The rain was coming down in sheets as she hovered anxiously on the steps of the building awaiting another taxi she had hailed via a phone call to the cab company on her cell phone. She folded her arms across her chest, trying to stay warm but shivering out of nerves and cold. The cab pulled up a few short but agonizing minutes later and she was forced to careen down the concrete steps, hurl herself into the cab and slam the door. That short journey had soaked her with rain and she shivered uncontrollably now. Luckily for her, the cab driver was not the same one she had accompanied here. She stole a glance at the time reflected on the digital radio, it was ten fifteen. The entire jaunt into the party took her about an hour to complete. When the cab driver prompted her for a location, she mumbled her home address. The car started to move, merging into traffic then onto the freeway. The rain drops were pelting the windows, sliding off at angles while she tried to maintain composure by focusing on them, the motion was making her ill. Within thirty minutes, she was back on her front porch, shivering as she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

The hallway was dark and she left it that way for a moment, leaning against the wall, her heart hammering with adrenalin over the magnitude of what she had just done. Once she regained her composure for the third time tonight, she slipped out of her high heels and tiptoed, barefoot on the floor, into the bathroom right off the living room. She shut the door with a soft click, slipped out of her dress, and stuffed it into a plastic bag along with her shoes. She wiped away all her makeup, pulled out the clip holding her damp hair up and let it fall, scrunching it up to dry some of the water and make it wavy like it naturally was. She used a towel to dry off, stuffing that in the plastic bag with her shoes and dress. Finally, she hastily threw on jeans, a casual shirt and running shoes before gathering up the bag and exiting the bathroom. She crept back down the dark hallway, clothes and clutch bag in hand, scooped up her keys from the coffee table and backed out the front door once more.

Inside her car, she stuffed the clothes into the glove box, pulling out a pair of latex gloves instead. With the gloves securely on, she removed the wine glass from the clutch bag and its plastic protector. With one shaky hand, she held the glass, with the other, she used a cotton swab around the entire top of the glass where she knew he had sipped from. She secured the swab in a vile she had taken from the lab a few days ago, closing the lid with a soft click.

The Seattle PD crime lab wing was attached to the main police station but located at the very back of the building. Entering this late at night was not suspicious at all. Entering with a clear bag containing a single piece of evidence, unmarked, a bit of a red flag. The DNA lab was run by six techs. Only one was on duty tonight. She carefully eased her way into the plexiglass lined room filled with test tubes and machinery and stood in front of the on duty techs desk. The tech glanced up at her with very little interest as he said "Working late again Ms. Finlay?"

"Yeah you know how that goes," Julie replied, trying to make casual conversation when in reality, her heart was pounding furiously in her chest.

She started signing the log in form for cataloging evidence, signing her name and the time and the sample.

"What case?" the tech asked automatically.

"Uh," Julie hesitated "you know, I'll have to check with Kerry in the morning, she and I worked this but we just wrapped a double so we're exhausted, can I get it to you later?"

The tech eyed her suspiciously but seemed to sympathize with her plight.

"Fine," he agreed reaching for the sample in her hands.

She reluctantly left the sample with the tech, grimacing at the way he casually shoved it in with the rest of his samples, wishing he could know what she went through to get that and what it could cost her.

AN- I probably should have clarified at the end of the first part that this would be multiple chapters. TBC.