Stevie and Jordan went home shortly after all the samples were turned over to Nigel. Stevie was still staying with Jordan despite her vow to leave after only two nights. They had just been too busy with the arsenic case.... As a matter of fact, they had hardly been back to Jordan's apartment all. There had been no time to play catch up or have any "girl talk." And tonight was going to be no exception. They were both exhausted. Jordan unlocked her apartment door and the two women went inside.

"God, what a day," said Jordan, as she flopped down on her couch. "I'm too tired to eat, too tired to think....it's a good thing you're here and not Woody. I'd be too tired to pay attention to him."

Stevie chuckled. "Not be able to pay attention to that blue-eyed man? Girlfriend, you are losing your mind.and your touch."

Jordan joined in Stevie's laughter. "Yeah, he's quite a man – wimping out over moving bodies from caskets to slabs..."

"Well, you always liked girlie-men..."

"I'm going to go take a shower. Then we'll order pizza or something. Maybe Farm Boy would like to join us."

"Farm Boy? Where'd you get that name?"

"Farm Boy came from a movie. He is also called Cowboy, Hoyt, Hoyster, and Wood."

"Poor guy..."

As Jordan made her way to the shower, Stevie's cell phone rang. She heard her friend answer it and say, "Katie! How are you doin' sweetheart? Are you liking Disney World? You miss me...I miss you, too, darling. No, I won't be in Boston much longer....I don't think. You hope not? How's grandma and grandpa? Oh...you have to go? Running up grandpa's cell bill...well, remind him who pays for it...Bye, honey. Mom loves you, too."

Jordan stood stock still in the hallway, embarrassed she had eavesdropped on such a private conversation, but curious as to why Stevie hadn't told her she was a mother. Slowly, she stepped out from around the corner to face Stevie.

"Mom?" Jordan asked.

Stevie sighed and ran her hand through the back of her hair. "Yeah, Mom," she said a little sheepishly.

"And you were going to tell me this when?"

"When we finally had time to catch up." Stevie turned and dug through her pocketbook to pull out a small album. "This is my Katie. Katherine Elizabeth Murphy."

Jordan took the album from Stevie's hand to stare at a picture that looked like a clone of her friend. The little girl had huge blue eyes and blond hair. But while Stevie's hair was straight and thick, Katie's hair hung in soft ringlet curls. She looked to be no more than four.

How old is she?" asked Jordan

"She's just turned four going on thirty-two. She behaves like a kid but can talk to you like an adult. She's scary at times."

"Okay. Let me get this straight in my head," Jordan continued as she flopped back down on the couch, all thoughts of showers and pizza and Woody leaving her mind. "You are a mother." Jordan reached out and grabbed both of Stevie's hands. "I don't see a wedding ring and as along as I've known you, your last name has always been Murphy. I may be wrong, but in college, you were the last one I could imagine having a child without a husband in tow. Don't tell me you've changed that much."

Stevie looked down at Jordan's coffee table for a few seconds. She knew her friend was waiting for an answer, but she wasn't ready to go there with her yet. Bravely she looked up and smiled at Jordan.

"Yeah, I was married. We weren't trying to have a kid, but about a year after we were married, I got pregnant anyway -- accidentally. When the guy found out, he took a hike and never came back. I filed for divorce and took back my maiden name. When I had Katie, she got my last name, too."

"So I take it the father has no role in Katie's life?"

"None. He's never seen her."

Jordan quickly put two and two together. "That's why you've stayed in North Carolina so long isn't it? Your parents and brothers are there and they help you with Katie."

"Guilty as charged. I couldn't do this job without them. Right now, Mom and Dad have Katie at Disney World. I live on the edge of their farm on my share of the land. I built a house there two years ago. Bud and Jeff, my two oldest brothers – remember? They also live and work on the farm. They're married and Bud has two boys and Jeff has one. We all kind of look out for each other."

"What's your other brothers doing?"

"Travis is working in investments. He's engaged and will be married this fall. John is a dentist and Gary is neurologist. John and Gary aren't married, Jordan," Stevie said with a nudge to her friend.

"Forget it....Farm Girl...I've found my man."

Stevie sighed. "I'm sorry I've been at your apartment so long. I honestly didn't mean to be here for four days. It's just that it's been so hectic...." Stevie's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry about it. It has been busy. So busy in fact, that even if you weren't here, Woody and I would have had no time for each other. I'll be my bottom dollar if I were to call him right now, he'd be fast asleep."

"Somehow I don't think he'd be asleep here..." Stevie said.

"Tomorrow it should be slower, at least for us. The ball is in Nige's court right now to get all the reports ready. We'll spend some time together and then find you a hotel, if it will make you feel better.

"It would. I hate to out stay my welcome."

"Nonsense." Jordan carefully studied Katie's picture one more time and handed the album back to Stevie. "She's beautiful, Steve...simply beautiful. I can't imagine a father not wanting anything to do with a kid like that."

Stevie abruptly stood up and took the album from Jordan's hands. "Trust me, it's much better this way. He doesn't ever need to see his daughter."

Jordan got the feeling that whoever Katie's father was, that topic was off- limits with Stevie.