'Bank records are coming through.'

Esposito looked up from his computer where he was reading the email from CSU at his partner. 'Excellent, CSU just said that the motherboard is fried but the hard-drive was undamaged enough to clone it and get some information.'

'Trade?'

'Hell yeah.' Esposito knew they all had their strengths as cops on the paperwork side and Ryan's was tech-speak; his happened to be financial documents which he blamed on his sister, since she was such a math whiz. He went to the printer to pick up the papers his partner had printed when he heard a rather loud exchange of words between Julian the receiving officer and an agited female voice.

'Ma'am, I'm sorry, you're going to have to wait.'

'Don't you tell me to wait, my sister was murdered, I need to see her, I need to speak to someone!'

As he was closest Esposito stepped over, papers in hand. 'Julian, everything okay?'

'Sir, this lady-'

'Doctor,' the woman corrected with a snap.

'This young doctor tells me she needs to speak with the people in charge of her sister's case.'

'Yes, her name is Annabeth Flannigan. I'm Doctor Stella Flannigan, her sister and my mother called me, said she was found dead on Saturday morning and I have spent the last twenty four hours getting connecting flights from Melbourne to New York so you better damn well have some answers for me.'

'Of course, Doctor Flannigan, I'm Detective Esposito, I'm one of the investigators on your sister's case. Please.' He gestured towards the lounge. 'Can I get you something to drink?'

'Coffee with a steaming side of what the hell you've done to find this murdering bastard.'

Esposito recognized the signs of someone dealing with shock well and walked her around the back way so she wouldn't see the murder board. No need to upset her further until necessary. He went over to Brewster, programmed it for two lattes, one decaf for the shaken woman. He gave her a few minutes to gather herself and when he turned around to pass her the hot mug, he saw Ryan had joined him.

'This is Detective Ryan, my partner, he's also investigating your sister's death with me, Ryan this is Doctor Flannigan, Miss Flannigan's sister. She's just landed from Australia after hearing the news.'

'I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Doctor.'

Stella looked at Ryan's sympathetic and friendly face, and felt the first crack. 'Where is she?'

'She's with the medical examiner, her autopsy has been completed and our medical examiner is set to release the body to your mother shortly.'

'She wasn't Annabeth's mother. Let's get the facts right. Our dad was married before and he got custody of Annabeth, and my mother always made a point of reminding her that she wasn't her child.' Stella sipped the latte. 'She tried to cut Annabeth out of her own inheritance but Dad's will was iron-clad, so she took the money and stayed in the city after she finished university.'

'Did your sister have any enemies?'

'No. She...she was the kind of person who wanted to be noticed and had such rock-bottom self-esteem she didn't think she was worth a lot. That kind of person doesn't make enemies.'

'What about her job, she having any problems there?'

Stella shook her head. 'She'd started working from home because of her medication.'

'Medication?'

'Nitrazepam. Annabeth had some anger issues after Dad died, and the nitrazepam was to help keep her in check. Part of her therapy was working in the chemo clinic, once a week, but she loved it so she upped it to three times a week and was also volunteering for their fundraiser committee. Her shrink thought it was good progress for her so he was reducing her dosage and that's why she started working from home so she could adjust to it without being a danger to herself in public.'

Ryan made a note in his file, then took out the photographs. 'Stella I need to show you some photographs, and they are disturbing-'

'Detective, I'm training as an orthopedic surgeon, I am literally a sawbones.'

He passed her the photographs, and Stella's eyes went flat before they filled. 'Is there anyone you can think of who would have reason to do this?'

'No. I'm sorry, I don't. Detectives, can you please make me a promise?'

'We'll try,' Esposito replied, anticipating the traditional request to get the killer; both he and Ryan were pleasantly surprised when she said, 'Please ask the ME to stitch her face up as carefully as possible. Annabeth's best beauty feature was her smile and I don't want to say goodbye to her looking like the Joker.'

'Of course, we'll let him know. Is there a local number we can reach you at?'

Stella gave them a number and left, giving each of them a handshake before getting on the elevator. Both detectives watched her go, catching the small shake of her shoulders just before the lift doors closed. The weight of the smothered grief on her shoulders settled with them as well.

'She's destroyed but she'll make it through.'

'Yeah. I'm, ah...I need to call Meredeth.' Esposito went to his desk, picked up his cellphone and dialed home; when there was no answer he tried her cell and she picked up on the second ring.

'Hey baby, did you miss me already?'

'Where are you?' he asked in a tone more accusatory than he meant. 'I tried you at home and there was no answer.'

'Oh, that, Jenny came to take Tessi shopping with her, Dell and Mallory for Dell's birthday part next week so I am grocery shopping with Kate. You want fish or steak for dinner tonight?'

'Actually, I was hoping for sweet potato and chicken soup.'

'Okay, we can do that too.' Meredeth knew this was her man's comfort food after a shitty day at work, so she wrote down the ingredients to add to the cart. 'I'm also guessing you'd like some chocolate walnut squishes to go with it?'

'I love you.'

'Love you too, Javi. Now you catch some baddies, as Tessi says.'

Meredeth closed the phone, then rubbed her belly. 'Yeah, we've got some treats to make for Daddy, don't we, bubs,' she told the belly, making Kate smile.

'I take it the guys have a rough one?'

'Yeah. I don't know how much I can actually tell you,' Meredeth said hesitantly. 'I know you're a cop and all, but it's an open investigation, right?'

'It's okay, Mere, we can talk about something else. Tell me about the nursery, have you guys settled the theme debate now you know it's a boy and a girl?'

'Yes, we're starting next week with decorating. Which reminds me, you know of an affordable hotel near the precinct? I need one next weekend.'

'Why?'

'We're painting the room and my husband doesn't want me around the fumes.'

'Just stay with me a few days. Alexis went for a week to California to see her mother. She's not home until next Monday so we've got the room.' Beckett smiled, picked up two jars of jam from the . 'Which one did you have on the list, low sugar or high fruit?'

'High fruit, there's more fibre from the strawberries.'

'What theme in the nursery?'

'The cosmos. Stars and suns and moons. The walls are going to be bright blue like Tessi's room and then we're going to stencil on constellations in bright yellow.'

'That's going to be adorable, and really easy to decorate for two. Who came up with that one, you or Espo?'

'Actually, it was Tessi's idea. We thought it would be a really good way to include her. I suppose it's a little different when your daughter is in her twenties, huh?'

'It is, but at the same time, she's very helpful and RJ adores her.'

'Tessi loves these guys, too.' Meredeth patted her belly which made her feel even bigger. 'Can we stop for a moment?'

'Sure, sure. Whatever you need.'

They took a break in the cereal aisle, where Beckett braced her weight against the shopping cart so Meredeth could lean without rolling away. She smiled at her friend, full of admiration how she was handling the twin pregnancy. Her own single baby, her precious RJ, had been hell enough on her body; she couldn't even imagine what it would have been like to have two growing inside. And life was stressful enough when you were married to a cop, and had kids with one. But in the time Beckett had known Meredeth, she'd never seen her once back down from a fight or a challenge. She might have faced it with tears or a laugh as only a woman could, but she faced it nonetheless.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and read the incoming text - Katie, RJ and I are going to Dave's for a boys night. Have fun with Preggo McMuffin. With a laugh, she pocketed the phone, then looked at Meredeth. 'My hubby is taking my son out for cards and brandy to Dave's tonight, so I'm yours as long as you need me.'

'In that case, you can watch me as I work on one of the family recipes.'

They made it back to Chelsea by lunchtime and after they were done a small snack of veggie-burritos and brown rice, Meredeth set to the task of getting her family's dinner ready as the soup needed time to simmer to taste its best. By three it was nicely simmering on low, just as Arturo began to bark and Beckett answered the front door to Honey-Milk, Dell and Tessi.

'Mami, we home! 'Mell soup!'

Meredeth wandered out from the kitchen, saw her little girl there with her backpack by her feet as she sat down and began to unfasten her Velcro-strap sandals. 'How is my shopping girl?'

'Tessi knows a lot of colours, Meredeth, she's so suh-mart,' Dell said with affectionate pride. 'She was a very big help getting things off the shelf with me and Mama and Marsh-Mallory.'

'Mush-Melly noisy, like Daddy,' Tessi informed her mother. 'Noisy seep-er.'

'Well, you are a noisy sleeper too, Tessi-boo, you snore.'

'I no 'nore. Dell, I no 'nore,' she told him and Dell wisely nodded with his mouth closed.

'Mama, may we duh-raw in the living room?'

'No, we have to get our things home.'

'Okay,' he said in a little pout, but listened to his mother. 'I see you at my birthday party, okay Tessi?'

'Birdie pardie! Sceam?'

'Yes we will have ice-cuh-ream.' He gave Tessi's cheek a little kiss, then gave Meredeth's tummy a little pat and kissed each side. 'You be good to my Meredeth and Tessi, babies.'

'Bye-bye Dell, see-soon.'

'Datie 'tay?' Tessi asked as Honey-Milk, Dell and Mallory left.

'Yes, I'm staying.' Beckett put her cell back in her pocket. 'I texted Espo, I'm going to have a little look at his case file when he gets home,' she explained to Meredeth.

'Yeah, this one has him and Ryan really scratching their heads, so have at it. I know I'm going to bed early tonight, after being active all day, I'm tired.' She paused. 'I'm not a suck for being so needy, am I?'

'Of course not, honey. You're growing two babies, your body's going through hell right now just trying to be normal. And like we've all told you, you're always there for us when we need you and you are there for us.' Beckett paused, knowing what she said next would make Meredeth burst into tears. 'If I could pick a sister, I'd chose you any day of the week and twice on Sunday.'

As she anticipated Meredeth began sniffling, then smothered a little smile when Tessi let go of her mother's hand and reached for the tissues on the table. 'No be sad, Mami, babies you be-have.'

'Acutally, Katie said something very nice to me that made me very happy and cry happy tears.'

Tessi leveled the detective with a protective look. 'Datie, you be-have.'

'You got it.'

R&R&Enjoy.