731. Chapter 731

After For Better or Worse

Episode 6.23

By

UCSBdad

Author's note: Even after season eight, this episode is still just awful. But maybe a slight change or two could help.

"He's not worth it." The woman said.

"Pardon me?"

"Sweetie, I've been his neighbor for five years. He's got a smile that will make your pants fall off. But trust me, he's trouble."

Kate Beckett pulled back her coat to show her badge. "Believe me, I know he's trouble. But, for that matter, so am I. So what can you tell me about Rogan O'Leary?"

"Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Kate laughed. "What do you think? What can you tell me about him?"

The woman smiled. "Oh, sweetie, can I ever tell you about Rogan O'Leary."

Kate tucked her hair up under a ballcap and put on dark glasses. She found a stool at the end of the bar at Tildy's and ordered a beer. She didn't have to wait long. She hadn't had a second sip of beer when Tildy McGuire chased Rogan out of her office. Rogan backed away from Tildy offering excuses and telling her she loved him. Beckett tried to keep from smiling.

Finally, Tildy punched Rogan, sending him sprawling. As he lay there, Tildy turned to two men sitting at the bar. "You two want a beer on the house?" The two men nodded. "Then toss him out. Toss him far enough out and it'll be two beers."

The two men smiled and each grabbed one of Rogan's arms. Kate wasn't sure how far they threw Rogan, but since they didn't bother opening the door, apparently Tildy thought the effort was worth two beers.

"Problems with your…ex?" Kate asked.

Tildy turned and looked at her. "Ex is right. I may lose my bar because of Rogan. He stole some money from me and I needed the money to pay the bills. If I don't pay, the liquor distributor won't deliver. What can I do with a bar with no booze?"

"There's no way to get the money out of the bum?"

"No, Rogan has never been….a nine to five kind of guy. But even now, I still love the big goof. Sort of."

"At least you didn't marry him." Kate said, taking another sip of beer.

Tildy laughed. "I would have, but he can't get married. He's married to a woman who's in a coma. They got married in Las Vegas when they were in college. Her name's Kate something."

"Sounds tragic." Kate said, thinking about how tragic Rogan's life was about to become.

"And to top it off, he comes in here and wants my laptop. Says what's on it will make a fortune for us. What a load of bull. Nothing that Rogan ever does ever makes any money."

Kate wondered what was on that laptop that Rogan wanted so badly. "Maybe you should look on it. Who knows? Maybe for once in his life he really has something."

Tildy just laughed. "Sure. Maybe someday I'll dig the laptop out of my garage and take a look at it. I won't find anything worth money on it, I'm sure, but maybe I'll get a good laugh."

Kate smiled, took a final sip of beer and left.

"Mrs. McGuire? Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD." She held out her badge. "I wonder if I could take a look inside your garage for Rogan O'Leary's laptop?"

"Are you going to arrest the bum?"

"I can't discuss an ongoing case, ma'am."

"Would he get the death penalty?" She said hopefully.

"His laptop, ma'am?"

Once she had the laptop, she drove to the edge of town and called Tory Ellis to do a remote check of the laptop. Tory found several things of interest. One was a picture of a man with a clerical collar with a stripper on his lap, with more pictures with the stripper wearing less and less. Rogan had been stupid enough to e-mail the local pastor to set up a blackmail scheme. The other pictures sent a cold chill down her spine. Mickey Barbozza? Is Rogan stupid enough to try to blackmail him?" She shook her head. Of course Rogan is stupid enough to get involved with Barbozza.

She drove back into town just in time to see Rogan walking towards his apartment. She parked and fell in a few paces behind him. When he got to the front door of his building, she spoke. "Hello, Rogan."

Rogan turned and smiled at her. "Kit Kat? Is that you?"

She smiled back. "You bet. And won't Tildy be happy to know that your wife isn't in a coma?'

Rogan did his best to look like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Tildy? My wife? Kit Kat, I have no idea…."

"Of course, she'll have to tell you what a bum you are on visiting days. I got the laptop. Rogan, when you black mail someone, don't put everything on a computer. It makes it so much easier for the cops."

"You'd call the cops on me?" Rogan smiled. "That's not the Kit Kat I know. Remember, when you picked the lock on Pearl Jam's tour bus and…"

Kate pulled back her jacket to show her badge. "The NYPD knows all about your little scam. So let's go inside and talk. Or would you rather go to Tildy's?"

She pushed Rogan through the door and found a half a dozen armed bikers waiting in his living room. She stood behind Rogan and pulled her Glock. "NYPD. Put down those guns."

"There are six of us and one of you. You really want to start a fight?"

She aimed at the leader. "There's exactly one of you, and if things go badly, you die first. Then your friends can decide if they want to kill a cop."

The biker motioned for his men to lower their weapons. "Rogan here owes us five thousand. He owes it right now. And I want my money now."

"What does he owe you that kind of money for?"

"Kit Kat, do we need to…." Rogan began.

"He had us steal a stripper's phone. A chick named Sapphire."

Kate thought for a second. How Rogan got shots of a stripper and a clergyman was clear now. "Suppose I could get you twenty times that?"

"I'm listening."

She tossed him the laptop. "There are photos of a mobster named Mickey Barbozza on there. He's hiding out somewhere around here with Sapphire, his girlfriend. He's on the FBI's most wanted list. There's a reward of one hundred thousand dollars for him."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"You know what Sapphire looks like. Check the photo of the guy she's with against the photo on the FBI's website."

The biker checked the photos of Sapphire and her boyfriend, then went to the FBI's website. He whistled. "A hundred grand? We're rich. I know exactly where this guy lives."

The bikers left quickly. Rogan turned to Kate. "Kit Kat! Do you know what I could have done with the reward money?"

"Use it for a good defense lawyer? Or maybe a lavish funeral for when Tildy catches you?"

"Kit Kat? How could you?"

"Tell you what, Rogan. You just sign this dissolution of our marriage, and I forget to turn in the paperwork on your blackmail scheme until next week, giving you a head start. Or, I go see Tildy right now and call the locals about the Reverend Bob from her place. Which is it?"

Rogan signed.

Kate was back in New York City that night, and even with the fire at their original venue and the loss of her wedding dress, the happy couple headed for the Hamptons together once Kate's marriage was officially dissolved.

On the way, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up beside them, but then sped off when they saw Kate in the car.

"Time for plan B." Muttered the Escalade's driver,

And they lived happily ever after.