I though I should update one more chapter before christmas. Consider it my christmas present to you (if it's a good or bad present, well that's another story ;)

Merry Christmas to you all!

I rolled on to the Washington's Crossing parking lot and stopped my car next to Steph's. Twenty minutes earlier she had called me and told me that she had gotten a lead on Evelyn. To her luck, and mine to be honest, had I been sitting in my office doing paperwork instead of out on a mission. Paperwork is not my favorite thing to do so when she called I was actually relieved that I had a reason to leave it. Sometimes it's good to be the boss.

She got in next to me and looked around at the interior. Probably wondering what the hell all the gizmos and buttons was for. 'How's your mental health?' I asked. 'I heard about Soder.' I was impressed by her. She had just found a guy on her couch that was not only dead but sawed in half and duck taped together again. And here she was, not hiding terrified of life, but still standing and trying to solve the mystery. I was proud of her.

'I'm rattled.' She answered. Well who wouldn't be.

'I have a cure.'

I could see her cheeks flush and her eyes widen slightly as I put the car in gear. Man, she has a dirty mind. 'I know what you're thinking. And that wasn't where I was going. I was going to suggest work.' I explained to her.

'I knew that.' She said quickly.

I looked over at her and grinned. 'You want me bad.'

I could see her eyes saying yes. But instead she changed the subject. 'We're going north. There's a chance that Evelyn and Dotty are at the campground with the little trailers.'

'I know the campground.' I said and turned the car in the right direction.

We drove in silence through the Pennsylvania countryside. My pager buzzed two times. The first time it was Tank who updated me on a job and the second time it was Lester complaining about me leaving the paperwork unfinished. I just read the messages and then turned back to the road. I could see Steph eyeing me in the corner of my eye. She's too curious for her own good.

The third time it buzzed I held back a sigh and once more read the message. It only said one word. Whipped. Well I guess Lester'd found out that I'd left the paperwork to go help Steph out. I felt Steph's curious eyes on me but simply ignored her. To be honest, It was quite fun. When I continued to watch the road without telling her who the message was from she looked like she was going to burst. 'Hello!' She finally snapped at me.

I cut my eyes to her. We were so different from each other. I like to keep things for myself and she's Ms Curiosity. We both knew it, only I accepted it with amusement and she with steam coming out of her ears.

Eventually her patience ran out and she dropped her eyes to my pager. 'Jeanne Ellen?' She asked.

Where was this sudden obsession with Jeanne Ellen coming from? 'Jeanne Ellen is on her way to Puerto Rico.' I told her. Our eyes held for a moment, before I turned my gaze back to the road to mark that the conversation had ended. I wasn't much of a talker when I drove. It's the best time to gather and organize all your thoughts. Not for Steph though. A combination of having to sitt still and be quiet for a longer period made her bones itch.

'It's a good thing you have a nice ass. Because you sure as hell can be annoying.' She said and pouted her lip.

The comment brought a smile to my lips. 'My ass isn't my best part, babe.'

And that ended the conversation.

We got to the campsite only to find the place empty. They had already moved on, leaving nothing but some toys and a small bag of garbage. They hadn't stayed there for long.

We decided to try their houses in the city again. We drove back and started with Dotty's house.

When we reached the front door, I held my Glock in one hand and picked the lock with the other hand. I pushed the door open. 'Stay here.' I told Steph before stepped inside and did a quick survey. When I saw that it was safe, I returned to the door and motioned Steph inside.

'Nobody home?' She asked me.

'No. There are drawers pulled out and papers scattered on the kitchen counter. Either someone's been through the house, or else Dotty left in a hurry.'

'I was here after Dotty left. I didn't go into the house, but I looked in the windows and the house seemed neat. Do you think the house could have been burgled?'

Now that's Stephanie for you, always tries denial first. 'Don't think the motive was burglary. There's a computer in the kid's room and a diamond engagement ring in the jewelry box in the mother's room. The television is still here. My guess is, we're not the only ones looking for Evelyn and Annie.' I had a strong feeling Abruzzi had gone through the house.

'Maybe it was Jeanne Ellen. She had a bug planted here. Maybe she came back to get her bug before she left for Puerto Rico.' She said in a sour voice.

'Jeanne Ellen isn't sloppy. She wouldn't leave the front door open, and she wouldn't leave evidence of a break-in.'

'Maybe she was having a bad day? Cripes, doesn't she ever have a bad day?' She snapped at me. I knew she tried to sound normal, but her voice had climbed an octave as she spoke. I couldn't help but smile at her obvious jealousy.

'Okay, so I'm getting a little tired of the perfect Jeanne Ellen.' She admitted.

'Jeanne Ellen isn't perfect... she's just very good.' I knew Steph probably wondered if we were, or had ever been a couple. Almost the entire town did. From every corner of Trenton could we hear people say that we would be the ultimate couple. A long time ago we thought so too. People pushed us from every direction, saying that we should date, everything would be so perfect. And we had to admit that it did seem perfect. We had the same kind of job and were both damn good at it, therefore the issue of having an understanding partner was out of the question. We would probably understand each other better than anyone. We were great as a working team and also, I mean... just look at her, she's hot. So we tried the dating thing for a while. But it turned out that even if we fit together like peas and carrots when it came to work, we just didn't click emotionally. So we decided it was best to leave it at work. Okay, for a short while we did see each other occasionally... and released some sexual tension for one another. Eventually that stopped when she met the man her life. Some brainy computer guy, who honestly is nice as hell, but on the verge of being a geek. But they clicked, and I knew Jeanne Ellen has never been happier. I think that was it, we were too much a like. They've always said that opposites attract and I guess that's true. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to Stephanie. We really are the exact opposites of each other, but still we... click.

I slung my arm around her shoulders and kissed the soft skin below her ear. 'Maybe we can find an area where your skills exceed Jeanne Ellen's.' I said.

She narrowed her eyes at me. 'Did you have something in mind?'

Oh you bet I have things in mind, babe. But however. 'Nothing I'd want to get into right now.' I answered her and pulled on a pair of disposable gloves to go in for a more thorough search of the house.

When we were finished with Dotty's house we moved over to Evelyn's. After searching that too we hadn't found out much. All though Steph told me that she thought Abruzzi was guarding the house, every time she went there he turned up ten minutes later. Last time she'd run into him he said that he knew she was in it for the money, that she knew what the stakes were. And that she knew what he was trying to recover. Abruzzi thought she was after the same thing he was after, and he probably thought it was hidden in the house. From now on my number one priority would be to find out exactly what it was Abruzzi was after.

The only thing we found inside the house was the kids drawing pad, filled with pages of men who were shot bleeding. The drawings could either show that the kid watched too much TV, or that she had witnessed a murder. And that might be the reason why they're hiding.

It was late when we returned to her parents' house and the street was dark. I cut of my lights and turned towards the beautiful woman sitting next to me. 'Are you spending the night here again?' I asked her. It sounded like an innocent question but I was really wondering if she was going to spend it at Morelli's.

'Yes. My apartment's still sealed. I imagine I'll get it back tomorrow.'

I could see her body shivering at the thought of going back. 'I see you're excited about returning.'

'I'll figure it out. Thanks for helping me today.'

'I feel cheated,' I teased. 'Usually when I'm with you a car explodes or a building burns down.'

'Sorry to disappoint.' She returned.

'Life is a bitch.' I said.

I felt I didn't want her to leave just yet, so against my better judgment, I reached out and grabbed her by her jacket sleeps, hauled her across the console, and kissed her. Kissing her was like playing with fire, it burned me but I couldn't stop. I was close to putting the pedal to the floor and bring her back to my apartment where I really could kiss her. But I forced myself to push back.

'Now you kiss me?' She said. 'What was the deal when we were alone in my apartment?'

Oh so she wanted me to kiss her, huh. 'You had three glasses of wine, and you fell asleep.' I reminded her.

'Oh yeah. Now I remember.'

'And you went into panic attack at the thought of sleeping with me.' I said with my lips brushing against hers and my hand gently stroking her belly. I felt a hint of her scent, not a scent that comes from perfumes or showergel, but her natural fregrance. The scent of Stephanie... I almost kissed her once more. This woman truly is toxic.

'You weren't entirely responsible for the panic. It was a sort of disastrous day.' she said.

'Babe, you have a lot of disastrous days.'

'You sound like Morelli.'

The mentioning of Morelli brought me back to reality and reminded me that I shouldn't be this close to he. I was supposed to have that one night with her to get her out of my head. And she was supposed to go back to Morelli. That was the way thing's needed to be. 'Morelli is a good guy. And he loves you.' I told her with a twinge of regret in my stomach.

'And you?' She asked.

I didn't have an answer to that. So instead, I smiled. I felt her body shivering again, but this time I knew it was from a completely different reason than before. Just when I was about to kiss her again, the porch light went on and her crazy Grandma peered out from a window. 'Saved by Grandma.' I said and released her from my grip. 'I'm going to wait for you to get in the house. I don't want anyone kidnapping you on my watch.' Well that, and I had a great view of her ass as she walked away.