'You're certain of that?'

'Yeah. I...when Wayne got home late one night I asked if I could use his number to order our dinner since we don't have a land-line and my phone was charging up,' Peter explained, taking out his own phone. 'I scrolled through his texts and saw them all from the same number. I dialed it from my phone later, pretended to be a wrong number, but not before I forwarded one of those texts to my email so I'd have proof.'

Beckett took the phone from him, saw the message and felt her heart break for the man - hey lover, think we can fit in a bump and grind after volleyball practice tonight?

'I let him keep thinking he was getting away with it, until a few months ago at commencement. There was a faculty party held in the Mariott on Lexington, and about an hour after we got there I noticed Wayne had disappeared. I went up to the room we were sharing at the hotel for the night and before I used my card...' Peter trailed off, no longer saddened but trying to clamp down on righteous fury. 'I turned on the video app on my phone, so I could catch them in bed together.'

'I take it you did?'

Peter's laugh was sharp and brittle like frozen glass. 'You might say that. I caught him with his face between her thighs and her moaning like a whore.'

'Oh, ouch,' Beckett said with genuine sympathy, not even wanting to contemplate what that kind of betrayal felt like. 'I'm so sorry Peter.'

'I didn't say anything for a few minutes, just recorded it until he lifted his head up so whoever watched the video would know it was him. He saw me standing there and I didn't yell, didn't throw anything. I just told him, it looks like you've made your choice and left. Even more telling he didn't come home that night.' He dragged a hand over his face, as if to erase the haunted memory. ' The next Monday morning I went to my lawyer and filed papers right away to dissolve our marriage.'

'Were you legally still his next of kin?'

'Yes, and your captain Karpowski was very good when she came to see me at my office. I just want to bury him, get it over with so I can move on once and for all. When will I be able to take him home?'

With that single, almost childishly-simple question Beckett knew they were done so she scribbled down a number on the back of one of her cards. 'This is the contact number and extension for the medical examiner taking care of him. Doctor Weaver is one of the best and he'll shoot straight with you.'

'I thought you said it was Doctor Parrish-Robbins?'

'Did I?' Too many distractions of a personal nature, Beckett scolded herself, c'mon Katie, you are better than that. 'My sincere apologies, it is Doctor Weaver who is looking after him.'

'Thank you.'

Peter stood up, and Beckett walked him to the elevator before returning to her desk where that pesky mountain of paperwork was still sitting. She looked around, saw Watkins leaving the ladies room. 'Watkins, just the droid I'm looking for.'

'I don't like the sound of that, Ar-Too,' she said with a grin. 'What's going on, boss?'

'I need you to work on some financial records for me, and some phone records.'

'Which way?' Watkins said, pointing her index fingers as she crossed her arms over her chest; her still-shiny engagement ring was glittering under the fluorescent lights.

'This way.'

Beckett led her over to her desk, handed her the stack of papers. 'You are looking for this number on the phone records, and any gift-for-girlfriends type purchases on his credit cards over the last nine months.'

'I thought I heard your guy was a big ol' 'mo like me.'

'Yep, and he was having an affair with his female co-worker.'

'Oh damn, that seriously sucks for his hubby.' Watkins shook her head sadly. 'I'll get started on this for you.'

'Thanks.'

Beckett watched her take her stuff off to the conference room, then made a beeline for Adam at his desk where he was just hanging up the phone with a look of annoyance on his face. 'Wedding or whiners?'

'Whiners,' he replied. 'How dare I have the audacity to think that precious little Ashley Archer would have anything to do with murder and if I want to speak to them again they will only do so with a lawyer present.'

'And the McBrides?'

'They know their kid was pissed off about it but Dexter's put it behind him since he got a stellar mark over the summer. Still want to talk to them though.'

'What's the Archers number?' Beckett asked, and Adam simply hit redial on his phone, passed her the receiver. When the line picked up by a very starchy and proper sounding butler, she put on her best friendly-servant-of-the-people voice.

'Archer residence, who is speaking?'

'This is Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD. I need to speak with Mister or Missus McBride regarding the murder of Professor Wayne Hill at Calliope Thrace.'

'I've been instructed to inform you that if you continue to call, they will consider this harassment and you will be facing litigation, Miss Beckett.'

'It's Detective,' she corrected him sternly, dropping the gooey-smiles act, 'and I find it interesting that you consider two phone calls from the police harassment.'

'As I said, Miss Beckett, should you continue to harass my employers, they will have no recourse but to bring about a civil suit against you and this personal vendetta you've established against them. Good-day.'

The line went dead in her ear and Beckett pursed her lips, hung up the phone. 'Adam, get your coat. We're going to make a few house calls.'

'Oh goody.' Adam recognized the light of battle in her eyes and stood up, grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair. 'Who do we get to play with first?'

'The McBrides. We need to give the Archers time to simmer down before we spring it on them.' Beckett paused. 'Their toady little majordomo called me Miss Beckett.'

'No!'

'Twice.'

'Oh, please let me get some popcorn to nibble while I watch you take him apart,' Adam pleaded teasingly. 'A good show needs snacks to be thoroughly enjoyed.'

They pressed the button for the elevator, to head for the garage, when Beckett heard her phone chirp a new email message at her. Because they had a few moments, she took the time to read it and felt her grin widen.

Hi Mumum! How do you have time to send me a little message! The bad-guys are gonna get away! Or do you not have a case hot and fresh to work on right now? I have asked my teachers about my school-work while we are in Bermuda and they said they will tell me on Monday what I have to take with me. I love you! Go get those bad guys! Love RJ xxoo.

Beckett laughed, shook her head. When it came to her work, RJ was straight as an arrow and twice as hard-lined. THere was no time for shenanigans of any kind on his watch, because that would give the criminals time to get away. Part of her wished sometimes she still had innocence like that, but on the other hand, everything she'd seen and said and done as a cop in the last nineteen years had made her into the person - the woman - she was today.

'Something funny Detective?'

Adam's question brought her back into the real world as the elevator doors opened on the garage level and they headed for Beckett's Crown Vic. 'RJ emailed me back on his computer time, and gave me a little tongue lashing for not getting the bad guys.'

'Well, if it's anything like what you're going to do to the Archers, you can securely know he comes by it naturally.'

'No popcorn Adam.'

'Aw, come on, how about pretzels?'

'No.'

'Chocolate almonds?'

'If you stop bugging me, I'll get you a treat when we're done with the Archers. Otherwise, you can do paperwork all afternoon with Watkins and miss out on the fun entirely.'

Adam, being a smart man, remained silent for the rest of the ride to Park Avenue.