly chat, not professional."

Rick nodded. " Okay, then." He let his shoulders sag. " I don't like her."

" You don't like her... what? "

" I don't like her... period, " Rick said. " I don't like her. She's an interior decorator. Like Jake said, we have nothing in common, and I can't stand to talk to her about another goddamn house project."

" I see, " Nicole murmured.

" We pretend to like each other if someone's around, you know. Like we had Jake over for steaks when she first got back. We were fine together because there was a buffer. But as soon as we were alone, it was back to being strangers."

" And she feels the same way? "

" I don't know. She says not. But hell, how could she not feel the same way? We never talk. Never."

" So, the separation idea was not mutual? "

" No."

" Are you going to seek counseling together? "

Rick shook his head. " Like I said, I don't really like her. I don't think counseling is going to save a marriage that I don't want."

Nicole gave a humorless smile. " Well, there you go, " she murmured. At least they were ending it. She'd seen far too many clients who continued their marriage, only to see it end in violence.

" It was a mistake, and I just want to be done with it, " Rick said. " And move on and let her move on. If she ends up hating me, so be it."

Nicole gave her standard answer. An answer she hated. " Time will tell."

Jake sat up and pointed. " There he is."

" The Bug? " Rick asked.

" That's what he said." Jake flashed her headlights once and the red car returned the sign. " Okay. He's going to go inside. We're to follow."

" I really don't want to go inside, Jake."

" I swear, you're such a baby. It's fucking undercover, Rick. We're going to find a dark corner and talk. That's it." Jake opened her door, bracing against the cold. " That's it, of course, unless you follow some big brute into the hot tub, " she teased.

" Such a comedian, " he murmured, rolling his eyes as Nicole laughed at their banter. " She cusses like a sailor."

Jake pulled her coat on, glancing up at the sky. The clouds hung low, threatening snow, but so far only a few flurries had fallen. The dark clouds to the west gave testament that the mountains were getting much needed snowfall. She glanced at the two following her. " Just act natural, " she said.

" Act natural? How the hell am I supposed to act natural at a gay bathhouse? "

Jake heard Nicole try to suppress a laugh and ended up laughing out loud herself. She wrapped an arm around Rick's shoulders and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. " You're precious, you know, " she murmured in his ear. He tried to shrug her away, but she held him tighter. " Like you don't want me to protect you, " she teased.

" As if I'll need it."

Jake gave him one last squeeze, then dropped her arm. She held open the door, letting Rick and Nicole precede her into the building. As soon as the door closed behind them, darkness prevailed, and Jake squinted her eyes, moving toward the glass enclosure where a lone man sat.

Before she could speak, a familiar voice sounded.

" McCoy, over here."

Jake turned toward Steven's voice, seeing him in the shadows. " Hell of a place to meet, Stevie, " she said. " Didn't know you frequented these joints."

He laughed. " I don't. My wife would be appalled to know that I'm here now. But I thought it would be safe."

Jake nodded. " Thought so. Good choice." She motioned to Rick and Nicole. " This is Detective Chase. You might remember him from awhile back. And this is Dr. Westbrook."

Steven nodded quickly, then opened the door to the main entrance. " I was able to secure a room where we could meet. The gentleman out there was very helpful."

" Yeah? What did it cost you? " Jake asked.

Steven opened another door, and they found themselves in a dimly lit room with one bed and an assortment of... toys.

" A hundred bucks, " he said, looking around the room.

" Jesus... what is all this shit? " Rick asked.

" Just never mind, " Jake said. " Let's get to the business at hand. And Steven, I'll reimburse you for the hundred bucks, no problem."

" Do you think they have cameras? " Rick asked, glancing around the room.

" No. Too much liability, " Steven said. " Sit everyone."

" Do you think it's clean? "

" Jesus! Rick, give me a break, " Jake said, as she pushed him onto the bed. Nicole stood near the door, her eyes darting between them. Jake reached out and grabbed her hand. " It's okay. Relax."

" Easy for you to say, " Nicole murmured, as she pulled her hand from Jake and wrapped both arms around herself. She felt like she was in a bad dream. Only the warmth in Jake's eyes made it seem real.

" No, it's okay, " Steven said. " This is secure. Trust me, I checked."

Jake perched on the edge of the bed next to Rick. " Okay, what the hell is going on? "

" On the surface, your Lieutenant Gregory covered up a crime. And that's only because he's the one trail I can trace. I did a search on the four officers who responded to the 911 dispatch six years ago. Three are dead. Accidental deaths, all three. The fourth, from what I can tell, is in Canada." Steven met Jake's eyes. " My gut tells me he fled there for safety."

" Please don't tell me you're suggesting that Gregory had the three killed, " Jake said.

" Two were killed while on active duty. Brakes failed and their car went over an embankment. It happened only a few months after the stalker."

" Yeah, I remember that one, " Rick said. " Out by the lake, wasn't it? "

" Yes. The third one was found up in the mountains. He was an avid hiker. Went on a trip in early fall after this incident. He didn't make it back."

" No sign of foul play? "

" Hard to tell. He fell off a cliff."

Jake leaned forward. " So, three of the four responding officers to a 911 call that doesn't exist are dead."

" That's correct."

" And one is in Canada? "

" I'm fairly certain he fled there. His arrival date is just three weeks after the last death here. He married a Canadian shortly afterward. I don't show any activity outside of Canada since then."

" Jesus Christ, " Jake muttered. " You've been busy, Stevie."

He shrugged. " Once I started, I couldn't stop."

" How far are you willing to go? "

" What's on your mind? "

Jake glanced at Rick, then Nicole. " I don't know how involved you want to be in this, Steven. Technically, I'm defying an order of my superior by even investigating this. Who do we trust? Do we go to Captain Zeller? What if Gregory was ordered to delete the log? He was a sergeant at the time. Suddenly he makes lieutenant and is given Special Victims? " She looked at Rick. " Maybe some-one owed him a favor."

Steven nodded. " You're right. But Gregory is the only player we know for sure. We dig on Gregory first, see what shakes out."

Jake stood, pacing across the room. It was dangerous. All three of them could lose their jobs if they didn't find anything. Or worse, if it pointed to someone higher up, they could lose their lives. " Can you do it without causing red flags? "

" I'll do it from my home computer and spoof an IP address. I won't be traced. I can sneak around without anyone knowing."

Jake met his eyes. " This isn't really your fight, Stevie. I asked for a favor, and it's turned into more."

" I'm good at this stuff, Jake." Then he grinned. " I work for the police department but I don't really ever get to do anything exciting. I'm enjoying this."

" Okay. We dig on Gregory. Let's go back... what? Ten years? "

" I'll get started tonight. You want financials, too? "

" Whatever. Just no red flags."

Steven scoffed. " I do this all the time."

" What? Hacking is a hobby? "

He grinned. " It's an art."

Rick finally stood up and brushed his hands on his pants. " Great. If you guys are through with all this spy stuff, I'd like to get out of this room. It gives me the creeps."

Jake looked back at Nicole, who hadn't said a word throughout the whole conversation. She raised her eyebrows, and Nicole simply nodded.

" Okay. You've got my cell number, my home number. You got Rick's number? "

" No." Steven pulled out his PDA, and Rick rolled his eyes as he gave out his cell number.

Jake grabbed Steven's arm as they turned to leave. " Be careful. Don't take any chances."

He grinned back at her. " I'm an expert at this shit, Jake. Relax."

It was dark when they walked out of Louie's, and the cold hit them. Jake tugged the collar of her coat closer around her neck, glancing at Nicole as she did the same.

" Fuck, " Rick murmured, " Is it going to snow or what? "

" Actually, no, " Steven said. " But the mountains are getting hammered. The weekend is supposed to be nice."

" And he's a meteorologist, too, " Rick whispered to Nicole.

Steven headed to his car, then turned. " No, Detective, not a meteorologist. I just happened to catch the weather forecast on the way over here. Enjoy the weekend."

" You never could whisper, " Jake murmured.

" Damn computer geek."

Jake turned on Rick. " He's a nice guy, and he's doing us a favor. A big favor. Cut him some slack."

" Yeah, I know. It's just this whole thing is freaking me out, Jake. We're getting in too deep. We're digging up shit we probably shouldn't be digging in."

Jake grabbed his arm. " Six years ago, this woman had a stalker, " she said, pointing at Nicole. " And now someone is leaving dead bodies at her house. After all Steven told us tonight, you think we shouldn't be digging? "

" Gregory is our fucking boss, Jake."

" And if he did what Steven suggests he did, he needs to be taken down."

Rick looked at Nicole, noting the frightened look in her eyes. His voice lowered. " We could be in over our heads, Jake."

" I know, buddy. But I won't be a part of a cover-up. Especially one that results in the deaths of three cops."

" But we can't do this alone. Maybe we should fill in Salazar and Simpson, " he suggested.

" No. No way. I trust you, Rick. But I don't trust anyone else right now. We've got to be careful."

" Excuse me, " Nicole said, stepping closer to them. " I'm not an expert at police psychology, but I understand the need to confide in partners, superiors, other team members. But in this case, I have to agree with Jake. I think it's imperative that no one know what you're doing." She met Jake's eyes. " I only hope the two cases are related. I'd hate to think that we're wasting time on a six-year-old case."

Jake shook her head. " My gut tells me they are related."

Nicole gave a half-smile. " Then I'll trust your gut."

" Hey guys? It's freezing. Can we go now? "

" I swear, you're such a city boy, " Jake said, as she unlocked the car. " It's Friday. You got any plans, Ricky? "

" No. I thought I'd pick up a pizza on the way home. I've got to tidy up the house. Michelle is coming over in the morning."

" I wonder if she'll be alone."

" We both know she'll have her sisters and mother with her."

" You're going to have to sell the house, you know, " Jake said.

" Which is fine. It's been a decorating project of hers. It hardly feels like home to me."

Jake pulled out into the Friday evening traffic, her eyes meeting Nicole's again in the mirror. The woman had been unusually quiet. Jake wondered if this whole situation hadn't finally taken its toll on her.

" Well, call me if you need some support, " Jake said. " I don't know what we're going to do." Would they spend the weekend together?

Rick cleared his throat. " You know, I was thinking. Maybe Sunday, if the weather holds, you guys could come out. We could do some steaks maybe, watch football."

Jake heard the loneliness in Rick's voice, and it tugged at her heart. For all his brave words, this separation with Michelle was affecting him.

" Sure, buddy. Count me in." Jake looked again in the mirror. " Nicole might have other plans, though."

" I have no plans." Nicole shrugged. " It's not like I would relish spending the weekend at my home, alone."

Jake bit back the words of apology she was about to utter and instead offered a cheery outlook for the weekend. " I was planning on taking Cheyenne out hiking tomorrow. Steaks and a few beers at Rick's on Sunday. How does that sound? "

Nicole reached across the back seat to the front and squeezed Jake's shoulder. " Thanks."