Lieutenant Martin caught up with Cameron just before she left for the day.
"Frankie told me you figured out a significant piece of the case?"
Cameron smiled, "Yeah. It just came to me."
"Well congratulations. Well, I'll let you go. Goodnight and I'll see you tomorrow."
She nodded, said goodbye and left. She drove home, she was still sorting out her new apartment. Most of her stuff was still in boxes, so she spent a couple of hours sorting them out. Then she went to bed as she was exhausted.
About two hours after finishing work Frankie got home, she saw the message light flashing on her answer phone so she pressed play, it was John checking she was okay. She was too tired to call him back, she decided to wait until the morning. She went to bed and was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
When Cameron woke up the next morning she had another idea on the Robin Hood case. She had a shower and got ready for work, the idea still fresh in her mind ready to run it past Frankie when she got to the station. Forty five minutes later she got to work, she noticed Frankie's bag on her desk but no sign of Frankie. She sat down and started to do some more research into the case.
Frankie had arrived about five minutes before, but she had gone straight into see John.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in."
Frankie opened the door and went in. "Morning John."
John looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Frankie. "Good morning. Take a seat."
Frankie sat down and looked out of the window, when she didn't say anything John took the time to look at her properly, she looked really good. But, he was still worried about her even though she said she was fine, she still had a haunted expression in her eyes. He could only see it occasionally, but he wished he didn't see it at all.
Frankie turned back and caught John looking and she smiled at him. "I'm alright. Honestly, I just came in to say I'm okay. I was tired when I got in last night which is why I didn't call you back. So, I decided to come and see you this morning."
John nodded, "I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry for being such a worrier, but I'm entitled. Right back to business." Frankie grinned at him. "How did things go yesterday? You and Cameron get on okay?"
"Yeah we seemed to. She's very smart, I'll let you know if there is any problems but, I think we'll be fine."
"Good, now get back to work. I've got stuff to do."
Frankie smiled at him, got up and went to the door, she turned and gave him a mock salute. And then had to duck the screwed up piece of paper that was aimed at her head, she giggled. She closed his door and turned to see Cameron working on her computer. She took a deep breath and went to say good morning to her partner.
Cameron was familiarising herself with the computer system, she heard the lieutenants door open and looked up just as Frankie got to her desk.
"Morning."
Cameron smiled. "Good morning. I've had another idea on the Robin Hood case."
Frankie grinned at her and said, "Great. Do you want to get a cup of coffee and then we can talk about it."
"Okay, that sounds good."
They went to the machine and Cameron got two cups of coffee handing one to Frankie, they went back and sat at Frankie's desk. Cameron took a sip of coffee and began telling Frankie her idea.
"Okay. We figured out what the notes mean, they mean something but not anything of vital importance in this case, right?" Frankie nodded not interrupting Cameron.
"So, I thought about the types of houses he's breaking into, expensive ones, so what if it's his Robin Hood fixation that is a clue. We have to start looking and thinking: disgruntled employee, an angry ex-boyfriend dumped for a rich guy."
At Frankie's raised eyebrow Cameron smiled and shrugged, one hand tapping out a tune on the desk. "Okay. Maybe not that one.........but you see where I'm going......right?"
Frankie leaned back in her chair, looking into the room, not really looking at anything, she was twirling her pen through her fingers. Thinking over what Cameron had said. She looked at her partner and said, "You're right. The only way we're going to catch this guy is if we get inside his head. So, the next time he strikes we'll be closer to catching him."
Cameron nodded, glad that Frankie hadn't dismissed her thoughts as inane, or completely out of left field. "Right, another thought. Has anyone you sent to prison got bail or parole recently?"
Frankie grinned at her and said. "I thought of that. And, I checked last night before I left for my meeting. Everyone I've ever sent to prison is still safely locked away."
Cameron was looking over the file again, reading the notes, she was just about to say something when the phone on Cameron's desk rang.
"Detective O'Connor."
"It's John. We've just had a call about a suspected crack house downtown. I want you and Cameron to go with Roberts and Murphy and have a look. And remember, wear your vests."
"Okay lieutenant."
Cameron looked at Frankie expectantly, waiting to hear what John had said.
"Well?"
"We have to back up Roberts and Murphy to raid a suspected crack house. We've got to grab vests and meet them downstairs."
Cameron nodded and they got ready.
Frankie followed Cameron downstairs and saw detectives Roberts and Murphy waiting for them.
"Morning Frankie."
"Morning guys." To Cameron she said, "Meet James Roberts and Aidan Murphy. Guys this is Cameron Taylor - I didn't get a chance to introduce you yesterday."
Cameron shook there offered hands and said, "Hello."
"What's the plan?" Frankie asked.
James answered. "We've got four squad cars to back us up, and we'll decide how it will go down when we have seen first hand what we are dealing with."
Cameron asked. "Where are we headed?"
"To the waterfront, they're set up in a warehouse."
Frankie nodded, "Let's go."
Cameron drove following James and Aidan. When they got about three hundred yards from the warehouse they pulled over and got out.
Aidan spoke. "Right, according to the source there are two ways in and out. One at the front and one down the alley. Backup is about a minute away. We'll go in the front, you two give us to the count of thirty, then come in. Unless of course they start shooting, then come on in."
Frankie nodded and they went there separate ways. Frankie looked at Cameron and smiled. "Don't worry. You'll get used to Aidan's sense of humour. He figured out that sometimes you have to see the funny side in situations like this."
Cameron raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't worried about that. I just hate kicking doors in."
She said this with such a straight face that Frankie took a second or two to grin. She shook her head. "Okay, let's go." Into her radio she said, "You guys set?"
"Yeah give us thirty."
They heard the door slam open and James shout "LAPD Freeze!"
And then the shooting started. "Oh shit!"
To Cameron she said. "Ready?"
Cameron nodded, not smiling. She kicked the door open pulling her gun out at the same time. "Ready."
She went in and motioned the all clear for Frankie, she went ahead of Cameron and heard someone coming. She motioned for Cameron to stay still where she was, and she held her gun down by her leg. She took a second to decide what her plan of action was going to be, and then holstered her gun. The guy came around the corner and before he could react, Frankie grabbed his arm and slammed him face first into the wall. Before him or Cameron knew what was happening Frankie had him unarmed, handcuffed and lying outside.
Frankie winked at Cameron, redrew her weapon and they carried on. The sounds inside were getting louder. They got to the inside door and heard the gunfire stop, they looked at each other and Cameron shrugged. She opened the door and stood back.
Frankie shouted, "LAPD. Drop your weapons." Then she let out a relieved breath as she heard Aidan's shout.
"It's okay. They're down."
Frankie and Cameron walked in and helped them handcuff the three guys who were lying face down on the floor.
"Backup is on the way. Did you get the other one?"
Cameron smiled. "Yeah. He's all locked up outside."
The backup arrived and took the four guys to the station, Frankie looked around but couldn't see Cameron anywhere, James and Aidan were collecting all the evidence. Frankie left them to it and went outside to find where her errant partner had disappeared too.
She found Cameron outside, leaning up against a squad car just staring into space, Frankie hoped she was alright.
"Cameron?" When she didn't get a response she put a hand on her shoulder and said her name again. "Cameron?"
Cameron came out of her stupor at the feel of Frankie's hand, and focused on Frankie's concerned face. "Sorry, I was miles away."
"It's okay. I just wondered where you'd disappeared too and when you didn't answer me I was worried. Are you okay?"
Cameron nodded. "I'm fine...Really. I was just taking a breather for a minute."
Frankie looked at her for a bit longer. Then she smiled, a tentative smile, she knew something had effected Cameron, but she thought 'why would she confide in me when I don't with her?' she shook her head to clear her mind.
"Okay. I'm going in again to help the guys. You take as long as you need."
Cameron nodded and Frankie went back inside.
Cameron watched her go and took a deep breath and let it out, willing her heartbeat to calm down.
She didn't know why she didn't just tell Frankie it was her reaction to the close call in the corridor. For a second she had a flashback, but Frankie handled it and she was relieved. She just needed a minute to calm down and clear the images from her mind.
After a few minutes she went back inside and helped to collect the evidence, there was a lot of it to collect. About half an hour later they were ready to go back to the station, they'd left the forensics team to finish up collecting prints and more
evidence.
The car ride back to the station was a silent affair, Frankie not knowing what to say and Cameron was still conflicted about the days events and what had happened in the past.
When they got back to the station they worked out how the interviews were going to pan out. It took them most of their continuing shift to get all four statements. Then the four guys were on there way to lock up. Cameron and Frankie were both exhausted, they said there goodbyes and went home.
A week later they were working on the Robin Hood case, they'd had a quiet week, tying up loose ends of paperwork they'd had on the raid and they had a few call outs, nothing huge.
They'd had one call in the morning and had got back to the station just after lunch, after getting something to eat they got coffee and went back to work on the Robin Hood case, they were still at an impasse.
They decided to brainstorm, just throwing out ideas. After a couple of hours of throwing ideas about they were interrupted by the phone.
There had been a homicide, and they were the only detectives available to attend. Frankie threw Cameron the keys and the gave her the address and said, "You can drive."
When they pulled up to the address ten minutes later, Frankie's heart almost stopped. She hadn't got any details over the phone, but in front of her was a house that was still smouldering from the fire that had gutted it.
It looked terrible, flashing lights and people running about putting out the little fires still burning and wetting things that were still smouldering. Cameron got out of the car and turned to say something to Frankie, but when she turned around she wasn't there.
Cameron opened her door again and leaned in, she said. "Are you coming?"
Her partner was staring out of the window, not moving. Frankie didn't look at her, she took a deep breath - opened the door and got out. "I'm coming. Let's find someone to tell us what's going on."
Cameron nodded and followed her partner to look for someone in charge.
They went and found the fire chief and the police officer who had been the first on the scene.
After listening to both accounts they were able to piece together what had happened.
A husband had lost control with his wife, when he found out she was having an affair, so he torched the house with her and her lover inside. They'd rescued the woman and she was getting treated in hospital, but the lover was D.O.A. The husband had been arrested and was being treated for minor burns.
"Do you need to look around?"
Cameron nodded, "Just to get a clearer picture. I don't think we'll find any evidence." She turned and looked at Frankie, she was still worried about the far away expression on her partners face. "Frankie? Are you ready?"
Frankie shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "What?...Oh yeah sure."
They followed the fire chief inside, he told them where the fire had started and all the details, where they'd found the bodies etc.
Frankie tripped on a fallen chair, she grabbed the door frame to stop from falling and got covered in soot. She just stared at her hand, at the blackness of the soot. The smell of the fire was so bad she could taste it, and all the other stuff happening made her feel sick, it was a rational feeling and all she wanted to do was get out of the house. She ran out and went to the car, she stood there taking deep breaths to get the feeling of the fire out of her lungs.
Cameron watched her run out, and then followed her out, but before she could say anything Frankie said, "Let's go."
They got in the car and they were on their way back to the station, they had called the hospital and were told the woman was in critical condition, they would have to wait to talk to her. The husband would be kept in for a couple of days but they could talk to him the next day.
Their shift had ended about ten minutes before they got back, and Frankie went straight to the locker room, still without saying a word to Cameron. Cameron let her go, and went to tell John what had happened on their call out.
She knocked on the door and went in. "Just coming in to say we're back."
John looked up. "What was it?"
"A fire. A guy torched his wife and her lover."
John's face paled and he asked. "Where's Frankie?"
"She's getting her stuff. Why?" Cameron was worried, the look on John's face making it clear that there was something going on, something that had affected her partner badly. And, she knew it must be big from the look on John's face.
"Just keep an eye on her."
Cameron nodded. "Okay, I will. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Cameron."
She left his office and went in search of Frankie.