Chapter 1

This is a sequel to Hollywood murder. Douglas McGregor has set his eyes on a certain LAPD Captain. I'm not so sure where this is going but we'll definitely see more of the squad in later chapters and Lauren will have an appearance too, along with Jack's brother Bill Raydor. And since I wanted to write something about horses there will be horses too :-)!

"So you mean date, as in date date?" Rusty asked. He eyed Sharon warily. She had been fidgety all day and when she asked for a talk this evening, he suspected it wasn't good. When she told him she had been asked out by Douglas McGregor and planned to go, he was surprised as well as relieved it had nothing to do with him being put into witness protection after all.

Sharon on the other hand had anticipated a more vivid reaction. She had expected Rusty to rant about a sudden change in his life, after all her dating someone would mean changes for him.

"I mean a real date Rusty", she said calmly.

"When?"

"I said I'd call back, because I wanted to tell you first. We have a deal."

He remembered asking for 30 days notice before a change and had learned that wasn't possible most of the time. "You aren't not going to wait 30 days, are you?"

"Rather not", she answered and smiled

"Okay. I could like, sleep at Taos when you go out with him. Kevin and me wanted to play GTA 4 for some time now", suggested.

"I haven't even discussed an actual day to meet him". She smiled at his eagerness to get her going out. It was probably just because he had a good excuse to play silly video games and even that made her happy because somewhere in there was still a kid.

Rusty raised a brow "Then call him", he said and got up "I need to read another chapter of 1984 so I'm in my room, night." With that he shuffled away to his room.

He didn't read but took out his cell and texted Lauren, who had returned from a conference in Europe last week.

Guess who has a date?

He got lucky. She replied immediately.

You?

Nope. Sharon.

Shut up! Who is it?

This McGregor guy.

Oh my, let me know how things go.

When are you back in LA?

Probably the week after this. I need to finish grading some term papers before I can leave. Stay safe!

You too, he texted back and got out his book and started reading.

Meanwhile Sharon hesitated to call McGregor. He had sent her his private cell phone number. One of the cities richest and most powerful men wanted to go out with her. It should be less frightening and more flattering. She hadn't been on a real date in ages. Should she really? Well if even Rusty was ok with it, how could she not go and it would be a nice distraction from work. Since the closure of the Hollywood Ripper case they were swamped with work. Fresh cases almost every week, couldn't people stop killing each other for some time? On that thought she called. It rang only twice before he picked up.

"Sharon, have you made a decision?" he asked and she could hear him smile. It was almost enough to tell him off just to get that smirk he was certainly displaying off his face.

"Yes I did", she said.

"So? Will you have dinner with me."

"Yes."

"How about Friday night? I'm in town and as far as I know I'm free."

"I'll try. I can't promise, we caught a new case today."

"Oh but it's only Monday I'm sure you'll catch the criminal by Friday."

"You have a lot of trust in my team's abilities."

"I believe a team is always as good as its leader Sharon and I think you know how to catch a guy."

She laughed then.

His voice had this flirty undertone when he continued "See, if I could make you laugh my mission for tonight is accomplished. So how about Friday around 8 p.m.? May I pick you up?"

"Oh I'd rather come by your office?"

"Let's met at my hotel."

"Sound's good."

"See then."

They said good bye and ended the call.

The week passed by in blur. Rusty would spent the night at the Taos house but the new case kept her working late hours. A rather lengthy stake out had left her awake and at work for more than 24 hours by Friday evening and she called McGregor since they now had a suspect but she was sure she wouldn't be able to get a confession and make a deal before 8 p.m. so she called McGregor.

"I'm still busy here at work. I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it."

"Not at all or only by 8?" he asked.

"I have no idea when I'll be able to leave."

"But my hotel isn't that far from the station. Don't cancel Sharon. I was really looking forward to seeing you. I need to make some calls anyway so let's have dinner in my suite. We don't have to go out and we can order whenever you arrive."

"I can't promise Douglas. Right now our suspect isn't very talkative."

"Promise you'll try."

She sighed "Okay, I think I can do that."

"Good now go! Get his confession! See you later."

She shook her head. This man was certainly not used to get a no for an answer. She walked from her office to electronics and observed the interview Sanchez and Provenza were conducting.

"How far have they gotten?" she asked.

"They're just illustrating the evidence against our douchebag. He breaks a sweat and he hasn't asked for a lawyer yet. DDA Hobbs is coming in any minute if we're lucky we make it out of here by 9 p.m."

Sharon bristled unnerved. "Let's hope so."