The next team meeting was without Alexx, who had another DB from another case to deal with. It was, unfortunately, however attended by the Chief of Police, who had decided this was a high profile enough case for him to get involved. Frankie groaned under her breath as he walked in. If Horatio hadn't been feeling pressure before, he would certainly be aware of it now.

Chief Johnson had a tall, spare figure, with a complexion that spoke of more time spent on the golf course than in the office. He was nearing retirement, and wanted to go out on a high, hence the unusual interest in a case. He took a seat around the table, and looked around at Horatio.

"Ignore me, Caine, just pretend I'm not here." Famous last words, thought Frankie sourly, as she exchanged irritated looks with Horatio.

"Yes sir," Horatio replied, and if the honorific sounded a little forced, Frankie was certain the Chief wouldn't notice. "So far, we don't have a great deal to go on, as far as hard evidence goes, so we're having to focus on victimology. Calleigh, did you find anything unusual in Amanda Hardy's background?"

"Hardy? The school teacher? I hardly think she will have been involved Caine!" the Chief scoffed. Horatio sent a very pointed look in his direction, and he backed down in the face of the crystal stare. "But, well, this is your investigation, and I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"Not really, Horatio," Calleigh said, not looking at the Chief. Her answer was to Horatio, and to the team, and she at least was taking the Chief at his word and was pretending he wasn't there. Frankie hid a smile, and had to bite her lip as she caught Horatio's eye. "Amanda was born in LA, and did a degree in history at UCLA, before taking a teaching qualification there. She met her husband Brad Hardy at the first school she worked at, and then moved down here when her husband got a job as the bursar of University of Miami. She's been working at Pepper Hill School for 5 years now, and there's never been any trouble. The only police record she has is a dispute with a neighbour over some trees. There was a disturbance reported after her husband and the neighbour got into an argument, but the neighbour has since moved out of state."

"It's unlikely to be her," Frankie said. Horatio raised his eyebrows, and she continued, "Dr Alexandrou thinks it's something to do with righting a perceived wrong. Unless this argument was really serious, I doubt this is the work of an enraged gardener. Besides, he'd probably target the husband, rather than the wife."

Horatio nodded, silent for a moment as he thought. The CSIs, all used to Horatio, kept quiet, letting him think. Chief Johnson had no such scruples. "There, I told you it would have nothing to do with her!" He looked around the room in triumph. Frankie felt herself staring, and looked quickly at the floor. How did this man get to be Chief of Police?

"What about the other two?" Ryan asked.

"Charlie Hackford has two possession charges for cocaine on his sheet, but I'm not sure how useful that will be," Horatio answered. "The charges are for possession only, and he has no record of getting in trouble with his dealer. Frank pulled the dealer in earlier on, and he seems to think Hackford is the model addict."

"Drug dealers don't usually go in for bombings anyway," Eric frowned.

"Exactly. That leaves us with David Barker, the Centre Manager." Horatio paused for a second and frowned. "He's a strange case. Although he appears to be a model citizen, with the exception of a few parking violations and a speeding ticket, I can't find any record of him before 2000. I've checked other states as well, and it's as though he didn't exist until six years ago."

"On the run?" Calleigh suggested.

"Perhaps. Let's run his DNA through CODIS, just in case it turns up anything. Other than that, just keep at it people. He will make a mistake." When Horatio said it, Frankie believed him.

She hung around at the end of the meeting, and Horatio stayed put too. As the Eric and Calleigh left chattering about something, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him tight against her. Resting his head on top of hers, he smiled to himself.

"P-minus twelve hours," he murmured and she snorted with laughter. Everything about her intoxicated him: the scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, her laughter, everything. She leaned back a little, and met his gaze.

"I could just tell them this is a really bad time," she pleaded. "Dad would understand."

"I don't want him to understand. I don't want him to think I put work ahead of you, and that includes your family," he replied gently. "You are the most important person in my life, and I intend to convince your father of that. Besides, when would be a good time? We've also got some case on the go."

"Other cases aren't as important."

"They are to the victims," he said softly and she fell in love with him all over again. He cared so much about everyone else, put so much of himself into this work. She tightened her hold on him and reached up to kiss him. What was intended to be a brief kiss, a reminder of how much she loved him, developed quickly into something much more. Forgetting where she was, who could be watching them or anything but the feel of his lips on hers, Frankie lost herself in his embrace. One of his hands slid under her shirt and lightly slid over her skin, skirting gently around the ugly scar left by her recent hospital stay.

He pulled away, regret shining in his eyes, and she tried to get her breath back. "I wish we could continue this," he whispered. A knock on the door made them both jump.

Alexx was grinning and pretending to fan herself. "Whew, do you two heat things up around here! I thought the fire alarm was about to go off!"

Horatio blushed and dropped his head, but Frankie met her friend's eyes without embarrassment. "Nothing wrong with a bit of central heating," she smirked. "Besides, we'll both have to be on our best behaviour when my parents arrive!"

Alexx laughed, nodded, and walked off. Horatio was looking at her strangely. At her expression, he laughed and said, "You're right, you know. We'll have to start behaving ourselves tomorrow. Still, at least we've got tonight to be naughty." He walked off before she had a chance to reply, leaving her standing there, her mouth open in surprise. Then she shivered in anticipation. Tonight couldn't come fast enough.