Complicated

Chapter Thirty: Criminal Justice

Do I seem familiar
I've crossed you in hallways a thousand times
No more camouflage I want to be exposed
And not be afraid to fall

Teddy Geiger – For You I Will

The crime scene was a brownstone on the Upper East Side. Grace liked this part of the city, the pavements were clear, the people appeared friendly and the houses were maintained and well kept. She knew you were paying for that luxury when you moved here, that and the illusion of safety it provided. Seeing the area already cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape really showed you that this district wasn't as immune to crime as it first appeared which she was sure was disappointing to the residents.

The inhabitants of the Upper East Side paid well for the knowledge that their children were safe in their beds at night or on the way to or from school, a scene like this in their backyard would shake things up in this neighbourhood. On the bright side she was hoping it enticed the citizens with a deeper morale fibre to come forward if they had witnessed anything that could be described as relevant.

It was cold when Grace stepped out of the passenger seat of the black Avalanche, tugging her silver Crime Scene Kit behind her. She had restocked it this morning lovingly when she'd made it into the lab. She didn't want to get caught out on her first day back in the field. The breeze was icy, fluffing her loose hair as she slammed the door shut behind her. She was wrapped up in a grey woollen jacket that she'd secured with the belt around her waist. She had snagged Don's navy blue chequered scarf this morning on the way out, since hers was still packed in one of the many boxes that the two of them had moved into his apartment over the past few days. She inhaled his rich masculine scent, burying her nose against the cold into the warmth of the scarf.

Grace's eyes came to rest on Don as she broke into stride alongside Stella. Whenever she looked at him she felt her heart palpitate just a little at the thought of the silver ring upon her finger. She hadn't gotten used to the word fiancé yet, it seemed alien on her tongue every time she said it. It was hard for her to tell people about their engagement and she was aware that they would come to their own assumptions the longer she continued to wear the ring. She thought maybe it was better that way, she didn't want to make a fuss over their relationship. The proposal was special and intimate, something for the two of them to remember and savour she wasn't ready to share that with other people just yet, not when she, herself was just getting used to the idea.

Don was talking to a witness, his fingers clasped around his black memo book as he asked questions and scribbled down each detail the young blond woman answered with. His brown leather jacket was zipped up tight against the cold, his own grey woollen scarf peeked out from around the junction of his throat keeping his neck and chin warm against the cool weather. His hands though, she knew they must be freezing, he had left his gloves at home on the kitchen table from when he'd emptied his pockets last night. She handed them to him wordlessly as she glided by, he nodded his thanks as he took them before returning to the interview. His firm, soothing tones putting the shaken young woman at ease.

Supervising District Attorney Craig Hansen was hurrying down the steps from the brownstone house as they stepped onto the pavement in front of him. Grace frowned, taking in his harried appearance. There was a second where she thought she saw something, a glimpse of an emotion she didn't full understand but it was gone as quickly as it had come. That was the problem with being out of the field she thought, clasping her case in front of her as Stella paused, she was becoming suspicious of everything and everyone. She was sure there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Hansen to be here, it wasn't uncommon for the District Attorney to turn up to a case when there was a political agenda. Grace just didn't see where the politics were in this case in particular yet.