Chapter 4

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The air in the federal building in Los Angeles was crisp and cool on Sam's warm skin, sending a chill through her body. She could feel goose bumps rise up on her arms as she stood behind Danny at the security checkpoint. She took a sip of her Starbucks coffee, trying to warm up, and glanced around at the other agents. It seemed like all of the agents here in LA were thin, tan and stylish. She guessed it was just the influence of being a government employee in the land of movie stars and health nuts.

"What was the name of the agent we are supposed to meet up with again?" Danny asked as he flashed his badge at the agent manning the metal detector.

"Robert Frasier," Sam replied as she fished out her own badge. She asked the security agent where they could find Frasier's office and he directed them to the seventh floor.

Once they were cleared, they wandered over to the elevator and headed up. Danny was checking his text messages while she stared at the emergency exit sign on the elevator wall. She smiled to herself thinking that should the event arrive, she could lead Danny to safety. Then she idly wondered if she had to if she could pick him up and carry him out.

The door dinged, rescuing her from her silly thoughts, and they stepped out. They found Frasier's office located at the end of the long hallway. Through the windows that lined the wall they could see him tapping away at his keyboard, deep in concentration. He looked like he may have been thin when he was younger but over time had grown a little thicker all over. He had a large forehead that was framed by thin light brown hair.

Danny reached over and knocked on his open door saying, "Excuse me, Agent Frasier?"

Frasier looked up; his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose. "Yes, can I help you?"

Sam took a step in the office and said, "We're agents Spade and Taylor from the New York office. Our SAC Jack Malone called ahead to let you know we were coming."

"Oh, yes, come in and sit down," Frasier replied, realization dawning on him. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually get to talk to Malone but one of my guys gave me the message." He shut his laptop, folded his hands and asked, "So, Taylor and Spade, how can we be of assistance to you?"

"We need to track down the parents of a boy who was kidnapped in New Jersey. We know they are here on business but we haven't been able to reach them so we want to know if they are just busy in lectures or if they're missing as well, " Danny handed a copy of the file to Frasier after giving him the Clif Notes version of the case. No point bogging their host on a bunch of details. "So, Jack, our SAC, wants us to try and track down the Grimaldi's."

"Great, so what do you want us to do? Where do we start?" Frasier asked as he skimmed the file.

Sam leaned forward and said, "Well, it would be helpful if you could loan us a few agents to go with us to the Expo Design Center so we can start asking around to see when it was the last time anyone saw Rose or Will."

Frasier's expression fell and he said, "I'm sorry, are you telling me that your missing parents are here for the BioMedical conference?"

Taken off guard, Sam glanced at Danny before replying, "Yes, why? Do you know something?"

"It can't be a coincidence…" he commented, looking more intently at the file in his hands. He shut the folder and stood up. "I think you should come with me," he announced as he moved to the door. "There's someone you should talk to."

Sam and Danny jumped up and followed the suddenly spry SAC down the fluorescently lit hallway. She caught up with him in a few strides. "Do you want to enlighten us as to what is going on?"

"You guys aren't my only visiting agents. I have another team set up in my conference room. They are here trying to locate a missing Chemist who was here for the same conference as your missing parents," Frasier replied as he neared a closed door. "I doubt it's a coincidence that three people go missing from the same convention without there being any connection." Sam felt a surge of excitement rush through her at hearing this bit of news. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Danny was just as anxious by this new lead. He stopped and said, "Here we are." He opened the door and stepped inside, the two of them trailing behind. He walked up to a lanky Asian man and said, "Hey Chao, I have someone here you guys are going to want to chat with."

"Oh yeah?" Chao replied as turned around and looked at them.

Frasier led him over and said, "John Chao, I want you to meet Samantha Spade and Danny Taylor." Sam and Danny shook his hand and introduced themselves when Frasier said, "They are here from New York working a case that I think might be linked to yours."

"Oh yeah?" Chao replied with a raised eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like their looking for the parents of a kidnapped boy who are here for the same conference as your guy," Frasier explained as he scanned the room. "Where's Marty? He should be here for this."

"I'm right here," an achingly familiar voice replied from behind her. Sam turned around and her breath caught in her chest at the sight of Martin. He was holding a can of soda and seemed just as stunned to see her as she was him. He gave her a hesitant smile and said, "Hi Sam."

She was still so shocked by his presence that it took her a while to register what he said. "Hi," she finally uttered as she stepped closer and gave him a hug. She inhaled the musky scent of his shampoo and aftershave when she felt how tensed up he was at her touch. So she quickly stepped back and away, letting him out of the embrace. She planted a grin on her face and said, "You look good."

"So do you," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "How have you been?"

"Great, good, fine," she stammered out feeling the weight of this moment as their past and present collided unexpectedly. She was so caught up in drinking in the sight of him that she almost forgot there were other people in the room until she heard Danny clearing his throat with cough.

"Ahem," Danny interrupted. "What about me? Don't I get a hello?"

Martin finally broke his gaze, turning his focus to Danny. This time he smiled widely and asked, "Who let you out of New York?"

"I'm on a temporary pass. I plan to get back to my city before I find out what macrobiotic food is or think I need plastic surgery," Danny joked as he pulled Martin into a man hug where they shake hands and half embrace. "How are you doing man?"

"I'm good," Martin replied before adding, "Not as good as your fantasy football team but I'm good."

"So do you all know one another?" Frasier asked, casting a wary look at Sam who was sure she was blushing brightly.

"Yeah," Martin quickly replied. "I used to be on the same team with Sam and Danny back in New York."

"Until he abandoned us to go work in D.C.," Danny teased.

"I had to get away from you," Martin replied with a laugh. He pointed to Danny and looked at Frasier saying, "I was starving. This guy kept stealing my food."

Danny laughed but didn't deny it.

She saw Martin glance at her quickly before looking back at Danny and asking, "So what's the cause for this reunion?"

Danny started to fill Martin in on why they were here as Frasier filled in some gaps. She heard snippets of the conversation but found it hard to focus, feeling too distracted. She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her nerves at the sight of Martin. He looked the same but amazingly he also looked younger. His hair was a little longer than it was when he left and he seemed more relaxed, like he used to be when he first joined the team. She realized just how much she missed his face; his bright eyes and inviting smile. She also realized that she was missing a lot of what was being said so she tried to force herself to pay attention to what was being discussed.

"So Jack sent us to track down the Grimaldi's," Danny finished, glancing quickly at her before looking back at Martin and asking, "Who brings you guys here to sunny California?"

Martin walked over to the table, put down his can of soda and picked up a file. He handed it to Danny and said, "Meet Dr. James Shapiro. He was reported missing by his wife after she tried calling him to report that their house had been broken into. Nothing was taken but get this," he folder his arms and finished, "She normally would have been home at the time of the break-in but her sister got food poisoning so she had to go help watch the kids. It seemed a little too suspicious so I posted an agent outside her home and came here to try and track down her husband."

"What does Dr. Shapiro do?" Danny asked as he started reading the file.

"He's a chemist for a research hospital," Martin replied as he leaned his rear on the conference table. She couldn't help but notice that he was looking at everyone and everything but directly at her. "We talked to the Chief of Staff and he told us that Shapiro was doing research on air born pathogens."

"And our guys were working on Anthrax prevention," Danny commented as he looked over at Sam, handing her the file. "There has to be some sort of connection."

It took her a minute for her brain to reach her hands ordering them to accept the folder but when she finally did it seemed to also trigger her voice box because she said, "Have you talked to anyone at the conference yet?"

It took a beat before Martin finally met her eyes but it still managed to send a jolt through her. "No, actually Chao and I were getting ready to head over." He cleared his throat and picked up his jacket off the back of the chair. "Why don't you guys come with us that way we'll cover more ground. I just have to grab a few things." He walked to the other end of the long conference table and started looking through a file box.

Danny, Chao and Frasier started discussing the case as she tried to study the case file in her hand but she found herself stealing glances at him every few seconds. It had been over a year since she last saw him and butterflies were fluttering in her stomach at the thought of having to work with him again. It was simultaneously strange and familiar, causing her pulse to quicken with excited nervousness. She saw him pull a few pieces of paper from the box and tuck them into his pocket. With his focus on the contents in the box she saw him inhale and exhale a few times before finally looking up. He gave her a tight smile as he walked back over and grabbed his soda can off the table along the way.

"I'm ready," he announced as he opened the door. He held it open, looked at Sam and said, "Shall we?"

Danny and Chao went out first and as she passed through the open door she cast a smile at him before he followed her out. She saw that Danny was chatting with Chao so she slowed her pace so Martin would get in step alongside her. She took a deep breath and looked at him saying, "It's funny running into you like this, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied softly, his eyes focused on Danny and Chao's backs. He took a drink of his soda and she could see his Adam's apple working as he swallowed. Once he was done he looked into the can as if checking to see how much of the carbonated soda remained before looking over at her. He gave her a tight lipped smile and said, "I guess we'll be working together just like old times."

They reached the elevator where Danny and Chao were waiting inside. Before stepping on she looked at him and replied, "Yeah, just like old times."