She flung the door open, she smiled widely and stood on her tiptoes to hug me. Walking into her apartment was like walking back into the future, so many things were the same, the colour of the walls, the furniture, even most of the pictures. My sisters and I in our 70's best, smiling widely for the camera not knowing that within three to five years all of us would be kicked out of that house, for doing drugs, or in my sisters case sleeping around. No wonder she didn't have any pictures of us when we were teenagers. As she shuffled around, smiling at me, I wondered when she had gotten so old, her wavy black hair was gray now, her face was lined with wrinkles. She had a hard life, every man had left her, she'd raised three kids, worked two jobs. I caught John starring at a picture framed on the wall, of Dorian and I. Dorian was probably five, wearing high top sneakers and a bright backpack, I was in my beat uniform. We looked happy. We were happy once.

"Mom, this is my partner, John Munch."

She nodded. "Aren't you gonna show me your badges?" We did, I think she wanted something to brag about to her friends.

"It's about Door and Q." She sat down heavily, looking at me with big eyes that said: "please don't be the bearer of bad news."

John looking from me to her, took charge.

"Mrs. Tutuola?--"

"Call me Rena."

"Rena, when was the last time you saw Dorian and Quentin?" I wondered if there was anyway I could get around not telling her the reason why I was here. I didn't want to tell her that her two grandchildren who she has babysat, loved and babied were suspects in murdering and raping a ten year old girl.

"Quentin was here, maybe a week ago. Andre, and Alex were moving to a group home and they stayed here over the weekend. Quentin came to see them, he didn't look good." I'm sure that was an understatement. Andre and Alex were my nephews, my sister decided after Quentin that she didn't want to raise anymore kids, she didn't want to share her drug money with kids. That didn't stop her having unprotected sex with unknown guys and having kids though. Andre was nine and Alex was seven my mother had raised them for five years. After five years Andre developed a behavioral problem, and Alex had slight brain damage, due to in part, by my sisters crack use all through both pregnancies. They were too much to handle. I think my mom still regretted that decision.

"What do you mean not good?" John asked.

"He had lost a lot of weight, he had track marks, he was strung out." After 35 years of recognizing it in boyfriends, sons and daughters, she could recognize it.

"Did he say anything?"

"He mostly talked to Dre and Alex, he said he'd be visiting them in their new home. Said he would even bring a present. He wasn't here long, maybe an hour. He wouldn't stay for dinner."

"What about Dorian?" John was being a detective moving from one question to another. I was dying inside, what was wrong with my family?

"He called me, three nights ago. At first I thought he wanted money, which I never ever give." I knew that sure enough. "I think he was just lonely, he must have been at his apartment, when I heard Quentin's voice in the background, he hung up." She started to look concerned.

"Are they in trouble Fin?"

I nodded, my face mirrored her.

"Real bad?"

I nodded again.

"Don't tell me, I have to wake up in the morning and love them." I knew exactly what she meant, she loved all of us, I don't think anything any of us could do, could change that. It probably raddled her with guilt, I wouldn't want to know and I'm glad I didn't have to tell her.

As we were leaving, she invited me for dinner on Saturday, she promised me all my favorites, that I hadn't eaten in years. I agreed, against my better judgment.

It was an uncomfortable drive back to the office. We sat in silence, that was so thick you could have cut it open with a knife.

"Your Mom's a nice lady." John finally said.

"She's been through a lot."

At the office, more pictures had been taped on the board.

"Quentin Tutuola, 19, was arrested in 2002, on drug possession, pleaded it out for more names and only served three months at Rikers." I remembered all too well. My mother had been in tears over the phone, I had hoped it would straighten him out.

Elliot continued. "Laquita Monroe, was Lady number one, she claims she was with Dorian from 5pm to about 2 am when she fell asleep, when she woke up at 3 am, he was gone. Lady Number two is Gina Hollan, she claims she was with him, but can't remember any times, maybe 4am, but she woke up alone, at around 10." I looked at the two women on the board probably not over 19 years old. They reminded me of my sisters, who think that sleeping with guys, will raise their purpose in life.

Cragan shot his eyes over to me for a second. "So that leaves a very good gap between the two. What about Quentin?"

John spoke for me, thank god. "We spoke to Quentin's and Dorian's grandmother. She saw Quentin last a week ago, but heard him promise to go visit his brothers in a group home. She last spoke to Dorian three days ago, over the phone and heard Quentin in the background."

Cragan nodded his head, I shook mine, how could this be my family?

"What are we looking at for motive?"

"Big Linc, is the top drug dealer in Colin Brown. He's got no end to buyers and has also been linked to many extortion and fraud scams. They might have been trying to ransom Harmony, or trying to cripple Lincoln's enterprise."

"When we talked to Lincon he seemed shocked, he claimed his daughter was with his sister in the city. If you want to cripple a drug enterprise there are so many more ways to do it, than kill his daughter. He'll keep going. There is something else behind this." I tried to sound like a detective, a detective who knew narcotics.

"Olivia, Elliot, I want you to talk to Lincon, he's been held in Rikers for an outstanding warrant, since we don't want him out and knocking off our suspects. Then go talk to the sister, find out last time she saw her. John, Fin, go talk to Dorian see if you can find out where Quentin may be, then go talk to Quentin's two brothers, find out when he was there."

We walked towards the interrogation room where Dorian was still being kept, Huang was looking at him through the glass. His head was down on the table, his legs were jittering under the table, the entire chair seem to be vibrating.

"If you went in there now I'm not sure if you could get anything out of him, he seems more bent on talking about you. Let me go in." I nodded, I had seen Huang in action, he knew how to get them to answer.

He shut the door firmly behind him, jolting Dorian.

"What?" He asked loudly, maybe to cover his shaking voice.

"Just to talk." He was smooth.