Amanda unlocked the door, grabbing the mail as she walked into the hallway. She hung up her jacket on the coat rack in the hallway thumbing through the mail as she entered the kitchen/dining area. Nothing unusual bill's, a postcard from her friend in New Jersey, advertisements, then she came to the bottom of the stack. "Hum, this is strange," she said to herself. There's no postage and not return address. It had been a long day and she was tired, if she hadn't been so tired she would have thought twice before opening the envelope with no postage and not return address. She opened it, to find a short message, obviously written on a computer.

Officer Donlin's Crime Scene Notebook

Missing

It was on his person when he was sent to your morgue

We'll be calling with date, time and place for you to return it to us.

Don't tell anyone. We know where you live, work , how to get to your boyfriend and where your son

Goes to school.

Amanda gasped as she read the note, frightened for herself, Steve, but mostly her son C.J., who was six and would be home from first grade in about an hour. Steve, her longtime friend and who she was currently dating, was a member of LA police force. She knew the danger in involving the police, but also knew she couldn't keep this from Steve or the police she would need their help.

She thought for a moment or two trying to remember Officer Donlin's case; he was a police officer killed in the line of duty about three months ago. He did come to her morgue, but there wasn't anything unusual about the case that she could remember. She had turned all his belonging over to the police, she was sure his notebook, like one most police officers carried was given to the department with the rest of his stuff. Not knowing what to do, she sent a text to Steve.

Received a strange note today, it has me baffled and spooked. Need to see you, unofficially, warned no police. Need to be careful.

It took almost an hour before Steve responded, he had been interviewing a witness to another case. As soon as he read the text. He grabbed his jacket, sent a text.

Meet me at the supermarket down the street from you. I'll find a way to meet you there and a way for us to talk privately.

Relieved that Steve would help her, she called her neighbor's daughter to watch C.J. she took him over to their place, making the excuse that her heater wasn't working right and with it starting to rain to may be too chilly to watch him at her house.

Amanda made a point to tell the sitter she just needed to pick up some paperwork. She wanted C.J. safe and didn't want to involve her mother. She didn't think whoever was behind this would try anything at the neighbors, feeling they would want to keep a low profile. She wanted to make sure if someone was listening they would hear her say something about paperwork and assume she was heading for her office. If they were following her she didn't think it would be too suspicious to stop at the grocery store on the way, she often stopped on her way to or from work. She would have to be careful and rely on Steve to make sure they thought he knew nothing. He was a good detective he would find a way.

Before leaving for the supermarket she made sure she had the letter in her purse. When she arrived at the supermarket she realized she had been gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. As she parked, she noticed Steve's truck was already in the parking lot; she also noticed a dark green car, pull in two rows away. The car looked familiar, she wondered if she had been followed.

As she exited her vehicle she saw Dr. Morley from the hospital walk toward his car, he waved, she waved back and made a point to say, just grabbing some stuff for dinner before I head back to the office for some paperwork. C.J. would be hungry by the time she returned.

As she entered the store, she grabbed a basket, so she would be forced to turn so she could see the green car. Whoever was in it hadn't left. She hoped that meant they heard what she said to Dr Morley and believed the story about grabbing something for dinner didn't feel the need to follow her.

She had been in the store about 10 minutes and had wondered back by the meat department. She was absentmindedly looking at the steaks, when the butcher, said "I just got some new steaks cut, would you like to have a look at the fresh ones," The voice was unmistakably Dr. Mark Sloan, Steve's dad dressed in a butcher's jacket and hat. She smiled.

"Yes, I would"

"Well, come on back." He lead her around a wall toward the cooler, out of sight of the rest of the store. There was a small office to the right, Steve reached out and pulled her in.

Relief of having some help she hugged him and started shaking. Steve held her for a minute and said, "If they followed you, we need to be quick so they don't suspect. Give me the letter, Dad will give you some steak to purchase, go to your office pretend to go through files, Jessie will meet you there. He'll walk you out, when you get home I'll be there. Don't worry, we'll make it look like I just stopped by after work like I often do."

She gave him a quick kiss and lift. Still frightened, but feeling better.