AN: To my loyal readers: Thank you for reading and reviewing. Always appreciate the feedback and messages. Here is another installment I've squeezed in...

"Amanda England" - sorry to hear about the computer issues. I deal with it at work everyday so I feel your frustration LOL. Hopefully you won't have any more problems.

To my "Guest" reviewers...more cliffies to come I'm afraid ;-) Very flattered you are enjoying my story.

Tanith

Chapter 37

By the time Mike met up with Irene at the coroner's office, it was dark and Bernie was about to take a break and eat the sandwich that his wife had packed for him.

"Okay, so, it looks like your two friends here were shot with a point twenty-two calibre weapon fired at close range, once in the torso and once in the back of the head. They were already dead before they were submerged in the bay," Bernie explained. He walked over to the sink and scrubbed his hands under the faucet. "Cause of death for both victims were the headshots."

"Can you give us a positive ID?" Mike asked.

"Not yet and you probably won't get it until sometime tomorrow," the aging coroner replied, checking the time.

"Thanks, Bernie. Listen, do you have the slugs? We'll drop them off at ballistics tonight," said Irene.

"Sure," Bernie retrieved a small clear bag with the remains of four bullets sealed inside it and held it out for the inspector. "They're not all in the best condition. One of them even fragmented on impact with the spine. I'll have a full autopsy report ready tomorrow."

"Great. I'll swing by around lunch time," said Mike, thanking Bernie in the process.

"Anytime, Mike."

Irene and Mike bade the coroner a good night then together they left his office. On the way to their cars, Irene noticed Mike had grown very quiet and his face bore worried creases.

"Are you okay?" Irene asked gently.

Mike let out a sigh and replied, "Not really. I'm not entirely sure how Steve is going to react when I break the news to him that Whitney roughed him up. I'm also worried about Jeannie. I'm sure she's fine but knowing what I know about the man she wants to marry, well, I can't say I'm okay with her staying another minute with him!"

"I could drive over there and talk to her if it makes you feel better?" Irene offered.

Mike shook his head. "No, I don't think she'll listen. The minute you show up, she'll know I put you up to it. At least that's how she'll see it. And with Whitney there, it'll just make things worse. I'll talk to her in the morning when she gets home."

"Are you sure? I feel somewhat responsible for her going over there in the first place," Irene said.

Mike wrapped an arm around Irene's shoulders and drew her closer. "No, you did nothing wrong and I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that you did. You were right, Jeannie would have gone to Whitney's regardless if you gave her lift or she took a cab."

Irene leaned into Mike and wrapped an arm around his waist. They continued walking this way until they reached their vehicles then Mike opened the door for the Inspector. They agreed to rendezvous at the hospital where they would pick up Steve then head out for a meal somewhere quiet so they could talk.

After reassuring Tanner that he was fine to go on home in his newly repaired set of wheels, a mixture of curiosity and a nagging feeling made Steve decide to take a detour to Pacific Heights instead. He thought about picking up his holster and cuffs from Mike's place since he had a spare set of keys to his partner's house but it was likely to raise awkward questions if he ran into Mike. Besides, this was more of an off-the-books-mission than anything official and Steve knew he had to be careful. One wrong move could mean the end of his career and Jeannie's trust in him.

Stopping at a set of lights, Steve fished out the piece of paper from his pocket and checked the address that Tanner gave him. After driving a little further, he parked under a broken streetlight, across the street of a beautiful two storey house and turned the engine and lights off. The house was the type of home he would have wanted to be able to provide for Jeannie had he been the one she chose. Of course, in reality, he'd never be able to afford it on his pay-check. The thought made him feel rather deflated.

Steve sighed and forced his mind to return to the present universe. Whitney's driveway was empty and all the lights in the house were switched off, even the front porch was dark. Maybe they've gone out to dinner, he mused. Then he saw the front door open and Whitney appeared. Steve sunk into his seat as low as he could, wincing as the position brought some discomfort to his injuries. As he watched Holden lock up and then head over to roll the garage door open, he saw to his surprise that Whitney was on his own. Where was Jeannie? Could it be that she had changed her mind and he'd driven her home earlier?

Whatever the case, Steve made a spontaneous decision as Whitney got in his car and backed it out of the garage then pulled out of the driveway. Waiting long enough to give the dark vehicle some space ahead of him, Steve turned the key in the ignition of his Porsche.

The homicide detective followed Whitney out of Pacific Drive toward the outskirts of the city. What the hell is Holden up to? He pondered.

Kim Lee said a silent prayer at the dinner table then picked up an empty bowl and filled it with some rice and vegetables. She placed it in front of her daughter and passed her a spoon. She looked down at the meager serving in her own bowl then sighed and picked up her chopsticks. A knock on the door drew her attention away from her meal. She abandoned her chopsticks, stood up and walked over to the door, expecting to see the police again. All these questions they had been asking her was becoming tiresome and it frustrated her because she felt they really should invest their time to be out on the streets looking for her husband's attackers. Hadn't she already told them all she knew and more? She'd given them those clues to the killings. Whether the same men were guilty of the crime, they deserved to be locked away for what they did to her dearest husband and father of their child.

The knocking grew in urgency.

"Who is it?" Kim called out. She stood behind the door, waiting for her visitors to reveal their identity first.

"Detective Muldon and Peters. We just wanted to deliver some news," a man answered. "We've caught the men who hurt your husband. If you let us in, m'am, we can give you all the details."

Kim's eyes widened at the news. At last, justice will be served, she thought. Reaching up, she slid the chain lock free and opened the door.

"Hello, Mrs. Lee," sneered a tall, muscular man dressed in a dark tee-shirt as he barged his way inside the apartment with another man of equal stature.

Startled and realizing too late that she had been fooled into believing the men were the police, Kim backed away and hid her small child from view with her frame but one of the men simply grabbed her about the shoulders and muffled her screams with his hand while his accomplice lunged after the frightened little girl who ducked down and ran under the table.

Christina's little legs carried her as far as the front door before she was scooped up and carried away, a piece of cloth covered her face, preventing her from making a sound. The chloroform worked quickly into her system and put her into a deep sleep.