Thanks to all my readers for reading the first part of this ACT and also a big thank you to those who had time to review! Here is the last installment for ACT I. The next update will be ACT II Part 1. Special thanks to my beta!

ACT I: Part 2

Cain Larson had one thing on his mind the moment his eyes met the pretty brunette girl who walked into the store, staring at him wide-eyed. In a state of frenzy and panic, Larson tightened his grip on the switchblade handle and lunged at the girl. She flung her handbag at him, catching him in the face. In that moment of distraction, the girl turned on her heel and ran back out of the store. He could hear her screaming for help as she bounded across the street, attracting attention from pedestrians. He stopped short of the sidewalk as he thought of the ramifications if he chased down the girl. Cursing under his breath, his eyes caught her handbag lying on the ground at his feet. Picking it up, he raced out of the store in the opposite direction from the girl.

SFPD, Bureau of Inspectors, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, 1973

A knock on the door caught Mike Stone's attention and he looked up from his report to find Roy Devitt at the door with a foreboding look in his eye.

"Mike, there's something you ought to know. There's been a situation at Arnie's Convenience and Tobacco store on Market Street near 6th Street. Jeannie was involved." Devitt announced grimly.

"Jeannie? Is she alright?" Mike asked apprehensively.

"She's fine. She's writing a statement out here at Steve's desk."

"What do you mean she's writing a statement? What happened? Let me talk to her." Removing his reading glasses, Mike placed them on the desk then stood up quickly. His parental reflexes melded in with his cop instincts as his thought process began conjuring all the possible reasons for why his daughter would be at the station issuing a statement.

"Mike, she's okay. I got a radio about a homicide. I was nearby so I headed over there. Healy was first at the scene and had already taken Jeannie's report. Officers Briles and Brown checked Arnie's. The store owner had his throat cut after he was stabbed. It looks like a robbery gone wrong. Cash was missing from the till. Jeannie was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. She had only just walked into the store when she saw a guy holding a knife and he came after her but she ran to a hotel across the street and called for help." Devitt continued.

"Did you get the guy?" Stone asked as he came out from behind the desk.

"No. I'd say he was long gone by the time Healy arrived. Jeannie did give us a good description though. Haseejian's getting the mug books for Jeannie to look through."

Mike wasted not a second longer but headed out of his office with Lieutenant Devitt right behind him.

"Jeannie." Mike called out softly when he reached his partner's desk and saw the college student sitting in front of the desk writing on a piece of paper. At the sound of her name being called, she turned her head and smiled wanly at her father.

"Hey, Mike. I'm okay." Jeannie tried to sound reassuring when she saw the look of concern written all over her father's face.

"What happened? What were you doing in that part of the neighbourhood?" Mike questioned with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"I needed to buy something at Arnie's Convenience store."

"But why there? There are lots of other convenience stores around. I could've driven you after work. What was so important you had to go all the way there?" the words tumbled out of Mike's mouth quicker than Jeannie had time to register them.

"Mike!" Jeannie closed her eyes and held up a hand to forestall her father's barrage of questions. She felt like she was being interrogated and needed Mike to back down and allow her room to breathe.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Mike drew a deep breath and let it out then walked behind his partner's desk. He sat down and asked her in a calmer voice, "Okay, what happened?"

"I got off the bus and I walked into Arnie's. I saw this guy. He…he had a knife in his hand and it was covered in blood! I…" Jeannie's voice trailed off as she bit back a sob.

Mike leaned forward and took Jeannie's trembling hand in his. "It's okay sweet heart, tell me what happened next."

"He saw me! He ran out at me and I hit him with my bag. I got out into the street. There was a hotel nearby. I ran inside and told the barman. He called the police." Jeannie paused to take a swallow though her mouth felt too dry.

Before Mike could say anything, Sergeant Norm Haseejian entered the main office with a set of mug books in his arms. He approached Steve's desk and placed the books in front of Jeannie.

"Let's start with these first." Haseejian suggested.

"Just take your time, sweetheart." Mike assured the shaken girl.

Jeannie nodded and pulled the topmost book from the pile closer to her then flipped open the front cover.

Tipping out the contents of the fawn colored hand bag onto the ground, Cain Larson rummaged through its contents. Among the collection was a leather purse. Opening the catch, Larson checked the compartments for cash and found five dollars in notes plus loose change. He pocketed the money then turned his attention to the college identification card in the clear compartment of the tan purse. A small photo of the girl who walked in on him, reflected back into his eyes. This time she was smiling. Larson pulled out the ID card and shoved it into his shirt pocket. He continued to rummage through the rest of the contents and found a small, thin book with Address written on the cover. Picking it up, he flicked through the pages and found a local address written beside the name Mike. Boyfriend? Maybe that's why she's here. Never seen her around before. Larson thought. He stowed the book into his pocket then rose to his feet from his crouched position and walked out of the alley. I think little miss college girl and I should get reacquainted.

Rubbing her eyes to clear her blurring vision, Jeannie sighed and continued to study the black and white stills in the last mug book on the desk. A glass of water was placed in front of her; the second refill she had since she arrived at the station. Looking up, she thanked Haseejian who smiled in return. The SFPD Sergeant stepped back and folded his arms as he perched himself on the edge of the desk behind him. Mike Stone could see the toll his daughter was subjected to as she searched for the mug of the man who tried to attack her at the convenience store in the seedy South of Market area. An area Mike had cautioned her about on more than one occasion but he knew now was not the time to give her a hard time on it. She was dealing with enough strain and the last thing she needed was for her father to lecture her.

"Let's take a break." Mike announced suddenly.

"No, I want to get this done and over with. Please, Mike." Jeannie gazed into her father's eyes and a look of understanding passed between them.

"Okay." Mike relented.

Several more minutes passed and just when Jeannie's concentration began to lapse, she drew a sharp intake of breath as her soft blue eyes locked themselves on the same predatory stare that left her insides feeling as cold as ice, back at Arnie's convenience store.

"M-Mike. It's him. It's him!" Jeannie gasped as she pointed at the sneering face of the man she encountered and fled from.

Mike pulled the book away from Jeannie and turned it to face him. "Cain Larson." He read aloud. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I remember those eyes looking at me." Jeannie replied fervently, her own eyes still staring at the book in Mike's hands.

"Listen to me, sweetheart. He's not going to get anywhere near you again. I won't let that happen!" Mike drilled as he passed the book over to Roy who gave Larson's mug a once over.

"I'll get the book on him Mike." Lieutenant Roy Devitt offered as he rose from the seat beside Mike.

"And I'll get an APB out." Haseejian chimed in as he straightened and unfolded his arms then headed to his desk.

"Until that man is locked away in a cell, you're going to wait right here in my office until Steve gets back. I'm going home to pick up some of your things and then you're going to be staying with Steve at his place, is that understood?" Mike declared as he looked his daughter in the eye emphasizing he was not backing down from his proposal.

"Why can't I come home with you?" Jeannie asked in a low voice. She liked Steve and considered him a good friend but this was one of those times she wanted no one else but Mike at her side. She also knew how her father could be and it worried her more when he was out there on the beat hunting down a dangerous criminal to protect her from harm.

"Because I'm not coming home until Larson is behind bars!" Mike vowed.

Jeannie knew by the tone in his voice and the determination in his eyes that Mike meant every word he said.