CHAPTER 6

Lisa hadn't seen Horatio in two days. The next two mornings she had stopped by with coffee but he hadn't been home. They missed going for dinner too. She forced herself not to assume he was avoiding her. You're important to me Lissy. She believed him.

She pulled into the parking lot in front of the crime lab. It had been a long day and she hadn't seen Horatio in a couple of days and well she needed to see a friend.

She hadn't called--she'd left her phone at home that morning--so she didn't know if he'd be there. As she got out of the car she saw him talking out front with a few other people.

"Mrs. Grady," Horatio was the first to spot her. He didn't smile.

"Hey, stranger," Calleigh said. "Miss you!"

"I'm sure you haven't even noticed I'm gone."

"So what's up, Lissy?" Ryan asked.

"Just had some time to kill before my birthing class and thought I'd stop in and say hi to some friends." Lisa avoided looking at Horatio. He seemed annoyed.

"Well, let me introduce you to another one then." Calleigh turned towards a tall, African-American woman. "This is Dr. Alexx Woods."

Lisa shook her hand. "Oh, yes, Ryan told me all about you."

"Then, honey, we better have a talk."

"Only complimentary, Alexx." She could feel Horatio's gaze on her through his sunglasses. "I'd like a tour of autopsy sometimes."

"Any time."

"So who's your birthing coach?" Ryan asked and Alexx and Calleigh turned towards him in disbelief. "What? What'd I'd say?"

"It's okay. That's my reality." She gave them her best smile. "I'm going solo."

"Oh, no, you're not!" Calleigh linked her arm through Lisa's. "As it happens I have no plans tonight."

"I can't ask you to commit--."

"Nonsense. You're not going by yourself. Right, guys?" Everyone nodded but Horatio. Calleigh started to walk with her towards the doors with Ryan and Alexx following. "Now you have to tell me about these classes. How often they meet. Things like that."

"Mrs. Grady," Horatio said. "A word with you please."

"Sure. Calleigh, I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

"Lieutenant?" She stepped back next to Horatio.

"I left several messages for you today." He sounded calm but he didn't look directly at her. She knew he was angry.

"I forgot my phone at home."

"And at work."

"I didn't go in today. I met with the contractor for my house and then--."

He waited.

"I went shopping for baby clothes." He'd been worried about her. She didn't want him to worry. "I'm sorry."

"I have information I need to discuss with you." He flipped open his phone and hit speed dial. "Frank. She's here. My office."

Ryan had told her about Frank Tripp. Nice enough guy he said unless he thought you were guilty. She wondered what was going on.

In his office Horatio sat behind his desk and waited for Lisa to sit also. Frank stood next to Horatio. The room was sleek, glass and metal, just like the rest of the lab.

"We've been looking for your husband, ma'am," Frank said.

"You've found him?" She looked at Horatio.

"No," Frank continued. "He's knee deep in shit and he's going to need more than a backhoe."

"Yeah, I know, Sergeant. He set my house on fire." She gripped the side of the chair. She didn't want to talk about Doug, not when she had a birthing class to attend in a couple of hours.

"We don't think you were the actual target of that fire." Horatio looked right at her. "Or that he is responsible." He leaned forward and laced his fingers in front of him.

"What are you saying?"

"Do you know what case your husband has been working on?" Frank asked.

"No, he never told me anything until it wrapped up."

"He's been working on a special operation the last eight months," Horatio slid a file towards her but she didn't look at it.

"Undercover." A chill ran through her.

"Yeah. Drugs. Guns. The stuff you read in the papers," Frank said.

"Where the agent dies and the bad guys get away." She didn't like where this was headed.

"Mrs. Grady, it's not entirely clear Doug is still working the case." Horatio looked away. He didn't want to hurt her.

"What are you saying? Are you saying that

Doug is--is--"

"Mrs. Grady, he might have decided to play both sides--get something for himself and ticked someone off." Frank stopped.

"No." She shook her head. "That can't be."

"Horatio?" Frank sensed it was time for him to leave.

He nodded to Frank. "I'll catch up later with you."

Horatio waited until Frank had closed the door behind him. "Lisa, I know it's not easy hearing this."

"If it were true. It's not. Doug's got problems but I don't believe he would put me and our baby in danger like that."

Horatio considered his next words carefully. "Sometimes it happens--cops--agents--lose themselves."

The color had drained from her face. He had told her about his brother's undercover work and how he came to live the life he had started out investigating. It cost him his life. Horatio blamed himself for not saving his brother. But she couldn't believe Doug--no, not Doug. She would have known wouldn't she?

"He failed a drug test, Lisa. He'd been suspended when we found him that night."

She had had enough and stood up.

"Look, Lieutenant, I'm sorry about your brother. But you're projecting your failure on Doug…and me." She stepped back to the door and opened it. "I've heard enough."

She saw anger flash in his eyes but she didn't care. She was angry too. She just wanted all of this to stop.

She slammed the door behind her and almost ran into Calleigh.

"Everything, okay?" Calleigh asked.

"I need a drink."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"Doctor said occasionally was ok."

"I know just the place." She jingled her keys. "I'll drive."

Two hours later they walked down the hallway to the hospital's birthing class.

"Want to pretend you're my girlfriend?" Lisa whispered mischievously. She had two glasses of wine and a few half hearted attempts at eating her food during dinner.

"You don't drink much do you?" Calleigh had her arm on Lisa's elbow guiding her into the room.

"Maybe I should--my day seems a whole lot better than it did two hours ago."