#larrison

Even ten years after the crime, Marie Hamilton isn't keen to talk to them. They're barely able to tell her that they're looking into the conviction of Morris Wilson before she's shooing them out of the apartment and practically slamming the door in their faces. Tess can see that Hayes is ruffled, no doubt because one of their only connections to the victim has quickly proven to be a dead-end. Catherine Jennings doesn't have any living family, just a girlfriend who slept through her murder even though it took place in the foyer of their apartment building.

Tess thinks Marie's reluctance to talk is pretty understandable. It's not the sort of thing you just easily get over.

Hayes frowns, slipping her hands into the pockets of her immaculate pea-coat. The weather is finally cold enough to justify it but even if it wasn't Tess thinks Hayes would be wearing it just because it looks so damn good on her. And Hayes knows it, which is why Tess hasn't said anything.

"I don't get it," Hayes mutters with a shake of her head as they start down the sidewalk in the direction of the DA's office. Marie's apartment is close, only a few blocks away and they'd walked to avoid the traffic and having to deal with getting a cab. "You think she'd want to offer her opinions on why Wilson should stay in jail."

Tess can only shrug, brushing a lock of hair away from her face with a gloved hand when the wind pushes it across her forehead. "Obviously she's still pretty traumatized by the whole thing," she offers. "Reports mentioned that she was reluctant to talk to the police the first time around. They accused her of the murder; she was their first suspect."

"Well, cops can be idiots sometimes," Hayes says breezily as though it all boils down to that simple fact. "We could have really used her insight."

"She didn't see anything," Tess reminds her, even though she doubts that Hayes needs help remembering the details of the case file. "And evidence points toward Morris anyway; the conviction is strong."

They both know this. They're only looking into it because Wallace had dropped the file onto Hayes' desk about a month ago, when they'd still been doing their mating dance. Now Hayes seems to have shut him out completely, no doubt looking into the case now purely out of spite. The case is strong, Morris all but confessed to the ten-year-old murder. In all honesty, Tess finds the case appalling and reading the details had made her queasy, putting an ache in her chest. She's eager for these five days to come to an end.

Hayes still doesn't seem convinced, a furrow between her brow as she works to puzzle out the mysteries of human behaviors. "She seemed almost afraid to talk to us," she mumbles to herself, as though thinking aloud. "I wonder if there's something in there worth following up on…"

"I think she still feels threatened by investigators," Tess interrupts, reaching up to tame her twisting hair once more before giving up. It's still a few blocks to the office, she might as well let the wind win for now. "You read the transcripts of the interviews; they weren't exactly kind. They all be insinuated that Marie killed Catherine because she was a jealous lesbian."

Hayes makes a face, a sneer really, all but bearing her teeth at the idea. "Like I said," she says sharply, "idiots."

Tess figures the conversation is over as they both lapse into silence. The comfortable kind, the sort she isn't used to sharing with many people. The team seems content with sharing the quiet, letting their thoughts -her thoughts- germinate and take root. It's comforting and it makes her enjoy Hayes' presence even more. Not that she thinks there's been a time she didn't enjoy being around her, quietly by her side, happy to stay in the eye of Hurricane Hayes.

But then Hayes speaks, continuing where she'd previously left off, "I mean it was only ten years ago. I know we've come a long way in that time but still." She shrugs. "It wasn't exactly the 1960s."

"Some people find it difficult to get rid of their prejudices," Tess says matter-of-factly. "It's why I never said anything to my mother."

Tess is pretty sure that she can hear the vertebra in Hayes' neck snap due to how quickly she jerks her head in Tess's direct. She manages to hide her smile, somehow schooling her face into an expression of nonchalance. Hayes stares at her with the confidence of someone used to being blunt and brash in their every moment. Finally she lifts an eyebrow. "You, Tinkerbell?" At least now Hayes looks amused as well as surprised. "You…"

"Like girls?" Tess supplies for her, finally reaching up to push her hair out of her face. She's impressed by her own disinterest. She's equally impressed by the challenging look that she manages to give Hayes. "Is that all right?"

Hayes scoffs, grinning. "Is everyone on the team gay?" She muses, shaking her head. "Intriguing."

Tess looks down at her feet as they travel the direction toward the office, hiding the pink in her cheeks from Hayes. "Is it?"

"Well, that depends," Hayes says with a shrug.

They're a block from the DA's office, where Tess can find a place to disappear if this conversation goes south and turns embarrassing. It makes her brave enough to look at Hayes again. "On what?"

"On how you feel about getting a drink with me later tonight," Hayes answers effortlessly with a confidence that Tess can only envy. She has her moments, her bursts of inspiration and courage. Most of the time though she feels like she's left gaping at the boldness of others, wishing it were so easy for her to say the things on her mind.

Now is one of those times. Despite the warmth growing in the pit of her stomach, snaking up through her chest and making her heart beat faster, she can only stare at Hayes. "Because-"

Tess isn't sure how to finish that sentence in a way that doesn't make her sound embarrassingly pathetic and lacking in self-confidence. Mostly because she's not sure how to admit that Hayes that she has no idea what someone like her could see in someone like Tess.

Thankfully Hayes finishes the sentence for her. "Because I know how to seize an opportunity when I see one," she says. "And because I've been hoping for a while now that you might be interested in getting that drink."

They've reached the DA's office and now Tess just feels disappointed; if only they had another block to go, another few steps.

"Think about it," Hayes says, pulling the door open and motioning for Tess to step into the building. She smiles at her, giving her a wink.

Of course Tess takes her up on her offer. It's not exactly a tough decision to make.