CSI:NY The Saints Aren't Coming

Picture of You

Chapter 56: Kelly Ripa

"Things worked out with Flack?" Doyle asked a few days later as they walked back from the conference room at the DA's office.

A pow wow had been called trying to untangle the mess of the Shirazi case, which was being fought over by the New York DA and the Feds. A Grand Jury had already moved the case forward, but the Feds were trying to swoop in and make an example of the case. Gus felt like she would go crazy if she had to go through one more deposition, but at least she could do it practically in her sleep by now.

Gus paused briefly, giving him a small smile. "I'm going to need you to be more specific, Jimmy. If you mean he got his badge back and was cleared, yes, everything is peachy keen with Don Flack."

Doyle cleared his throat, rocking back and forth on his heels. "That great, huh?"

"Yeah, so I finally stopped hiding down in the evidence locker because you and everyone else kept bugging me about it only to be faced with the cozy twins being all coy. Tried to convince Parker to move our desks around and he said it was too obvious and I needed to grow a thicker skin." Gus rolled her eyes, then drew herself square as she saw Deputy Inspector Whitford heading their way.

"Assume she wants some of the glory now, heard she's got a bee in her bonnet over the whole thing," Doyle said, shoving his hands angrily in his pockets.

"Play nice, Jimmy. She means well, I think. Inspector Whitford, nice to see you!" Gus smiled at the other woman as soon as she got in hearing distance.

"How many times must I tell you, it is Gillian. I am mostly well and it is serendipitous that I find just the two people I needed to speak with together. May I treat you both to coffee and we can go have a chat in my office?"

Doyle gave Gus an uneasy look, but Gus kept on smiling. "If I ever turn down coffee, please check my pulse. Let me just call Parker and let him know where I will be."

They all settled in to Whitford's office as Gillian flipped through some files before facing them. "I know you have been in the middle of dealing with the Shirazi case, I am also aware the Feds are trying to take it away from us. The Mayor and Governor are debating starting a Task Force and your knowledge would prove invaluable. I have already had several meetings as to whatGus observed inside the operation, but Lieutenant, I would love your input as well. Not only is this a personal cause for me, it is a professional one as well, increasingly so. The Mayor has passed off another letter from another concerned father about his missing daughter. He is flying into New York in the next couple of days to talk and I cannot imagine it will be a pleasant chat."

"Why isn't major case involved or missing persons? Do we know it is a SVD case?" Doyle took the files Gillian proffered, flipping through them. He whistled, "these are a lot of letters. How come I haven't seen any of them before?"

"These are girls that have fallen through the cracks, as much as I hate to admit that. I would like for you both to sit on the Task Force as my representatives. Doyle, I do know you recently took over as Lieutenant in SVD, so this will dovetail with your administrative role nicely." Gillian's smile was nice enough, but her tone left little room for argument.

Gus knew from the few in-depth discussions she had had with Gillian that her niece had been one such girl to fall through the cracks and Gillian deeply suspected the girl as being sold. Gus had revealed nearly everything about the Shirazi case, and had found their talks therapeutic in many ways. Gillian was far more interested in learning how to stop girls from being abducted and sold than to judge Gus for anything, so for the first time in months, she was able to open up about everything. It still didn't free her from the pain of seeing Don with Jess, but it did help her believe that she was healing enough to get back to the field should she want to.