A/N: Those you know belong to those you know. The rest belong to me, including the dead bodies. No profits for me. I will use what ever I feel like from any season through 4. This is your warning. Please R&R. Thanks.
Thanks for all of the reviews. TenFour, I'm happy to provide you with a reason to rush home from work. Glad you're enjoying this. This chapter is a little on the short side. Sorry.
The two girls stood with their arms around each other trying to stay up right. They had been on the sidewalk and had barely been missed by the careening cars. How they had avoided the bullets flying between the vehicles was beyond Annabel. With the girls both talking at once, Annabel tried to sort out the conversation. She nodded and took notes as the teenage girls in front of her sobbed. One of the girls wiped her face with the back of her hand. Annabel fished a packet tissues out of her pocket and handed them over. When Annabel was finished, she touched the girls lightly on the shoulders and thanked them for their time. Before she could start questioning the next witness her cell phone went off. Annabel tapped the cordless earpiece.
"McGinty."
"So, you got one of those Bluetooth earphones." Annabel turned around and spotted Horatio across the street with his phone up to his ear. She bit her lip and restrained the urge to wave at him.
"Hello, Lieutenant. You stalking me or something? I didn't think you were on this scene."
"Wolfe got hung up. I stepped in."
"You're going to make people talk, Horatio."
"You are the one who has a problem with that. Listen, Annabel, I have to give you a rain check for dinner."
Annabel looked at the mangled cars spread out between them, nodded and her expression sobered. She nodded again. "Not a problem. I think I'll be a little tied up too."
"Okay, then. But I will hold you to what we had decided last night."
"Not a problem, Lieutenant."
"Good. See you soon, Detective."
"I'll bet. Later." Annabel tapped her ear again and turned back to the next sobbing teenage girl.
------------
Annabel read over the notes in front of her and typed some more information into her computer. She stopped a moment, flexed her fingers, squinted at the screen and went back to typing. The cell lying on her desk went off. Annabel tapped the earpiece.
"McGinty."
"Hey, Annabel!"
"Hiya, Ro. I take it you're back from Cancun all safe and sound."
"Yes. I did tell you the date we'd be back."
Annabel glanced up at the calendar on her desk. She was pretty sure it read three days previously. "Um. Yea. Things have been a little busy around here. The citizens of Miami-Dade have been a little harder on one another than normal."
"You're okay though, right?"
Annabel rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Rochelle."
"So, how's Horatio?"
Annabel sighed in annoyance. "I have work to do. If you've just called to bother me..."
"Settle, Annabel. I was just asking."
"In that 'So how's your boyfriend?' tone of voice. We haven't even been out on a date, Ro."
"What was the other night?"
"Not a date."
"But you're interested though. And I'm pretty sure he was interested."
"Uh. Yea. But it's complicated. And you know it's not just the work thing."
"Annabel, you never like things the easy way."
Annabel frowned. "Meaning?
"Meaning you like the complicated. You like the puzzles, the ciphers. You like ferreting out the bits of information. It's just the way you're wired."
Annabel sighed and rubbed her temple. "Rochelle, if you want me to be free to go out with you and Marc tonight, we'd better end this conversation so I can get some work done."
"I just worry about you, Annie."
"I hope you didn't spend your whole vacation obsessing about me."
"I hardly gave you a thought."
Annabel harrumphed. "I'll bet. That made for a fun time I'm sure."
"I had fun. And I don't obsess anyway."
"Yea. And neither do I."
"I'll see you later. Marc and I will pick you up. I'll make the reservations for 4."
"Rochelle, I can't make any guarantees for anyone but me. I will see you later, Rochelle." Annabel ended the phone call.
-------------
She walked down the hall to the layout room. Ryan had the table covered with bits and pieces, pictures and diagrams on the board. He looked up when Annabel walked in.
"Have a headache?"
"It shows?"
"A little."
"Caused by a well-intentioned family member. My family member. She chased me down from Chicago."
Ryan just nodded. Annabel sighed and looked at what Ryan had spread out. She leaned on the table and opened the file she had brought with her "So what have we got? I've got three guys that look good for this one. I'd like to have a good reason to haul them in."
"Well, let's compare what you've got with what I've got and hopefully we'll knock off two of them."
"That would be the plan, Ryan." Annabel grinned.
