Jim could see the dangerous looking .38. It was rammed into Sara's side.

Just as Jim was reacting, a group of tourists, on a night time tour of the city, were meeting at the steps of the church.

"She's going with me. Don't try to follow us." Perry snarled as he turned and pushed Sara into the crowd.

"Jim, Jim….." he heard Sara shout.

Jim reached to his ankle for his back up weapon. It was also a small .38. Jim palmed the gun, he followed, ducking behind people when ever Perry looked over his shoulder. Jim knew how to follow someone without their knowledge. He saw Sara stumble a few time. He knew she was just buying time.

"Smart girl." He thought. The stumbling helped him track the duo better. He dialed Det. Bonham's number. She answered on the first ring.

"Bonham." the background was loud.

"Brass. Hart has Sara."

"Where are you?" the noise lessoned as if she stepped into a quieter room

Jim checked the street signs. "Pirate Alley?"

"Behind the Cathedral. Okay, I'm on Bourbon, checking out a DOA. Keep talking, read the street signs, I will move in and intercept them. I'm assuming he's packing."

"Yeah, she's slowing him down, I don't think he'll try anything in this crowd."

"They can really get lost if he makes it to Bourbon."

Jim kept his eye on Perry and Sara and continued to rely his location to Bonham. She had found a couple of beat cops and had them with her. Sara and Hart were slowly being closed in on by the New Orleans cops on one side and Jim on the other.

Bonham and her people spotted Hart and Sara and at the same time Hart spotted the cops. He pulled his gun from Sara's side and aimed it at the detective. The first shot missed and the crowd on Bourbon Street scattered. Some hit the pavement. Others ducked into the various doorways on the street. A few took photo graphs. One of the beat cops shot at Hart and missed. Hart returned fire in the direction of the beat cop. Sara took this moment to jerk away from Hart's grasp. Sara an for cover.

Jim aimed his gun at Perry Hart's back. The two beat cops had the murderer in their sites as well. Bonham drew a bead on him. Hart knew he was dead. He had a decision to make and all of the cops knew what was running through his mind. How many of them would he try to take with him. Which one would he try to aim for and kill. Before he could make up his mind, his body jerked forward with the shot from Brass's gun and almost simultaneously jerked backward with the shots from the beat cops. His face exploded in a mist of blood and brain when the shot from Bonham's .45 hit him.

Sirens rang out in the night. Crime tape was strung around the scene and the police tried in vain to keep the curious away. Sara and Jim sat on a curb nearby, watching the activity.

"I will need statements from the two of you, but I think it can wait until morning." Kate said. Jim and Sara stood.

"How early?" Jim asked knowing all he wanted to do at this point was sleep. Kate noticed how exhausted he looked.

"How about lunch?" she answered. He looked at his watch. It was only 11:30. He could have sworn the incident had taken hours instead of minutes.

"That was too easy." Sara said. "What was he trying to prove."

"He wasn't trying to prove anything. He was stupid. He had been lucky until tonight and he just pushed his luck." Kate said. "You were lucky, too. If he had been faster or I had not been on the DOA case he could have killed you."

"Sara was smart." Jim added. "She didn't let him get far, The stumbling slowed him down. You knew his MO."

"Yeah, I assumed he had to find a safer place than the street to kill me." she said.

"This situation is going to be a bitch to clear up. Three of our cops and one Vegas cop in a shoot out on Bourbon Street over a kidnapped Vegas crime scene investigator. The papers will have a field day with this. Oh great here comes our chief." Kate walked up to a distinguished black man.

The chief looked at the body as it was strapped on the gurney. He shook his head.

"Girl, you will do anything for my attention." he walked over to where they stood. "You must me the cops from Las Vegas. I hope we can get this cleared up and you can go home soon"

Jim knew that was a nice way of saying the chief wanted them to get out of town ASAP.

"Thank God it was some scumbag rapist, but three shots to the body and blasting his head off was over kill. I will deal with the storm, but I want you to take some time off starting now!" the chief said and as Kate began to protest he stopped her. " I assume you all have surrendered your weapons. I want you three out of this scene. I don't have to tell any of you to keep your mouths shut."

Jim and Sara stood in the same spot for a few moments.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked

"I don't have a clue how to get back to our hotel" Jim laughed.

"Look, why don't we get a drink. I know I could use one." Kate said

"No, I just want to get some sleep." Sara said knowing a drink would be the worst thing for her at this moment.

"Okay where are you staying?" Kate asked and Jim gave her the name of the hotel.

"No problem it's near my apartment. We can share a cab." They had to walk a few blocks off Bourbon to catch the cab. Jim's head turned as they walked passed a night club playing some excellent jazz. Kate noticed.

"Come on one drink, a little Jazz? I am too wired to just go home." she led them to the club.

"No." Sara said raising her hand hailing a cab. "I just want to sleep."

The cab pulled up. Jim looked from Sara to Kate. He opened the cab door and got in after Sara. Kate turned and walked into the club.

Jim and Sara did not speak as they walk down the corridor to the suite. The moment they had shared earlier had practically been forgotten. Jim unlocked the door, Sara walked in and headed to her room. The suite shared a common living area and two rooms opened into it. Jim slipped off his shoes. Sara walked back carrying a bottle of champagne.

"This was in my room." she held it up. Jim pointed to the champagne cooling in the ice bucket near the couch. He looked puzzled. On the neck of this bottle was a note.

Hope you enjoyed dinner. The Commanders Palace is always a treat. Top off the evening with a nightcap. Kate Bonham. P.S. Tell Sara I am sorry for being so hateful at the scene. (an apology bottle in in her room)

"This would have been nice two hours ago." Sara remarked. Remembering the scene on the park bench. Jim was thinking the same thing.

"Are you okay?" He looked at her

"You ask me that a lot you know."

"I worry about you. You want to talk about what happened?"

"No I want to open this bottle and have a drink"

He opened the bottle and poured two glasses.

"We should toast. Seems appropriate." she held up her glass.

"To going home" he said

"To one more night here." she said.

THE NEXT MORNING

Sara rolled over and saw Jim standing at the window. He was wearing a hotel bath robe. She wondered how he was able to stand the sunshine. Her head throbbed. This feeling was one of the reasons she had quit drinking. Jim noticed her eyes on him. He put a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence and pointed to his head. She understood immediately. She unsteadily got out of bed, wrapping the sheet around her nude body.

Jim closed the curtain to the morning sun. He walked to Sara, but did not touch her.

"What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans?" he whispers

"No way." Sara whispers back and opens the sheet and steps to his open arms.