Maggie's dad opened the door for the police force and directed them to the study where Face and Ellen waited patiently with the others. Face stepped forward as the police officers entered the room, guns drawn and a woman identified herself as the chief investigator from Florida while the rest of the officers surrounded Hannibal, Maggie and the rest of the team.
"Richard Bancroft," she said pulling out a pair of cuffs. "I'm Callie Carter and you're under arrest for the murder of Edward Stanton!"
"He didn't kill my husband," Ellen said pushing her way in front of Face. "It was self defense! You have to listen to us!"
"Mrs Stanton," she said looking at the others before meeting Ellen's eyes. "Are you in any danger? Have you been taken against your will?"
"No," Ellen said as an officer moved in behind her and roughly grabbed Face and pulled him out of the crowd. "Stop please!"
"Ellen," Maggie said taking her arm. "You have to calm down, you're not helping Face or yourself by getting upset."
Ellen wrenched her arm away from Maggie and ran over to the investigator. "You're not leaving here until you hear what I've got to say!"
Something in the way Ellen looked made the investigator turn her eyes toward the officer holding Face and nod her head toward the door. "Dan, why don't you and the rest of the officers wait outside for a minute."
"Callie?" Dan said in surprise as the investigator smiled.
"Please," she said as the man sighed. "They're not armed."
"Alright," he said moving toward the door. "You got five minutes before we leave."
"Thank you," Ellen said quietly as the investigator handed her a business card. "Investigator Carter."
"Correct," Callie said meeting Ellen's eyes. "Now, before you start, you should know, I already know what your going to say."
"You do?" Ellen asked as Callie looked at Face and the others.
"I've worked a lot of crime scenes in my time but I never saw one like the one we seen at your house," she said before turning back to Ellen. "Nothing but circumstantial evidence."
"That's what we've been given as well," Gloria said as Callie nodded.
"I know news travels fast but I didn't expect to find a reporter here already!" Callie said as Gloria giggled.
"A news reporter is every where, investigator," Gloria replied before looking at Face. "Besides, I got a personal reason to be here."
"I see," Callie said before looking at the others. "And, I definitely know who all of you are! Colonel Smith and the infamous A-team."
"See guys," Hannibal said with a grin. "I told you, it'd come in handy one day to be on the news."
"Don't know about that," Callie said suddenly all business as she looked at Face. "Your friend here is in a lot of trouble. Everything's about politics in Jacksonville and Stanton was a big fish in a small bowl, if you know what I mean."
"It doesn't fix the fact that all your evidence is circumstantial," Stockwell said evenly. "Even you have to admit that."
"That's true but it's all the evidence we have unless you can show me something else," Callie said as Maggie stepped forward.
"I can," she said before looking at her dad. "We know it was self defense because Edward shot him first and my father removed the bullet!"
"Oh, yeah," Maggie's father said absently before handing her a plastic baggie. "Here it is."
Carter clicked her tongue as she took the bullet and examined it. "Mrs. Stanton," Callie said turning back to Ellen. "Bruno, the head of your security detail was the only one at the house when we got there. He says, he found the house just as we encountered it. I didn't believe him then and I certainly don't believe him now. What can you tell me about that man."
"He worked for my husband before we were married so I don't know much about him myself," Ellen said in frustration as Callie nodded.
"Look, I'll keep digging into this but in the meantime, he's got to go back with me, you understand that, don't you?"
Ellen nodded reluctantly as she looked at Face. "It'll be okay," he said as Callie nodded.
Hannibal clamped down on his cigar before he took it out of his mouth. "I hate this plan, kid," he said angrily. "But, we'll do it your way if that's what you really want."
"It is," Face said before looking at Ellen. "I got to do what's right for her. I can't have my nephew or niece being born in jail or on the run, now can we?"
Ellen shook her head no before she quickly wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'll contact our lawyer as soon as we get back to Florida."
"Alright," Face said giving her a gentle hug. "I want you to stay with Hannibal and Maggie. I need to know that you'll be taken care of."
"Count on it," Maggie said as Murdock moved in closer to him.
"We'll all be there," he said as Ellen smiled affectionately at the pilot.
The look on Murdock's face showed the Lieutenant that he reciprocated the feelings for Ellen and some how Face knew that his sister was going to be just fine with his friends.
"Are we ready?" Dan said stepping back into the house.
"Yeah," Callie said shoving the bullet Maggie's father had given her into her pocket. "You can take him out now."
"C'mon," Dan said grabbing Face's shoulder and turning him around to handcuff him.
"Is that really necessary," Maggie asked concerned for her patient. "You can see he's not going to put up a fight."
"Yeah," Hannibal said with a smirk. "If he wanted to get away, those prissy cuffs wouldn't keep him from doing it."
"You're not helping, Hannibal!" Maggie said sternly.
Face had to agree when officer Dan tightened the cuffs that much more. "Lets go," he said pulling Face toward the front door.
"He'll be okay," Carter said as she followed the officer.
"By the way," Gloria said before Carter got out the door. "How'd you know where he was?"
"Let's just say, I wouldn't trust your editors phone next time," Callie said with a grin. "We knew you were spending time with Bancroft so when you suddenly took off outa town..."
"You had me followed?" Gloria asked angrily as Carter nodded.
"And your editors phone at the paper was tapped," Callie said with a smirk. "Sorry!"
"I bet," Gloria said rolling her eyes as she watched the investigator get into the car and sit beside Face.