3)

A/N: Just to make sure not to confuse you: Chapter 1 is was about the night of December 16th, Chapter 2 starts in the morning of December 15th. Anyway, I'm curious about your opinions on this chapter.

December 15th

Danny was just about to analyse the victim's DNA when Don arrived at the lab.

"Hey, do you already know the vic's name?," he asked and threw a glance at the technical and chemical equipment on the desk.

"Not yet. Do you already know the name of the idiot responsible for alarming the whole team this morning?," Danny asked back, not even intending to hide an incredibly sulky undertone while he was using a pipette to transfer a few drops of yellow liquid on a specimen holder.

"Yes, I do. The story's hilarious."

"I doubt that."

"You're that peeved?," Don inquired, grinning all over his face.

"After all that guy stole me some really precious hours of sleep!"

"At least he had a fine excuse."

"Now you got me excited," Danny murmured sarcastically.

"Did you notice that young cop who seemed pretty messed up this morning?"

"Sure. Reminded me a lot of myself some years ago."

Don nodded, remembering that this was exactly what he had thought as well.

"Well, Jess kinda took him under her wing, and he admitted he'd been the one on duty. When he arrived at the crime scene and looked at the body he thought the whole team would be needed."

"What for? I mean, sure, the victim was badly mutilated, but in no way would you have needed four investigators to examine him," Danny jangled before mumbling "Greenhorn," to himself.

Don couldn't help smiling, obviously amused by Danny's growing anger.

"He said the victim had reminded him of a killer he had seen on TV."

"On Columbo?"

"Nope. On the news. Convicted serial killer."

"Aren't that kinda people supposed to be in prison?," Danny asked, puzzled.

"Exactly. He couldn't even tell me his name or any details. Just that he was quite sure that that was the guy."

"Frankly," Danny stated, still focused on his work, "I love imaginative people."

"Good to know," Lindsay said as she entered the lab. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Serial killers."

"What?," Lindsay blurted out, rather talking to herself.

"Well, it's a pretty funny story…," he started but immediately fell silent when Lindsay abruptly turned around and flounced out of the room.

Instantly Danny jumped up and followed her.

"Lindsay! Linds!"

She headed along the corridor and entered the first room she could find. Inside she started pacing up and down, up and down, at the same time rubbing her fingers as she always did when she was mixed up, trying to arrange the storm of ideas that were floating her head.

Jason Parker.

She should have recognized him the very first moment.

Her breath started going faster at the remembrance of a memory she had been completely repressing during the last years and overwhelmed by fear she had to lean against the wall and close her eyes for a moment.

Similar to a certain smell or familiar melody that sometimes have the power to draw you back to a time long ago, it was his name that caused her muscles to tense and her palms to sweat.

Not only did she remember his name, she remembered every single piece and bit, she could literally see him in her mind's eye just as if he was standing right in front of her.

How strange that sometimes memory is that intense, that much stronger than reality. A mix of thoughts, sounds and images crossed her mind.

The clear and meticulous handwriting in his letters. His low, hoarsely voice on the phone, urgently pleading her to help him. His talking at her about the day of the murder, the investigation's discrepancies, the cops jumping to illogical conclusions. The small scarf behind his left ear, his penetrative blue eyes, the small tattoo of a Chinese sign on his left wrist.

Lindsay tried hard to not to panic, not to get all worked up about a completely causeless and irrational fear.

This was so ridiculous.

Jason Parker was in prison, on death row.

Her mind was playing a trick on her.

This ghost from the past was just a ghost.

The door was carefully opened.

"Hey Linds," Danny said softly and reached out for her hand, but she stepped back from him and warded him off.

"No, please don't." Her lips were trembling and her voice almost broke down, revealing that she was on the edge of tears.

However he stepped forward and hugged her. When she felt the warmth of his body and his breath caressing her skin she couldn't help anxiously clinging to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Last night, while I was asleep, he was there. Just round the corner," she whispered haggardly, as though she couldn't understand the meaning of the words herself. Nevertheless her mind wandered off again and she involuntarily started replaying the previousnight. Had there been anything suspicious, anything unusual she had simply overseen? Had he maybe been observing her?

Danny interrupted her thoughts by squeezing her arm.

When she looked up she noticed that his eyes were resting on her forehead.

"What are you doing?," she asked, tilting her chin.

"Trying to read your mind" he whispered, all focused in a sort of childish way. "But honestly it doesn't seem to work."

She chuckled gently and kissed him on his cheek.

"Thank you."