He stands at the woman's counter. 'And you're sure with these in soles that it will be easier to walk in heels?'

'Yes, I use them religiously. Especially for events where I know I'm going to be on my feet all day.' She rung up the shoes and inserts. 'Total comes to $64.80.'

He pulled out his wallet and handed her two $50 bills.

'Now they do wear out. But I can't give you a specific date or anything. Its really just based on how often you wear them.' She counts the change from her drawer and hands it to him. 'So you may want to tell your Mrs to keep the box and she can come in and buy the same kind.'

'Thanks.' He said grabbing the bag and walking out of the store.

'Frank.' Annaliese called out to him.

'Hi,' he said nervously hiding the bag behind him.

She looked at the sign on the marquee. 'What are you doing here?'

'Just working on the case?' He said scratching his head.

'The case? At the mall?' She said looking behind him at the store he just exited.

'Yeah, she was a teenager. I'm sure she had friends and the like that she liked to hang out with at the mall.' He said walking away from the store towards the elevators.

'So who were you interviewing? It looked like a very adult store. In fact it looks like they mostly sell women's shoes and acessories.' She pressed him jokingly until it occured to her that maybe he was buying a gift for someone he was seeing. He was staying in a hotel, but only Frank could get the number of every girl that worked there. She was crazy for thinking that he was alone during this time. She backed up. Of course the woman was probably a skank with daddy issues. Did she have her curves or was she a paper thin waif he could toss across the room? 'On second thought you don't have to tell me. Sorry for pushing.'

'Why are you here?' He hedged.

'My mother begged me to take her and her friend to the mall. Which I agreed as long as it meant they left me alone and I wasn't stuck babysitting. I have to meet up with them again in three hours.' She nodded awkwardly. She looked at marshalls. 'I was just going to peruse the perfume aisle.' She twirled her purse in her hand. 'I guess I'll leave you it then.'

'No, wait.' He said laughing nervously. 'The gift is actually for you. I was going to surprise you later.' He handed her the bag. 'Sorry, its not wrapped or anything. I wasn't exactly expecting to see you hear.'

'You brought me a gift?' She asked in disbelief. She doesn't think she had ever given him anything. Outside of the gifts they gave everyone at the christmas parties. She looked into the bad and opened the shoe box. 'Black pumps.' She fished around in the bottom of the bag and laughed when she saw it. 'And Dr. Schols.'

'I asked for the most comfortable heels they had. I know you need more support on your heel. And the Dr. Schols are just for good measure.' He shrugged, 'Heels hurt, you know.' He had wanted to get her something meaningful. The flowers hadn't gone over as well as he had liked and maybe that was because he had did something similar with every girl that he dated. But Anna was unique and she deserved a present as such.

Her eyes stung from unshed tears. She dropped the bag and put her arms around him.

'Why are you crying? If you hate them that much I can still exchange them?' He said rubbing her back gingerly.

She pulled back so that he could see her face. Looking up at the ceiling hoping that it might stop the flow of tears. 'I love the gift. I wish I had something to give you.'

He ignored the elevator as the doors opened revealing an empty cabin. He pressed the down button sending it back to the first floor. 'Anna, I want you to be happy.' He brought his hand up to her neck. 'I've always wanted you to be happy.' He wet his lips. 'And it kills me that you're not because of me.'

She looked up at his lips and he leaned down as if he might swoop in for a kiss. Her heart hammering in her chest. She closed her eyes and parted her lips and he claimed them as if he were to possess her. She felt as if she were drowing in the chiseled lines of his mouth. His tongue sensually probing her mouth.

The elevator door opened once more breaking their concentration. A woman stood their with her family holding on to a stroller. He laughed and stepped back. 'Sorry.' He turned his head away and wiped at the lipstick on his lips.

She tried to smile as their twelve year old girl stared her down. Following closely behind her family. She looked over at Frank and gave him the she thinks she scarred them look. He nodded towards the elevator and that he held open for them. She smiled and just before she got on the little girl came up to her. 'Are you Ms. McKay's lawyer?'

'I am.' She replied looking at the little girl with pigtails in her hair. She had managed to sneak off while her parents were busy fussing over there crying baby.

'My mom won't let me watch the trial on tv. But sometimes I sneak and watch the recording if they forget to delete it.'

She crossed her arms in front of her. 'Alright, is there something you wanted to say?'

'I used to be in the same class as Jillian.' She shook her head as she looked down at the floor kicking imaginary dust with her Van gym shoes. 'We weren't friends or nothing on the count that she used to hang out with Jimmy.'

'Jimmy?' Frank asked his curiosity piqued.

She looked back at her parents who had already started to notice who she was talking to. 'Jimmy does drugs that he steals from his older brother who sells them.'

'Are you saying that Jillian was on drugs?' Frank asked in disbelief. The kid wasn't any older than she was. How did they get into this kind of thing at their age?

'Penny, what have we told you about talking to strangers?' Her mother screamed yanking the girl up by her arm. 'We're sorry she bothered you.' Her mother pulled the child away and whispered into her ear. 'You do not walk off like that when we are trying to deal with your brother.'

'I think there were no drugs found in Jillians system during the autopsy. This may just be a case of little children watching their parents r-rated movies.' She pressed the button for the elevator.

He watched the little girl with her family as they headed into Marshalls. 'Yeah, right.'

She picked up her bag and walked on to the elevator. He followed her, his thoughts still on the words of the little girl.

'Where did you get the money for this anyway?' She said twirling the handle around in her hand.

He shrugged. 'No big deal. Why?'

'I mean I assume you're spending a lot on your hotel stay. Where would you even get the extra for such a great gift.' She said stepping off the elevator at the bottom. Where more parents with strollers waited to get on.

He narrowed his eyes at her. 'Are you actually suggesting what I think you're suggesting?'

She said nothing and pursured her lips.

'Anna, you said you wanted to use that money for charity and I agreed. I can't believe you would think that I'd steal some of it just to give you a gift.'

She smacked her lips. 'I did let my gaurd down and I haven't checked on it in awhile. For all I know you stole a few hundred to pay for your room and board, this gift, and breakfast.'

'Anna, if you really believe that what was this last week about.' He walked away leaving her alone in the mall.