Epilouge

Four months later….

"Don? You remember the Danny Webster case?" David asked his boss as he walked up to Don's desk.

"Remember? Like I could forget." Don replied, looking up from a file he had been reading. He saw a folder in David's hands and asked, "Whatcha'got?"

A smile that could have lit up the Rose Bowl all by itself graced David's face when he opened the file folder and put it on Don's desk, two fingerprint cards lay inside.

"On the right are the prints we lifted from Danny's wallet after the postal service inspector handed it over to us." He pointed at one set of prints. "On the left are prints that were taken from a recent art gallery robbery." He pointed at the other card. "They match."

Don's eyebrows went up but then he frowned. "So, the 3rd guy is a thug, like the other two, just higher up the food chain?"

David shook his head, his grin even wider. "The prints belong to the gallery owner."

"No way." Don said.

David handed him a magnifier and said "Check it for yourself."

Don took the magnifier and examined both cards. After a few moments examination, he put the magnifier down and looked at David, a grin of his own matching David's. "I'll be damned. Wait until I call Abby. They've all been waiting a long time for this call. You got an arrest warrant?"

David nodded. "Just waiting to hear back from the judge."

Don reached for the phone on his desk. "The case is air-tight? This perp is not walking."

"Absolutely, well beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Don nodded, already dialing the phone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

3,000 miles away in Washington, D.C., Special Agent Abby Stroud stared at the phone before returning the handset to its cradle. She had just received a phone call she had never thought she would receive. It took her a moment for her mind to catch up with the rest of her. She stood and walked out to the outer office, stopping between Doug and Danny's desks. George was gone, off on a long awaited two-week vacation, ferrying "Bernadette" from L.A. around the nation's capital. Doug was the first to realize that Abby was there. He looked up, a question on his lips.

Abby looked from him to Danny and back. "They caught her. The one behind Danny's beating and you're not going to believe who it is."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I can not thank you enough for letting us be in on this bust." Abby told Don as he drove to the art gallery owned by the mastermind of Danny's beating.

Don shot her a quick glance before returning his attention to the road. "I told you I'd call if we got anything. I never go back on my word." His eyes flicked to the back seat where Danny sat next to Doug. "I'm a bit surprised you let Danny come out with you two. He's not cleared for the field yet, is he?"

Abby shook her head. "No, he's not but he's given me his word that he will not move from the car once we get there. I will take him at his word." She looked back at Danny, then lowered her voice. "I couldn't leave him behind. He needs to be here and to see that crazy bitch in handcuffs."

Don gave her a tight nod but that was all. Further conversation was forestalled when he pulled up in front of a two-story glass and stone building in the toniest section of Beverly Hills. A sign hanging over the front door read Hudson's Art Gallery. Floor to ceiling windows reflected the image of a black Suburban and a black Dodge Charger back onto the street.

Abby looked the building up and down, a feral smile crossing her face. "I have been waiting a very long time for this."

Don caught a glimpse of the smile and quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're not going to get carried away on me, are you Stroud?"

Abby nailed Don with the most intense glare he had ever seen from her. "I wouldn't dream of it. She is NOT getting away on a technicality." Abby turned in her seat and nailed Danny with a look just as intense.

He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded.

Danny watched the three agents get out and stared wistfully after them but that was all he did.

Outside the gallery, Don sent his team around back, just to make sure no one tried to escape out the back, then opened the door and held it for Abby. A gust of cool air-conditioned air ruffled the collar of her jacket. Don and Doug followed behind her.

"Got the arrest warrant?" Abby asked Don.

Don patted the pocket of his jacket in response.

No salesperson came to speak to them as they walked between the glass encased display cases until they reached the back wall of the gallery and an earth tone beigeish wall with a handful of doors set into it. A young woman, probably no older than 25, with jet black hair and Asian features came up to them.

"May I help you?" She asked, a bright smile on her face.

"You can point us toward Nicole Hudson's office." Abby said.

The woman's smile faltered. "Ms. Hudson is in with clients. She can't be disturbed."

Don pulled the arrest warrant from his jacket and held it up. "This warrant trumps any meeting she's in."

The woman stared at Don for a long moment, licking her lips nervously. "Do you have any i.d.?"

Three badge folios were produced. The woman studied the i.d.s, then handed them back. She nodded again, more to herself than to the agents, then walked over to one door, opened it and said, "Her office is at the end of the hall."

Don motioned to Abby. "Ladies first."

Abby grinned and walked through the door. Just as the saleswoman had said, at the end of a short hallway, was a set of double doors with Nicole Hudson, painted in gold script on the door. Without knocking, Abby opened one of the doors and walked in to the office. Nicole was seated behind a glass and chrome desk. Across from her, a man in a suit sat in a leather and chrome chair. Nicole looked up to see who had come in, her mouth falling open in surprise. The man twisted in his chair to see what had provoked such a response. He darted a nervous glance from Nicole to the agents, then back to Nicole.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"We'll be out of your way in a just a moment, sir." Abby said. She walked over to the desk. "Stand up, please." She said to Nicole.

"I will not!" Nicole snapped at Abby. "You think you can just walk in here and haul me away?!" She snorted. "You've been after me for years, what makes you think anything you've got now will stick? You've finally snapped, haven't you?"

The man in the chair started to rise. "I think I'll be going."

Doug settled a hand on the man's shoulder, holding him in place. "We'll be done in a minute, sir. Please stay seated."

"I won't ask again." Abby said, the very picture of civility. "Please stand."

"Absolutely not. I refuse." Nicole said. She glared at Don and Doug. "She's insane you know. Best stay far away from her if you value your career." She looked back at Abby. "Just who do you think you are?"

"A federal agent with an arrest warrant." Don said, coolly.

Unceremoniously, Abby hauled Nicole from her chair, pinned her arms behind her and slapped a pair of handcuffs on her. "Nicole Hudson, you are under arrest for the attempted murder and the conspiracy to commit murder of Special Agent Daniel J. Webster." Abby told her. She guided Nicole around the desk and towards the door, reading Nicole her Miranda rights as she did.

Nicole squawked in protest. "You can't do this to me! You have no evidence! I'll have your badge for this!"

"Thank you for your cooperation sir." Doug told the man before turning and leaving the room.

The man gulped and nodded.

Don followed Doug from the room, radioing his people letting them know that the suspect was in custody and to meet him in the front.

"Giselle!" Nicole shouted, when Abby led her through the outer office. "Giselle! Get my attorney on the phone and tell him to meet me at the Federal Bldg." She looked over her shoulder at Abby. "You will regret this."

Abby cast Don a sideways look. "Was that a threat I just heard, Agent Eppes?"

"I think it was Agent Stroud." Don said.

"Sounded like one to me." Doug offered.

Nicole did not respond, she merely fumed. Up ahead, a well-dressed older couple was coming up to the front door as Abby and company approached the door from the other side. Abby stopped and Doug opened the door, holding it open to allow the couple to enter and Abby and everyone else to exit.

"Thank you, Agent Miller." Abby said.

"You're welcome, Agent Stroud." Doug said.

Outside, Don's team stood waiting by the Charger.

"Any problems, Agent Stroud?" Colby asked.

"Not a one, Agent Granger." Abby replied. She led Nicole around to the passenger side of the Suburban and opened the rear passenger door. "Don't bump your head." She told Nicole.

Nicole opened her mouth to object, again, but caught sight of Danny and sputtered "You! You're supposed to be dead!"

Danny coolly stared back at her. "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

"Is that a confession?" Abby asked.

"You wish." Nicole replied.

Abby looked at her for a moment, then looked at Danny. "Agent Webster, do you mind riding up front?" She asked him.

"Not at all." Danny replied. If he was surprised, he hid it well.

"Agent Miller, if you could take Agent Webster's place?" Abby asked.

"Certainly." Doug replied.

Shortly, Danny was in the front seat and Nicole was in the middle back seat, flanked on either side by Abby and Doug. Don's team returned to Colby's Charger. Don made a final check of everyone before pulling away from the curb. He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the grin on the woman's face. His grin quickly joined hers.

NOW, Danny's case was closed.