Possessing Morgan:
A Matter of Conviction
by Aurelia
Part 18
See Part 1 for Disclaimers
Chapter 18
Andrea was bored out of her mind and frustrated even further. Jefferson and Virginia Worthington, her dutifully devoted parents, had been her constant companions the last two days. Oh, and Joel, slinking around like an old sick cat. Her mother was driving her up the damn wall. If it wasn’t about “that woman”, she was brow-beating her daughter about the dangers of living in New York City and how much more “civilized” it was back in the South, Charleston in particular. Andrea, however, had ceased listening somewhere after 'hello' yesterday morning. It was just as well because Virginia simply ignored anything her daughter was able to force into the conversation.
“Mother, for the last time, I am not, I repeat NOT, going back to Charleston. I have a job to do here and I am NOT leaving.”
“Honey, you are a bit rattled with the shooting. You’ll see reason once we have you back home.”
“That was two days ago, Mother. I was injured in the shoulder... not the head! I am fine! And I am NOT changing my mind.” This was all rather pointless. Like the irresistible force meeting an immovable object neither of them was going to budge from their respective views on what was good for the counselor.
“Your father met with the District Attorney this morning and he made some inquiries on your behalf about terminating your contract.”
Andrea was completely dumbfounded. Hounding her into returning home was one thing, but actively involving themselves in removing her from her professional position was stepping way over the line. “YOU DID WHAT!!?!? How in the… how dare you interfere in my life, Mother… and Daddy! What gave you the right to do such a thing?”
“I have the right as your mother to protect you in spite of yourself. That… that… woman has you totally confused and all you can see is staying here. It’s too dangerous, Andrea honey. We’re doing this for your own good.”
“OUT! Get... out... now! Go home, Mother. When I feel in a forgiving mood I will come and visit. Until then…” Andrea bit her tongue, for she knew the venomous remarks were just sitting there waiting to come out. Her anger was paramount and she so wanted to vent it, but a tiny kernel of reason somehow held those harmful words back. She could feel the heat radiating from her face, knowing very well that her expression was ominous and threatening. “Your visit to New York has now ended, Mother. Go home. Now leave me alone, I’m tired.”
Her mother stood shocked, unable to comprehend what she had done wrong. “But, honey, what…”
“Enough...no more, just go.” Andrea turned her eyes to the window, dismissing them from her sight.
“Alright, if that's what you want…” Andrea heard the shuffle of feet heading towards the door.
“Oh, one moment, Daddy. Can I have a word with you, please?” When they all hesitated, she added, “Alone.” Her parents exchanged looks, curiosity and apprehension passing between them. She waited for her mother and Joel to depart, leaving her and her father alone in the room. Pointing to the chair sitting against the wall, she muttered, “Daddy, please sit down over here.”
“Sugar?” Jefferson was nervous, seeing the steely resolve in those dark eyes, eyes that reminded him so much of his strong-willed wife.
“Why, Daddy?”
“Why?”
“Why did you interfere? You have never questioned my decisions before. Why now?”
“Because your mother asked me to.”
“Oh, come on, Daddy. Did you honestly think it was the right thing to do?”
“Well, I don’t know, honey. Your mother had some very convincing arguments.”
“And what about what I want?”
“But… but… how do you know this is what you want? Andrea, honey, this is all so sudden. How can you be so sure? Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait a little longer?”
“I don’t know, Daddy, but it just feels so right.” Andrea could see the confusion on her father’s face. “Let me tell you something. The first time I spoke to Morgan I slapped her in the face.” Internally she couldn’t help but giggle at her father’s ludicrous look. “Yes siree, I most certainly did. We didn’t start off on the best of terms, let me tell you. We became friends, Daddy, but even we could both see that there was something more.” She looked up into benevolent eyes. “How can I ignore this, Daddy? Aren’t I allowed to find my own happiness?”
“But, Honey, it’s only been… what? A week?”
“I know, I know. I don’t understand it either, but it was like it was meant to happen. It was like my moving to New York was all part of some cosmic plan for me to meet Morgan. Who knows? Maybe I don’t want to know.” Andrea could see her father thinking, hoping that her impassioned speech got through to him. “Can you at least let me live my own life?”
“But your mother…”
“Daddy, please, for once don’t be influenced by Mother. Give us a chance. Please, for me.”
“Alright, honey. I’ll try. I don’t know what I’m gonna tell your mother though.”
“You’ll find a way. Oh... Daddy, can you please call the District Attorney and withdraw my resignation?”
He sighed deeply, watching as his daughter’s anger recede and replaced by her normal sunny disposition. Despite everything she was happy. Who was he to deny his only daughter her happiness? That was something to think about… “Alright, sugar. If that’s what you really want.”
“It’s what I really want. Thank you, Daddy. Now, please go home. I’ll come and visit once things have settled down.” She could do no more than that, sending them scurrying away in abject defeat. Yawning, she reached for her father with her good hand. “Sorry, I’m getting really tired. Go back to Charleston in the morning and I’ll call you in a few days.”
“Alright, honey. I’ll have to meet your Morgan properly one day and see for myself.”
“I think that might be arranged, but not now. One day, when we’re all ready to talk rationally about this.”
“Good idea, honey. It’s going to take some fancy talking on my part just to get your mother on that plane.”
“Daddy, you’re a tycoon, Mr. Wheeler-Dealer himself. You can talk anybody into anything. What’s just one little ol' woman?” She said with a wink.
“Just one woman? We’re talking about your mother here. I’ll be lucky if I’m in the same bedroom with her when we get home.”
Andrea pulled her father into a gentle hug, careful not to jar her injured shoulder. She whispered into his ear, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now get some sleep.”
“Goodbye, Daddy.”
“Goodbye Andrea, honey. Take care.”
“I will. Morgan will see to that. Can you send in Joel? I need to see him alone for minute.” She took in the gentle smile he imparted as he turned to leave the room. The door opened once more, filled by the handsome man standing there. “Hey, come and sit down.” There was confusion and a little bit of anger there. It wasn't going to be pretty but her heart pushed her on to finish what she had started. “Joel…”
“I just don’t get it. I thought you were happy about this.”
“If you want me to be honest with myself and you Joel... I wasn’t.”
“Then why? Why put me all through this? Make me… make me care for you.”
Guilt crashed down on her as he muttered the words. “I’m sorry, I really am. I had every intention of going through with the wedding, you know that. But now… things are different. Everything has changed, Joel. I can’t do this.”
His face dropped, and she wondered whether he was trying to make her feel guilty in an effort to get her back. If that was the case, then it wasn’t going to work.
“But a woman? How could you? If it were a man…” He bit his tongue as the words spilled out.
“If it were a man? Come on Joel, spit it out! If it were a man you’d have a chance, is that it?”
“A woman… a woman is just so wrong.”
“Wrong? WRONG?” Andrea could feel her blood pressure rise, seriously drawing on her energy reserves. “As wrong as having a girlfriend on the side, Joel?” He tried to look offended but she knew better. “Joel, come on! You think I don’t know about Jennifer? We both know that this marriage was a sham, a big Southern society sham.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“All those poker nights, Joel? Working late? Get real, honey. You have any idea how many of our friends have seen you out with Jennifer. I've always known, Joel.”
“You’ve got it all wrong, honey.”
“I didn’t care, Joel. Can you believe that? I was just keeping the families happy by doing this. I’d get a husband and children and everyone would be happy. I was living a lie as well.” Her eyes bore into his. “At least I’m being up-front about it.” Joel ducked his head and Andrea knew she had defeated him. He couldn’t take the higher moral ground because he had none.
“So what happens now?” He looked bewildered. His life had been secure, now the rug had been pulled from under his feet.
“Well, you go home and get on with your life. Oh, and please go find another job since the one Daddy offered you in the 'family business' is no longer available.” He looked up. “Joel, I am neither deaf, dumb, blind or stupid. You have a girlfriend and yet you insisted on this charade of us being an item. There had to be some incentive for this. All I can say is that it must have been one hell of an offer.”
“You’ll never know.”
“And I probably don’t want to either. No one wants to know what they’re worth in monetary terms, Joel. Just go home. You, of course, may also cancel the arrangements for relocating since I’ll be staying in New York.”
“Well then…”
“Goodbye, Joel.”
He left, leaving Andrea alone to contemplate what had just taken place. She wasn’t sure whether she felt elated or still in shock, but she was glad that it was now over. Andrea turned her attention to the object of all this discussion, blissfully unaware that her eyes were closing slowly as her body silently pulled her into a healing sleep.
* * *
It had been a long day. Ballistics now had the rifle and the round and Morgan was impatiently awaiting the results. Why did everything take so damned long?
“Will you calm down?” Henry was getting dizzy watching Morgan pace and fidget. This was what he was like at the birth of his first child, impatient, anxious, nervous, giddy and excited all at once.
“Huh?” Morgan barely acknowledged her partner, her mind swirling with all the clues of the two cases, carefully pushing around the pieces that she could see into some sort of pattern. Pieces were missing from the board, leaving the whole scenario incomplete. Somehow she had cut out her own pieces and slipped them into place, forming a tentative picture of what had happened. Desperately, she wanted to tell Henry everything, but suspicions were not fact and, as such, it was a massive work of fiction. But if Eddie was anywhere as good as she knew he was it was only a matter of time before she had her proof.
“You still not gonna tell me what’s going on?”
“Nope. You gotta wait like everyone else.”
“You don’t trust me?” Henry sounded hurt.
“Of course I trust you, Chinatown. You’re my partner and my buddy. I would never do that to you. But… but voicing my theory… I dunno, maybe I’m scared to jinx it.” Emerald eyes pleaded with him to understand as her hand reached over to touch him, silently begging for some time.
How could he deny her? Morgan had never lied to him. She was as honest a person as he had ever met. If she didn’t want to tell him then there must be a good reason for it. The redhead watched as he face softened, acknowledging that their friendship was still intact despite her not revealing her secret. Things would be fine.
“I expect to be the first one told, alright?”
“Sure thing, partner.”
“So now what?”
“I’m waiting on ballistics to confirm the round came from the rifle, then we’ll go visit Lenny again. See if he is a bit more amenable to naming names.” She suspected he wouldn’t be. Lenny was one tough customer and was going to take the information to his grave or, in this case, to jail. Still, she didn’t know until she tried.
“Anything I can do?”
“Sure.” Morgan was relieved with this compromise. She really didn’t want to cut Henry completely out of the investigation, so she settled for some phone work, checking out the numbers collected earlier at Lenny’s apartment. “I was going to check out the information we found at Lenny’s. You want to give me a hand?”
“No problem.” His nose crinkled as a broad grin broke across his face. Yes, things would be alright…
“Now, let’s get a cup of coffee before we start.”
He looked at Morgan in confusion. “Err, yeah, whatever you say.” Standing around the coffee maker, he continued. “Why am I getting a new cup of coffee when I have half a cup in my hand?”
“Because I don’t want to talk about the case around Morelli.”
“I don’t get it.”
Morgan dropped her voice to a whisper. “When I went to tell the captain we were going to Lenny’s, Morelli was ranting and raving about me. I think he’s losing it, Henry. I’m not gonna trust the man with anything. For now, this investigation is between the two of us, got me?”
“Sure.”
“What I’m looking for is anything to find whoever hired the hit. I didn’t see a phone at the apartment. Did Lenny have a cell phone with him?”
“Not sure, but I can search his personal belongings.”
“Check the address book on the cell phone and his phone records, especially the day and the day before the first attack on Andy. I want a name and address, Henry. You up to it?”
“Oh, yeah. Count me in.”
“I knew I could count on you, partner.”
“Always, my friend.” They smiled at each other as if sharing a mutual joke. Morgan turned her attention to the glowering Italian sitting in his chair sending visual daggers at her from across the room.
“So, you gonna visit Andy tonight?”
“I suppose so.”
“That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”
“It’s her damned parents. They don’t like me.”
“No?!” Henry couldn’t help but laugh at his partner’s dilemma. This woman was the master of understatement. From what Andrea had told him, they not only didn’t like her, they hated her with a vengeance. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Andy will protect you.” He turned at the growl directed at him. “What? You don’t think she can do it?”
“You are just a laugh a minute, aren’t you?”
“God knows I try. You ain't exactly Ms Polly Personality, ya know.” He saw her crestfallen face and relented. “Awww, c’mon Red. Cheer up. They won’t be here forever.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” She continued before he could question that. “What if they convince her to go home?” Then where will I be?
“They won’t do that. You know she wants you.”
Morgan choked on her coffee, the tepid liquid squirting out her nose because it had nowhere else to go. “W...w..Wants me? That’s a bit strong, doncha think!?”
“Well, what would you call it?”
“She likes me, Henry. We enjoy each other’s company.” She didn’t look him in the eye, knowing she would see the look of incredulity there. “Okay, it’s more than that.” But she sure as hell wasn’t going to use the ‘L word’.
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t?” That inner child was terrified of losing her playmate.
“Of course not. Now cut the crap and go see her. She must be bored stupid lying there in bed.”
“Yeah, probably. In the meantime, bud, we've got work to do.”
* * *
There was indeed a cell phone. After ascertaining its number, they requisitioned the phone records for the last month. While Henry continued the search for the elusive mastermind, Morgan stepped outside with her cell. “Eddie? Hey, it’s me. Any luck? You are the man! Can you send me over printouts of those records? Thanks. Oh, hey, I need you on standby for the next couple of days, you know, just in case.”
She held the phone away from her ear. “Hey! Hey! Hang on there, pal. You seem to have forgotten the little, though highly embarrassing, jam I got you out of recently. Now... What was it? Ohhhhh yeah, trouble at a certain Madam Lucy’s Den of a Thousand Delights? Something about a latex suit, a French maid’s outfit and a rubber chicken? I don’t even want to know about that one, Eddie.” No matter how she figured it, the rubber chicken had her stumped. Maybe it was better not to know.
“No, no, no... don't tell me! Do I need to remind you how much trouble that little indiscretion could have caused you? Good boy! I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking! And, hey buddy… thanks for your efforts on getting the information. Talk to you later.” As she disconnected the call she smiled. Eddie was one in a million. She was glad there was only one of him because he had some strange tastes, real strange tastes, but then she wasn't really one to talk.
Morgan stepped back inside the station house, subtly signaling to Henry, who grabbed both their mugs, again, and made his way to the coffee maker. “This is gonna look damned stupid if every time we want to talk we go for coffee.”
“Hey, it was all I could think of on the spur of the moment.” She mechanically poured out the old coffee and refilled her mug.
“So what's up now, Secret Squirrel?”
“I had a friend of mine track down that money.”
“I didn't know you had any friends in IT. Hell, I didn’t even know you knew what IT stood for.” He chuckled. “Hang on… track it down? You mean you found it?!”
“The Department's IT couldn’t find their way out the front door if you kicked 'em through it. This guy is a bud of mine and he is friggin' amazing. His name's Eddie, met him as a specialist on a case once a while back. I, ah, bump into him now and again. Anyway, he tracked the money through three accounts around the world until it came back here. It's all sitting in this bank account that belongs to this woman, Lauren Stapleton."
"Huh? Who the hell is she?"
“Who knows, but she’s the one we concentrate our efforts on. Any luck with the phone records?”
“I’ve got half a dozen numbers for the two days in question. I was just working through them when you called me.”
“I’m willing to bet my underwear that one of them is Lauren Stapleton.”
“Underwear?”
“Yeah.”
“And your underwear is a valuable betting item?”
“To me they are.”
Underwear? His partner was losing her mind. “If you say so, Red.” He was going to recommend a vacation after this was all over. Wonder what she would think of Disney World? He looked at the tall woman. Nah, not a Disney World type unless, of course, she had someone to share it with. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
“What’s so funny?”
“Aww, nothing. Just you and your underwear.”
“My underwear is funny?”
“When you start betting with it, it is.”
“Henry, you know what? You have a very strange sense of humor.”
“I know.” His grin widened, snagging his partner in the humor until they were both grinning like idiots. “That’s what Suzie loves about me.”
“Uh huh. Your humor.” Morgan’s eyes couldn’t help but slide down her partner’s slim body.
“Err… uhhh…” Henry didn’t know where to look when he saw where her eyes stopped. “Well, there’s that too.”
“Yeeeaahhh, right.” She had teased him enough. “Let’s get back to work before you decide to show me what else Suzie loves about you.”
“Oh, good God…”
"He won’t help you… C’mon, back to business.” She nodded her head towards her desk. Sauntering past Morelli, she tried to avoid eye contact with him. Morelli was trying to get her attention, she knew that. It was probably to insult her with some snide remark designed to make her react. But she was not going to give him the satisfaction. “Oh, grow up…” she muttered as she slumped into her chair.
* * *
That afternoon did prove productive. One of the numbers on Lenny’s phone bill was indeed their mystery lady in question, Ms Stapleton. After a phone call to an accommodating judge, Morgan obtained a warrant for a phone tap. While Henry finished up with the last few phone inquiries, Morgan went to see Markham.
“Enter!” The voice was loud and clear but it didn’t seem to hold any anger or menace. Maybe he was in a good mood. “Ah, O’Callaghan, come in.”
“Sir.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I wish to requisition surveillance on an address.”
His eyebrow rose in question. “I assume you’re gonna tell me why.”
“Yes, Sir. We had hit a brick wall with the Vaughan case going in the direction we were. Sooooo, I have changed my game plan. I' m approaching the investigation from the other. It looks like we have a break in the case."
“And...????”
“I called in a favor to try to track the money trail and came up with a name. This name also appeared in our search of Leonard Kamanowicz’s phone records.”
“So this… person is our killer?”
“Could be… but I think we need photographic surveillance to find out who it is before we make any arrests. I don’t want to spook them until we’ve got all the pieces to the puzzle.” Morgan watched as Markham counted up the dollars and cents such a request would cost. “This is the break we’re looking for, Captain.”
“Fine, give me the address and I’ll organize it.” He saw her hesitate. “But I thought you said you had hit a brick wall. Our guys managed to find the money? Impressive.”
“Errrahh… no. They couldn’t find anything. I called a… friend. He tracked it down in less than twenty-four hours.”
“A friend, huh?”
“Hmmm.”
“I don’t want to know who this friend is, do I?”
“Probably not.”
“Ahhh… . One of those types of ‘favors’, huh? In that case, we better get this surveillance under way.”
“I have also organized a warrant for a phone tap of the premises. It’s on its way over as we speak.”
“You have been busy, Sergeant.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“See what a little motivation does for you.”
“I'm sorry...?” Markham didn’t answer but raised a bushy eyebrow at her. She at least had the decency to blush at his intimation. “Oh.”
“How is Morelli behaving?”
“Quiet for the moment, but I’m worried about him.”
“Watch your back, Morgan. Closely.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Now get outta here. It seems I have a few phone calls to make…”
“I'm, ah, sorry about....”
“Don’t be sorry. Let's keep moving forward.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Oh, almost forgot. The accountant, Perkins, is on his way here from Massachusetts. It'll be late when he gets in. You can take a stab at him in the morning.”
“Good deal.”
“It might end up unnecessary if you’re leaning towards this mystery person.”
“At this point it can't hurt nothin'. He ran and I want to know why.”
* * *
Morgan stood at the door to Andrea’s room straining to hear for voices inside. Tentatively, she pushed the door, pleasantly surprised to see only her, propped up all cute in the middle of the bed.
“Hey.” A beaming counselor grinned at her visitor.
“Hi. You’re sounding a lot more chipper.” Morgan looked around the room.
“The doctor had me up and around today for a little while. It wore me out. I’ve sent them home.”
“Them home?”
“My parents. They’re heading back to South Carolina tomorrow.” That meant there was still a chance she would run into them. “And no… they won't be back tonight either.” Andrea had to smile at the stunned look on her friend. “And no… I’m not a mind reader either.”
“How did…”
“I don’t need to be Madam Fifi the Mind Reader to know what you’re thinking, Morgan O’Callaghan. You’re an open book.”
“Not you too…” she muttered. This book was gonna have to be put back on the shelf.
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah… nothing.” No point in giving the counselor ammunition.
A delicate finger pointed at her arm. “Where’s the sling?”
“I took it off.”
“Well, d’uh. I was shot in the shoulder, not blinded. Why did you take it off?”
“Because I don’t need it anymore, nosey. See?” Morgan lifted her arm, moving it around freely. “It’s fine. The pain is almost non-existent.” Well, almost almost.
“Uh huh.”
“Christ…” Morgan muttered. “I was sick of wearing it, okay? I hate the damned thing. It makes me look like a cripple.”
“You're not a cripple. You have a broken arm. Big difference there, Tiny Tim. For a broken bone to heal, it requires that said broken bone remain stationary. Put it back on.”
“Who are you? My mother? Stop it!”
“What bug crawled up your butt?” Andrea couldn’t see why Morgan was acting so childish about wearing a sling. The redhead plopped herself down in the chair, sending ominous stares to the woman in bed. “Stop trying to intimidate me. I know better.”
“Then stop trying to tell me what to do!”
“What is your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. You do. I’m not putting on the damned sling, okay?”
“Fine.”
“Fine.” They sat staring at each other for a minute or two.
This was all so ridiculous. “Look, Morgan, I’m sorry, alright. I just want you to get better. If the sling makes you... get better... then I can’t see why you don’t use it.”
“Because it makes me look incompetent.”
“It does not.”
“To me it does! Morelli is breathing down my neck and I have a case that is going around in circles. You...you're in the damn hospital! I don’t need this visual reminder of how incompetent I am.”
“You- are- not- incompetent! Listen to me, you are an extremely competent police officer. If you don't believe me ask Henry! Hell, ask the captain! They'll say the damn same thing. Pull yourself together, woman! Don’t fall apart on me now!”
Morgan hung her head, using her one good hand to rest on her forehead. “Yeah, I know. This case is just getting to me. I have all this evidence and no one to pin it on. It’s driving me nuts.”
“So, what else has been happening at work?”
“You want to talk about work?”
“Okay, fine. When are you going to make love to me?”
“D’uh… errr… uhhh.” Morgan turned beet red.
Andrea giggled with glee. “You are sooooo easy. Now, do you want to talk about work?”
“Fine. Have it your way. We’ve stalled on the Vaughan case for the moment, but your attacker has given us a few useful leads.”
“And?”
“And nothing. We’re following up on some leads.”
“You’ve got to work on your people skills there, Detective.”
“Now what’s wrong?”
“‘We’re following up on some leads’. That’s it? I could find out more in the newspapers.”
“Read the papers then cause I have nothing more to add. It’s just boring investigative work at the moment, Andrea. Got it?” To illustrate her point, Morgan jabbed her finger in the air.
“If you say so...”
“Yep. Nothing more.” She was not going to reveal anything until she knew for sure. No point in exciting the woman then having to let her down if it all proved to be a dead end.
“How’s Morelli?”
“Hmmm…”
“Oh. Not good?”
“If it were any worse we’d have to bring in the National Guard.”
“Why? What happened?” Andrea could see the lines of tension around the tall redhead’s eyes.
“He blew up in Markham’s office. I asked him to take a warrant over to Legal Aid and he refused. The Captain caught him and it got real nasty. I think Morelli’s cheese has finally slid off the cracker.”
This was serious. What had started out as a pissing contest had now escalated to something more deadly. Legal options at this point would be useless as she suspected Morelli wouldn’t give a damn. “So what are you going to do?” Andrea only wished that she was there at least for moral support instead of being stuck in the hospital.
“Grow another set of eyes in the back of my head.” A gentle smile touched the counselor’s lips at the thought. “I wish I could cause I think I’m gonna need them.”
“I think you could be right. What is Markham doing about this?”
“He’s talked to the man but Morelli just won’t see reason. In his mind I think it’s gone past mere objection to me being gay. This is war in the trenches now. Kill or be killed… well, not quite that bad but he’s got me in his sights. He needs help. But until he literally attacks me the captain can’t force him to seek help. I only hope whatever he tries isn’t fatal.”
“This is ridiculous. You mean to have to wait for him to attack you before he can be helped?”
“If he refuses to see there is a problem, Markham’s hands are tied.”
“That is nuts!”
“Don’t you think I know that!” Morgan hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but Andrea voicing the obvious was not helping her strained nerves. Taking a deep breath she centered herself and calmed down. “Sorry. I’m a bit touchy at the moment.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d be climbing the wall by now.”
“Oh, I’m past the wall and hanging off the chandelier.” She paused. “Let’s not talk about this any more, okay? How’s the shoulder? What did the doctor say?”
“It’s good. Still pretty sore but the doctor says it’s healing nicely. I should be able to go home in a couple of days. Then it’s just a matter of convalescing at home.” Home. Her home was in a suitcase.
“Good to hear.”
“Will you come and see me at the hotel?”
“Well…”
“Please. I’ve got no one else here. I’ll go nuts if I’m there alone all the time.”
“We can meet for lunch if you want. You don’t have to be there all the time. They just want you to take care, that’s all.”
“I just wish I could come back to work. Something to occupy my mind, you know what I mean?”
“Maybe you could come back on limited duties. You know, office work only and no court.”
“That would be great! Do you think the DA would go for it?”
“All you can do is ask.” Morgan watched the blonde smile, excited at the prospect of alleviating her boredom. Now if she only had a solution to her own basket of problems.
“Thank you. Lying there doing nothing but looking at four walls is gonna be as boring as hell. I can’t sit around doing nothing, it’s not me.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Finally, Morgan genuinely smiled and two sets of eyes settled back to an easy exchange of loving looks. “I’m sorry. I don’t like fighting.”
“I shouldn’t have pushed you about the sling. I was only worried… Mo.” Pale pink lips tipped up to one side, red hair sliding to the right as her head tilted. Andrea felt a clutch at her heart at the endearing picture.
The loud speaker announced the end of visiting hours. “I guess I better go then.”
“I wish you didn’t have to.” Andrea extended her hand, inviting Morgan to sit on the edge of the bed.
“I don’t want Nurse Ratched paddling my ass.”
“Now that would be a sight.” Images filled Andrea’s mind, some funny, some disturbing and some definitely arousing. She watched her partner fiddle with the blanket, trying to summon the enthusiasm to leave. It was promising. “Well…”
“Yeah.”
“Will you come tomorrow?”
“Lots to do tomorrow but I can come tomorrow night. Anything you want me to bring?”
“A wheelchair to break out of this nuthouse for starters. No? Then maybe one of those dirty romance novels or two or a bottle of scotch. Some Valium would be appreciated, too.”
“Really?”
“No, just kidding. Just bring your sweet body and I’ll be happy.”
Sweet body? “Ahh, okkkaaayy. You sure that's not the pain medication they’re giving you? The doc didn’t slip you a mickey, did he?”
“Nope, my mind is quite clear and coherent.”
“You’re delusional.”
“About you? Possibly. But hey, do you want me any other way?” Morgan was not used to talking about such things and was left floundering as Andrea continued to woo her. “Now take that cute tush of yours home and get a good night’s sleep.” She sputtered at the words, shaking her head slowly as she stood and moved towards the door. “You’re not gonna kiss me goodnight?”
What had she started? The woman was using any excuse to seek contact. Morgan leaned in, closing the distance between the two sets of lips. Fingers snaked around her neck pulling her in that last small distance. Desperation could be felt in that kiss, a need for more expressed in the contact of a mere three inches of skin.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Henry sends his love.” The quiet deep rumble vibrated across her lips, leaving Andrea quaking with want. If only she could go home with her but time was her enemy, making her wait a little while longer.
“Tell that partner of yours to get his butt in here to visit me.” She watched as Morgan moved towards the door, wriggling her fingers in a tiny wave as the door slowly closed shut. A shy smile touched her lips as her heart flew free, soaring in the night sky. She knew deep within her that her decision about the two of them was right… so, so right.
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