"So what do we do now?" Greg asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Who do we release her body to once we find her killer?"
"I don't know," Nick shrugs.
"Did you get anything off the shoe print?"
"Chuck Taylor's Converse size seven in men's."
"That doesn't help though, does it? I mean half of America wears that shoe,"Greg sighs hopelessly.
"Do you think that Emily tried to find her biological mother?"
"Probably," Greg nods.
"I have a receipt from a Grant Tyson."
"Your point?"
"Maybe he was a private investigator."
"I guess," Greg nods continuing to sift through his pile.
Several minutes later Greg finally hits pay dirt. "I'm at the bottom of my pile."
"Then double check everything Greggo."
"The last thing in the pile is an email. The first part is from Emily to Grant Tyson."
"Read it to me."
"Dear Mr. Tyson, I would like your assistance in locating my birth mother. My husband was recently killed over seas, and I have no other family. This is very important."
"When was this from?"
"Two days before her son was born. Grant replied saying, 'Dear Mrs. Kendall I am very sorry for your loss. I would be glad to help you find your birth mother. If you could send me any information that you have about where you were born, and what agency you were adopted through it would make my search much easier. I'll contact you when I have any information on your birth mother.' Do you have her call records?"
"Yeah they're here somewhere why?"
"Maybe Grant Tyson contacted Emily," Greg suggests.
"And?"
"Maybe he found her birth mother."
"And what?" Nick asks.
"Maybe it got her killed," Greg adds.
"I think that we need to talk to Grant Tyson."
"Or what if we run Emily's mitochondrial against CODIS?"
"Let's do both," Nick agrees.
Greg pulls Emily's call records out of a stack on the table.
"Her last call was from this number," he points to a number and then adds, "This number has called her three times in two weeks."
"I'll look it up," Nick tells him, sitting down at the computer. He types in the number.
Greg reads the information aloud, "Tyson Investigative Services."
"He's at 44 Walnut."
Half an hour later they arrive at Tyson Investigative Services. A young blonde girl sits at a desk smacking her gum. Nick takes off his sunglasses and approaches the girl.
"Can I help you?" she asks.
"Can we speak to Grant Tyson?"
"Who are you?" she asks.
Nick flashes his badge, "Nick Stokes, Crime Lab."
"He's in his office," she tells them.
When they reach the office door Greg knocks on the door.
"Come in," a voice answers.
They enter the office. "Can I help you?" Grant asks them.
"We'd like to talk to you about Emily Kendall."
"I'm sorry but..."
"She was killed," Greg cuts him off.
"Is her son ok?"
"He's fine," Nick assures him.
"What can you tell us about her?" Greg questions.
"Did you find her biological mother?" Nick probes.
"Emily was born at Desert Palms on May 12th 1982. I managed to get a hold of the hospital records. None of the babies were named Emily. There were fourteen babies born on the that day. Six were girls. I have the list of names if you'd like them."
"Yes."
Grant opens a filing cabinet and pulls out a manilla folder. He hands Nick a piece of paper.
"Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Tyson," Nick thanks him.
They're climbing into the Denali when Greg's cell phone rings. Nick listens carefully to the forty five second phone call that ends in Greg hanging up in disbelief.
"Who was it?"
"Wendy."
"What did she want?"
"She ran Emily's DNA."
"And?" Nick questions.
"What did you do with that list?"
"It's laying on the backseat. Why?" Nick wonders.
Greg grabs the list. He reads it carefully as Nick drives.
"Greg, buddy what's going on?"
"This isn't good," he answers.
"What's not?"
"Pull over."
"Greg, just tell me."
"Pull over and I will."
"Why do I have to pull over?"
"Please just pull over," Greg begs.
"Ok," Nick agrees.
"I'll admit that the possibility entered my mind, but I didn't think that..."
"Greg what the hell is going on?"
"Look at the list," Greg suggests as he hands Nick the list.
Nick reads through it. He quickly gets to the last name. He shakes his head and looks at Greg, "What? What am I missing?"
"The last name."
"Baby Hope?"
"Yeah," Greg answers.
"What about her?"
"It's Emily."
"How can you know?"
"Read it all."
"She was born at 3:37 A.M., weighed six pounds and nine ounces..."
"Yeah."
"I don't get it."
"You're in denial aren't you?" Greg questions.
"About what?"
"Read the mother's name," Greg instructs.
"C. Flynn."
"Yeah."
"Would you tell me what's going on?"
"Wendy got a match to Emily's mitochondrial DNA."
"So?"
"Think about it."
"Emily's mother is a criminal?"
"No."
"In the armed services?"
"Nick it's Catherine."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Emily Kendall's biological mother is Catherine."
"No she's not."
"The DNA was a match Nick."
"There was a mistake."
"She ran it three times."
"But Catherine..."
"Her maiden name is Flynn."
"I just don't think that..."
"Nick it's her. Catherine is Emily's mother."
"What did you tell Wendy?"
"That we'd explain when we got back, and not to say anything."
"But?"
"But if Catherine asks it would be considered insubordination if she didn't tell her."
After parking in the garage they take their time walking in. Wendy is waiting on them when they get in.
"What's going on?" she demands to know.
"I don't think that we should tell you," Nick answers.
"Why?"
"It's complicated," Greg adds.
"Where's Catherine?" Nick asks.
"In her office."
The two men walk away leaving Wendy standing in the middle of the hallway. Catherine's door is ajar when they reach it. Nick knocks quietly. Catherine motions them in. Nick shuts the door and then they both take seats. Catherine looks at them suspiciously.
"What's going on? Are you guys having trouble with your case?"
"Yeah," Greg answers.
"So you still don't have any leads?"
"Not about the killer," Nick answers.
Greg hands her a piece of paper. "What's this?" she asks.
"We talked to a private investigator that Emily hired to find her birth mother," Greg answers.
Catherine never looks at the piece of paper. She stares at Greg, and then Nick.
"He gave us this list," Nick adds.
"Which it turns out we didn't even need because Wendy found a match with Emily's DNA," Greg finishes.
"What's the problem? Are you considering the birth mother as a suspect?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"We can account for her whereabouts during the time of the shooting."
"Did you contact her?"
"We didn't have to," Nick answers.
"Then how can you know where she was?"
"You were here," Greg answers.
"Excuse me?"
"You don't have to pretend, we know," Nick tells her.
"Know what?" Catherine asks.
"Wendy ran Emily's mitochondrial DNA three times to be sure," Greg tells her.
"You're a match," Nick adds.
Catherine says nothing. She looks down at the list in front of her with a thousand thoughts and emotions going through her head at once.
