"Well," he began, slowly. "That’s interesting, I’ll give you that. And, it does seem to make sense."

"But?" Frank asked warily, already seeing the writing on the wall.

"But," the Chief answered him, "Look at the facts. We’re here, at the Washington Monument. I’ve called ten of my best officers to stay here and come off duty. Well, we’re here, and nothing has happened! If someone were planning on attacking a particular area of Washington, why would they choose this—statue?! Wouldn’t you choose to go after something else-like the Whitehouse or something? I don’t know. I like your idea, but something’s wrong with it."

"I guess," Joe mumbled. It did sort of make sense.

"I’m not mad, boys, and we’ll continue to look at this angle. But," he sighed, "this is kind of like crying wolf. You were right about the last hit on the Museum, but I don’t feel you’re right about this. Just be careful where you request for me to go, because we can’t afford to leave areas of the city unsecured like this." The Chief finished his statement, and motioned for the rest of the officers to return to duty.

Left alone, Frank, Joe, and their girlfriends stared at each other. It had been a long night, and they hadn’t rested. To top it off, now the police Chief, whom they needed on their side, thought they were out of their minds.

Warily, Joe spoke first. "I guess we could go back to Hotel, and think this over for a little bit longer.

Vanessa agreed, but Frank and Callie stood looking at the Monument.

"Uh oh," Joe mumbled. "What is it, guys?"

"Nothing," Frank and Callie said simultaneously, looking at each other.

"Okay, then," Vanessa said with a yawn. "Look, Joe and I will go back to the hotel, and I recommend that you two do the same. But … whatever. I’m too tired to care at the moment. Why don’t we meet up later tonight at 5:00 back here and then discuss this again. I think I’m gonna fall asleep if I stand here any more."

"I’m with Van," Joe chimed in.

"Okay," Callie said, softly.

Frank added, "I’m going to stay here for a while and think about this."

"Me, too," Callie said.

"Suit yourself," Joe said with a shrug, and headed off with Vanessa.

Frank sat down next to the Monument, and closed his eyes. He really was tired, but he knew he couldn’t sleep. Callie’s theory had made too much sense, and he was positive that the Chief was somehow wrong. What’s the missing piece? he asked himself.

Callie sat next to Frank, lost in her own thoughts as well. Like Frank, she was concentrating on the case at hand.

After a few minutes, neither had come up with anything. Finally, Frank turned to his girlfriend. "Do you want to talk now?" he asked her, quietly.

Surprised, she looked at him. "I have no new ideas," she said, honestly.

"I mean about us, Cal," he responded, looking into her eyes. "I know we haven’t had a breather, but I’m having a hard time concentrating on much else. I don’t think I can, until I know we worked some of this out." He twisted his hands nervously, fearing a blowout like earlier.

Callie looked at him and sighed. "I don’t want to fight, Frank," she said, slowly. "It hurts enough. I don’t know that we can resolve everything … or anything," she finished, sadly.

"Well, I want to try," Frank replied, reaching for her hand.

Callie looked at it for a moment, and then, slowly, reached for it. As he clasped her hand in his, Callie felt a little better. "Okay,’ she said, softly.

"Don’t yell," he said to her.

"Don’t yell, either," she replied. "And don’t ever call me … that name again." Her eyes darkened as she felt the hurt again like it had just happened.

Frank felt badly. "I’m sorry, baby," he said honestly to her. "No matter what, I’d never think that of you. I was angry and upset. I was also very wrong."

Callie just nodded. Finally, she spoke. Willing herself to remain in control and to not get upset, she turned to him. "Why did you cheat on me?" she managed.

Frank was shocked. "I didn’t cheat on you!"

Callie sighed, and withdrew her hand from his. "Don’t lie, Frank. I know you did."

Frank took a slow breath. Steadily, needing to resolve this, he said to her, "Callie, I swear to you on everything I am that I did NOT cheat on you. I was going to ask you why you cheated on me."

Callie was speechless, and Frank saw it. "Why, Cal?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" she asked him. "Where did you get a crazy idea like that?! Have I EVER hurt you? Have I EVER given you reason to question my loyalty?! I wasn’t the one off flirting with someone else. I wasn’t the one who had her phone number, perfume on my shirt, lipstick on my face, and an obvious interest in someone else. I told you to go to her because I trusted you!" Callie had to stop, feeling teary-eyed again, as she felt her voice shake. This was too hard.

"Callie!" Frank said after a minute. He couldn’t believe any of this. "I think there’s a problem here. Let’s start with… me, if that would make you happy." He touched her face, and forced her to meet his eyes. He couldn’t stand the pain there. "I am truly sorry that I had any interest at all in Jenna. I was wrong. But I stand by the fact that I didn’t do anything with her. You HAVE to believe me!" He pleaded for her to understand.

Callie could barely meet his gaze. "Tell me you didn’t kiss her!"

"I… I didn’t!" Frank managed.

Callie turned to him, cynicism in her eyes. "Your lips never came into contact with hers?"

Frank groaned. How was he going to get out of this? He thought of a million things at once, but his silence answered Callie’s question.

"I see," she mumbled, feeling her face turn red. She got up and went to walk away. Deep down, she had believed in Frank. Now, she couldn’t believe in anything.

"Callie, stop," Frank said to her at last, grabbing her arm. "I want to tell you the truth."

He whirled her around, and felt miserable when he saw tears in her eyes.

"Let me explain!" he begged her.

"Why?" she asked, as she felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks. She was too miserable to care if he saw her cry.

"Because I… because I love you," he answered her. He knew it was inadequate, but it was the truth, and it was all he had.

Callie sat down, and buried her face in her hands. "What do you have to say, Frank?" she asked him. Frank was stunned at the … deadness… in her voice.

"Callie," he said to her. "I am telling you the truth. I acted like a jerk, I guess, with Jenna. But I did not kiss her- she kissed me!"

"Oh, please! That’s what you were going to say?!" she asked in disgust, looking up.

"It’s the truth!" Frank emphasized. "I walked her back to the train that night. Before she got on, she handed me… a picture…" He tried to fight back the feeling he got when he thought of it. "And then she kissed me. I haven’t seen her since. I was upset about a lot of things, so I came back late. And… how do you even know about it?" he asked her.

Callie looked up. Something he said didn’t make sense. "Jenna told me."

"She what?!" Frank asked incredulous. "What did she say?!"

"That you kissed her. You’re tired of me. You spent the night with her. You get the point."

Frank was outraged. He grabbed Callie’s hand forcefully. "Callie, that’s totally untrue! I dropped her off at the 12:10 train! Check it- it’s the last one that runs at night! I walked around for a little while, and I came back. Joe was asleep. I did NOT kiss her- she kissed me, and then she left." He continued to hold Callie’s hand, as he looked into her eyes. "I don’t know what kind of game she’s playing, but I am telling you the truth."

Then, Frank saw it. He saw her waver slightly. Maybe… he had a chance. Suddenly, his distrust of Jenna reached an all-time high—and that picture of Callie…. maybe that wasn’t real, either. He took a deep breath. "Cal, I have to ask you something."

"Okay," she said, weakly, head spinning.

"Callie, Jenna gave me a picture. It was of you and… and Dave. You were kissing." He choked out the last word. "Tell me that didn’t happen."

Frank watched her eyes grow wide. "What?!" she sputtered.

"Is it true?"

Callie started trembling slightly; Frank felt it as he held her hand. She looked at him. "It was awful, Frank," she said, wiping back tears.

Trying not to rush to judgement, he asked her, "What was? He was a bad kisser?"

Callie laughed for a minute, and then felt her lips tremble. "No, silly," she said at last. "I… I heard you on the phone with Jenna one day, and I got upset. Dave was my friend… or so I thought….and I wanted to get out- needed to. So, I went on the college tour with him, since you weren’t around…"

Frank looked at her. Well, that had been the truth. "Go on."

"And when I went to go back to the Metro to meet Joe, he grabbed me and kissed me- he wouldn’t let go! I tried to get away from him, and I did. I told him I loved you, and to leave me alone. I ran and ran, and I finally lost it with Joe, even though I didn’t tell him what was wrong!"

"Oh, man," Frank muttered, letting go of Callie’s hand, but still looking into her eyes.

"How did Jenna get a picture of that?!" she asked.

"I don’t know," Frank said, sitting back, stunned. "She said she was sightseeing."

"In Washington?!" Callie exclaimed, shakily. "She lives here! Why would she do that?! And... how did she know exactly where I would be? That seems more than a bit coincidental, no?!"

In a moment of clarity, Frank and Callie looked at each other as the light dawned on them.

"I think we were set up," Frank said at last.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"And I think we ought to talk to Jenna and Dave and find out…"

"Find out HOW they know each other, because I have a feeling they do!" Callie finished for him.

Frank nodded.

"Frank, there’s some bigger issues here," Callie whispered.

Frank reached over for her, and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I know," he said to her. "But for right now, they don’t matter to me. I am so sorry. We can worry about that- later."

Callie finally let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She just clung to Frank tightly. Sometimes, there wasn’t a need for words.

"I think we should head back now," Frank said at last to her, after what seemed like a long time. "We have a lot to figure out. And… and I still think we’re right about this monument."

"And Jenna. And Dave," Callie added.

Helping her to her feet, Frank slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they headed back to the hotel.

He had a strange feeling wash over him that everything was going to be okay.

Let the author know what you think of this story