Chapter Three

Steve slammed the receiver back onto the console and started pushing buttons in rapid succession until every line was tied up on hold. Finally, the ringing stopped. In what seemed like minutes, Jack Hansen burst through the door.

"Austin, what in the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

Steve wanted to ask him exactly the same question but played it cool. "Answering the phones," he said with an innocent shrug. "What do you want, Jack? I'm a little busy here."

"Goldman was shot," Hansen stated flatly.

"I know that."

"So why is it that I only find out when a damned reporter calls to ask me if he's dead? Notifying me should have been a top priority!"

"I guess we forgot," Steve hedged.

"This is an NSB matter! How could you and Wells both conveniently 'forget' -?"

"We were a little busy taking care of Oscar." Steve wondered how Jack knew that Rudy was involved. Anyone with half a brain could probably have figured out that Rudy was at the reception, but the key words there were 'half a brain' – and this was Hansen he was dealing with.

"You know," Jack continued, puffing out his chest just a bit, "the NSB has umbrella supervision over this agency if its leaders are incapacitated. I assume Mark Russell is on his honeymoon...?"

"That's right," Steve confirmed. "But I'm here – and in charge. Got the papers to verify it, if you'd like to see them. So you can put away your umbrella, Mr. Hansen, and scuttle back under your rock now. If we need you, we'll call." As if to emphasize his point that the discussion was over, Steve picked up the receiver and pushed another button. "Oscar Goldman's office..."

After shooting death rays at Steve with his eyes, Hansen skulked away.

----

Finally, at around 6pm, the press decided the news blackout was impenetrable – and gave up. The phones went silent and Steve prepared to go home. He put the pager that was connected to Oscar's red phone in his pocket, turned on the motion-sensitive security cameras and took off.

Jaime was waiting for him at the front door. She stepped outside, threw her arms around him and was practically bouncing as she kissed him. "How'd it go?" she asked.

"I might have a lead," Steve replied. "I'll know more tomorrow...I hope." His wife's eyes were dancing with a happiness Steve hadn't seen from her in far too long. He raised a questioning eyebrow and was 'shushed' by Jaime's gentle fingertip on his lips.

"I have a surprise for you," she told him. "C'mon!" With one arm tightly around Steve's waist, she led him down the hall, stopping just outside the nursery door. "Look..." she said in an exulted whisper.

Steve's breath caught in his throat. Was he just over-tired or was he really seeing her? "Rosie....?"

"Doctor Jeffries said there was no reason for her to spend one more minute in the hospital – so here she is!" Jaime reached into the crib, picked up the baby and handed her to Steve, who cradled her tenderly in his arms.

"Hiya, Rosie-Girl," he crooned. "Daddy is sure glad to see you." Jaime slipped away to put the finishing touches on dinner and Steve sank into the big rocker, studying every feature of his tiny daughter's face.

Five weeks old now, Rosie weighed just over six pounds. Doctor Jeffries had explained to Steve and Jaime that her size and weight should be compared with an eye to her due date, rather than the day she was born – and by that measure, she was right on schedule. Steve cradled her up near his shoulder so she could see him, and the eyes that stared back at him so solemnly (and so much like Jaime's) melted his heart. God, she's beautiful, he thought. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Steve spontaneously began to sing.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now don't you cry!

Jaime had returned to let him know dinner was ready, but paused just out of sight, entranced by the sweet lyrical sound and unwilling to break the spell.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That's an Irish lullaby.

----

Later that night, in Oscar's darkened office, the motion detectors silently came to life and the unseen cameras began to film.....

- - - - -