Mario Lopez opened the door a crack and peeked out. A tall man was standing there dressed in a leather jacket, a black shirt, and black pants. "Uh...yes?" Lopez asked.

The man took off his shades and gave Lopez a serious look. A look that seemed to say that there was more than met the eye about this visit. "May I help you?" Lopez asked, still hiding behind the door.

"No, but I'm hoping I can help you," the mysterious visitor replied.

That statement didn't make any sense. "Who are you?" Lopez asked in bewilderment.

"Someone who thinks you made a mistake. Someone who wants you to know you're making even a bigger mistake now. Someone who doesn't think a child, a little boy who misses his father should go without one." His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph, holding it out to Lopez.

The door opened wider and Mario Lopez grabbed it. It was a picture of a smiling dark-haired boy who was dressed in white shorts and a red shirt, gripping tightly to a teddy bear. A picture of his son. Lopez sighed.

His visitor heaved an echoing sigh. "My name is Jarod. I know what you went through--you bypassed the security systems when that painting was stolen. You were one of the few caught. The rest walked. You've been serving time and now that you're out, you're unemployed. And your wife and your son....you haven't contacted them. You feel ashamed. You feel afraid, but believe me, having a family, having people who care about you is better than isolation. I met your son, Filly. He really misses you....mentions you all the time. Please reconsider. Go back to your family."

Lopez was unable to hide the emotion on his face. He had felt ashamed, afraid and alone. He shook his head quickly however and said, "I can't. I can't face them and ask for their forgiveness. And even if I could, I couldn't. Nunca en mi vida. ¡Nunca!"

"Nunca," Jarod repeated, understandingly. "Never is a long time, Mr. Lopez."

"Don't you see?" Mario asked. "If I go back now, he'll get me. He'll use them against me. No one is safe."

"You mean Jimmy Murdock?" Jarod asked, targeting his question and hoping it struck home.

Lopez jumped visibly. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Yes. Once you're in, it's like you're in for life. You can never leave."

"There is a way." Jarod replied.

Lopez's eyes widened in disbelief. "How?"

"You can do me a favor."

April 5th

There was something different in the air. Miss Parker had felt it ever since she had disclosed information to them about Jarod. She had not told them everything, basically only the barest of details covering things that she had guessed they might want to hear. However, Friday was going to be different. Miss Parker had no doubts that their famed plan had gone into action.

Mr. K came inside not long after she had been making these reflections. Suddenly, the world went dark. He had blindfolded her.

"Where are you taking me?" she dared to ask, when the rest of her bonds had been loosened and she had been allowed to stand up. She wobbled slowly as she felt herself being pushed through the doorway and guided onto the stairs.

"It doesn't concern you," Mr. K replied.

It was the first time she had heard him speak. "Who says?"

"Mr. Murdock."

"Go figure. King Carrot Top sends out another royal decree and his subjects fall over themselves carrying it out."

There was no comment. Handcuffs were slapped on her wrists.

A gust of wind blew past her and dozens of noises assailed her. The smell of the outdoors filled her nostrils. It had rained recently. The air was damp. She played it smart, she felt she was being carefully watched and these were mean characters she was dealing with. Mr. K stayed directly behind her.

Then, once again, the outside world was shut out. The noises were muffled. A stuffy smell of dust, oil, and metal filled her nose. She was in a confined space again. The air reverberated as a door was pulled shut.

The blindfold was removed. The lighting of her surroundings was dull and the sound of a motor starting and the ensuing motion revealed she was inside a large van. Miss Parker frowned. Two others sat on crates, their faces hidden by shadows. Slowly, Miss Parker sat down in a corner, pressing her back up against the wall. Her hands, thus hidden from observation, began to fiddle with the handcuffs.

Jarod's Lair, Basement of Boarding House
Rochester, NewYork
Friday 1 P.M.

It was strewn with empty cartons of chocolate ice cream and boxes of ice cream bars. However, the most prominent features of the room, besides the contents of the refrigerator, were the fuzzy inhabitants of the room. There were big teddy bears and little teddy bears, tan teddy bears and brown teddy bears, teddy bear books, teddy bear musical tapes, teddy bear videos and most any other item remotely related to a teddy bear.

Broots giggled as he nearly tripped over several pairs of teddy bear slippers. "I have to get some of those. Debbie would love them."

The two sweepers sent along to accompany Broots and Sydney were not amused. They swept throughout the area and uncovered a laptop computer, which had been half hidden by a monster-size bear.

"Hey, look at this," Broots said, pressing a button on the keypad. A box popped up with a video image. "It seems to be live, coming from a camera someplace."

Sydney and one of the sharp-eyed sweepers came over to watch the screen.

Broots maximized the images that they were receiving.

A truck pulled up and parked in front of the museum. The van was white and on its sides were painted bright green stems and yellow flowers.

Moments later, a grey-colored car pulled up beside it.

A man dressed in the uniform for flower delivery, stepped out of the van and went over to the car. He apparently exchanged a few words with the person and then car's motor revved up and the car pulled off the screen. The man looked around casually and then walked slowly over to the back of the van. He rapped three times on the back door of the van. It opened.

From the van stepped three figures, one tall man wearing a Fedora hat low over his face and his collar up, one man with dark hair who looked Spanish, and one woman wearing a dark wrinkled suit. She wriggled out of something around her wrists, but the man in the Fedora grabbed her by an arm to prevent her escape. The man who had rapped on the door caught what they were now able to recognize as handcuffs and stuffed them in his pocket. The woman had auburn hair and she turned her head once to scowl at him before being pushed towards the doors of the museum.

"Miss Parker!" Broots exclaimed.

"Broots, where is this?" Sydney demanded.

"I'm working on it, " Broots replied. His face took on a concentrated look as he attempted to trace the image's source. "Just give me a little more time."

The watchman opened the door and glanced at his watch. "We're not quite open yet," he stated.

"It's alright, we're just here to deliver these decorations." There was a light Eastern accent touched with a slow southern drawl in the voice.

"Flowers," asked the man, puzzledly. "I wasn't told..."

"Look man, we came all the way out here. At least let us do our jobs and all the other details can be sorted out later. Understand?"

What an ego, Miss Parker thought. Murdock and his thugs are actually going to try to get away with this in broad daylight. It'll never work!

The man thought a moment. "Sure, what do I think you're going to do...rob me?" he chuckled. "Come on, I'll show you and your crew the main displays."

Idiot! Miss Parker thought.

"Much obliged to you, sir," replied Mr. K. There was hint of some strong reserve in his voice....of something wild that was being restrained. Miss Parker had the faint notion that she had heard it somewhere before.

Thonk! The watchman was knocked out as soon as they had cleared the doorway and the door had been closed to the outside street.

"No violence! You promised Crumel," said Mario Lopez, looking in shock at the injured watchman lying on the floor.

"Can it, Lopez," replied Mr. C, better known as Crumel. "Murdock's orders are for you to get rid of the record." He gestured towards the security camera, waving the crowbar he had carried concealed in his suit coat.

Lopez swallowed another protest, clutched a small tool box and worked on the security system controls, while Mr. K, Crumel, and Miss Parker continued on towards the selected antiques that were to be stolen.

They had not taken their eyes off of her for a moment, Miss Parker thought. How was she to ever get away? For now, excepting the mysterious Mr. K, she had seen their faces. And despite the fact that Murdock strictly called the members of his gang by their alphabetic designation, they had just carelessly let her overhear their actual ones. So when this was all over....

"It's off," Lopez called out about the security system.

A moment later, Murdock walked into the display room. "So where is he? Where is the famous Jarod?" He walked up to Miss Parker and jeered, "He should be here, shouldn't he? To teach me a lesson? To spoil my plans?"

Miss Parker didn't answer. She was staring past Murdock at the display that had been spotlighted. Instead of looking at a large antique camera...as well as several old film reels which Murdock had explained earlier to her that a "ransom to die for" would be paid for these relics' return, she saw a yellow, picnic basket.

Murdock followed her gaze and a look of dismay came across his face. He moved quickly to the display, pulled the basket down and opened it. He lifted out a brown plush teddy bear wearing a bib labeled, "Miss Parker." He tossed the bear at her.

But suddenly, a mechanism in the basket was triggered.

The bear felt weighted in Miss Parker's hands, she shook it slightly and an opening appeared. She reached in her hand and pulled out her 9mm.

The attention of Murdock's gang was fixed on the basket. If you go out in the woods tonight, you're sure of a big surprise-- A song about a teddy bears' picnic blared in their ears.

Murdock turned just in time to see Miss Parker's back disappearing out the door.

"That's the last straw," he shouted. "She dies!"

Mr. K stuck his foot out and Murdock sprawled on the floor. He looked up with anger his eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I decide who lives or dies! I decide!" replied Mr. K, vehemently. He threw his Fedora on the floor. His coat and gloves followed suit.

Murdock's last impression of the man was a fleeting glimpse of an oddly-shaped scar on his right hand as he fled the scene.

Miss Parker almost ran full throttle into a black Centre car that came barreling down the street. It pulled up beside her and she hopped in, throwing the teddy bear on the seat and clutching her gun tightly.

"Are you alright, Miss Parker?" Sydney asked.

Miss Parker puffed. "I will be. And if I never see another gangster movie again, it'll be too soon. Step on it, driver!" she ordered.

In the rearview mirror, the flashing lights of a police car flashed behind them and sirens rang in their ears, but these soon grew fainter. The real prize was inside the museum and one car driving away didn't concern the authorities.

A FEW DAYS LATER...

A red notebook arrived at the Centre. For once, Miss Parker was totally uninterested in the contents. Her mind had turned to other things and especially a particular day that was coming up.

"I know all about it, Syd," she said, upon returning from a few days leave of absence.

"How nice," Broots said, when he got to look through it. Angelo looked on over his shoulder. "This man Lopez helped to bring in some key members of the Murdock gang and was reunited with his family after they hadn't seen him for months. And now, he's been given a job in developing burglar-proof security systems."

Sydney was lost in other thoughts. After viewing the DSA Angelo had provided, Sydney had sent Jarod information about Murdock's former life at the Centre. "Yes, but somehow Murry escaped."

Broots nodded. "Yeah well, if you can escape the Centre you can pretty much escape anything else."

Angelo retired to the vents with his Cracker Jacks with a very satisfied look on his face.

APRIL 13TH
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware

Her cell phone buzzed and she snatched it from her pocket and brought it up to her ear as she walked swiftly through the halls towards her office. Her heels clicked on the floor.

"Are things back to normal as usual at the Centre, Miss Parker? Not that there's anything usual about it," questioned a familiar voice with a smirk in it.

Miss Parker thought of the gun Jarod had returned to her and replied, "Yes. I'm about to go and speak with my new sweeper...Hayes, I think his name is. I have to wrap things up around here before some fire security test that's been ordered," she added.

"And I'm about to do finish up an investigation of my own."

"Where are you, Jarod?"

"Oh, I da know if I owe you that bit of information." Jarod smiled to himself, glancing at a vehicle that drove past. Its license plate read: Idaho.

"What are you hiding, Jarod?" Miss Parker accused him.

"I think the bigger question is what is the Centre hiding from you? Murdock knew something about the people who killed your mother. Another link in the chain, Miss Parker. Don't give up! Who knows? The truth may be closer than we think." Click.

Miss Parker snapped the phone shut and put it her pocket. She smiled inwardly as she opened the door of her office and spotted Hayes taking candy from the dish on her desk.

Give up? Never.

A/N: This Sunday night update has been brought to you by appreciation for such lovely readers and reviewers. Thank you kitcat19us and pinklove12ran (for favoriting), Katescats and Nancy for your comments on the latest chapters and lovesdoves (for both). More to come.