Only Time Will Tell
Part 7
"Cream, no sugar," Cassy said as she sat the large coffee on Tom's desk, a cheerful smile on her face.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Tom asked, slightly suspicious.
"Nothing. . .I'm just feeling generous today," Cassy sounded impossibly perky for so early in the morning.
"Cass, you're glowing." Tom grinned and tilted his head, "I take it last night went well?"
Cassy looked around the room, making sure no one was eavesdropping. "Last night was great," she whispered. "He took me to The Warf. We went dancing after that and then we went back to my place and. . ." she caught herself, realizing that her excitement had almost caused her to reveal more than she cared to, "Nevermind," she grinned coyly.
Tom shook his head, chuckling at the look on his partner's face. Sometimes it was hard to remember that they had once been married.
Cassy leaned forward, "So what did you do last night?"
"Nothing much." Tom had no desire to reveal that he had seen Janet.
"You went to see Janet, didn't you?" Cassy pressed. Tom said nothing for a moment and then nodded his head. His partner's smile turned to one carrying a look of disgust, "I knew it. You just can't help yourself, can you Thomas? Let me guess, she called you crying about how lonely she was; about how horrible she felt. You just had to be the knight in shining armor, didn't you?"
"She asked me to come. She needed a friend," he explained.
"Yeah, right. I'm sure she just needed you as a friend," Cassy mumbled.
"She did. Look, Cass, she was there for me when I needed a friend. I wanted to be there for her now."
"When you needed a friend?" Cassy questioned. "When? The divorce?" Tom nodded his head slightly. Cassy glared at Tom, "So we're calling it a 'friendship'? How quaint."
Tom couldn't keep his anger at bay. He stood up suddenly and leaned over the desk at his ex-wife, speaking in harsh, whispered tones, "I've had enough of this. I'm sick and tired of you accusing me of something that I didn't do. I don’t know how many times I have to deny it or what it will take to make you believe me. But I'm telling you for the last time, I never cheated on you." He turned his back on her and exited the squad room, leaving a stunned Cassy at the desk.
"What was that all about," Harry's voice caused Cassy to jump slightly. She had been so centered on Tom that she had failed to hear the Captain's approach. She now glanced around the room and realized that she and Tom had obviously been the center of attention during this last exchange.
"It's nothing, Harry," Cassy mumbled. "Nothing at all." Cassy closed her eyes, mentally kicking herself for allowing the past to interfere in the present, once again. Janet Angelini. . .Cardinal. . .whatever the hell name she was going by, seemed to have that effect on her; she had destroyed the marriage, and now, it seemed, she was destroying the partnership.
The day Janet entered Tom's life, Cassy knew the marriage was over. They had their problems up until that time; lots of them. Nevertheless, Cassy had always held out the slightest hope that they would work through them.
Janet's presence had changed that. Janet placed herself into Tom's world as his new best friend, his favorite confidant. He was suddenly opening up and telling the other woman things that he didn't tell Cassy. The logical side of Cassy's mind told her that what Tom was telling Janet were things he couldn't tell Cassy, because they were things about Cassy. But the emotional side of her mind didn't care. It was a violation of her trust. . .her emotions. . .the marriage. If Tom had been so open sharing his thoughts with the woman, it was not hard to imagine him sharing her bed.
Tom's phone rang. Cassy picked it up, "St. John."
There was silence for a moment and then a woman's voice came over the line, "Sgt. Ryan, please."
Cassy glanced around the room. Tom hadn't returned.
"He's away from his desk right now. May I take a message?"
There was another moment of silence. Then the voice sounded again, "Yes, this is Janet Cardinal. . .uh, Angelini. I was just calling to thank him for last night."
"Last night?" Janet could feel a twinge of jealousy forming in the pit of her stomach.
The woman continued, "And I just wanted to let him know how much I'm looking forward to being with him tonight."
Cassy's twinge surged, but she bit her tongue, "Is that it?"
"Just tell him that I need him to call me back at 555-2250."
Cassy shook her head in disgust, "Fine, I'll give him the message. Oh, and Janet," Cassy interjected before she hung up, "I'm sorry to hear about your husband. I know that this is a great loss for you."
Cassy couldn't help the snide comment. Janet did not respond for a long while, then she cleared her throat, "Uh. . .yes, it was horrible. I just thank God that Tommy is here to help see me through this."
Cassy's rage was almost beyond control, "Yes, he's a good man. He cares a lot about his friends. Sometimes he can care too much. I would hate to see him get hurt because of his compassion."
"Oh my, he is a sweet man and I've seen what happens when he cares too much for someone, especially when that someone doesn’t care for him in return," Janet's voice was filled with contempt. "The divorce almost destroyed him. Of course, you wouldn't care about that, would you?"
Cassy's control reached its end, "How dare you say that! You don't know a damn thing about our marriage."
"I know what I need to know," Janet answered calmly. "Tommy told me everything. He told me how you accused him of cheating on you; how, despite everything he had done for you, he couldn't earn your trust." Janet's voice became louder, "You know, you have a lot of nerve. You accused him of violating your trust. And yet, you turn around and violate his by destroying everything he entrusted to your care."
Cassy found herself becoming defensive, "What in the Hell are you talking about?"
"How about the Mustang, Cassy?"
"What about it?"
"You have it for less than a month and then you allow it to be vandalized. You knew how much that car meant to him and you didn't do a damn thing to keep it safe for him."
"I didn't allow anything to happen. The car was vandalized. . .I couldn't help it." Cassy's temper was flaring again.
"And the dog, Cassy? I suppose you couldn't help that either," Janet's commented snidely.
"The dog got out of the fence. He was hit be a car. It was an accident. Tom knows that."
"And he's forgiven you," Janet completed. "I know that. And he's a fool for having done so." Janet paused, taking a deep breath, "Now, Sgt. St. John, will you please give my message to your partner?" The phone was disconnected without giving Cassy the opportunity to respond.
Cassy stared dumbfounded at the receiver, struggling to stifle a scream of anger and frustration.
End Part 7
To Part 8