Chapter Thirteen: Case Closed?

It was barely after 3am: Horatio's eyes were distant as he stared at the glaring computer screen, searching for Steven Peters' possible location. The local police confirmed that he wasn't in his Venice Beach apartment. It was very possible that Peters was hiding out somewhere in Miami, waiting for the perfect time to make the next strike.

"Hey, I made us some coffee."

Horatio looked up to see Robin leaning against the doorframe, a coffee cup in either hand. She looked pretty casual in her light brown pants and white blouse. He nodded his head, inviting her in.

"You don't need to stay here with me, Robbie. I'll be alright," he said.

"You're not alright, Horatio. Look at your eyes! You haven't slept in days--hell, you've hardly even blinked!" she handed him a cup of black coffee.

Horatio took it from her graciously, "I've done this long enough. I know how to handle things."

Robin was silent as Horatio took a sip of the steamy liquid. After setting it down, he looked at her, "What about you?…You doin' okay on this?"

She gave a humorless laugh, "It's been a while…and, strange enough, it actually feels good to be back…to be busy." There was another pause; Robin quickly looked away from Horatio's weary gaze, turning her attention towards the words plastered on the monitor, "Um, so, how's the search goin'?"

"He's in Miami…and he's close. Maybe staying in an old hotel or abandoned apartment building. No other choice but to keep a low profile."

"Don't you think he looks kinda familiar?" Robin said, noticing the rap sheet sitting beside Horatio's coffee cup.

"Peters?" Horatio said, his eyebrows lowering slightly.

She nodded, examining the features of the photographs, "I've seen this guy before…somewhere."

"Robin, are you sure?"

Another nod, "I can't put my finger on where, though."

"Then let's start with when. You think it was recent?" Horatio urged her to remember.

"Yeah, it was somewhere here--in Miami. And…I'm pretty sure I was with you when I saw him."

"Were we working? Was it at the Hallandale apartments, maybe?"

"No…no, I don't think so. It was…," here eyes widened, remembering the scene, "Horatio, it was at my hotel! Remember when we were in the bar, then when we left I accidentally bumped into someone on the way to the elevator?"

His face froze, quickly turning to the photos, "Oh my God…you're right."

They were both amazed, horrified, that the killer was right there under their noses the entire time. If only they could have known sooner. Horatio left everything as it was as he and Robin raced for the Hummer. He pulled out his cell phone, calling Speed to give a head's up.

He answered almost immediately, "Speedle."

"Drop whatever you're doing. Get to the Hotel Inter-Continental."

"Whoa, what's the hurry, H?" Speed said, noticing Calleigh glance over at him.

Horatio pushed through the main doors, "Wrong place, wrong time for the killer. Robin spotted him at the hotel a few days back. That was before we had any clues to what he looked like. "

Speed's face became serious, "Okay, Calleigh and I will be right behind you."

He hung up.

Horatio threw the door open, pulling himself inside the large vehicle. He said to Robin as he closed the door, "We're gunna surround that place…if he's there, he's not getting out."

She nodded, pulling the seatbelt across her chest and nervously fumbling with the buckle. Horatio was busy alerting the authorities--just as he said, no one was going to leave. It was no longer than five minutes later when a horde of police and federal cars lined up on either side of the Hummer. Blue and red lights ricocheted across the late night crowds and buildings--a sight not too unfamiliar, but with so many at once…it was able to catch attention.

"…yeah, the Hotel Inter-Continental…" Horatio confirmed once more for an accompanying police car. He turned to Robin, noticing she had started to bite her nails--a habit she had once believed broken.

"Robbie?"

She jumped, partially on edge, "I'm okay, Horatio…really."

The tension disappeared in his voice, "I know."

They came to a screeching halt directly in front of the massive hotel. Horatio ran inside, approaching a young desk clerk--curly brown hair that just reached her shoulders. She gave a bright smile, her dark brown eyes wide and her voice perky, "Hello, Sir! Welcome to the Inter-Continental…"

Horatio made no time for a formal introduction as he quickly flashed his credentials, "Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. I need you to keep every occupant inside their rooms. This is a serious situation, it's very possible that there is an extremely dangerous man somewhere in the building."

The expression on the young woman's face became petrified, "W-what? What's going on?"

"Miss, there's no time…if this man is still in the building, we need to confine him immediately."

She didn't respond, staring at the lines of police officers that were pouring in from all entrances. Robin rushed beside Horatio, "Calleigh and Tim are outside…the place is totally surrounded."

"Alright…you fill her in on who we're looking for," he said, hurrying to get to Speed and Calleigh.

Robin pulled out a photo of Peters, "I need to know if this man has registered a room here any time in the past week or so…his name is Steven Peters, but it could be listed differently in your records."

"I-I can check," the woman said, examining the pictures.

Her hands trembled as she struggled with the keyboard, the letters now seemed like a jumbled smear in her mind. She waited impatiently as the computer scanned its numerous files.

"I'm sorry, ma'am…n-nothing came up."

"Are you sure? Can you check again?" Robin said, worried that she was missing something.

The employee did as she was told, mechanically pecking in the letters once more…and again, "…no match."

"How about security cameras?" Robin began listing possibilities.

"Yes ma'am, one in every hallway, main room, and parking lot."

"I'm gunna need to take a look at the videos…where could I find them?"

The woman scrambled through the scattered papers and pens, grabbing a key, and motioning for Robin to follow, "I can show you."

* * * * *

Horatio, his gun drawn, was carefully roaming through the hallways on the main floor--his steps silenced by the stiff, red carpeting. Behind him was a mass of police officers, checking and re-checking each and every crevice for things unseen.

It was becoming more and more familiar now--Horatio remembered when he and Robin had gone through the same hallway, passed the same elevator…and now entered the same bar. He expected it to be empty, since the police should have cleared it out moments earlier, but what he saw struck him as strange:

"Hey! You over there! What are you still doing in here?" Horatio yelled at a figure that was slouched over the bar. His eyebrows lowered when there was no response. He cautiously stepped closer, speaking lightly, "Sir, you should be up in your room…"

And again, no response. Suddenly, Horatio became suspicious, "I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime lab…I'm gunna need you to turn around with your hands above your head…"

This time, there was a reaction. The man did as he was told, turning around to reveal a picture-perfect smile…it was him. Horatio's eyes widened, every inch of his body tensed up as he stiffened his arms, holding the gun at pointblank range to the man's forehead.

Horatio spoke in an awkward tone, feeling as if he wanted to tear Peters apart, "Steven Peters…you're under arrest for the murders of Sally Kirsten, Vicki Trenton, and Jennifer Lewis. You have the right to…"

Peters nodded, waving his hand as it was positioned above his head of dark brown hair, "I know, I know. Put the cuffs on and lead me out to the squad car. I've been through this before."

"What's with the passive behavior? What kind of shit are you pulling, Peters?" Horatio said, his voice a warning.

"You think I was trying to hide? Good place, huh? Out in the open--the only person sitting in a bar, wearing a bright yellow shirt, while police swarmed around me…no chance of getting caught, right?"

"Get some cuffs on this guy," Horatio said to a young officer behind him. He noticed a corner-shaped wrinkle in the man's shirt pocket--reaching in to find it was a card key for one of the rooms, "Well, you'd better hope that you tidied up your room before I have myself a look-see, Mr. Peters…"

Peters countered the statement, slightly agitated, "As if it would keep you from finding the evidence?"

Horatio gave a quick exhale through his nose, holding back a smirk, "Too true."

With that said, the young, blonde-haired officer carefully led the man outside. Peters examined his surroundings, feeling the burning gaze of each and every gawking spectator. But he wouldn't show that he was weak; instead, he simply kept his head lifted--returning the stares that people were giving him.

Robin came around from one of the police cars--she had been speaking with Speedle about help with the video analysis--when she noticed Peters. She watched him take those long, proud strides before catching his eye. His focus seemed to be fixed on her, sending chills up and down her spine.

The door slammed shut, concealing Peters inside the car. Horatio stepped up beside Robin as they watched the car slowly roll away. Horatio noticed a distant look in Robin's eyes, "We got 'im, Robbie."

"Yeah," her voice was soft.

He surfed his hand along the top of her back, a hint of concern in his voice, "There's nothing left to worry about…he won't be getting out of there any time soon, or any time at all."

Robin smiled at Horatio, "We should get up to that hotel room; check for whatever Peters left behind."

He was slightly lost at her behavior, wondering why she was in such a hurry to get back to work. Horatio found it easiest to set it aside for now, "Alright. Guess we should get it out of the way. I'll get the spare card from that woman at the desk…you can head up there and wait for me."

There was that ever-so-familiar pause--Robin looked as if she were about to say something, but only agreed. Horatio watched as she made her way through the crowds of police and confused bystanders, until she disappeared through the tinted glass doors.

**Hey everyone! Sorry for not posting in a while, but I gave ya a nice long chapter to make up for it : ) Truth-be-told, I sort of had a writer's block mid-chapter. Well, not too much to say this time, just keep checkin for more chappies!**