DISCLAIMER: Women's Murder Club and its characters are the property of James Patterson, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC. No infringement intended.
SPOILERS: Spoilers from the TV show, each episode aired so far as they are all link for the chemistry between the female leads.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Feels Like Love
By Berg

 

Part 2

What was I doing? Could I have made it clearer? I mean we sat there on her couch all night long watching old movies. Bogart. Hepburn. For God's sake she was holding me, snuggling with me. I couldn't have been clearer. I couldn't have been clearer if I'd kissed her. Oh god, how I wanted to kiss her. I should have kissed her.

And I know each time I look at her, it shows in my eyes. I'm in awe. And somehow, from all the clues I've left for her, she's completely oblivious. She has no idea how I feel. I've got to tell her. I've got to make her see that she could have so much more if she'd only give us a chance. I know there is a connection between us. I know she's in love with me, even if she doesn't. I see the way she glances in my direction, the looks torn between wanting to strangle me or kiss me. She can't seem to make up her mind. Her ex is married and I truly believed she's moved on. Now it's my turn. It's my turn to let her know how much I care, how I've been there all along, even though she hasn't seen me. The real me. We're meeting for lunch today. Maybe, depending how things go, I can finally make her see…


Lindsay felt like she was betraying Cindy's inner thoughts. She had no right, the killer had no right sending this to her. The day's events ran through her mind again, seeing it like it played out on the screen in front of her.


"I've been feeling pretty tired lately. Not my usual self. Claire ran a few blood tests. Luckily I wasn't pregnant but my red blood cell count was lower than normal" she had said enjoying the way the burger melt in her mouth. God this was a good burger. Better company though, she smiled and winked at Cindy.

"Whoa. Back the train of thought up. Did you say pregnant?" Lindsay could see the shock and…what else was that? Shock and something else cross the young reporters face.

"Well…ummm…" Why am I suddenly feeling like I've done something very wrong here. Damn foot in mouth disease.

"And they say I'm the worst liar ever? Who was he?"

Lie? Tell the truth? Lindsay took a deep breath, stalling for how to approach this. She lifted her napkin and wiped the side of her face. "Tom."

There was that look again, Lindsay noted. Maybe she just needed to explain it to Cindy. Maybe she'd understand. "It was Tom. After a bad case we turned to one another for comfort. It was a mistake. We both knew it. It was stupid and…well you get the idea." Lindsay hoped Cindy got the idea. She didn't really want to go into details about how she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

Silence greeted her on the other end of the table. "Cindy?"

"You know…I just remembered I need to get this to the editor before he leaves."

"I didn't get to hear it yet. You usually read me the…"

"I know," Cindy nodded. "Not this time though." She pulled a ten dollar bill from her pocket and put it on the table. "I'm sorry to run off like this. I just don't want to be late. I mean…you know behind schedule. I want to make press tomorrow. I'll call you later."

"Cindy," Lindsay grabbed the reporters arm. "Is this because I…" She couldn't finish because Cindy wouldn't let her. She needed to make Cindy understand. Lindsay knew too much was at stake. That too much was the red head looking like her heart had been ripped from her chest. Lindsay was all too familiar with the look.

"I really need to go Lindsay," Cindy had smiled. "I'll call you after I meet with my informant."

"Bye," Lindsay watched her leave. Every ounce of her wanted to follow.


"You were crying," Lindsay said again. "You wanted to tell me…" Lindsay rubbed her temple. "Oh God…I'm such an ass hole…" she mumbled. The knock at the door startled her. It was Jill.

"I came as soon as I heard."

"How did…"

"Tom called me. He thought you may need someone."

Lindsay hadn't really cried…not since the kiss me not killer had come back to town. "He's got her Jill. He's got her…" her eyes filled up as Jill embraced her friend.

"We'll get her back Lindsay. We'll get her back."

The Beep startled her. She turned back to her computer and saw another e-mail from Cindy's address come up. "Wait…" Jill grabbed her hand. "Shouldn't you wait for Tom and Jacobi?" Lindsay ignored her and clicked on the new e-mail seeing an attached file.

"What is WMA?" Jill asked.

"It's…" Lindsay swallowed. "It's a movie file. This bastards seeing me a video." She double clicked the file and opened it. Her default player opened up as darkness was the only thing on the screen.

Suddenly a deep throaty voice spoke softly. "Romeo, Romeo. Where the fuck's my Romeo," and a laugh rang out in the darkness.

"Shut up!" Cindy's voice spoke finally. Lindsay felt her heart skip a beat. Cindy was alive.

"Did I upset you? Sending her your diary?" he smiled from behind the laptops camera. Suddenly the room was lit as Lindsay could see Cindy try to adjust to the light.

"You had no right," Cindy said defeated.

"Why were you crying?" he asked. "Back in the ally…you seemed so crushed. Defeated. She's probably wondering herself. I sent her a picture."

"Go to hell," Cindy looked in his direction defiantly.

"Hell you say?" Lindsay could hear sounds faintly in the back ground. It was a clanking sound. "Girl you haven't seen hell yet. Hell is watching someone you love being tortured and knowing there is nothing you can do to save them. Seeing you die, that will kill her."

"She doesn't love me. You don't know what you're talking about. You've made a mistake."

"No. I don't make mistakes. Ms. Boxer knows this…don't you Ms. Boxer?"

"Lindsay?" Cindy seemed animated for the first time looking around the room.

"She isn't here. That was an interesting response though," he laughed. "Thank you for proving my point." The clacking sound got louder. Something swung in front of the camera mounted in Cindy's lap top. "But she is watching you. Most likely squirming like some scared school girl before the first day, the anxiety, the fear of seeing you like this and being helpless. She doesn't like to be helpless.

"What the hell is that?" Lindsay asked.

"It looks like a scalpel," Jill tilted her head as Jacobi and Tom entered the room.

"Have you ever seen someone bleed to death?" came the dry voice on the other end. "It can take days. Normally I like to play for a few weeks. But in your case and in the case of our very aware Detective I'm going to make a special set of circumstances. Do you hear me Detective? I'd say the young reporter has…" he suddenly came into view, hooded just the same, but now clearly standing in front of Cindy. Slowly he drew the scalpel down the side of her inner thigh with the blade, making small cuts. Four of them. "That's a start. I'd say…five days. Five days tops," he laughed.

"Lindsay!" Cindy called out. The pain was overbearing. Again he made three cuts.

"It's okay," he smiled touching the side of her face. "We'll make the best of those days. Let's get you out of these bloody clothes and cleaned up some. How about we put you into something a little more comfortable shall we?" he approached the camera to shut it off. The last thing Lindsay could hear was the sound of Cindy crying. The video playing ended. Lindsay's hand hadn't left her mouth. She was trying to stifle something between a scream and a sob.

Tom saw his ex-wife's reaction. "Get me a feed on that. I want tech alerted. Lindsay…Lindsay," he waited for her to look up. "We need to get this laptop to the techs now."

Lindsay just nodded numbly. "No…wait. What if he tries to contact me again? What if she…"

"We've got to do this Lindsay. We've got to do this…" His hand reached down with his hand and touched hers. "We'll find her okay? We'll find her."


The room was set with the computer and a track to Lindsay's cell and home lines. Any phone calls, text messages, or other attempts of contacts would be seen and heard through the SFPD. "He's going to know we're making this move," Lindsay said to Jill. "We've got to get out there…we've got to track down some leads. Cindy mentioned something about meeting with a guy."

"Lindsay," came the exhausted and clearly overworked Claire. "Baby…"

"Claire," Lindsay turned around and was engulfed in a hug by the woman she called her best friend.

"What was the guy's name?" Jill prompted.

"Snake? Venom? I don't know. She was meeting him near Devil's lane. That park."

"I'll see what I can find out," Jill took Lindsay's hands. "We'll find her."

Lindsay smiled and nodded warmly. "I know."

"Okay Lindsay lets go," Jacobi followed up behind the three women standing together. "Hate to break up the meeting…but we've got a lead. Trace was able to locate some feed from an abandoned area down by the docks, about a five mile radius. We're splitting up into four teams. You've got me," he smiled.

"Tom's going to let me work this?" Lindsay asked slightly shocked.

"Well at first he thought you were too close," Jacobi waited a moment. "But then I told him if he valued his life, he wouldn't think of stopping you."

"This is why we're partner Jacobi," she touched the side of his face. "Let me get my gun and we're out of here…"

Part 3

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