Mac's digital clock flashed 9:35. Stella stirred under Mac's arm. She turned over and snuggled into his chest. He pulled his arms around her and let out a loud snore. The shrill beeping of his cellphone woke him up.
"What do you want?" He whispered into the phone.
"Good morning to you too." Don greeted.
"It's my day off."
"I know. I was just wondering if you're alright. I heard about yesterday."
"I'm fine. Now, goodbye Don." Mac hung up and fell asleep again. Not even one minute later, the phone rang again.
"For christ's sake." He picked up the phone again. "What?"
"Geez Mac. Don't bite my head off." Danny said. "I was wondering if you knew where Stella was?"
"Ummm." Mac looked at Stella who was sleeping on his arm and resting her head on his chest. "No. Why?"
"Nothing really. She isn't answering her phone and Lindsay was looking for her."
"She has the day off aswell doesn't she?" Mac asked.
"Yeah. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."Danny hung up and Mac replaced his phone on the table.
"Who was that?" Stella mumbled. Mac wrapped his arm around her and gave her a hug.
"Danny." She didn't even open her eyes.
"What did he want? We both have the day off."
"Lindsay is looking for you." He looked over at the clock.
"Oh well." She yawned and opened her eyes. "This is rather cosy isn't it?"
He smiled. "Yes it is. Time to get up though." She complained as he got up. "Come on."
"No." She buried her head in the pillow.
"Yes." He threw the available pillow at her. "You have a shower and I'll cook breakfast."
"Maaaaaac." She whined. His laugh was cut off by the pillow that collided with his face. "Gotcha!"
"Thanks Stel." He walked out of the room. She laughed and walked into his en-suite.
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Lou sat in his dingy apartment. Yesterday's attempt had failed. He had decided that the reason for his failure was his impatience.
"I must be more patient, calculated." He described aloud to the empty room. He sat at the small table in the corner and looked in the paper bag. He removed the items it contained. He looked at the bottle of Arsenic. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Lou placed the bottle on the table again and picked up the photograph. He looked it over and noticed something written on the back. Days off: March 29th, April 2nd, April 21st... Lou read through the dates and turned to look at his calendar. The date was March 29th.
"I have 3 more days untill his next day off. Perfect." Lou let out an evil cackle that echoed around the apartment. "I'll show Marigold what I'm capable of."
He started to pace around the apartment scribbling notes into an old notebook. His plan was taking shape.
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Luke fixed his tie. He rounded the corner and entered the building. He walked up to the front desk. The secretary pointed at the elevator and told him where to go. He rode the elevator up and stepped onto the floor. Lab technicians were scattered all over the place. He tapped the nearest one on the shoulder.
"Can you tell me where Mac Taylor's office is please?" He asked politely. The other man pointed in the direction of a large room with glass walls. Luke thanked the man and walked towards the room. He glanced sideways and entered the room. He closed all the blinds and started to look through the file cabinets. He was looking for anything with any reference to this woman he saw the night before. His turned to face the desk and his gaze settled on the backs of some picture frames. He walked around the desk and took up one of the frames. It was a picture of Mac and a woman. He had his arms around her. Not recognizing the woman, Luke tossed the picture of Claire to the floor.
He picked up the second photo and saw a group of six people including Mac and Stella. They all had badges at their waists so he figured they were all colleagues. Then he looked at the final photo. It was a picture of Mac and Stella taken many years ago at Coney Island. She was spreading cotton candy on his nose and laughing hysterically. Luke grinned and removed the back of the frame. He took out the photograph and read the writing on the back, Stella Bonasera and I. June 23rd. Luke grinned again, he finally knew her name.
"This is going to be fun." He said aloud. Hearing a crash outside, Luke dashed out of the office. He rushed right past Danny who was picking up the box he dropped. He was standing only a couple of metres from the door of Mac's office when Lindsay knocked him. Danny felt a rush of air behind him and watched as the man in a suit got in the elevator. He looked back at Mac's office.
"Mac has the day off right?" He asked Lindsay.
"Yea. Why?" She placed the last of the papers into the box.
"Some guy just came running out of his office." Danny stood up straight. He entered Mac's office and noticed the closed blinds and rifled cabinets.
"Look." Lindsay pointed beside the desk. Danny walked over to the spot she was pointing at and picked up the smashed picture.
"Mac and Claire." He said. He looked at the desk and noticed that the group photo was knocked over and the last frame was empty.
"I don't like this." Lindsay said. "What was the last picture of?"
"Mac and Stel"
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Mac had just poured the coffee when the phone rang for the third time that morning. He sighed and picked it up.
"Whoever you are, you are going to meet the business end of my gun."
"Morning again." Danny laughed.
"Danny, what do you want this time?" Mac retrieved the toast from the toaster.
"I thought you might want to know that someone was in your office earlier." Mac stopped buttering the toast. "What?"
"Someone was looking through your things. He took the picture of you and Stella. Pair that with the fact you were shot at yesterday..."
"I should be careful." Mac finished. "Thanks for telling me Danny. I'll be in later. Bye."
"Who was it this time?" Stella walked out from the bedroom wearing his shirt and her shorts.
"Danny. Someone was in my office earlier, they took the picture of you and me that I keep on my desk." Mac handed her a coffee and some toast.
"You keep a picture of us on your desk?"
"Yea. I also have one of Claire and of the whole group of us last year." He smiled. "Danny is warning me to be careful."
"I think you should be." She mumbled.
"Ok then. But now, we enjoy our day off." He sat opposite her and took the jam from her. "You may look good in my shirt but if you get jam on it you're dead."
"Oops."