Chapter 1

Horatio Caine's phone rang. "Horatio,……..I'll be right there."
The day had just begun and there was already a new crime-scene to investigate.
But this was how it was, another day in sunny Miami.

"What do we have Frank?"
"Malin Jackson, age 39, was found in her living room by her 11 year old son. He was with a friend all night. The friend, Lucas Smith, and his mother are over there. I've already talked to them."
"Is Calleigh here at the Crime-Scene?"
"Yes, she arrived just before you did. Been here for about five minutes."
"Thank you." said Horatio and left the detective alone beside the house.

Tim Jackson sat alone in a police car. He's eyes were empty and his face was white as snow.
Horatio took his sunglasses off and walked towards the car.
"Tim, I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine, and I was wondering how you feel?"
"You're the first one to ask me that. The other cops just asked me what I saw in the house and where I were last night."
"Someone has to be the first." Horatio said and smiled. "Tim, I know you've been answering lots of questions today, but have you any idea who might have wanted to hurt your mother?"
"No, nobody wanted to hurt my mother. She..."
The boy angrily drought away a tear.
"Please, promise to take the person who did this to jail."
"I promise." Horatio said and looked the boy right into his eyes.
One of the uniforms came to the car.
"Lieutenant, can I have a word with you?"
"Sit tight." Horatio said to Tim and took a few steps away from the car, so the boy wouldn't hear them.
"The boys closest relative, his aunt, isn't answering the phone and she's not at work. We've talked to her director; he doesn't know where she is."
"Take care of the boy, and make sure he is safe."
"Yes sir."
Horatio took a step closer to the car.
"I'll talk to you later, buddy."

"Alexx?"
"Horatio."
"Do we have a time of death?"
"She died about nine hours ago."
"Nine hours. That means she died around midnight."
"Poor girl, stabbed seven times in her stomach. I'll tell you more after the autopsy."
"Thank you, Alexx."
He left Alexx with the body and went to Calleigh who was taking pictures of the crime-scene, including a large kitchen knife.
"Is that our murderer-weapon?"
"Yes, it's definitely our murderer-weapon."
"Have you been in the kitchen yet?"
"Not yet."

The kitchen was large and very clean. Horatio looked around the room. His eyes stopped at the door which was leading right out to the garden.
The door was broken.
Calleigh walked into the room. Her eyes did also stop at the door.
"It's broken…This was where the murderer came into the house."
"Yes, and right there, there is a fingerprint."

Eric Delko closed the car door at the same time Alexx parked her car.
"Alexx. Hi!"
"Hi, Eric!"
They start walking towards Ryan Wolfe who already taking pictures of the crime-scene. When Ryan saw them coming, he stopped taking pictures and came to meet them.
"Hi."
"Hi Ryan."
"Who's the lucky one?" asked Alexx.
"Unknown female. No ID, no wallet. Probably robbery."
Alexx looked down at the body.
"Oh My God."

"Calleigh." She turned to see Horatio behind her.
"It seems like we've found our aunt."
Calleigh understood at once. "Okay, I'll keep going here."
"Keep me posted." Horatio smiled at her and made his way to the car.

"H, what's going on?" Eric asked as Horatio approached their crime scene.
"I don't know yet." Horatio answered and looked down at the body. Alexx been right. They were identical.
"Horatio?" Alexx stood beside him.
"You were right, we've found our aunt."
"We need somebody to identify her."
"If you mean that little boy, I can tell you that I won't let him do it. He has seen enough."
"Then we have to identify her with fingerprints."
"Let's do that."