Fractured Mirth
part 11
Cole Turner rolled over onto an empty bed, a tired hand reluctantly reaching for the phone seated perpendicular on the nightstand, grumbling sleeplily upon its incessant tone, as it begged rather helplessly to be answered. His uncoordinated grip had him accidentally shoving a glass of water to the floor in the process, watching as its contents lazily created a heavy spill upon the carpet, his blues shutting themselves tightly as he turned over on his back, his other hand placing itself atop his forehead. "Hello?"
"Not that I make it my business to pry, but this doesn't sound a thing like Phoebe Halliwell." The voice was touched with a clean dose of sarcasm, but he recognized it almost instantly, quietly gritting his teeth in a fairly perturbed gesture. "In fact..."
"Okay, do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Yes. I've got a watch right in front of me. Nice of you to ask though."
"You're calling me at seven in the morning, and that doesn't phase you?" He paused a moment. "Not even a little bit?"
"Of course, for a man out of a job, I guess can't expect you to know the value of real work, can I? You're lucky I waited this long."
"You're lucky I'm not pressing charges."
"For what?"
"Domestic disturbance."
"Please. On what grounds?"
"This is a domestic area, and you're disturbing it. To be more specific-"
"Don't bother straining yourself," Rachel Burke quipped, her composure immediately snapping to attention, as she absentmindedly rolled her eyes on the other end.
"Oh, I'm not. I'm actually going to go back to bed right now, making sure your face doesn't haunt my nightmares."
"And hard as it may be for me to say this.....I really need your help. Okay? I really need you to help me with a few things right now, because-"
"And tell me, Miss Burke. Was it so hard for you to just say please?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Cole, I'm not playing around here. This is important."
"So....clearly you must have known I'd be here then. I mean...you continue to strike me as the type of woman who gets just a little too determined for her own good."
"Inspector Morris tipped me off. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic. Morris and I are about due for another little chat real soon, anyway."
"You can't blame him. He knows you're the best we have on this, and he was only doing his job. Like it or not, our deal's still on."
"I don't suppose I get a reward of sorts when this is over? I mean, the merit has to count for something, right?"
"We've got Duane," she finally managed.
"Ummm....come again?"
"We have Duane," she repeated, slightly raising her voice an octave, as she fought to restrain her temper.
"Oh, that's funny. Because I could have sworn you said you were in pain."
"Who wouldn't be when they get through talking to you?"
"Yeah, and you're the woman with the answers. I only talk myself in and out of violence."
"He's claiming to be possessed by the likes of Satan, and if that's the case-"
"He's blaming the big guy for his problems?"
"Big guy."
"Even The Source never sets foot on his turf. Lucifer's big news in the Underworld. Robertson would be wise to let the name stray from his alibi."
"He said his latest victim , and I quote...'strayed from the path of the weary,' " she explained softly, relaxing a bit. "Basically, I've come to the conclusion that he was instructing some innocent guy in his place, and has quite possibly succeeded in messing up someone other than himself for life."
"The traveller," he whispered.
"What? What are you talking about? I mean, I think he was actually steering towards a pretty damn good confession."
"Maybe."
"Alright, what have you got?"
"That is why you dialed this number, isn't it? To...beg me for information?"
"John's grateful I waited as long as I did, because I was going to infiltrate the hideaway after we took Duane into custody last night. In all my generosity, I decided to ask you to join me, instead."
"How thoughtful of you, Agent Burke."
"Don't push it."
"The journey throughout his life," he murmured, his mind suddenly wandering again, as he more or less began to tune her out. "If he mentioned the weary path, I guess you could say he'd reached a crossroads that put him at a halt, and he panicked. He could've seen his father."
"His father?"
"Who's the one man that keeps standing in his way, even though he'd rather put himself through the ringer than acknowledge it? He may not be there in person, but it sure as hell seems he's there in spirit."
"He said Paulina deserved it, Cole."
"Okay, who's Paulina, and how did she get into this conversation?"
"The victim?"
"Then I guess it's safe to say it screws your theory on proclaiming himself a savior, doesn't it?"
"It still doesn't add up. He come out of nowhere, lets us catch him like it's nothing special- said he was actually looking forward to it. I just don't buy his cooperation."
"And it would be best not to. The guy's playing you for a damn fool."
"Well, that's certainly a lot less vague than what John said," she mumbled, her mouth set in a tight line.
"Look, I'm not insulting you, I'm just- I just want you to be careful. Is that too much to ask?"
She tried not to smile on her end, as she propped her free hand beneath her chin, lightly shutting her eyes, as she chuckled ever so slightly. "Since when do you care anything about my well being?"
Cole nodded to himself, reaching a wide smile of his own, diving into the drawer beside him for a clean slip of paper and a pen, as he gently shoved the newspaper beneath it with his free hand as a means of support. "Where are you?"
"I'm supposed to be questioning the creep right now, but I just can't bring myself to go in there."
"Great."
"Great?"
"We'll have Morris do it while we check out that location."
"He can't. I mean, he doesn't have the-"
"Then you put Duane on hold, while you do some real investigating for once, alright? We might just find some real proof to pit this against him. Something tells me his worship of evil borders on-"
"Insane psycho whose childhood led him to demand revenge against Daddy the best way he knew how?"
He grinned. "Something like that."
"So how's Phoebe?"
"Phoebe...."
"Oh, please, Cole. I kind of came to my own conclusions, especially when you left with her the way you did. No mistaking that for-"
"Yeah, well, last time I checked, I wasn't at liberty to discuss my relationship with a fellow informant- who I also happen to be dating."
"You're taking this whole business thing way too seriously."
"Am I? Because I seriously thought you said it was serious."
"And there you are abusing humor, if only to keep on deliberately irritating me."
"Strange choice of words, Miss Burke, as I thought you were the one who initiated it, and tried your hand at making me bored out of my mind. Which, just so we're clear, happens everytime you even utter a single sentence."
"Somehow I don't see the irony."
"Heh. So, do you have an address, or not?" he returned impatiently.
"Dammit, look, I'm right outside your house, you idiot- so you might as well just get dressed and come out here, alright?"
"And this is exactly what I meant about pressing charges."
"You are such a-"
"Stalking really isn't considered the best way to form a friendship. It's actually kind of a turn off."
"I'm not stalking you," she hissed.
"No?"
"No. I'm not. Now-"
"I'll be out in five."
She blew out a breath, as she flipped off her cell, throwing it into her jacket pocket, as she glanced briefly at the time, tapping her foot listlessly against the car mat. Exhausted, she gently rested her head upon the back seat.
He was out in four, having haphazardly thrown on a pair of worn jeans, and navy t-shirt containing some rather hard to read logo, as he trodded barfoot to her vehicle with a blank expression forming his gorgeous countenance, a pair of shoes dangling from his fingertips with an old gray sweater, as he reached for the handle with his right hand, falling lazily into the passenger side. "Are you sure she didn't tell you she was heading out?"
Rachel arched an eyebrow, offering him a confused stare. "You actually don't look half bad in the morning."
"Thanks, but I'm sorry the feeling can't be mutual."
"And for your information, Phoebe and I aren't exactly the best of buds, alright? I don't think I need to remind you the two of us have already clashed over your arrest, so-"
"She never said anything?"
"The last time I talked to her was last night."
"Before we-"
"Yeah, and then I went back to the hotel room, and John and I compared some notes."
"Oh. Really. So that's like...another way of saying you had a little too much fun last night?"
"Ugh. You are just unbelievable."
"Dammit, Rachel, I care about her. She almost always leaves a note, and I-"
"Were her-"
"I didn't want to wake them," he sided, tugging on a crisp white sock.
"Maybe she went out to buy you breakfast," she calmly suggested.
He shook his head. "No, it's not like her, and something tells me John isn't okay with you doing this, either."
She sighed. "I let him handle the details on Paulina. He's going to approach the husband, seeing what he can find out- I just....I thought you would want to be with someone who's been at this awhile, rather than someone you...feel a lot for."
"Meaning?"
"John wanted to send you and Phoebe out. Together. I changed my mind last minute."
"My gratitude is humbly yours."
"So maybe John decided to take Phoebe with him," she added, shrugging her shoulders.
"Then I can't spend time worrying, if doing this is going to help save some lives, can I?"
"Cole, I know how much you love her. I can see it. To be honest, I don't blame you. You...you guys make a great couple."
"Really?"
"Cole, listen-"
"And if we could get Leo back here, we might just have an extra hand in this."
"Leo? Who's Leo?"
"Piper's boyfriend. He's a...well...he...he helps people in this own way- just like Phoebe and I do, only it's more complicated for him than that. He usually finds out things from the higher powers for us, and we go from there."
"Higher powers. So that's like angels, right?"
"Kind of," he murmured.
"You're never much for small talk, are you?"
"No, I just respect the guy too much to reveal his story to someone I still hardly know." He stopped a moment. "And I can't believe I just said that."
She edged her way into the abandoned lot, tapping a hand nonchalantly against the steering wheel, as his comment clearly struck a chord. "Fair enough."
"Yes, this is definitely the place that highlights the scum of the earth, I'd say. Riches to rags kind of rings a bell, doesn't it?"
"Just act natural," she advised. "Don't say anything out of place, anything that could give us away, anything that will jeopardize the VCTF, just be your-" She thought about it a moment longer, shaking her head, as she shifted the car into park. "Matter of fact, don't say anything at all, alright?"
"Why, what's wrong with what I say?"
"Nothing, if you keep your mouth shut."
"Clever."
She calmly withdrew her gun from her belt loop, slowly lifting herself out of the vehicle, careful not to let the door slam shut, as she heaved it closed with the weight of her body promoting as little noise as possible. With a finger to her lips, she began to head to the rundown building, her feet crunching lightly over the gravel below.
"Don't I need a vest or something?" he called after her.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet? If they hear us coming, they're going to book. If we catch them by surprise, we might have a shot, got it?"
"Oh, it's gotten. And just between you and me, I don't need something like that to fend off a dangerous civilian."
"So I suppose you'll be using your wits then?"
"Try some energy balls, and one hell of a punch."
"Typical," she breathed.
"But don't mind me. You go on playing wonder woman. I'll be just fine."
"And if you don't lecture Phoebe on her skills, I really don't think you should be wasting your time on me, either. I know what I'm doing."
"Jealous?"
"What?"
"It's just that you've brought her up a lot tonight," he observed. "I keep thinking there's something I might be missing, but I just can't place my finger on it yet."
"So my secret's out, big deal."
"I'm sorry?"
"Yes, I have feelings for John. Okay? I have all of these feelings that are just so bottled up inside me right now, that I have no idea what to do with them, or how to act on them. If he weren't so fascinated by your girlfriend, maybe he could see something that wasn't- the point is, he doesn't even know I'm alive beyond our professional relationship. The two of us got off to a rocky start, but I was hoping- why am I even saying all of this to you? I can't expect you to understand what I feel. Moreover, you'd never even take it seriously. Look, just forget it, alright?"
Clearly amused, he offered a short laugh. "Then I guess that explains why you're always so cranky."
"I'm cranky because people like you get in the way, and-"
"Over there," he whispered.
"Over where?" She watched his finger point to a spot directly ahead, as two men pulled up with an old pickup truck, a couple of boxes loaded into the back, their contents rumbling, as the wheels edged themselves across the rubble, coming to a steady halt near a high patch of weeds. The man on the right got out, his long, dark coat streaming behind him, as he immediately went for the storage behind him, giving a quick glance around him for good measure. The driver shouted something in an incomprehensible language, as he raised his arms, striking up a profound sense of impatience. "Not what I expected," she finally mused.
"I can cause a distraction," he volunteered.
She rapidly clamped a slender hand down upon his wrist, her eyes narrowing, as she shook her head. "No."
"By distraction, I did mean trying to reason with them in a gentleman-like fashion, so as not to provoke any suspicion or killing. But if you'd rather try it your-"
"There's only one thing wrong with that."
"What?"
"You're not a gentleman."
"Oh, c'mon," he protested. "I meant every word of it."
"You really expect me to buy that?"
"Well, yeah."
"Sorry. Not working. You stay to the back and I'll move in first. That's an order. And no talking."
He sighed. "In that case, can I go back to the car and take a nice, long nap?"