Loves Redemption

the leads they followed up on were unsubstantiated--a pissed off coworker or ticked off spouse.
Because Mark’s name was the one related to this case on television or in the papers,
many of the callers would ask for him by name, not willing to share their misguided information with anyone else.
As Mark was leaving the squad room, LeDoux came in and, spotting Jordan at his desk,
headed in his direction with a smirk on his face. “Did you see the fight last night?”
Mark knew the ensuing argument that would take place and escaped, knocking on the
lieutenant’s door. The first thing that struck him when he entered was how clean the room was.
In all of his time at the station he’d never seen it as clean as it was today. Walls he’d
thought were gray were white and sparkling. Glancing around he noticed the garbage can was
not only emptied but it too seemed as though it had seen a good scrubbing. Looking back up, he caught the lieutenant watching him as he surveyed the room.
“Looks good in here, smells even better. What happened?” he asked, as he pulled up a
chair.
“Nothing happened. The place needed to be cleaned, so I came in myself this weekend to
clear up some files, and I decided to clean it up a little.” The lieutenant pulled his tie away from his throat, as though it was too tight.
Changing the subject, the lieutenant asked, “I received your message about the positive
ID Dr. Richardson was able to give on the female victim. Were you able to find out much else after you questioned her?”
“The two of them hadn’t had too much communication during the last few years. Her
foster sister would come around when she needed something, usually money. Other than that, Dr.
Richardson didn’t have a last known address for her, but she thinks she can find out through her own network, which is what I want to talk to you about, Lieutenant.”
“What about?”
“Dr. Richardson has great insight into this population and a strong rapport with most of
them. Even those who don’t live there respect her, and I believe she could provide valuable information we may not have access to otherwise.”
“That sounds like a good idea. The chief is starting to breathe a little too close down my
neck since Hardcastle was murdered.” The lieutenant mentioned the latest victim found along with Allison.
“Although the circumstances around his murder were less than ideal, his family is up in
arms and wants to know what the police are doing about his murder. Like we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs or something. It would be nice if Santiago could back us up once in a
damn while.” The lieutenant’s dislike of the chief was well-known. He considered him an
opportunist who saw his current position as a mere stepping-stone in his political aspirations.
“What were you able to find out about the victim from Dr. Richardson?”
“I got some background information about her, but nothing current. Dr. Richardson is
sure she’ll be able to use her network to find out something about her sister’s last known address, as well as who she was keeping company with before she was killed.”
“Hmm.” The Lieutenant murmured, “That’s fine. I’ll clear it with the department, but it
shouldn’t be a problem bringing Dr. Richardson on board. Bring her in as soon as she’s available and we’ll go from there.”
After Mark finished the meeting with the lieutenant, the remainder of the day was filled
with him and Jordan following up on leads. Looking at the wall clock, he decided to retire for the evening and pick it up tomorrow. He glanced over at Jordan and noticed he was checking out the time.
“I don’t know about you but I’m tired. Man, it was a long weekend, if you know what I
mean.” With a satisfied smile on his face Jordan stood to stretch out his long body. “I’m going home for some much needed rest. What about you?”
“I don’t think my weekend was as pleasurable as yours. I’m tired for an entirely different
reason,” he said with envy.
He knew it was too soon with Maya, but he wished he was tired for the same reasons
Jordan was. However his fatigue was associated with his inability to get her out of his mind and go to sleep, unfortunately. “I’m leaving too; I’m going to make one more call before I go.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, partner.” After saying goodnight, Jordan left Mark to make
his call.
Picking up the phone, he decided to see if he could catch Maya at Imani House. It was
late, and he suspected she was long gone for the night. As he waited for her voice mail to pick up, he was surprised when the phone was picked up on the fifth ring with her breathless, “Hello.”
Surprised he once again looked at the clock. “Hi Maya, are you okay?” he asked. She
sounded completely out of breath.
“Mark? Yes, I’m fine. Sometimes I have a hard time locating my telephone,” she
admitted with a light laugh.
“I didn’t think I’d catch you still at work. I expected to leave a message on your voice
mail.” Mark settled back into his chair, an unknowing smile on his face.
“I’m usually at the House until around eight or so, sometimes later. Today was busy. I
searched for a replacement for one of tonight’s group sessions and I couldn’t find one, so I conducted it.”
As she spoke, Mark picked up on her need to help everyone. He wondered if it was at the
expense of her well-being. He didn’t want to voice his opinion on such short acquaintance, so he kept his observation to himself.
“At any rate, I’m finished for the evening and was on my way out when the phone rang.”
she finished telling him.
“I don’t want to keep you, Maya. Lieutenant Hernandez thinks it would be a great idea
for you to consult with the department on the slayer case, if you’re still interested. But