Steve had joined Mark, Amanda, and Jessie as usual in the doctor's lounge for a cup of coffee before his job schedule could suddenly tug him away without a moment of quiet. Steve had just sat down when his phone rang. "Just my luck." He muttered. "Hello? Sloan here." Steve spoke into his phone. "What? When?" His serious tone implied to his onlookers that it he was hearing bad news. But, being a homicide detective, he got that a lot in his line of work. "Yeah. All right." He hung up.

"What is it, Steve?" Mark asked.

Steve sighed. "That was Cheryl. They found Joe Slighter in his apartment half an hour ago...dead." The others gasped.

"Hey, isn't that the guy that Stacy interviewed who..." Jessie rambled.

"Yes." Mark nodded sadly. "How did it happen, Steve?"

"It looks like a suicide. They even found a note on his table." Steve muttered.

"Oh, man." Amanda shook her head. "Stacy's going to feel awful."

"I know." Steve said lowly. "Well, I've got to get over there."

Cheryl met Steve outside when he arrived at Joe Slighter's shack. They both walked inside. "So, who found him?" Steve asked.

"A neighbor who checks in on him once in a while." Cheryl answered. "She brought him dinner and got worried when he didn't answer the door after she repeatedly called him. She rushed in and found him hanging from the ceiling fan, strung up with a bathrobe sash around his throat. She panicked and called us."

At the beach house, everyone was snacking on the junk food set out in front of them. "I still wish Alex could've made it." Kat said.

"I know, honey. But he couldn't get away." Mark smiled.

"With our crazy work schedules, it's a wonder we see each other at all." Kat muttered. She and Alex had been dating for over a year.

Annie the Labrador barked when she heard the front door open and ran to greet Steve. "Oh, good. He's back." Jessie smiled.

"Not good for you." Amanda teased. "You ate half the bag of Doritos before he got here."

"I did not!" Jessie protested. "I saved a little for you guys, and him." Steve quietly stepped into the sitting room. "Hey, Steve!"

"Hi, Dad." Stacy and Kat said together. Steve silently nodded.

"How about some snacks?" Mark offered. "You look like you could use it."

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Steve refused. "Maybe later. Stacy, can you come with me for a minute? I need to talk to you."

"Uh, okay." Stacy shrugged and stood up.

"In the kitchen." Steve said.

"All right." Stacy said timidly. His manner reminded her of when she was a little girl and had broken one of the household rules. So she nervously walked into the kitchen.

"Be back in a minute." Steve stated. "Hey, Dad! Keep Jessie away from the Doritos! I might want some later." Then he walked away.

"He's gonna have it in for you." Kat teased Jessie.

"Eh. What's the worst that can happen?" Jessie shrugged. "He can't hit me. Or get me arrested."

"Steve's telling her about Joe Slighter, isn't he?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah." Mark nodded sadly. "I'll be back in a minute, guys." Then he rose from the couch and headed for the kitchen.

"What is it, Dad?" Stacy asked with nervously raised eyebrows. "Did I do something?"

"Now why would you ask that?" Steve asked with furrowed brows. He actually slightly grinned.

"This just reminds me of when I was little and I did something wrong." Stacy explained. "Your stance, your voice, your whole manner is the same way it was then when you'd find me guilty of one of the household misdemeanors." Steve snickered a little. Mark stifled a chuckle as he leaned against the wall.

"Oh. Are you saying I was that much of a monster?" Steve teased with raised eyebrows.

"Well, nooo," Stacy said sheepishly, biting her lip. "It's just...having a cop for a dad, especially when you get in trouble, it's...well, you know. It isn't fun. You're a big guy, Dad. And...well, when you get into stern cop mode, it...you can be very intimidating."

"I'm glad to hear that. Means I'm doing my job right." Steve cocked his head triumphantly. "Nah, you're in the clear tonight." Steve smiled, but it quickly faded. He sighed heavily. "Stacy, I have to tell you something. Joe Slighter is dead." He said bluntly. Stacy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"What?" She sputtered. "He is?!"

"Yes. I went over to his apartment myself. He's dead, hon." Steve said solemnly.

"Oh no!" Stacy cried, raising her hand to her mouth. "That's awful! Oh, Dad, this is horrible!"

Mark looked on sympathetically. "I know." Steve nodded soberly and rubbed her shoulder. "I'm really sorry, honey."

"But, what about his wife and daughter? Do they know?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they do by now." Steve grimaced. He'd had the unpleasant duty of telling them.

"How did it happen, Dad?" Stacy begged to know. Steve gritted his teeth. This was the question he'd been dreading.

"It looks like he committed suicide, honey."

"Nooo," Stacy grimaced and shook her head. She raised her wrist to her mouth. Then her eyes narrowed. "It was because of the article, wasn't it?" Stacy asked vehemently as hot tears streamed down her face. She was angry now.

"Stace," Steve began. He'd wanted so badly to spare her this pain, knowing she'd feel responsible though she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Dad, it's all over your face." Stacy moaned. "He took his life because of that scandalous report...didn't he?! And what's gonna happen now to his family?" She clenched her teeth and covered her face with her hand.

"It wasn't your fault, honey." Mark spoke up as he appeared behind her. He patted her back softly.

"Excuse me, please!" She shook her head and headed for her bedroom. Steve stared at the floor. Mark glanced sympathetically at him.

"Come on, Steve. We have company." Mark said encouragingly.

"Yeah." Steve muttered and joined Kat, Amanda, Jessie, and Annie in the sitting room.

A half hour later, Mark quietly peered inside Stacy's bedroom door. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, leaning against the wall. She hung her head, her long blonde hair outlining her face, and there were still tears in her eyes. Mark watched sadly and walked in. He sat on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. "Honey, I'm sorry." He said softly.

"Oh, Grandpa," she whimpered and buried her face in his shoulder. He embraced her warmly.

"Shh. Shh, it's all right." Mark whispered gently, holding her close. "It wasn't your fault."

"But I feel responsible!"

"Amanda, could you put a rush on Joe Slighter's autopsy? For Stacy?" Mark asked sadly.

"Certainly. I can do that." Amanda nodded.

"Thanks, honey."