The Interrogation Part III

Rating PG – so far.

What happens when Donnelly finds one of his potential Man in the Suit suspects disturbingly attractive?

“Get me Carter” Donnelly barked, the line of his spine itching. He paced in frustration past the line of screens and agents monitoring the various suspects in custody or interrogation. The Man in the Suits words still ringing in his ears, despite his desire to ignore them, the truth was, had been about to release him, so there was absolutely no reason for him to have broken cover.

“Sir?” A startled young agent blinked rapidly at him, and Donnelly realised he’s nearly run him over while pacing.

“And I want suspect 4, Mr Warren’s background gone over with a fine tooth comb. Take out and reinspect every single detail.”

“Uh, yes sir!” The young agent nodded and turned and swiftly fled. Donnelly stared after him, slightly bewildered at the agents response, then caught a glimpse of himself in a window. Hair ruffled, eyes wide and furious, he blinked at took a long moment to reign in the simmering anger that now underlay everything. He stood there, staring blindly through one of the windows into an empty interrogation room, far too aware than under that anger, lay the real reason for it. A thread of desire still curled around the depths of his mind and body, only just buried, for now under the anger the revelation that the one man they had been about to release, has been his quarry all along.

A dull ache started in his hand and worked it’s way up his arm. Looking down at it, Donnelly realised with mild and slightly detached surprise that he had just slammed his fist into the desktop. The agent who was sitting at the computer just to the side, watched him, eyes wide with badly supressed alarm.

“Sorry. Long day.” Donnelly commented sheepishly, and decided that for the moment the room could do without him.

“Watch your back Donnelly.”

The face in the mirror looked 10 years older than it had this time yesterday he decided. He wondered why it wasn’t happier. Surely now that he had his suspect and one of the most dangerous men he had ever come across in custody and safely behind bars, he should be able to relax. Yet the Warren’s last whispered and barely heard words still echoed in his ears, and for all the weight of evidence against him, Donnelly couldn’t quite bring himself to disregard them.

Wearily he rinsed his face and stared down at the sink he leant over. He could feel the weight of his sidearm in its holster, yet it only made him even more aware of the lack of weight of his vest. He shook his head violently, trying to dispel again that creeping sensation that crawled between his shoulder blades.

How could he put any weight into what a man like Warren, hah, if that was even his name, had said. But the relentlessly logical side of his brain refused to let it go. He had been hours from freedom. Nothing they had yet, still said Warren was anything other than they had initially discovered him to be, and if he hadn’t broken cover, Donnelly knew no-one would have been the wiser. Even now, he doubted his people would find any further evidence to the contrary. Whoever Warren had backing him was good.

No prints, no DNA and a flawlessly mundane and boring cover story to hide under.

No to mention not once had the man broken cover even during Carter’s interrogation.

Carter, the reminder made him bring his head up and stared at himself in the mirror. This man had deftly avoided revealing anything under Carter’s questioning and digging with a skill that bespoke a formidable experience. Donnelly shuddered slightly, that slight thread of desire up against the, for now, currently wiser emotion of outright fear as he contemplated exactly what he had contained down in the cell in Solitary.

A predator, a cold blooded killer, but one, for some unknown reason currently seemed to insist on remaining inside Rykers. Donnelly began to search for other reasons, was he in danger from something outside Rykers? Maybe the bank job had stirred up too much interest and …a nagging thought drifted up from the back of his mind, a faint memory, but try as he might, he couldn’t bring it fully into the forefront of his mind. Shaking his head again Donnelly turned from the sink and headed back out.

“There you are.” Donnelly turned at a familiar voice, and the slightly curt, if exasperated tone managed to bring a slight smile to his lips.

“You know, you look like hell. When was the last time you slept?” Carter scrutinised him with a critical eye, her warm brown eyes distinctly unhappy.

Donnelly bit back a bark of laughter.

“Sleep? I’ll sleep when we’ve identified that bastard we have rotting in one of those cells.” Now why the hell did I just say that, Donnelly asked himself?

Carter raised a single graceful brow at him. “MmmmmHmmm? And how fast are you going to catch him when you look about ready to fall on your face, and can’t think straight from fatigue. Not to mention half your poor agents are worried you’re going to bite off their heads, Mr I don’t need sleep.”

Donnelly blinked at that. “I’m not that bad am I?”

Carter just raised that eyebrow at him again, a cynical twist to the corner of her lips, too which Donnelly could only sigh.

“I’ll get some sleep, I promise. I just can’t spare the time right now. I’m too close to finding his bastard to step away now.”

Carter snorted, but shrugged her acceptance.

“You wanted to see me?” she reminded him. Donnelly nodded, then taking her arm, led her away from the busy main room into one of the quieter side rooms.

“You know the prisoner Warren. The one we were about to release?”

Carter hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

“Did you get anything off him, that you didn’t cover in your report. Any feelings or hints that you might not have thought were relevant?” Donnelly asked quietly.

Carter stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head. He grimaced in frustration.

“What about his voice, did that ring any bells for you? You said you’d had contact with him, that you’d spoken to him, correct?

Carter stared again at him for a long moment, then spoke cautiously.

“Yes, but as I stated in my reports, it was over a hand held radio, so I can’t say it was the best voice quality to compare to any of the suspects.”

Donnelly ground his teeth in frustration. Something had to give, so why wasn’t He the one declaring what the Warren had revealed to him?

Shaking his head he backed away from Carter, who watched him with worried eyes.

“Do me a favour Carter, get me a interrogation room setup, but I want it secured and no camera’s or recording equipment monitoring it.”

“Of course. Can I ask why?” the look in Carter’s eyes had gone from worried, to distinctly overtones of alarm.

“I’m going to have another chat with prisoner Warren?”

“Why? And why all the need for questions? I thought Warren was cleared?”

Donnelly shook his head and held up his hand. “I just want a private word with him. There are some matters I want cleared up before I release him. Don’t worry Carter.”

Again, why wasn’t he telling the truth? Why was he covering, when he should be declaring Warren’s identity and closing this damn case down!

“Just get me that room setup in 20 minutes. I’ll be back.” Donnelly caught her eyes, until he got an unhappy nod from Carter, then turned and strode from the room.

“Where are you going?” Carters voice drifted over his shoulder.

“There’s something I need to pick up first.” Donnelly headed for the exit, and his car and the equipment he had left inside it.