While Rivka was searching through the local records, she frowned getting no hits and closed her eyes. "Rivka?" She opened her eyes and glanced over to see Stella and Jo looking at her. "How's the record search going for our mysterious Bayar?"

"Nothing from the local precinct. At least the one I have easy access to. I'm checking all New York Precincts before I'm jumping up a level," she responded. Jo looked at her shocked and she sighed taking a breath before thinking about her words. "I know I should feel like I need to be pulled from this case, but I can't. I don't know who this guy is. He shares a last name sure, but I don't know him or any of his connections. I'd need something that indefinitely links us."

"Well it looks like all NYPD Precincts have no records of a Bayar except for Detective Rivka Bayar," Stella teased and she chuckled at that glaring at the woman. "What's the next move if you're the only Bayar in the NYPD system?"

"FBI," she responded as she typed in all the information they had and began the search. "This is going to take a while," she muttered. As she continued working with other pieces of evidence that everyone found she finally heard a beep and glanced to see it was the hair sample. "No hits?"

"Means whoever it is isn't in the database," Mac answered looking at her as he walked back in. "Here's what we have from customs. Seems he was here on business though they couldn't and wouldn't disclose what kind," he explained.

"How can that be? We have reasons to believe whatever he came here for is what got him killed," she responded. Mac shrugged and then watched as she revealed the aluminum fiber again. "Lindsay and Danny were running some of our evidence and with what Sid got in autopsy, guess what was in those carved words?"

"An aluminum fiber?"

"Yes. Meaning that whatever carved the words was what came into contact with it. I had Danny run the personal effects and there was nothing on the victim with aluminum. But the knife that carved was. Which means we're dealing with a good knife."

"Something that can heat up. A cauterizing knife," Danny answered revealing the fiber. "While we found a fiber outside the body and one inside, there was a difference. The one inside Mr Bayar was warped. So we need to think creatively."

Before much else could be said, they all heard 5 frequent beeps and Rivka walked over to the computer and groaned. "I need the FBI to clear me," she muttered and Mac looked at her. "Aswari's business must have had to do with whatever he's involved with within the FBI."

"I can do you one better. We have an FBI agent upstairs. They didn't notify you until they notified the agent. So come upstairs and meet the Agent Mr Bayar was meeting with," Jo answered smirking as she looked at Rivka who looked frustrated. She walked up with Jo to her office to see a man waiting. "Russ Josephson meet Detective Rivka Bayar. She's the one who made the hit on Mr Bayar's file."

"Rivka Bayar?"

"I didn't know the victim. I just want to know why he was here and what he has to do with the FBI," she responded looking at him straight faced. Russ looked to Jo who chuckled at her straight to the point attitude. "Ask her. I don't mess around."

"She doesn't. When there's something big going on, she's right there," Jo responded looking at him. "But I do find it curious that the FBI is who had the ping on Aswari Bayar," she continued looking at Russ. "Why was Aswari coming to the States?"

"He was here to testify to the FBI, Israeli Government and MOSSAD about one of the MOSSAD Agents that went rogue. We all arranged to meet here in New York as I had a meeting with Jo and our son Tyler the same evening," Russ answered and Rivka looked at him shocked. "Yes. Your victim certainly had a target on his back. If he was killed you can bet the MOSSAD agent is responsible."

"Who's the agent?"

"I need clearance to release the details to the NYPD Crime Lab," he informed her looking a little regretful and she groaned in frustration. "I will work on it for you. But know that your killer is a former agent of MOSSAD," he informed her.

"Work as fast as you can," she responded and Russ nodded before watching as Rivka ran back to Mac and he looked at her. "We have massive problems on our hands. We're dealing with an international problem." Mac looked at her confused and waited. "According to FBI Agent Russ Josephson, Aswari was here to testify against a rogue MOSSAD agent."

"MOSSAD?"

"Israeli national version of the CIA," she informed casually.

"So he thinks that the agent did it."

"Yeah and he needs clearance to tell us who that agent is. So we need to stay on high alert," she advised. When she was about to continue she saw Hawkes come back with Adam. "Please tell me we have something more?"

"That print? You got no hits," Adam answered and she sighed covering her face. "It's as you said Rivka. They're good. They knew we'd be on scene," he continued looking at her and she moaned in frustration and glanced out the window.

"Hey. None of that. You've found a killer off one hair before."

"Luck," she dismissed.

"No luck about it. We all were ready to give up and you found a link. This time roles are reversed. We'll find the link Rivka. I promise," Mac answered looking at her. "Now what else do we have?"

"Has Danny went to Sid with the prospect of a cautery knife being the starter murder weapon?"

"Yes and the answer is no. The knife wasn't a cautery knife just a plain old blade. So we're working on that fiber still. The main murder weapon is still a gun and we've narrowed the caliber finally as we found a bullet fragment in the evidence," Hawkes answered and she smiled in relief. "See? Things can still turn around. We are looking for a 38 caliber."

"Well that narrows it," she began sarcastically revealing her gun. "All police officers are issued a 38 caliber." Mac nodded knowing that was accurate. "Do we have a stria that narrows the bullet down even more than just 38 caliber?"

"Lindsay is in ballistics now. We're hoping to make that link," Adam answered and she nodded knowing they all were working their hardest and here she was getting mad at them all. "Hey don't go getting all beat yourself up mode on us." She looked at him confused and he chuckled. "You have the face again. You aren't getting mad for no reason. Right now there's a man with the same last name as you, you have no idea who he is and you're trying to solve a murder with little to nothing."

Hawkes and Rivka walked down to the lab again and as she was about to grab something else she saw a piece of metal in another bag of evidence. Hawkes almost opened a different bag until she grabbed his arm. "What is it?"

"I think we have something that might have another print," she responded.

"Don't worry about it for now. Russ is working on getting you clearance to learn about what's going on and it's clock out time for you Miss Bayar," Jo answered looking at her and all Rivka did was glance at her. "You were on call. We have the rest of this. You go home, get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow. We have a murder to solve and we all get to meet your family."

"But I can still help," she responded.

"You'll be of more help well rested and not running your head around in circles. The fact that you were able to link him to an FBI investigation was more than enough," Mac responded. "I will drag you if absolutely necessary."

"It won't be. I'm going," she promised as she tossed her lab coat into the sanitation machine and then grabbed her bags. As she caught the subway back she rushed into her apartment and locked the doors quickly before opening a photo album and looking through it. "Come on Abdul. Help me," she whispered as she touched a male face in an image that was of her younger self. Abdul Bayar had been killed in the Navy so she was the last one of her siblings."

She was about to continue before she heard her phone ringing and she answered it without even thinking. "No formal greeting?" She smiled in relief knowing it was Christine. "It's Thursday where are you?"

"Just changing and checking something real quick," she assured although she had forgot what Mac had said. "Sorry about being late. My brain is everywhere," she admitted as she threw her phone on speaker and changed into jeans and a short sleeve blue shirt.

"Mac told me. I wouldn't be surprised. Oh by the way he's meeting us here. He knows what's going through your head is bothering you but you don't have to handle it alone," she responded and Rivka counted to 10 quickly before picking up her phone.

"Am I grabbing you a drink on the way?"

"On the way out. I'll be walking you back," she warned firmly and Rivka made a sound of annoyance. "Don't start with me. You're 18, out in the world already on your own and are dealing with a case that's only getting more complicated."

"Remember Mac's whole I'm keeping you out of it unless necessary? Applies here too," she warned as she walked up the street and hung up as Christine saw her. "Seriously Christine I'm fine."

"No you're not. Mac told me about what he could and how you're coming in a lot and fighting to stay behind and work. You work yourself into the ground and the case will never be solved in time. Now what am I hearing about tomorrow night and me meeting your family?"

"My parents want to meet the people I work with and I told Mac and the others they could bring their significant others and kids as well." Christine chuckled and then watched as Mac was keeping hidden in the background.

"He said you sounded nervous."

"I am. I want my parents to like the team, the people they care about. But mainly I want them to not ruin the one good thing I've gotten. A group of people who genuinely care about me and who I am. Mac didn't force me to take the second grade detective exam after I finished all my schooling, but he encouraged it. He left it up to me. It wasn't that I had to, it was did I want to?"

"Sounds like you've grown to respect Mac."

"I've grown to appreciate what Mac gives his team and who he is," she answered as Christine smiled at seeing Mac look so lost for words. "It's why I'm always the on call. To try and give back." Mac was about to step out before Christine put a finger up.

"He thinks you're a little nervous around him."

"He's a little intense," she chuckled before smiling as she looked up. "But it's a good intense. Like he's passionate about his job. He also wants to focus on the evidence at hand, but I know he's also bothered by this case. I mean this time we're dealing with me potentially being told to walk away from the case and having to start from square one."

"He mentioned the victim's name is Bayar as well."

"Yeah," she responded looking in thought. "We've ID'd the man as Aswari Bayar and he has something to do with the FBI though we're still waiting on what that is," she responded. Christine smiled as Mac snuck in carefully and she slipped away.

"Jo is still talking to Russ," Mac informed.

"You heard of not scaring me half to death?" He chuckled at her. "How long were you over there eavesdropping?"

"Entire time," he responded and she nodded at that as they finished cutting the vegetables. "I don't think the DA can demand us to reevaluate the evidence. You were on the phone with him and openly said the same thing right? You don't know him?"

"I don't know him and don't understand what's going on. I'm following the evidence trail," she explained.

"Then he can't force you off the case," he answered before they tossed the pizza in the oven. "Where'd she go?"

"I have no idea. She and I were talking and then I heard her grab her keys or something." Mac chuckled knowing where she was going. "Anyways did we get any farther? Or are we still stuck on that weird aluminum fiber thing?"

"Still stuck on it," he answered.

"I got thinking about it after work. See if there's any aluminum wiring. Maybe there's more than aluminum to be found," she responded. Mac looked at her and she smirked. "What? I can't be smart enough to think about that?"

"Not that you aren't smart enough, but why don't you think of these things while you're on site?"

"Because that would mean my brain functions normally," she responded with a smile and he had to chuckle at that as they waited around and he poured her a virgin Shirley Temple. "DA contacted me as I left the building. It'll take a few more days. Israeli Government is a little more than hesitant."

"Not that I can blame them," Mac answered looking at her. "But why do the Israeli Government feel the need to be hesitant?"

"Not sure. I don't know what they did back in Israel. But I'm hoping that Jo's FBI Agent friend finds something that gets us access to the details," she answered. Mac nodded and then noticed how she looked confused and scared for once. "The weirdest part of this? Is that Aswari Bayar doesn't get mentioned to me ever. Abdul Bayar? That name I'd know. But yet nothing."

"I thought you said he died shortly after your parents immigrated here," he responded looking concerned and she shrugged at that. "He wasn't killed that you're aware of. He's a missing person's cold case." She nodded at him. Mac wasn't stupid. The only person she'd mention as a Bayar with their first name was her brother.

"I hold pictures of him and I. I remember when I asked my parents, they said that nobody could find him and they thought him dead," she responded looking at Mac. "But no evidence proving he died. But I guess, in a twisted way, my parents thought and hoped he was dead."

"Now you sound a little twisted," Mac warned and she chuckled while her head was tilted down and her hair fell down.

"I never hoped for that. I hoped it was a nightmare. That he was okay. But I never wished him to come home. My parents? As I've said to Hawkes, when I know them, I become someone I hate. It's why I went to university the first chance I got. Let them pay for it of course because they insisted, albeit all they needed to pay for was books."

"Scholarships?"

"Child genius. IQ of 136 at age 10. Graduated high school at age 11 after taking many exams. After all, I had all the time in the world growing up. I could read, go to the library and never wanted to stop learning. So I absorbed things like a sponge. The amount of scholarships I got was terrifying. So when I did placements, I didn't show off my smarts. I didn't want to be known as the child genius. I wanted to be known for what I could do."

"How many times during your placements with me and Flack did you play stupid?"

"You really want that number?" He looked at her shocked and she chuckled. "It's really high. But in the end? It helped. You should have seen the suspects that ran their mouths, while you guys were grabbing a coffee, to me. They'd spout things thinking I didn't comprehend."

"So the IQ didn't just apply to the books." She shook her head and he chuckled at that. "So what did your parents honestly think about the career choice? Now that I know we're being open air about all this," he answered honestly.

"My parents hated it," she chuckled. "It's why I did it. To tick them off."

"Get them to maybe leave you alone?"

"Yeah. Honestly thought I could convince them to go back to Israel, but no such luck," she answered as Mac pulled out the pizza. "I think they're hoping I want to do something else and move away, but no such luck. I've settled into New York."

"Most people leave the city they were raised in."

"Yeah but most people don't have reasons to stick around. I do. I love the people I work with now. Why would I give that all up? That just wouldn't be happening in my books," she responded looking at him honestly. As Mac cut the pizza, Christine returned with milkshakes.

"So what you guys talk about while I was out looking for good milkshakes?"

"Work," Rivka dismissed before she got a phone call and she sighed seeing it was Jo. "This is Detective Bayar," she greeted as she put the phone on speaker.

"Rivka, it's bad. That fiber? It was confirmed to be a fuse. A bomb fuse."

"Whoa. Jo we can't tell that for fact," she responded calmly as she took a bite of pizza before closing her eyes as she heard what Jo had to say. "Okay can it wait a couple minutes?" Mac looked nervous and she sighed. "Okay we're coming. We'll be there in 15," she informed.

"What's wrong?" Mac was concerned.

"We have a bomb component within our victim's wounds," she informed and Mac looked at her. "Jo wants us back there as soon as possible. Danny ran it again to make sure and there was a propellant on the end of the fiber."

"Okay doesn't mean it's a bomb."

"Tell that to half the lab," she responded dryly and Mac nodded grabbing two shakes and kissing Christine as he walked with Rivka back to the car and as they each took a sip of their shakes they were feeling the pressure now. If there was a bomb component in the wound, where was the bomb?