CHAPTER ONE Okay, so I am jumping the gun a little bit. This is supposed to be the sequel to "Two Weeks In Miami". I was going to call this one "Horatio's Family", but I think "Horatio's Family ~ New Beginnings" is a more proper title. Enjoy.
December 5, 2002 (Thursday)
REUNITED AFTER EIGHT YEARS
JULIE'S FIRST MEETING WITH HORATIO SINCE 1995
Lieutenant Horatio Caine was aware that two women were coming in for a private tour of the Crime Scene Investigation lab of the Miami-Dade Police Department. This tour had been arranged nearly a month before. He didn't like these tours, because they disrupted the work, and the people who were a part of his team were disturbed in their efforts to do their jobs efficiently. Still, it would be just two women, so he surmised the tour would be relatively easy, perhaps even painless. Just give them the lab tour, speak briefly to them, and send them on their way.
The reason for the tour was that Julie MacGyver's sister, Malann Simons, was visiting Julie at her small farm near Lakeport, Florida, and while here, wanted to visit Miami, three hours away, and do some research on forensics labs and crime scene investigation protocol, as part of her thesis at the Westfield State College she was attending in Massachusetts.
As for Julie, she had her own reasons for choosing the Miami CSI lab in particular. Years before, while on vacation in Miami, she had known and fallen in love with one Horatio Caine, a homicide detective and bomb squad officer, and she was very curious, almost certain that this Lieutenant Horatio Caine would be the same one she had met before. His was such an unusual name that she couldn't see how it would be anyone else. At their tearful parting, eight years before, she had made him a promise that if she had become pregnant with his child, she would let him know, but time, distance, and circumstances beyond their control had separated them, and for this, she was profoundly sad.
Malann was not aware of this reason for Julie's wanting to accompany her to the crime lab. Julie's family, of course, knew about Julie's illegitimate child, but she had always been careful not to mention the father's name to anyone, or let anyone see the father's picture. Certain of Julie's family were ready to kill the man who had 'led her down the wrong path', so Julie made it a point to protect the father's identity, and also the child she was carrying. There was even some speculation, from certain new 'members' of the family, that Julie was an incurable slut, and had no idea of who the child's father really was.
Horatio happened to be near the reception area when Julie and Malann walked in. He was simply standing in the hallway, some distance from reception, his feet apart, looking down at the floor, sunglasses in his hands, a stance he often took when he was deep in thought. On this occasion, he was trying to decide whether to go upstairs and complete some reports in his office, or drive his Hummer over to a recent crime scene and talk to a woman whose husband had been severely injured in a near-fatal car accident. Evidence had pointed to the husband's brakes having been tampered with. As it turned out, however, Horatio did neither one.
Julie and Malann signed in, and received their special visitor badges, which they clipped onto their shirt pockets. Horatio stood about twenty-five feet away from them, and he raised his head to appraise them briefly as he heard their voices whispering. One was tawny-haired with a thick wavy mane billowing in gentle waves to the middle of her back, evenly trimmed on the ends. The other had shorter, chestnut-colored hair, rather straight, and cascading in a thick drop to her shoulders. He saw the two only from the back. He lowered his head again and toyed with his sunglasses. In that short span of time, the tawny one, in gazing around, glanced at him briefly, but quickly ducked behind the other's shoulder, for what reason she did not know. She had just caught a brief glimpse of his profile, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized that this man was indeed the same Horatio Caine she had met and fallen in love with in Miami eight years before, and the father of her child.
The two girls met their guide and disappeared around the corner. Horatio went back upstairs to his office, choosing to catch up on the stack of reports piling up on his desk. He thought about the two girls he had briefly seen in the reception area. He had only viewed them from behind, but for some reason, they looked familiar to him, particularly the tawny one, and he could not get them off his mind. She looked so familiar to him in fact, that curiosity got the better of him, and he left his office to go looking for them.
The two women were in the conference room viewing a slideshow about Crime Scene Investigation when he looked in on them from the hallway. Through the glass, he could see that one of them, the chestnut, had a clipboard, and was vigorously taking notes while watching the revolving pictures. The other, the tawny one, was engrossed in the slideshow. Both were wearing headsets.
At one point, tawny-haired Julie looked up, and out of the window of the conference room, but did not see Horatio standing out in the hallway, to the side, observing her. She lowered her head back to the slideshow. She did not look up again, but Horatio had seen enough of her to wonder if this was the same girl he had known eight years before.
He was summoned to the trace lab to assist with a problem that came up suddenly, concerning a powdery brown residue that had been found on the shirt of a suspect. Further scrutiny showed that it was iron oxide from an old cast iron pipe in a warehouse in Brownsville, a suburb of Miami.
Horatio did not see the girls for about half an hour. After he left the trace lab, he returned to the conference room, but both girls were gone. He supposed they had already departed, so he made his way back toward the audio/visual lab, to begin his rounds, before heading out to the crime scene.
At that moment, Julie and Malann rounded a corner, and nearly bumped into Horatio. They were being followed by their guide, a uniformed male police officer who was escorting them throughout the building. Julie gave a start when she saw her former lover, blinked her eyes, and stopped short. She and Horatio were about six feet away from each other. Neither one moved, and the two observed each other. Horatio's head went down, and his sapphire blue eyes looked into her turquoise ones, and a smile of recognition began to form on his face. Instinctively, his eyes traveled down to her left hand, and he saw no wedding band there. Does she ever look different, he thought.
Julie's mouth went up at the corners, until Malann pulled her by the arm and said, "Julie, come on. Watch where you're going." Malann turned to Horatio and mumbled, "Sorry." And with that, Malann pulled her sister away, past Horatio, and on down the hall, following their guide, on the way to the audio/visual lab. Horatio turned slowly, his eyes following Julie. There was no mistake now about who this young lady was. Although she did look quite a bit different, this was definitely the one whom he had lived with and fallen in love with in 1995. And he desperately wanted to talk to her before she left the building.
Julie turned her head to look back at him, before the two sisters disappeared around a corner, following their tour guide. She had gotten only a brief glimpse of him, but she, too, had noticed there was no wedding ring on his left hand, but she surmised that many men did not wear wedding rings these days.
Horatio wanted to hang around the lab for awhile, but he lost sight of the two visitors, and the next time he saw the pair, they were still in the company of the tour guide, who was answering Malann's questions near the reception area. She was busily taking notes on her notepad, and talking to the officer, while Julie was sort of hanging back, doing her own thing.
Horatio was standing on the balcony just outside of his upstairs office, looking out and down onto the hallway below. He could see Julie was talking very little, but observing everything. She was studying the large wall picture of the facility and then she moved on to the trophy case lined up against the wall, even kneeling down to observe closer some of the trophies that were on display behind the glass case. He kept his eye on her, and when the guide took them around the corner, and into the trace lab, he descended the stairs and followed at a distance, hoping to get the chance to talk to her. He loitered outside the men's restroom, very discreetly following the small entourage. He went into the restroom, and when he came out again, they were gone from the trace lab.
He looked into the break room and saw the two girls sitting together on one side of the table. He also noticed that the officer who had been guiding them was nowhere in sight. He went in cautiously.
Malann was putting her notes in order, jabbering, and Julie was watching. They became aware of his presence, and they stopped talking immediately. As he moved around the table, his eyes met Julie's, but she broke it off, shyly, with an awkward glance at her sister. Malann paid no attention, just concentrated on arranging her stack of written notes into a neat pile.
He asked if they wanted coffee. Malann did, but Julie preferred tea. He bought it for them from the vending machine, suddenly remembering Julie had never been a coffee drinker.
He came to sit himself down at the table, directly across from Julie.
She lowered her eyes from his, and looked at one of the buttons on his blue striped shirt. He wore no tie, and the top button on his shirt was undone.
"Hi. My name is Malann Simons," said the chestnut.
Horatio nodded his head to her. "Hello, Malann."
Malann gestured toward the other. "This is my sister, Julie."
"Her OLDER sister." Julie's eyes locked into Horatio's before she lowered them. She thought, but you already know my name, don't you.
"I am Lieutenant Horatio Caine." He knew very well Julie had recognized him. He introduced himself only for Malann's benefit.
"Hello. It is very nice to meet you, sir." Malann was very professional and formal.
"Ladies--"
Julie said, "This is her first visit to Miami." She inclined her head toward her sister.
"Well, I've been--" Malann's voice trailed off, and her brows were furrowed, while she tried to arrange her notes in order.
Horatio talked to the two for a little while, and Julie kept sending furtive glances to her sister, who was apparently paying no attention to Julie or Horatio, so absorbed was she in writing down her notes and trying to get them in order.
Horatio wanted to get Julie away from her sister, so they could talk alone, but he was not quite sure how to go about it.
It was chestnut-haired Malann herself who opened the door of opportunity. "Julie, I have to go to the restroom." She stood up. "Are you coming?"
"No." Julie answered, adamantly. "I want to finish my tea." She wanted some time alone with Horatio.
Malann took her purse and went out of the room and turned left for the ladies' restroom down the hall, her clipboard and notes still on the table.
Alone at last, Horatio and Julie focused on each other, turquoise meeting sapphire.
Julie fumbled with Malann's note papers, straightening them a little. "I told you I would be back one day," she said quietly.
"Yes--you did." His finger rubbed his lower lip.
"I just did not know it would take me this long." She gave him a sad-eyed gaze.
"Where've you been?" He folded his hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly.
"Just--working--I guess--" Raising your child, she wanted to say to him, but decided this was not the proper time or place. "I have been wondering where YOU have been."
With a stealthy look over her shoulder, Julie said, "I do not want her to know--about us--that we--uh--".
"Why not?"
"I have my reasons," was all she said.
"Is there someplace we can go to talk?" She asked with a pleading look. "If--if you are not too busy."
On the contrary, he was very busy, but he didn't want to miss this chance to talk to her after such a long time apart. He left the break room and she followed him, leaving Malann's things on the table. With Horatio in the lead, they made their way to the elevator, rode upstairs, then down the hall to a type of sunroom, which had tall glass panes comprising the entire wall on one side of the room. This room was on the same level as Horatio's office, on the second floor.
She timidly asked him questions about his work. They talked offhandedly about CSI search patterns, types of cameras used when photographing crime scenes, and the different labs in this building. She listened carefully to what he said, and asked questions. They talked about what she had learned on the tour.
She had discovered that crime scene investigation was the first step toward apprehending a criminal. The CSIs were very methodical in the way they handled the evidence, to ensure that the criminals were caught and brought to justice on behalf of the victims. In order to do this, the CSIs were required to follow guidelines and think on their feet as they searched for the clues that would bring a case to it's closing.
During the tour, Julie had learned that the process of documentation began with the responders who were first on the scene. They took detailed notes about what they observed upon their arrival, and what they learned from the witnesses. She understood that the crime scene was documented via drawings, videotape, and photographs. She understood how important all of these types of documentation were, for they created a record of the crime scene that would be used until the case was solved.
Julie realized that the classifying of a crime scene was an important step toward determining what happened. Primary crime scenes were those where the first part of a crime took place. If the same criminal incident was continued at another location, there would also be a secondary crime scene. An example of this might be when a victim is murdered in one place, the primary scene, after which the body was dumped somewhere else, which would become the secondary crime scene. Both types of crime scenes were given the same priority because they could both yield the tell-tale clues needed to solve the case.
Horatio explained how an investigator was chosen to gather evidence in order to ensure that nothing was overlooked or contaminated during the gathering phase of the process. Some examples of the evidence that might be collected at a crime scene were hairs, fibers, blood, glass---as well as items that were out of place that may have been left behind by the criminal. When collecting evidence, the investigator was responsible for packaging and marking it so that it would be protected when sent to forensic scientists for analysis.
In addition, Horatio told Julie that he and his team had the responsibility of reconstructing the crime scene by interpreting the evidence and forming opinions about how the crime had taken place. The evidence would then be tested by his team of forensic scientists to determine the accuracy of their interpretations. The theories that were formed during the investigation were not meant to be rigid, and were subject to change as more information came to light about the crime. He emphasized how important it was to follow the evidence, and let the evidence lead to the solving of the crime.
Horatio and Julie discussed the first people to usually get to a crime scene, the police officers. They bore a lot of responsibility because they most likely would arrive while the crime scene was still in its original form. One of the duties of these officers would be to take care of the living victims of the crime, before the CSIs arrived. Another duty was to separate the witnesses so that they could tell their stories without influencing each other. A third duty would be to secure the crime scene to prevent unauthorized persons from coming in and contaminating the scene.
Julie was very curious about how he had made the transition from homicide detective and bomb squad officer to Lieutenant during the past eight years. He told her that the Miami Dade CSI was formed in 1997, and that himself was put in charge of forming it.
After his supervisor left without warning, he was thrown into the position of CSI supervisor. He had not asked for it, but he stayed with it. After a time, he was promoted to Lieutenant. He had become a lieutenant in July 1999, about the same time that this new facility was built, just half a block away from the Police Department, to house the Miami Dade Police Department Crime Lab here in Police Plaza. (When your son was just three and a half, she wanted to tell him, but could not bring herself to.)
He asked her about her life after she had gone back to Connecticut, and she hedged around the subject, saying only that she had encountered some good times, and some bad times. He wondered about the bad times, but she wasn't willing to give him too much detail, and he was hesitant to pry. Overall, she seemed reluctant to talk about herself, and she seemed to become a little withdrawn. She grew quiet, and there was an uncomfortable silence between the two. He was standing only a few feet from her, yet he felt like he did not even know her anymore.
"Well, it is time we were leaving, I suppose," she said casually.
Horatio didn't answer, but followed her gaze.
Below the tall wall of windows and the deck immediately outside, was a good view of the front lawn and parking garage across the street from the building, and she studied it as though she was trying to commit it to memory. She was thinking about all the responsibilities Horatio had now; he was the boss of quite a few people, so he probably did not have a lot of time for personal relationships, or to help raise his son. But then, there was that ridiculous promise she had made to him eight years ago. Somehow, some way, she must find a way to tell him--and he could decide for himself if he wanted to be a part of his child's life.
Horatio resisted the temptation to reach out and put his hand on her shoulder, and to put his chin on the top of her head the way he used to do. Had he only known, she would have welcomed his advance with pleasure and total happiness.
"Can we go now?" She turned away from the windows. "My sister may be looking for me."
"Okay."
They took the elevator back down to the receptionist area, and he stayed with her as she took off her visitor badge. He accompanied her to the foyer, just inside the front door.
"So you're interested in Crime Scene Investigation?"
"I am, Lt. Caine."
"You consider going to school for it?"
"I would have to become a police officer first."
"That is correct."
"I really do not have the time for it. If I did, I would prefer to study it on my own time. It would most likely have to be a law enforcement correspondence course."
He opened the door and they stepped outside, onto the top step. Malann was nowhere in sight. He stood beside her as she hooked a strand of hair behind her ear.
He stood with his feet apart, hands on his hips. "Tell me, did you dispose of that hideous black wig?"
"I do not have that now." Her laughter was like music. She was surprised he remembered it. "My daughter's dog used it as a bed, until it wore out. She had her puppies on it, and then I did not want it back."
"Your kids must be teenagers by now." He knew his child would not be.
She didn't take the bait. Instead, she changed the subject to keep from lying. "I was not sure you would recognize me."
"You've changed. Your hair--is different--longer. Lighter." He impulsively reached out for a strand that was cascading over her shoulder. He couldn't help himself.
Julie stood perfectly still, not breathing.
He let the strand drop back onto her shoulder, and fixed her with a sharp-eyed gaze. "Why didn't you call?"
She detected a note of sadness in his voice.
"Why was the last letter I wrote to you returned to me with no forwarding address, and undeliverable?" It was a simple, curious question, and there was no malice in it.
He was somewhat stunned by her question, and he had no answer for it.
"And--why did you change your phone number, so I could NOT call you?" Still an honest question, and delivered without resentment.
Horatio suddenly remembered his long-distance transfer that had been forced on him, and the changing of his phone number. He hung his head, as though he were embarrassed. "Well--um--I--it was work. I was transferred to a different department." Different department indeed, he thought with regret. This different 'department' had been in Canada. He had been sent on a training assignment there for over a year, from late July of 1995, to early August of 1996.
"Well, it does not matter now, does it. You are a lieutenant. You have moved on with your life since we parted." Her words had become clipped, defensive--maybe a little hurt?
"I have," he answered, a little uncertainly, wondering where she was going with this line of talk.
"And I have moved on, as well." She looked at him with an aggrieved expression, as though she was not too sure about that statement.
"I did come back to Miami. To try to find you. In May 1996, fourteen months after we met." She didn't mention that she had brought the five-month-old child with her, with the hope of introducing him to his father.
"Did you?" His eyes opened wider with interest.
"You were gone. You were no longer in your apartment."
He shuffled a little, as he perused the ground at his feet. He realized that he had still been in Canada when her visit to Miami had occurred.
"Oh, Horatio--uh--I mean--Lt. Caine--" There was a split second of pain in her eyes, but just as suddenly she covered it with a look of indifference.
"I need to--uh--um--" Julie's eyes were downcast. (Tell you about your son, she wanted to say, but did not.)
He leaned his head down, waiting.
"Did you marry anyone?" She had to know.
"I did," he answered, but before he could tell her that his wife had died, Malann came out the door, after turning in her visitor's badge.
"Oh, there you are. You disappeared, and I couldn't find you."
Julie and Horatio didn't say anything, just stood watching Malann. The pair had once again fallen into an uncomfortable silence.
"Come on, Julie. Time to go." Malann adjusted her backpack.
"Malann, in a minute."
Julie's sister moved on down the steps toward the sidewalk, and waited, watching the traffic.
"Where are you staying?" Horatio ventured.
"We are--why should you care?" She sounded a little defensive. "You have moved on." She tossed her head haughtily. The last thing she intended to do, was let him know where they were staying. She wasn't about to become involved with a married men--even if he was the father of her son.
Malann came back up the steps. "Goodbye, Lt. Caine." She shook his hand, and gave Julie an impatient look. "And thank you."
Julie did not shake hands with him, in fact preferring to clasp her hands behind her back. This action was not lost on him.
"Goodbye." Horatio answered.
Malann moved back down the steps again, and stood on the sidewalk, looking at her watch.
"Will you be here, in this building, I mean, is this where you--always work now?"
"Um--yes--mostly. But--why do you care? You said you moved on." He was a bit sharp with her.
"Oh?" He turned sideways, and looked down at her.
Malann was impatient. "Julie, we really need to go." She called up from the sidewalk.
Julie turned to leave. As she did, she stopped to look back up at him, and their eyes locked for a moment. She smiled, ever so slightly, and he did the same, and nodded.
From the top step, he looked them both up and down, particularly Julie, as they walked down the sidewalk, talking together. And he couldn't help thinking, there she goes--walking out of my life--again--and I am letting her do it. He turned and stepped back inside the building. He returned to his office, and dove into his paperwork.
Unlike Horatio, Julie KNEW that she and Horatio were destined to meet again. She did not know just how, where, or when, but she fully intended to make it happen. She had a promise to fulfill.
Julie and Malann strolled down the sidewalk to a coffee shop near Police Plaza, and went inside for some lunch. While talking, Malann teased Julie about the tall, ginger-haired lieutenant who had seemed to take a liking to her, back at the crime lab. Malann could not get over the fact that Leiutenant Caine looked an awfully lot like a certain little boy that hung around Julie a lot. Malann was very astute, and she had noticed the resemblance.
Nevertheless, she was very surprised when Julie dropped the bombshell: Lieutenant Horatio Caine was Tommy's father, for whom she had been searching for such a long time.
Julie told Malann of the promise that herself had made to him back in 1995, when she left Miami to go back to Connecticut. That he wanted to know if she became pregnant. Well, she had tried to let him know, but things had happened, and somehow, she was not able to keep in contact with him. Yes, he was Tommy's father, and he didn't even know it--yet.
Malann wished now that she had paid more attention to the red-haired CSI while they had been on the tour.
Back in his office, Horatio Caine thought about Julie and her sister. The resemblance between them was striking. He remembered how he and Julie had come together, and how they had grown to feel about each other. He thought of the connection they had made, the love between them, the letters they had exchanged briefly. Her figure looked as good as it had when he had lived with her, so he was guessing there had been no child. She had never told him there was. He supposed she had gotten on with her life, as she had so blatantly told him. But he was puzzled about the secrecy. Why had Julie not wanted her sister to know of his relationship with her?
Two years after their parting, he had finally gotten on with his own life. He had known other women (and a few men), in varying degrees of intimacy, and in May of 2000, five years after Julie had gone out of his life, he had met and fallen for a raven-haired beauty named Marisol Delko. After dating for eight months, they had married in January of 2001, and just over one year later, he had lost her to leukemia, and their unborn child as well.
Only eleven months ago, he had buried his beloved wife and child, and the hurt was still very much with him. He thought about their child. If Marisol had lived, their baby would be about five months old now.
Getting back to thoughts of Julie--he assumed he had gotten over her and moved on, but suddenly, here she was again, right in front of him, stirring up emotions he had not felt for many years. He was determined not to let himself be close to anyone again, to be hurt again, he had been through so much, losing the people who were closest to him, and he thought he had successfully shut down. It left him disconcerted to discover that he had not--at least, as far as Julie was concerned. He was still attracted to her.
Their brief tour time together this time had been somewhat stiff and awkward for both of them. It was a cautiousness that had not been there before. He knew who she was, and remembered how he had felt about her once upon a time, but now, he had not even been sure how to act around her. While they had been in the sunroom visiting, her demeanor had been purely professional, about his job, about the crime lab.
Truth to tell, the physical and emotional distance that had been forced on the two over the past few years had exacted its toll on both of them.
That night, in the Miami hotel room she shared with her sister, Julie's mind was a mishmash of conflicting emotions. The tears she shed were hidden under her pillow, so Malann would neither hear nor see them.
END OF CHAPTER ONE Reference: "Crime Scene Investigation Methods" by Charlotte Anne Cox, eHow contributor.
