Chapter 3

As soon as Donovan and Lily arrived at Dobson's, they noticed it was still crowded, even after midnight. They seated themselves at a table close to the back. This, of course, was not by choice. If they hadn't spotted the table, they probably would have had to wait for something to come available. Within minutes of their theft of the last table, their drink and food orders were taken. This left them with an awkward silence that they knew must be filled with something. Neither wanted talk to be of work, however.

Lily took the opportunity to really look at Frank Donovan. This was something she hadn't done before. Well…not really. She hadn't known him until he came to Miami, of course, and she recalled that Ashcroft liked to tell stories of their days before she came to know him. She couldn't imagine what he had been like back then. He had photographs of his sons placed inconspicuously in his office. She saw one that depicted him with his sons when they were very young. It had obviously been taken before Miami. Other than the length of his hair, she figured he hadn't changed much. She was curious, but he didn't keep personal affects in the office for any length of time. Each time they took on a new case, Donovan always removed any photos. Although they were all in the business together, he was super paranoid about divulging too much about his personal life. She wondered how long it would take to crack through his barriers. Would he even allow her?

Donovan hid an inward grin when he saw Lily's eyes on him. He had a way of noticing when people were looking without alerting them. It helped to hone the skill in the business. He wasn't sure if he wanted to call this a date, but he had to admit it was one of his first in a long time, and definitely his first with a colleague. It was hard to think about it, though. Lily intrigued him with her short blonde hair, wide eyes, and sense of whimsy. It was hard to find these traits and characteristics in a woman. It was hard finding them in females who worked for the government, period. Although he would hate himself later, he wondered what Ashcroft would think if he knew they were out like this. He thought a thousand times that Lily was moony eyed and silly over him. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps she was trying to get his attention. It was a juvenile thought, but one that was hard to push out of his mind.

Before he decided to open his mouth and actually begin an adult conversation, Donovan couldn't help but scan the crowd. Again, they didn't know who they were looking for. Despite that, Donovan had a good eye. He could usually put his finger on a suspicious person before anyone else looked at them twice. However, it was hard picking through the massive crowd. Few people drew his attention. Could it have been due to Lily's presence or was he simply tired and ready to go to bed?

"Always on the case."

He turned slightly to focus his eyes on the speaker. It was Lily. Leave it to her to break the ice, he thought. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be preoccupied."

She smiled, feeling girly and giddy to have his eyes focused on her. She had to stifle the urge to giggle. God help me. "It's okay. We've only been off the clock for a little while."

Lily tipped her head slightly and smiled toward a couple she knew. She hoped fervently that they wouldn't insist on joining her and her 'friend.'

Donovan's eyes didn't follow as she greeted another couple. He watched her. It was almost fun seeing her squirm. What if he simply told her he was attracted to her and left it at that? Would that put her at ease or frighten her? He opened his mouth to say something, but the moment he did, their drinks arrived. He noticed that Lily grabbed hers and took a long swallow.

"Is this just weird or what," she finally asked. She caught a drop of her tequila sunrise just before it rolled down her chin. "I'm almost ready to call this quits."

Casually, Donovan took a sip of wine. He might have agreed with her if this had happened just a week ago. Not tonight. Without a thought, he reached across the table and took her hand. She jumped as if shocked, but she didn't back away. Her hand was cold in his. His warmed it.

"It's not that weird, Lily," he said with a smile. "And I might feel rebuffed if you walk away."

His words touched her. His hand felt incredible holding hers. His skin was soft and warm. Stupidly enough, she almost started to cry. Some FBI agent I am. Rebuffed? Did that mean he was interested? Hot damn! "Well then, I suppose I'll stay where I am."

Donovan was about to answer her, perhaps to go as far as to lean in for a kiss, but he stopped. From the corner of his eye, he could see a small flat screen television. A flash of something caught his attention. He turned his head slightly and saw what drew his mind back into the zone. Long black hair. It was an advertisement. Unbeknownst to him, it was the same one that intrigued the Souvenir Killer. Yet, there was an exception. Holly and Lincoln saw a new victim to pursue. Donovan saw a young woman in peril. One who might join the ranks of Aspen Greene.

Lily suddenly understood the tone of the evening had changed. Her eyes followed Donovan's to the TV screen. She saw the elaborate make up and flash of black hair. She had heard of and saw Nona Pope before. She could have been Aspen Greene's sister. Suddenly, she understood why Donovan was studying the commercial so closely. They were looking at a woman who would make TSK salivate.

Their evening was over just before it truly began.

Ashcroft had barely gotten asleep when his office cell phone twittered noisily. Beside him, Rachel mumbled in her sleep, but did not come fully awake. It was normal to her now. They had been together long enough to know that living with an FBI agent meant their lives would be full of inconvenience.

He rolled over to the night table at his side of the bed. Struggling mightily as he was still half asleep, he grabbed the phone and flipped it open. "Ashcroft," he said shortly, his husky voice even more so thickened with sleep.

"It's Lily. I wouldn't have called you if this wasn't utterly important. Donovan and I think we have the next victim."

He came fully awake at that. Lily's voice was sharp, foreboding almost. Without thinking, he sat up on the side of the bed. He ignored Rachel's groan of protest. "What? Another body?"

His words brought more of a stir out of Rachel. She lifted herself up on one elbow. Instinctively, Ashcroft stood up and moved away from the bed. He loved his woman, but this was business. It was something he always tried to shield from her. Especially now, with her close friend as a victim. He went into the master bathroom, flicked on the light, and locked the door behind him. Their doors were heavy, made out of oak. They made excellent buffers.

"No," Lily said. "But we saw her. He's going after Nona Pope."

We, how comfy, he thought. If this were any other day, he might rib her about it. "How do you know this?"

"Don't you watch TV, Jack," she asked impatiently. "She's coming to Miami for a concert. She's similar to the other victims. She fits the MO almost perfectly. We thought it would be a good idea to notify you. Tomorrow, we're having a war session with the rest of the group. Donovan has already found a way to contact her people."

When she was upset or trying to update her colleagues, Lily tended to ramble and rattle on like a woman possessed. Ashcroft rubbed the bridge of his nose. He would likely have a headache by the time he was ready to get up in the morning. "Good idea. Thanks for calling Lily. I'll be in the office early so the two of you can brief me."

"Aye aye, Captain," she said smartly. "If you're not here by seven, Donovan will likely drag you out of bed. He wanted us to meet tonight, but I don't think our girl will be in trouble until she arrives in Miami."

Donovan's impatience was legendary. He had brought that along with him. It was a part of his personality that would always follow him no matter where he went. "Got it. I'll be there early, I promise."

Without another word, he snapped the phone closed. He was momentarily tempted to drop it into the toilet and flush it. He palmed the phone and unlocked the bathroom door. When he opened it, as expected, Rachel was standing at the door with her arms crossed. Her dark skin and black hair glowed in the dim light. She looked quite fetching in her royal blue silk robe. It was a gift from him last year. It was one of their more private gifts, as she never wore it unless they were together. He saw that she was chewing her bottom lip, working it over good.

"It's not what you think," he began.

"No murder?"

He didn't want to discuss it with her. It had nothing to do with the confidentiality linked to his work, but she needed nothing more to remind her that her friend had been slain. The information was something she should hear. Screw it all. He would tell her, damn it. "No," he answered simply. "I am not going out tonight. I'll be in early tomorrow and possibly off on the case for maybe a day or two."

She nodded, immediately understanding the nature of his job. "I understand," she said softly. "I'm doing something for Aspen. Not a legal thing, a personal thing. There will be some of her celebrity buddies around, I'm sure. I want you here for that."

He placed his hands on her shoulders, then slowly moved them down her arms until his hands grasped hers. "I don't know if that would be a good idea."

She shook her head. "I don't care. No one knows what you do. I don't talk about it. No one will ask questions."

"We'll see. Okay?" He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Let's go back to bed. We both have long days ahead of us."

It was barely light out when Ashcroft left to meet Donovan, Lily, and the junior members of their team. Little did he know, but a pair of eyes watched his every move. As soon as he saw Ashcroft leave the house, he slowly crept up to the door. He did so at a pace where he could take off in the other direction if Ashcroft came back. However, a thorough man was Jackson Ashcroft. It wasn't likely that he would leave anything behind. He simply hoped the other man wouldn't see his vehicle. He purposely parked several blocks away to prevent that very thing from happening.

He came up to the front door, but before he tried the knob, he turned to ensure that no one could see him. The neighborhood Rachel and Ashcroft called home was watchful, trendy, and aware of any person who didn't exactly belong. However, he had no trouble blending in. His home was a few miles away, but he looked as if he could have lived here if he wanted. In fact, he could move here at any time. He didn't for the simple fact that he wasn't one who wanted to complicate things.

His hand touched the door knob. It was locked tight. He expected this. Both Jackson Ashcroft and Rachel Sloane were leery of crime. Not only that, but the woman of the house had just lost her friend to violence. Even if the door had been unlocked, he would have rung the doorbell anyway. There was no way he would have broken in on her, not this early in the morning. He raised his index finger to ring the bell. Just as his finger was a mere centimeter away, the door opened wide.

The moment Rachel Sloane's eyes met his, she spat out an indignant curse and slapped his face hard. The smacking sound echoed in the quiet bedroom community around them. An elderly woman out walking her miniature poodle heard the commotion. She turned her head and called, "Miss Sloane? Is everything all right?"

Rachel looked around the tall man before her and smiled, "Everything is okay, Mrs. Peterson. I was startled by the paper boy and dropped my paper."

The tall gentleman standing before her mouthed the words 'paper boy?' in incredulous awe. How could she?

As soon as Mrs. Peterson and her poodle were out of sight, Rachel grabbed a handful of her guest's sensible white shirt and dragged him into the house. She slammed the door behind them, locking it up tightly as any good citizen would. She turned toward her guest and saw that he was rubbing his cheek, gazing at her reproachfully, perhaps tempted to slap her back in kind.

Angrily, she demanded, "Franklin Wilson Donovan, what the hell are you doing here?"

No one, including his mother, used his full name like this. Rachel was the only one. He bore his eyes into her. She had put a lot of pepper behind that slap of hers. She had spat out his name with venom dripping from every syllable. "About to slap the hell out of you, Rachel Iris Sloane," he said darkly, mockingly.

She began biting her lip, something she did regularly when stressed or upset. This morning, she was probably both. She hadn't seen Frank Donovan in several months. They each avoided functions where they would mix. She would beg them off and he would make excuses. She knew she would see him again since they both had dealings with a victim. But she didn't think it would be this soon.

"You still haven't told me why you're here," she said.

"As if I have forgotten," he countered. "Your blow to my face hasn't affected my memory as much as you would probably like."

"Unfortunately not." She walked past him and into the kitchen. "I know I'm wasting my breath, but Jack is gone."

"I know that," he said smartly. "Would you either come here or allow me come in there so we can talk?"

"You're an adult, Frank. You can do what you want. You do anyway."

He slowly approached the kitchen, his senses sharpened, just in case she was close enough to hit him with scolding hot coffee. When he entered, he saw that she had poured herself a cup of coffee and had taken it over to a small breakfast nook a few feet away. Without waiting for an invitation to do so, he went over to a series of cabinets near the coffee maker. Each section had hooks with mugs of various shapes hanging down. He selected one and poured himself a steaming mug of the aromatic brew. He didn't, however, join her. Staying a distance away, he drank thoughtfully, deeply.

No one in Miami, including Lily and Ashcroft, knew that Frank Donovan and Rachel Sloane had once been a pair of tempestuous lovers. They met in college when Rachel was a freshman, dated seriously for a while, but had a horrendous break up along the way. When Donovan left law school to join the CIA, they had had a huge fight. She hadn't wanted him to go, but he insisted. What made their fight even worse was when Donovan discovered that Rachel had been recruited for the CIA as well. Not to spite him, but for her skill with legal loopholes and languages. After a year and a close call with a drug runner who had ties to terrorists, Rachel left and continued her career in law.

They had loved each other very much. It took a long time for both of them to move past the break up. While in the CIA, Donovan met some trouble. Although Rachel was no longer part of the fold, he called her for help. She came running willingly enough. For a brief time, they reunited only to separate again after Donovan was nearly murdered in the line of duty by a gang member. He was working under at the time, infiltrating a loose terrorist cell. Somehow, his cover was blown. He was gunned down in front of Rachel. It was something she would never forget. She didn't know if she could have a relationship with an agent who might surely be murdered. That was what she told him, anyway. She had other reasons, good ones. He wouldn't learn this until much later.

She left, he was devastated, and quickly married the first girl he dated after her. When Donovan and his wife divorced, and he moved on to Miami, it was then that he discovered his old friend was seeing a beautiful young attorney. Donovan didn't put it together until he finally met Ashcroft's new love. They were at some party when it happened, and Donovan nearly choked on the olives in his martini. He spoke briefly to her at the party, and they mutually agreed to keep their past buried.

They had done an excellent job at first. Aspen Greene's murder had changed things. When he heard that the model was associated with Rachel Sloane, he had wanted to talk to her about it. He didn't. If she needed questioning, Ashcroft could certainly handle things. However, it wasn't good enough for Donovan. Speaking to her was the only way to know.

"You should cut your hair," she said before taking a gulp from her mug. "You look like a drug dealer."

She had seen him with long hair before, of course, and her remark was meant to be snide, an old pitch from their life before. Silently, he sipped his coffee. He gazed at her, noting that she hadn't changed much. Her dark hair barely touched her shoulders. It was still glossy, inky, and without a strand of gray. In college, she wore it longer, almost past her waist. She was still a lovely, confident, intriguing woman. Rachel possessed all the traits he saw as attractive in Lily.

After a long moment, he finally worked up the nerve to speak again. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I know Aspen was your friend." He had briefly glanced at Rachel's wall on the way in. He had been told about it before, but this morning was the first time he had seen it. It was a nice wall, a special one. He knew how much Rachel's friends meant to her. "I heard some from Jack, but I-"

She shook her head. "Don't go there," she whispered. "I know exactly what you did. The moment Jack mentioned me, you became all defensive and scolded him for sharing information about a case. Is that how it went down?"

He met her blinking accusative stare with one of his own. She knew damned well what he had said, but she had no idea what he was feeling. If she wanted to be bitter, so be it. He was about to say exactly what was on his mind, but something stopped him. Her hand was shaking ever so slightly. He knew what the action meant. She was upset, and not at his interruption of her morning routine. Not knowing exactly what Rachel would do, Donovan approached her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She didn't break down, which was what he expected. Instead, she set down her mug and placed her hand on top of his. It was the first time they had touched since he discovered she was living with one of his friends.

"I'm sorry," he said. "About everything."

It was a loaded statement. What exactly was he sorry about? Was he sorry she had read him like a book? Was he sorry she had said exactly what he had done? Was he sorry about their past? He didn't exactly know at the moment. Neither did she. There was only one small gap bridged. There was another waiting right behind it. Now wasn't a time for that.

After he spoke, Rachel took her hand away from his, as if his touch alone had burned her. Maybe it had. What she was about to say startled them both. Suddenly, for her, it seemed as if no time had passed. When she turned to look at him, she understand that it had. In her life, she had made herself a promise. She would never look back. She hadn't, not until today.

"Me too," she said, swallowing a big lump in her throat.

Feeling incredibly awkward now, he shook off the tension. "I should go."

He didn't wait for her to say a word. He started for the front door. Before he left, he noticed a picture on the wall. One he didn't see when he first came in. The face staring back at his was Nona Pope.

Rachel, not hearing Donovan exit, came around to see what was going on. She saw him staring at a photo on her wall. "What is it?"

Donovan turned toward her, cocking his head a bit, he rubbed his bottom lip with his forefinger a brief moment. Thoughtfully, he remarked, "You represent Nona Pope?"

Unsure as to what Donovan's point was, she bit her lip again. His presence was completely unnerving her. He needed to go. He needed to go now. "I represent a lot of people. Yes, Frank, Nona is a client. I am more or less her legal representative when she needs one in Florida. She's originally from Miami. What? Do you want tickets to her show?" No sooner than the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them. She knew why he had gotten interested. "Shit," she whispered. "You think she's next? Is that why Jack received an urgent call?"

He opened the door, but before he stepped out, he looked back at Rachel's confused face. "I'll call you," he said cryptically and left his former lover behind with her confusion.

Ashcroft walked down the corridor to the office to meet his team members. He noticed that Donovan had yet to arrive, which was strange. He wanted everyone here at seven, but he was running late. Shrugging it off, he continued onward until he saw Lily dart across the hall to the conference room. Perhaps since she and Donovan seemed quite comfy now, they had ridden in together.

Once again shaking his thoughts away, Ashcroft made for the conference room before he visited his own office. He noticed on the way that Abby was busily typing up what was likely a roster of their meeting. When he entered the room, he saw Lily already at the table shuffling through her files. Their muscle guys of the group were in the office just off the conference room. They appeared to be discussing strategy. Ignoring her and the others for the moment, he walked over to the tall silver coffee urn and poured himself a cup. He hadn't had time for his caffeine fix at home. Both he and Rachel had overslept.

Grasping his cup, Ashcroft approached the table and sat down. He fixed his dark eyes on Lily. "Where is Donovan?"

His raspy voice immediately brought her attention off her files. "Your guess is as good as mine, Jack. I haven't seen him since about two this morning."

He looked at her with a start. "You were together?"

Her face immediately pinked. Her skin was very light, so her blush was deep. She hadn't expected that question. "We're not here to discuss that, are we?"

Ashcroft took a sip of coffee before he laughed gruffly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It was Frank's idea for us to meet this early, right? I was simply asking about him."

Their discussion didn't last long. Donovan strode in with purpose. He was draped in a black trench coat. It had been raining lightly as he made his way inside. He shrugged out of the coat and laid it casually over the back of a chair. From the corner of his eye, he saw the faces of Ashcroft and Lily studying him. He wanted to apologize to Lily for ending their evening as they did, and apologize to them all for being late. However, his mood had darkened after leaving Rachel. He wanted to ask Ashcroft if he had noticed Nona Pope's photo on the wall. How could he have missed it? But saying that would be admitting that he had been with Rachel earlier today.

He dodged around everything by simply asking, "Jack, does your girlfriend represent any other local celebrities who might become victims?"

It was a question out of left field. Donovan went out of his way to not mention Rachel or her profession, since he had a thing about lawyers. "Damn, Frank, that is something we don't discuss much."

Donovan didn't know how to go about this without mentioning that he had seen Rachel's wall. Instead, he redirected his focus. He pulled out a chair and sat down. The other members weren't yet present, but that was okay. "I'm sorry, Jack, let me rephrase that. Lily and I feel as if Nona Pope is TSK's next victim. She is coming to town soon, and I thought it might be possible that your girlfriend (he couldn't attempt to mention her name) represents her."

There were dozens upon dozens of photos on Rachel's wall. He saw it every time he entered or left the house. It was hard to avoid it. However, Ashcroft wasn't familiar with Nona Pope's music. He had only vaguely paid attention to her. "She may. I can ask, if you think it's important. However, I don't like mixing her with this or anything. I thought you didn't like the idea of my even mentioning these murders to her."

Donovan sighed. Since he arrived, he wished a thousand times that he hadn't paid Rachel a visit. There were things swirling in his mind and he didn't have a firm grasp on any of it. Not yet. He needed time to process. "I don't," he began. "However, I think you should ask her in case she somehow inadvertently becomes involved."

Ashcroft licked his lips and then pressed them tightly together. He didn't like the direction this conversation was taking. It was true that she had some features that TSK seemed to prefer in victims, but there was no way she could get caught up in this just because she happened to represent someone. He would ask. "I'll do it. I'm seeing her later." He mulled something over in his mind for a minute. "She is having some type of memorial thing for Aspen some time this week. We can go and discuss it then. These folks know nothing about our involvement with the case."

Donovan didn't know how much he liked that idea. He felt uncomfortable going back into the house. At least this time, there would be other people around. Rachel wouldn't have time to speak to him, or him to her. The thought of it, however, would likely keep him up at night.

Ashcroft was about to call in their tactical members just as Abby stuck her head in and said the upper brass needed to speak to him. He excused himself absently and went to take the call.

When Donovan and Lily were alone, he approached her and gently touched her shoulder. "Sorry about last night."

She looked up at him with a brilliant smile. "No big deal, Frank. Maybe I can be your date at this lawyer party thing."

He smiled back at her. "Maybe so." He stepped back. "If you'll excuse me…"

Absently, Donovan walked away from the conference room. Ashcroft had gone into his office, Donovan could see. He slipped past him and entered his own. He promised that he would call Rachel, and he fully intended to do just that. He took out his cell and input the number from memory. After a few brief rings, she answered.

"I can't talk long, but Jack just told me about this memorial you're scheduling. Be prepared. I think we're coming."

She took in a deep breath of aggravation. "Why? Is it because of Nona Pope?"

"It is," he said shortly. "We need to be there. We need to talk to you."

"I don't want to be involved with this, Frank," she whispered urgently. "It's not fair. You haven't spoken two words to me in a year, and suddenly, you want me involved with this now? The answer is no, Frank. I'm sorry."

"Don't hang up on me," he demanded. "Listen carefully. We only need to speak to you about Nona Pope. Nothing more than that."

"Nona barely knew Aspen. She won't be here," she insisted stubbornly.

He could almost see her. She was probably chewing heavily on her lip. "That doesn't matter. Jack will speak to you about this further. It's nothing heavy, it's nothing that you can't handle."

"Okay," she said shakily. "In and out, do you understand? I haven't told Jack about us and I fully intend not to. Do we understand each other?"

Probably more than you know, he thought. "We do."

Click. She hung up.

Donovan shut his cell phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. When he turned toward the door, Lily was standing there, staring at him quizzically.

"That must have been some conversation. You seem turned inside out," she said evenly.

He wondered how much she heard. From her facial expression, it wasn't much. "Personal business, the kind that gives me headaches," he said with a faint smile.

She nodded. "Okay. Whenever you're ready, we're all back in the conference room."

She was open, beautiful, patient, and obviously caring. At the moment, his soul was much too tormented to take it in, to really give her a chance. Last night, he saw a million possibilities. Today, it was completely different. "I'll be there in a moment."