"Aren't you feeling good about yourself?" Murdoc said to his mirror image.

"Yes, I am, as a matter of fact," he replied. He turned on the tap and washed his face. He felt the stubble on his chin. Shaving would have to wait.

"You have to tell her."

"It can wait."

"How long?"

He turned off the tap and took a towel to dry off his face.

"How long?" he urged himself.

He shrugged. "She'll find out eventually. It's best if the money and I are far away when she does."

He heard a distant knock on the room door.

"Did you order room service?" Spider called through the bathroom door.

"Yes," Murdoc replied. He dried his hands and hung the towel over the sink.

He entered the room and saw Spider sitting at the table reading a paper. Breakfast was laid out on the table. He picked up his shirt from the floor and put it on. He tucked it into his pants. Murdoc walked over to Spider and slipped his hand down the front of the shirt she was wearing. He kissed her neck.

"Hmm. Still trying to work up an appetite?" Spider folded up the paper and hit him playfully over the head with it. "We've made the paper."

Murdoc withdrew his hand and straightened Spider's collar out. He walked over to the other side of the table and sat down. He selected a bun and cut it open. "I hope not. I like my privacy." He spooned strawberry jam into the open bun.

"Well, it doesn't say it's us. It's about Juárez' yacht. It sank last night. No survivors. Six bodies were found among the wreckage. Two women and four men. None have been identified." Spider summarized the news paper report. "That's Juárez, his girl-friend, his two bodyguards, his cook and a chambermaid."

"Juárez isn't dead." Murdoc took a bite out of his bun.

"Sure he is. We were there. We saw it happen. The boat went boom, twice. There was a fire and then it keeled over after which it quickly sank. It was a beautiful sight in the afternoon sun." Spider held out the paper to him. "Here it says six bodies were found. He's one of them. We saw nobody jump ship and swim ashore. What makes you think he survived?"

Murdoc took the paper, folded it and put it down beside him. "There were two explosions."

"Yeah, so? Two mines, two explosions."

"My mines went off at the exact same time."

"What are you saying? There was something else that exploded?" Spider asked cautiously. Murdoc nodded. "Like the engine?"

"Like a few pounds of C4-explosives."

"A coincidence?"

"I think Juárez took his yacht out this distance for it to blow up. It was a coincidence that we had the same idea."

"We could have surprised him. Killed him."

"We don't know whether he was on board. We just assumed it."

"Yeah." Spider's shoulders drooped. She got up and walked over the bed. She dropped herself on it. She rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling.

You've told her, Murdoc said to himself, but you could have waited until after breakfast. Murdoc poured himself a cup of tea. The bad thing about Juárez not being dead was that he didn't get paid yet, and that Juárez would be a lot harder to track down this time. The good thing was that that made it a lot more interesting.

Murdoc finished breakfast. He looked around for his socks and shoes and put them on.

"Who was she?" He stood by the bed, his hands in his pockets, and looked at Spider. She hadn't moved since she lay down on the bed. "The woman in the picture on the beach with Juárez," he explained. "Was she your sister, or your lover?"

"Friend. Best friend."

"And Juárez had her killed."

"When kids grow tired of their toys they just forget they owned them. Juárez destroys them."

"How did he do it?"

Spider raised her head a little so she could look at him. "Why? You think you might learn something?"

"I'm always open to new suggestions."

"He took her for a drive in the desert, threw her out of the car and drove on." Spider dropped her head on the pillow again.

"I see." Cruel. The corner of his mouth curled up. Sometimes Murdoc liked to come up with ways to kill his targets that not only made them dead, but also were fitting in one way or another. Juárez was just the kind of person that opened up a world of possibilities in that respect. "I think we have to work on a new plan to get to Juárez. I'll get his file from my room."

When Murdoc returned fifteen minutes later Spider was still lying on the bed. He threw the file at her. It just flew over her and landed on the pillow next to her. Spider reached over to pick it up. Murdoc quickly pushed her down on her stomach. He twisted her left arm behind her back. Her right arm was caught underneath her. He placed a gun against her head and straddled her.

"What ..." The rest of what she wanted to say got muffled by the pillow.

"Give me one good reason to not shoot you right now."

Spider managed to turn her head a little so that she could speak. "There'll be a mess."

"This hotel has maid service."

"You'll ruin your chances of me ever paying you that sixty-five thousand dollars."

"Seventy thousand dollars."

"What! Why is it that ever time we talk cash your price goes up?"

"Because I'm holding a gun to your head."

"Why are you holding a gun to my head?"

"There is something suspicious about this whole situation. First, you used to work for Juárez. Second, you hire me to kill Juárez. Third, you know exactly where to find Juárez. Fourth, Juárez sails around with several pounds of explosives on his yacht, as if he is waiting for someone to blow it up."

"I've never worked for Juárez. I used to work for a pal of his. But I know a lot of people around him that fed me with little bits of information."

"That person being Juárez himself. He needed to look dead. And who better to ask to kill you than the best in the business."

"Juárez wouldn't be so stupid as to want someone to mock kill him and not inform that person he didn't really wanted to end up dead."

Murdoc frowned. Spider had a point there. "Then how do you explain this situation?"

"Uh, coincidence? Maybe Juárez got wind someone wanted to kill him and devised his own plan; maybe someone else got to him first, planting explosives on his yacht; or most likely: Juárez just wanted to appear dead, and we just happened to come along. Look, I have nothing to do with Juárez. I just want him dead for what he did to my friend. It's not like the bastard doesn't deserve it, and there's probably a long line of people just waiting for their chance to get a hand on him."

Murdoc felt Spider wriggle a little underneath him. He reminded her he still had her arm twisted behind her back.

She gasped. "Is that a good enough answer for you?"

Murdoc considered the answer. Juárez probably just wanted to look dead. Had stocked up on explosives for his yacht to explode at sea. It would be presumed the tide had washed the bodies away. Murdoc's limpet mines had made Juárez' charge go off early. Caught him by surprise. Killed him. In any case, Juárez would not hire someone to set a hit on him, without informing that person he was only meant to look killed.

"I guess it's good enough."

"Now will you take that fucking gun away from my head!"

"Tsk, tsk. Such language."

Murdoc let go of Spider's arm and got up. Spider quickly turned around; she hit Murdoc full on the head with a pillow. In a reflex Murdoc fired his gun.

They stared at each other.

"Stupid cow." Murdoc was the first to speak.

"Another inch," Spider whispered. She turned her head to look at where the bullet had lodged itself in the wall.

Murdoc climbed over the bed to inspect the hole. "I think I'd like that back." He turned to Spider. "Do you have a pair of pincers or something?"

"Yeah, I guess. In my bag of toiletries, in the bathroom."

Murdoc went over to the bathroom to get it. A few minutes later he had retrieved the bullet from the wall. "We just have to fill this hole up with something. And when I say we, I mean you." He turned to Spider who was still sitting on the bed looking quite in shock. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "That was close."

Murdoc walked around the bed and picked up the shell in passing. "I would have thought you had been shot at before."

"Never from this close, never by accident."

There was a knock on the door.

"Who's there?" Murdoc called.

"Hotel manager. Could you open the door, please?"

"Could you get the door?"

Spider got up to answer the door, while Murdoc quickly put the gun in the drawer of the nightstand.

"I'm sorry to bother you," the hotel manager started. He looked at Spider. "Some of our guests have voiced some concern over ..." His voice trailed down as his eyes trailed down her body to her bare legs.

Murdoc coughed to get his attention. "Some concern over?"

"People heard loud voices arguing."

"We were just having a little domestic, weren't we, darling?"

"It was nothing," Spider added. She walked across the room and sat down at the table, where breakfast was still laid out.

The hotel manager followed her with his eyes.

"Was that all?" Murdoc asked. He managed a smile when the man turned his attention to him again.

"No, one of our guests said they heard a gun shot."

"No, that was just me blowing my top. I can be quite explosive."

The manager smiled politely. "I see. I --"

"We just had a little tiff. We're sorry it disturbed the other guests. We're quite all right now and it won't happen again. My sincerest apologies."

"Very well, thank you. I'm sorry to have bothered you, but I just had to make sure --"

"That we hadn't turned your hotel into a bloodbath," Murdoc quickly replied. Murdoc and Spider both chuckled. "We understand. No trouble at all."

"Then I wish you a pleasant day, and enjoy the rest of your stay at our hotel." The hotel manager made a little bow with his head. "Ma'am." He stepped back into the hall and Murdoc closed the door.

Spider took a bun from the basket and started plucking little pieces off it. Murdoc watched her a little absentmindedly.

"I'm not really having a very good morning," Spider said. "I probably should just crawl back into bed and try again tomorrow. Care to join me?"

The corner of his lip curled up. "A tempting offer. Though, I should get back to my own room, take a shower, clean up a little."

Spider nodded. "Perhaps I should give that a try too."

Murdoc got his gun back from the nightstand drawer. He checked if the safety was on and put it behind his waistband. He pulled his shirt out of his pants so it would conceal the weapon. He left the room.

-oOo-

Murdoc just finished shaving when there was a knock on his door. Dabbing his face with a towel he opened the door. Spider grinned at him.

"Nice view."

Murdoc only wore a towel around his waist. He rolled his eyes and beckoned her in. He closed the door behind her. "I thought you didn't find me in the least attractive."

"Must have been the outfit." She smirked. "I came to talk to you about the Juárez thing." Her face turned serious as she sat down on a chair.

"I'm not too pleased with it either. If he isn't dead I don't get paid."

"If he isn't dead I still want him killed. I'm sure you'll get paid eventually."

Murdoc picked up the outfit he had laid out on the bed: a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He put them on. Spider watched quietly.

"How do we find out if he's dead?"

"A curious coroner in the state of Washington will try to identify those six bodies that were dumped in his place of work. Probably run their prints through a police computer. Something will come up."

"But what if what you say is true: Juárez is still alive, but he wants people to think he is dead? What if one of those men was his stooge? There are ways to get rid of a person's fingerprints. Probably one of them has happened to your face."

Murdoc flinched. He didn't like talking about his face. "What do you want to do? Go over to the morgue and check for yourself whether he is dead?"

"There's an idea."

"Do you know what he looks like? Can you identify him with part of his face gone? Does he have a third nipple your file didn't mention?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Dental records?"

Spider thought for a moment. "I think I have something." She got up. "You think of a way to get to those bodies; I'll think of a way to identify Juárez."

Murdoc chewed on the inside of his cheeks. Thinking of a way to get to the bodies was easy. Finding out where they were was the hard part.

-oOo-

Murdoc climbed up the telephone pole a few miles out of Ridgefield. Leaning back in his safety harness he opened the switch box. He plugged in his equipment, consisting of a number tracer and a telephone extension. He dialed the number of the local hospital. A receptionist answered.

"I have placed a bomb in your morgue," Murdoc said with distorted voice.

"You what?"

"A bomb, your morgue."

"Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"No joke. It will explode in ..." Murdoc checked his watch. "Seventy-six minutes. Tic toc." He disconnected.

Murdoc watched the number tracer intently. What would the receptionist first do: call the local police or go straight for the emergency lines? Five minutes later the call Murdoc was waiting for was made. He quickly answered the call before it got through to the proper addressee.

"Clark County Emergency Dispatch. How can I help you?" he put on a woman's voice.

"Officer Stevenson of Ridgefield police. A call was just made to our local hospital with a bomb threat."

"One moment please, I will put you through." Murdoc smirked and changed his voice to that of a man with an east coast accent before he continued. "Clark County Sheriff's Office, bomb squad."

"Stevenson, Ridgefield Police," the man on the other end of the line replied. "A call was just made to our local hospital with a bomb threat."

"How long ago was this call made?"

"About five minutes."

"Have the building and surrounding buildings been evacuated?"

"Evacuation is in progress."

"What was the exact content of the call to the hospital?"

"At 13.08 the receptionist of the hospital answered a call. She says it was a man's voice, but it sounded distorted. The man said: 'I have placed a bomb in your morgue.' The receptionist didn't understand him at first. The man repeated: 'A bomb in your morgue.' She asked if it was a joke. The man replied: 'No joke. It will go off in seventy-six minutes. Tic toc.' Then he hung up."

"Seventy-six minutes. He is precise. Hoaxes usually mention a time."

"So you think this is not a hoax?"

"We never treat a bomb threat as a hoax. I will send a unit over right away. They will be with you in about forty minutes. Make sure the buildings are evacuated and keep spectators at a safe distance."

Officer Stevenson had no further questions and both men hung up. Murdoc unplugged his equipment and closed the switch box. He climbed back down the telephone pole. He got in the station wagon and drove back towards Vancouver.

Not much later he saw Spider approaching in the Nissan. He signaled to her and they both pulled over at the side of the road. Spider got out of the car. She was wearing the same outfit as Murdoc: combat boots, blue cargo pants and a dark blue bomber jacket. She opened the back door of the Nissan and a young German Shepperd launched itself off the backseat. Murdoc got out of the station wagon to put his climbing equipment and the phone in the back of the Nissan.

"Sergeant! Get back here!" Spider hollered.

The dog stopped in the field and gave her an expectant look.

"Great. I just got him and he's already challenging my authority." Spider got a tennis ball from her jacket pocket and showed it to Sergeant. The dog looked interested. She threw the ball and the dog sped away to fetch it. It stopped to give Spider another look once it had caught the ball. Spider rolled her eyes. "We don't really need the dog, do we? We could be bomb squad without a sniffer dog?"

Murdoc cocked his head. "Not really." He smirked. "Perhaps you could work on your disguises a little and be the canine of the unit."

Spider scowled. She got a packet of dog treats from one of her pants pockets and she took one out and weaved it at Sergeant. The dog dropped the tennis ball and rushed over to Spider. She only just managed to not get her fingers bitten off with the treat and gave the dog a big hug.

"Like all men he loves with his stomach," Murdoc remarked.

"She's not a he. See." Spider pulled Sergeant up by her front legs and showed Murdoc.

"You have a leash for that dog?" Spider nodded in reply. "Then get her in the station wagon. We have to go."

Spider opened the rear door of the station wagon and threw in a dog treat. Sergeant jumped in after it, grabbed the treat and gave Spider a surprised look when she found herself locked into the car. Spider smirked at the dog.

Murdoc rolled his eyes. Never work with kids or dogs was a famous show business rule. It probably applied to any other business as well. He got in the car and started the engine.

-oOo-

Within forty minutes after talking to Stevenson Murdoc pulled up at the entrance of the Ridgefield Hospital. A large crowd of patients, some in their beds, others in wheelchairs, along with nurses, doctors and other people were gathered on the parking lot. Murdoc glared at them with suspicion as he got out of the car.

"These people are standing too close," he shouted to the policeman that came walking up to him. "I want them across the street, preferably even further away." He waved with his arms to add force to his words. "Is the building secured?"

"Officer Stevenson, deputy chief." The man, about ten years older than Murdoc stuck out his hand. Murdoc glared at it then shook it briefly.

"Are you the officer in charge?"

"You're bomb squad?"

"Lieutenant Baldwin, lieutenant Kislovsky." He pointed to Spider who just came around the car with Sergeant on a very short leash. She shook Stevenson's hand too. "Now, to my question: is the building secured?"

"Yes. We made a room by room check. Just finished. Everybody's out." He pointed at the crowd that was being ushered across the street by a few policemen.

"Corpses too?" Murdoc asked. Stevenson gave him a quizzical look. "The bomb threat was for the morgue."

"Uh, we concerned ourselves with the living. Do you want us to get them out?"

"Leave them. No heroics for dead people. Now, I want a floor plan of the hospital."

"Officer Taylor can help you with that." Stevenson beckoned another man to come closer. He held some floor plans and showed them to Murdoc. "About those dead people. There's six people in that morgue, brought in this morning. Their families would want them out. I'll send some people to go with you and wheel them out. Can't take more than a couple minutes."

Murdoc thanked Taylor for showing him the floor plan and turned to look Stevenson in the eyes. "Leave them," he said calmly and started for the door.

"Don't mind him," Spider said to Stevenson as she opened the car door to get a backpack. "He lost half his face pulling a guy out of a building that had gone back to get his video camera."

"So, that's why-"

"Kislovsky, are you coming?" Murdoc stood by the door.

"Coming." Spider slung the backpack over her shoulder and pulled Sergeant on her leash. She followed Murdoc into the building. "Straight for the morgue?"

Murdoc didn't reply, but led the way.

"Something the matter that you suddenly aren't talking? Are you worried they're listening in on us?"

"Be quiet."

"Was it something I said? Perhaps you should say what it was so I can apologize."

"You've been talking quite enough already." Murdoc stopped and turned to face Spider cutting her off before she said something else. "Why are you talking so much?"

"Keeps me from thinking." Spider took a step back under Murdoc's stare. "In there," she nodded at the doors that led to the morgue. "There could be Juárez, or not. And I don't want to think of the possibility that it isn't him."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"You shouldn't have mentioned the face to the policeman," Murdoc finally said.

"Sorry. I didn't know it was a sensitive issue."

"It's not." Murdoc smirked. "I just don't want people guessing about what happened to it."

"Sorry."

"Come, we have some corpses to identify."

-oOo-

The hospital morgue was small and consisted of two offices, a little lab, an autopsy room, a visitors room and a cold storage. It was for the latter room that Murdoc and Spider headed. In the cold storage all six bodies were lined up in rows of three on trolleys against opposite walls. The room was a little crammed. It was obviously not designed for a crowd of six. Spider gave Sergeant some dog treats to keep her down. Murdoc pulled away the sheet of the first body and read the toe-tag.

"Female. I think we can skip those." He smirked at Spider.

She returned a half smile. She pulled a little hardcover notebook from the backpack. Murdoc pulled the sheet back over the feet of the woman and went on to the next body.

"Hairy feet. This is probably a man." He walked over to the top end and pulled away the sheet there too. "Facial hair. A further clue."

Spider didn't respond to his jokes. She opened the notebook and started reading out loud. While she read Murdoc put on some surgical gloves he had pulled from a box when they passed through the autopsy room.

"Paco has funny teeth. We kissed the first time today. Properly kissed. I was giddy as a school girl. Still am. He has a very small jaw, so his teeth are crowded together. He says when he was a kid a dentist pulled some molars to make more room for his teeth. I didn't find a gap between his molars, but his incisors all seem to have turned sideways a bit to give the others room."

The face of the body was partially covered in bubbly, red skin. He may have tried to put the initial fire out, Murdoc thought. He swallowed, then he tilted the man's head back so his mouth fell open. He inspected his teeth, even ran his forefingers along the incisors of the maxilla to make sure.

"This is not Juárez." He put the man's head and the sheet back in place and moved on to the next body. He gave the other three men the same inspection and then reported his conclusions. "None of these men is Juárez." He pulled of the gloves and stuck them in his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry."

Spider nodded. "You already said he wouldn't be here."

"What do you want to do now?"

Spider shrugged. "Don't know. Find out where he is. Try again."

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Spider gave Murdoc a half smile.

"Come, let's go." He squeezed her shoulder. "We'll return that dog to the pound, and then I'll buy you an ice-cream."

She put the notebook back into the backpack and fastened it. Sergeant jumped to her feet the moment Spider pulled on the leash. They left the morgue the way they had found it. They walked back through the hospital.

"I'm keeping the dog, tough," Spider said. "She has grown on me."

Murdoc let out a brief chuckle.