Chapter 1: Just In The Line Of Duty
I've started a new Fan-Fic, and here it is. As I am sure most of you who read my stuff have figured out by now, I take current story lines and make up what I'd like to see happen or a plausible alternative to reality. This one is no different. As of right now there is only one thing in it that is a spoiler and as soon as Passions is over on Tuesday, it will no longer be a spoiler. It also has nothing to do with the storyline, but just the presence of a new character. As a matter of fact, I have deliberately left out some spoilers that I know about because I want this story to go in a different direction. (not that it wouldn't anyway) Any way, I hope you enjoy this new story.
Chapter 1:
Sheridan Crane sat tensely behind the steering wheel of her rented Mercedes Convertible as she took the nearly three hour trip back to Harmony. She was nearly home and had thought about nothing but Luis the entire trip. Every few minutes she would chastise herself for having signed the complaint having Luis arrested for kidnapping her. She knew why he did it, she thought, but that still gave him no right to take her back to the States without her permission. “Damn him,” she said out loud to herself as she grabbed the wheel even tighter. “Why did he make me do it?” Sheridan put her foot on the gas as she raced back towards Harmony. “Why am I even going back to Harmony? That’s the last place you want to be Sheridan. Luis isn’t there though, remember? You had him arrested in Boston and he is sitting in a cold jail cell right now. Oh, why do I feel so guilty? He kidnapped you remember? And don’t forget that phone call on the wharf. He’s only out to use you to get what he wants.”
Sheridan groaned as these thoughts kept racing through her mind. She sped the car up determined to get home. The sooner she was out of the car, the sooner she could forget about Luis, or so she thought. She was so deep in thought it took a few minutes for her to realize she was being hailed by a police cruiser. She checked her rear view mirror when she heard the siren and saw there was a cop attempting to pull her over. “Just great,” she said. “Welcome to Harmony, AGAIN!”
Sheridan pulled her car over to the side of the road and a young police officer walked up to her car window. “License and registration please?” The officer asked her.
Sheridan handed the man her license and registration. Before looking at them the officer said, “Miss, do you have any idea how fast you were going? This road is posted at 45 and I clocked you at nearly 75 mph.” “I wasn’t paying attention to the speed limit Officer,” Sheridan said. She was not about to fight this man as she remembered the last time she was pulled over for speeding. “I am sorry.”
“Oh, Miss Crane,” the officer said in surprise. “I didn’t realize it was you. I’m going to let you off with a warning this time. Please try to stay within the posted speed limit.” He handed her back her license and registration. Sheridan was shocked. “Thank you Officer. I will remember that.” “Have a good day, Miss Crane,” he said as he walked back to his police cruiser.
“Luis would never have done that,” Sheridan said as she started her car back up. “He would have thrown the book at me. If he’d caught me speeding again, I would have been sentenced to community service at the Youth Center for life!” Sheridan thought back on her first meeting with Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald and smiled. “He certainly knew how to make a lasting impression on a person..... Sheridan you need to stop this now. He’s where he belongs... in jail.” Tears came to her eyes as she thought about being responsible for putting Luis in jail.
Sheridan began driving again as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. “No matter what he’s done to me, I can’t be responsible for ruining his life... his family... Why did he make me fall in love with him? Damn you Luis! Why can’t I forget about you? After all you’ve done to me, why am I still in love with you! I should hate you.” Sheridan’s mind was a whirlwind. Finally she made up her mind what she was going to do....
Roger and Pierre were sitting in a rented car just outside the Crane estate. They knew from their sources that Sheridan had left Boston several hours ago and was returning to Harmony. “Can you see the cottage through the scope Pierre?” Roger asked. “Yes Roger,” Pierre said. “I have a perfect view. “I hope your informant was right telling you Sheridan lives in this cottage. It doesn’t make sense to me that she doesn’t live in the mansion. It is so much nicer.”
“My informant was very specific about this Pierre. He did not go into details, but assured me Mademoiselle Sheridan Crane lived in that cottage,” he said as he pointed towards it. “Now are you sure you only have tranquilizer darts in that gun? We do not wish to kill her here. There is too much security. We will tranquilize her and take her to a more remote location. We will then kill her and dispose of the body. I will not rest until Sheridan Crane is dead.”
“Such a shame the beautiful Sheridan had her American cop friend arrested for kidnapping. He will not be able to save her this time,” Pierre said as he laughed wickedly. “Yes, very unfortunate for her indeed. She is very unlucky in love mon ami. She does not see real love when it is right in front of her. She only sees men who want to use her,” Roger said. “Her American cop will be heartbroken when he finds out she is dead. He too, will be unlucky in love.”
“It is ironic, is it not that this cop kidnapped her to keep her away from us, and she will be the cause of her own death by having had him arrested?” Pierre said smugly. “Yes Pierre. It seems that Miss Crane’s stubbornness will be her downfall.” Roger said. “We are very lucky she is so stubborn. Tonight will be her last night to be stubborn mon ami. We shall kill the beautiful Sheridan by morning.”
Sheridan waited at the Police Desk for Sam Bennett. Pacing nervously she finally was escorted to his office. Sam looked up from his desk very surprised to see Sheridan there. “Sheridan, what a pleasant surprise? I thought you were in Paris? Did Luis bring you back? I haven’t talked to him in a few days.”
“Yes, Luis brought me back, Sam. That is what I need to talk to you about,” Sheridan said sadly. “I’ve done something to Luis that I regret and I need your help to fix it.” “Please sit down and tell me what I can do to help, Sheridan?” Sam offered. “Can I get you a drink or something?”
“No thank you, Sam. I just want to take care of this matter as quickly as possible. I am afraid that my temper and stubbornness is going to cause Luis a load of trouble. No matter what he’s done to me I don’t want to hurt him. I could never hurt him and I’m afraid I have.” Tears began to form in Sheridan’s eyes as she said this. The more she thought about what she’d done the worse she felt. “Tell me what I can do to help?” Sam asked gently as he leaned across his desk and handed Sheridan a box of Kleenex.
Sheridan took a Kleenex from Sam and wiped her eyes. She took a deep breath and began.
“My ex-fiance, Jean-Luc apparently was involver with a drug ring in Paris. I met these two men, Roger and Pierre the last night I was with Jean-Luc, though I had no idea whom they were. Luckily for me,
Jean-Luc was a cheating bastard, because when I found him with another woman, I left his house. He and the other woman were killed several minutes after I left in a car bomb explosion. I was meant to be the other person in the car.” Sheridan paused briefly to gather her thoughts.
Anyway, when I returned to Paris, I thought Jean-Luc was still alive. I made arrangements with him, or so I thought to return some of his possessions to him. When I went to meet him, Roger and Pierre were waiting for me. They planned to kill me. They tried in fact, but Luis arrived and helped me get away from them. Then later, they broke into my hotel room and once again Luis saved me.” Sheridan smiled for the first time since she was in Sam’s office as she remembered his quick thinking. She thought about their walk on the ledge, her falling and their swing on the cable wire that caused them to go crashing through a window. “And he prevented me from falling off the ledge from the seventh floor of my hotel and he prevented me from being poisoned.” Sheridan felt the tears well up again as she actually stopped to think of how many times Luis had actually saved her life in such a short period of time.
Sam sat there listening to the amazing story Sheridan was telling him. He didn’t say a word. He just sat there totally riveted by the story. His mouth was practically hanging open as he pictured the two of them swinging on a cable wire seven stories high crashing through a window.
“Be that as it may, when we finally touched base with the Gendarmes, Luis decided they couldn’t provide adequate protection for me. He wanted to be my personal bodyguard.” Sheridan was beginning to regain her composure and there was a hint of anger that had returned to her voice. “He said something about their witness protection program. I guess 57% of the witnesses that they had in their protection were killed while under their watch. He didn’t like the odds.” Sheridan rolled her eyes and emphasized the word odds.
“Are you telling me that 57% of the witnesses in their protection were killed where this drug cartel is concerned?” Sam asked in surprise. “Yes. That’s the number Luis used,” Sheridan said hesitantly. “I hate to tell you Sheridan, but it sounds to me like they had a leak in their department. Those figures are totally unacceptable,” Sam replied quietly.
“Luis said the exact same thing Sam. But they assigned me my own bodyguard,” Sheridan replied slightly annoyed. “I was perfectly safe in Paris but no, Luis wouldn’t let it go. He had to keep pressing me to return to Harmony with him. I told him I needed to stay there in order to testify against Roger and Pierre. He suggested I come back here and not testify at all! Can you imagine that? Mr. Law abiding, I arrested my own mother for Jay Walking Lopez-Fitzgerald, wanted me to not testify?”
Sam put his hand in front of his mouth at this point to prevent Sheridan from seeing the smile that was forming on his face. “And do you know what he did to get me back here?” Sheridan asked, anger again building within her. Sam shook his head, letting her know he didn’t. “He chloroformed me and kidnapped me! He forcibly took me against my will and dragged me back here.” Sheridan sat back and folded her arms, waiting for a response from Sam. “Luis kidnapped you?” Sam asked in utter surprise.
“Yes he did. He told me I made the wrong decision wanting to stay in Paris, so he conveniently left his plane ticket in my hotel room knowing I’d bring it to the airport for him. That’s where he abducted me. He had the chloroform ready to go“, she said venomously.
Sam was concerned by what he heard. “I don’t understand Luis’ behavior Sheridan,” Sam said with a frown. “I can see him forcing Theresa or even his mother to come with him if he thought they were in danger but he’s never before gone to such extr.....” Sam suddenly understood exactly why Luis did what he did. Luis was in love with Sheridan. There couldn’t be any other possible explanation for his behavior. Sam fought back a smile. “What did Luis have to say about all of this? Did he say why he kidnapped you?”
Sheridan rolled her eyes again. “He kept telling me his ‘gut’ instinct told him I was in danger. It told him I was still in danger and he didn’t trust the Gendarmes. He said it was the cop in him.” “I see,” Sam said. “So where is Luis now?” Sam was watching Sheridan and noticed her facial expression changed from anger to regret in a flash. “He’s in ... Well, you see... well; he’s in jail in Boston.” Sheridan finally got out. “IN JAIL? IN BOSTON?” Sam was shocked. “Tell me you didn’t have him arrested for kidnapping, Sheridan? I mean, I know what he did was wrong, but I believe his intentions were good.”
“I know Sam. I was livid. I wasn’t going to let Luis control my life. NO ONE will ever control me again, do you understand? Not my father, brother OR Luis. No one. He needed to learn a lesson, but now that I’ve calmed down a little I want to drop the complaint. That’s why I came to you. Can you help me? Or do I need to go back to Boston to do it?” Sheridan started speaking with strength and conviction, but her voice softened before she was finished.
Sam sat thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, there is one way to find out,” Sam said. He picked up the telephone and asked the operator to get his The Boston Police on the line. He then hung up the phone. “The operator will call me back when she has them on the line.” Sheridan nodded her head in acknowledgement. She began fidgeting nervously as she waited for the phone to ring.
Sam pondered over everything he had heard from Sheridan. The whole story was incredible. He was a bit concerned about the two drug lords who were still on the loose. He read the same fax Luis had read concerning Jean-Luc. He knew they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. Sam decided he would call the Gendarmes after Sheridan left to find out what was happening. A minute later the phone rang.
“Hello, Sam Bennett here.” “Yes, this is Sam Bennett, Chief of Police in Harmony. I’d like to speak with the officer in Charge of the Sheridan Crane kidnapping? Yes. Thank you.” Sam cupped his hand over the receiver and said, “they’re connecting me to Detective Alvarez.”
“Yo, Tina, I have a Chief Bennett on the phone that would like to talk to you about the Crane kidnapping case,” the desk officer shouted across the busy Boston precinct. Detective Alvarez grinned to herself as she picked up the phone. “I’ve been waiting for this phone call,” she muttered to herself. “Hello, this is Detective Alvarez.”
“Detective Alvarez? This is Sam Bennett, Chief of Police in Harmony. Sheridan Crane is sitting in my office right now. She is having second thoughts about having signed the complaint against Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. She’s had a chance to think it over and she decided she doesn’t want to press any charges.”
Detective Alvarez looked at her watch. It was exactly three hours and ten minutes since Sheridan had left the precinct. “Let me guess, she hasn’t even been home yet? She drove straight over to the police station when she got into town?” Detective Alvarez was shaking her head in disbelief. Sam cupped his hand over the receiver once again. “Have you been home yet, Sheridan?” “No, I came straight here. Why?” She asked with annoyed curiosity.
Sam put his hand up motioning Sheridan to please be quiet while he was on the phone. “She said she came straight here,” Sam answered. “Well that figures,” Detective Alvarez said. “I tried talking her out of filing the complaint when she was here, but she was adamant. She was madder than a wet hen. I’ve never seen a couple more in love and more in denial in my life. You should have seen them. They were quite the pair to watch.”
Sam laughed at hearing this. Sheridan was looking at him wondering what could be so funny. “I have to agree with you on that one Detective. So is there anyway Sheridan can drop the charges and get this mess cleared up without going back to Boston?”
“Sure Chief. I really didn’t want to keep Luis in here, but I had no choice. He’s worried sick about her. He still believes these two men will try to get her. He says his instincts tell him Roger and Pierre are either in the States or on their way. We’ve checked the airport, but so far no sign of them.” Detective Alvarez laughed for a minute. “I’ll tell you, I wish I had some of Luis’ gut instincts! He’s the first cop I met that had them this good! He’s got it bad, you know!”
Sam again laughed. Sheridan shot him a dirty look. She didn’t like people laughing at her expense and what else could they possibly be talking about. “So what does Sheridan need to do?”
Have her sign a sworn affidavit stating that she no longer wishes to press charges against Luis. Then Fax it to us and mail the original later. We will let him out as soon as we have the faxed copy. But Chief, Could I talk to her for a minute?” Detective Alvarez asked.
“Sure thing,” Sam said as he handed the phone to Sheridan. “Detective Alvarez wants to talk with you, Sheridan.”
Sheridan took the receiver from Sam. “Hello?”
“Miss Crane, this is Detective Alvarez. I see you changed your mind after all?”
Sheridan’s cheeks were turning red. “Well, I just couldn’t do this to his family. His mother means the world to me and I wouldn’t want to see her suffer from having a son a kidnapper.”
“Miss Crane, I’ve explained to Chief Bennett what you need to do to drop the charges. Just do what he asks and Luis will be released immediately afterwards. I do have some advice for you though. I suggest that you and Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald stay as far away from each other as you possibly can. It is very obvious to me that he is in love with you and you have no feelings at all for him. I like Luis and I don’t want to see him get hurt. I feel that he hangs around you much longer, he will wish he were in jail. He’ll end up with a broken heart. I’ve never met a man that has put himself through so much for the woman he loves and get so little in return and STILL, do nothing but worry about her safety.”
Sheridan was fuming as she listened to the detective tell her she had no feelings for Luis. Who did she think she was anyway? “Listen, DETECTIVE,” Sheridan said. “You have no idea what my feelings are for Luis. And I resent you telling me that. I also don’t know where you get off telling me that Luis cares about me. He’s nothing but a two faced liar and a user. He only dated me to get back at my family. He’s hated the Cranes for yea...” Sheridan suddenly went pale. “Why am I telling you this? I never even told Luis this. He doesn’t need to know my business.”
Sam had to hide his smile from Sheridan as he heard her portion of the conversation. He had an idea what the Detective was trying to do.
“Miss Crane, please forgive me for saying this, but if the man sitting in this jail cell is using you for anything, I’ll eat my badge. I’ve been a cop for twenty years. I’ve never seen a cop go to the lengths to protect someone that Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald has gone through to protect you. Now. Even after you treated him like dirt on the bottom of your shoe, all he keeps asking us is to please find a way to protect you. He knows now you won’t listen to him or want anymore to do with him, but he still is trying to save your life. So do him one last favor and don’t get yourself killed.” Detective Alvarez was smiling as she was trying to sound disgusted with Sheridan. “Now if I may speak with Chief Bennett for a moment?”
Sheridan handed the phone back to Sam, glad to have it out of her hands. Her mind was racing as she kept hearing Detective Alvarez’s words in her mind. ‘She has no idea what she is talking about,’ Sheridan thought as she paced the floor in Sam’s office.
“Chief, I was playing a bit of reverse psychology on Miss Crane. Those two need to let each other know how they feel before one of them explodes. I’ll tell you one thing for sure. When they do finally get together, there will be some fireworks display. You may need the fire department standing by to hose them down. Good luck from your end. I’m going to see Luis now and have some fun with him. I’ll have him released as soon as we receive the fax. Please don’t let her change her mind?” Detective Alvarez implored. “Call if you need anything.”
“Thank you for all your help. Ask Luis to call me please when he’s released?” Sam asked. “And Detective Alvarez? GOOD LUCK!” Sam was grinning as he hung up the phone.
“Sheridan if you’ll come with me, we can have this all taken care of in fifteen minutes,” Sam said as he escorted her from his office.
Detective Alvarez walked back to the jail section of the police station and stopped in front of Luis’ cell. He was lying on his bunk with his eyes closed. “Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald?” she called.
Luis immediately jumped up and walked to where the detective was standing. She was opening the cell. “It seems that your lady friend had a change of heart as soon as she got home. She drove straight to the Police Station and asked Sam Bennett to help her withdraw her complaint.
Luis threw his head back and exhaled sharply. “Thank God she came to her senses,” he whispered.
“I’ll bring you out front and you can wait with me at my desk until the affidavit comes through the fax,” she said.
Luis followed her to her desk and sat down in the chair beside it. Detective Alvarez gathered Luis’ belongings and returned them to him.
Luis quickly went through his things and told her everything was there. He then started fidgeting like a caged lion, waiting to be released.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee or something, Luis?” It will be at least 15 or 20 minutes before we receive the fax.
“Sure, thanks,” Luis said with a smile.
Tina Alvarez left briefly and returned with two cups of coffee. She handed one to Luis and placed the other one in front of her as she sat down at her desk. Luis thanked her for the coffee. “I’ll tell you Officer,” she said, “that girl had is bad for you.”
Luis who was sipping on his coffee almost choked. He spit a small amount of coffee out as she said this. “Are you nuts?” Luis said in shock. “She hates my guts. What would make you say something like that?”
Alvarez smiled as she watched Luis’ reaction. “It’s obvious Luis. She’s in love with you and you only went to Paris on you cop instincts. She knows you were only doing your job and it was tearing her up inside. She couldn’t bear to have you near her not returning her feelings, so she had you arrested. After the ride to Harmony she’d had time to think about what she’d done to the man she loved and couldn’t live with ruining your life, so she changed her mind and is withdrawing the complaint.”
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. If you saw the way she acted every time she’s near me you’d know you were wrong.” Luis stated emphatically.
“I know you don’t have feelings like that for her, which is why I don’t blame her in a way for what she’s done. If I were in love with someone as gorgeous as you and you didn’t return my feelings, I wouldn’t want you hanging around me either,” she said.
Luis was starting to get angry. “Look, you have no idea what my feelings are for her, and I don’t appreciate you telling me I don’t have any for her. Of course I have feelings for her. I wouldn’t have spent every dime of my savings on just anyone. She is the one that hates my guts.”
Alvarez continued to bait Luis. “Look, officer, you don’t have to pretend with me. We are both cops. I know the score. You are trying to make detective, right? She’s a member of a prominent family? You had a chance to make yourself look good. I don’t blame you a bit. I guess you didn’t figure on her feeling the way she does, huh? Love does strange things to people.” Detective Alvarez fought back the urge to smile.
“I NEVER in my wildest dreams, planned on using my saving Sheridan from those thugs for my own gain.” Luis’ face was crimson at this point. He was nearly in a rage. “I told you. I had a sick feeling in my gut that Sheridan was in danger in Paris and I went there I found out I was right. There were at least four attempts on her life there. Those drug lords have a cop on the payroll and I couldn’t leave her there to die. Almost six out of 10 witnesses they have in their witness protection program that were to testify against this cartel were killed. Sheridan was too stubborn and pig headed to listen to me, so I did what I had to do. I couldn’t protect her in Paris. I needed her here in order to protect her. I couldn’t live with myself if something were to happen to her.”
“And why is that?” Alvarez asked. “Because I love her, dammit!” Luis shouted before he had a chance to realize what he’d said.
To Be Continued...
