Steve shook his head as he leaned back in his desk chair at the station. He was going over the notes he'd taken from witnesses at the murder scenes. There had to be something in there that he and the other officers had overlooked! He'd read and reread the witnesses' statements a dozen times. "Come on!" He grunted to himself. Nothing jumping out to him, he slammed his palm on the desk and decided that he needed to talk to his dad. Maybe Mark could find something he hadn't. "Where are you going?" Detective Cheryl Banks asked him.

"Community General." Steve replied. "Thought it might help clear my head. I was gonna go over the news footage again with my dad. Maybe he can help. Ya wanna come with me?"

"Why not." Cheryl grinned.


Mark had just sat down to get a breather. This whole morning had been crazy! He'd helped Jessie all morning in the ER tending casualties from a school bus accident. Several children had been injured with fractures and wounds, plus 4 other patients that had been caught up in the collision. It was only 11:30 A.M. and they already had 12 admissions into the hospital. Mark sighed heavily as he collapsed into a chair in the doctor's lounge and threw his head back. Jessie then entered the lounge too and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. Just wanting a pick-me-up, he forgot to blow on it and took a huge gulp!

"Yyyahhhh!" Jessie yelped with his mouth wide open. "Ah, ah, ah!" He impatiently stomped his foot, pounding out his frustration and wildly waving his arm.

"Jess? What..." Mark spoke up.

"Ah, ah, I...yah! I...I...I burnt my tongue! Yowww! Ooo, ooo, ah...man, it hurts." Jessie squeezed his eyes shut, wincing and shaking his head. "Mph! I...I cannot...believe I did that." He let his jaw hang wide open and dropped down into one of the chairs.

"I don't think I'd do that again if I were you, Jess," Mark shook his head. "I've heard that it can hurt."

"Oh, ho, ho," Jessie half-snickered, half-moaned. "You're funny, aren't ya? Well, listen. This is one time where I'd rather not hear your advice." Then he shook his head again with his mouth wide open.

"Why don't you get a glass of water?" Mark suggested.

"I can't reach it." Jessie said pitifully. Mark chuckled and walked out of the lounge to get one, leaving Jessie alone, panting. Amanda stepped in.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"I just got scalded." Jessie whimpered. Amanda noticed the way his tongue was hanging out and grinned.

"Would you like a glass of water?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm. Jessie just sat there. "Oh, hey, Steve! Hi, Cheryl." Amanda greeted.

"Hey." Steve responded as he stepped.

"Doctor Livingston." Cheryl nodded and took a seat.

"What's the matter with you, Jess?" Steve stared at his friend curiously.

"Oh, just a little touch of the friendly caffeine." Amanda smirked. "He drank it straight without blowing." She whispered.

"You know, Jess, uh, that's not a smart thing to do." Steve chuckled. "I've heard it can be painful." Jessie rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I've heard that too." He muttered sarcastically.

"Why don't you try a glass of water?" Cheryl added. Jessie glared, with his mouth still open. Mark returned.

"Oh, hey, Steve. Cheryl?" He smiled. "There you go, Jess." He handed his young friend a plastic cup of water.

"Thanks," Jessie sighed.

"So, what brings you over here, guys?" Mark asked.

"Dad, I thought we could go over the press videos again at the scenes of the crimes." Steve spoke up. "I was hoping you might pick up on something we overlooked."

"Well, let's see." Mark agreed, placing on his glasses. "Pop it in." Cheryl placed the VHS into the VCR and they all watched the press conferences taken at the scenes of the crimes the morning after each murder. They replayed several tapes over and over again. For thirty-five minutes, they all sat there, trying to detect something.

"Man, I don't know about you guys, but it looks to me like it's just the same old thing." Jessie shook his head.

"Yeah." Amanda sighed. "Same reporters, same kind of crime, just a different victim and location." Mark huffed, leaning back on the sofa when he suddenly leaned forward, staring intently at the television. He gaped and his brows furrowed in concentration.

"Wait a minute..." He said.

"What? What is it?" Jessie and Amanda asked together.

"You got something, Dr. Sloan?" Cheryl inquired.

"Dad, what? Did you find something?" Steve asked anxiously.

"Not something, someone!" Mark announced. "Amanda, hand me the third tape." They re-watched it. "Uh-huh." Mark nodded, gritting his teeth. "Okay, now the fifth one." Repeat scenario. "M mm-hmmm." Mark smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think I just saw our killer!"

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked.

"What makes you say that, Dad?" Steve asked.

"Here, let me play it back." Mark explained, fiddling with the remote control. Then he paused it. "Uh-huh. Right there!"

"What are you trying to say, Dr. Sloan?" Cheryl spoke up.

"Everyone, take a good look in the left hand corner of the screen." Mark pointed put. "See right there?" The screen showed a random, tall, dark-haired man with a goatee standing away from the crowd. He was dressed in a simple green hoodie jacket and khaki pants.

"All I see is a guy shuffling his feet on the lawn," Jessie remarked.

"And listening to the conversation." Cheryl added.

"Dad, what does this prove?" Steve asked.

"Apparently, you people haven't been playing close attention." Mark smirked. "Here, give me the fourth tape again." Cheryl sighed and complied. "Okay here. Look, look, look: right there!" Mark pointed to the TV screen. In the right hand corner was a tall, dark-haired man standing away from the crowd, but trying to hear the reporters' conversation.

"Definitely looks like the same guy." Amanda remarked.

"Yeah, and he shows up at every press conference." Jessie added.

"The day after each murder." Steve concluded.

"Very interesting." Cheryl nodded.

"Coincidence?" Mark raised his eyebrows. "I think not!"

"Dr. Sloan, with all due respect, this isn't proof...yet." Cheryl stated.

"She's right, Dad." Steve said.

"Just the same, it couldn't hurt to get some blow up snapshots of this guy and ask around if any of the neighbors know anything about him." Mark smiled.

"I think Mark's right." Amanda agreed.

"Right now, I'll listen to any hunch you've got available." Steve said, rising to his feet.

"We can have Captain Newman wire the pics to the D.C. bureau and see if they can give us any feedback on this fellow." Cheryl spoke up.

"But if this stranger is our serial killer, why would he hang around a press conference discussing something he knows he did already?" Jessie asked.

"Well, I don't think it's because he's been afflicted with amnesia." Steve said dryly.

"He could be trying to find out if they know anything about who he is." Amanda suggested.

"That's very possible." Mark agreed.

"Or he could be looking over the spectators, trying to choose his next victim." Cheryl said.

"Well, we're not accomplishing anything here, just speculating." Steve sighed. "I say we get back to work. Let's just hope the FBI will be able to really tell us who this guy is." Steve sighed.

"If it's him at all." Amanda said. "I'll keep my fingers crossed."

"Yeah. Say, Steve? When are those agents supposed to arrive?" Mark asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Steve answered.

"Chief Masters and Captain Newman are supposed to meet them at the plane and escort them to the hotel." Cheryl stated.

"Well, let's hope these guys are as helpful as they came recommended." Steve groaned. "I'm not in the mood to play the 'all style, no substance' game."

"Cheryl, would the chief and the captain agree to have the agents meet with us at the location of our choice, so that we can get to know each other a little first?" Mark asked.

"I'm sure they would." Cheryl nodded.

"What did you have in mind, Dad?" Steve asked.

"Well, maybe we'll be able to work together with clearer minds if we meet in a less formal environment." Mark answered.

"Like BBQ Bob's?" Jessie suggested.

"That's exactly the place I had in mind!" Mark grinned widely at his young friend.

"Oh, I don't know, Dad." Steve smiled skeptically. Cheryl nudged him in the shoulder.

"We'll just let them and our big boys make that decision." She chided. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"All right, all right." Steve sighed. "Let's go." He turned at the door and glanced suspiciously at Jessie. "Oh, and, uh, Dad? Try to make sure to keep the fresh coffee away from Jessie. We don't want him to send our incoming partners here to the hospital and stick them with medical bills. They might get the wrong impression." Steve teased. Jessie glared at him.

"Oh, you're so funny, Steve." He groaned.

"Aren't I?" Steve grinned smugly and walked out with Cheryl.

"I'll get him for that, and double if he mentions this to those feds!" Jessie huffed. Mark and Amanda glanced at each other chuckling.

"I hope you're right on this, Mark." Amanda said seriously.

"Oh, so do I!" Mark exclaimed, shaking his head.