"Can we help you?" Tim asked as a uniformed officer, detective, and what looked like a CSI walked up towards the small group.
"I'm Detective Harmon, Syracuse PD and this is Stacey Johansson, crime lab."
"I'm Tim Speedle, uh... my sister Maggie and my wife Calleigh." Tim said. "This have to do with what happened last night?"
"Yes it does." Stacey said, pulling out a file. "Do you know him?"
Tim took a look at the picture and shook his head, as did Maggie and Calleigh, who was edging closer to Tim by the second. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his side.
"I don't meant to alarm your wife Mr. Speedle." Det. Harmon said.
"No." Calleigh laughed. "We work down with the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. I'm used to all of this."
"So then this isn't your house."
"No. It's my parents'." Tim said. "Why?"
"We have reason to believe that the murderer may strike again. Have you noticed any odd activity in the neighborhood?" Det. Harmon asked. Calleigh and Maggie shook their heads. "Sir?"
Tim thought back to when he had seen the mysterious figure in the house across the street. He had no evidence that whoever that person was, was trying to plan a homicide.
"No."
"If they have a suspect then the murderer won't strike again." Maggie said.
"Not necessarily." Tim said. "They could have the wrong person in custody. Or they do and may not have enough evidence and he goes free."
"Your brother is right." Stacey said. "Are you parents here at the moment?"
"Yeah. They're inside." Tim led them into the house. "Mom!"
Susan walked into the hallway and looked shocked to see the police in her home.
"Tim, what's going on?"
"This is Det. Harmon from the police department and CSI Stacey Johansson. They need to talk to you and Dad about last night's murder. And probably Greg and Danny while we're at it."
"Danny wasn't here last night." Susan said.
"Just get them." Tim said.
--------S/C-------
"So that's it?" Susan asked.
"There's not much we can do ma'am." Stacey replied. "Mrs. Speedle, if you can remember anything, please call."
She handed over a card and Susan took it.
"Thank you for your time." Stacey added as she and Det. Harmon left.
"This is horrible." Susan muttered. "A crime in our own neighborhood. This shows that the world is going down the tubes. Nothing has ever happened like this."
"Mom, you've got to be careful. Don't let anyone in the house." Tim said. "Just us."
"Timothy, I'm not stupid."
"I'm just saying. Make sure everything's locked. See anything suspicious call Det. Harmon."
The triplets ran downstairs.
"Can we go back out now?" Nicky asked. Tim glanced at Maggie and she sighed.
"I'd rather you stay in, shorty." she said. "It's gonna get dark soon."
"Aww! Come on Mommy!" Jimmy pleaded.
"If your mom said no, then she said no." Greg said, tossing one of his sons over his shoulder. "Besides Grandma is going to be making dinner soon."
"I don't wanna eat!" Tommy whined. "I wanna play!"
"Well you can't always get what you want." Tim said. "Stop whining."
"This is coming from the king of whining." Calleigh smirked, wrapping her arms around her husband.
"I don't whine." Tim whined.
"Oh see... there, right then."
"No."
-------S/C------
The Speedle family was very quiet that night, no one wanting to say something. Of course, Greg and Calleigh, only related to the Speedles by marriage, did not have their stubbornness or shyness.
"Susan, this is amazing." Calleigh said, kicking Tim under the table. He stared at her, then caught her drift.
"Yeah Mom. Dinner is great." he said slowly. "So Gina, you go to college with Danny?"
"Yes." she smiled. "We're going for the same major actually in criminal justice."
"Oh?" Susan said, a questioning tone in her voice. "Daniel, you changed your major?"
"Danny, I didn't know you wanted to get into that kinda work." Tim said, now interested.
"Daniel, you said you were going for something in business." Susan said.
"You know, next year when you're a senior you can come down to Miami and get into the internship down at the lab. Horatio would gladly hire you two."
"Yeah. Our shift is always needing new people. We're looking for a few lab technicians." Calleigh added.
"Why isn't anyone listening to me?" Susan asked.
"Mom, I didn't want to go into the executive business job. Tim's job sounds interesting." Danny muttered.
"And it is." Jack added.
"Jack!" Susan exclaimed.
"Susan, if the boy wants to do something different, let him."
"Well you're going to be staying in school longer to make up for those credits." Susan said. "How are you going to pay for it?"
"Actually... I've had this idea since I was freshman." Danny said quietly. "When we went to Miami for Tim and Calleigh's wedding."
"So you've lied to us the past three years. Why?"
"I figured I'd tell you later. Getting a degree in business was one of the things but I decided to get into the law enforcement work."
"But you can't." Susan blurted.
"Why not?" Danny asked. "Tim can."
"Yes but see Danny, your brother is very talented."
The room went quiet.
"And I'm not?" Danny asked. Tim sat back in his chair, trying to come up with some way to come to his brother's rescue.
"I'm not talented." he finally said. "I studied. I wanted my job so I worked for it. I wasn't going to get by on my looks and behavior. I had to know my stuff. Reading a book isn't being talented. I still have to read up on things. I don't know everything. Danny's capable of what I do."
"Well talking about looks," Susan said, giving Gina a scathing look. "Do they allow, such... outfits?"
"Actually they don't care. As long is your work is credible." Calleigh said. Tim nodded.
"We worked on a case once and needed NCIS to help us—"
"NCIS?" Greg questioned.
"Naval Criminal Investigative Services." Tim explained. "Their lab tech, Abby was quite... interesting."
"Mrs. Speedle, I know what you think about me." Gina said. "I suggest that you try getting past my... appearance."
The Speedle kids looked highly amused. No one had ever talked to their mother like that. Susan looked appalled.
"Let's move into the living room." she said quietly.