A/N: Sgt. Kay Howard is a character from Homicide: Life on the Streets, for those who don't know. That was where Munch's character originated.

"Sergeant Howard, please," I told the desk sergeant who answered the phone.

"Howard," her familiar voice answered after a minute.

"Hey, Kay."

"Munchkin?" Her laugh sounded and I could picture her clear as if she was standing right in front of me. "What the hell do you want now?"

"What makes you think I want something?" I made it sound as if I was offended.

"Because the last three times you called you needed something. Maybe that's why." She had a point. "What can I do you outta?"

I paused for a minute, my chest tightening a bit. It hurt to talk about my brother, especially to tell someone I had once worked with, or was friends with, what had happened. "My brother and his wife were murdered in a hotel up here."

"Geez, Munch. When?" She sounded concerned.

"August third."

"And you're only tellin' me this now? Forget that, what do you need?"

"I was looking through the security tapes the hotel had and came across this one guy I recognized from a while back. He must have used an alias to get a room at the hotel, because there weren't any visitors that morning, and all the ones that had been there the night before left by midnight."

"You want his file?" she guessed.

"Well, I can't remember his name, but I remember he killed his brother and Danvers sent him away for twenty to life. Other than that..."

"I'll use my oh-so-mighty powers and find that out. Don't you have a nephew?" she asked suddenly, and I could tell she had just remembered.

"Yeah, he's ten. Been living with me ever since his parents were killed and I'm trying to adopt him."

"You should've told me, John."

"I know, but when I drove down the day after the funeral, I wasn't really thinking about you, sorry. I was more focused on packing up whatever Ben needed and getting his school records and the like. Called in some favors from some people too, for selling the house and clearing it out and the like. I've been busy."

"I'll check out that file for you, then. Call you when I get it."

I gave her my number and we said our goodbyes. I hung up the phone and sat for a minute, talking with Kay having brought up a few memories, both those that I wouldn't mind revisiting and those that were the hearts of nightmares. Closing my eyes, I gave my head a brief shake to clear the debris.

"What was that all about?" Fin asked. He had walked in as I had hung up the phone.

"Called an old friend. Asked her about that guy in the tape. She's gonna look it up for me. Hopefully we'll get something by tomorrow, later if we're lucky."

He nodded and sat down at his desk. "I was gonna send a picture of that guy down there, but you beat me to it. Doesn't matter, long as we let 'em know and they're doin' somethin' about it."

"Yeah."

"You all right?" I heard the genuine concern in his voice and it occurred to me that it had been there since my brother had been murdered.

"Yeah."

He looked skeptical, but didn't say anything more as Kearney walked back into the squad room. Before he could tell me to get out of 'his' chair, I said, "I gotta head home. See ya later." I left without acknowledging Kearney, which I don't think bothered him in the slightest, and went upstairs to where I knew Ben was.