When we get back to Quintico the next morning, Carr is waiting on us. "Hey, did you guys find anything?"

"Oh, yeah," Tench nods, "We got a full confession..."

"That's great."

"From the sister, who didn't actaully see the murder."

I sigh, "So they spent two hours playing leapfrog between the two brother-in-laws. Who are blaming each other."

"Well, that's frustrating." Carr crosses her arms. "You didn't happen to record the sister's confession did you?"

"Of course, we did." Tench nods, "What do you think we are, amateurs?'' he chuckles.

We set up the recorder and let Carr listen to Rose's account of events that night. "I saw Benji. He had his head in his hands. He was crying. There was blood everywhere. Splashing. And then I see Beverly Jean in the bathtub."

After that Carr shuts off the recorder, rewinds it and listens to Rose again. Turning it off at the same point again. When she turns it off the second time she looks up to Ford and I, who are going over our own notes from the interviews, "She was there."

Ford and I look over to Tench, all three of us rather confused. Tench walks over to the table, having been standing over on the desks against the wall, "What makes you say that?"

"'Splashing.' She doesn't describe splashes on the wall, she uses a verb in the present tense. She says 'splashing.'" Carr rewinds the tape again.

We all lean forward and listen to Rose, again, "There was blood everywhere. Splashing." Carr turns off the recorder.

"Beverly Jean was still alive when Rose got there." Ford nods.

I scoff, "Jesus and to think I took pity on her."

Tench sits, "The three of them are in it together."

"That's right." Carr nods.

We call it a day soon and head out. When I get home I start getting ready for the dinner at the Tench's. I can't go as bold as I did when I went out with Carr, Debbie and Ford, but I still don't want to wear what would be viewed as my normal work outfits. To be honest, I am so over heels. I look through my drawers and closet and eventually find a pair of red pants. They're not too much, just a pair of high waisted and fit pants. As I look through more of my clothes I find a nice white sweater. I put the outfit on and look in the mirror, it's cute and professional, but does not scream 'I'm a federal agent.' I look around, in hopes I have a pair of white or red flats, but sadly, I don't. So I go with a pair of red kitten heels. I keep my makeup nature and my hair simple, leaving it down, rather than having it up like normal. I head out and it doesn't take me too long to find the Tench house. Ford had offered to drive me, but I didn't think that would go over well with Debbie, plus it's been a while since I'd driven myself.

When I arrive and ring the doorbell, Tench answers, and very quickly, "Hi. Welcome. Please come in." He smiles, beer in hand. I have to say this isn't how I imagined Tench outside of work, but this wasn't it. He has on a long sleeve, collared polo shirt and what look like slacks. which don't really go together, but whatever he wants to wear.

Nancy, having heard Tench and the doorbell, comes around the corner, "Hi! I'm so happy that you're here. Come in." She smiles. "I'm Nancy."

"Hi, Nancy. I'm uhh... Nancy." I chuckle.

Nancy laughs, "well, that's fun isn't it."

Tench shrugs, "Worse case, if we get confused we can call you shrimp."

I shake my head and laugh, "ha ha, very funny."

Nancy nods, "Either way, I have been dying to meet you. Isn't it crazy that we haven't met yet?"

"Yeah, I've been looking forward to meeting you too." I nod. Nancy laughs, before giving me a hug, which I return, a little awkwardly, but still, it's the thought that counts, right?

"I can't get over it, I mean you and Holden are just babies." She shakes her head, "Would you like a glass of wine?"

I chuckle and nod, "I would love one, thank you."

Nancy nods and holds out a hand to me as she turns toward the kitchen. I take her hand and she pulls me up next to her, "I have so much to talk to you about."

Once we get into the kitchen Nancy gets a glass of wine from the cabinet, before pouring a cup of red wine. "is this alright?"

I nod, "Wine is wine."

"You sound like my kind of girl." Nancy laughs.

"So are Holden and Debbie here?"

"Yes, Holden is in the living room, with Bill and Brian. I'm not sure where Debbie is."

"Brian, he is your little boy, right?"

"Yes, he is and he is just the sweetest little thing."

I step around to the doorway to the dining area and I have a clear view of the living room, I can see Ford playing with Brian. They are playing with Lincoln logs. I chuckle and shake my head, "I remember those."

Nancy steps up next to me, "You can go play with them, you know. You don't have to be a proper federal agent. Not while you're here."

I nod and walk into the living room, sitting my glass of wine on the side table for the couch, "Hi, Brian, I'm Nancy." I smile.

"Say 'hi,' Brian." Tench calls out to his little boy. He just looks up to me and smiles.

Ford chuckles, "Well, that's more then I got."

I shrug, "that's alright. I didn't want to talk to Holden when I first met him either." I kneel done next to Brian, "is it alright if I play with you and Holden?" Brian looks at me again and nods, before putting some of the logs on the stack the boys had created.

"We are trying to see how high we can get them." Ford chuckles.

"I see." I nod and start helping them stake them up, talking to Brain, the only response I get is a head nod and shake. Which is to be expected from a child around people he doesn't know, I suppose.

We get the tower really high, before it falls down, "oh!" Ford exclaims as it falls.

"dang it." I chuckle.

"Brian, it's almost time to brush your teeth." Tench leans forward in the arm chair he is in. Brian looks down at the logs and doesn't really respond.

"Come on, let's get these cleaned up." I smile softly to Brian who nods. Ford and Tench had headed into the kitchen to get a drink.

It doesn't take us long to get things cleaned up and soon Nancy comes out into the living room, "Brian it's almost time for bed, say goodbye to your new friend and go get ready for bed, please."

Brian nods over to his mother and before I can get up from my sitting position on the floor gives me a hug. I hugged him back, "good night, Brian."

As I get up Nancy walks over to me, "he likes you."

"Does he?" I chuckle, "Good."

"Come on, dinner is almost done."

"need any help with the table?"

"No, thank you, the boys beat you to it."

We get seated at the table, Ford and Debbie on one side. Tench and Nancy on the other. While I am at the end of the table. Everything looks amazing, Nancy really pulled out all the stops. Tench shakes his head, "I'm getting too old for one cheap motel after another. One highway grill after another. Sports bars. No one can mix a martini."

"Mm!" Nancy puts his drink down, "I can mix a martini."

"Nancy makes the best dry martini."

"Is that right?" Ford takes a sip of his drink.

Nancy shrugs, "if nothing else, i can do that." She nods and looks over to Ford, "What about you?"

Ford shakes his head, "I can't mix a martini."

Debbie chuckles, "but he sure can drink 'em."

"No," Nancy chuckles, "Where are you from? Bill never tells me much. I know that you did Roach School for a while, but..." She shakes her head, "does he tell you anything?" She looks over to Debbie.

"oh, yes. Holden loves to talk."

"See? It's possible to talk about things together. Where were you born? Oh, No, let me guess. Certainly not New York. You're more of a Midwestern kind of guy."

"see." Debbie chuckles

Ford shakes his head, "actually, Iwas born in Brooklyn." Debbie, Nancy and I start laughing, while Ford becomes very confused, "I was. I don't know why you always think that's funny."

"I'm sorry." Nancy tries to stop laughing. Soon even Tench starts laughing.

"Sure. Go ahead and make fun of me."

We finish up with dinner and Nancy and I head into the kitchen, starting to clean things up. "Thank you for tonight." I smile over to her.

"No, thank you. I haven't seen Brian smile like that with someone new in a long time."

"I'm sorry if this is too much to ask, but Brian was adopted, right?"

"yes."

"Where was he before then?"

"He was in an orphanage for 13 months. But we haven't been able to find out where he was before then. How he got there or... Are you going to have kids?"

I chuckle, "I don't know. I think I need to find a husband first."

"I suppose you're right. But do you want them."

I nod, "eventually, it'd be nice to have a family."

"Once you're done fighting all the bad guys?"

"uh…" I chuckle, "what makes you say that?"

"You and Bill are a lot alike. You two want to make the world as safe as you can before you focus on yourself." Nancy chuckles, "We tried several times, but then we decided to adopt."

"I always thought it was a beautiful way to help a child."

"I never thought of it like that." Nancy turns and starts to clean a few dishes, "if I have to be completely honest, I did it for my own sake."

"can't it be both?"

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it well enough or if it would have been better for him to have gone to somebody else's home."

I shake my head, "I think he's very lucky to have you."

"I don't know. How do you tell?" Nancy takes a deep breath, "Sometimes I get up at night and watch him sleeping. But I can't help but wonder who he was... before we got him. What did he see or hear? Did anyone hold him when he cried?"

I smile over to Nancy, "Do you wanna know how I know you're an amazing mom? Because you worry about those things. Because they are something that can affect him and his life. But I'm also not worried about Brian. Because he has you and Bill."

"I just wish I knew what went on inside that little head of his."