A/N: See chapter 1 for the standard stuff. Please R & R. TY to those who have.

I have appropriated a couple of scenes of Curse of the Coffin. One originally belonged to Calleigh and one to Horatio. A big TY to the original writers. Please don't sue. I don't have any money.

Eric looked up from the layout table as Annabel as she came in. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hip. Eric looked away waiting for the scolding. Annabel just shook her head slightly.

"I told Ryan the coffin was bad news."

"All Santeria is bad news." Annabel resisted the urge to cross herself. "But was it the coffin that made Ryan's hands go numb?"

"No, it was tetrodotoxin powder from when he touched the gurney."

Annabel frowned. "That's blowfish poison. What was Ed Smith doing with blowfish poison?"

"Ed Smith was trying to put one over on us." Eric smiled grimly.

Annabel tilted her head to the side. "Are you saying that Ed Smith faked his own death?"

"Yes. Tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin. It's absorbed through the skin. The right dose…everything slows down, you seem dead, but you wake up in a few hours. Wrong does and you're dead for real."

"Ryan touched the gurney, got a little and his hands went numb." Annabel shook her head. "Ed Smith faked his death to get out of an armed robbery charge? Sounds pretty risky to me."

Eric shrugged. "Crazy, I know. Guess which religion has been know to use the powder."

"Santeria," said Annabel flatly. The urge to cross herself got stronger. Annabel slipped one hand into her pocket to finger her rosary.

"So…I guess that means you're headed to Calle Ocho."

Annabel rolled her eyes. "Lucky me." She scooped up her copy of the file and headed out the door. She paused a little way down the hall, pulled her rosary out, kissed the crucifix and crossed herself. Annabel wanted nothing to do with this case. Sometimes a slow day in Miami wasa curse.

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Annabel looked over at the man sitting on the other side of the table. Waves of arrogance rolled off of him like a fog. Her lip curled. Stupid man. Playing with voodoo. Eric leaned in.

"So, Jeremy, can you tell us why you purchased blowfish poison at the botanica?"

Jeremy dropped a confused mask over his features. "Blowfish poison?" He shook his head. "That's way out of my realm."

"What about those Santeria curses we found at Alissa's condo?

He smiled slightly. "Yeah. Those are mine. But those aren't curses. They're symbols of love and divination." Annabel's whole body itched. She felt like just being in the room with this man was leaving a thin layer filth on her. Jeremy shook his head, leaned back and tented his hands. "If they were curses, there would be much more blood." Jeremy looked from Eric to Annabel like he was bestowing wisdom on the unenlightened. Annabel wanted to wipe the smug expression off his face.

Annabel stared him down. You're the one that's an idiot. Playing games with the devil's toys. Jeremy shifted and looked away from Annabel.

"The goat's head?" prompted Eric.

Jeremy focused back on Eric, trying to tune out Annabel's scowl. "The goat was a prosperity sacrifice." He shrugged and rubbed his hands together. "I just didn't have a chance to dispose of the remains."

Annabel leaned in. "What…kind…of sacrifice was Alissa?"

Jeremy leaned back. "My religion doesn't make me a murderer." Annabel just raised an eyebrow.

Eric opened the file with a picture of the small, wood coffin. Jeremy leaned farther away. His demeanor crumbled. He shook his head hard.

"What about this coffin we found near her body? There were prints on it and I bet we can match them to you."

Jeremy shook his head again. He looked away from the photo and nervously licked his lips. "I never put thatanywhere near her." He glanced at the photo and then looked from Eric to Annabel. "Where…where is that now?"

"In the lab," answered Eric.

Jeremy looked at Eric and shook his head. "You…need…to burn that. Right now."

Annabel was inclined to agree, but she wanted to hear Jeremy's reason. "Why is that?"

His gaze flashed to Annabel. "Because if you don't get rid of it…someone else…is going…to die." Annabel felt the chill run down her spine. She tried to shake it off. They wrapped up their questioning of Jeremy and Annabel quickly headed out of the room. Eric caught up with Annabel a little way down the hall.

"This has you spooked as much as Ryan," he teased.

Annabel spun on him. "This isn't something to joke about, Eric." She nodded her head back towards the interrogation room. "Pretty boy there has no clue what he's playing at. Religion," she spat. "To him…this…is…a game." She shook her head. "Jeremy just doesn't get that when you sell you soul there will be a time you have to pay up."

"Hey, Annie. I didn't mean to tick you off."

Annabel shook her head and ran her fingers through her curls. "Sorry. It's just…" She shook her head again. "Sorry. Silly, superstitious Annabel." She flashed Eric a crooked smile and continued on her way.

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Annabel raked her fingers through her as hair as she went over the files. She sighed as she heard the footsteps approach. She tried to ignore the presence behind her and concentrate on the file. He didn't leave. Annabel mentally cursed Eric and his big mouth.

"I don't need checking on, Horatio. I'm fine." Annabel didn't turn around.

"I was hungry and was wondering if you had eaten yet."

"I'm not starving myself, Horatio."

"Have you eaten lunch yet?"

Annabel turned around. "No. But I've been a little busy." She held up a snack bar. "But see, I have something right here. I'm fine." She couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Horatio just tilted his head and looked at her. He flipped the sunglasses in his hands. "How about we go and grab a bite?"

Annabel scowled at him. "I have work to do."

"Just a quick bite." Horatio looked through his lashes at Annabel. "Pass it off on humoring a lonely man."

Annabel rolled her eyes. A smirk spread over her face as she shook her head. "I know for a fact, Lieutenant Caine, that you are not at all lonely."

"I am right now, Detective." He grinned at Annabel. "Just for a bit. We can just grab something out of the machine in the break room, if you want."

"Are you trying to kill me, Horatio?" She stood up. "Half an hour. That's it."

"Understood, ma'am."

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Annabel paced back and forth on the balcony. She was livid. What the hell had he been thinking? Her anger had almost overrun her reason. It took Frank's intervention to keep her from flying down to the lab and strangling him with her bare hands. Annabel glanced at the door, debating wither or not she wanted Horatio to walk through it. She looked down as the sun glinted off her rings. Numbing terror seized her. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She sunk to the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. Annabel buried her face and wept. She rocked back and forth. Annabel was so heartsick, she almost screamed. Anger welled up inside her and dried her tears. She looked up to find Horatio standing, watching her. The look she flashed him seared him through. He opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. Annabel watched him approach. When he stood in front of her, she looked pointedly away, avoiding Horatio's eyes.

"Annabel…"

She shot him a fiery look. "You had enough time to drive the car to the beach, but not enough to just defuse the bomb?"

"I had to think about the team. About the lab."

"How 'bout thinking about me?" Annabel bit her lip as the bone-deep terror washed over her again. "What would I have done if you had managed to blow yourself up?" Annabel looked at anything besides Horatio. She reached deep inside and tried to rekindle her righteous anger.

Horatio squatted down in front of her. "Annabel…" He shook his head and picked up her hand. "Annabel…" Horatio tilted his head and looked at Annabel through his lashes. Her hand rested limply in his. " Annabel…" he repeated a third time. She finally met his eyes. They were as damp as hers. "I had to…I…"

Annabel blinked hard and looked up at the sky. She looked back at Horatio. "I know," she said quietly. She reached out and touched Horatio's cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned his face into her hand. Annabel's hand slid down and caressed Horatio's neck. "I should ring this, you know."

Horatio chucked. "I hear that Frank kept you from that already once today."

"So you gonna call him to protect you now?"

"I don't need protection from you, Bella."

Annabel raised an eyebrow. "You're so sure of that, are you?" She stretched her right leg out.

"Positive."

"You know everything, don't you?"

Horatio shook his head. "Not everything. I just know you very well."

"In a moment of passion…"

"You wouldn't be killing me," Horatio stated simply. Annabel just looked at him. "Come inside, Bella." Horatio stood slowly and held his hand out to her.

She shook her head. "I should…"

"You should come inside."

Annabel looked up at him and shook her head. "Horatio…"

"Please, Bella. Come inside with me." Annabel took a deep breath, released it slowly and placed her hand into Horatio's. He helped her up and led her into the condo.

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