Family Ties

Part 26

"Are you sure?" Raymond asked sharply over the phone to one of his contacts. He made mental notes as the person on the other end provided him with the details he needed. "No, I want you to concentrate on his parents. Something doesn't add up." He tapped his finger on the steering wheel, as he sat in traffic.

There was a good reason he and Skye always used public transport, there were no traffic jams or delays, and it was also good for catching up on the investigation and how it was going. He was a bit frustrated that there was so little information about the kidnapping, but he also knew that someone had made sure it was kept quiet and out of the papers. He had a good idea who that would be, but he didn't want to overplay his hand before he knew what he was looking for.

Jackson's friend, on the other hand, didn't come up clean either. He wondered if Jackson knew about his compulsive gambling and staggering debt. It seemed a little too convenient for him to be presumed dead when nobody was found. Either the investigation was stopped or they were sloppy enough not to pick up on the evidence at hand.

He let out another frustrated groan, now it looked as if he was going to have to solve a cold case as well. As it was, his investigators were working overtime to follow up on all the leads that he could think of. This didn't seem like such a random act, but a very carefully orchestrated plan. He still hadn't managed to get Jackson to open up about the topic, he thought with a sigh.

"Also, send me the file on the friend." He cut the call without waiting for a response.

At the office, he was surprised to find a bouquet of red tulips on his desk. Turning the vase, around, he couldn't find a card. Jackson must have decided that his desk was too plain and utilitarian for the company. Go figure, he thought, setting his bag down to start his usual morning routine.

Since he'd gotten so involved in the running of the company, Jackson appeared to have relaxed to the point where he often arrived for work after ten. It wasn't exactly what he'd meant when he wanted Jackson to chill and calm the hell down, but he seemed to have created his own monster. Only this time he'd invited Jackson to pile on the work to shut him up.

"Do you like the flowers?" Jackson appeared in front of his desk with a wide grin, the corners of his eyes creasing slightly. "I didn't know which you liked, so..." He gestured toward the bouquet.

"They're for me?" He looked at Jackson in surprise, then back to the flowers.

"Yes, I mean, we're dating now, so this is the least I can do to make you smile." He leaned over the desk. "Unless you think a kiss would make you happier?"

"I'm sorry but when did we start dating?" Did he miss part of this conversation?

"Cook, I'm going to murder you, if you keep this up." he threatened with a scowl.

"Fine, have it your way." a small smile lingered on his lips. "But I did warn you."

"So, now that we've established that we're dating, what about a kiss to seal the deal?" He winked, a grin settling on his face.

"Are you out of your nut?!" He could feel the heat rise in his face. "There are boundaries. Now, get to work. I'll see you after lunch." Picking up his saddlebag he turned to Jackson blocking his path.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked.

"Personal stuff, so no. Boundaries, remember?" He side stepped Jackson and walked toward the lift.

Within 30 minutes he was sitting in front of Damon, talking through the case again. He was sure that all his leads were leading to the same place. He could almost see where this would go, but he'd also learnt the hard way not to make early assumptions when working on a case.