A/N : Thank you dear reviewers once again for taking the time to write a review. They are really appreciated and cerrtainly encourage me to keep this going.

Chapter 10


Lindsay reached across the interactive computer table and tapped the file folder displayed there. She couldn't help smiling at Sheldon who was rubbing his hands in anticipation. She could tell he loved using the lab's latest technology. "Boys and their toys!" she muttered to herself. Using her fingers she flicked images around the table as though dealing out cards. Opposite Jo used her thumbs and fore-fingers to expand a picture. She tipped her head on one side studying it carefully.

"Lindsay, did you manage to locate the bar?" asked Jo.

"No. It seems the neon cocktail sign is pretty generic. It could have been made by any one of a number of manufacturers who ship all over the country primarily to local suppliers. Without a reference number it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"What about this warehouse? Are we even sure it's in New York? Or the bar for that matter?" asked Sheldon spinning a couple of photos to change angle as though something new might pop out if only he looked at it differently.

"Well Danny's chasing down the security company, Ascot Security. They're a New York based company and Adam says the time stamps on the photographs indicate that there was a 22 minute lapse between the pictures of the warehouse and the pictures at the bar. They were taken between 3 and 4 hours prior to the fire at Mac's place. So I think it's safe to assume that they are both here in the New York area. There has to be something else." Lindsay bit her lip as she continued to study the images in front of her.

Her reverie was interrupted by her phone. She looked at the screen. "Danny!"

Lindsay listened intently and then sighed as she relayed the information. "Danny says that Ascot Security have 139 'storage facilities' in New York on their books. According to the duty supervisor they all look the same to him but he'll check with his site staff. It could be any one of a dozen places. He's sending over a list now. And can you believe the supervisor didn't recognise the guard in the photographs? Apparently he doesn't deal with the staff on a daily basis. His assistant who handles that kind of thing is off sick but he's going to get in touch with her and get back to us."

"Great!" huffed Jo.

"Er Jo, Danny would like to call in on Mac on the way back if that's okay?" she asked.

"Sure Lindsay." Jo knew how upset Danny had been since the fire and, given how close he and Lindsay were to Mac, she was surprised that he hadn't been before.

Lindsay finished the call. "Thanks Jo. It's hard for him, you know, it being Mac and what with his brother and all. "

Jo was about to ask more when her own cell rang.

"Don, tell me you have something!" she begged "Oh I knew it!" she huffed. Her jewellery jingled as her hand went to her hip.

"Brewster has an alibi." she hissed. "OH! That's great. Okay send Lindsay the address and we'll cross-reference it with the list of potential warehouses that Danny got from Ascot Security. Will do." She hung up.

"The bar that Mickey Brewster claims he was at? Well the barman confirms that he was there all evening with friends until well into the early hours. He even threw him out for unruly behaviour. He couldn't have been at Mac's place but …" Jo paused for effect.

"There's a blue neon cocktail sign in the window!"

x

x

Danny hated hospitals. He'd spent too much time in them and they had too many bad memories. He paced nervously as he waited. He tried to focus on the birth of his daughter, the one good association but somehow, the sounds, the odours brought back only the bad memories. He paced some more.

"Detective Messer. It's okay. You can come in now." The young nurse smiled at him and he approached the door to Mac's room hesitantly. As he peeked around the door he was surprised to see Mac sitting up and awake.

"Wow! Mac! I … after what Sheldon said I thought you'd be out of it." he stammered.

Mac licked his lips. "I'm ..." he hesitated as he searched for the appropriate word " … feeling a little more with it."

Danny folded his arms and shuffled nervously from foot to foot. "That's good. That's good. 'Cos if you'd have said 'I'm fine' I'd have had to shoot you." Danny quipped, his joking a barely disguised attempt at covering up his feelings as his eyes passed quickly over his friend's bruised face and freshly bandaged hand that was propped up on two pillows.

"Can I get you anything else?" asked the nurse gathering up a covered tray as Danny approached Mac's bed.

"A cup of coffee would be nice."

"Nice try Detective! Don't even contemplate it." she laughed. "If you're good I'll bring you some milk."

Mac grimaced, his eyes following her out of the room and then he turned his attention to Danny.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

Danny rocked back on his heels. "How am I doing?" he spluttered. "You've gotta be kidding me Mac? I'm the one supposed to be asking you that." He ran his hand through his hair as Mac tipped his head on one side and looked at him inquiringly not fooled for a minute.

He sighed. "I'm okay. I'm okay now that I can see you are." His voice cracked as he spoke.

Despite his fatigue and the drug-induced light-headed feeling, Mac could see that Danny was emotionally drained.

"Pull up a chair Danny. Tell me what's going on at the lab. Everyone behaving themselves?"

Danny was glad of the distraction. He pulled up a chair. "Mickey Brewster confessed to doing a number on you outside Señor Chows but claims he was alone." At Mac's look of surprise he held up his hand. "I know. I know. You're going to tell me there were two of them. We've even got an eyewitness that saw two men but for some reason Mickey's refusing to name names and he's now lawyered up. Anything you can tell me about it?"

Mac thought for a second then shook his head, a look of anger flashing across his face. "It happened too quick and … I was distracted." The frustration in his voice was evident. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. Danny could tell he was furious, more with himself than the men who attacked him.

"Hey it was two against one. Not a fair fight." Danny tried to make Mac feel better.

"I should have known … I should have been more vigilant. I even left my piece at the office. Dammit!" Mac shifted uncomfortably. "Stupid ..." Mac grimaced. He should have known better. He was an experienced cop, a marine and he'd been caught out. He should have known better.

"Come on Mac. Don't beat yourself up! You couldn't have foreseen it." At Mac's half-laugh Danny realised his faux-pas. "Oh! Poor choice of words." Danny was glad to see Mac laugh but he didn't fail to miss the wince that accompanied it. Danny decided to change tack.

"Mac, I'm sorry about your friend." Danny leaned forward. "Sammy was your friend wasn't he?"

Mac looked at Danny for a minute and then nodded "I know what you're thinking. A cop and an ex-con. Not a friendship that's appropriate for someone in law enforcement but Danny, prison changed Sammy. He wasn't the same man that I put in there so when our paths crossed again we became friends. An unorthodox friendship I confess but yes, Sammy was my friend." Mac paused not wanting to ask. "Are you sure it's him?"

"Yeah. Sid confirmed it. He got Sammy's dental records from the prison medical service. And Lindsay got his prints off the SD card from the box in your safe. Do you have any idea why he would hide photographs in your safe?" Again Mac shook his head so Danny continued. "Sheldon said you mentioned someone called Josh this morning."

"Josh was the reason Sammy and I met up again after I put him away. Joshua Wilson was Sammy's brother. He was also the security guard who was killed in the Lambert Road fire five years ago."

Danny nodded. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I remember. We worked that case together. We originally suspected foul play but there was no proof and the fire investigation service determined that the fire was started accidentally. Do you think there was more …..? Do you think Joshua was involved?"

"I don't know Danny but ...what if we missed something?" Mac closed his eyes deep in thought, his face worried. He couldn't get the image of Sammy's face out of his head, he look on Sammy's face as he told him his brother was dead and his reaction to being asked if Joshua was involved. "My brother didn't do this Detective. He was an honest man. My family were good people. Good people. I'm the only bad apple!"

"Do you think that Sammy's death had something to with his brother …?" Danny broke off as he realised Mac seemed to be in pain. His frown had deepened. There was a light sheen on his forehead, and his left hand was over his stomach.

"Look Mac, I gotta get back to the lab. I'm going look into it okay? You get some rest. Don't worry, we're going to get whoever did this." he said as he rose to leave. Mac just nodded.

"Mac?" Mac looked up at him. "You need anything?" But Mac merely shook his head.

"I'm going to get whoever did this. I promise" he whispered as he quietly closed the door behind him, noting with satisfaction that the nurse was heading back to Mac's room..