"Fire Departments are still on the scene of the Mission Street Apartment fire shortly before midnight; a fire that claimed the life of an unidentified individual and destroyed eight apartments in its horrific wrath. Tonight, we learn about the connection between the fire and the ongoing investigation into a serial killer case that has been keeping the Bay Area residents afraid for their safety over the past month. So far, San Francisco Homicide Captain Rudy Olsen refuses to release the identity of the murder suspect in custody, pending a press conference in the morning. Still listed in critical condition at Franklin Hospital is Homicide Inspector Stephen Keller, who is said to have been on the scene before the fire started. It is unclear just how Inspector Keller was injured and whether or not it had to do with an attempted arrest."

Mike sighed, as the radio report switched to some interviews conducted with the gapers at the scene of the fire; cowards who were too busy feeding their lust for tragedy than to stay out of the way of those trying to contain the blaze and saving lives; those who were unwilling to help, yet eager to spout their uneducated opinion on nighttime radio.

"With me here right now is Eric McMillan, son to the late philanthropist Rudy McMillan and brother to a woman he suspects might be the one responsible for the killings. Eric, what are your thoughts on this latest development? You had urged San Francisco PD to make an arrest at noon today, which didn't happen. How do you explain the delay in action on the side of the police force?"

Leaning back in the uncomfortable chair of the ER waiting room, Mike closed his tired eyes, too exhausted to grow annoyed with McMillan's latest appearance in the limelight.

"Well, first of all, let me say that my thoughts and prayers are with Inspector Keller and his family in blue at this time, as we all hope for a full recovery from his injuries. I have had the pleasure to work with both him, and his partner, Lieutenant Michael Stone on this case and both of these men are astoundingly passionate about their work. I am not quite sure how to explain their lack of action earlier in the day. The arguments I had made in regards to my sister's guilt were quite compelling. It's possible that both detectives wanted to gather more information beforehand to ensure that the case is air tight. For Inspector Keller's benefit, and that of the unidentified victim, I had hoped Police action would be taken sooner. But at least my sister is in custody now, where she can't hurt anybody else."

"Mister McMillan, yesterday you cited that you saw signs of your sister's deteriorating condition, predictors of future behavior. Could you elaborate on that a bit please?"

"Absolutely Chuck, you see, my sister has spent the last two decades working as a teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School. People just don't realize the kind of pressure we put our teachers under by regulating lesson schedules and learning materials, down to the amount of paper being used, by continuously cutting funding to schools, thus making teachers work harder, and longer for the same pay. Eventually, that kind of exhaustion can take a toll on the human body, and sometimes even the mind. I noticed my sister becoming more aggravated over the past year, short tempered, suffering from some memory loss. And certainly, in hindsight, I was seeing the effects of the stress her life as a teacher was causing her, and I should have reacted sooner. But little did I know that she would go through such lengths to live out the pressure and stress she was under. This situation once again highlights why my late father donated so much of his money to local schools, trying to help out so that he could to ease some of that pressure on teachers. And Erin's school was the next one on his list, except that…well…he was murdered before that could happen. As I prepare for my campaign run next spring, I pledge to make budgeting and fixing some of the excess spending in this city a priority on my list. More money needs to flow to our schools to educate the next generation of children, and the same thing goes for the police force. We need to back them whenever we can, because their jobs aren't easy, this latest case has proven that beyond a reasonable doubt. More funding is needed to hire in additional staff so that next time, an arrest can be made sooner, before people get injured or lose their lives. If you'll excuse me now, I would like to call Franklin Hospital to check on Inspector Keller's condition and see if my family can help in any way."

The phone call that never came.

Mike chuckled at the pathetic attempt to show compassion.

Pretending to care for the same police officers he ridiculed a few days ago. Yep, Theresa Summers had done a fine job coaching McMillan.

Lowering his chin to his chest, he inhaled deeply and returned to his state of reverie, as he awaited word on his partner's condition.