A tired Lee entered the bullpen in search of Francine. Not seeing her where he expected her to be, he knocked on Billy's door and walked into his office.

"Where's Francine?" He remained by the open door, prepared to leave as soon as Billy replied to his question.

"Close the door, Scarecrow." Billy looked through his office window before returning his attention to Lee. "Where's Amanda? I'd like to know where some of my agents are; I swear the three of you are-"

"Amanda is arranging for a sketch artist to work with two witnesses; one of them knows the identity of the bomber."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were close to breaking this case when you called in HOURS ago? Have you all gone rogue…I'm still the section chief in case you've forgotten." He slammed his hand against his desk and glared angrily at the agent in front of him.

"Relax, we haven't forgotten, things started breaking very fast out there…that's why I need Francine to do some quick research for me. I don't want the suspect to slip away." He swiped a hand through his hair and began to pace in front of the desk. "You still haven't told me where Francine is."

"I didn't tell you, because I don't know where she is, and that worries me. She sounded strange the last time she checked in." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Lee, who was still pacing.

"Stranger than usual?"

"Yes, she led me to believe that she was closing in on someone but she wouldn't give me any details. She sounded…upset…and then she became distant and hung up on me. I had Fielder check to see if she'd seen the senators that she was supposed to question."

"Had she spoken to them?" His pacing stopped and he looked at Billy intently.

"Fielder confirmed that she met with both senators but we don't know where she went next. She sounded convinced that she is on to someone; but she didn't seem happy about it."

"She's wrong and frankly I'm very worried about what she might do. I have to stop her before it's too late."

"Too late for what," Billy asked as Lee rushed from his office without answering him.

Miles away, Francine sat curled up at the end of her sofa as a mildly irked Michael rang her doorbell for the second time.

"Francine!" She rose unsteadily as he shouted her name, automatically smoothed her wrinkled dress and walked to the door.

"Are you alright," he questioned the moment she opened the door.

"Yes," she replied while trying to stand taller in her stockinged feet. "Don't I look alright?"

"Frankly, no, what's wrong? What couldn't wait a couple of hours until we met for dinner?" She didn't offer a reply, so he continued, "I know that you were disappointed that I couldn't have lunch with you but I was-"

"Chained to your desk all day…or so you said." She turned her back on him, picked up a glass from the coffee table and quickly drank the amber liquid that it contained. "I don't give my trust easily; I let myself trust you and you've lied to me twice recently. I know you left your office at least once today," she challenged. The phone began to ring as the couple eyed each other warily.

"Aren't you going to answer that," he asked irritably, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Whoever it is, can leave a message; I'm waiting for you to tell me why you lied-" She was cut-off by her own voice as the answering machine kicked in, "You have reached 555-4220, I'm not currently available, please leave a message." The machine beeped and the caller started to speak.

"You can refuse to talk to me; but you are going to listen to what I have to say. I know how you think; we're two of a kind." Francine approached the machine to turn off the speaker. "If we weren't, you wouldn't have come to me last night." Michael put his hand on hers to prevent her from silencing the speaker.

"I think I'd like to hear this," he said coldly. They stood silently, bodies practically touching, as Lee continued to speak.

"You're wrong about what you think you know, we broke the case, Tanner is in the clear." Francine spun around to face Michael, who was looking at her, hurt evident in his eyes.

"The case? Who's been lying to whom…am I just a case to you? A suspect?"

"No," Francine choked out. "You don't understand-"

"I'm beginning to-"

"No," she insisted more forcibly as she grabbed his arm. "I never believed you were capable of having someone killed."

"I guess I should feel flattered, but all I feel is betrayed." He brusquely removed her hand from his arm. "I thought we were falling in love."

"I do love you." A lone tear ran down her cheek and she swiped at it roughly.

"Do you lie to all your lovers? Maybe, I should ask Lee, that was him wasn't it? You went straight from my bed to his last night." A shaking Francine slapped him across the face and then turned her back on him.