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Disclaimer: The Pretender characters portrayed belong to NBC and TNT Television. No copyright infringement intended. All other characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people are purely coincidental.

Author’s Note: This story is loosely based on an actual murder case.

Permission to archive: Permission Granted

Feedback: If you enjoyed it say so!

Story written May 30, 2002



MIAMI BEACH
FLORIDA

Jarod was feeling content. He’d just finished his latest pretend and he was taking the next few days off. He’d driven down to Miami Beach and was strolling along and taking in the sights. One of the sights included a newspaper stand and with one glance his hiatuses was over.

The headline screamed: “Mother Misses Son.” The call was strong and he answered.

=======================================

THE CENTER
BLUE COVE, DELAWARE

Angel Parker slammed the newspaper on to her desk. Her instinct was calling to her. At least it wasn’t her ulcer. The headlines: “Mother Misses Son.” Stared at her.

She glowered at the paper and made a decision.

=======================================

SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON STATE

“Lieutenant! Welcome!” Captain Travis Ross greeted the tall dark haired man.

“Please… it's Jarod.” He said as he walked into the office.

“Jarod it is. Well – Welcome to Seattle after Miami the weather may have a sting in the tail but it’s a great place to be.”

“I’m sure it is.” Jarod replied.

“Have a case for you its on going but the case load here at the Criminal Investigative Department is hectic so we’ll start you with the Gibb case.” The Captain passed him the file.

“OK.” Jaord replied.

Ross stood indicating the meeting was over. “You need anything my door is open.” The men shook hands and Jarod left with the case he’d come to investigate.

Three hours later he closed the file. Sergeant Charles Von Trapp’s house had been burned to the ground. The prime suspect Frank Gibb had confessed to Von Trapp that he’d torched the place. Now Gibb was missing and his mother had turned to the media in an effort to find her son. Jarod was now faced with two cases: arson and a missing person.

=======================================

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON STATE

Angel Parker stepped off the plane. She’d come alone. This was a gut feeling she was following. She’d left the rest of her team behind to follow actual leads. She’d follow the hunches.

She headed for the bank of payphones and searched the directory for the address of Mrs. Linda Gibb – mother of Frank Gibb or so the news had said.

=======================================

VON TRAPP RESIDENCE

To Jarod the case seemed to be a simple one, difficult to prove but simple nonetheless. Von Rapp had interrogated the only suspect in the arson case. That in itself was unusual as Von Trapp was the victim in the case it also violated police protocol for one officer to interview a suspect – two are needed. But what really concerned Jarod was that Von Trapp was the last person (so far) to have seen Gibb alive.

Jarod suspected that the veteran Police Officer had something to do with the young man’s disappearance. It was with these thoughts in mind that he decided to interview Charles Von Trapp away from the station. He wanted to gage the man. See the lion in his den as it were.

Charles welcomed him “Well home it ain’t but it will do.” The older man waved Jarod into a chair.

“I see you are a bowling fan.” The walls and shelves bore testimony to the observation.

“Yep State Champ three years in a row.” He beamed. “When I retire in a couple of months I hope to go pro.”

Fascinated by the sport he engaged Von Trapp in a discussion on the topic. The Police Officer told him of how bowling was one of the oldest and most widely played of the world's games. That its history could be traced back to the Stone Age right through, to the Ancient Egyptians, Romans, up to today.

“… but you didn’t come here for that.” He ended.

“Sorry got side tracked there.” Jarod apologized.

“That’s OK. Now how may I assist?”

“As you know I’ve just been assigned the case so I need to catch up. I was hoping you’d recount the events of that night.”

The man took a deep breath. “Sure.” He finally whispered. “As I said in my statement. I went bowling round six pm wasn’t there an hour before a call comes saying my house is on fire. I got there in time to see for myself – I lost everything.”

Jarod was busy writing and didn’t dare look at the bounty of personal items that just happened to be saved. “Sorry to put you through this all over again…”

“It’s ok.” The man assured him.

“Tell me about Gibb.” Jarod prodded.

“Got a tip – anonymous. Picked up the kid - he confessed – end of story.”

“Then why was he released?”

Von Trapp shrugged. “Who knows? Stuff happens. While I was processing him another officer released him by accident. By the time we realized what had happened. The kid was gone!”

Jarod didn’t press about the irregularities in the procedure for the questioning. He thanked the man and left. He now suspected Charles Von Trapp of the arson too – but how Gibb figured into the story he had yet to figure out.

=======================================

GIBB RESIDENCE

Linda Gibb heard a car pull into the drive. She looked out to see a tall long legged longhaired brunette step out of the rental. Not only was she dark haired but her clothes were dark. Even the car was black. The woman headed for the front door and rang the doorbell.

Linda opened the door in response “Yes?”

“Hello.” The brunette said, “My name is Miss Parker. I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions?”

“Is it about my son?” Linda was hopeful.

“Your son?” Parker said “Maybe.”

Linda opened the door wider and Parker stepped through. Standing in the vestibule she produced a photograph of Jarod. “Have you seen this man?”

Linda noted the change in tone. This woman was missing a loved one too. “No. Your husband?”

Parker ignored the question. “You’re sure?” she pressed.

“I’m sure.” Linda assured her. Parker turned to leave. Linda stopped her. “How does this help my son!”

“I said 'maybe' Parker reminded her. Then added. “Jarod may be here searching for him.”

“That the name of your husband? Jarod?” Linda replied.

Again Parker ignored the question. She got into the car and drove away.

“Poor woman.” Linda empathized as she closed the door.

=======================================

CRIME LAB

Jarod had requested a video spectrograph pf Frank Gibb’s written confession. He was now being given the results.

The lab technician began to list the results. First of all three different ink types were used…”

“Three?” Jarod echoed.

The tech held up three fingers. “Three. The confession is four pages long only three were signed. The date of birth is not consistent. Two pages have it as 1961 one had 1971 and the fourth is blank.”

“Tell me about the ink.”

“Three inks. One black, one charcoal and one deep gray.”

“Thanks Sheila.” He stood to leave.

“Anytime Jarod. By the way.” She stopped him.

“Yes?”

“The conjugation of YOU ARE was miss-spelt.” She showed him. “He kept writing Y-O-U-R instead of Y-O-U apostrophe R-E.”

Jarod kissed her forehead and bound out the door.

=======================================

CITY PARK

Parker sat on a bench contemplating her next move. That was the problem with hunches they usually defied logic. It was not often that she had a moment to pause. True her mind was occupied with the constant problem of tracking Jarod but that was usually under highly pressurized conditions. Here in the park there was a modicum of peace and more important tranquility.

Her eyes had been roaming the park and not focusing on any one person, scene or place. The flowers were in bloom, people were feeding the ducks on the lake, children played and feet peeped out of at point where well-groomed park reverted to the wild. She did a double take… feet? She stared to validate the suspicion. Surely people were not making lover there! But as she watched another theory crept into her mind, as the feet didn’t move.

This second theory required her to move – she did.

Parker stood and strode to the area that had caught her attention. She parted the bushes…

=======================================

SEATTLE, POLICE DEPARTMENT

Parker prowled the office like the caged animal she felt she was. She was now regretting finding that damned body in the park – correction finding the body had not been a mistake – reporting it to the keystone cops was where she had gone wrong.

As she continued to pace, an officer walked in. “Ma’am may I get you something? Coffee perhaps?”

She whirled round, took two swift steps startling the young man. “Get me someone to take my statement or get me out.” She growled then walked away.

He gulped and backed out of the room. So intimidated was he that he never saw Jarod standing behind him. “Whoa!” He caught him. “Take it easy son.”

The boy only managed to nod and disappear. Jarod’s antenna went up. Who was in there? He’d been told that a body’d been found in the park and that the person who’d found it was still here. He wanted a statement and had been about to go into the office but decided to step next door and look through the two-way mirror.

+ + +

He stared at Parker as she continued to pace. He chuckled. No wonder Officer Peterson was so shook up. Parker in full flight was a terror to behold. He took one last longing look at her, shook his head at what would never be and went in search of two officers to match Parker’s energy levels.

=======================================

CRIME LAB

Jarod sauntered in. “Sheila.” He greeted.

“Jarod.” She replied.

“Anything?” He asked.

“Depends.”

“On.”

“You asking for info or a date?” She teased.

“I’m greedy I’ll take both.” He smiled.

“I’ll see if the Jane Doe from yesterday has a space in her schedule.” She picked up a file.

“AH!” Jarod grabbed his chest. “I’m wounded.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She replied never looking up from the document. “The John Doe no relation to Jane is your guy Frank Gibb. And before you ask how I can be so sure? His dental records say so. His medical records also indicated that he had a broken left shinbone. We have it – complete with the case. We have a match.”

“Cause of death?”

“His heart stopped.”

“Funny.”

“In here? Never.” She continued. “Both jugulars were severed. “Wherever he was killed it was not in the park. This boy would have bled buckets.”

“Killer: right handed or left?”

“Right.” She replied promptly.

“Did you run a comparison on the blood and the sample on the patrol car?”

“Uh huh – results just came in.” He stared at her. “Oh you want the result?” She teased “They match as does the sample from the shoes.”

“Shoes?”

“Yep. The first response unit on the arson case had brought some stuff from the scene for analysis.” She informed him.

“I’d forgotten.” He apologized.

She snorted, “Go get some sleep.”

“Aye ma’am.” He kissed her on her forehead and left. “Thanks.” He tossed back as he left.

=======================================

Parker had finally been let out after a tag team had eventually walked in to interview her. Such a simple procedure and she’d lost two hours! She headed back to her hotel.

+ + +

Parker stepped out of the shower and froze. That was Jarod’s voice. She’d know it anywhere! She entered the bedroom and sure enough he was on the evening news.

“Yes … the body in the park was that of Frank Gibb and as of this evening Sergeant Charles Von Trapp was arrested for his murder.”

As the news anchor came back on she swore and switched the TV off. She recognized the backdrop. The press had caught up with him as she left the Gibb’s house.

“DAMN IT!!!” She shouted.

=======================================

THREE HOURS EARLIER

GIBB’S RESIDENCE

Jarod stood on virtually the same spot that Parker had occupied. He’d just brought the news to Linda Gibb that her son had been found and the killer caught.

“Why?” She asked.

They always ask why.

“Sergeant Von Trapp burned his home for the insurance money and then he needed a scapegoat. Once he had Frank’s signature he needed to silence him so he couldn’t challenge the fake confession.”

The woman nodded. “Thank you. “I’d prayed to see Frank alive again but somehow I knew… I just knew.”

“Yes ma’am.” He didn’t know what else to say “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Say hello to your wife.” She said as he walked out the door.

"Wife?” He stopped.

“Yes. She came here asking for you. Seemed to know that you were working the case. She’s beautiful.”

“Tall? Long legged, long dark hair? In a short leather skirt with a long matching leather jacket?” he described Parker.

“That’s the one.”

Jarod didn’t correct her. He didn’t have the heart or the time. He had to suddenly deal with the press on the grieving mother’s door.

Linda shut the door to the press and the world as she headed for her bedroom to mourn her loss.

=======================================

“What!” Jarod heard the familiar greeting over the cell phone.

“Really Parker if you are going to chase me at least reply to my call with more warmth?”

“Jarod!” She accused.

“The one and only. Oh by the way Mrs. Gibb says hi. She thinks you’re beautiful. I do too. Why are you posing as my wife?”

For no reason she was willing to explore Parker felt a glow at Jarod’s compliment but kept the feeling to herself. She ignored the quip about the wife. “You are not about to surrender to me so WHAT do you want?”

“To you I may surrender to the Center NEVER!”

She noted the innuendo but again ignored the clever remark. She repeated, “WHAT do you want!”

“You.” He said. “But Sydney always taught me to strive for attainable goals so I’ll settle for an answer to a question.

Grateful for a change in topic she agreed. “Ok one question.”

"What drives you to chase me? Orders? Money? Ego? Love? What?”

“Can’t answer that. That was six questions.” She snapped the cell phone shut. She continued to sit on her hotel bed as she contemplated the question. She eliminated money and orders. This chase was beyond orders and the Center couldn’t pay her enough. That left ego and love. She looked at the phone cradled in her hand. “A bit of ego Jarod and since the Center doesn’t have enough money to keep me on your trail I guess that leaves only one option.”

+ + +

Jarod heard the connection cut as she closed her cell phone. He rolled over on the grass where he lay in the park and picked a wild flower. For each petal he pulled he said, “She loves me… She loves me not…”

THE END



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