Author's Note: Enjoy Chapter 5! You know who's mine and who's not.

Joshua popped the tops off of two beers and carried them into the living room, where Jamie Soloman sat on her couch, staring at the Channel 4 news but not really watching it. Her attention snapped back to reality when a beer was held inches from her face. She looked up at Joshua, smiled, and took the bottle.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Joshua sat in the recliner, watching Soloman and sipping his own beer. "You okay, Jamie?"

She offered him a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You've been off on another planet a lot lately."

She nodded and took a swig. "I've just been. . . I don't know. I'm fine. Really." She took another swig and made a face. "Josh, how long ago did you buy this beer? It tastes funny."

He shook his head. "I just bought it on my way over. Mine tastes fine." He took another gulp, as though that would settle it. He let a few minutes go by before speaking again. "Nicole's worried about you."

Soloman's head snapped toward Joshua, eyes wide. "There's no reason to worry. Really, I'm okay."

"She's worried you're not up to it."

"I am," Soloman insisted. She took another drink. "I've just had some stuff going on. My mother and I haven't been getting along too well, work is stressing me out. . . But I can do this. Tell her that."

Joshua nodded. "I will."

33-52 W 31st ST

Astoria, Queens

Thursday, April 5, 2007

"Her mother found her at about 12:30," Sgt Callahan. "When the daughter didn't show for their lunch date, mom came lookin' for her."

Goren and Eames followed the sergeant through the small apartment to the bedroom in the back.

"The M.E. put the time of death between 10 and two last night." Callahan stopped and shook his head, looking down at the form of a body covered by the M.E.'s sheet. "She looks like she just lay down and went to sleep."

Goren pulled the sheet back, revealing a young woman, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. Jamie Soloman did indeed have the peaceful look of someone who had just gone to sleep.

As Goren poked and prodded and sniffed at the body, Callahan continued talking. "I was just going to hand it over to the squad here at the one-fourteen, but they said to call you, something about an ongoing investigation involving cops at the 2-9."

"You did the right thing sarge," Eames said. "Thanks."

"She was drinking beer," Goren said, not looking up from the body.

"Yeah, there's a couple bottles in the kitchen," Callahan confirmed.

"I doubt she was drinking alone," Goren said. "We'll need them dusted for prints."

"You suspect foul play in this?" Callahan asked. He pointed at the nightstand where several prescription bottles sat. "It's like a straight up suicide. She's got Ambien on her nightstand and she was drinking."

Goren pressed on the corpse's sternum, and inhaled the expelled air. "Almonds."

"Cyanide," Eames concluded. Goren nodded.

Callahan took a deep breath. "I'll let CSU know to bag the bottles and have them dusted."