“No, Ma’am….I can have it put in my Mom’s safety deposit box until your granddaughter gets out. No, I can only imagine…a family heirloom and all…Excuse me…did I hear you right? Fifty Thousand dollars? No, Ma’am.“ Michael reached into the purse with her free hand and pulled out the ring. It seemed pretty but nothing to ‘write home about,‘ as her Dad used to say.

“You didn’t give it to…gave it to Caden instead….Didn't trust..your own daughter? I don’t understand?” She didn’t understand, but something clicked inside of her and she realized why Grace O’Rourke was killed and she felt sure that her suspicions about the killer were true. The trick now was finding a way to prove it.

I sit by the harbor
The sea calls to me
I hide in the water
But I need to breathe

Morristown Police Headquarters, Sunday Afternoon, the 28th of December...

Michael stood by the large desk near the holding cell, looking very animated and drawing the attention of everyone in the big office.

“Now, Mikey, you’re too close to the investigation; the Captain wants you to take some time off. You’ve got enough to worry about with your mom and all.” Dave pointed to the Captain’s office to appeal his authority.

“I know. Besides, it looks like everyone was right.” At that, she raised her voice enough that the figure in the holding cell sat up and took notice.

“I mean, if someone went to her motel and found the gun, I guess that means I’ve been wrong all along about Miss O’Rourke. She shook her head and turned away from the cell before facing Dave Washington once again.

“The thing is, I talked to her grandmother. She says that the ring Miss O’Rourke has isn’t even a family heirloom like she was told, but property of the Royal Family that was stolen sometime in the spring of 1921 by members of the Dublin Brigade. The IRA stole it during the War of Independence. It’s worth at least fifty thousand dollars; maybe more since it belongs to the Crown.” Dave shook his head at the enormity of the value; motive enough to murder.

“Where is it now, Mikey. That’s somethin’ you don’t want floatin’ around unattended.

“Oh, I’ve got it in a safe in my mother’s bedroom. No problem.”

“Well, I guess you should bring it in tonight and turn it over to property until this gets sorted out; it has to be considered evidence.

“Oh, sorry, Dave. I’ve got to head out to Newark and pick up my mom and my sister and brother-in-law.

“So soon. I thought she just went out on Christmas Eve.”

“They decided …. She’s put it in God’s hands now, Dave.” Michael put her head down. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Tell her me and Cherish wlll be prayin’ for her, okay?” Michael nodded and blinked back tears. She walked over to the holding cell and stood quiet. Caden got off the cot and walked to the cell door.

“So that’s it? You’re just giving up on me…on us?”

“I’m sorry, Miss O’Rourke, but after what your grandmother told be about your mom and how your dad tried to steal the ring, I just figure it’s bad news; that you fell into the same mistakes he did. I wish I felt differently.” Michael sighed but placed her index finger against her cheek as if she was thinking a deep thought. Caden noticed the gesture and echoed the sigh before turning away. No one noticed that she had stopped frowning.

I've been run aground
So sad for a sailor
I felt safe and sound
But needed the danger

That evening...

The tall figure stepped into the room from the hallway; a tight beam of light spilled out from under a cupped palm from the small flashlight in the very large hand. The figure shone all around the room until it fell on a picture frame hanging on a wall between the doorway and the closet.

“I guess that’s where the safe would be.” A deep voice remarked and was answered with,

“Dave? I’m so disappointed.” Michael shook her head and frowned, and Dave just put his head down.
 
 
 

“It took you long enough.” Michael whispered. Dave had his head down and behind the tall dresser just on the other side of the bedroom door. He smiled, but the grin was lost in the dark of the unlit room

“Had to make sure everyone had heard. I made a point of talking about it in the break room after you left.” He was about to continue but Michael patted the soft carpet to get his attention. A moment later the bedroom door opened and a figure became backlit against the hall light. Even with the glare, there was no mistaking the man in the doorway. He stepped into the bedroom, his actions mirroring Dave’s movement from only minutes before. As he drew closer to the bed Dave reached up and flicked on the bedroom light, revealing Officer Peter Krakowski.

He pulled out a flashlight and stepped up to the bed and pulled the picture frame from the wall, revealing nothing but a light impression where the paint had been covered by the painting.

"Pete? Why?" Michael stood up with her weapon holstered, giving Pete reason to put his hand on his hip, reaching vainly for his own gun, which was even at that moment being removed from the holster by the man standing behind him.

“I was hoping so much that Mikey was wrong Pete. I’m so sorry. Dave stood and unholstered his weapon before pushing it rudely against Pete’s back.

“How did you know? How the fuck did you know?” Pete shook his head and looked back at Dave and glared.

“When you were out at the car, Dave told me that the weapon had been found in Caden’s motel room. I didn’t think much of it at the time until he added that you had found it in her room in a dresser. Then I remembered. She told nobody but me where she was staying. She never got a chance to tell her mother and she had no one else to tell. For you to ‘discover’ the gun, you had to have followed me.

I don’t know what you told everyone else, but for you to know where she was, you had to have a reason for wanting to keep track of her. When you told me that it was ‘her’ mother they took out of the house, but you knew she had started out as Kellen, and this after you looked at the photo. You must have been in the house. What happened Pete? I don’t see you as being cold blooded. Why did you shoot her?”

“I only meant to scare her; my throw-away always had a hair trigger. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. I kept track of it. Everybody in the neighborhood knew about the ring. She used to complain how her mother kept it from her. I waited until she went out to her usual Wednesday night Bingo…I forgot it was Christmas Eve. They must have canceled it. She surprised me and I turned and the gun went off. I never meant to hurt anyone, Mikey. You gotta believe me.

“Why hit her in the head.” Michael stood face to face with Pete.

“She hadn’t seen me and she was startin’ to get up. I was scared she'd see me! I didn’t mean to hurt her, I swear to God.”

“You hit her hard enough that she developed an aneurysm….it was pitch dark, Pete. You could have just turned and walked away.” Michael sighed and shook her head. The lights of the patrol cars dancing off the mirror in the bedroom signaled that the backup had arrived. A moment later Pete was led out by two officers, followed almost immediately by Dave and Michael.

Back at Headquarters...

“I can’t begin to thank you, Dave.” Michael sighed; the relief of the moment gave her permission to tear up. She would cry later when she had the time, and Dave understood anyway, since his own eyes had filled with tears.

“Your dad and I were friends, Mikey. I could do no less for his daughter. It was a good thing we did here, Mikey. Maybe the salvation of what was a really lousy Christmas, huh? Well, after I go fill out a million pages of reports, I’m going home to my family, okay?” He put his hand on the girl’s shoulder and pulled her close for a hug.

“Now this is a policeman’s hug…officer to officer, okay? You wouldn’t let it get around that Dave Washington was goin’ soft, would you?” Michael blinked back a few tears. It was already a very long night that promised to get even longer.

“Tell Caden I’m sorry, but I really do need to get to the airport, okay? Can you see that she gets to my place safely?”

“You can tell me yourself, Officer Callahan. They released me when Officer Washington here told your Captain what you’d discovered." Michael turned around to find Caden standing there.

“I’m sorry I had to be rough with you in front of everybody.”

“I understood…when you touched your finger to your cheek….Nonee’s way of kissing me, right?” Michael nodded and her face turned red.

“I’m so sorry about your mom. Can I come to the airport with you?”

“Would you?” Michael asked her as if it was out of place; she didn’t know the family at all. Caden nodded and stepped closer.

“I think it would be a good thing if your family met me, don’t you?” She kissed Michael lightly on the cheek. A few catcalls and whistles came from around the office and Dave waved at Michael and nodded with a big smile. Michael waved back; a bit sheepishly, but with a similarly big smile before answering.

“Yes, Miss O’Rourke. It would be a good thing indeed.

You are an ocean wave, my love
Crashing at the bow
I am a galley slave, my love
If only I could find out a way to sail you
Maybe I'll just stow away

Next: A Free Good Will...

Martha's Harbour
Written by Tim Bricheno, Andy Cousin, Julianne Regan
as performed by All About Eve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCuSo8q7HnI