Path to Elysian

[zydrate]

Paige was laying on the couch, cocooned in a blanket as she watched a cartoon on TV. Once in a while she would doze off and then wake up. Was it an ideal way to spend her time off? Probably not. But right now, she didn’t really care. She knew she would need to get up soon and make something for a late lunch, early dinner.

She had hoped all that had happened earlier had been a dream—or in her case, a nightmare. But no, she had remembered getting up earlier and seeing where her bed had been. Oh well, it was time for a new one.

At least that’s what she kept telling herself. It still pissed her off that this had happened at all. The landlord had told her that she may want to invest in security camera for her place so it could be monitored but Paige didn’t think it would be necessary as she was planning to move soon. She would do that once she secured a new place.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep once more, her phone buzzed and rang… loudly! She always had it loud only because of her work. Even though, it still startled her. She didn’t bother looking to see who it was, she just answered…

“My locks…?” she repeated as she tried to fully wake up. Sitting up, Paige sat back on the couch as she mentally ran through what Michael was talking about. “Ohh, my locks…” she let out a breath, why hide it? It would do no good, “I just filed a report earlier this morning… but yeah, my place was broken into, again, so my landlord had the locks changed... not that it did any good since the jerk got back in again last night and destroyed my bed, but again, that’s all in the new report.”

She was quiet for a moment, “Wait… you mean the injury to your head? Damn… did you tell your boss? Or bosses?” She wasn’t sure how their hierarchy worked. “If your situation is related to mine… why is he doing this?”

 

[BeachBum25]

O'Flynn listened as the doctor told him that her place had been broken into not once, but twice; the second time AFTER the locks had been changed. This was getting a little crazy. Hell, it was getting a lot crazy. Was Thompson really that crazy. He got away with keeping his job, and with having criminal charges dropped because the doctor had refused to cooperate anymore and dropped everything. Yet, he was still harassing the doctor, and he had assaulted O'Flynn coming out of Police Headquarters.

"No, no... I haven't told anyone. It just came to me when I heard the man talking to you at the hospital and he mentioned changing your locks. I wanted to talk to you first, because I didn't want to assume anything. I didn't know if your place had been broken into or if you had just decided to change the locks."

Thinking about all of this, Michael realized that everything that the two of them were talking about was just circumstantial. He knew it was Thompson, however, in law enforcement work there was a saying..... it's not what you know, it is what you can prove. Right now, they could not prove it was Thompson.

"He is probably doing this to you because nobody ever stood up to him before. You chose not to be intimidated by him and filed the reports. When you dropped everything, he saw it as a win for him and he feels more untouchable. He came after me because I was the one who took him down. He has a friend in Internal Affairs. That is probably the guy who was responsible for you dropping everything. I am sure it is the same guy that came after me too, but didn't realize who he was fucking with.... sorry about the language, I am just get more pissed off as I think about this. I am in Internal Affairs now... not by choice, but, I am going to use my position to get rid of his friend."

Michael got up and started to pace around his living room while talking to the doctor. He was angry, and he was trying to think calmly about the situation.

"Listen, Doctor Jackson, I have an idea. Would you be willing to meet with me? I am sure that you are tired of dealing with police, but this is something that is personal to me now. I would even be willing to meet you somewhere that is close to the hospital so you do not have to go out of your way. It would only be a brief meet up. I have an idea that I would like to run by you. Right now, we know who is responsible for all of this, but we can't prove it. I have an idea of how to catch him and put an end to all of this. Just tell me where we can meet"

He could sense the doctor's reluctance to meet with another cop. "I will not be in uniform. I will not be carrying a gun or any other police equipment. It will just be two victims of a crazy man meeting to discuss how I am going to take him down and make him pay for messing with us."

When she agreed to meet him, Michael thanked her and disconnected the call. He went to his laptop and started searching. When he found what he was looking for, he grabbed his keys and headed out. No, he wasn't supposed to be driving, but he didn't want to deal with car-ride service, so, he hopped in his car and made a few stops before it was time to meet with Dr. Jackson.

 

[zydrate]

"What am I doing?" Paige said to herself as she got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She hadn't bothered with her hair and just let it fall loose.

She grabbed her coat, scarf, and gloves. She had locked her apartment and headed outside to wait for her rideshare. She had called it and it was about 3 minutes away so she wouldn't be waiting long.

Once she got in, the car took her to a small restaurant-- it was a hold in the wall little place that most didn't know about. It was a nice little eatery that had really good tacos. Once she was seated, she ordered a margarita... because damnit, she needed it.

As she waited, she answered some emails from work and then some from friends. She put her phone down and was absentmindedly eating some chips and salsa as she thought about what O'Flynn had said about what happened to him. If Thompson was the one who did that to him, what was his reasoning? Hell, she knew the reasoning for him tormenting her, but why others in the same workplace? That would be equivalent to her threatening another doctor and that just wasn't something she'd ever do.

Something mentally was wrong with Thompson if this was all him. Paige wasn't going to psychoanalyze him, that was for sure.

The restaurant was small, and the lighting wasn’t great but there were two candles at each table. Paige was scrolling through Facebook, not really paying attention when it seemed O’Flynn had suddenly sat down. Maybe he said something when he arrived, but she wasn’t paying attention as her mind was elsewhere.

“Good grief…you scared me..” she said and let out a nervous laugh. He wasn’t smiling or laughing though. He had a very serious look about him. “How’s your head?” She shook her head, “Sorry… turning off doctor mode—anyway, I hope you’re hungry because I haven’t eaten all day and the special…well, it’s usually enough for 3 people.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael walked into the restaurant carrying a brown paper bag. He saw the doctor sitting at a table near the back, and moved toward it.

"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson. I did not mean to scare you." He sat down and placed the bag on the floor next to him. "Well, there are a lot of people that would tell you that my head could only improve from getting whacked." He smiled at her. "However, I still have a pretty bad headache, but I guess that is to be expected. And please, you can't tell anyone that I lied about not having a headache in order to get out of the hospital. I couldn't stand wearing that hospital gown anymore. It just didn't cover me up enough. It let in too much of a draft."

He took a sip of the water in front of him. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I think we both know who is responsible for what is going on. We just need proof. I have an idea, but it is going to be up to you." He stopped talking as the waitress delivered the food. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was enough for 3 people."

Once the waitress moved away, Michael shared his plan with the doctor. "I have 3 wireless cameras in the bag. They all look like smoke detectors. We could put one in the hallway near your door. One would go just inside your apartment, and the other would go in your bedroom. And no, before you say it, I am not looking to get video of you undressing in your bedroom. You would be the only one that has access to what is recorded. If there is something of interest, you could then share it with me. You can access it through your phone and/or your computer. This way, you will know who is breaking into your apartment."

O'Flynn took another sip of his water and watched as the doctor continued eating. He couldn't tell whether she liked the idea or not. He was sure that she would have some reservations about the camera in her bedroom.

He remained quiet. He had talked enough. It was up to Dr. Jackson now, and it was obvious her mind was running through what he had said while she ate.

 

[zydrate]

It wasn’t like Paige wasn’t listening to what he was saying as she made him a plate and put it before him after doing the same for her. Once, a long time ago while in college, she could have eaten all this food. That was only because she would sometimes go a day or two at a time without eating just to get her studying done. It wasn’t ideal but it was hard habit to break.

“Well… I’m not sure it’s really necessary anymore as this has convinced me to move but…” she thought about it as she nibbled on a chip, “I guess I could try. I mean… this guy..” she stopped and just shook her head, “you didn’t have to buy them you know… the cameras. I could have had someone come over and install them for me.”

That thought occurred to her as she got wide eyed at glared at O’Flynn, “Wait… did you drive to get these and then drive here?! Or do you hoard cameras as a side business.”

She couldn’t believe it. He didn’t have to answer verbally as she knew the truth. “I’m sorry, let’s push this camera business aside for a moment, you just told me you have a pretty bad headache, yet you drove here?!” Paige sighed and just let it go… she wasn’t his babysitter nor was she his wife or whatever. “I’m sorry but…ugh,” she just shook her head, “Fine, I’ll take the cameras and put them up… well, I’ll find someone to put them up. Maybe tomorrow.” She motioned for the waitress and when she came over, Paige told her, in Spanish, to pack up the food and bring the check.

“Right now, we’re getting you home where you can get more rest and not drive.” She held her hand out for his vehicle keys and she was adamant about it. “Let me take you back to your home and from there… well, you just rest.”

 

[BeachBum25]

"Fine, you are moving, but, we still need to know who it is that is doing this to you. Moving doesn't mean that they will go away. They could still find out where you are and continue to harass you."

He pushed the food around the plate that Dr. Jackson had made for him. "I know I didn't have to buy them, but I wanted to. What this person is doing to you is wrong. He got off without any consequences, yet he is still coming after you. Plus, I am certain he is behind what happened to me. Yes, I am certain this is all about Thompson."

Taking a drink of water and then a forkful of food, Michael listened as it all of a sudden clicked with the doctor that he had been driving around while still suffering symptoms of his concussion. He just shook his head as she started to go off on him about it. Then she stopped.

"No, no, no. You are not taking me home. You can take me to your place. I will install the cameras. I will show you how they work and then I will leave. You can keep my keys to make sure I don't drive, but I am not going home until I am sure that the cameras are installed. It is personal to me. First, I hate that this asshole is picking on someone who he perceives to be weaker. Secondly, I take it very personal when someone whacks me over the head with a board."

Just as she was insistent about having his keys, he was insistent about installing the cameras. "After they are installed, I will go home, and rest and not bother you anymore. You will have total control over the cameras and the recordings. I will have no access to them at all. If we have any further contact about anything, it will be because you initiated it."

He looked at her and made sure she understood his determination in this. He held the keys out to her. "Deal?"

 

[zydrate]

They were at a stalemate and Paige was determined to get her way. And she knew that O'Flynn was going to get his way also. In the end... no one really won.

Maybe.

Taking the keys from Michael, Paige stood and put on her coat and scarf. She left some money on the table for the food and grabbed the bag of packed food. She waited as he got ready and when he was, she walked out first and as they both exited the small restaurant, Paige stopped and turned to Michael, as if to say which one was his.

He led them to his vehicle and Paige waited for him to buckle in and she handed him the food, "You need to save those for later, their food as leftovers is great.... OK, ready?"

Paige didn't feel her driving was that chaotic. But once she got a feel for it, she ended up speeding back to her place as she talked Michael's ear off about how this really wasn't all necessary but she was willing to try it. She was going to be home for the next few days and didn't think anything was going to happen. "Truly, I'm willing to bet he'll forget about me." She said uncertainly.

"Sorry the place is a bit messy... I've had to camp out on the couch because... well, you know..." she led him into her apartment after unlocking it and stopped when she realized her couch was now torn up!

"What... the ..." she covered her mouth in disbelief.

 

[BeachBum25]

He was not happy to turn his keys over to Dr. Jackson, but Michael realized that it was the only way that he was going to be able to get her to allow him to install the cameras.

Michael didn't say anything at all as Dr. Jackson rambled on and on about it not being necessary for him to do this. He felt that if he said something it might lead her to changing her mind, so, he remained silent.

"Maybe he will forget about you. If he does, then this is a bit of overkill. However, if he doesn't forget about you, we will be able to prove it is him."

When she opened the door, he followed her into her apartment. Michael heard her gasp, and when she stopped short, he bumped into her. He could see the mess over her shoulder.

"That son of a bitch. He has to be out of his damned mind."

Waiting for a few minutes for the doctor to try to gain her composure, Michael looked around the apartment.

"Okay Dr. Jackson, here is what I will do. I am going to install these cameras. I want you to think about filing a report. I know you don't want to, but at least have it on record, so that when he is caught on camera, there can be the assumption that he committed the previous break-ins."

Without waiting for her reply, Michael went about installing the cameras... one in her bedroom, one in her living room which had a view of the front door, and then, after looking up and down the hallway, he installed one outside her door that would capture the person as they broke in.

Once finished, he found Dr. Jackson still cleaning up the mess that had been her sofa. He handed her the instructions on how to download the app on her phone and how to access each of the cameras. He waited until she had the app and checked to see that all three cameras were online.

"Well, I am going to be on my way. Unless you want me to wait around with you while you file a report."

 

[zydrate]

For once in her life, Paige was scared. So far, she had put up a front of being tough but a girl could only take so much.

What if she was home when this happened?

She had taken a few self defense courses but those were just for fun... something to do in order to go out after to have drinks with her friends. She knew she couldn't take on someone like this Thompson guy if they came face to face...

No, she could do this. She had to.

But now what? The cameras were installed but did she want to stay here? Officer Thompson had violated Paige's home and her work. She was in deep thought about what to do next. O'Flynn had suggested filing a report.. another damn report. They weren't doing any good. They just seemed to be bringing in a bunch of additional unwanted harassment from Thompson's friends in the department...

Another thought was that Paige couldn't stay here until she had her things replaced. She wasn't the camp out type and didn't want to spend the night sleeping on a floor. No...

She gave O'Flynn's keys to him. He seemed OK so far. He was helping her and she acted like she didn't appreciate it when she really did. He hadn't gotten it as bad as Paige had so far... A fleeing thought was that perhaps he was in on this also?

No.

"Thanks for this... the cameras, I mean. You didn't have to but I do appreciate it." She walked him to the door. For some reason, she had wanted to say something more but decided not to. He needed to rest and as much as she wanted to tell him that, she knew he would just disagree. Besides, he was a big boy and could take care of himself.

After they said their goodbyes, Paige looked around her place. It wasn't a big place and she had been there since starting medical school. She had made it her home, even though it was just an apartment. Yes, she could now afford something better and even though she was in the process of finding something better and more secure, she didn't like that someone came around and destroyed her things. With a sigh, she went to her room and grabbed a bag. She packed a few personal things, as well as some clothes. She called a taxi and continued to gather things she needed. When the taxi had signaled they were there, she left her place and gave the driver the address of her childhood home.

Things were definitely bad if Paige had broken down and decided that staying with her parents for a few days would be worth the hassle. Besides, she would need to talk to her father about all this. See what advice he had for her. Hopefully her mother wouldn't make a big deal about this all.

 

[BeachBum25]

He tried to convince her to file a report, but it was no use. O'Flynn told her that she had to go through with it. People like Thompson prey on fear. "He knows that you pulled the original report that you filed. He feels that he can do anything he wants and you will just take it."

It didn't matter what he said, Dr. Jackson wasn't buying it. Something told Michael that the doctor thought he was involved in some way. He shook his head. He had tried everything he could to help her. Damn, he had saved her at the hospital, but now it seemed she believed that all cops were bad.

Saying goodbye to her as she ushered him out of her apartment, Michael told her to call him if she saw anything suspicious on the cameras, or if she needed anything. He never expected to hear from Dr. Jackson again.

Michael went home and rested for a few hours. His head was still killing him. He knew he was still suffering the effects of a pretty bad concussion, but he would rather recuperate at home than in the hospital. As he sat around, he got angrier and angrier. His headache was a result of what Thompson did to him. No, he couldn't prove it, but he KNEW it. Thompson had made this personal.

Deciding that he wanted to get out for a while, Michael called a couple of buddies to see if they wanted to go out to watch the basketball game. Michael had done some homework on Thompson and knew his favorite hangout. A couple of guys agreed to meet him at the Cliffs of Moher, an Irish Pub that also doubled as a sports bar.

They were fortunate enough to find a few seats at the bar and sat down and started catching up. They all gave O'Flynn a hard time for not going out as much as he used to. For Michael, it actually felt good to get out. While the others drank beer, Michael only sipped club soda. He may have been stubborn by getting out of the hospital too soon, but he wasn't stupid. He was not going to mix alcohol in with his concussion.

About an hour after they arrived, Michael saw Thompson walk through the door. Thompson stopped dead in his tracks when he saw O'Flynn. Michael smiled and winked at Thompson. When Thompson moved over to a small group of men and women, Michael's eyes followed him. Thompson kept looking over at Michael, and every time he did, Michael was staring at him. It was obvious that Thompson wasn't comfortable.

Thompson didn't stay long. He had one drink and then started for the door. Michael turned to his friends, "I'll be right back." They looked at him funny. They knew he was up to something, and he knew that they knew. "It's okay. I just need to talk to a guy about something. It is no big deal."

Following Thompson out the door, Michael caught up to him on the sidewalk. He did not give Thompson a chance to say a word. "You fucked up Thompson. You made it personal. Now, I am going to make your life hell, and guess what, I don't need a board to do it. I am going to be everywhere. Whenever you turn around, I am going to be there.. both on the job and off. Guess what else.... you are going to pay for hitting me with that board. You just won't know when it will happen. I know everything about you. I will enjoy making your life hell Thompson. You might be able to scare that doctor, because you think she is weak. It doesn't work with me. Oh, and when it is time, I will not sneak up on you. I will come right at you face to face. Now, have a good night."

Moving back inside, Michael sat back at the bar. he looked at the television. "What the hell happened? We were up 10. I walk away for 5 minutes and now we are down 3. What's going on?" They spent the rest of the night talking and catching up. Michael promised them that he would get together with them more often.

 

[zydrate]

Paige knew this was a bad idea. She knew she should have just gone to a hotel… that would have been a great time at least, room service and no overbearing mother like she had now… at her old home.

Of course her parents were glad she was staying with them for a few days but sometimes…they were a bit too much. Especially with her love life. Paige had decided to stay for the weekend, after that, she would go back home… at least until it was time to move.

As much as her mother bugged her, she knew her father was curious about why she was home. He didn’t say anything yet… the key word, yet. He knew Paige would open up to him when she was ready. And truthfully, she wasn’t ready.

City Councilor Bradford Jackson looked at his daughter as the family ‘enjoyed’ their breakfast together. Paige had intended to sleep in but of course, her mother had other plans. “I know you’re off for a few days Paige, so why don’t we have a girls day out?”

Paige held in a sigh as she nodded and gave her mother fake smile, “That sounds… fun.”

That seemed to get her mother in a more excited, “Perfect! I’ll go get ready and after breakfast, we can go.”

With her mother out of the room, her father finally spoke up, “What is this all about Paige?”

“Well, we’re going out because that’s what—”

“Don’t… start. You know what I mean.”

There was no lying to her father, it was just something she ever did. With a hard sigh Paige leaned back in her chair and told him everything. The incident with Thompson… the break ins of her apartment, which was why she was here now.

“And why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?!”

“Because of that.” She stated, indicting his reaction, “Dad, this is something I can handle, I don’t need to have you get involved, OK? It’s taken care of. I’m going to move somewhere safer and perhaps switch to a day shift… it’s going to be OK.”

“You call this OK? No… I’m going to have a talk to with the Chief of Police as soon as—”

“No, you’re not.”

Even though both spoke at a reasonable level, both were upset with the other. Paige didn’t need her father to fight her battles for her.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you just did as we said and had chosen a different career.”

“Oh, here we go… it’s my fault now, right? You know what? I don’t want to get into this in front of Mom. You stay out of this, OK? I will handle it.”

But it was too late and Paige knew it. She knew her father was going to cause some sort of uproar… perfect.

Without saying anything else, she stood and walked out of the room, going to get ready. She knew coming here was a big mistake…

***
“Mom… can we please stop; you’re buying too much again.” This was the 3rd trip to the car they had to make because her mother had been shopping all morning. And all morning, she had heard her mother’s suggestions for things Paige should buy for herself. A new dress. A new pair of shoes… If only her mother would understand why she didn’t need any of these things in her line of work.

As they got to the car, a package dropped and as Paige bent to pick it up, another hand reached for it. Looking up, Paige came eye to eye with Thompson, who was in uniform. He smiled… or more so, sneered at Paige. Her mother stopped talking and looked at the man, “Thank you so much.”

“Of course Ma’am, anything to help out 2 very pretty ladies.”

Paige grabbed her mother’s hand, “Let’s go. Now.”

Before her mother could argue, Paige practically pushed her mother into the car and got in the driver’s side before speeding off. Of course, her mother was saying something about how rude she was and this was why she wasn’t able to date was—

Paige tuned the rest of what her mother was saying as she looked in the rearview mirror and she saw Thompson still standing there... watching them as they drove off.

This was getting out of hand. Paige knew her mother was upset with her when they got home but at the moment, that didn’t concern Paige. She had gone to the guestroom (her old room) and closed the door. Her heart was pounding as she shakily found O’Flynn’s number she had saved in her phone and sent him a text.

Thompson is still following me. Saw him face to face today while out with my mom. Why is he doing this?

She wasn’t sure why she didn’t just call him but it didn’t matter at the moment as she waited for his response.

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael was certain that Thompson was either too dumb, too stubborn, or both to heed his warning. Since he was going to be off for a few days, O'Flynn decided he would do some undercover work. Armed with a large cup of coffee, Michael followed Thompson as he left the station house, and spent the next few hours tailing Thompson.

Not surprised when Thompson left his sector, Michael was surprised to see how far he ventured from his assigned area. O'Flynn watched as Thompson pulled over in a quiet neighborhood and just sat there. Approximately 30 minutes later, Thompson pulled away from the curb and drove his patrol vehicle to a local shopping district, which was a good distance still from his assigned area. "Things must be real quiet in his sector."

Observing Thompson get out of his patrol vehicle, Michael parked and decided to go for a walk. He moved up to Thompson's patrol car and checked the passenger side door. Not a good idea on Thompson's part.

Continuing to follow Thompson, Michael realized what Thompson was doing. He was following Dr. Jackson. He saw the doctor come out of a store with a woman that Michael assumed was her mother. Michael nodded. "I was right... too stubborn and too dumb."

O'Flynn knew that Thompson would not do anything in public, other than maybe make sure that Dr. Jackson saw him. So, Michael went back to Thompson's unmarked patrol car. He clipped his badge to his belt in case anyone saw him. Then, he entered the passenger door of the patrol car; using the cuff of his shirt to make sure that he didn't leave any fingerprints. He knew they would dust for fingerprints after what he planned to do.

First, O'Flynn removed the laptop computer from its mount. Then, he took the shotgun out of its rack on the cage at the back of the front seat. He sat in the patrol car for a minute and waited until nobody was passing, and he got out of the vehicle and headed to his car. Once there, he put both items in the trunk of his car and then got into his car.

Waiting for Thompson to return, Michael had to smile a little. This wasn't going to be good for Thompson. IAD would definitely be involved, but so would quite a few members of the police hierarchy. It was never a good thing when a police computer and a police shotgun went missing.

When Thompson returned to his patrol car, he started it up and began to pull away. Then, he suddenly jammed on his brakes. He got out of the patrol car and looked around. He stood with his hands on his hips, and then, reluctantly broadcast over police radio.

A short time later, multiple police vehicles, including the shift commander and a Deputy Commissioner pulled up. They started talking to Thompson.

Then, Michael received a text message. It was from Dr. Jackson. He knew she was upset.

"I don't know why he is doing it. I am taking steps to make it stop real soon."

Michael decided he had seen enough. He drove to the local library and took the laptop out of his trunk. He went into the library and sat down at a computer. He created an email address that could not be traced back to him, and then he downloaded the GPS tracking data for Thompson's patrol car, and emailed it to the new email address. Then, using that new email address, he sent the tracking data to the Police Commissioner, all of his command staff, to Thompson's immediate supervisor and to the head of IAD with a short message:

This is the GPS tracking data for Officer Thompson today. Doesn't seem like much was going on in his sector. Seems funny that when his computer and shotgun went missing that he was a great distance from where he was assigned to be. You will get another email telling you where you can pick up the laptop and shotgun.

After sending the email, O'Flynn headed back to his car and drove to a remote location outside of the city. After using several wipes to clean any prints he may have put on the laptop, he hid the two items just off of a dead-end road.

After getting back into the city, he went to an internet cafe, logged onto the new email address and sent an email to the same group of people telling them where the computer and shotgun were. Then he went home to enjoy a relaxing evening.

 

[zydrate]

Deal with it real soon. Yeah, sure... Paige thought as she just tossed her phone on the bed.

It was still early in the day and she still had to spend the rest of the day with her mother... that was an ordeal in itself. It wasn't too bad though, her mother was a bit mad at her for dragging her away from their morning shopping. She didn't have the heart to tell her why she did what she did. The last thing she needed was more nagging from both of her parents right now. It had taken some doing earlier to get her father to back off at least.

Paige wasn't used to having this many days off... looking up, she caught her reflection in the mirror and sighed. What happened these past few weeks? She had been doing good. She had a routine. Sure, her life was boring, but what else was there? Did any of the other doctors go through this?

Probably not.

No, she needed to take control back. She wanted her old life back. This was all getting out of hand. But how?

***

It was a tense dinner that night. As per usual, her father dominated the conversation but Paige's thoughts were elsewhere. She regretted her decision to come home... she was thinking she should have stayed at her grandfather's lake house, although ti was a quite a distance, at least she would have been alone.

As she was helping her mother clear the table, Paige's phone vibrated. She looked at the number and saw it was her landlady. She answered and could only hear relief in Barbara's voice. "Oh thank God you're alright! Paige, I'm sorry but the apartments are on fire! Thankfully everyone is accounted for except you and I knew you were either at work or something!"

Barbara had gone on to say the fire department was there and working on it but it looked like it was a total loss.

A few minutes later after the call was ended, Paige grabbed some car keys and drove down to her place. As she approached, she saw the fire from a mile awhile... when she arrived, she parked down the street and ran toward the building but was immediate stopped by cops who had it barricaded it off so the fire department could do their job.

Thompson. It had to be.

 

[BeachBum25]

When Michael found out from Dr. Jackson that her apartment had been set on fire and that it was a total loss, he decided that he needed to go in a different direction with Thompson. No longer was it going to be about Thompson's job. No, it was going to be much more than that.

Michael asked Dr. Jackson to meet him at a coffee shop. On his way there, he wondered why he was having the evil thoughts that were running through his mind. Was it because he was attracted to Dr. Jackson and all of this Thompson stuff had interfered with him being able to try to see if there was a mutual interest? One of the reasons Michael knew he was having such thoughts was that Thompson had made it personal by attacking him from behind. Michael tried to go after his job first... not anymore.

When he met with Dr. Jackson at the Coffee shop, her anger and frustration were very obvious. Who could blame her? She was being harassed and attacked by a cop, and nobody seemed to help her. "I am so sorry Dr. Jackson. I thought I could get a handle on him. Obviously, I was wrong. I am going in a different direction now. I just need to be certain that it was Thompson. Can you show me the camera footage?"

Dr. Jackson showed Michael the video. There was video of Thompson entering the apartment, in the living room and then starting the fire in both the bedroom and the living room. "Do me a favor and email that to me at this email address." Michael gave her the email address that he had created to send data to the PD about Thompson.

After they sat for quietly for a while, Dr. Jackson said she had to go. Michael's only comment to her as they were going their separate ways was, "things will be different this time."

After leaving Dr. Jackson, Michael went straight to Finnegan's Wake. It was an Irish Pub where many of his friends hung out. Some of his "friends" were on the wrong side of the law. They dealt in drugs and gambling. Michael, despite his position in law enforcement, would never give them up. Actually, there had been a couple of times he had given them a heads-up about raids on their gambling houses.

He walked in, sat down and ordered a Guinness. While he waited for it to be poured, he looked around. "Perfect." The person he hoped was going to be here was sitting in the back, holding court with a group of men. When the beerman brought his Guinness, Michael said to him, "Can you tell Seamus that Michael O'Flynn would like a minute of his time."

************

There were news reports, and articles written about the fire. One news program led with the story. "Boston Police investigating after the remains of what is believed to be a Boston police Officer found dead in his bed after the fire department extinguished a raging fire that tore through his home last night." The story went on to say that the fire was so hot that the remains were unidentifiable, and the coroner would need to use dental records to identify the body.

Michael watched the report and then finished dressing. He had an appointment with the city doctor to get put back to work. He should feel bad about what happened to Thompson, but he didn't. Something had to be done about him. Of course, it was going to cost Michael. He was now in debt to Seamus. Yes, he had been friends with Seamus since elementary school, but some things just needed to be paid for. This was one of those things.

 

[zydrate]

Paige almost choked on her orange juice as the family watched the morning news during breakfast. The news had just reported that a body of an officer was found after a fire tore through his home... was that Thompson?

"What the hell is going on in this city?" Paige's father muttered. He looked at Paige and shook his head, "I know it's too early but any cause as to what started the fire at your place?"

She shook her head and her father glared at her, knowing he hated it when she did that. She cleared her throat and shrugged, "They're still investigating... from what I understand."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Paige's mother spoke up.

"I don't know." Paige said. She honestly didn't know. She knew she didn't want to stay here any more than she had to. There was only one thing to do, "I guess just look for a new place in the city and in the meantime, stay at grandpa's place." It made sense since her grandfather had passed over 2 years ago and had left his lake house to Paige.

Just then her father's phone rang... always work first, family second... sometimes third.

Paige took that time to start cleaning up, "I have some things I need to do today Mom, can I use your car?" God, why did she feel like a teenager again?
******

After a quick shower and changing into a pair of jeans and t-shirt, Paige sent a text to O'Flynn... she had to know.

"Can we meet for lunch? I have some questions."

She didn't wait for a response and just sent the address of an Italian bistro near downtown. It was secluded and they could talk because she had a feeling about something she couldn't shake.

 

[BeachBum25]

His appointment at the city doctor did not go the way Michael wanted it to go. He was hoping to go back to work. The doctor told him he needed to be out for 5 more days. This was unexpected. Usually, the city doctor tried to get you back to work as quickly as possible. This doctor seemed to really care about his health.

As he left the doctor's office, he looked at his phone and saw that he had a text from Dr. Jackson. There was no doubt that Dr. Jackson had seen the news and was going to have questions for him.

Michael was not looking forward to meeting with Dr. Jackson. This was the first time that he could actually say that. Every other time he had met with the doctor, he was happy about it. He thought she was beautiful and sexy and was hoping to get to know her. This meeting was not going to be pleasant. He was going to have to deny, deny, deny. There was no way that a doctor was going to in any way approve of what had been done to Thompson... no matter what he had done to her.

He walked into the bistro, and he saw Dr. Jackson sitting near the back. She was facing the door and saw him as soon as he entered.

Taking his time, he walked to the back and sat down across from Dr. Jackson. "Hello doctor. I was at the city doctor when you texted, and I got it when I left his office. You said in your text that you had some questions."

 

[zydrate]

Paige was wearing a pair of black pants and a black, form fitting top with long sleeves. It was still freezing out and she couldn't wait until winter was over. Luckily it was a cozy restaurant and she wondered if she had chosen the wrong place to meet up with Michael.

No, this was just a meeting... and a lunch. She was starving since she hadn't really had much for breakfast this morning...

She hadn't been on her phone and just sat at the table, leaning on it as she doodled on a napkin with her favorite pen. She had only ordered lemon water while she waited.

Seeing Michael walk in, she only looked at him briefly as she thought about this. Was she crazy for thinking Michael had anything to do with Thompson's demise? Did she dare ask him? Would she believe him?

He said he was at the city doctor and she nodded, "What did they say? Did they release you from your torturous home confinement?" She asked, giving him a small smile. He told her that the doctor had extended his leave and that gave Paige pause as she pushed a menu toward him, "Really? Hmmm... that's odd."

"I should turn you in for not following their orders... they said not to drive..." she said as she looked over the menu. She hoped he got the hint she was teasing. "Have you been here before? If not, I would really recommend the lasagna and if you have, then I still recommend it."

 

[BeachBum25]

Walking into the bistro wearing brown pants, a light blue shirt and a navy blue and red striped tie, Michael had noticed how good Dr. Jackson looked in the form fitting top. He was careful to maintain eye contact as they spoke.

"I argued with him for a while. He said that my concussion was pretty serious and that sitting on the sidelines for another week would only benefit me in the long run."
He chuckled when she said that she should report him. "Well Doctor Jackson, if you were so concerned about whether or not I was going to drive, you would not have invited me to meet you here."

He looked over the menu and then decided to take the doctor's recommendation. Although he really wasn't looking to eat that much, Michael thought that it would be a good idea to take the good doctor's suggestion. It might help avoid any conflict that might arise.

After ordering, Michael looked at Dr. Jackson. "So, you had questions for me. Were your questions about how I was feeling after getting whacked over the head with a board? Or, did you just want to get together and spend some time with me not discussing anything that was going on involving anyone on the police department?"

 

[zydrate]

She listened to him explain what the doctor had said and Paige just nodded in agreement, "Well, that's good. At least it seems he cares. I know it probably stinks but rest is really what one needs most after suffering a ---" Paige stopped and shook her head, smiling, "Sorry, sometimes it hard to turn off work."

He ordered what Paige suggested. It then occurred to her that maybe she was being too pushy? She was going to need to ask him something and forcing him to eat something he probably didn't want was not direction to go.

Their salads arrived and Paige didn't say anything until the waiter walked away. "Well, the other night, you said things were going to be different... remember after I showed you what we saw on the recording?"

She took a sip of her water and composed herself before continuing, "This morning, on the news, there was a report about an officer who's home burned down... just like how my place did..." Deep breath, "I may or may not have broken... OK, let me be honest, I pushed. I called the coroner's office earlier and they said the address belong to an Officer Thompson."

Looking at Michael, Paige sighed, taking another sip of her water, "Did you happen to have any involvement in it?" She wasn't accusing him of anything, her question was simple. Did he, or didn't he?

 

[BeachBum25]

Sitting across from the doctor, Michael watched her closely. he could tell that something was on her mind, and he knew exactly what it was. He was not, however, going to admit to anything.

Michael had not talked to, or communicated in any way with, Seamus since that night at Finnegan's Wake. He had not asked for Thompson to be killed. Of course, he knew that if Thompson was his normal asshole self when approached by some of Seamus' boys that Thompson would end up in bad shape. Michael had shared what Thompson had done to the doctor, including the break-ins and then the fire. Seamus had been able to tell that Michael cared about the doctor, and told Michael that he would make sure Thompson never bothered either of them again.

Michael started to take a forkful of salad when the doctor asked her question

"Excuse me, doctor? I am not sure I know what you are talking about. Involvement in what? I just came from the doctor's office and now you are asking me if I am involved in something and I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you telling me that the news report you saw was about Thompson, and I am assuming that since you spoke to the coroner's office that Thompson is dead."

Michael played it off like he had not heard anything about it. He was going to let the doctor ask more questions. He knew she would still wonder about his involvement, but he knew there would be no way anyone could connect anything to him. Seamus and his men would never do anything that could get them caught, which meant nobody would know Michael was involved in what happened to that asshole Thompson.

 

[zydrate]

Paige sat back and stared at Michael. It was a good few minutes before she nodded, "OK," she shrugged and got back to her food, "I had to ask. Can't fault a girl for wondering..."

Did Paige believe him? Yes and no. But she let it go for now. If he was involved, he didn't seem the type to have something like this done to Thompson. But really, did it matter? Thompson was a jerk. He terrorized Paige to the degree of stalking and in the end, burning down her home. Although it was an apartment, it was her home for a long time. And it just wasn't Paige that was affected by the fire, there were other families now having to stay with either relatives or at a hotel provided by the red cross. So, in the end... did it matter?

"OK... well, in spite of every thing, I'm currently, in a way, homeless. Staying with my parents for the time being which in itself is not the greatest thing to do. I have to get a car soon... How can one person cause so much trouble?" She was babbling and she knew it. Before either of them could say anything else, their food was served.

Although he didn't ask, Paige continued, "So, Michael, tell me about yourself... in light of everything, I hope we could at least consider each other friends. I mean, you've done a lot for me." She had been referring more to when he was there for her when that prisoner had attacked her. In the norm of it all, that was just a typical Tuesday in the ER. Although her job shouldn't be considered dangerous, it was.

 

[BeachBum25]

He listened as the doctor took the conversation in a different direction. He wasn't sure she was convinced, but, for the time being, she was letting it go. He had a feeling that, her attempts to find out more about him were just a little diversion before she revisited Thompson.

"Well doctor, I joined the Marine Corp right out of high school, much to my mother's dismay. She wanted me to be a doctor, but I had no interest in burdening myself with borrowing all of the money that would have required. She was a single mom and couldn't afford to send me to school. She won't admit it, but I think she is still disappointed. Every once in a while she reminds me that I graduated number 5 in my high school class."

He paused and took a couple bites of lasagna. The doctor was right. The lasagna was very good. "I did a couple of tours in Afghanistan and came home to join the hometown police department. During my time in the PD, I have dealt with multiple break-ins at your apartment... going back a few years to when I made arrangements to have your locks changed by a friend of mine, and moving forward to now when you had a cop breaking into your apartment, and that same cop hitting me with a board and giving me a concussion. Oh yes, and then there was that time we spent together in the ER while you were messing around with a prisoner."

He smiled at the doctor and ate a little more lasagna. "Oh, and then there was everyone in the ER and most of the guys in the precinct that thought that we were an item. Not that there would have been anything wrong with that, but it was the talk of a lot of cops I worked with, and I know that your security people at the hospital thought we were together."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who can blame them. They saw two people that were suddenly spending time together at the ER. They had to figure that the cop was very interested in the attractive doctor."

 

[zydrate]

"Ahh, mothers..." Paige said, understanding him on that point. "My mother wanted me to follow in my father's footsteps. But I have no interest in politics." She didn't want to get into who her family was. It just seemed to make things complicated. But he wanted to be a doctor too? That was an interesting tidbit she tucked away to be discussed another time.

Paige laughed softly, "Sounds like you came back just to take care of my issues... funny, most would just walk away from what I bring to the table."

She took a few bites before asking, "So, what color is it?"

Michael looked at her as she continued, "My file. What color is it? I hope it's purple. I like purple. If not purple, then green would do.... Probably not...? From what I see in the shows, it's probably a boring oak tag folder. But a girl can hope."

Nodding at the ER comment, she just shook her head, "Please... you have to understand, we're all we see for over 12 hours a shift, sometimes even more. So they'll take any gossip they can get. The nurses especially, that little collection is always trying to set me up. Like my mom does, trying to get me out there." It was true but some of the dates, especially the ones her mom set her up on, didn't understand she had to work long nights and couldn't grasp that. Which was why gave up on dating.

"Don't tell them we're here or else they'll start up again." This wasn't a date. Was it?

No... OK, maybe it was a little... no, no... what would he see in her? Besides, with how handsome he was, he had to have someone at home.

 

[BeachBum25]

"I think you would be a good politician. You are a go-getter and you don't really back down. You know what you want and you push until you get it. Of course, sometimes it gets you in trouble, like the time in the ER with the prisoner."

He smiled as he listened to her say most people would just walk away from what she brought to the table. "Everyone has their own baggage that they bring to the table. Sometimes, the combination of the baggage fits well together. Other times, not so much. It seems I have taken an interest in your issues... going back to the break-in at your apartment a while back all the way up to the prisoner in the ER and the Thompson nonsense. Somehow, it seems our planets are aligned."

Michael laughed when Dr. Jackson talked about the color of the tab on her file. "Tab color. You give the PD way to much credit for being organized. You have multiple files all in different locations. The break-in from before is in the precinct where you live. The Er incident with the prisoner, that file is in the precinct near the hospital, and all of your Thompson files are at Internal Affairs, and I am the only one that knows that. If you asked anyone else in the PD about your files, they would have no clue where to find anything."

Taking a bite of the lasagna, Michael listened as Dr. Jackson talked about the gossiping nurses and how they, along with her mother were always trying to set her up. He smiled at her. His mom had done the same for a little while after he had returned from the military, but she eventually gave up. "Yea, my mom was the same way for a while, but she decided that I was not open to what she was trying to do. She still gives me the, "will I ever be a grandma" guilt trip when I see her. I just laugh it off. Don't worry, I won't tell them we were here together. I doubt I will see any of them, anyway. My new assignment keeps me away from you and the hospital."

There had been a time when Michael had hoped to ask the doctor out on a date. He found her to be very attractive. Now, however, that idea had been pushed to the back of his mind. She had invited him here to ask him if he had anything to do with what happened to Thompson. Yes, the conversation had changed to something more social, but he wasn't sure that she would even consider him as someone to go out with.

"Aren't we a pair. We have people trying to fix us up with other people, and all we do is resist. You would think your nurses would get it and just let you find the right guy on your own. I am sure that if you were open to it, you would have a lot of guys wanting to spend some time with you."

 

[zydrate]

“What some people don’t understand that we can have the best security.. like black-ops or something like that in the ER, especially a trauma 1 ER like this and something is still going to happen. I remember when I started my residency, there were a total of 27 residents… and by the time it was up, there were only 10 left, myself included. Something…. something is always going to happen there. This whole prisoner thing, that was nothing… I’ve been punched, I’ve been stabbed… assaulted, threatened… you name it, but all in all, I’m still going to attend to my patient.”

She ate some more of her lunch and just shrugged, “The last guy I dated a few years ago… yes, years, don’t act surprised… he couldn’t handle my schedule… couldn’t comprehend how I could work so much. I tried to explain but he didn’t want to understand… like now? I am forcing myself to have this time off though. I need to find a place…” she said, knowing he knew why… “That’s why the gossip is so free flowing at work, those ladies…” she just shook her head and laughed, “They saw you, saw how good looking you are and how nice you are, so it was no wonder they picked on you.”

Paige hadn’t realized what she said until it was too late. She kept her cool though... thankfully the waiter came and put the check on the table, “I know this meeting kind of started off on the wrong foot but you have to understand that I had to ask about what happened..” she grabbed her wallet and put her credit card on the ticket, “and you said you didn’t have anything to do with it so—” Paige looked at Michael, “I believe you. What happened…happened. He’s not going to bother me anymore and this,” she indicated at their meeting, “think of it as a peace offering.”