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Skalany caught Jody's eye and jerked her head in the direction of the coffeepot, and the two met at the break station for an impromptu conference.
Jody held out her cup as Skalany filled it. "What do you make of that?"
The brunette detective shook her head and frowned. "I don't know. Those guys from the 86th don't like being in the same city with us poor peons at the 101st, let alone walk into our precinct." She stared pointedly at Peter's empty desk. "Good thing Peter's not here yet. Aren't those the two jokers that got to Kacie at the hospital?"
"Yep. Peter said if they ever came near her again he was going to..." Jody's voice trailed off and she signaled in the direction of the front desk with her head. "Uh-oh."
Skalany followed the direction of Jody's stare to see Peter and Kacie stop briefly to greet Broderick before continuing on through the squad room. Kacie slid her arm around Peter's waist, and he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders, snuggling her close. Both looked tense and strained, and were too preoccupied to notice the female detectives watching from the corner of the room.
Pausing in front of Simms's door, Peter halted and put both arms around his wife, speaking softly into her ear. She nodded against his chest before reaching up to give him a quick kiss. Framing her face in both hands, he questioned her with his eyes, and she nodded again with a shaky smile, placing both her hands over his. Another kiss, and he knocked on the captain's door. After a brief interval, the door opened to admit them, and they disappeared inside.
Jody and Skalany looked at each other for a long moment and then stared at Simms's door. "What was that all about?" Jody asked, perplexed. "This can't be an accidental meeting."
Skalany shrugged and mused philosophically, "Where Peter's concerned, nobody ever really knows what's going on."
Jody snorted. "Ain't that the understatement of the year."
"So what's with the meeting, Caine?" Ramsay eyed the detective coldly. "I don't appreciate being issued a summons for a command appearance at another precinct, especially involving someone under investigation by their own Internal Affairs."
Captain Simms threw Ramsay a withering glance. "Detective Caine and his wife are here to assist in the Fischer murder investigation. They wanted you to be aware of their efforts at full and complete cooperation."
"So you HAVE been withholding evidence." Ramsay's expression was one of contempt.
Peter's face reddened and he controlled his temper with obvious effort. Eyes blazing angrily, he snapped, "I haven't been withholding anything."
"Then what?" Officer Brandl was puzzled by Peter's words, but it was Kacie's face he watched.
"I want to be hypnotized," Kacie blurted.
Both officers stared at Kacie in surprise. Ramsay was the first to recover. "You want to what?"
Chewing on her lip nervously, she repeated, "I want to be hypnotized. I want to be questioned while under hypnosis in case there's something in my subconscious that can help you."
Ramsay swiveled his attention to Captain Simms. "You knew about this?"
"Yes, I did. Detective Caine and his wife approached me yesterday and asked if it was possible to have our psychiatric consultant do a forensic hypnosis therapy with Mrs. Caine. The arrangements have already been made with Dr. Jennifer Harmon. You gentlemen are familiar with Dr. Harmon's work?"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" The words burst from Brandl without his thinking. He reddened under his partner's scorching glare, but he stuttered on. "I-I mean, the last time we questioned Mrs. Caine, we...our questions...she became very..."
Peter's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Yes, she did, and I mean to have a talk with you people about that once all this is laid to rest."
Kacie reached for Peter's free hand with hers. Swallowing nervously, she spoke softly. "I was sick then, and you asked me to remember things I either couldn't or didn't want to remember. Dr. Harmon has explained the whole procedure to me, and my own obstetrician has assured me that it's safe for me and my baby."
"Just what do you hope to accomplish by this...this...procedure?" Ramsay asked impatiently.
"Look." Peter's patience was at an end. "I'm not wild about this idea myself, because I think my wife has been through enough with the Fischer family already, and --"
"Peter." Kacie tugged on his hand, and when he looked at her, her blue eyes pled with him. "You promised."
Closing his mouth with a snap, he blew out his breath in exasperation. "OK, here's the deal. We invited you to sit in on the session, which is going to be videotaped and audio-recorded. We want to make it obvious to anyone involved with investigating Fischer's case that we are trying to assist in any way we can. That means you and your precinct."
Simms interjected, "All parties involved understand that any evidence that may turn up may not be admissible in court. The hope behind this...maneuver...is that some type of clue about the identity of the perpetrator might turn up under hypnosis. I invited you here as a professional courtesy, but if you're not interested..."
Ramsay was swift to respond. "I never said we weren't interested. I'm just not convinced that Caine's motives here are as pure as he'd like us to think."
Before Peter could respond, Kacie sat bolt upright in her chair and hissed, "My husband has more decency and honor in his little finger than you have in your whole body, you horse's --"
"Honey." Peter tugged on her hand and spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You promised."
She jerked her head to stare at him sharply. His hazel eyes glowed their thanks and love for her support, and he was rewarded with her twisted smile as she grumbled, "OK...but only for you."
Simms cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. Glancing at the clock on her wall, she announced, "The session is set for ten a.m. That gives us an hour to set up our recording equipment. Blake is already on his way to Dr. Harmon's office with everything that's needed. Are you gentlemen interested in attending, or do you simply want a copy of the tapes?"
"Oh, we'll be there all right," Ramsay assured the captain. "You don't mind if we bring our own recording equipment, do you? Somehow I don't think it'll hurt to have two machines running. You know, in case something should happen to the 101st's version of the tape?"
Captain Simms rose to her feet and walked swiftly around the corner of her desk to face Ramsay nose to nose. "Do as you please." Her voice was low and thick with suppressed anger. "Now that you mention it, having our own tape to compare with yours probably WOULD be a good idea."
Peter rose from his chair and helped Kacie to her feet. "We'll meet you at Dr. Harmon's office, Captain. I want to pick up my father and have him there, too."
"Gotta have Daddy there to hold your hand, do you?" Ramsay sneered.
"He's going to be there to hold MY hand." Kacie glowered at the offensive man.
Peter completely ignored the two detectives and repeated to his captain, "We'll meet you there."
He ushered Kacie out the door, briefly snuggling her head against his shoulder as they walked. "Had to get you out of there before you started a fight."
"I didn't start it. That asshole did when he started saying those things about you."
Peter laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "Honey, watch your language in front of the baby."
She reached down and patted her stomach lovingly. "He's sleeping right now. I'm safe."
Peter stopped and peered intently into her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"
She dipped her head briefly. "We're in this together, Peter. Maybe this will accomplish nothing at all, or maybe it'll be the break in the investigation that everyone has been looking for."
He grinned at her crookedly, shaking his head. "You're amazing."
Her eyes twinkled wickedly. "That's what you said last night, too."
Face reddening, he cleared his throat before steering her through the squad room. "You have a one-track mind these days, Wife." When she slid her hand down his backside, he swatted her hand away as he hissed in her ear. "Stop it. Behave yourself." They paused at the top of the stairs, and when their eyes met, the humor drained away and both their expressions grew serious once more. Reaching out his hand, he brushed back a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I love you."
"I know. And you are my world." She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand and took a deep steadying breath.
"Ready, Kace?"
She nodded and linked her arm through his as they descended the stairs together.