Hidden Steel

Chapter 2

TWO

Detective Samantha McCall sat at her desk in the Homicide Department of the NYPD. Even though she was tired from a full day of investigating a homicide downtown, her youthful good looks held fast. McCall gently brushed the hair of her fringe away from her eyes as she proofread an arrest report she’d just finished typing. Her blue eyes scanned the document; satisfied the content was accurate; she filed it. Picking up her coffee mug, she sat back in her chair and took a mouthful of the dark liquid. Her eyes wandered to the empty chair next to her desk and stared at the void. Detective Joshua Tooms spotted her powerful gaze upon the chair.

“You miss him, don’t you? Go on admit it.” he said, his voice deep and gravelly, like a brown bear would sound if it could talk. McCall looked up at him, still holding the same open-eyed expression, then McCall blinked.

“No, I am trying to move the chair with my mind, jackass” McCall shot him a fake grin, which suddenly soured. “But if you ever tell him I’ll hurt you,” she said, with a friendly growl.

“Yes, of course, OBI-WAN,” Tooms said, backing off with his hands up, wearing a playful grin. McCall scowled back at him as he sat down in the chair. Tooms’s large frame hunched over the desk as he started to check his cell for messages. The phone seemed small in his large black hands. The guy had the frame of a quarterback and the haircut of a Marine.

“So, no word from our boy, huh?” Tooms asked, taking note of her gaze at the empty chair. McCall shook her head with a worried look on her face.

“Don’t fret girl, he’s probably been busy bustin' some bad guys over there and shooting everything” she smiled. “Or on a beach somewhere with some supermodels or something,” Tooms added - chancing a glance out of the corner of his eye and smiling as he saw her murderous look.

“Ok, are we done for the night? I am beat, and if I don’t make it home on time, I am a dead man walkin',” Tooms said, standing up and placing his cell away into a jacket pocket. McCall shook her head, suddenly confused for a moment, then a look of clarity shone through.

“Oh god your anniversary, go, man, go, and give her my best,” McCall said, shooing him out with a guilty smile. Picking up the file, McCall headed towards Detective Antony Marinelli, who sat at his desk, looking uncomfortable.

“Thought you would be heading out too?” She asked, somewhat confused until she saw the napkin on his desk. It was from a diner. As well as having the diner owner’s monogram; it held a phone number scribbled in blue ink and what appeared to be red lipstick in the shape of a pair of luscious lips. Smiling, McCall sat on the edge of his desk and looked down at him, looking back at her. Tony smiled and held up the napkin.

“Did you call her?” McCall asked, with a searching look. Tony looked scared but forced a smile.

“Not yet,” he replied, feeling like a school kid again. McCall laughed and picked up the receiver of the phone.

“Call her – hey what’s the worst thing that could happen, right?” Taking the receiver in his hand, he froze for a moment. McCall laughed aloud, making Tony give her a hurt look.

“My god Tony, you chase down murderers, you’ve taken on drug gangs when you were a NARC and done several tours in Iraq, but in the face of a pretty girl, you crumble. Sad, but sweet.” Tony laughed, knowing she was right.

“Call the girl, make a date, then get out of here,” McCall said, as she winked at him and left him to talk. As she sat at her desk, McCall put down her coffee mug after taking several large mouthfuls; then turned her attention to her e-mails. There was a weird silence that made McCall look up and around the room. The bullpen was nearly empty, she sat back and blew out some air from her pursed lips. Her cell vibrated to life, the blue glow from the display showed that it was Steel calling. At first, she was reluctant to answer as he had not called or written for weeks. Hesitantly, she picked it up and answered.

“Steel wow, long time, how’s it going?” McCall said, trying to cover the bitterness of her tone. Steel could make out the cover of her voice, and he felt terrible, but she would understand.

“Hi McCall, sorry I haven’t been in touch or anything…” Steel started, still feeling he had left it too late to call.

“No, it's fine, you have been busy, I get it,” her voice wobbled, and he noticed it, but he did not have time.

“Look something has come up and well….” He hated to ask, but this was important. “Can you check something for me?” She looked at the cell phone, stunned; she wanted to smash the phone to pieces, but just hearing his voice again gave her a warm feeling.

“Yeah sure, what is it?” She felt a lump in her throat swell, but she fought back the emotion. “Can you check on a company called Callan Industries,” she jotted it down on a post-it and stuck it to her monitor. McCall heard a loud horn blare in the background.

“Steel, where are you anyway?” she asked, with a curious tone ringing in her voice.

“Uhm – I’m on a cruise ship at the moment,” his voice sounded awkward and somewhat embarrassed at admitting to his location, knowing she would get the wrong idea.

“Wait – you’re on a cruise, and you want me to look something up, are you friggin' kiddin' me?” She was stunned and angry at the same time.

“McCall – Sam it’s important, I hate to ask, but you know I wouldn’t if I didn’t have too.” The line went dead, McCall had hung up or shot her phone, he couldn’t be sure. Either way, he knew she was pissed. McCall threw the cell across the desk and screamed to herself.

“Wow, that must have been Steel; how is he?” The sudden voice from behind her made McCall jump. McCall spun around slowly in her chair to see Doctor Tina Franks standing there, her arms crossed and looking like she was on the way to a party.

“No word for weeks then he calls to get me to check on something, do you believe the balls on the guy?” McCall growled through her teeth.

“I’d love too, and I really think you’d love too as well, but for now, get your jacket “WE” are going out, and “WE” are going to have some fun.” McCall gave Tina an I can’t really look. But Tina grabbed McCall’s coat and held it out for her to put on. “Come on, get your sexy ass outta that chair,” Tina ordered.

“On the menu tonight my girl is fun, fun, fun,” Tina said with a purr in her voice and a wicked smile. Reluctantly, McCall stood and put on her coat like a six-year-old going to the dentist. “Come on, Sammy, smile; it will be fun…you remember fun, don’t you?”

McCall could remember fun, and it was running around on a case with John Steel.