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By the time Ellie left Antonelli's office, Spinner was nowhere to be seen. That didn't surprise her, but the note she found under the windshield wiper of her car was. Spinner had gone in the building when she had; when had he put it there?

Upon opening, she found that he hadn't. It was from Officer Simmons explaining that she had called Spin while Ellie had been in with Antonelli. She said that since Ellie hadn't been wearing the wire during the crucial moment, the Lieutenant wanted her to come down to the station as soon as she could.

'Great.'

The police station was the last place Ellie wanted to be right then. It was always loud and hectic and full of strange people that frankly, gave her the creeps. And knowing that they knew, or at least assumed, that she had messed up the most important part of the entire operation, had her even more on edge than she'd been since the whole thing started-if that was even possible.

She walked in, pretty much unnoticed by anyone milling around and just stood there, feeling slightly ridiculous, until the cop at the front office finally spotted her. "Can I help you, Miss?"

"I uh," she cleared her throat, "I'm here to see Officer Simmons."

A light turned on behind the man's gray eyes. Ellie groaned inwardly. It didn't take Einstein to figure out that the guy had realized who she was. Spinner had already told her that his stripping was a big joke around the prescient, despite the intended outcome, and that it was common knowledge that she had managed to get herself mixed up in it. The man grinned, looking like he had just realized the punch line of a very naughty joke. He hit a button on his desk without ever looking away from her. She turned around and pretended to look at the bulletin board by the water cooler so the guy would stop looking at her like her was trying to see through her clothes. She had expected a policeman to behave a little better.

"Well, well," a hard, feminine voice said behind her. Ellie whiled around to see Simmons standing there, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her pretty face. "It's about time you showed up."

Ellie grimaced. "I was a little busy being propositioned by a mob boss. So sorry you had to wait."

The officer behind the front desk muffled a laugh, trying to mask it as a cough when Simmons shot a withering look his way.

"The Lieutenant is waiting for you," she told Ellie. She stepped back and motioned for her to follow toward the back of the station where she had come from. "This way."

Ellie pretended she didn't notice the eyes on her from ever direction as she followed the taller woman through the maze of desks and chairs scattered about. No doubt the other officers, like the one at the front, realized who she was and why she was there. She had actually met several of them since Spinner had joined the force; she caught glimpses out of the corners of her eyes of men that had one point tried to flirt with her or called her 'Ma'am' and 'Little Lady' when she would drop by to bring Spin something he'd left at home or lunch when she was in the area. The way they were looking at her now made her feel like one of those scandalous women on the news that everyone stops to stare and whisper about when their high class escort service was busted.

There were three doors at the rear of the building; offices for the Lieutenant, Commissioner and Chief of Police. She knew from several attempts at sound bites that no one was allowed in any of these rooms without a very good reason. Her reporter gene buzzed a bit at finally being allowed inside finally, but her nerves rattling at the eyes on he back significantly drowned them out. Simmons knocked, and a gruff "Come in," was the response.

Ellie had only seen Lieutenant McDalton once; at Spinner's graduation from the Police Academy. His appearance was very grandfatherly with his gray hair and twinkly blue eyes. The only thing that gave away the atrocities that he had seen in his job was the gravely tone in which he spoke of official matters. He motioned for Ellie to sit down when the door opened, and cast a glance at Officer Simmons for her to leave the room over her shoulder. He waited for the sound of the other woman's footsteps to fade away before he spoke.

"I remember you. You were at the graduation," he began. "You sat with Mason's parents and some other people. Judging by the way you hugged him I never would have imagined you would involve yourself in his job. I just thought you were a friend."

"Spinner has been my friend for years," she said hurriedly. No matter what anyone else thought about her and Spinner and this case, she would not allow anybody to cast shadows on their friendship. "I would never do anything to jeopardize his work. I was at Haze for a story of my own. It had nothing to do with him."

"A story?"

Ellie nodded. "I write for the Core." She ignored his groan at her admission and plowed ahead. "I got a tip about underage workers at the bar…I went down there just to look around. I had no idea that it was a strip club or that Spin's undercover assignment had him working there. It really was a big coincidence. And then he told me what was going on and that Officer Simmons had seen us talking there…I was only trying to help."

"Help." He chuckled, spinning in his chair to look out the window behind his desk that overlooked a vacant lot behind the station and a small stream along the edge of the property. "Your brand of help, Miss Nash, has put this entire operation in very real danger of collapsing. It took months to set up Mason's cover and get the necessary documentation in place. We're just lucky our tech guys are good enough that yours wasn't as lengthy a process." Ellie squirmed at the unvoiced accusation. "So the information I received an hour ago that you were seen in the parking lot with Mason before you both went inside-without the wire you were instructed just this morning to wear at all times until this was over-was not very welcome."

He turned his chair back around and stared dead at her, making her want to look away. But she knew she couldn't without seeming incompetent. "You want to spend your time playing Lois Lane, Miss Nash, that's our business. But you involved yourself in my investigation and could very well have ruined the whole thing. So what are you planning to do to help make it right?"

Ellie ignored the question; instead option to focus on what would keep her out of the focus-at least for a few seconds. "We were seen? By who?"

Subtlety had never been Ellie's strong suit, she knew that. And the way McDalton smiled at her placatingly told her that he was well aware of the fact. "The minute you became part of Mason's case your safety and reliability became paramount. There's been a plainclothes officer following you ever since."

"What?!" Sinking back against her chair, Ellie wondered of all the things that had been happening that could have been overseen by someone she hadn't even known was looking. Did he look in the window? Had the little moments between her and Spinner-the innocent ones and the not so innocent-been observed? Did Spinner know? Suddenly the dance on the Haze stage didn't really seem like that big a deal anymore.

"No need for hysterics," he said. "It was merely for precautions. Nothing that wasn't related to the case was part of it-you have my word."

That made her feel somewhat better. At least her privacy hadn't been totally compromised. But there was still the subject of how to fix the situation. "Thanks…I guess," she said. "And I'm sorry about this morning. I asked Spinner to meet me so I could tell him I wanted out. I was going to give him the wire back; that's why I wasn't wearing it."

It took Ellie a second to realize that the shaking of McDalton's head meant that he was telling her no. As in no, she wasn't quitting.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nash, but you and Mason set up a very buyable story. Obviously Antonelli believes what you two have been selling if he approached you. I'm assuming he said something about a monetary arrangement?"

Ellie nodded, a blush rising high in her cheeks. As if the idea of Spinner as her hooker wasn't embarrassing enough…now his boss was talking about it. H-he…he gave me a key to a hotel room at the Grand. And his business card so I can call him when I make up m mind. He gave me until seven to make up my mind."

McDalton bobbed his head in thought. Ellie could have sworn she could hear the wheels turning in his head. The wall clock tick-ticked away on the wall, and she wrung her hands in impatience, praying to whoever that he wasn't about to say what she thought he was going to say. There was no way she could handle being confined in a hotel room with Spinner-not now. Things were still too…charged between them yet to tempt it.

Well…they were on her end.

"He'd be the one to set things up with Mason, right?"

Ellie nodded. That was how it had been explained to her at any rate.

The Lieutenant stood, tapping his fingers together while working things out in his head. For a moment she felt like she was in the principle's office waiting for her punishment. "Here's what we'll do. Mason will wear a wire when Antonelli approaches him. He goes on at six usually. That gives him enough time to get dressed before you call Antonelli and tell him you're interested. Once he gets to the hotel room and you give the money, that's it. We'll have the tape, your word that Antonelli set it all up-we'll have him nailed. Sound good."

Her heart had dropped at the mention of them in the hotel room, but she agreed any way. What other choice did she have? "Yeah. It sounds great."

…0...

The Grand Hotel was one of the poshest and most exclusive in Toronto. Ellie walked in to the suite about ten minutes before eight o'clock. She looked around, not really seeing the gorgeous furnishings that no doubt cost more than the entirety of the house she shared with Spin and Marco, but instead all she saw was the champagne on ice and the bed. The big bed. The big bed with the pile of pillows and turned down sheets.

She gulped.

She decided at the last minute to wear her own wire, just as an added precaution. It had taken her forever to hide it under her dress and still it was noticeable without her coat. At least Spinner wouldn't care about it. The dress, however, was another story.

Ellie had figured it was best to look like she was actually there for a romantic rendezvous should any of Antonelli's guards happen to be wandering around to keep an eye on them. So she had opted for the stilettos from the other night and her best dress. She had only worn it once before, to Spinner's graduation the year before and remembered him telling her that it looked good on her. The fabric was a little too clingy to hide the wire and recorder without her dress coat, it being silk, but the dark blue did a little to camouflage it, and she had placed the small box that transmitted the recording on her side, underneath the tie that kept her dress fastened.

She only hoped that it did as adequate a job at hiding the butterflies fluttering about in her stomach.

Putting her purse on the night table, Ellie looked warily at the bed, feeling her face grow hot. They wouldn't be using it of course, but the atmosphere, every furnishing in fact, seemed to be designed to be romantic and sensual-like the room expected them to have sex. Her purse fell over onto the floor-with her nerves she couldn't have set it down securely. She bent to pick it up and a tiny light caught her eye. She straightened and looked around, trying to determine where it had come from. Bent down like that, the only thing that could have caught her eye at the right angle was the top corner of the heating vent. Pretending to stretch her arms, Ellie stood up on her tiptoes and squinted her eyes like she was tired. Another flash.

A camera. Aimed directly at the bed.

Her stomach dropped, and her palms beginning to sweat. A camera had not been part of the deal. There was no doubt whatsoever that it had been Antonelli that had placed it there-she doubted the hotel staff would hide cameras in the vent to spy on their guests. Unless there was a kinky janitor or something on staff, it had to be him. Or perhaps the police. But had she told any one the room number? She didn't think so.

Ellie's first instinct was to run, but that wasn't possible. So she settled for the next best thing; the bathroom. She felt it was very likely that she was going to be sick. That she could at least pass off as nerves at the situation if indeed she were being watched. Now what was she supposed to do?

One thing she couldn't do was stay in the bathroom. Spinner would there any second, ready to take the Police Department funded money for his 'services' so they could leave. That was out the window now. Ellie began pacing nervously around the hotel suite, wringing her hands, and chewing on her bottom lip. The thought that Spinner was on his way there, and that they were going to have to put on a show for some skeezy mob boss via video feed, was making her want to jump out of her skin. This was not what she had signed up for.

The soft snick of the door jamb drew her attention and her head shot up to see Spinner walking hesitantly into the room. He caught her eye and smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hey."

His manner put to rest the thought that maybe the camera was police issue. There was no possibility that he knew; the easy way he swaggered towards her, his face just like any other time they were together, put to rest any idea that he had any knowledge they were being watched.

And there was still a show to be put on.

When Spinner was close enough for her to touch him without lunging, Ellie snaked a hand around to the back of his neck and hauled his mouth down to hers. He froze in surprise for a second before his hands slid around her back. He kissed her back, moving his lips over hers skillfully. Ellie gripped at his shoulders to keep upright. She hadn't been prepared before she kissed him and now the full weight of the past few days began to brake over her.

Spinner's hands skimmed up her spine, tangling in her hair, and he began walking her back towards the bed. Kicking her shoes off along the way, she stepped slowly so as not to trip as her hands slid underneath Spinner's shirt. The back of her knees hit the bed and he began the process of laying her down. That was when she remembered that there was a video camera pointed right at that very bed. Ellie set her feet firmly, resisting Spinner's weight and pulled her lips away from his. They were both gasping, faces flushed, and his dark eyes were almost black as they gazed at her in confusion. Not that she could blame him for not understanding. Them coming to the room was originally meant to be a cover. Then she had all but pounced on him when he walked in, making him think they were indeed about to try out the bed. And now she had stopped. Just thinking about it was enough to make her head twirl; she could only imagine what was going through his mind. Kissing him again softly, she moved her lips over to his ear and whispered, "There's a camera."

His grip tightened on her hips and she felt the muscles tense in his back under her hands. She felt him nod slightly in understanding and he angled his head down to press his mouth to her neck. A small noise of surprise spilled out of her mouth and she tilted her head back to give him better access. He took advantage of the skin presented to him and moved his lips along her throat while Ellie's hands traveled along his shoulders under the thin cotton of his shirt.

Ellie moved back onto the bed, on her knees, and moved her hands to Spinner's top button, working it through the tiny hole with shaking hands. He raised his head up to watch her, his hands on her arms reassuringly while her fingers worked their way downward. For a second, she wished he was still wearing the tee shirt he'd had on earlier. It would have been much simpler, but maybe Antonelli had instructed him to dress nice. Once all the buttons were undone, she pushed the fabric off his shoulders and down his arms.

He began rubbing his palms up and down her arms to soothe her. Smiling at him weakly, Ellie was glad-for more than one reason-that it was Spinner in the situation with her. No matter what happened, she knew he wasn't about to let anything happen to her. And she wouldn't trade that sense of safety and familiarity for the world.

His shirt floated to the floor, the fabric making a soft rustling sound that made her pulse speed up. Leaning closer so that her entire world consisted of his eyes boring into hers, Spinner touched his lips lightly to Ellie's. Unlike the previous times they'd kissed, there was nothing rushed or heated about it. The touch was soft, sweet, delicate almost. A whimper came out, but from which of them it emanated, neither knew.

Falling backwards onto the bed wasn't a conscious decision. Not for Ellie. It was a thought yes, but not a decision. But she wasn't resisting, so she couldn't complain and there were so many thoughts running through her head that she felt a little drunk. Then she felt the press of Spinner's hand on her leg, right below where her skirt ended with her leg raised slightly, moving slowly upwards and all of those thoughts just floated away.

"Ellie," he groaned in her ear, causing her to shiver and press closer to him, tangling her fingers in his hair.

His fingers slid over her stomach, finding the tie that kept her wrap dress wrapped and tugged hard. It wasn't until he almost had the entire thing undone that she realized he was about to expose the wire to the camera. "Wait."

All of his movements stopped at once, save for the rapid heaving of his chest caused by his panting. The grip of his hands on her skin was deathly, near desperate, and it felt like it was taking every ounce of strength he possessed to look up at her. "What's wrong?"

There was a camera, but she didn't know if there was sound. It wasn't as if she could say that she wasn't into giving a free show or revealing them to be undercover. She licked her lips, pushed a stray lock of hair off his sweaty forehead, and opened her mouth to try and explain.

Only to be interrupted by the fire alarm going off.

"You've got to be kidding me," Spinner mumbled, his head dropping to the crook of her shoulder. "I guess we gotta get out of here."

"I suppose so," she smiled weakly.

They redressed hurriedly and left the room to join the confused mass swarming the hall toward the stairs. Spinner kept hold of her hand down all nine flights to the sidewalk, squeezing every so often to reassure her, she assumed.

If only it were that simple

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