Intersection (24 page)

Alex Toles swallowed hard. “I don’t know about all of that, but of course I will take you. I just don’t want to…”

Cassidy sat up, the sheets falling from her and Alex lost her breath. The teacher raised her brow. “You listen to me, Agent Alex Toles….You said you’d never let me go and I intend to hold you to that. You are not an intrusion in my life.” She stopped, wondering if she should continue. Looking at Alex, she couldn’t help but allow the words to pass, “you are my life.”

Alex was absolutely blown over by the woman’s honest and plain admission. She kissed Cassidy on the forehead. “I’ll pick you up around three.” The teacher smiled, knowing by Alex’s unflinching reaction that she felt an equal gravity in their connection. Alex looked at her now with a slight gleam in her eye, the sheets at Cassidy’s waist as she sat. “You are beautiful,” the agent sighed receiving an appreciative grin in return. Alex put her hand on the door and turned back, “I love you, Cass.”

Cassidy pulled the sheets back up and laid back down. “I love you too, Alfred.”

Agent Brian Fallon was at his desk sipping a cup of coffee when his partner entered. “You drinking that sludge we get here?” Alex asked jokingly.

“It works.”

“Yeah. What do you say that you and I got get some REAL coffee?”

Fallon closed the file on his desk. They could not speak freely in the office, not about everything. The pair headed down the street to a small coffee shop and Alex ordered them two coffees while her partner grabbed a corner table. “So, you started to tell me something last night?” Alex asked.

“Yeah…how was
your
night?” Fallon poked, noticing the bounce in his partner’s step.

“My night was fine, Fallon; yours?”

“Mhmmm.”

“So…” Alex implored, changing the subject.

“Okay…look…there’s no FBI file on that photographer, Fisher?”

“That’s impossible. It’s standard procedure to complete a work up on congressional staff,” Alex replied in disbelief.

“Yeah…well, standard or not…it ain’t there.” Alex rubbed her temples. “You think he’s the stalker?”

“I don’t know…I didn’t really think anything until right now,” she paused in deep thought. “Fallon? What if there WAS a file…I mean at one time. How hard would it be to find that out?”

Fallon groaned. “Depends, I guess…..You mean like, if someone destroyed the file?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Why would anyone do that?”

“Why would anyone send fake letters to the congressman? Why would someone change street lights, edit traffic cam footage? Christ, Fallon, that’s the question right? I mean if we find out why, maybe we find the ‘who’….If we find the ‘who’, maybe we find out why.” Fallon rolled his eyes. “It’s call investigation, Fallon, it’s what we get paid to do,” Alex said sarcastically.

“Oh you’re a regular comedian today, aren’t you?”

Alex started to speak when she felt a hand on her shoulder and noticed Fallon looking deeply into his coffee. “Agent Toles….nice to see you back in Washington.”

Alex turned. “Brackett,” she acknowledged coolly.

“Oh, come on…you’re not still mad at me are you?”

“Actually, no…just disgusted,” Alex replied.

“Toles…come on…let’s kiss and make up,” the redheaded agent half kidded and half flirted.

Alex flashed a fake smile onto her expression of obvious disdain. “What do you want, Brackett?”

The tall redhead pulled up a chair. “Just to say I’m sorry.”

“Okay. You said it,” Alex replied as Fallon sipped his coffee silently.

“Geez…she always this touchy, Fallon? Look, Toles…how was I supposed to know you were diddling the congressman’s wife? I mean not that we were exclusive…but why would I think that?”

Alex’s jaw visibly tightened. ‘
Diddling
’? Fallon pulled at his eyebrow fearing his partner might literally throttle the rookie. “Brackett…the point is that there is a certain decorum we use when we are on a case.”

“MMM….like sleeping with the victim?” Alex shot her another look of repulsion. “Oh come on, I’m just kidding…ease up already….no hard feelings…How
is
Mrs. O’Brien? Any leads?”

Alex’s gaze narrowed. “She’s fine, and we’re actively working a few possibilities. Thank you for your concern.”

“Well….my only concern is to be certain that you accept my apology. If I can help at all, you let me know. It would be
awful if anything happened to the poor woman now…with the congressman and all…and that adorable…”

Agent Alex Toles had reached her limit, “nothing is going to happen to Cassidy or Dylan, Agent Brackett. Agent Fallon and I have things under control.” Alex pushed out her chair and motioned to her partner.

“Well, just the same,” Brackett remained in her seat.

“Have a nice day, Agent,” Alex said dryly heading out the door.

“What the hell was THAT?” Fallon asked. “What the hell did you do with Brackett to get her that pissed?” Alex was silently rubbing her temple as they walked. “Toles?” Alex continued forward with no response. “ALEX!”

“What do you know about Agent Brackett?”

“No more than you…in fact I would have to say I know a whole LOT less than you,” Fallon tried to make a joke.

“Funny. I don’t know anything. Except that her first name is Claire and she’s overanxious in bed. That’s it; since you seem so curious,” Alex’s tone was sharp.

“Toles, she’s just jealous.”

“Yeah…why is she so curious about the case?”

“God, you are starting to be paranoid,” Fallon said as he tossed his cup in a trash can.

“No…not starting…I am. See what you can find out about Fisher. I have someone I need to talk to.”

The rookie stayed in her chair watching the pair walk away through the large window. She sipped on her latte with satisfaction. A large yellow envelope dropped over her shoulder and landed on the table. She unclasped it and pulled out the stack of photos. The man that slowly crouched to take a seat across the table smelled of booze and cigarettes. “What the hell is this?” She asked. He glared at her. “So, she’s opening a trunk…
holding a door…who gives a shit? That was not the assignment.” His scowl only increased. “You get me what I asked for…get closer…and do it soon.” She pushed the envelope back at him.

He put the pictures carefully back into the envelope, stopping to notice his favorite. He held it for a long moment, staring at the blonde beauty in the photo. “Closer,” he muttered.

Cassidy emerged from her shower feeling refreshed but already missing her new lover. It was a welcome feeling. She dried her hair with the towel and pulled the black sweater over her head. Voices were coming from the large kitchen and she entered to find Dylan coloring with a glass of juice next to him and her mother perusing the morning paper with her coffee. Cassidy smiled again, feeling the bounce in her step and grabbed herself a cup of coffee. “Gooood morning,” Rose called from behind the paper.

“Morning,” Cassidy answered making her way to the table.

“Sleep well?” Rose chided.

Cassidy smirked, “actually, Mom, I did. Thank you for asking.”

“Yeah exercise does that,” Rose joked, causing Cassidy to spit her coffee across the table and splatter Dylan’s page.

“MOM!” Dylan yelled.

Cassidy stared blankly at her son. “Dylan,” Rose said fighting off a fit of laughter. “Why don’t you go put some cartoons on in the other room? You remember how?”

“Sure,” he said picking up a Matchbox car from the end of the table and heading off, leaving his coffee stained picture behind.

“So?” Rose asked.

“I cannot believe you said that,” Cassidy shook her head.

“Well, dear, you weren’t exactly silent last night.”

Cassidy choked again. “What?”

Rose laughed out loud. “Oh don’t pay any attention to me. I’m just jealous.”

“Mom! You didn’t really hear us.” Cassidy got up to get a towel. Rose looked into the paper smirking away. “No…you’re just….Oh my God,” the teacher continued to muse to herself as she wiped the coffee from the table.

“Oh Cassie, I’m just teasing you, but thank you for the confirmation,” she winked.

“That was mean.”

Rose smiled. “You look very happy, Cassie.”

“Mom?”

“Mmmm?”

“I love her,” Cassidy admitted.

“I know, dear.”

“No, I mean I really…”

“Cassidy, I know,” her mother cut her off.

“Do you think that’s weird?” Cassidy asked.

“Why would I think it’s weird?”

“Well, because….”

“Does it feel weird to you?”

“No.” Cassidy answered definitively. “But you might think it is.”

Rose tried not to giggle. “Cassidy, Alex is a beautiful, intelligent woman who loves you and your son. Why on earth would I think it was strange for you to love her? Because she’s a woman?”

“Well….”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Well, Cassie, I can’t speak for the rest of the world but I adore Alex. I certainly can understand what you see in her. So, no…not in the least.”

“Mom?”

“What?”

“I love you.”

“I know you do,” Rose smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Cassie, don’t thank me too soon. You’re on your own with Dylan tonight. He’s a kicker.” Cassidy laughed. It would be another long day but Alex would be part of it and so would Dylan and her mom. It was her family, strange as that seemed. It simply was.

lex walked down the long hallway and stood in front of the camera positioned over the door at the far end of the corridor. She held up her identification and waited for the click to turn the handle. Entering the room she was greeted immediately by a somewhat rotund man with a moustache and a receding hairline. “Captain Toles,” he smiled.