Tim stood in the doorway of the darkened apartment, a sullen look on his face.
"Any ID?" he yawned. Alexx shook her head.
"Poor baby had a rough time." she said.
"Who called it in?"
"Ask patrol baby. I only deal with the dead." Alexx smiled. Tim nodded and checked with the uniform at the door. "So?"
"Neighbor called it in when she heard screaming. Uniform found her dead on the bed." he said as Eric walked in. "Hey, you wanna get started?"
Eric nodded and got down to business as Tim walked out into the hallway. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number, then waited.
"Hello?"
"Hey sweetheart."
"Daddy? It's 6:20." Anna groaned.
"I know baby and I'm sorry. I just wanted to check in on you. Was Maggie good?"
"Precious. Is that the only reason why you called?"
"No. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine Daddy. Really."
"Okay. That's good. Uh... you wanna get lunch or something? Later on I mean?"
"I have class. How about tomorrow?"
"That's fine. I'm at work. I just wanted to hear your voice."
"That's sweet Daddy. Thanks for calling."
"No problem. Uh... give me a call later."
"I will. I love you Daddy."
"I love you too Anna. Bye."
"Bye." Anna hung up first and Tim walked back into his crime scene.
---------S/C--------
"Again nothing." Eric sighed. "This guy doesn't want to be caught. Either that or he doesn't do anything but strangle them."
"There's no signs of struggle." Tim said.
"Maybe he knows them." Calleigh suggested. "I mean, there are a lot of brunettes down here in Miami. It's not impossible."
"But why..." Horatio wondered. He had stepped down as lieutenant but hadn't quit his job as a CSI entirely.
"Revenge on someone?" Eric suggested.
"Guys, I don't want this case ending up like the last one." Tim said. "So we better find some evidence."
"We can't find evidence if it's not there." Calleigh said. Tim gave her a look and she smiled innocently at him. "What did you get Alexx?"
"Will you stop trying to run my team?" Tim snapped.
"I'm not trying to run your team." Calleigh said. "I'm just moving this discussion along. I'm sorry for trying not to dwell on the negative part of this case."
The meeting paused for a few minutes as the couple continued to bicker.
"Can we get on with the case?" Eric asked loudly.
"Alexx, the autopsy..." Tim said.
"I checked the victim's prints. Her name Ashley Portman and was a junior at the University of Miami." she said. "She was raped. I didn't find any semen in her. She died of asphyxiation and was strangled."
"Did you find any prints around her neck?" Tim asked. Alexx shook her head.
"My guess is he wore gloves. I found a black fiber in her hair too." she said, sliding an evidence envelope across the table. "Probably from the gloves."
"So... he's a tidy murderer." Calleigh said. Tim gave her another look. "Oh are you going to yell at me for stating the obvious?"
"He's got something to hide." Eric said.
"Everyone's got something to hide." Tim said.
-----------S/C---------
The next day...
Tim smiled, seeing Anna walk into the restaurant they were eating at.
"Hey Daddy!" she smiled, hugging him.
"Hi. How is everything?" Tim asked.
"Great." Anna said as she slid into her seat. "How's Mom?"
"She's good. She said she'd give you a call later tonight. She wants to go shopping with you."
"Okay." Anna hid behind her menu. "Wow, everything looks so good."
"Yeah..." Tim agreed. "Will you put that damn thing down? I can't see you."
Anna ignored him and Tim gently plucked it from her hands.
"Anna!"
"What?" she asked.
"What happened?"
"I hit myself with the freezer door." she said.
"You hit yourself with the freezer door." Tim said flatly. "You know the last time your face was bruised you said Jess elbowed you. Now you have another bruise and you got hit in the face with a freezer door?"
"Yes. I'm a klutz, what can I say?"
"I don't think that's it."
"Dad, it's nothing. It was just an accident." Anna said. "I wasn't paying attention when I opened it. How are Danny and Becca?"
"Don't change the subject. Anna, if something was going on you'd tell me right?"
"Yes Daddy. Nothing is going on though so I don't have anything to tell you." she said, smiling. "Is Becca okay?"
"She misses you."
"I miss her too."
"You know, you can come around the house. I mean, you grew up there. You can always come back."
"Thanks but I like being on my own. You haven't stopped by to see my apartment."
"I've been busy." Tim said.
"But you make time for everyone else right?" Anna said. "Why don't you like Richie?"
"I like him." Tim lied.
"Mhmm like you like that IAB guy."
Tim sighed and looked at his oldest daughter.
"Anna, it's not that I don't like him. In my opinion no guy will ever be good for you."
"Daddy, I love him. He treats me good. We're happy together. I'm happy. If I'm happy, why can't you be happy?"
"Because I don't want to face the fact that you're growing up." Tim said quietly. Anna sighed and slid into his side of the booth.
"I may love Richie but I loved you first. I still do and I always will Daddy." she said. "Please just give him a chance."
Tim nodded and Anna hugged him.
"I do love you Daddy."
