Okay, so I'm going to try my hand a something that might resemble a real case. Or at least a made up one. So, is Nicole really back or might it be a copy cat? We shall see...

Alex woke in the bed alone. She heard a lot of commotion downstairs and it was then that she knew that they had visitors. She managed to climb out of bed and headed downstairs. She laughed when she saw Mike Logan sitting at the kids table with her little girl. She asked, "Having fun Mike?"

Mike just shot her a look and said, "Always. Miss Abby and I are having a tea party."

Alex laughed at the sight that Mike made. He was wearing a princess tiara and he had a pink feather boa. She picked up her phone and took a few pictures of him.

Abigail smiled and picked up her teacup and said, "Come on Uncle Mike. Daddy made us special tea."

Alex looked over and noticed that there was actually liquid in their cups. She looked over at her husband and asked, "Tea?"

He shook his head and said, "Apple juice."

Alex laughed, "So, Uncle Mike, what brings you here?"

Mike looked at his niece and said, "I'll be right back Miss Abby. Make sure and save a few cookies for me."

Abigail nodded and started talking to her bears. Mike nodded and motioned for Alex and Bobby to follow him into the living room. He sighed and said, "I need your help. I've never had to deal with anything like this before."

Bobby asked, "What happened?"

Mike explained slowly, "Well, they found three bodies in the woods. All were mutilated and there are signs of torture. I've never handled three murders at once. The worst thing that has happened here was when the Jones brother's tried to steal the flag from the flagpole. I know that the two of you had years of experience. At least before you moved here that is. I'm begging you. I need your help..."

Alex and Bobby looked at each other and it only took them a few seconds to nod and say, "I'm in."

If Alex had to admit it to anyone, she really missed being a detective and she was looking forward to helping Mike.

They sat down and talked more about the case. Mike showed them the pictures that his deputy took. Bobby looked at them and said, "It looks like they were chained to the trees. Were all of them killed at the same time?"

Mike shook his head, "All of the bodies were in different stages of decomp. The state coroner estimates that the first one died nearly six weeks ago. The last one has only been dead for three days. I think I have a serial killer working here. Then there's something else."

Alex was busy studying the pictures and was listening to Mike talking. She asked, "Have they been able to recover tire tracks or anything else to lead to a suspect?"

Mike shook his head, "No. The suspect or suspects hasn't left any kind of clues. No semen or fibers have been recovered from any of the bodies. We were hoping for something. I'm at a loss and need help."

Bobby smiled and said, "Well, Alex and I can help you." He looked at his wife and said, "I'm sure that Winnie would be more than willing to watch Aaron for you. At least for a few hours."

Alex smiled brightly and said, "I'll ask her tonight. If she can't do it, then I can ask dad."

Alex knew that Winnie would be thrilled to watch Aaron and Alex found that she was excited about helping Mike and Bobby work a case. It had been far too long since she'd been able to put her detective skills to use.

Bobby and Alex agreed to meet Mike the next morning at the police station to go over his notes on the case.

Mike went back to sit down with Abby to finish their tea party. He put the boa back around his neck and the tiara went back on his head.

Alex marveled at his ability to change direction on a dime. He acted like being with their daughter was the most important thing in his life. At least for the moment. What neither of them realized was that he would be instrumental in saving her life. Because someone from Alex and Bobby's past was about to make a reappearance in their life. Someone that neither one of them wanted or expected to see ever again.

Alex and Bobby arrived at the police station early the next morning. They dropped Abigail off at school. Bobby and Alex were sitting in his office looking over his notes. There wasn't very much to go on. There were no witnesses and virtually no forensic evidence. All they had to go on was the fact that the rope appeared to be the same.

Bobby looked at Alex and said, "I don't like this."

"Me either. This killer is smart. Scary smart. Look at this. The report says that the bodies appear to have been cleaned with bleach after they were killed."

Mike told them, "Inside and out. The autopsy reports shows that there were signs of bleach being inserted into each of their vagina's."

Alex made a face and said, "I hope that they were dead. That would be very, very painful."

Bobby nodded, "And the autopsy appears to show that their blood contained traces of ammonia. It would have been toxic if they hadn't been strangled first."

Alex shook her head, "None of this makes any sense. It's almost as if they were killed by more than one person."

Bobby turned to Mike and told him, "A man and a woman team. Men are more likely to kill someone by strangulation. The ammonia part. Well, that almost sounds like a woman. Women are much less likely to strangle someone."

"Are you positive?"

Alex nodded, "It's a much more personal way of killing. Most women that kill use poison or handguns. Men are more likely to use their hands or knives."

Mike asked, "Are female serial killers common?"

Bobby shook his head and told him, "In all of our years we've only come across one female serial killer. Women killers sure, but no serial killers."

Alex shivered as she remembered the woman that Bobby was talking about. She was glad that Nicole Wallace was no longer part of their lives. Alex would never admit it to Bobby, but she had hated that woman. She wasn't one to take justice into her own hands, but she knew that she could make an exception in Nicole's case. She was smart and dangerous. A deadly combination in a woman that obviously had a mental problem.

When they had first met her, Bobby had been drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She was glad that the woman had simple given up on tormenting Bobby. Alex would do anything to protect her husband and Bobby needed to be protected from Nicole.

Alex was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Mike speak one chilling word. Succinylcholine. Bobby was staring and Mike with an open mouth. Alex shook her head and asked, "What did you say?"

Mike repeated it to her, "I said that the last victim seemed to have been injected with a poison. The ME says that it's succinylcholine. I've never heard of that particular poison before."

Bobby and Alex both replied at the same time, "We have."

Bobby looked at Alex and whispered, "It has to be a coincidence."

"I don't believe that for a moment. It appears that Nicole is back..."