The next morning, Mac had his arrest warrant and search warrant. Carly Miller was at home with her kids now. Mac hated to go there and arrest her in front of them but he had no choice. He, Jo and Chief Summers went to the house along with another deputy. Neither of them were happy with the job they had to do today, but they went up to the door and the chief knocked. Soon, the door opened and Carly was there with her brilliant red hair…but she also had her two year old in her arms.

"What do you want?" Carly asked.

"I think you know why we're here," Chief Summers said. "Is there someone here to take care of your kids?"

"I think you know where my husband is."

"Ma'am, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"I'll have to call my mother," Carly said with a glare. "I guess you'll be coming in."

"Yes, we will."

They went into the house and Carly glared at Mac as she closed the door. "I hope you're happy," she said.

"I'm not," Mac replied. "I'm never happy about taking a mother from her kids, and this is your fault."

Carly went into the kitchen. Mac, Jo and the chief sat down in the living room. "This is just terrible," Jo said as she looked at the children at the dining room table that was visible from the living room.

"It's not our fault," Mac replied. "She knew the consequences of this."

"I know but it doesn't help those children any."

"The unseen victims."

A little boy about five years old came over to them. "Why are you here?" he asked.

Chief Summers looked at Mac. "We're going to talk to your mother for a while," he said.

"Why?"

"You should be eating your breakfast."

The little boy went back to the table. There was a little girl at the table who looked to be about 4 and then there was the 2 year old baby boy. Carly came from the bedroom dressed and had the baby dressed too. "My mother will be here shortly," she said.

Mac watched her take care of the children and then go and get them dressed. Then finally, Carly's mother arrived. "What is going on?" she asked.

"I have to go and answer some questions, Mother," Carly said.

Mac walked over to her. "We won't do this in front of your children," he said. "Just come on outside."

Carly glared at him with hatred. They went outside after she told her children goodbye. Once outside, the chief read Carly her rights and put her into his car. Then they went down to the police station. Carly was booked and then sat in the interrogation room, but she had called her lawyer and they could not talk to her until the lawyer arrived.

Mac sat and studied his evidence along with Jo. "Mac, we really don't have anything but circumstantial evidence," Jo said.

"Very condemning circumstantial evidence," Mac replied. "Her nail was there."

"And that's all, Mac. We don't even have the murder weapon or the boat that they hauled him out of there in. We can't even prove that the boat was even used for this."

Mac sighed. He knew she was right. "She was still in that hotel room where that murder took place and she has to explain that."

"And Dana Miller was there too, and Angela Miller lives in New York where he was murdered."

Mac rubbed the back of his neck. He was stressed out over this case. He really had nothing to go on but the description that Teddy gave him. He knew that had to be this Carly…but knowing and proving were two different things. He had to have proof. Eye witness testimony was not considered very reliable.

When Carly Miller's lawyer arrived, she met Mac and Jo first. "You know you can't hold her on such shoddy evidence," she said.

"I don't think it's so shoddy," Mac replied. "Her fake nail was found at the scene, and she can't deny that it's hers because it had her DNA on it, and this story that she's telling that she was searching for something does not sound authentic."

"It doesn't matter what you think. You have no proof that she killed her husband, who was not even her husband. You can't hold her."

"We're going to talk to her."

"I'm talking to her first."

Mac and Jo watched that lawyer go into the interrogation room. "You knew this was going to happen," Jo said.

"I suppose I did," Mac replied. "We just have to find that boat and that murder weapon."

"Teddy is bound to know where it is."

"He could have sunk it out there somewhere."

"I have a feeling that this case is going to sit on the corner of your desk for a while, Mac."

Mac frowned. He had had plenty of cases that haunted him for many years because he could not solve them…a murderer had gotten away with their crime. He did not want that to be the case this time.

By the time Mac and Jo got done with the interrogation, they knew they did not have enough evidence to extradite Carly Miller to New York. She would have a preliminary hearing before a grand jury but Mac had no hope that she would stand trial for murder. And Dana Miller could not be convicted of murder either, and Angela Miller was not even in the picture.

Mac sat on the plane going back to New York. He stared out the window since he got the window seat this time. He was glad to be going home but he was not happy that he would have to go back to Ohio in three months to be at the preliminary hearing. In the meantime, Carly could go right back to her life and her lawyer would plan her defense. Unless they could find that boat and that murder weapon…she would get away with murder.

The plane landed in New York at about 7pm. Mac got his suitcase from the carousel and was glad that it had wheels on it. Then he heard someone say, "Mac!"

Mac looked to see Karen coming that way. He smiled as she ran into his arm. "Oh, you're back!" she said.

Mac kissed her. "How did you know I was coming in on this flight?" he asked.

"Don Flack told me."

"Oh. I sure did miss you."

"I missed you too." Karen moved closer to him. "And I am going to keep you occupied all night."

"I don't mind that."

"Then tomorrow, we're going to stay in bed all day."

"I don't know if I can do that," Mac said. "Things aren't going good with the case."

Just then, Jo walked up. "Hi, Karen," she said.

"Hi," Karen replied. "I'm just going to steal him if you don't mind."

Jo wanted to roll her eyes and tell her just how much she minded that but she would not. "Go ahead but he has to file a report."

Mac looked at Karen. "She's right. I need to go and do all that," he said. "I'll see you later."

"At my place," Karen said.

Mac smiled. "I'll be there."

"I'll drop you off at the lab."

"Great, but I want to go home first and get rid of this suitcase and change clothes."

Karen looked at Jo. "I can drop you off too," Karen said.

"No thanks," Jo replied. "Don is here to pick me up. I wouldn't want his trip to be for nothing."

"Okay."

Mac and Karen hurried out of the airport and went out to her car. Mac put his suitcase in the trunk and then got in the car. Karen grabbed him in a wild kiss. "Oh, I missed you so much," she said.

"I missed you too," Mac replied. "Let's go. I do want to get all this stuff over with so I can spend some time with you before you have to leave Monday."

"Only one more day."

Mac heard that sad tone in her voice. "Don't worry about it," he said.

Karen headed for Mac's apartment. "I've been boxing things up," she said. "I feel like I'm moving away."

"But when you get back, you'll be moving in with me," Mac informed her.

Karen looked at him. "Are you sure you want me to?"

Mac scowled at that. "Well, I wouldn't want my wife to live in a separate apartment."

"Oh yes, so we're going to get married as soon as I get back?"

"I thought you wanted to."

"I do but I just hope you won't change your mind while I'm gone."

Mac frowned. "Will you stop worrying about that?" he asked. "Why do I have to keep telling you that I love you and don't want anyone else?"

"Jo wants you," Karen said. "She will get you if she can."

"She can't." Mac could not help but think of the fact that Jo fell asleep on his bed. He had wondered if she did that on purpose. He had been so sleepy when she got there, he barely knew what was going on. "She can't get me, Karen. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course, but I don't trust her. She is jealous."

"I don't think she's that jealous, Karen. She's just flirtatious."

"Very flirtatious."

They arrived at Mac's apartment and went up to the right floor. "You think you can find the key hole this time?" Karen asked with a smile.

"Don't start that again," Mac said with a chuckle. He got the door open and they went inside. He went into his bedroom and put the suitcase on the bed. "I hate leaving stuff in the suitcase."

"You're so organized," Karen said.

"So, is your stuff going ahead of you?"

"Yes. It leaves tomorrow morning and I leave Monday morning. I start the job Tuesday. Monday is going to be more of a short day of getting me acquainted with the place."

Mac stopped what he was doing and turned to her. He squeezed her shoulders. "You're going to do fine," he said. "You're a beautiful, intelligent woman and I know you can do this."

"I just wish I could do it without leaving you," Karen replied.

"Honey, everything is going to be fine."

Karen put her arms around his neck. "I want to get in this bed with you," she said. "And I want us to have sex until we are exhausted."

Mac smiled. "Well, I have to go to the office."

"Can't you just take a few minutes?"

"No, Karen. I have to get down there and let the chief know what happened. I have to get a shower."

Karen took her top off. "Then I'm taking one with you," she declared.

"Well, I guess I can't resist that."

Mac got everything put away and went into the bathroom. Karen got into the shower first. "You better hurry and get in here," she said. "I'm ready for you."

Mac shook his head. "Now, you know I have to hurry," he said.

"I'll change your mind."

Mac got into the shower and let the water flow over him but he did not stay under the water for long because Karen pushed him against the wall and kissed him. "You're all mine for a little while," she said.

"You talked me into it," Mac replied and grabbed her in a hard kiss.

By the time Mac got out of the shower, he knew the chief was going to be angry at him for not getting there sooner. What could he do when he had a woman hanging on him who would not take no for an answer? He knew what he could have done…he could have gone on anyway, but he did not want to.

Karen grabbed him around the shoulders from behind and hung on his shoulders. Her wet hair fell around him. "So what time will you be out of that office?" she asked.

"I don't know," Mac said. "I'll have to get through the chewing out first and then I'll have to write my report."

"He's going to chew you out?"

"I'm sure he will but it was worth it."

Karen smiled. "Really?"

"Yes."

Mac got dressed in blue jeans and a gray shirt while Karen was getting her clothes on. "Don't forget to come to my place tonight," she said. "The bed is still up."

Mac smiled. "Okay, but don't forget to lock my door when you leave," he said.

"I'm going to drive you to the office and then I'll go home."

When they were both ready, Karen drove Mac to the lab. He kissed her and hurried inside. As he came out of the elevator at the lab, the chief was waiting for him in his office. Mac had expected that. He went into the office. "Where have you been?" the chief asked.

"I had to go home before I came here," Mac said. "I'm about to make out my report."

"Mac, you should have already been here and had that done."

"I'm sorry. I was busy."

"Are you shirking your duties?"

"No, but…I'm here now." Mac did not have to tell him everything about his life. He sat down at his desk and began working on his report.

"Detective Danville told me that your trip was unproductive."

Mac frowned. "For the most part it was," he said. "We don't have enough evidence to convict either of our suspects. Carly Miller has a lawyer now and Dana Miller really has no reason for one. I don't know. I think this is going to be one of those cases that haunts me for years to come."

"I hope not, Taylor."

Mac finished his report and printed out a copy for the chief. "If we can find that boat and the murder weapon, I think we can prove that Carly Miller was in on this and Theodore Collins too."

"What do you think Theodore Collins has to do with this?"

"I think he helped them dispose of the body. I think he knows exactly where that boat is, and he may have gotten rid of the knife out there in the ocean somewhere. We'll probably never find that but it's much harder to hide a boat."

"You don't think he would just ditch a boat?"

"Boats are not cheap and I think when he thinks things are settling down, he's going to try and collect insurance from it and then I think he's going to pretend to buy a new boat when in fact he is going to have that boat renamed."

Sinclair considered that. "You may be right, Taylor," he said. "You just have to prove it."

"I will."

Sinclair looked at Mac. "You also need to stop letting your personal life cause you to be late for work," he said.

"Chief, Karen is leaving Monday for a whole year. When I got back, she was waiting for me at the airport and I had missed her. So I spent a little time with her before I came to the office."

"A year? Why is she leaving for a year?"

"She's going to California for a job and a career boost."

"And you get to sit here and twiddle your thumbs, huh?"

Mac looked at him. "I guess."

"You can really pick 'em, Taylor."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind. None of my business, but I hope you can get your mind on your work for a while."

Mac frowned as the chief left the office. He supposed he had been distracted a lot lately, but it was not just because of Karen. It was his legs too. He could not help but remember how they broke them. It made him nervous and made his legs ache. He supposed it was post-traumatic stress but he did not want to see any more doctors.

That evening when Mac left the office, they had not come any closer to finding that boat. It was dark outside too. Mac's Avalanche was in the parking garage so he went down to it. He called Karen before he left. "I'm going to make one stop and then I'll be there," he said.

"I'm waiting for you, and I have something special for us to eat," Karen replied.

"Great. I'm starved."

"You just hurry."

"I will."

Mac left the parking garage and went over to the Seagull Nest to look around again. He could not figure out how they got Travis Miller's body out of that hotel room without anyone seeing them. There had been no tire marks on the carpet in the room so he could not imagine that they had pushed a laundry cart in there. He went to the hotel room and started to unlock the door but he noticed that the door had been forced open because the door jamb was broken at the lock. Mac took out his gun and pushed the door open. He did not find anyone in the room. He had to wonder why anyone would be in this room. What were they looking for? They had cleaned the room out pretty much when they examined it.

Mac noticed that the vent in the wall under the table was slightly open. He got over there and opened it. Inside, there was blood. Mac frowned. Did they hide the murder weapon in there? If they did, someone had come back for it. Mac went out to his truck and got the camera and took pictures of the vent and the blood. He put the camera back in the truck and then took samples of the blood and dusted for fingerprints, but there were none.

Mac put all that into the truck and then walked around the hotel to the cement path that led down to the boat dock…and Theodore Collins' store. He walked down there paying close attention to the path although they had inspected this path before. He walked all the way down to the boat dock and then over to the store which was closed now. He got the feeling that he was not here alone and wondered if someone was watching him. He turned to look toward the boat dock again and suddenly, he heard something behind him and then something hard hit him across the shoulders.

Mac fell to the concrete on his knees which did nothing good for his still-healing legs and hips. He shook his head and tried to grab for his weapon but someone snatched it from the holster along with his cell phone. Then they grabbed his wrists and started to put cuffs on him but Mac remembered the last time he was kidnapped and suddenly, his fear became a giant. "NO!" he yelled and elbowed the person in the nose.

Mac tried to get up but the man tackled him, grabbing him by the legs. Mac could not help but go down. Then the man grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the ground. He grabbed Mac around the neck and held the gun to his head. "Don't move," he said.

Mac knew he had been right now because his attacker was Teddy. "You think you're going to get away with this?" Mac asked.

"You won't live to tell about it," Teddy replied. "You just couldn't stay away could you? You just couldn't stop snooping and let it go."

"No, I couldn't! You helped them kill that man!"

"I killed him myself! You were right about everything except about who killed him."

"How did they get you to lie like this?"

"They didn't! It's the truth!"

"Hogwash!"

Teddy stood up. "Now get up," he said.

Mac got up and faced him. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"Get over there on that boat."

Mac looked toward the boat. He certainly did not want to be wounded so he went on toward the boat. Teddy followed him and then handcuffed him to the boat. "What do you think you're going to do with me?" Mac asked.

"Just shut up," Teddy said. "If you had just stayed away, none of this would be happening."

"You can't get away with this!"

"I don't want to hear that. They won't find you."

Teddy started the boat and headed out. Mac wondered where they were going but he had a feeling that only one person was coming back. Karen knew when he left the office. They would find his Avalanche and they would know he had been here. He thought of Karen and wished he could just tell her he loved her…