Finding Jane Doe

by Jordythecat

The SCPD Cold Case Unit is tasked with identifying the charred remains of a body who was positively identified as a woman already dead. As the case progresses from murder by arson to a murder by hire, the case is solved with an ending no one expected.

Finding Jane Doe

The Rookies is a 1972 to 1976 police procedural show centered around the exploits of three young rookies just out of the academy located in a non-descript city in Southern California. The three young rookies were often at odds with their no-nonsense lieutenant. The Rookies is created by Rita Lakin and developed by William Blinn. The Rookies was also produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg both of whom also produced other shows such as Starsky and Hutch, SWAT and Charlie's Angels.

This story is an original work fanfiction and is intended for entertainment only. This story is made up and not part of the original property. If I were writing this series, Jill and Mike would have children, Willie would marry his childhood sweetheart, Terry and Chris would each be in serious relationships and Eddie Ryker would retire early and open his own private investigation business. Any characters developed by the writer are original and any names or likeness to real people or situations is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

It's now late-April 1984. Jill Danko is now approximately thirty-five weeks pregnant. Lt. Mike Danko and Lt. Terry Webster head the newly formed Cold Case Unit and work alongside their good friends Sgt. Chris Owens and Detective Willie Gillis. The Cold Case Unit's first case involving Lacey Wilson's kidnapping and murder remains and active investigation. Even though the Cold Case Unit is officially off the Lacey Wilson case, US Marshalls Wernicke and Shaklee keep the guys apprised of the case.

It was late April in 1984 and Jill, accompanied by her husband Mike were at Dr. Martin's office. Dr. Martin is Jill's obstetrician.

Jill sat nervously on the exam table as Dr. Martin came in the room.

"Good morning." Dr. Martin said as he shook Mike's hand. "It's wonderful to see a father who's an active participant in their wife's pregnancy."

"I try to get to all the appointments if I can. But with my job, it's hard to plan anything ahead." Mike explained.

"I wish all fathers were as interested as you are." Dr. Martin said, then turning to Jill, "how are you doing, Jill?"

"I'm getting really big." Jill complained. "Pretty soon I'll have to walk through the door sideways."

"Let me check your chart." Dr. Martin said. "You're a little over the norm but you also needed to put on a few pounds when you discovered you were pregnant. I wouldn't worry about it."

"I didn't anticipate looking like I'm carrying a beach ball in my abdomen."

"I assure you; no one is thinking you are carrying a beach ball." Dr. Martin said. "Let's have you lay down. I want to take some fundal measurements."

Mike helped Jill lay down on the exam table while Dr. Martin pulled out a tape measure from his lab coat pocket.

Jill noticed a curious look on Dr. Martin's face and became concerned after he measured her fundus twice.

"What's the problem?" Jill asked. "I'm too big for my due date, aren't I?"

"You're a little bigger than I anticipated but it's probably because we have your due date wrong." Dr. Martin explained. "I would like to do an ultrasound today and see where we're at."

"Okay." Jill said as she grabbed Mike's hand for dear life.

"Let me get the ultrasound machine." Dr. Martin said before leaving the room.

"There's something wrong with the pregnancy." Jill said to Mike. "I can feel it."

"You heard Dr. Martin, babe. Your due date probably needs to be adjusted."

A few minutes later, Dr. Martin came in with the ultrasound machine.

"I'm going to put some gel on your abdomen. Sorry, it's going to be cold." Dr. Martin said.

Jill squeezed Mike's hand harder as Dr. Martin turned on the ultrasound machine.

"Before I do an ultrasound, I always like to ask the parents if they want to know the sex of the baby."

"You can determine the sex on that machine?" Mike asked.

"Sometimes we can, sometimes we can't. It depends on many factors like the position of the baby when the ultrasound is done. So, do you want to know?"

"Jill, what do you want to do?" Mike asked. "I'm fine either way."

"No." Jill definitively answered. "We don't want to know."

"Okay. Let's have a look, shall we?" Dr. Martin said as he placed the transducer to Jill's abdomen.

A smile came over Dr. Martin's face as he looked on the screen while moving the transducer across Jill's abdomen.

"We certainly have a reason why your due date may be off." Dr. Martin said.

"What is it?" Jill asked.

"See for yourself." Dr. Martin said as he turned the machine toward Jill and Mike so they could look at the screen.

The screen showed two distinct fetuses. Dr. Martin labeled one fetus 'A' and the other 'B.'

"Oh, my goodness!" Jill said excitedly. "We're having twins!"

"Twins? In there?" Mike asked pointing to Jill's abdomen. "I feel faint." Mike said as he sat down on the nearest chair.

"Are you okay Mike?" Dr. Martin asked.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute." Mike said. After a few moments, Mike got back up and took his place next to Jill. "There aren't any more babies in there, right?"

"I don't see any indication of any more fetuses. But one or more can be hiding in there. I don't anticipate that being the case here." Dr. Martin answered.

"We'll have to buy double of everything." Mike said as he sat down again.

"So, how far along do you think I am?" Jill asked.

"I would say you're more along the lines of thirty-six, maybe thirty-seven weeks. I know you have a lot to process but we must think about your delivery." Dr. Martin said.

"What about the delivery?" Jill asked.

"Your small frame won't be able to handle a normal delivery of one baby, much less two. Therefore, I'm encouraging you to think about a c-section." Dr. Martin said. "That way, we have some control over when we schedule the delivery, barring any unforeseen problems."

"We don't have to tell you right now, do we?" Jill asked.

"No, for now you can go home and process the fact you're having twins. That's enough for now. However, don't take too long to decide."

"I'll call you in a couple of days, if that's okay." Jill said.

"Sounds good." Dr. Martin said. "I need to see other patients so Jill, I want to see you next week."

"Why?" Jill asked.

"Because I want to keep a closer eye on the pregnancy." Dr. Martin said. "Congratulations and I'll see you next week."

"Thank you, Dr. Martin." Jill said as the doctor left the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike and Jill were standing in the parking lot of Dr. Martin's office.

"So, what do you think?" Jill asked Mike noticing he was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Honestly, I'm a little bit scared." Mike said as he unlocked and opened the passenger side door for his wife.

"Why?" Jill asked as Mike slipped into the driver's side and put the key into the ignition.

"We're going to have to buy double of everything. And what if there's a boy and girl in there?" Mike explained referring to Jill's growing abdomen.

"We'll buy onesies and other items in yellow or green so that it's gender neutral." Jill answered. "We'll be fine Mike."

Mike shook his head as he started the car and carefully backed out of the parking space.

"I suppose after you drop me off at home, you're going to work." Jill said as Mike pulled out of the parking lot and into the traffic.

"Actually, I thought I'd take my wife out for a leisurely lunch before I go back to work." Mike said.

"Really?" Jill asked not quite believing what she's hearing.

"Why not?" Mike asked. "Where do you want to go?"

"You're letting me pick the restaurant?" Jill asked. "What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on." Mike reassured his wife unsuccessfully. "Can't a guy be nice to his wife once in a while?"

"Right..." Jill answered. "Your pregnant wife has a craving for pizza."

"You always have a craving for pizza." Mike said.

"How about the Pizza Shack on Eldorado Avenue?" Jill suggested, ignoring her husband's last comment.

"I thought they were closed down for renovations."

"They opened again last week. It's supposed to be amazing in the dining room."

"The Pizza Shack it is." Mike said as he took a sharp left on Eldorado Ave.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Cold Case Unit, Terry, Willie, and Chris were busy completing the paperwork on another case when Captain Christianson walked into the office.

"Drop whatever case you're working on." Captain Christianson announced as he handed Terry several files. "I have an urgent case for you to investigate."

"Okay..." Terry replied wondering why an urgent case falls under the jurisdiction of the Cold Case Unit.

"There are skeletal remains in the morgue as we speak that have been positively identified as Cheryl Langer." Captain Christianson explained. "The only problem is that Cheryl Langer is already dead and buried."

"So, our assignment is to find out the identity of Jane Doe." Willie surmised. Jane Doe is in reference to the buried misidentified skeletal remains.

"Yes." Captain Christianson replied. "However, when you find out the identity of Jane Doe, there will probably be some sort of crime involved."

"Couldn't the cause be human error?" Chris asked.

"Or it could be someone was trying to purposely hide the true identity of this person." Willie said.

"Either scenario is possible, but your job is to figure that out." Captain Christianson said.

"Excuse me for asking this, but this seems like a case that Robbery and Homicide should be handling, not the Cold Case Unit." Terry said.

"Ordinarily, this would go to Robbery and Homicide, but our own Robbery and Homicide Unit handled the original case." Captain Christianson said. "The SCPD doesn't want to be accused of impropriety."

"Yes, sir." Terry said. "We'll get on this right away."

"Keep me in the loop on this one." Captain Christianson said before leaving the office.

Almost on cue, Mike and Jill walked into the Cold Case Unit.

"Hello, everyone." Jill greeted.

"Hey, Mike and Jill." Terry said as he got up from his chair. "Have a seat, Jill."

"Thanks, Terry. I get tired around this time of day." Jill complained.

"We have an announcement to make." Mike said.

"Do tell." Chris encouraged.

"Jill, the floor is yours." Mike said.

"We had a doctor's appointment this morning and we found out we're having twins." Jill explains.

"Yes! I'm going to be an uncle to two babies, not just one." Chris said reminiscent at Thanksgiving when Jill and Mike announced the baby news.

Everybody quizzically looked at Chris.

"Well, I am." Chris explained.

"Are you having boys, girls or one of each?" Willie asked.

"We've decided not to find out the sex of the twins." Mike said. "We want it to be a surprise."

"When's the baby shower?" Terry asked.

"You had to ask, didn't you?" Mike commented.

"There won't be a baby shower. After the kidnapping, only two coworkers besides Christine have been in contact with me. Getting kidnapped is like getting the plague, no one wants to be around." Jill explained in a rare moment that she ever addresses the kidnapping.

"I'm sorry." Chris said after a few moments of silence.

"Did you guys hear from Interpol?" Jill asked referencing their first Cold Case Unit's case surrounding a twenty-two-year-old pregnant college student. Two of the four persons of interest are fugitives from the law and have since vanished into thin air. The US Marshalls Service has taken over the case.

"Haven't heard anything in a month." Mike answered.

"No news is bad news." Terry said.

"Well, I'm going to leave so you guys can get back to work." Jill said as Terry helped her out of the chair. "Mike, can I have the car keys, please?"

"Here you go." Mike said as he handed the keys over to his wife.

"Let me know when I should pick you up." Jill said as she headed for the door.

"I'll drop him off." Terry offered. "It's literally on my way home." Terry bought a one-story ranch home just a few houses from Mike and Jill.

"Thank you, Terry." Jill said. "I'll see you later. Bye." Jill promptly left the office.

"Jill really doesn't want a baby shower?" Willie asked. "I thought most women like baby showers."

"But Jill is just any woman." Mike said. "Just for the record, I think she should have a baby shower."

"Then, what's stopping you?" Willie asked.

"Have a surprise party." Chris said. "Who can turn down a surprise party?"

"Jill." Terry, Willie, and Mike said in unison.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it so Willie, Chris, let's go to lunch. Mike, since you already had lunch, you can start looking at our next case and answer the phone." Terry said as he handed the file to Mike who now is seated at his desk.

"You got it." Mike said.

"Have fun." Wille said as he, Terry and Chris filed out the door.

Chapter 2

Mike opened the file. The woman in the morgue, identified as Cheryl Langer was approximately thirty-years old found burned beyond recognition in the driver's seat of a car. Mike turned his attention to the crime scene photos which were attached to the file. One picture shows the car, essentially unidentifiable due to the fire. Another crime scene photo shows a picture of a driver's license supposedly belonging to Cheryl Langer.

"Whoever did this really wanted to conceal the identity of this woman." Mike said to himself.

Mike turned his attention to the evidence log. As he was scanning the log, the telephone on his desk started ringing.

"Cold Case Unit. Lt. Danko speaking."

"Hey Mike, it's Christine." Christine greeted. Christine and Jill met in nursing school and have been friends ever since.

"Oh, hi Christine." Mike said, obviously surprised by a call from Jill's friend. "How can I help you?"

"I want to throw Jill a surprise baby shower." Christine explained.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Mike interjected. "She doesn't want a baby shower. Period."

"Lucky for Jill, I don't listen very well. Besides, it will be a surprise. Jill won't have time to react when she sees everyone there." Christine said trying to sound convincing.

"How many people are you inviting?" Mike asked.

"Just a few friends that worked with Jill who still work at Memorial Hospital, her sister Amanda, and their spouses. Then there's Terry, Chris, and Willie."

"Wait a minute. I thought baby showers were for women only." Mike said.

"It's a co-ed shower. Co-ed baby showers are gaining popularity." Christine answered patiently. "Can I count on your help?"

"What is it you want me to do?"

"I'll invite you and Jill over for dinner on Saturday April 27th at 4pm. Your job will be to get her over to my house without tipping her off."

"I'll do my best." Mike said, already regretting his part in the "surprise."

As Mike placed the receiver back on its cradle, he picked up the receiver and dialed Evidence and Property Management Division.

"This is Evidence and Property Management. Sgt. Richard Stark speaking."

"This is Lt. Mike Danko of the Cold Case Unit. I was wondering if you're done processing the car in the Jane Doe case."

"Do you mean that toasted car that came to us a couple of hours ago?" Sgt. Stark asked.

"That's the one." Mike confirmed as he tried to ignore Stark's attempt at humor. "My partner and I would like to look at it."

"We're not done with the car, but you're welcome to stop in and take a look at what's left of it."

"Great. We'll be down in a half hour." Mike said before disconnecting the call.

A few minutes later, Terry, Willie, and Chris walk into the office after their lunch break.

"Anything of interest going on?" Terry asked as he took off his suit jacket and placed it on the back of his chair.

"Yeah." Mike replied. "I just called Evidence and Management and they said we can look at the car."

"They're done processing it already?" Chris asked.

"Nope." Mike replied. "But they said we can come down and look at it anyway. Also, I was going to start the complicated process of obtaining a search warrant to exhume Jane Doe's body."

"But we don't know who it is yet." Willie pointed out.

"Precisely." Terry answered. "We're attempting to find out the identity of Jane Doe. That's the purpose of the exhumation."

"That is one ugly burn. See this picture of the small part of the backseat floorboard?" Chris asked as he handed the picture to Terry.

"Yeah." Terry said after studying the picture.

"That may have been caused by an accelerant poured inside of the car prior to the start of the fire." Chris explained. "That suggests arson was the cause."

"That's what I was thinking too." Mike said. "Look at what used to be the dashboard and tell me what you see."

"That looks like the VIN." Chris said after studying the picture. The Vehicle Identification Number is a unique seventeen-character number assigned to every car, motor vehicle, motorcycle, moped, etc. that helps identify the car, the owner of the car and other information.

"How is a partial VIN going to help?" Willie asked.

"We should be able to figure out the car and who owns it even with just a partial number." Terry explained.

"What's next?" Chris asked.

"Chris, since you've had experience in arson cases, I want you to come with me to look at the car." Terry instructed. "Mike, continue with the search warrant and Willie bring up any items from the evidence warehouse from the Jane Doe case."

"We'll get right on that." Willie said.

CHAPTER 3

Several minutes later, Terry and Chris arrive at the Evidence and Property Management Division.

"How can I help you?" Sgt. Stark asked as Terry and Chris approached the desk.

"I'm Lt. Webster and this is Detective Owens." Terry said. "We're here to look at Jane Doe's burned-out car that was just brought in."

"You must be from the Cold Case Unit." Sgt. Stark replied. "We are done processing the car. If you want to follow me, I'll show you the car."

Terry and Chris followed Sgt. Stark as he led them to a separate area from processing.

"What happens with the car now?" Chris asked.

"The car will stay here until the fire investigator has a chance to examine the car." Sgt. Stark explained. "After that, the car will likely go to a junk yard for disposal."

"Okay. Thanks." Terry said as Sgt. Stark left the area.

The car in question burned down to the frame.

"The perp obviously knew what he or she was doing." Terry said as he and Chris walked around the entire car assessing the damage.

"You're the car expert." Chris asked. "What kind of car do you think this is?"

Even though the car itself was in bad shape, the frame itself had a distinct appearance.

"Well, from the frame, I'd guess this could be a El Camino Super Sport." Terry explained. "As far the model year, this could be a fifth generation that was built from 1978-1987. The headlights are square, and the tube grill is horizontal which means it's at least a 1981 model. To be sure, I'll have to check the engine."

Terry and Chris walked to the front of the car and opened what was left of the hood.

"This looks like a small block Buick V6 which also supports the conclusion that it's a 1981 model." Terry explained. "What about the fire itself? You mentioned something about an accelerant."

"If you look at the back passenger floorboard," Chris said as he and Terry walked over to the car. "If an accelerant is used, once oxygen is mixed with fire, the flames will spread upwards and destroy the roof of the car. Of course, we won't know for sure until a fire investigator looks at the car and crime scene."

"I guess we'll have to wait until the report comes in." Terry said. "I guess we've seen enough. Let's get back upstairs."

CHAPTER 4

Meanwhile, in the Cold Case Unit, Willie and Mike started with the task of finding out who the owner of the car is.

"What did you find out Willie?" Mike asked as Willie was looking intently at the computer screen.

"I haven't found anything yet." Willie said. "Looking for a car when you don't have the entire VIN number might be harder than we think."

"We may have something that will narrow down the search." Terry announced as he and Chris entered the office.

"That's encouraging." Mike said.

"The car looks like an El Camino Super Sport that was likely made in 1981." Terry said.

"Let's try typing in the El Camino in the database." Willie said as he was typing. "Oh boy. There were 36,700 El Caminos produced in 1981."

"Try typing in El Camino Super Sport." Terry suggested. "How many of those were produced."

"Well, it's a little better." Willie said. "There are 3,769 El Camino Super Sport cars manufactured in 1981. Anything else?"

"Well. The California version of the El Camino had a small block engine." Terry said.

"Let's check." Willie said as he started typing.

Meanwhile, Officer Juan Salazar was on his afternoon patrol when he gets a call on the radio.

"Ludlow 15, this is dispatch."

"This is Ludlow 15."

"See the woman at Jiffy Rentals at 5500 Kellner Avenue for a possible 503."

"Jiffy Rentals, 5500 Kellner Avenue. I copy that." Officer Salazar reported.

"10-4." The dispatcher said indicating the conversation is over.

"10-4 dispatch." A 503 is a police code for car theft.

With that, Officer Salazar made a U-turn and headed in the direction of Kellner Avenue.

Back in the Cold Case Unit, Willie was trying to narrow down the search for 1981 El Caminos with small block engines.

"I'm going to need a little time on this, I'm afraid." Willie announced.

"How about looking up any police reports on stolen vehicles in the last month or so?" Mike said.

"Good idea, Mike." Chris said. "We can narrow down the search for El Caminos from there. I'll start looking."

Meanwhile, Officer Salazar pulls up to the curb in front of Jiffy Rentals. Officer Salazar got out his car and entered the building.

"Hi. My name is Officer Salazar. Somebody reported a stolen vehicle?" Officer Salazar explained as he walked up to the reception desk.

"Hi. I'm Sloane McIntyre, I was the one that reported a stolen car." Sloane McIntyre said as she shook Officer Salazar's hand.

"So, tell me, what happened." Officer Salazar asked as he pulled out a small notepad.

"Two weeks ago, I rented out a car to this man." Sloane explained as she handed Officer Salazar a photocopy of his driver's license. "He was supposed to bring the car back seven days ago."

"What happened when you called the telephone number you were given?" Officer Salazar asked as he looked at the name on the driver's license.

"I called numerous times this past week and at first, there was no answer. This morning I tried calling the number and it was disconnected." Sloane explained. "That's when I decided to call the police."

"You don't happen to have a tracking device on the car, do you?"

"That's another thing." Sloane replied, not really answering the question. "The tracking device stopped working four days ago."

"So, you have no way of tracking this guy's whereabouts." Office Salazar assumed.

"Exactly. It's like this guy and my car vanished into thin air."

"Where was the car immediately before you lost contact?"

"Somewhere on Rocky Ridge Road. Sorry, I can't get any more specific than that."

"No problem. Do you have the car registration and insurance paperwork?" Officer Salazar asked.

Chapter 5

Back at the Ludlow Precinct, Chris started looking for stolen car reports that fit the car's description. Willie, meanwhile, continued with trying to narrow down the number of El Caminos from 3,769 to a more realistic number.

"I have an idea." Chris said. "Wouldn't it be easier to check the NCIC database?"

"That's true." Terry agreed. "We'll have a specific search from agencies across the country."

"I'll check on that." Chris said.

Back at Jiffy Rental, Sloane McIntyre, owner of Jiffy Rental, supplies the necessary paperwork Officer Salazar is asking for.

"Here are the documents you requested." Sloane said as she handed over copies of the documents to Officer Salazar. "I also included a copy of the rental agreement which lists the VIN."

"Great." Officer Salazar said as he took a cursory look at the paperwork. "Do you have a picture of the car, by chance?"

"Give me a moment and I'll get that for you."

Back at the Cold Case Unit, Chris was checking the NCIC database for missing or stolen 1981 El Caminos in the last month.

"Well," Chris said as he turned from his computer to face everyone, "there are several El Caminos reported stolen in the last month. The two in Los Angeles County don't fit the description."

"What about the third one?" Terry asked.

"That is a 1980 El Camino that's been sitting in a junkyard for several years." Chris answered.

"In other words, nothing." Terry surmised.

"I'm afraid so." Chris said. "What's next?"

"See if you can locate the initial report by the first responding officer. We need to know the specifics of where this fire occurred." Terry said.

"Do you guys' mind if I leave early?" Mike asked out of the blue. "I need to talk to Captain Christianson about my paternity leave."

"Not a problem." Terry said. "We're almost ready to call it a day anyway."

"How much vacation time do you have?" Willie asked.

"About three weeks' worth. However, I'm hoping to get my evaluation done early. When the evaluation is done, I'll have another twelve days to work with."

"Good luck, Mike." Chris said.

"Thanks. I'll see you later." Mike said as he grabbed his sport's jacket and left the office.

Meanwhile, at Jiffy Rental, Sloane McIntyre handed a picture of the stolen car to Officer Salazar.

"That's a nice looking El Camino." Officer Salazar said. "It looks like a 1980 or 1981 model."

"I see you know your cars." Sloane commented.

"This is my dream car." Officer Salazar said as he held up the picture. "Maybe someday I'll own one."

"I'm sure you will." Sloane said. "As you can see, it's a red 1981 El Camino with the license plate number 000CDX. There's a California emissions and Jiffy Car Rental stickers on the front windshield."

"Any other identifying information?" Officer Salazar asked.

"Yes. There's a notable scratch on the passenger side rear bumper."

"What happens next?" Sloane asked.

"I will put out a 'be on the lookout' on your car and the driver. This means every officer will be watching for that car and will pull over anyone with a car matching your description. From there, we'll look at the driver's license of the driver and act accordingly."

"Okay." Sloane said. "Thank you for your prompt response. I was afraid my stolen car would be on the back burner as far as urgency."

"It may look like we're ignoring the situation but, we have everyone on high alert looking for that car. I'll put out that 'be on the lookout' alert as soon as I leave here. Please call the Ludlow Precinct if the driver returns the car."

"What's your number?" Sloane asked.

"Excuse me?" Officer Salazar answered, obviously wondering why she wants his number.

"I can't call the precinct if I don't know your number."

"Of course." Officer Salazar said as he handed Sloane one of his business cards. "The direct number to the Ludlow Precinct is on the card."

"Thanks again." Sloane said.

"You're welcome." Officer Salazar said as he walked out the door.

Back at the Ludlow Precinct, Mike was ushered into Captain Christianson's office.

"Believe it or not, I was just going to ask you stop by." Captain Christianson said upon seeing Mike enter the room.

"Sir?" Mike asked wondering if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant." Captain Christianson said.

Mike, used to being told what to do and when to do it from his days in the military, did what he was told.

"How's your wife doing? Captain Christianson asked. "I heard through the grapevine the two of you are expecting twins."

"I don't know why this surprises me. Good news appears to travel fast." Mike said. "My wife is holding up well although she is looking forward to delivery. Thank you for asking."

"My wife and I had twins, as well." Captain Christianson said. "My wife couldn't wait for delivery either. When is she due?"

"Well, according to the ultrasound, she's about thirty-eight weeks but as you probably know, twins have their own schedules. You learn to adjust. Now that we're planning on a c-section, we can hopefully, pick a date." Mike said after realizing he's probably giving way too much information.

"Give my regards to your wife." Captain Christianson said.

"Thank you." Mike replied.

"On to why you're here." Captain Christianson said. "I talked with the commanding officers from Robbery and Homicide and the Air Support Division, and we all agreed to submit your performance evaluation early. When that is completed, you'll have twelve days added to your current vacation bank."

Mike split his time between Robbery and Homicide and the new Air Support Division helping to train officers.

"Thank you, sir. I was hoping this would happen." Mike said.

"You have an excellent work record, and your evaluation is just a formality as far as I'm concerned." Captain Christianson explained.

"Thanks again." Mike said.

"You're welcome." Captain Christianson said. "Make sure you tell me as soon as the c-section is scheduled. I like to have a plan in place. That's all I needed to tell you unless you have any further questions."

"No, sir." Mike said as he got up from his chair.

"Then, you're dismissed." Captain Christianson said as Mike took no time heading for the door.

Meanwhile, Officer Salazar gets back into the police cruiser trying to gather his thoughts. Officer Salazar looked at all the paperwork he was given by the owner of Jiffy Rental, Sloane McIntyre. Officer Salazar found the suspects driver's license and placed it on top of the paperwork.

After taking a deep breath, Officer Salazar contacts dispatch.

"Dispatch, this is Ludlow 15." Officer Salazar said.

"Ludlow 15, this is dispatch."

"Dispatch, 10-27 on Jeffry R. Neven. First name: John-Edward-Frank-Frank-Robert-Young. Middle Initial: R: Robert. Last Name: Nora-Edward-Victor-Edward-Nora." Officer Salazar announced taking the information directly off the suspect's driver's license.

"10-29a on Jeffry: John-Edward-Frank-Frank-Robert-Young. Middle initial R: Robert. Neven: Nora-Edward-Victor-Edward. Copy that Ludlow 17."

After two minutes, dispatch contacts Officer Salazar.

"Ludlow 15, this is Dispatch."

"Ludlow 15, dispatch."

"Driver's License with the name Jeffry R. Neven shows no wants, no warrants."

"10-4, dispatch. Code 10 BOLO alert on Jeffry R. Neven, age 36, 5'9", 180 lbs. Subject wanted code 503. May be driving a 1981, red, El Camino with significant scratch on passenger side, rear bumper. California plate 000CDX. Up-to-date emissions sticker and a Jiffy Rental sticker on front, driver's side windshield. Over."

"Ludlow 15, Dispatch."

"Ludlow 15 to dispatch." Officer Salazar replied.

"Code 10 frequency cleared for broadcast."

"Code 10 broadcasting Ludlow 15." Officer Salazar announced before giving all the information on Jeffry Neven now being broadcasted in real time followed by 10-3 indicating the end of transmission.

"Ludlow 15, dispatch."

"Dispatch to Ludlow 15."

"Records show SCPD inquiring about a 1981 El Camino. Over."

"10-4, dispatch." Officer Salazar replied as he slowly entered the flow of traffic.

Meanwhile at the Ludlow Precinct, after emerging from the locker room, Mike is walking past the front desk hoping to leave the building and head home.

"Lt. Danko, I have a delivery for you." Sgt. Older announced.

Mike cringed as he heard his name being called by none-other-than Sgt. Older.

"A delivery?" Mike asked as he back tracked to the reception desk.

"Yeah." Sgt. Older replied as he handed four small envelopes to Mike. "It looks like invitations to me."

"Great." Mike muttered to himself as he looked at the envelopes.

Each envelope was addressed to Terry, Willie, and Chris with the words "and guest" attached to each one. The fourth envelope, Mike presumed, was his invitation. Mike reluctantly headed toward the Cold Case Unit thinking he'd leave his invitation at the office.

"Mike, back so soon?" Willie asked as Mike entered the door.

"Yeah, I have a special delivery." Mike replied as he tossed each invitation on the appropriate desk after he hid his invitation in the top drawer of this desk.

"Is this what I think it is?" Terry asked.

"I thought the idea of a baby shower was dropped." Willie said as he opened his envelope and pulled out the invitation.

"I thought so too." Mike agreed. "This is all Christine's doing."

"Jill's friend, Christine?" Chris asked.

"Yeah." Mike replied.

"Well, I'm not going." Terry announced after reading the "and guest" on his envelope. "I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb when I show up dateless."

Terry and his fiancé Rebecca, decided to call it quits after a six-month engagement. Rebecca thought Terry was too involved with work and his friends. While Terry objected to Rebecca trying to control who his friends are.

"If Terry isn't going, neither am I." Willie announced.

"Come on!" Mike replied. "At least one of you needs to show up. Remember, this is for Jill."

"I'll go." Chris said. "I'll bring Britney along. She loves meeting new people."

"Thank you, Chris." Mike said. "I'm sure Jill will appreciate it. What about you Willie, Terry? Do it for Jill."

"Oh, all right." Willie said. "You can count on Sarah and me."

"Come on, Terry. Maybe you'll meet someone there." Mike suggested.

"Why does this sound like some sort of setup?" Terry queried.

"It's not." Mike said. "You're going to the baby shower to support a friend. That's it."

"Fine. I'll go." Terry said, reluctantly. "Promise me, you guys won't leave my side. This is embarrassing enough."

"Terry, this is a baby shower, not a high school dance." Willie pointed out.

"What about Eddie Ryker?" Chris asked. "Is he coming?"

"I have no idea if he's even invited." Mike said. "All the planning and preparation is being taken care of by Denise. My only job is to get Jill to Christine's house on April 27th at 1600."

"Good luck with that." Willie said.

"I've got to get home." Mike said, ignoring Willie's last comment. "I promised Jill I'd pick up something for dinner."

Thirty minutes later, Mike arrived home carrying two paper bags containing hamburgers, French fries, and onion rings. "Jill, I'm home." Mike announced as he put the two bags of food on the kitchen table.

"Mike, I need your help." Jill called out.

"Where are you?" Mike said as he sprinted down the hall.

"In the Master bedroom, walk in closet." Jill replied.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked as he walked into the closet, relieved that Jill didn't fall or otherwise injure herself.

"I'm looking for your satchel." Jill explained. "The one you use for travelling."

"It's in the closet in my office." Mike explained. "Why do you want my satchel?"

"I'm going to pack up a few essentials to take to the hospital with me and I need your bag."

"Why don't you use your carry-on suitcase that your sister gave you when you graduated from nursing school?" Mike asked.

"Because it's pink." Jill explained. "You know I can't stand the color pink."

"Why didn't you return the suitcases for a different color?"

"Because it would be rude." Jill said. "Can I use your satchel, or not?"

"I'll get it for you." Mike said as he headed for his office and retrieved the duffle bag.

"Thank you." Jill said as Mike handed her the duffle bag.

"I brought home some hamburgers if you're interested." Mike said feeling like he must walk on eggshells around his pregnant wife.

"I'm always interested in hamburgers." Jill said. "Let's eat."

CHAPTER 6

Meanwhile, Officer Salazar's shift has come to an end as he pulled into the SCPD parking lot. Officer Salazar retrieved all his paperwork and walked into the building. Before writing out a report on the stolen vehicle reported by Sloane McIntyre, he had one more stop to make.

In the Cold Case Unit on the second floor of the Ludlow Precinct, Terry, Willie, and Chris were finishing up for the day.

"This is interesting." Willie said as he took a break from writing up his report of today's events to look at the rollouts for the day.

"You're not looking at the rollouts again, are you?" Terry asked.

"Yes, I am." Willie said. "This particular rollout may have some meaning to our case."

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked as he rolled his chair over to Willie's desk.

"A 1981 red, El Camino was reported missing."

"Where, exactly?" Terry asked.

"Jiffy Rental on 5500 Kellner Avenue." Willie said.

"Who's the reporting officer?" Chris asked.

"Officer Juan Salazar." Willie answered.

"At your service." Officer Salazar said as he walked into the office.

"We have to stop meeting like this." Terry said. Officer Salazar was involved in the Cold Case Unit's first investigation involving a missing pregnant woman.

"It must be fate." Officer Salazar said as he shook hands with Willie and Chris.

"We saw in the rollouts that you took a report on a stolen 1981 Camino." Willie said.

"Yes, I did. Dispatch told me you were inquiring about a 1981 El Camino." Officer Salazar said. "So, I thought I'd pop in and give you my preliminary investigation."

"Have a seat." Chris said as he offered Mike's vacant chair.

"Thank you." Officer Salazar said. "At the beginning of my shift, Dispatch radioed me to see someone about a stolen car at a place called Jiffy Rental on Kellner Street."

"I never heard of Jiffy Rental." Willie said.

"I got the impression the business is fairly new." Officer Salazar said. "Anyway, the owner of Jiffy Rental, Sloane McIntyre said that a male by the name of Jeffry R. Neven rented the car two weeks ago. Neven was supposed to bring the car back one week ago."

"Okay." Terry said as Officer Salazar handed him a copy of Neven's driver's license. "I see this guy is from California."

"Yes. Although when Ms. McIntyre called the phone number he provided, the phone at first was a no answer but by the next day, it was disconnected."

"And that's when she contacted the police?" Chris surmised.

"Exactly." Officer Salazar replied. I did put out a BOLO alert for Jeffry Neven and the El Camino. A preliminary check on Neven shows no wants, no warrants."

"Did she happen to mention where the last transmission was?" Terry asked.

"Yes. Somewhere on Rocky Ridge Road." Officer Salazar replied.

"Did we get the responding officer's report from the car fire?" Terry asked.

"Yes." Willie answered. "The report just came through." Willie then handed the report over to Terry.

"Car fire?" Officer Salazar asked.

"Show Officer Salazar what we have." Terry said as he started looking at the report.

"Two days ago, a woman was found in a burning car." Chris said as he handed the Jane Doe and Langer files over to Officer Salazar. "The victim was positively identified as Cheryl Langer."

"So, what's the problem?" Officer Salazar asked.

"The problem is Cheryl Langer was supposedly already dead and buried." Chris answered.

"Okay." Officer Salazar said. "Let me get this straight. You recovered a body from a burning car who is identified as someone who is already dead?"

"That about covers it." Willie answered. "Our job is to find out the identity of the woman already buried.

"Willie, do you have the partial VIN number from the car? Terry asked.

"I have it right here." Willie said as he held up a piece of paper.

"Compare the VIN number of the stolen car to our car." Terry said.

"Ms. McIntyre will be happy to know her car has been recovered." Officer Salazar said.

"It depends on what you mean by 'recovered.'" Chris answered wryly.

"The VIN number from the stolen car matches up with the partial VIN from our car." Willie said.

"Refresh my memory." Terry said. "How many numbers do we have?"

"Out of the usual seventeen numbers and letters, we have fourteen." Willie said. "The other three numbers were a mystery.

"Is this the stolen car in question?" Terry asked as he held up a polaroid picture.

"Yes, it is." Officer Salazar answered. "It's a 1981 red El Camino Super Sport."

"The frame looks the same." Terry said.

"You guys are scaring me." Officer Salazar said. "What happened to the car?"

"We'll have to show you." Terry explained as he got up from his chair. "Words can't adequately describe the condition of the car."

"Let's go down to Evidence and Management, shall we?" Terry said as Willie, Chris and Officer Salazar followed him out of the office.

Meanwhile, at the Danko household.

"The matching crib I ordered was delivered today." Jill said as she and Mike were in the nursery. Leaning against the wall was an unassembled crib.

"How are we going to fit two cribs in this room?" Mike asked as he surveyed the furniture and other supplied already in the room.

"We're not going to be able to." Jill said. "We'll have to put the other crib up in the spare bedroom."

"Won't that be a lot of running back and forth?"

"We'll put the babies in one crib for now and then separate them when they get a little older." Jill explained obviously giving this some thought. "Even though they're twins, I want to encourage their individuality."

"Makes sense." Mike said. "I'll take this second crib and assemble it in the spare bedroom. It will be easier that way."

"I'll supervise." Jill offered.

Meanwhile, in the Evidence and Management department, Officer Salazar, Chris, Willie, and Terry are standing in front of the burned-out car leaving the frame intact.

"This is our car." Terry said. "It looks a little different than your car."

"I'd say so." Officer Salazar stated as he slowly walked around the perimeter of the car. "So, you think the stolen car and your car is one in the same?"

"The frame is consistent with an El Camino 1981 model." Terry explained. "If you look at what's left of the tube grill, you'll notice it's horizontal. The headlights are square indicating it was made in 1981."

"What happens next?" Officer Salazar asked as he closely examined the horizontal tube grill.

"We're waiting for the arson investigator's report." Chris said. "Hopefully, they will pick up something that we didn't see."

Meanwhile, Fire Investigators Richard Olton and Marty Dolans arrive at the scene of the car fire. Richard Olton is a ten-year veteran fire investigator while his colleague, Marty Dolans joined the unit approximately two years ago.

"I know we're on Rocky Ridge Road, but how are we going to find out the exact location?" Marty Dolans asked.

"We'll have to look at the latest land survey and hopefully we can narrow things down from there." Richard Olton answered.

As they approached the scene, a distinct odor was detected by the seasoned investigator, Richard Olton.

"What's the first thing you notice when walking up to the scene?" Richard Olton asked his colleague. Olton often trains new hires and is known to randomly test the observational skills of the newly hired or relatively new investigators.

"I smell gasoline." Marty Dolans answered with more confidence than he was feeling.

"Good pickup." Olton said.

On the ground was a large area of burned grass with several smaller areas leaving a trail as the person or persons left the scene.

"This definitely looks like where the fire was started using gasoline as the accelerant." Richard Olton surmised.

"It was lucky there wasn't more damage to the surrounding area."

"That's what I was thinking, too." Richard Olton replied.

Meanwhile, at the Management and Evidence Department, Officer Salazar was finished looking over the El Camino.

"Any other questions for me?" Officer Salazar asked.

"No questions." Terry Confirmed. "However, I'd like copies of all your paperwork pertaining to the stolen vehicle."

"Of course." Officer Salazar replied.

"And if we could have a copy of your report when you have a chance to complete it." Terry added.

"I'll get on this right away." Officer Salazar said.

As Marty Dolans started taking pictures of the crime scene, Fire Investigator Richard Olton started looking for any other evidence related to the fire. Just as he was about to end the search, Richard spotted something in the long grass approximately two hundred feet from the crime scene. Upon closer inspection, Fire Investigator Richard Olton realizes this could be some evidence that was missed.

"Do you have any evidence bags?" Richard asked Marty.

"Sure." Marty said as he handed his colleague a plastic evidence bag and plastic gloves that were tucked in his pocket.

"You came prepared." Richard Olton observed.

"You always taught me before any investigation, you never know what you'll find at a crime scene."

"I guess I did say that." Richard Olton replied obviously impressed with his young colleague.

"What did you find?"

"See that piece of paper in the long grass?" Richard Olton said as he pointed to the area in question.

"Yeah, I do." Marty Dolans replied as he started taking pictures of the piece of paper before Richard Olton removed it from the crime scene. "It looks like some sort of receipt."

Once the pictures were taken, Richard Olton removed the piece of paper and placed it in the evidence bag per protocol.

"Can you read it?" Marty asked.

"It's from that hardware store on Mitchell Street." Richard replied. "Dated two days ago."

"The day of the fire." Marty said.

"Let's see what was bought." Richard said. "Gloves, gas can and some sort of lighter."

"The perp probably needed something to ignite the fire."

"That certainly looks that way, doesn't it? Let's go to the Ludlow Station and look at the car. We can log this into evidence at the same time."

CHAPTER 7

Back at the Ludlow Station, Chris, Willie, and Terry are back in their office on the second floor.

"What's next?" Willie asked.

"I think it's time to call it a day." Terry said. "We can pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." Chris said. "Britney and I are going out to dinner tonight."

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Terry jokingly said.

"Jealous, Terry?" Willie asked now getting in on the fun.

"Actually, yes I am." Terry admits.

"You'll find that special someone." Chris said as he walked up and patted Terry on his shoulder.

"Is this some type of 'impromptu' therapy session?" Terry queried.

"Well, I did take that Abnormal Psychology class in college." Willie said. "I'm practically a therapist."

"Yeah, Mike and I know all about your Abnormal Psychology Class." Terry said.

"I sense there's some type of story behind this exchange." Chris said.

"We'll tell you that story at a later time." Terry said. "Right now, I'm going to get a pizza and see if Mike needs any help putting baby equipment together."

"That's a great idea." Willie said. "However, Sarah has some type of student fair to raise money for their activity fund tonight. I promised I would help run the refreshment stand."

"Watch out for the Kool-Aid." Terry advised. "I hear it's quite addicting."

"Thanks for the warning." Willie said as he grabbed his suit jacket and walked toward the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night." Chris said as he cleaned off his desk and grabbed his jacket. "Good luck tonight, Terry."

"Thanks, man. Jill's due date is fast approaching. Mike and Jill need to get everything together before the babies come, not after." Terry said. "See you tomorrow."

With that, Chris left the office first while Terry turned the lights off, closed and locked the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike successfully put the crib together. "I told you I could do it." Mike proudly said to Jill.

"That's great sweetheart, but what about that?" Jill asked as she pointed to several screws and washers on the floor.

"Manufacturers always give you more than you need." Mike explained.

"Right." Jill unconvincingly said. "Are you sure the crib is sturdy enough?"

"Of course, it is." Mike said as he moved the crib next to the wall.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that." Jill said relieved that she could divert her attention to something else.

Jill opened the door to find Terry and Eddie Ryker at the door. Terry was carrying two pizza boxes while Eddie brought some beer.

"We came to see if Mike needs help putting things together." Terry said.

"Come on in." Jill said as she opened the door wider to let her guests. "Thank goodness you're here."

"Mike is trying to put something together by himself, isn't he?" Eddie guessed.

"Mike put the crib together but that are a few screws left over." Jill said.

"I'll see what's going on with the crib." Eddie said.

"Thank you. Mike is the third door on the right."

"What else needs to be put together? Terry asked.

"Two bassinettes and we have to make sure the car seats fit in my car." Jill said.

"Let me put the car seats in and then I'll work on the bassinettes." Terry said. "Where are the car seats?"

"Right over here." Jill said as she walked over to the door leading to the garage.

Meanwhile, Fire Investigators Richard Olton and Marty Dolans arrived at the Management and Evidence Department looking at the burned-out car.

"This car frame has a definite shape." Marty Dolans observed.

"Yes, it does." Richard Olton replied. "What kind of car do you think it is?"

"It looks like the shape of an El Camino." Dolans said not knowing whether his colleague, Richard Olton was testing his observational skills.

"Judging from the large spill at the crime scene and the damage to the floorboard in the backseat, I'd say the fire was started under the car which burned through the floorboard which was also doused with gasoline." Richard said as he and Marty walked around the car.

"The fact that there's virtually no roof left, I'd say the fire extended to the roof and then engulfed the rest of the car. Leading to destruction." Marty added.

"That's what I think too." Richard Olton agreed.

"How are we going to prove it?" Marty Dolans asked. "The car was removed from the car scene."

"Will have to look at the crime scene photos before making a final determination.

At the Danko household, all the equipment needed for the twin's arrival have been put together and placed in their respected areas. Everyone was sitting at the kitchen table eating cold pizza and beer except for Jill who was drinking water.

"Are you sure you don't want me to warm up the pizza?" Jill asked as everyone was devouring the pizza.

"Don't bother." Terry said. "I like cold pizza. Especially the day after."

"This is the first time I've had cold pizza." Eddie Ryker announced.

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Yeah." Eddie replied. "I think I like it."

"I know we shouldn't be talking about work, but how is the quest for exhuming our 'Jane Doe?'" Terry asked Mike.

"I have permission of the health department and the cemetery. But the fact we don't know who we're exhuming is becoming a problem." Mike said taking a sip of beer.

"Isn't that why you're exhuming the body, for positive identification?" Jill asked.

"Yeah. That's the whole purpose. What do you do if there's no next of kin to ask?" Mike asked.

"If I may interject." Eddie said as he was listening to the verbal exchange between Mike and Terry.

"Please, interject." Terry said.

"When you need to exhume a body for identification, you can always ask the medical examiner to request one."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Mike asked.

"Because I was in law enforcement a lot longer than the two of you." Eddie replied. "Have you heard the saying 'you learn something new every day?' It's true in law enforcement."

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Fire Investigators Dolans and Olton logged in the evidence collected at the scene per SCPD protocol before leaving for the day.

"Why don't we call it a day?" Richard Olton suggested. "We can work on the report on the car in the morning."

"Sounds good to me." Marty Dolans gratefully replied. "Maybe now I can get home in time to tuck my kids into bed for the night."

CHAPTER 8

Bright and early the next morning, Mike and Terry are ushered into Captain Christianson's office for their weekly update on the "Jane Doe" case.

"Have a seat, gentlemen." Captain Christianson said.

"Thank you, sir." Terry and Mike said in unison.

"Tell me what's going on with the Jane Doe case you've been working on." Captain Christianson asked. "I don't have to tell you all eyes are on us and how quickly we resolve this case."

"Yes, sir." Mike said.

"Well Captain," Terry started. "Yesterday one of the SCPD officers got a call to see a woman about a stolen car. The car belonged to Jiffy Rental on Kellner Street."

"Okay. What does this have to do with your case?" Captain Christianson asked.

"The stolen car was a 1981 El Camino. Which is the same make and model year of our burned-out car." Terry explained.

"The point of this is the VIN number of the stolen El Camino matches up with the fourteen numbers we have on the burned-out car." Mike added. "The El Camino was rented out by a man named Jeffry R. Neven. He was renting the car for a week but after two weeks, the owner of Jiffy Rental started getting concerned and that's when she called and reported the car."

"Was there some sort of transponder on the car?" Captain Christianson asked.

"Yes, there was." Terry answered. "But the transponder stopped working five days ago. When Ms. McIntyre, the owner of Jiffy Rental tried calling the telephone number provided by Mr. Neven, at first there was no answer, a couple of days later the phone was disconnected."

"The reporting officer, Juan Salazar put out a BOLO alert on Neven and the El Camino." Mike added. "Nothing has been reported."

"What about Jane Doe?" Captain Christianson asked.

"I have permission from the Health Department and the cemetery and I'm waiting for the coroner to file paperwork for exhumation for body identification."

"Okay." Captain Christianson said. "I'll call the coroner and the courthouse and put a rush on the exhumation. The sooner we get this resolved, the better."

"Yes, sir." Terry said.

"Now, what's the status on the arson investigation?" Captain Christianson asked.

"I just received word this morning that the Fire Investigators have finished their assessment on the car and crime scene, the report should be arriving soon."

"It sounds like you have everything under control." Captain Christianson said. "Keep up the good work. Any questions?"

"No, sir." Mike said.

"Then you're dismissed." Captain Christianson said.

"Thank you, sir." Mike and Terry said in unison as they wasted no time exiting the office.

Meanwhile, at Henry's Chevrolet Car Dealership on the corner of Main and Monroe streets, Lane Richardt, chief mechanic, knocks on the office door of his boss and owner of the dealership, Henry Sander.

"Did you happen to watch the news last night?" Lane Richardt asks.

"No, I didn't get the chance. Why?" Henry Sander queried.

"SCPD is looking for someone named Richard Neven for grand theft auto and destruction of property." Lane replied.

"Isn't that Camaro we're servicing owned by someone named Neven?"

"Yes. It was brought in by someone by the name of Marjory Neven." Lane replied after looking at his clipboard listing all the cars that need servicing. "The question is, what should we do?"

"There's only one thing to do." Henry Sander replied. "I'll have to go and tell the police. That car could be part of their investigation."

CHAPTER 9

In a nondescript area of Southern California.

"Do you have pictures of the car burning?" The man asked.

"Yeah. Here's the proof you wanted. When do I get paid?" Accomplice Kent Strom asked.

"I told you when." The man said obviously irritated with the question. "Once the auto insurance and the life insurance payments come through, you'll get your payment for services rendered. Do you have the proof I asked for?"

"Here's the proof." Kent Strom replied as he handed several pictures and a necklace over to the man.

"Are you trying to rip me off?" The man asked after a cursory look at the burning El Camino.

"What are you talking about? You said get proof that I torched the car and your wife in the process." Strom as he pointed to the pictures.

"This is a picture of what clearly looks like an El Camino, not a Camaro." The man said. "You torched the wrong car! Do you know what you've done?"

"Obviously, you're going to tell me." Strom answered obviously unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"I rented that El Camino from a small rental car company, using my real name." The man said. "You were supposed to take the El Camino back to Jiffy Rental before torching the Camaro. That was the only thing that tied me to the car. If you had returned the car as instructed, the owner of Jiffy Rental wouldn't have reported the car stolen to begin with. I wanted to make it seem like Marjory and I disappeared voluntarily."

"Leaving me holding the bag in the process. Where were you going?" Strom asked suddenly realizing this man had no intention of paying him off.

"That doesn't matter." The man replied not wanting to give away his plan of escape. "What about that other piece of evidence?"

"I have it here." Kent Strom answered as he started looking for the final piece of evidence in his pants pocket. Kent started to feverously look at all his pockets again after realizing he doesn't have that crucial piece of evidence.

"Let me guess, you lost that receipt." The man said.

"It appears I did lose it." Strom answered.

"How else am I going to know that you really torched the car without seeing a receipt for buying all of the materials needed?"

"You have the pictures of the car burning and your wife's necklace that she was wearing as proof."

"Do you at least know where you lost it?" The man asked.

"It's somewhere in my apartment." Strom answered. He has no idea where the receipt is.

"No receipt, no payment." The man said.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Mike and Terry walk into the office with a renewed sense of urgency. All eyes are on the newly formed SCPD Cold Case Unit and their ability to close a case.

Willie and Chris were already working at their respective desks.

"We have some information for you." Willie announced as he handed Mike a file with name Jeffry R. Neven.

"Don't keep us in suspense." Terry said.

"We ran a background check on Jeffry Neven. No wants or warrants. Just like Officer Salazar said. Neven owns a small company that sells novelty t-shirts. He makes a small income from that, not enough to live in Southern California, however."

"He has a wife named Marjory Neven." Chris explained. "I asked a couple of officers to go to the address on their driver's licenses."

"What did they find?" Mike asked.

"No one has seen Marjory or Richard in at least three days according to several neighbors." Chris said.

"Maybe we've got this wrong." Terry said thinking out loud.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"Maybe Jeffry and Marjory rode off into the sunset together." Terry answered. "Maybe they did it intentionally."

"Anything is possible." Mike said. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's follow the leads and see where it takes us."

"Any family members we can interview?" Terry asked.

"There doesn't appear to be any other family members on either side of the family." Chris answered.

"Here's something interesting." Willie said while looking intently at the computer screen. "There was a $500,000 life insurance policy taken out on Marjory within the last few months."

"That is interesting." Chris said. "I can file for an emergency warrant to get a copy of that insurance policy.

"Sounds good." Mike said.

CHAPTER 9

Meanwhile, a man in his forties wearing a long-sleeved shirt and khakis walks up to the Ludlow Precinct front desk.

"Can I help you?" Sgt. Older asked with his usual flat affect.

"I hope so." The man answered. "I'd like to talk to someone about that missing guy, Jeffry Neven. I think I might have some information."

"I have someone from the Cold Case Unit talk to you." Sgt. Older said as he dialed the Cold Case extension by memory.

Minutes later, Chris and this unidentified man walk into the Cold Case Unit.

"This is Mr. Henry Sander." Chris said. "Mr. Sander, this is Lieutenants Webster and Danko. This is Sgt. Gillis. Mr. Sander may have some information on our Jane Doe case."

"Have a seat." Mike said as he pulled his chair over to Mr. Sander.

"Thank you." Mr. Sander said as he sat down next to Mike's desk.

"You said you have some information on our Jane Doe case?" Terry asked.

"I'm not sure about this Jane Doe case you're talking about." Mr. Sander said. "I do have some information on someone named Neven."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Mike suggested.

"I own Henry's Chevrolet Dealership on the corner of Main and Monroe Streets." Mr. Sander said. "A few days ago, a woman named Marjory Neven brought in her 1983 Camaro for a recall service."

"You thought this person could be connected to Jeffry Neven?" Chris surmised.

"Yes. I did." Mr. Sander said.

"Did you bring any information related to this car?" Terry asked.

"Here's the information I have." Mr. Sander said as he handed a manila folder to Terry. "It includes the make and model, year, tag, and VIN number. I even took several pictures of the car."

"I see that." Terry said as he looked at pictures included in the folder.

"Is this the agreement for service?" Terry asked as he held up a piece of paper with Marjory Neven's signature at the bottom of the page.

"Yes." Henry Sander answered.

"When is she supposed to pick up the car?" Chris asked.

"Yesterday." Mr. Sander said. "I tried calling her to tell her the car was ready, but the number was disconnected."

"Is this the person who dropped off the car for servicing?" Willie asked as he showed a fresh copy of Marjory's driver's license with her name and address intentionally covered up.

"That's her, alright." Mr. Sander said.

"Anything out of the ordinary that you remember about Marjory Neven?" Terry asked.

"Out of the ordinary?" Mr. Sander queried.

"How was her mood? Did she seem sad, worried, anxious, upbeat?" Terry said rephrasing the question.

"None of the above." Mr. Sander said. "As I recall, she was an ordinary customer bringing her car in for servicing."

"Okay." Terry said. "Where is the Camaro now?"

"I have a gated area on my parking lot reserved for cars when the owner can't pick up their car right away. That's where the Camaro is."

"We'll be sending an SCPD flat bed truck to retrieve the car later on today." Mike explained.

"I trust you'll have a warrant for this." Mr. Sander countered.

"Actually, according to California Law, the car is considered abandoned the therefore, we don't need a warrant to pick up the car." Willie chimed in.

"Don't worry." Terry said. "We'll have the necessary paperwork in hand."

Meanwhile, in the non-descript area of Southern California, the war of words continues between Kent Strom, the arsonist, and his boss.

"What do you mean by 'no receipt, no payment'?" Kent queried.

"It should be fairly obvious." The man answered. "The Camaro was supposed to be destroyed in the fire for me to collect the automobile insurance. Now, the wrong car was torched, and I can't even retrieve my car."

"Why not?" Kent asked.

"Why? Because the car is in my wife's name and if I try to retrieve it, I will risk being discovered."

"What about the life insurance?" Kent asked.

"The life insurance company isn't going to hand over the money especially since my wife died under mysterious circumstances. The company is going to wait for the autopsy. But before the autopsy, they will need to identify the body. This is what happens when you don't follow instructions."

"You have no intention of paying me the $5,000 you owe me, do you?" Kent asked as the whole picture in coming into focus.

"Of course, I am going to pay you." The man said. "It's going to take me a little time to come up with the money, that's all."

"You have forty-eight hours to come up with the money." Kent said feeling like he now has some leverage in this situation. "Or else."

"Or else what?" The man countered.

"I will go to the police and tell them everything."

Back at the Ludlow Precinct, the emergency warrant Chris applied for came through and he just received a copy of the life insurance policy on Marjory Neven.

"Here's a copy of the life insurance policy." Chris said as he handed the copy over to Terry.

"Great." Terry said. "Where's the service agreement from the dealership?"

"Right here." Mike said as he handed the agreement to Terry.

Terry immediately compared the signature from Marjory Neven on the agreement vs the signature on the life insurance policy.

"Hey, Mike." Terry said as Mike walked over to Terry's desk. "Look at these two signatures and tell me, do you think they were by the same person?"

"No, they were signed by two different people." Mike said. "You don't need a handwriting expert to tell you that."

"What does it mean?" Willie asked.

"It means Marjory Neven had no idea a life insurance policy was taken out on her." Terry said.

"The two signatures support that theory." Mike said.

"What's next?" Chris asked.

"We need to pick up the Camaro before the end of the day." Terry answered. "The crime scene investigators need to go over the car with a fine-tooth comb."

"Who wants to get an emergency warrant for the car?" Mike asked.

"I will." Willie said before he started filling out the form for an emergency warrant.

Meanwhile, in the Evidence and Management Division, Officer Michelle Norris was in the process of moving El Camino to a secure area used for impending evidence in ongoing cases. Perplexed, Officer Norris started walking around the car looking for a way to move the torched car when she noticed on the driver's side door jam a small area of paint undamaged by the fire.

Thinking a paint chip might be something the Cold Case Unit could use to positively identify the car as an El Camino, Officer Norris called a Crime Scene Investigator to collect the paint chip, log it into evidence and find out the color code from the manufacturer.

After the heated exchange between the man and his accomplice, the man is frantically trying to find a way out of the situation he finds himself in. The man can't leave the country since his passport is in the apartment he shared with his now deceased wife. He can't hide out at his apartment for obvious reasons. The man can't pick up his wife's Camaro, either. The only thing left to do is to hold up in a motel room somewhere in Southern California.

At the Ludlow Precinct, the incident report from the responding officer, arrived at the Cold Case Unit.

"Anything interesting?" Mike asked.

"No." Terry said as he was scanning the report. "Everything Officer Salazar told us is documented."

"This might help." Chris said as he held up a manila envelope in his hand. "It's the fire investigator's report."

"Don't keep us in suspense." Terry said as Chris carefully opened the envelope.

"Here we go." Chris said. "On Monday, April 22, 1984, the Southern California Fire Department was alerted by a bystander to an automobile fire at 10163 Rocky Ridge Road. Five minutes later the SCFD arrived on scene to find a car totally engulfed in flames. The firefighters attached the supply hose to an adjacent fire hydrant ford water supply. The fire was extinguished thirty minutes later. Fifteen minutes later, the firefighters examined the car and found remnants consistent with a human body located in the driver's side front seat.

Feeling this could be an arson investigation, SCFD personnel alerted SCPD Robbery Homicide who in turn, notified the Arson Department.

On April 24, 1984, at 0800 am, the Fire Marshall and Fire Investigators arrived at the crime scene. Of note is the car had been removed from the scene.

Upon investigation, there was a gasoline spill approximately twenty-four inches in diameter. This is felt to be the accelerant used to start the fire. Pictures were taken of the spill and the surrounding area. A final inspection of the crime scene revealed a small piece of paper in the grass approximately 200 feet from the scene. Several pictures were taken prior to picking up and placing it in an evidence bag. The evidence was turned over to SCPD crime lab after properly making a notation in the evidence log while maintaining the chain of evidence protocol.

At 1000 am, the Fire Investigators arrived at the SCPD Evidence and Maintenance Department. The car that was removed from the scene was burned, in many areas, to the frame. Upon further examination, there was a small area in the backseat passenger side of the car that could be part of incendiary process. A faint smell of gasoline was detected.

In conclusion, the fire appears to have been started by the gas spill at the crime scene which quickly extended to the right passenger backseat floorboard. At this point, the fire exploded and engulfed the roof of the car which quickly spread over the entire car.

Therefore, it's the conclusion that this fire is classified as arson. Signed by Fire Investigators Olton and Dolans."

"Wait a minute," Mike said. "Where is this piece of evidence and what is it?"

"The Crime Scene Investigation Lab probably has it for processing." Chris said. "Do you want me to check it out?"

"That's a good idea." Terry said. "What's the status on the warrant?"

"I just got confirmation." Willie answered. "All the paperwork is ready to go to pick up the car and the flatbed truck is on standby. I can go with the flat bed truck to make sure everything goes smoothy."

"Yes." Mike answered. "If you have any problems, let us know."

"Will do." Willie answered as he grabbed his jacket and left the office.

"It looks like we might actually solve a case." Terry said.

"Are you worried about that?" Mike said referring to their less than stellar performance as leaders of the Cold Case Unit.

"The thought of losing this assignment and/or a demotion has crossed my mind." Terry confessed.

Minutes later, Chris enters the Cold Case Unit in an excited state.

"You look like you just won the lottery, my friend." Mike observed. "What gives?"

"That piece of evidence collected at the crime scene by the fire investigators, turned out to be a receipt to a hardware store. The date and time stamp appears to coincide with the time of the fire. The interesting part is what was purchased at a hardware store near the crime scene." Chris said as he handed a copy of the receipt to Terry.

"What did our alleged perp buy?" Mike asked.

"A gas can, gloves and a lighter." Terry answered.

"Did they dust the receipt for prints?" Mike queried.

"They dusted the receipt and found a good thumbprint on the receipt. There were other fingerprints but this one was in excellent condition."

"Did they run the prints through AFIS? Terry asked. Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) started to gain attention in 1980 when the US granted a patent for automatic minutiae detection. The NEC started manufacturing the automatic identification system by 1983.

"Yes, they did." Chris answered. "The print belongs to Kent Strom."

"That name sounds familiar." Terry said.

"That's because he was accused and convicted of torching his grandmother's house." Chris said as he started reading Strom's history of violence from the database. "He got ten years at Corcoran Prison. He just got out six months ago."

"This could be our arsonist." Mike said.

Meanwhile, Kent Strom was sitting at Grady's bar nursing a drink he bought with the little money he had left. Kent's attention shifted to the television at the end of the bar. Suddenly, a breaking news announcement came over the television screen. An unidentified woman was found in a burning car on Rocky Ridge Road and the police are trying to identify the woman and asked for the public's help with any information.

Kent realized there's only one way to get out of this situation. Kent downed the rest of his drink and headed out of the bar feeling more at peace than he has ever felt.

CHAPTER 10

Meanwhile, Mike and Terry were standing in the morgue looking at the charred remains of Cheryl Langer.

"We got here as fast as we could." Terry said.

"Thanks for coming by so quickly." Dr. Charles Colton said. Dr. Colton is the coroner for the Southern California District.

"What's the problem?" Mike asked.

"This is the problem." Dr. Colton said as he handed a file on Cheryl Langer to Mike.

"I don't know who identified the body, or lack thereof, but this isn't Cheryl Langer."

"I don't understand." Mike replied as he opened the file. "We were told the remains were positively identified as Cheryl Langer."

"No offense, but are you sure?" Terry asked trying to be diplomatic.

"I'll show you." Dr. Colton said. "Here are the dental records of Cheryl Langer." Dr. Colton put up on the lightbox. "And these are the dental x-rays of your Jane Doe."

"Okay." Mike said although he still wasn't sure what Dr. Colton was talking about.

"See this open area?" Dr. Colton asked as he pointed to Cheryl Langer's dental x-rays. "At some point, she had a tooth extraction. Now compare that to Jane Doe's x-ray."

"No extraction." Terry said.

"That's right." Dr. Colton said. "And there's more."

"Lay it on us." Mike said.

"If you look at the left ankle x-ray of Cheryl Langer, you'll see she had three pins placed in her ankle after a car accident. Now look at Jane Doe's left ankle x-ray." Dr. Colton said as he placed the ankle x-rays of both woman on the lightbox.

"No pins." Terry said.

"And there's one more thing." Dr. Colton announced. "Jane Doe's hyoid bone is fractured. I looked at Cheryl Langer's morgue record and she died of cancer. There was no mention of a fractured hyoid bone."

"If this isn't Cheryl Langer, then who is she?" Mike asked.

"Marjory Neven." Terry said without hesitation.

"Who's Marjory Neven?" Dr. Colton asked.

"Marjory's husband, Jeffry Neven rented the El Camino which was destroyed by the fire." Terry said.

"So, you think Jeffry Neven rented the car knowing he was going to destroy it by torching the car with his wife allegedly in the car?" Dr. Colton surmised. "That's a little farfetched, don't you think?"

"Not necessarily." Terry answered. "We can't find Jeffry Neven or his wife. The neighbors haven't seen either of them for the last two or three days. Where are they?"

"What about Kent Strom?" Mike asked. "Was he hired by Jeffry Neven to kill off his wife? Do we have enough evidence to compel Strom to come to the station for a fireside chat?"

"Let's see what Captain Christianson thinks." Terry said. "Let's head back to the station."

"Thanks." Terry said as he and Mike left the morgue.

Meanwhile, Willie was supervising the crime scene investigators as they dusted the Camaro for prints.

"That about does it." Alex Lincoln aka 'The President' said as he removed his plastic gloves and shoe booties.

"What did you find?" Willie asked.

"There were a lot of different fingerprints from at least three people." Alex explained. "Most of them were smudged and unusable. However, we did manage to lift six good prints. Where was this car discovered?"

"It was at a car dealership for servicing." Willie answered. "That's probably the reason for the large number of fingerprints."

"Hopefully, all of the fingerprints will be in AFIS." Alex said.

"That's what I'm hoping for." Willie answered.

Mike and Terry arrived back at the Ludlow Precinct fifteen minutes later and went directly to Captain Christianson's office.

"So, I'm anxious to find out how the investigation is going." Captain Christianson said.

"That's why we're here, sir." Terry said. "The crime scene investigators found a slip of paper near the crime scene, they retrieved it, put it in an evidence bag and logged it into evidence."

"The crime scene investigator found prints on that piece of paper." Mike continued. "The prints belong to Kent Strom."

"Okay, what does this piece of evidence have to do with this case?" Captain Christianson asked.

"The receipt was from a hardware store near the scene of the crime at around the time of the crime." Terry answered.

"The receipt showed he bought a gas can, gloves and lighter from that store." Mike said.

"So, you're thinking Kent Strom had something to do with the crime." Captain Christianson surmised. "What about Jeffry Neven? Did you find him?"

"Not yet." Mike said. "We had uniformed police officers check the neighborhood where Jeffry and Marjory Neven live. No one has seen them in the last two or three days."

"Our question to you sir, is do we have enough evidence to bring Mr. Strom in for questioning?"

"We need something definitive to link Strom to this case. Right now, all you have is circumstantial evidence. Any good defense lawyer will explain away the receipt. What's the story on Marjory Neven?" Captain Christianson asked.

"That's the other thing we needed to talk to you about." Mike said.

"The burned body recovered from the crime scene is not Cheryl Langer." Terry added. "There were a couple of differences between the two bodies confirms this."

"Cheryl Langer has a few pins in her left ankle and the burned remains don't have the pins. Also, Cheryl Langer had a tooth extraction vs no tooth extraction on our burned remains." Mike explained.

"If the burned remains aren't Cheryl Langer, then who is it?" Captain Christian asked.

"My guess is Marjory Langer." Terry said.

"How do you plan on proving that?" Captain Christianson asked.

"We discovered Marjory's car at Harry's Chevrolet Car Dealership and had it brought back to the station for processing." Mike answered. "We feel that there will be some prints in the car belonging to Marjory."

"What about the exhumation?" Captain Christianson asked. "Have you obtained the emergency warrant yet?"

"Not yet." Mike confirmed.

"If you don't hear the judge by this afternoon, call the courthouse. I don't want to go through the weekend without knowing where we stand."

"Yes sir." Terry and Mike said almost simultaneously.

"Unless there's anything else to discuss, you're dismissed." Captain Christianson said.

"Thank you, sir." Terry said as he and Mike headed out of the office.

As Terry and Mike entered the Cold Case Unit, Willie and Chris were each on the phone working on their part of the investigation.

"I'm glad you're back." Chris said as he replaced the phone receiver back on its cradle.

"What's going on?" Mike asked.

"I just received word from Judge Poston's clerk that the warrant and exhumation license were approved and will be here with the paperwork momentarily." Chris explained. "I took the liberty of calling those involved in the exhumation process to alert them to the impending exhumation. The only problem is, the Environment Health Officer needs several days' notice before the exhumation can proceed. Everyone else, such as the coroner, cemetery representative and clergy are on standby."

"Good work, Chris." Mike said.

"It's disappointing we have to wait until next week to resolve this." Terry said.

"I was able to find where Kent Strom lives." Willie announced after his phone call ended. "So, we decided to send an unmarked cruiser to check out the area. Strom didn't appear to be at home."

"Why the unmarked cruiser?" Terry asked.

"Two words." Willie answered. "Hyde Park." Hyde Park is a "hot spot" known for its high crime rate.

"Oh, god." Mike said. "No wonder why you sent an unmarked cruiser."

"Good call, Willie." Terry said. "We certainly don't want to attract any unwanted attention and tip off Kent Strom."

"How do we proceed?" Chris asked.

"It would be nice to run simultaneous warrants on Strom and Neven's residences." Terry said. "I asked for an emergency warrant on Neven's place earlier today. Did we hear anything about that?"

"This could be it right here." Willie said as he held up a manila envelope that was delivered recently.

"Good." Terry said as he took the envelope from Willie and carefully opened it. "Here's the Neven warrant."

"There isn't much else we can do for now." Mike said. "How about starting the weekend a little early?"

"Sounds good to me." Willie said.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Chris said as he started clearing off his desk.

"See you bright and early Monday morning." Terry said as he picked up his jacket and started for the door. "Aren't you coming?"

"In a little while." Mike said as he appeared to be deep in thought.

"This could be the weekend you and Jill become parents for the first time." Terry said as he put his jacket down on his desk. "Are you nervous, scared, overwhelmed?"

"All of the above, actually." Mike answered. "You'd think I'd have enough time to get used to the idea we're having twins, but it still feels like it's all a dream."

"You're not the first father to feel that way and you won't be the last." Terry said.

"I don't want to screw this up." Mike confessed. "It's not as if babies come with instruction manuals."

"Parenting is a learning process." Terry said. "You'll teach your kids a lot of things and your kids will teach you things as well. If you learn from your mistakes, that's all you can ask for. You and Jill are in this together. It's okay to lean on her for support and you know she'll lean on you as well. You're embarking on a wonderful, challenging experience. Embrace it."

"How is it you know exactly what to say and when to say it?" Mike asked.

"My years as a social worker helps me put things in perspective when my clients were looking for advice or guidance. It's helpful when you're on the outside looking in."

"Thank you." Mike said as he wiped a tear or two from his face.

"You're welcome." Terry said. "Next time on Terry's Helpful Hints, how to remove permanent marker stains from your countertops."

"How do you remove permanent marker stains?" Mike asked as he and Terry grabbed their jackets and headed out the door.

"I have no idea." Terry said as he turned off the lights, closed and locked the Cold Case Unit's door.

CHAPTER 11

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Jill was out of bed and was fully dressed.

"Mike, wake up!" Jill said frantically as she was shaking her husband. "Wake up!"

"What's the matter?" Mike asked sleepily as he looked up at his wife.

"We have to go to the hospital!" Jill explained. "I think I'm in labor."

"What?" Mike said as he jumped out of bed now fully awake. "It's too soon to deliver these babies."

"You know that, and I know that, but the babies have their own schedule. Get dressed and let's go!"

"Alright." Mike said as he jumped out of bed and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "I'm ready."

Twenty minutes later, Mike and Jill entered Memorial Hospital's emergency room. After vital signs and blood samples were taken, Jill was rushed up to Labor and Delivery.

"Can I help you?" Andrea Whitaker queried as Jill was wheeled up to the reception desk in a wheelchair.

"This is Mrs. Jill Danko. She came in thirty minutes ago stating she was in labor with twins. Here are her vital signs taken in the ER." The ER nurse explained as she handed a folder to Andrea Whitaker.

"Okay. Thanks. I'll take it from here." Andrea said as she wheeled Jill into a private room with Mike close behind. "How far along are you, Jill?"

"Approximately thirty-nine weeks." Jill said as the nurse and Mike helped her out of the wheelchair and transferred Jill to the bed.

"Why don't you lie down and make yourself comfortable while I get the paperwork together." Andrea suggested before leaving the room.

When Andrea walked back to the nurse's station, she noticed a large envelope with Jill Danko written on the front. When Andrea opened the envelope, she realized there were admitting orders already written out and signed by Jill's obstetrician, Dr. Martin.

As Andrea looked over Jill's vital signs, she realized her blood pressure was elevated and her lab work indicated she might be in the early stages of preeclampsia. Without hesitation, Andrea paged Dr. Martin.

"Are you having any symptoms right now?" Andrea asked after entering Jill's room.

"Well, I was having contractions every ten minutes but now things have quieted down." Jill explained. "Maybe I pushed the panic button."

"Your face looks like it's a little swollen." Andrea noted. "Are you having any headaches or blurred vision?"

"I have a headache right now." Jill said as she mentally tried to self-diagnose. "Maybe I can go home."

"Let's let Dr. Martin decide on what you should do." Andrea said trying not to alarm Jill with her tentative diagnosis.

"You think I have preeclampsia, don't you?" Jill asked as she finally put all her symptoms together and came up with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a blood pressure disorder that usually happens during pregnancy and can lead to death of the mother and child if left untreated. The treatment for pre-eclampsia is delivering the baby.

"I'm not qualified to give a diagnosis." Andrea admitted. "I did page Dr. Martin, and he will be here shortly."

Ten minutes later, Dr. Martin walks into the nurse's station wearing green scrubs.

"What's the status on Mrs. Danko?" Dr. Martin asked as Andrea handed him Jill's chart.

"She came in with contractions about every ten minutes. She told me about fifteen minutes ago, the contractions have stopped. If you look at her vital signs, you'll see her blood pressure is slightly elevated and she has protein in her urine. She's a little on the anxious side and she's complaining of a headache. Also, her face looks a little swollen."

"How are the babies' heart rate?" Dr. Martin asked.

"Both are strong and normal." Andrea said.

"I took a look at Jill's latest ultrasound, and everything looked normal." Dr. Martin said. "What room is she in?"

"Room 340." Andrea said.

"I hear you were having contractions." Dr. Martin said after knocking on the door and entering the room.

"Yeah, it started about one hour ago. But now, it seems to have subsided."

"Where was the pain?"

"Lower back." Jill said.

After looking at the fetal heart monitor, Dr. Martin decided to get an abdominal ultrasound to check on the babies' progress as compared to the previous ultrasounds performed at the office.

"Are we going to be a family of four today?" Mike asked.

"That depends on the ultrasound I ordered on you." Dr. Martin said. "Then we'll discuss our options."

Five minutes later, an ultrasound technician along with the ultrasound machine arrive and begins the ultrasound on Jill.

Meanwhile, Terry decided to call Mike and Jill to see how things were going. To Terry's surprise, there was no answer at the Danko residence even after Terry called numerous times.

"Could it be possible?" Terry asked himself as he dialed the number to Memorial Hospital.

"Memorial Hospital, can I help you?" A woman on the other end of the line asked.

"Yes, Jill Danko's room, please." Terry replied surprised his tactic of assuming Jill was already in the hospital worked.

Meanwhile, in room 340, the ultrasound technician left the room when the telephone rang.

Mike reached over and answered the phone.

"Hello." Mike said, obviously irritated someone would call when Jill was trying to rest.

"Hey, Mike. It's Terry."

"Oh, hi Terry." Mike said, relieved to hear a familiar voice.

"I tried calling you at home to see how things were going and became concerned when no one answered the phone. I took the chance to see if Jill was admitted."

"Yeah. She started having contractions earlier this morning. Thankfully, the contractions have stopped but now they're worried about pre-eclampsia. I have no idea what that is and how they plan on treating it. They just did a prenatal ultrasound and now we wait to see what the doctor decides what to do."

"Jill is far enough along that the babies will survive if they are delivered today, I'm sure."

"I hope so." Mike said.

"Well, say hi to Jill when she's awake and if there's anything I can do for the two of you, let me know."

"There is one thing you can do." Mike said. "Could you contact Captain Christianson and tell him Jill went into labor this morning and I'll talk to him on Monday about using my vacation days."

"Will do." Terry replied. "Wouldn't it be nice if new parents could take paid maternity and paternity leave when a child is born?"

"Yeah, it would. However, I'll have to rely on my vacation time for now. I just remembered Jill's surprise baby shower. It's today and I forgot to call Christine."

"I'll take care of it. Anyone else you want me to call?" Terry asked.

"Yes, there is. If you could call Jill's sister, Amanda and tell her not to bother showing up today. I'm sure Jill won't be in the mood to see anyone right now."

"Where's Amanda's phone number?"

"Jill has an address book in the drawer by the refrigerator. Her number should be there. You still have a key to our house, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Terry said. "Don't worry about it. Let me know how things are going when you have a chance."

"You got it." Mike said before placing the phone back on its receiver.

"Whose idea was it for a surprise baby shower?" Jill asked.

"I thought you were asleep." Mike said.

"The phone ringing woke me up and you're avoiding the question."

"It was Christine's idea. Dinner at Christine's house was a way to get you over to her house for the surprise party. Please, don't say anything to her."

"Fine." Jill said as she crossed her arms for effect. "I'm still mad at you for not warning me."

"Sorry." Mike said. "I tried talking her out of it."

Meanwhile, Kent Strom entered the Ludlow Precinct and walked over to the front desk.

"Can I help you?" Sgt. Older asked. Sgt Older seems to be a permanent fixture at the front desk.

"Can I talk to someone about that car fire?"

"That would be the Cold Case Unit." Sgt. Older said. "Have a seat and I'll notify whoever is on call."

After making calls to Captain Christianson and Jill's friend, Christine, Terry was at Mike and Jill's home looking for Amanda's phone number. Amanda, Jill's sister, was planning on attending the baby shower along with Amanda's daughter, Tori.

The address book was right where Mike said it would be. Terry opened the address book and started dialing the phone number.

"Hello?" A woman's voice answered the phone.

"Hi. Is Amanda there?" Terry asked.

"This is Amanda. Who is this?"

"I'm Terry Webster, a friend of Mike and Jill." Terry explained. "We met at Thanksgiving last year."

"Of course, I remember." Amanda replied. "What's going on?"

"Jill went into labor early this morning which means the baby shower is cancelled. Mike wanted me to tell you not to bother coming down."

"Gosh. I really wanted to be there for the delivery" Amanda said.

"All I can tell you is what Mike told me. Sit tight and he will get back to you when he can."

"Okay. I guess I can do that." Amanda said obviously disappointed at the request.

"Sorry." Terry said as the sound of his pager going off in the background. "I'm going to have to cut this short. Someone is paging me from work."

"Thanks for calling." Amanda replied.

Terry disconnected the phone call and started dialing the Ludlow Precinct phone number by memory.

"Ludlow precinct. This is Sgt. Older speaking."

"Yeah. This is Terry Webster. I was paged."

"There's a gentleman by the name of Kent Strom who says he has information on your arson investigation. How do you want me to handle it?" Sgt. Older explained.

"Put him into an interrogation room and tell him I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Copy that."

Meanwhile, in a nondescript location in Southern California, Amanda was trying to explain to her daughter, Tori, why the baby shower was cancelled.

"I want to go see Aunt Jill and Uncle Mike!" Tori said as she pouted for effect.

"Uncle Mike and Aunt Jill need some privacy after the babies are born."

"This is so unfair!" Tori said as she stomped her way back to her room and slammed her door shut.

Back at Memorial Hospital, Dr. Martin walked into Jill's room to deliver his recommendation.

"What's the verdict?" Mike asked as Jill grabbed his hand for support.

"I compared your latest prenatal ultrasound with the most recent ultrasound done at the clinic." Dr. Martin explained. "There's literally no more room at the inn."

"What does that mean?" Jill asked.

"It means the babies can't grow because there's no more room. This in turn, puts pressure on your placentas which is probably why you ended up with pre-eclampsia. I strongly recommend we go ahead with the c-section today."

"What if they're not ready?" Mike asked.

"The twins will be transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit right after birth. They will be placed in incubators until their due date. Your babies will be under the care of Dr. Lois Freeman, she's a neonatologist."

"So, the babies will be in NICU for two weeks?" Jill asked.

"Two, possibly three weeks. Dr. Freeman will be able to answer that question once she evaluates your twins. Are we in agreement?" Dr. Martin asked looking for Mike and Jill's consent.

Mike and Jill looked at each other and immediately knew what each other was thinking.

"Yes, we give our permission." Jill said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Dr. Martin replied. "I'll go and see what operating rooms are available. The longer we wait, puts added risks for you and your babies.

Chapter 12

Meanwhile, Terry arrived at the Ludlow Precinct wondering who is willing to give information surrounding the arson investigation.

"I put him in Interrogation Room three." Sgt. Older said as he walked past the reception desk.

"Thanks." Terry said. "I'll be right back. I just need to pick up my paperwork from my office."

Meanwhile, Amanda decided to see how her daughter, Tori is doing after their argument earlier. Amanda knocked several times and received no acknowledgement from Tori. Amanda cautiously opened the bedroom door to find Tori's room empty. When Amanda did a cursory search of the room, to her horror, finds Tori's backpack is missing along with some of her clothes. Money from Tori's secret hiding place was also missing.

Back at the Ludlow Precinct, Terry enters Interrogation Room three to see a man, approximately forty years old seated at the table, facing the door.

"Hi. I'm Lieutenant Webster. Nice to meet you." Terry said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Kent Strom. Nice to meet you." Kent said as he extended his hand as well

"When is your attorney arriving?" Terry asked noticing that Kent Strom is alone in the room.

"I'm waving my right to an attorney." Kent said.

"Just to let you know, I will be audio taping this conversation." Terry said as he checked to make sure the audio recorder was in working condition.

"I understand." Kent stated.

"This is April 27th, 1984, at 0730. I'm Lieutenant Webster interviewing Kent Strom." Terry said as he started the painstaking process of setting up the interview. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney with you during questioning. If you can't afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. You can decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present and have the right to stop answering questions at any time. Do you understand these rights I have said to you?"

"Yes, I do." Kent confirmed.

"Do you still wish to talk to me?" Terry asked.

"Yes, I do."

"I understand you have some information regarding an ongoing investigation. Is that correct?" Terry asked.

"Yes. That's correct.

"Okay. What information do you have?"

"It's about the car burning a few days ago." Kent said. "I set the car on fire."

"Why?" Terry asked.

"I was hired by Jeffry Neven to kill his wife and then torch the car with her in it." Kent explained.

"Why don't you start at the beginning." Terry suggested.

"Six months ago, I was released from prison when Jeffry Neven approached me to kill off his wife and burn her car in the process. I agreed to do it for $5,000. Jeffry told me that he was in serious debt and the only way to get out of it was to kill his wife and torch her car. Neven told me the car was practically new and he should get at least $12,000 for it from the auto insurance company. Then he told me his wife had a $50,000 life insurance policy as well."

"Who suggested torching the car?" Terry asked still in shock over Strom's willingness to confess to murder without a lawyer present.

"Neven did." Kent answered. "Neven told me to kill his wife, put her body in the driver's seat and torch the El Camino."

"Hold on a minute." Terry interrupted. "Mrs. Neven's car was a Camaro, not an El Camino. Are you telling me you set the wrong car on fire?"

"About ten days before the murder, Neven drove me past his house. There was an El Camino in the driveway. I distinctly remember Jeffry telling me the El Camino was her car and that's the one I should torch."

"When did you realize you set the wrong car on fire?" Terry asked.

"A couple of days ago. When the car fire and murder was on the news."

"Okay. Tell me about the day you killed Mrs. Neven and torched the El Camino."

"On Monday, at noon, I was told by Jeffry that his wife would be home for her lunch break because that's what she does everyday she works. I walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. When Mrs. Neven asked who it was, I told her I was delivering a package. When she opened the door, I rushed in and pushed her to the ground. She put up a good fight, but I managed to strangle her to death. Then, I waited until 1:00pm when the neighborhood was quiet. Jeffry left the keys in the El Camino, so I backed up the car, loaded her in the back and drove out to the countryside to start the car on fire."

"Do you recognize this?" Terry asked as he slid a picture of the receipt that was recovered by the fire investigators.

"Yeah, I do. I had to pick up a gas tank, gloves and lighter at a hardware store."

"Where did you park the car?"

"Somewhere on Rocky Ridge Road. There was an abandoned lot where I parked the car, doused it was gas and set it on fire. I also put Cheryl Langer's driver's license about two hundred feet from the car."

"Where did you get the driver's license?" Terry asked.

"Jeffry Neven gave it to me. He told me this will stall the identification of the body."

"Okay. Where did Jeffry Neven get the driver's license?"

"I have no idea." Kent Strom answered.

"So, you're telling me after a ten-year stint in Corcoran Prison, you didn't know anyone who can find or make fake driver's licenses?"

"I am telling you the truth."

"What about the missing bumper?" Terry asked trying to trip Strom up with the details of the crime.

"What missing bumper?" Kent Strom answered.

"The rear bumper was missing on the El Camino when the firefighters got there. What happened to that bumper?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Strom said. "All I can tell you is the El Camino was in perfect condition when I torched it. Someone else took that bumper."

"Where is Jeffry Neven?" Terry asked as there was a knock on the door.

"When I saw Neven a couple of days ago, he was at the West Hollywood Motel on Ranchester Avenue. He was in room 26."

"Excuse me for a moment." Terry said as he opened the door to see Sgt. Older with a piece of paper in hand.

"Here's the search warrant you wanted." Sgt. Older replied as he handed Terry a single piece of paper.

"Thank you." Terry said before closing the door.

"Can I go home now?" Kent Strom asked seemingly unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

"Of course, not." Terry explained. "You admitted to killing Mrs. Neven. In fact, you're going to be arrested for murder of Marjory Neven and arson."

"Oh..." Kent replied as his face started turning pale and then white. Strom didn't plan on getting arrested just for telling the truth.

"I have a warrant to check your apartment for anything related to this crime." Terry said as he handed the piece of paper and pen over to Strom. "If you would sign your name at the bottom of the form."

"What if I refuse?" Kent countered.

"Since you confessed to the murder, we have probable cause to search your home. Signing the form is just procedural. It doesn't matter whether you give consent or not. The search will happen either way."

"Fine." Kent replied as he signed the form.

Almost on cue, a uniformed police officer knocked on the door.

"Mr. Strom is under arrest for murder and arson." Terry explained to the officer. "If you could handcuff him and take him to processing, please."

"Of course." Officer Underwood replied.

Chapter 13

Fearing the worst, Amanda grabbed her address book and started calling all of Tori's friends to see if she was hiding at a friend's house. When that didn't pan out, Amanda feverishly tried to think about what to do next when the idea of calling Terry Webster came to mind.

Amanda located the Ludlow Precinct's non-emergency line and dialed the telephone number.

"Ludlow Precinct. Sgt. Older speaking."

"Is Terry Webster there?" Amanda asked, her voice starting the crack.

"Yes, he is. However, he's unavailable currently." Sgt. Older said.

"Please... it's an emergency." Amanda explained now close to tears.

Just then, Terry was emerging from the Interrogation Room.

"Terry, there's a phone call for you." Sgt. Older said.

"Is it Mike Danko?" Terry asked thinking his friend was calling with good news.

"No, this is a woman's voice."

"Okay. I'll take the call." Terry said. "This is Terry Webster."

"Terry, it's Amanda."

"I haven't heard anything from Mike if that's what you're calling about." Terry explained hoping to end the call so he can concentrate on his search warrant.

"That's not why I'm calling." Amanda explained. "It's my daughter Tori, she's missing."

"What do you mean by Tori is missing?" Terry asked.

"Tori was upset when I told her the baby shower was cancelled and that we weren't going to be able to see Mike and Jill until after the babies are born, she really got upset." Amanda explained. "I didn't think anything about it until I went to check on her."

"Okay. What happened?"

"I found her room empty and her backpack, clothes and the money she's been saving is gone."

"Did you call her friends to see if she's hiding out at one of their homes?" Terry asked convinced Tori is probably trying to teach her mom a lesson.

"None of her friends have seen Tori since yesterday." Amanda said. "I need your help. What should I do next?"

"You need to call the local police department. This is out of the Ludlow Precinct's jurisdiction." Terry said.

"They aren't going to do anything." Amanda said.

"That could be the case, but you need to start somewhere." Terry said. "You said Tori was upset when she found out the baby shower was cancelled, and she couldn't see Mike and Jill until after the babies are born."

"That's right." Amanda confirmed. "What are you suggesting?"

"What if she's coming to see her aunt and uncle?" Terry asked. "Tori took some money with her, right?"

"I never thought of that." Amanda said.

"When did you discover she was missing?" Terry asked.

"About an hour ago, why?"

"Because Tori could be taking the bus to Southern California. Check the bus schedules and see when the next bus is due to leave to our area. If she took the bus, I might be able to intercept her at the bus station."

"Should I still call the police and report Tori missing?"

"I would." Terry said. "Page me if you find out anything or if Tori comes back. My pager number is 555-0095."

"Okay. Thanks Terry."

"I wouldn't tell Mike or Jill about this." Terry said. "There's no reason to hit the panic button yet."

Meanwhile, at the bus station, sixteen-year-old Tori was able to buy a ticket and get on a bus to Southern California. Tori will reach her destination in two hours. What she will do once she gets there is unknown.

At Memorial Hospital, Jill's nurse, Andrea Whitaker, brought in some supplies to prep Jill for the c-section.

"Good news." Andrea said. "There is an operating room open and ready to go. All that's left is to prep you for surgery. Mr. Danko, will you be in the operating room as well?"

"Yes." Mike answered.

"I'll get some scrubs for you to wear." Andrea said as she left the room.

"Well, this is it." Mike said.

"Yes, it is." Jill agreed.

"How are you feeling?" Mike asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared." Jill confessed as a single tear rolled down her face.

"You'll be fine, we'll both be fine." Mike said as he gently wiped the tear from her face.

"I know that." Jill answered. "That reminds me, they won't let me wear my rings into the operating room. Will you hold on to them for me?"

"Of course." Mike said as he took the rings from his wife. As Mike looked at the rings, his mind traveled back to 1973 when Jill was about to go for surgery to remove a bullet from her spine.

"Are you okay?" Jill asked.

"I'm fine." Mike replied as he put Jill's rings in his pants pocket. "My mind wandered off for a second."

"I thought about that as well." Jill said knowing exactly what Mike was referring to.

"The outcome is going to be vastly different."

"In about an hour, we'll be a family of four." Jill said.

"I'll leave and let the nurse prep you for surgery." Mike said before kissing Jill on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Jill said as nurse Andrea came back into the room with scrubs for Mike as promised.

"Here are the scrubs for you to wear in the operating room. These scrubs are one size fits no one so you'll have to improvise." Andrea explained. "You can change in the men's restroom down the hall."

"Okay. Thank you." Mike said.

Meanwhile, Captain Christianson walked into the front door of the Ludlow Precinct.

"Isn't this your weekend off, sir?" Sgt. Older asked.

"Yes, it is. But word has it that things are heating up in the arson investigation. I came to offer my assistance."

"I saw Terry about five minutes ago heading back upstairs." Sgt. Older said. "He has several irons in the fire."

"Okay…" Captain Christianson replied, perplexed with the Sergeant's assessment of the situation.

As Captain Christianson climbed the stairs, he could hear Terry talking to someone on the phone without much success.

"Yes, I know it's the weekend." Terry said, rolling his eyes to no one in particular. "But this is an emergency. We had a big break in this case and I'm afraid will lose our advantage if we're not able to execute both search warrants simultaneously." Terry proceeded to disconnect the call.

"I came to see if you needed help." Captain Christianson explained. "What's going on?"

"Well, believe it or not, Kent Strom came into the police station and literally confessed to murder and arson." Terry said.

"I'm sure his lawyer wasn't too happy upon hearing this."

"That's just it." Terry said. "He waved his right to counsel."

"Really?" Captain Christianson replied. "Wasn't he released from Corcoran Prison six months ago? You would think he'd have better sense than to confess without counsel present."

"I know. He's not the brightest arsonist around."

"How reliable do you think Mr. Strom is?" Captain Christianson asked.

"His story is consistent with the evidence. He also mentioned he was the one who put Cheryl Neven's driver's license at the scene. The driver's license was never released to the media. Only the perp would know that. Although he said Mr. Neven gave him the license and he doesn't know how he obtained it."

"What can I do for you?" Captain Christianson asked.

"We have a warrant to search Kent Strom's home. Now, I'm trying to get a warrant to search Jeffry Neven's home and the hotel room where he's supposedly staying at." Terry explained. "It would be helpful if you could work on getting that warrant while I work on a crisis not related to this case."

"What's the crisis?" Captain Christianson asked.

"Mike Danko's niece has apparently ran away from home, and I think she's heading in this direction to visit her aunt and uncle. I have the mom checking the bus routes to see when the next one is heading our way. My hope is to intercept the niece at the bus station."

"And you don't want to bother Mike and his wife." Captain Christianson assumed.

"They have enough on their plates without having to deal with an impetuous teenager." Terry explained.

"Have you called Willie and Chris in?" Captain Christianson asked.

"No. The thought never occurred to me." Terry admitted.

"You can send Willie or Chris to the bus station to pick up the child." Captain Christianson suggested. "I'm assuming they both know this girl."

"Chris knows the girl better than Chris."

"Okay then, send Chris to the bus station."

Chapter 14

Meanwhile, at Memorial Hospital, Jill is laying on the operating room table with Mike by her side. There was a flurry of activity as the operating room staff checked to make sure everything was in order.

A few minutes later, Dr. Martin walks into the room wearing the usual operating room apparel.

"Is everyone here?" Dr. Martin asked referring to the NICU staff and the Neonatologist, Dr. Sharon Freeman.

"Present and accounted for." Dr. Freeman said.

"Yes." One of the operating room technicians replied. "The NICU teams are ready, one team for each baby."

"Jill and Mike, are you ready to meet your babies?" Dr. Martin asked.

"We're more than ready." Mike replied.

"Okay. Let's begin." Dr. Martin said.

Meanwhile, at the West Hollywood Motel, room 26, Jeffry Neven continues to evade police by hiding out in a motel. Jeffry Neven lights up a cigarette and turns on the television to keep ahead of the investigation.

"In other news, SCPD is asking for help in the identification of the person who perished in the car fire several days ago. If you seen or heard anything related to this case, please call the Southern California Police Department at 213- 555-1456." The news anchor reported.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jeffry Neven ordered a pizza from the nearby pizza parlor and proceeded to relax and watch a little television.

Meanwhile, Chris enters the bus station to wait for the arrival of the only bus that originated from the non-descript location where Jill's sister Amanda, her husband Paul and Tori live.

Chris walked up to the ticket booth with his badge in hand.

"Can you tell me when the bus from the Carlsbad area due to arrive?" Chris asked.

"Look at the schedule and figure it out yourself." The fifty-year-old bus attendant curtly replied, obviously having a very bad day.

"Let me rephrase that." Chris said as he flashed his badge toward the attendant. "I'm Detective Chris Owens, SCPD and I'm here to pick up a minor on the bus originating from Carlsbad. When is the bus due to arrive?"

"Oh, sorry Officer Owens, I had no idea you were a police officer." The man said trying to save face. "The bus is on time and should be here in ten minutes. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No. I think I can handle things from here." Chris said as he walked toward the bus terminal.

At the Ludlow Precinct, Willie just arrived in the Cold Case Unit office.

"Sorry it took me so long." Willie said as he practically ran into the office.

"Don't worry about it. Terry said.

"What can I do to help?" Willie explained.

"To make a long story short, we had a major break in the case this morning. Kent Strom showed up voluntarily and admitted to killing Mrs. Neven and torching the car. Strom even implicated Jeffry Neven in the process."

"Who's his lawyer?" Willie asked.

"He waived his right to an attorney." Terry answered.

"This case keeps getting stranger as we go along."

"You got that right." Terry agreed. "Anyway, Captain Christianson is working on getting an emergency warrant to search Neven's home and motel room. I can go to the motel if you want to take the lead at Neven's home. Unless Captain Christianson offers to go, of course."

"Did I hear my name being called?" Captain Christianson asked as he walked into the office with two pieces of paper in hand. "I have two emergency warrants. One for Neven's home and the other for Neven's hotel room."

"How were you able to get those warrants so fast?" Terry asked.

"Let's just say the judge on call owed me a favor." Captain Christianson answered. "I will be glad to take the lead on one of these warrants if you want."

"That would be great. I'll take the motel." Terry said. "If that's okay with you, sir."

"This is your investigation, treat me like one of the guys."

"Okay. Willie, you can take the lead on Strom's home." Terry instructed. "Captain Christianson, you have Jeffry Neven's home."

"I also enlisted the help of several uniformed police officers to help us with the search warrants. They should be downstairs and ready to go."

"Let's do it." Terry said as he grabbed his jacket and followed Captain Christianson and Willie out of the door.

Meanwhile, at Memorial Hospital, Dr. Martin already started the procedure. Mike was still by his wife's side, holding her hand.

"What time is it?" Dr. Martin asked as he removed baby 'A.'

"The time is 08:31." One of the operating room staff answered.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Martin said almost as excited as Mike and Jill were.

The operating room technician cleaned off the baby, wrapped her in a blanket and showed Mike and Jill their little girl before immediately handing the baby to the NICU staff.

"Happy Birthday, Hope Miji Danko." Jill said.

One minute later, Dr. Martin removed baby 'B.' "It's a boy delivered at 08:33." Dr. Martin said.

The operating room technician cleaned and wrapped up the baby and briefly showed Mike and Jill their second baby before handing him over to the second NICU staff.

"What's the baby boy's name?" Dr. Martin asked as he started closing the incision.

"Jon Michael Danko." Mike said.

"Happy Birthday to Jon Michael." Dr. Martin announced.

By this time, the babies were examined by Dr. Freeman, placed in two separate incubators, and whisked off to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

"Go see the babies." Jill said to her husband who hasn't left her side since Jill went into labor. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. Make sure the babies are okay." Jill said. "Give me a full report."

"You got it." Mike said as he got up from the chair.

Chapter 15

Meanwhile, three teams of four officers each descend upon Jeffry Neven's home and motel room, and Kent Strom's home.

"What are we looking for, Sgt. Gillis?" One of the uniformed officers asked Willie before entering Strom's home.

"Anything related to the arson case from a few days ago. Things like a gas can, receipts, notes." Willie answered. "Okay, let's do this."

After knocking on the Kent Strom's door, announcing it was the police and received no answer, Willie and two uniformed officers entered the house. After a quick sweep of the house looking for anyone who may be hiding in the house without success, the search began.

The house itself was in poor condition and in disarray.

"Detective, I think I found something." One of the officers announced.

"What did you find?" Willie asked.

"It looks like some sort of diary." The officer answered. "And it goes into detail about how he killed the victim and then set the car on fire."

"Great. Put the diary in an evidence bag." Willie said.

Other evidence recovered were a gas can, a pair of gasoline-soaked gloves and a receipt for the gasoline purchased. All were logged into evidence and taken back to the station for processing.

Meanwhile, at Neven's hotel room, Jeffry Neven was handcuffed and sitting on the sidewalk with a police officer standing guard.

"What do we have here?" Terry asked as he found two polaroid pictures of Marjory Neven in the car and another picture of the car on fire.

Also recovered was a piece of scrap paper with the $500,000 dollars from the life insurance policy with several items that were subtracted from the $500,000. One of the items was $5,000 written as payment to Kent Strom for services rendered. Another item was $1,000 for the purchase of fake ID and passport. Also recovered were the two pictures of the burning car and gas receipt."

"I think were have enough here for an arrest." Terry said as he put the scrap paper and pictures in separate evidence bags. "Officer Underwood, would you do the honors of placing Mr. Neven in the patrol car?"

"It would be my pleasure, Lieutenant Webster." Officer Underwood said as he and another uniformed officer placed Mr. Neven in the back of the patrol car.

Meanwhile, Captain Christianson and three other uniformed police officers were conducting a warrant search at Jeffry Neven's home.

"I think I found something, Captain." One of the uniformed police officers announced. "It's a gold necklace with soot on it next to a picture of Marjory Neven. I think she's wearing the necklace in this picture."

"Let me take a look." Captain Christianson said. Upon closer inspection of the picture, it appears that Marjory was indeed wearing the same necklace in question. "Bag both items up. We'll put them through processing."

Chapter 16

Meanwhile, at Memorial Hospital, Mike walked up to the NICU observation window and watched as his and Jill's babies were placed in incubators for the next two to three weeks. Mike noted how tiny both babies are.

Mike walked back to Jill's room just as the hospital staff were wheeling Jill back into the room.

"How are the babies?" Jill asked as Mike walked into the room.

"They look so tiny laying in those incubators." Mike said.

"I'm anxious to hear how much they weigh." Jill said as the nurse straightened out her blanket before leaving the room.

Just then there was a knock on the door and a woman in her forties, wearing scrubs, walked into Jill's room.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Freeman. I am the neonatologist taking care of your babies. It's nice to meet you both." Dr. Freeman said as she shook both Mike and Jill's hands.

"So, how are our babies?" Jill nervously asked.

"They're both doing great." Dr. Freeman said. "Hope is five pounds even and Jon is five and a half pounds. Both babies have an APGAR score of six which is understandable given the situation. Both babies' skin is nice and pink, heart rates are above one hundred, and are breathing on their own. Their muscle motion could be more active but that will come along in due time. Any questions so far?"

"No." Jill answered for her and Mike.

"I suspect the twins will be in the NICU for approximately two weeks, maybe three weeks at the most. One twin may develop faster and again, that's understandable. I ended up putting feeding tubes in both babies to help them with nutrition while they're learning how to take in milk on their own. You'll be fitted with bracelets, one for each baby that you need to keep on while the babies are in NICU. The babies will have an identical bracelet as yours. This is our way of positively identifying you and your babies. One of the NICU nurses will be in to explain other precautions to follow. If you have any questions, just let the nurse know and the nurse will contact me. Any other questions?"

"I believe you answered all of my questions." Jill said.

"Great." Dr. Freeman said. "I saw Dr. Martin at the nurses' station and I'm sure he wants to talk to you as well. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you." Mike said. "That's a lot of information."

"I know. I hope I remember it all." Jill said.

Then, there was another knock on the door and Dr. Martin walks in.

"The c-section went smoothly. Better than I hoped for." Dr. Martin said. "I would stay on bedrest until late afternoon. Then you can go see your babies."

"When can I go home?" Jill asked.

"Maybe tomorrow. It all depends on your blood pressure and lab work. I want to make sure the pre-eclampsia has resolved on its own." Dr. Martin replied. "Any other questions?"

"I don't think so." Jill replied.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning." Dr. Martin said before walking out of the door.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Terry and Willie walk into the Cold Case Unit after a very successful simultaneous search warrants on Jeffry Neven's home and hotel room and Kent Strom's home.

Sitting at his desk is Chris who just arrived after picking up Mike and Jill's niece, Tori from the bus station.

"How was the search?" Chris asked unaware there were three searches going on at the same time.

"Which search are you talking about?" Willie asked.

"Was there more than one?"

"There were three searches." Terry replied. "We gathered enough evidence to arrest Jeffry Neven for solicitation of murder. Where's Tori?"

"She's in the restroom." Chris answered. "Don't worry, a female cadet accompanied Tori to the restroom. We wouldn't want her getting lost now, would we?"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Willie asked.

"That's what I'd like to know." Chris chimed in. "The message I got was to pick up Tori at the bus station and bring her to precinct."

"Apparently, according to Amanda, Tori got upset when she found out the baby shower was cancelled. She wanted to come and see Mike and Jill. When Amanda told her 'No,' Tori got upset and decided to pack some clothes, take her money, and take a bus ride here."

Just then, a female cadet and Tori walked back into the office.

"I hope you don't mind, but I bought her some chips and a can of soda." The cadet stated.

"No problem." Chris said. "How much do I owe you?"

"Forget about it." The cadet stated. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No." Chris said. "Thanks for doing this."

"You're welcome." The cadet stated before walking out the door.

"Well Tori, how was your bus trip?" Terry asked.

"Boring." Tori said as she started playing her handheld game. "When can I see Uncle Mike and Aunt Jill?"

"I don't know." Terry said truthfully. "I wish I knew when your mother was coming to pick you up."

"Can't I stay with you, Uncle Terry?" Amanda asked in her teenager whiney voice. "I could go back home tomorrow."

"Your mom really wants you back home tonight." Terry said. "I'm guessing she's on her way here as we speak."

"Do you plan on interviewing your suspect today?" Willie asked.

"Well, he's going through processing right now. I hoping he'll wave his right to an attorney so I can get this over with."

"Well, that dream won't be coming through." Captain Christianson said as he walked in the door. "I got word that our suspect wants to speak to an attorney."

"Wonderful." Terry said sarcastically.

"You could take this opportunity and leave early." Captain Christianson said. "This guy isn't going anywhere."

"Well Tori, would you like to see your Uncle Mike and Aunt Jill?" Terry queried. "I think we can make this happen."

"Really?" Tori excitedly replied. "Thanks Uncle Terry." Tori said as she ran up to Terry and gave him a hug.

"I'm going with you, Terry." Chris announced. "The look on Mike and Jill's faces will be priceless."

"Thanks for your support." Terry said sarcastically.

"Why don't you all go to the hospital?" Dr. Christianson said. "I can intercept Tori's mom when she gets here."

"Really?" Terry asked.

"Of course." Captain Christianson replied. "What's this woman's name?"

"Amanda Jennings." Terry said. "Tell Amanda to come to Memorial Hospital and pick Tori up."

"Copy that." Captain Christianson said. "Get going before I change my mind."

Meanwhile, Derrick Quinn, a litigator in private practice, sits in a conference room reserved for client/lawyer meetings.

Five minutes later, Jeffry Neven walks in the room wearing a SCPD issued orange jumpsuit and canvas shoes without socks. Complementing the 'inmate look' are hand and leg cuffs.

"Is this really necessary?" Attorney Quinn asked, referring to the ankle iron chains.

"Just following protocol." The uniformed officer replied as he pulled out a chair for Neven to sit on.

"You can leave the cuffs off." Attorney Quinn said as the uniformed officer was about to attach Neven's chains to the back of the chair.

"Okay." The officer replied as he removed the wrist restraints but leaving the ankle restraints intact.

"Is that recorder on?" Attorney Quinn asked referring to a video camera in the corner of the room. A red LED light illuminated on the side of the camera.

"I don't think so." The officer replied.

"Would you please check and turn off the camera while we're conducting our interview."

"Yes, sir." The officer replied as he lifted the receiver on the wall mounted phone and dialed a four-digit extension by memory. "The attorney wants us to cut the video recording. Okay. Yes, sir."

Wordlessly, the uniformed police officer turned off the video camera as instructed.

Attorney Quinn looked at the camera to see the red LED light went dark indicating the video camera is turned off.

"Can you leave us alone for a few minutes?" Attorney Quinn said.

"I'll be standing outside the door if you need anything." The officer said as he left the room.

"Okay. Now we can speak freely. I'm Attorney Derrick Quinn and I've been appointed to be your attorney." Attorney Quinn said as he awkwardly shook hands with Neven.

"But I can't afford an attorney. I thought I was going to get an attorney from Legal Aid." Jeffry explained.

"Not to worry." Attorney Quinn replied. "Every weekend, an attorney from private practice is 'on call' in situations like this. This happens to be my weekend."

"Okay." Jeffry said clearly relieved upon hearing Attorney Quinn's explanation.

"I've looked at the paperwork regarding your case and I have to say, the police have a lot of evidence against you."

"How can that be?"

"It appears your accomplice turned himself in yesterday and told the police about his involvement in the crime and your alleged involvement as well." Attorney Quinn explained.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I could probably get a reduced sentence in exchange for your cooperation."

"I don't know about this."

"Did you know that while the police were searching your hotel room, the police were also conducting simultaneous search warrants on your home as well as your alleged accomplice, Mr. Strom." Attorney Quinn said.

"At Mr. Strom's home, he had had a receipt at a local gas station where he filled up the gas can." Attorney Quinn explained as he slid photographs showing the receipts and another photograph of a diary type book.

"What is this?" Jeffry Neven said.

"Oh, this is Mr. Strom's diary. In this diary he confessed to his role in the death of your wife and the arson. At your home, they found a necklace that had soot on it next to a picture of your wife wearing that necklace. In your motel room, there were the pictures of the car fire and a scrap of paper with $500,000 at the top with a couple of items listed such as your fake ID and license for $1000 and another $5000 to Mr. Strom for services rendered." Attorney Quinn explained as he showed his client a picture of the scrap of paper and copies of the pictures of the car fire.

"Do you want to know whether I did this, don't you?" Jeffry blurted out.

"Actually no, I don't want to know. I'm giving you my recommendation based on the evidence that is presented to me. My job is to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. It's the district attorney's job to prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. What I'm saying is with the evidence the police have and if you did what you're accused of, let me broker a deal with the prosecution in return for your cooperation."

"If you were me, what would you do?"

"What it comes down to is your word against your alleged co-conspirator. Your alleged co-conspirator has already confessed to his portion of the crime. The prosecution would be more than happy to broker a deal and close this case as fast as possible. Truthfully, I'd confess but only after I talked to the prosecutor. Do you want some time to think about this?"

"Can I give you my decision tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Meanwhile, at Memorial Hospital, Mike and Jill just walked back into Jill's room after seeing their babies for the first time.

"I think we should iron out a few details." Mike said as he helped Jill back into bed.

"Details?" Jill asked not quite knowing what Mike was talking about.

"Yeah. I'll teach Hope and Jon how to drive." Mike announced.

"What if I want to teach them how to drive?" Jill countered.

"Please…" Mike answered "I am a cop. It's what we do."

"I suppose I'm going to teach the kids about sex education." Jill said.

"I'm glad you're so agreeable."

"I didn't say I would do it." Jill said.

"What do you mean, you don't want to do it?"

"You could teach the kids about sex education too, you know."

"You're a nurse." Mike said. "Teaching is what you do."

"How about we table this discussion until Hope and Jon are teenagers?"

"Sounds good to me." Mike answered.

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Jill said as Terry and Chris entered the room.

"I hope you don't mind that we stopped by unannounced." Chris said.

"You guys are like family." Mike said. "Why would we mind?"

"Did you see the twins?" Jill asked.

"Yes, we did." Terry said. "And I must say they look more like Jill than you, Mike."

"Do you think so?" Mike asked.

"No, I just thought I'd put that out there." Terry confessed. "Although we wanted to see the babies, that's not why we're here."

"I don't understand." Jill said.

"First, I'd like to say that Mike has nothing to do with this and this will be the first time he'll hear about it." Chris explained.

"I always hate when you guys start saying that Mike had nothing to do with it. Nothing good usually comes out of it." Jill said.

"This won't be any different." Chris said.

"We brought you a surprise." Terry said.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what surprise would that be?" Mike asked.

"We'll show you." Terry answered as Chris motioned Wille and Tori to come in.

"Tori, why are you here?" Mike asked.

"Why don't you tell Uncle Mike and Aunt Jill about your busy day?" Terry said.

"I got mad a mom because she didn't want to bring me to see the babies, so I decided to pack some clothes and take the bus here." Tori explained.

"Amanda called me in a panic this morning." Terry said. "Amanda said she couldn't find Tori and she even checked with Tori's friends. Apparently, Tori didn't leave a note, so Amanda didn't know what to do next. I figured Tori took the bus to see you guys and told her to check the bus schedule."

"Amanda should've called the police in her area." Mike said.

"That's what I told Amanda to do although I don't know whether she actually called the police." Terry explained.

"Who picked up Tori?" Jill asked.

"I did." Chris said. "Although I didn't know why I was picking Tori up at the time."

"I don't know what the big deal is." Tori said.

"The big deal is, it's a dangerous world out there and bad things can happen to a teenager travelling alone." Mike said.

"Why didn't you leave a note?" Jill asked.

"I didn't think I had too." Tori said.

"Is Amanda coming, or what?" Mike asked.

"I'm right here." Amanda said as she walked into the room. "Tori, you gave me such a scare. I didn't know where you were."

"Sorry." Tori said. "I didn't know this was such a big deal."

"It is a big deal." Mike, Jill, Willie, Terry, Amanda, and Chris said in unison.

"We're going to have a nice, long talk on the drive home about what you did and your punishment." Amanda said.

"I think Tori has learned a lesson and won't be doing this ever again." Jill said. "Will you Tori?"

"I promise I won't do it again." Tori said.

"You're still in trouble, however." Amanda said. "Let's go, Tori. I want to get back home at a reasonable time."

"Can't we stay overnight?" Tori asked.

"Sorry, but I have to work early tomorrow." Amanda answered. "Say goodbye to everyone and thank Uncle Chris and Uncle Terry for helping you."

"Goodbye everyone." Tori said as she gave everyone a hug. "Thank you, Uncle Terry and Uncle Chris."

"Let's get going." Amanda said. "Jill, if you need anything, let me know. I'll talk to you later."

"That was interesting." Willie said after Amanda left the room and closed the door behind her.

"She did seem to be in a hurry." Chris added referring to Amanda's abrupt and quick exit.

"I'm sure she's embarrassed about having to pick up her runaway kid at her siblings house two hours away." Jill explained.

"I don't know why she was embarrassed." Mike said. "We see situations like this every day of the week."

"Yes, but does Amanda know that?" Terry asked. "Anyway Mike, have you decided how you're going to use your paid vacation time?"

"Well, Jill and I discussed this yesterday." Mike said. "It doesn't pay for me to start my paternity leave until after the twins are home."

"That is true." Willie said.

"So, if you're still planning on exhuming the remains in question, I would like to oversee that." Mike suggested.

"If you're willing to endure the long process of exhuming and escorting the remains to the coroner's office, who am I to argue." Terry said obviously relieved that Mike was willing to handle that part of the investigation.

"Is anything going on with the case?" Jill asked not expecting to hear a whole lot of progress since it's the weekend.

"Well, we've been busy." Chris answered.

"It started early this morning when Kent Strom decided to turn himself in to police and confess without a lawyer present." Terry said.

"Are you kidding?" Mike asked.

"Nope." Terry answered. "Strom confessed to killing Marjory Neven and said Jeffry Neven came to him offering $5000 to kill off his wife and torch the Camaro."

"Wait a minute, I thought I read in the newspaper it was an El Camino that was set on fire." Jill said.

"Kent Strom torched the wrong car." Chris said.

"I have come to the conclusion that Neven set up Strom to take the fall." Terry said.

"Why is that?" Mike asked.

"Because Strom said Neven told him that Marjory Neven had a $50,000 life insurance policy." Terry said. "But we know the policy was actually $500,000."

"Perhaps he's cheap and doesn't want Strom to know how much the life insurance policy is worth." Jill suggested.

"My mind keeps going back to torching the wrong car." Chris said. "What was his excuse for setting the wrong car on fire?"

"Apparently, Neven drove Strom past his house a couple weeks before the crime. The El Camino was sitting in the driveway. Neven allegedly told Strom this is the car that should be torched. Of course, the Camaro was at the dealership for some routine maintenance."

"I'm getting confused." Jill said. "How do you know Strom is telling you the truth?"

"Strom told me things that only the killer would know. Strom said he strangled Marjory Neven." Terry said. "The remains that we now know as Marjory Neven had a fractured hyoid bone. That's something that was never revealed to the public. Strom also told us where we could find Neven which was at a motel across town."

"While Chris was picking up Tori at the bus station, we did simultaneous search warrants on Neven's home and hotel room and Strom's home." Willie said. "We found the gas can, gloves and lighter found at Strom's home. We found the receipts for the purchase of the gas can, gloves, lighter and gas in Neven's hotel room. Also in Neven's motel room were pictures of the El Camino burning. Apparently, Neven wanted proof Strom did what he was hired for."

"And the best part, we picked up a journal in Strom's room detailing exactly how the crime unfolded." Terry said. "We were able to take Neven into custody while conducting the search warrant at his motel room. Unfortunately, Neven won't give a statement until he talks to an attorney."

"I predict a plea deal is imminent." Mike said.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Terry replied.

Chapter 17

It is bright and early Monday morning. Jill was released from the hospital the day before after her blood tests and blood pressure had returned to normal.

Mike was struggling with the toaster as Jill walked into the kitchen.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Jill asked as she walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I thought you could use the rest. You need to take advantage of the free time while you have it." Mike said.

"I know." Jill confessed. "Let me see the toaster."

Mike moved away from the counter so Jill could examine the toaster. "You know Mike, the toaster works much better if you plug it in." Jill said as she put the plug into the receptacle.

"Let me make you some scrambled eggs and bacon to go along with the toast." Jill suggested.

"I can't." Mike answered. "I need to get to the precinct early today."

"You're overseeing the exhumation?" Jill asked.

"Yeah. Now that we know the burned remains are Marjory Neven, we need to make sure the person buried is Cheryl Langer." Mike said.

"Not to mention saving the reputation of the SCPD Robbery and Homicide Unit." Jill said.

"If the remains buried at the cemetery is Cheryl Langer, then at least Robbery and Homicide correctly identified her. But the fact that they misidentified the burned remains of Marjory Neven will be hard to overcome."

"How did they misidentify Marjory Neven?" Jill asked. "It seems to me that would be hard to do."

"Cheryl Langer's driver's license was found at the scene." Mike said

"So, they identified the body based on the driver's license and nothing else?

"I'm not saying anything." Mike said. "I'm just pointing out Cheryl Langer's driver's license was at the crime scene. How they came to that conclusion is unknown. I must get going." Mike kissed Jill on the lips.

"At least take your toast." Jill said as the piece of bread popped up just in time.

"Mumm…. Dry toast." Mike said as he headed for the door. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jill answered.

Chapter 18

Two hours later, Mike, Dr. Colton, coroner for Southern California, the cemetery representative and staff plus excavator, the Environmental Health officer and a funeral director are standing at the gravesite that was identified as Cheryl Langer.

"Do we have the right grave?" The Environmental Health officer queried.

"This is Lot A, number 106." The cemetery Representative answered.

"That matches what I have." One of the staff members said.

"The lot and gravesite location have been verified. Let's do this." Mike said.

Thirty minutes later, the casket has been recovered and placed in a new casket and subsequently sealed. Mike observed the cemetery staff transfer the casket into the hearse for transport to the medical examiner's office.

Ten minutes later, the hearse arrives at the coroner's office and transferred to a receiving area. Mike observed the painstaking process of placing the bones in the anatomically correct position through the one-way observation window. After a considerable amount of time, Mike was ushed into the examination room to observe the autopsy.

"Here is all the necessary paperwork." Mike said as he handed Dr. Colton the death certificate, the order for exhumation and permission to excavate.

"Everything seems to be in order." Dr. Colton said. "All that we're waiting for is Assistant DA Dobson to view the autopsy as well."

Five minutes later, Asst. DA Dobson walked into the morgue wearing the usual green scrubs complete with hair net and booties.

"Sorry, I'm late." Atty. Dobson said.

"You're right on time." Dr. Colton said

"I'm Lt. Mike Danko." Mike introduced himself as he offered his hand for a handshake.

"I remember you." Atty. Dobson said as he shook Mike's hand. "You were part of the Lacey Wilson case, weren't you?"

"Yes, that was me." Mike answered.

"Shall we get started?" Dr. Colton asked.

"Of course." Mike said.

"The exhumation remains of the person identified as Cheryl Langer was sent to the Medical Examiner's office for positive identification related to another ongoing case." Dr. Colton said as he started dictating his report. "Cheryl Langer was a thirty-six-year-old female who died in 1976 of stage IV terminal ovarian cancer."

"The remains presented for identification shows a skeleton of a female, age undetermined. Most of the skeleton is intact at this point. A full x-ray of the remains was completed including dental x-rays. Upon inspection, the remains of Cheryl Langer's teeth correspond to the x-rays obtained by Ms. Langer's dentist at the time of her demise…"

"X-rays of the left ankle reveals three pins that were placed following a car accident in 1979. The x-rays were compared to the x-rays from the orthopedic surgeon's office match…"

"In summary, the dental x-rays and left ankle x-rays support the findings that the exhumed remains are indeed Cheryl Langer." Dr. Colton concluded.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief after he heard the exhumed skeletal remains are that of Cheryl Langer.

"Thank you, Dr. Colton." Asst. DA Dobson said as he headed toward the door.

"When will your report be available?" Mike asked.

"Well, I can have a preliminary report tomorrow. The results won't be available for at least a month." Dr. Colton said. "I'll put a rush on the preliminary report."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you." Mike said as he left the morgue.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Cold Case Unit, Terry, Chris, and Willie were looking over the results from the lab.

"The pictures of the car burning, and receipts have both Strom's and Neven's fingerprints." Willie said.

"Strom's journal, the gas can and lighter have only Strom's prints." Chris said.

"What about the gas tank, gloves and lighter?" Terry said. "Did we send anybody over to the hardware store and check whether they have those items?

"We sent two uniformed police officers there and the hardware store had the same gas tank and lighter." Willie said. "A pair of gloves from the hardware store were compared with the gloves found at Strom's house and it was determined both were the same."

"I see the Camaro recovered from the car dealership has Marjory Neven's prints plus those of the mechanic who worked on it. Jeffry Neven's prints weren't on the car."

"Looks like things are coming together." Chris observed.

"Except for Jeffry Neven's statement." Willie said.

"Word has it Neven's attorney is talking with Assistant District Attorney Dobson about a plea deal." Terry said.

"I wonder how that's going?" Chris said.

At the prosecutor's office, Attorney Quinn is meeting with Asst. District Attorney regarding a plea deal.

"Before I'll consider a plea deal, your client is going to have to give some information regarding the crime." Dobson said.

"Sorry, I've instructed my client not to say anything without a plea deal."

"Let me put it to you this way." Asst. DA Dobson countered. "We already have your client's alleged accomplice tell us his side of the story and I must say, what he's telling us is lining up with the evidence we have. I propose your client enter an Alford plea. In return, I'm willing to drop the forgery by signature charge and waive his fines."

"Let me get back to you." Atty. Quinn replied, obviously surprised of the outcome of this meeting. Assistant DA Dobson is known as being tough but fair and would rather work before trial on a plea bargain than going through a lengthy trial costing the taxpayers more money.

Meanwhile, Mike walks back into the office, physically and mentally drained from the events of the day.

"Back so soon?" Terry jokingly asked.

"This was my first exhumation in my career, and I pray to god I never have to go through another one." Mike replied as he sat down in his chair. "What's been going on here?"

"We received our reports on all of the evidence we collected on Saturday." Chris said.

"And..." Mike prompted.

"To make a long story short, the pictures of the burning car and the receipts found in Neven's hotel room have fingerprints from both Neven and Strom." Willie said.

"That evidence plus the gas tank, gloves, diary, and lighter found in Mr. Strom's house pretty much seals the deal for these two." Terry explained

"Have we started putting our reports together to show the district attorney?" Mike asked.

"Will and Chris are doing that as we speak." Terry replied. "Which reminds me, Willie, did you finish your report on the search warrant from Mr. Strom's residence?"

"The report is almost finished." Willie said.

"That means I better write up my exhumation report right now." Mike said as he pulled a form out from one of his desk drawers.

"What's this?" Chris asked as he held up an evidence bag containing a red paint chip.

"I don't know." Terry confessed. "That's the first time I've seen that."

"It's a paint chip from our torched El Camino.'" Chris replied.

"Here's the report." Willie said. "It says 'paint chip from 1983 El Camino matches paint color number 75 named 'Spectra Red' used by Chevrolet manufacturing in 1983.'"

"What should we do with it?" Chris asked.

"Put it with the rest of the evidence, I guess." Mike said. "At least it confirms the torched car was definitely an El Camino."

"True." Terry replied.

Meanwhile, at the Southern California Prosecutor's office, Asst. Deputy DA Dobson is meeting with Atty Mary Capelle, who works for Southern California's Legal Aid. Atty Capelle is the court appointed attorney Kent Strom, the alleged accomplice.

"My client waived his rights to an attorney so there's no way to dispute the fact that Mr. Strom committed this act. His journal found during the search warrant is basically a written declaration of his guilt." Atty Capelle said.

"What are you proposing?" DA Dobson queried.

"My client, Mr. Strom was cooperative and truthful when he confessed to the crime. Also, he helped the police by telling them where Mr. Neven was located resulting in a subsequent search and arrest of Mr. Neven." Atty Capelle explained. "We know he'll be facing twenty years in prison for the arson and murder of Ms. Neven. That doesn't include added years because he's a repeat offender."

"I don't dispute any of that." Dobson said.

"Because of his cooperation with the investigation and his confession, I'm proposing a ten-year sentence and waiving his name added to the fire offender list." Atty. Capelle said.

"He's a repeat offender. His name should be on the fire offender list." Atty. Dobson said. "The best I'll offer considering the situation, is if your client enters an Alford plea, I'll recommend fifteen years with the possibility of parole in twelve years. You know if this goes to trial, your client will be found guilty and faces twenty years in prison without the possibility of parole."

"Let me discuss this with my client and I'll get back to you by the end of the day."

"Sounds good."

Meanwhile, at Memorial Hospital, Jill got off the elevator and headed for NICU to see Hope and Jon. As Jill walked down the hall, she noticed someone running down the corridor seemingly toward her. Fear took over as Jill immediately thought something was wrong with one of the twins. To Jill's relief, it was her friend, Christine Franz.

"I'm glad I caught you." Christine said as she walked up to Jill.

"Why?" Jill asked. "Are you planning on setting up another surprise baby shower?"

"Okay. Okay. Maybe I deserved that. But the baby shower was set up with good intentions." Christine said.

"That's okay." Jill said. "I just relieved the babies are thriving in the NICU according to the latest report I got from the neonatologist."

"That's encouraging."

"I thought so." Jill agreed.

"The reason why I wanted to talk to you is because I went to check on the babies earlier and I saw Eddie Ryker looking through the NICU window and I swear I saw a tear or two running down his face."

"Really?" Jill said genuinely surprised at the revelation. "I didn't think the babies would have that much of an effect on him."

"Why is that?" Christine said.

"Something happened to him when he was married years ago." Jill explained cryptically. "I promised Eddie I wouldn't divulge the information to anyone."

"Fair enough." Christine said. "Listen, did you know you can appoint up to four designated visitors that can visit the babies. Sort of like a babysitter."

"I didn't know about that." Jill admitted.

"That's because it's fairly new and Memorial Hospital is trying out as a pilot program." Christine explained. "Perhaps Eddie could be one of your designated visitors."

"That sounds like a good idea." Jill said. "I'll run it by Mike and see what he thinks."

Back at the Ludlow precinct, Terry, Mike, Willie, and Chris are in the conference room with all their paperwork regarding the arson case scattered across the table. Also in attendance is Captain Christianson and Asst. DA Dobson.

"All of the evidence appears to coincide with Mr. Strom's journal." Asst. DA Dobson observed. "This is good news since I'm trying to broker plea deals with Mr. Neven and Mr. Strom. In fact, I talked with both attorneys this morning."

"That is good news." Terry said.

"So, how do you think this crime went down?" Dobson asked.

"We know Neven is behind on credit card bills and his house was about to get foreclosed." Willie said. "We also know that unbeknownst to Mrs. Neven, Mr. Neven took out a $500,000 life insurance policy."

"We think Mr. Neven was getting desperate and wanted to get out from under debt so he enlisted the help of Mr. Strom to allegedly kill Mrs. Neven and set the car on fire for $5,000." Chris added. "Mr. Strom strangled Mrs. Neven to death and when the neighborhood was quiet, he transported the body in the El Camino to it's final resting place on Rocky Ridge Road."

"As the car was burning with Mrs. Neven inside, Strom took a couple of pictures of the crime." Mike said picking up the story. "He even kept the receipts for the hardware store and gas station. The pictures and one of the receipts were given to Mr. Neven by Mr. Strom as proof the crime was committed."

"Unfortunately for Mr. Strom, he lost the receipt for the hardware store. Fortunately for us, the receipt was found at the scene of the crime by the arson investigators." Terry said. "We think the driver's license was placed at the crime scene in attempt to delay the identification of Mrs. Neven."

"Personally, I think this was a set up for Mr. Strom to take a fall." Willie announced.

"Why is that?" Captain Christianson queried.

"First off, Mr. Neven tells Mr. Strom that the life insurance policy was worth $50,000, not the actual amount which was $500,000." Willie explained. "Plus, Strom swears Mr. Neven told him to torch the El Camino, not the actual car, a Camaro."

"I'm sure Mr. Neven hadn't anticipated that Mrs. Neven was taking her car in for servicing the day of the crime." Terry said.

"Maybe he did know." Chris said. "Maybe Mr. Neven purposely told him to burn the El Camino in order to sell the Camaro and ride into the sunset."

"Maybe Mr. Neven was planning on selling the Camaro for more money." Terry said.

"Those are all excellent hypotheses." Captain Christianson said.

"Then there's the receipts and pictures." Willie continued. "Why did Mr. Neven insist on showing him proof that Mr. Strom actually committed the crime?"

"Mr. Neven didn't count on Strom losing the most important receipt which was the hardware store receipt." Mike added.

"What about the pictures?" Willie said. "Why keep around more evidence that links Mr. Neven to the crime?"

"I never thought of that." Asst. DA Dobson admitted.

"And finally, there's Cheryl Langer's driver's license." Willie said. "It would've been just a difficult, if not more difficult to identify the burned remains of Mrs. Neven. Why add one more piece of evidence?"

"Look guys, I'd love to have the answers to your questions as much as you do." Dobson explained. "However, Mr. Neven's attorney wants a plea deal ironed out before he'll talk."

"So, make him a deal he can't refuse." Captain Christianson said.

"I offered him a very good plea deal. He'd be a fool to reject it." Asst. DA Dobson explained. "If I offer a better deal, I might as well kiss my reelection goodbye."

Later that day, Mike walked off the elevator at Memorial Hospital heading directly toward the NICU. Mike stopped briefly at the one-way window in time to see Jill holding Jon Michael in her arms. A tear rolled down his face as Mike realized Hope and Jon Michael are battling the fight for their lives.

After going through the identification process and putting on a gown, hat and booties, Mike was allowed into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Jill smiled at her husband as he walked over and kissed Jill on her forehead.

"Look Jon, daddy's here." Jill said.

"I think he knows me." Mike said as his son grabbed Mike's finger and held on for dear life.

"Of course, he knows you." Jill answered.

"Would you like to hold Hope?" The NICU nurse said.

"Can I?" Mike asked noticing that both Hope and Jon still have intravenous lines and feeding tubes.

"Of course." The NICU nurse answered. "Have a seat right here." The nurse pulled a rocking chair right next to Jill.

The nurse carefully removed Hope from her incubator and put her in Mike's arms.

"Now what do I do?" Mike asked as he realized at that moment, he has a lot to learn about raising kids.

"You talk to Hope." The nurse answered. "Hope will learn to recognize your voice."

"Lucky for you Hope, you look more like your mom, not me." Mike said as the NICU nurse walked away.

"I think she looks like you." Jill said.

"Really?" Mike asked.

"She has your eyes." Jill said.

"I guess so." Mike answered not totally convinced Hope looks anything like him.

After a few minutes, Jill broke the silence. "I talked to Christine when I came here."

"So, you're talking to her now?" Mike jokingly asked.

"Very funny." Jill said. "Christine told me that Eddie Ryker was here looking through the one-way mirror at the babies. She said Eddie had tears in his eyes."

"Wait, he showed some emotion?" Mike asked.

"I'm being serious." Jill answered.

"Sorry." Mike said. "What's the point of this revelation?"

"Christine told me there's pilot program here that allows us up to four people to act as surrogates when we're not around." Jill explained. "I think Eddie should be a surrogate."

"I don't know, Jill." Mike said. "I don't know how Eddie would react to your proposal. Eddie went through a horrible experience."

"I realize it was traumatic for Eddie to lose his wife during childbirth and then put up his child for adoption. Bonding with the twins might be something he's ready to experience."

"Okay." Mike said. "You're going to have to tell him."

"Why me?" Jill said.

"Because it was your idea."

"Fine." Jill said. "I'll call him tomorrow."

"What about Terry, Chris, and Willie?" Mike asked.

"What about them?"

"If we ask Eddie to be a surrogate, we should offer the same thing to the guys."

"You're right." Jill said being uncharacteristically agreeable. "But you're telling them."

"Why?" Mike asked.

"Because it was your idea."

Chapter 19

Several days later, Attorney Quinn who represented Jeffry Neven and Attorney Capelle, representing Kent Strom are at the prosecutor's office for a pretrial hearing. Also in attendance, Asst. DA Dobson and Judge Vickers.

"I know it's unusual to have a joint pretrial hearing, but the alleged codefendants are so closely intertwined in the crime, I thought this would be the most efficient way to handle things." Judge Vickers explained. "What do you have for me?"

"We have two potential plea deals in place." Asst. DA Dobson explained. "Atty Quinn, why don't you start."

"I'm Attorney Quinn and I'm representing Mr. Jeffry Neven." Atty Quinn introduced himself. "I discussed the situation with Mr. Neven, and he's decided to enter an Alford plea and in exchange, DA Dobson will drop the signature forgery charge and waive all fines incurred."

"And Ms. Capelle, you're next." DA Dobson said.

"I'm Attorney Capelle, representing Mr. Kent Strom. My client has decided to enter an Alford plea in exchange for a fifteen-year prison sentence with the possibility of parole in twelve years."

"Are both clients aware of the implications of entering an Alford plea? Judge Vickers queried.

"Yes, your Honor." Attorneys Capelle and Quinn said in unison.

"Great." Judge Vickers said as he opened his calendar. "I have an opening on Wednesday this week at 10:00am for a sentencing hearing of your both available."

"Sounds good." Atty. Capelle answered.

"That will work for me." Atty. Quinn said.

"Attorney Dobson, does this Wednesday at 10:00am for a sentencing hearing work for you?" Judge Vickers asked.

"Yes, it does." Asst. DA Dobson answered after looking at his calendar.

"Good. We'll adjourn this meeting, and we'll meet again on Wednesday." Judge Vickers announced.

Meanwhile, Jill arrives at Eddie Ryker's office. When Eddie abruptly resigned from the SCPD in 1976, he used all his retirement funds to open a private investigation business. Eight years later, the business is thriving mainly through satisfied customers, referrals, and several retainers from attorneys in the Southern California area.

"Is Eddie here?" Jill asked Mary Jones, Eddie's secretary.

"He just finished a telephone call with a new client. You can go right in." Mary said.

Jill walked over to Eddie's office and lightly tapped on the closed door.

"You can come in." Eddie said.

Eddie was genuinely surprised with Jill walked through the door.

"Jill!" Eddie said as he got up from his chair and gave Jill a hug. "How are the twins doing?"

"The latest report from the neonatologist is encouraging." Jill answered. "I'm not disturbing you by coming unannounced, am I?"

"Nonsense." Eddie replied. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Jill said as she carefully sat down on a chair.

"How are you feeling?" Eddie asked.

"I'm better now that the twins are finally here."

"What can I do for you?" Eddie asked. "I'm sure you're not here to shoot the breeze with me, are you?"

"You know me so well." Jill replied. "Memorial Hospital has a pilot program going on. Mike and I can designate four people to act as a surrogate from the twins while they're in the hospital. You can go there during visiting hours any time you want."

"Wow." Eddie replied as he took off his glasses and set them on his desk. "I'm honored that you and Mike want me to be a surrogate for the twins."

"We can't be there all the time." Jill said. "And Mike and I are hoping you'll be a part of their lives for a very long time."

"In that case, I'd love to be a surrogate." Eddie said. "What do I have to do?"

"Can you come to Memorial Hospital at 8:00am tomorrow?" Jill asked.

"Sure, I can be there." Eddie said.

"I'll wait for you by the reception area on first floor. I'll have to be there to register you as a surrogate and as a gift, you'll get two lovely bracelets just like Mike and I have." Jill said as she held up her left wrist to show off her two bracelets.

"Why two bracelets?" Eddie asked.

"One for each twin." Jill answered.

"Okay." Eddie said. "I'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Wonderful." Jill said. "I won't waste any more of your time. I'll see you in the morning."

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Terry, Willie, Chris, and Mike, are putting all their files and paperwork together in preparation for delivering the files to the prosecutor's office.

"What's this?" Terry asked upon seeing a manila envelope on his desk.

"I don't know." Mike said. "It was on your desk when I came in this morning.

"There's only one way to find out." Terry said as he took his letter opener and carefully opened the envelope.

"What is it?" Chris asked.

"It's the preliminary report from Dr. Colton." Terry said as he started scanning the report. "It says, in conclusion, based on dental records and left ankle x-rays, it's determined that the remains recovered via exhumation is that of Cheryl Langer."

"My mind keeps going back to Cheryl Langer's driver's license. How did he pick her name to begin with?" Chris asked.

"Maybe he went around the cemetery and picked Cheryl Langer randomly? For some reason, Cheryl Langer was who he picked. After he found Cheryl Langer's gravesite, he had a fake driver's license created using her name." Terry explained.

"That's a lot of work." Willie said.

"For a $500,000 life insurance payout, I'm sure Neven thought is time well spent." Mike said.

Five minutes later, Captain Christianson knocked on the Cold Case Unit's door.

"Good news gentlemen." Captain Christianson announced. "I just got off the phone with Asst. DA Dobson and Mr. Neven and Strom both decided to enter Alford pleas. The judge agreed and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

"Great." Terry replied. "All that's left is Neven and Strom entering Alford pleas and then subsequent prison sentence."

"We just received the coroner's report, and the exhumation remains belong to Cheryl Langer." Mike said.

"Congratulations gentlemen." Captain Christianson said. "You solved your first case and saved SCPD Robbery and Homicide from embarrassment all at the same time."

"Let's hope Robbery and Homicide appreciates it." Chris said.

"Trust me, they will." Captain Christianson replied. "I'll make sure of it."

Chapter 20

Two days later at 10:00am, Atty. Quinn, representing Jeffry Neven and Atty. Capelle, representing Kent Strom are in Judge Vickers's court room. Also attending is Asst. District Atty. Dobson for a sentencing hearing, and codefendant's Strom and Neven are also present.

"I've reviewed the presentence reports filed by Attys Capelle and Quinn. Is there anyone who would like to make a statement before sentencing?" Judge Vickers asked.

"I do." Asst DA Dobson said after standing up to address the court.

"The floor is yours." Judge Vickers said.

"Upon discussion with Attys Capelle and Quinn, a plea deal was reached whereby both defendants agreed to enter under the Alford plea agreement. In return, I'll drop the forgery by signature and waive all fines incurred." Asst District Atty. Dobson explained. "As far as Mr. Strom, he agrees to enter an Alford plea in exchange for a reduced sentence of fifteen years in prison with the possibility of parole in ten years."

"Attys Quinn and Capelle, do you wish to address the court?" Judge Vickers asked.

"I do." Atty Capelle said after standing up and addressing Judge Vickers.

"You may address the court, Mrs. Capelle."

"I would like to state for the record, Mr. Strom has been cooperative by turning himself into police and confessing to the crime. Mr. Strom has been upfront and truthful. Also, Mr. Strom revealed his alleged co-conspirator by telling the police where Mr. Neven was located. Mr. Strom would like to respectfully ask for a reduction in his sentence with the possibility of parole in twelve years. Thank you." Atty. Capelle said.

"Atty. Quinn, would you like to make a statement?"

"Yes, I would." Atty Quinn said.

"Please, proceed." Judge Vickers said.

"I would like to point out for the record that although Mr. Neven allegedly tried to evade the police, Mr. Neven could've easily fled to Mexico to avoid detection. Mr. Neven would respectfully enter an Alford plea in exchange for dropping the forgery by signature charge and waiving all fees incurred. Thank you."

"Would either defendant like to address the court?"

"No, your honor." Both defendants replied.

"Very well." Judge Vickers said. "Are both defendants aware of the implications of an Alford plea by your attorneys and this decision was of your own free will?"

"Yes, your honor." Both defendants said.

"Okay. The court would like to state for the record that both Alford pleas entered by Mr. Neven and Mr. Strom have been agreed upon by this court. The punishment of a fifteen-year sentence with the possibly of parole after twelve years for Mr. Strom is agreed and accepted by this court. The waiving fees incurred and dropping the forgery by signature for Mr. Neven is also agreed upon by this court. I hereby accept and agree to this proposal." Judge Vickers explained. "I suggest that Mr. Neven and Mr. Strom use their time wisely while in prison. This meeting is dismissed." Judge Vickers announced after hitting his gavel.

Both defendants were immediately escorted by two guards to jail while the Federal Bureau of Prisons decide what prison both inmates will transfer to.

Meanwhile, at the Danko household, Jill finally agreed to an "open house" where friends, family and coworkers can congratulate the new mom and dad. Jill's friend, Christine handled everything from the guest list to the food and drinks.

Friends and coworkers started arriving with gifts for the new mom and dad.

"I thought you said, 'no gifts' when you spread the word about the open house." Jill whispered to Christine.

"I did say 'no gifts.'" Christine answered. "What happens after that is out of my control."

One hour into the party, Terry, Willie and his wife Sarah, and Chris with his girlfriend, Britney. Terry brought a bottle of wine and a gift certificate to Mario's Italian Restaurant. While Willie and Sarah bought baby clothes and two stuffed animals. Chris and Britney brought an apple pie and pecan pie.

"Thank you." Jill said. "Although you didn't have to bring anything."

"Sorry." Britney apologized. "I was always taught never go to a party without bringing something."

"Where's Eddie?" Chris asked.

"I saw a box truck coming through the gate when I arrived." Terry said. "I hope that's not Eddie."

"Hey guys." Mike said as he walked over to his friends. "I've got some beer over here for you."

"You said the magic word." Willie said. "Let's have a beer."

Christine's husband, Adam walked over to Terry, Willie, Mike, and Chris who have congregated around a cooler containing beer.

"Word has it the torched car case has been resolved. Congratulations." Adam said as he shook everyone's hand.

"I'm always amazed how fast a rumor spreads around." Mike said.

"Codefendants Neven and Strom both entered Alford pleas." Chris said. "In exchange, the prosecutor dropped the felony by signature and waived all fees for Neven and a reduced sentence of fifteen years with the possibility of parole in twelve years."

Five minutes later, a big box truck backed into the driveway.

"Who's that?" Willie asked.

"Oh god. It's Eddie." Terry said.

"I have a feeling he's going to need our help with unloading whatever is on that truck." Chris said.

"I hope it isn't another oak dining room table." Terry said.

As Eddie entered the house, he immediately walked over to Mike, Willie, Terry, and Chris.

"Incoming." Mike said using a term from his days in the armed forces.

"Hey guys." Eddie said. "I need your help unloading my gift to Mike and Jill."

"Okay." Terry reluctantly agrees. "Let's do this."

"Come on, let's go." Chris said as Mike, Terry, and Willie followed Lt. Ryker out of the front door.

"What are you doing?" Terry asked Mike as they walked across the front yard.

"Because I'm guessing whatever he brought, there's two of them." Mike replied.

As the group approached the rented box truck, Eddie Ryker opened the back sliding door to reveal two oak rocking chairs. One rocking chair had "Jon" engraved into the back of the chair, the other had Hope engraved. Both chairs had their birthdate engraved under their names.

"Oh, wow!" Mike said. "They're beautiful. Jill will love this."

"What will I love?" Jill asked as she walked into the garage.

"Look at your present." Willie said as he pointed to the rocking chairs still in the truck.

"They're beautiful." Jill said. "I know just where to put them. Thank you, Eddie."

"Show us where you want them to go." Eddie suggested. "Before we take them out of the truck."

"Right this way." Jill said as she walked into the house and pointed out the temporary nursery for one chair and the empty room that will become one of the twin's bedrooms when they're a little older. "If you could put one chair in each room. It doesn't matter which room the chairs go in."

Terry and Willie moved one chair into the nursery with some difficulty due to the size of the chair. Mike and Chris moved the other rocking chair into the bedroom.

"They're perfect!" Jill said.

"Yes, they are." Mike agreed. "Thank you, Eddie."

"You're welcome." Eddie said as he took the keys to the truck out of his pocket.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" Jill asked.

"No." Eddie said. "I thought I'd move the truck so more people could park in your driveway."

"Just leave it there." Mike said.

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked.

"Positive." Mike answered.

"I have a question for you Eddie." Terry said. "How do you manage to rent the same truck? This is the truck you brought the Mike and Jill's dining room table and chairs, isn't it?"

"You have good observational skills, Terry." Eddie said. Eddie is known to give out very little complements but when he does, it means something. "Yes, this is the same truck. The only difference is, I bought it."

"You bought it?" Willie asked.

"Yeah." Eddie said. "I've been thinking about having a side business making pieces of furniture on demand."

"On demand?" Chris asked.

"Yeah." Eddie answered. "If someone tells me they want an end table for instance, I will build the end table. I won't be making numerous pieces of furniture just to sell."

At that moment, Jill's friend Christine walked into the nursery.

"That's beautiful." Christine said. "Can you make me one like that?"

"See what I mean?" Eddie asked. "Let's talk about what you want. Do you mind if we use your nursery, Jill?"

"As long as we get a cut of the profits." Mike jokingly said.

"Dream on, Danko. Dream on." Eddie said.

Thirty minutes later, Mike, Terry, Willie, and Chris were gathered in the garage.

"They say it takes a village to raise a child." Terry said. "It will take a city to raise twins."

"Terry's right." Mike agreed. "Who's going to cheer Jon on at softball games? Who's taking Hope to ballet?"

"Who's going to babysit?" Willie chimed in. "Who's going to check for monsters under the bed or closet?"

"Who's going to run recon missions with Hope goes on a date? Who's going to sing them a lullaby?" Chris asked.

"I guess it will have to be us." Mike said. "This is a team effort."

At that moment, Christine came into the garage and retrieved some soda from the cooler.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Christine said getting the feeling she was interrupting their conversation.

"No." Terry said. "You didn't interrupt anything."

A few minutes later, Christine gave Jill a can of soda.

"I went to get the soda and I saw Mike, Willie, Terry and Chris gathered in the garage." Christine said. "I overheard Chris mention something about a 'recon mission.'"

"Great." Jill said. Now there will be four overprotective adults. Hope and Jon won't have a chance."

"What are you going to do?" Christine asked.

"Make sure they know I will be watching them." Jill said.

A few hours later, the party was winding down and the house was back in order, Jill decided to talk to the guys right away.

"Mike, Terry, Willie, and Chris, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jill asked.

"Of course." Terry said with a quizzical look on his face.

"I heard through the grapevine you guys were talking about recon missions when the twins are older." Jill explained.

"Not us." Terry said.

"Right…" Jill replied. "Anyway, I want you to take an oath that you won't be overprotective. I don't want Hope and Jon to be constantly looking over their shoulders. They deserve a normal life."

"We promise." Mike said as he raised his left hand.

"You don't understand." Jill said. "This must be on the record. Gentlemen, line up in front of me, raise your right hand and repeat after me. "I, insert your name here."

"I, insert your name here." Mike, Willie, Chris, and Terry said in unison.

"Don't worry Jill, I'll help you keep them in line." Eddie said.

"Thank you, Eddie." Jill said. "At least someone is taking this seriously."

A few seconds later, Mike's pager goes off.

"Sorry, it's the precinct, I have to answer this." Mike said secretly glad to have the interruption.

Five minutes later, Mike walks back into the garage, visibly shaken.

"Mike, you look like you seen a ghost." Terry said.

"I hope this isn't related to the case." Willie commented.

"That was Sgt. Older." Mike explained. "Jeffry Neven committed suicide."

THE END