Bobby POV

"Aren't you impressed?"

"With myself? Or with you?"

Logan looked at me and grinned and said, "Both of us. We should get a medal or something for our amazing display of restraint."

"Maybe we need to ask the chief about that," I joked as we sat down at our desks.

I hated leaving Alex in there alone with Ross, but at the same time, I had no doubt that she'd handle him. I kept one eye on the doorway, sort of expecting to see Ross come running out with his tail between his legs at any moment.

"You know he kissed her, right?" Logan said in a low voice as he leaned across his desk towards me.

"What? Kissed who?"

"Ross. Kissed Liz."

I stared at him in amazement and then said, "Well, it's official then. You deserve the medal."

I couldn't imagine what I would've done to him if he'd tried something like that with Alex.

Okay, I could imagine.

He'd be dead for real.

"What are we going to do if they try to muscle Alex out of that job?" he asked me with a nod towards her office door. "I'm not working for Ross."

"Neither am I."

"I wonder how many other people feel like that," he posed.

I took a moment to glance around the room.

There weren't very many detectives left from Ross' era. And the ones who were didn't strike me as being big fans. It wasn't just me he'd treated with disdain.

I mean, I think he hated me more than most, but still…his general demeanor was one of superiority.

Alex, on the other hand, had already earned the respect of the department.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked as a slow smile spread across his face.

"As scary as it is to admit it, yes I am," I replied.

"Hey, Goren," Jacobs said as she approached my desk. "Who's the suit in with the captain?"

"You don't know Danny Ross? He used to be the captain here," Logan answered for me.

"Oh! You know, I've heard about him. When I first got to Major Case, a lot of the detectives here had worked under him. The consensus is that he's a decent cop, but he acts like a tool."

"Sounds about right," Logan agreed.

"Yeah, you know he wants his job back," I stated, feeling her out.

"Eames' job? Good luck," she said smartly as her gaze strayed to the doorway. "So what's he doing in there? Measuring for drapes?"

"We think he's staking out his territory under the guise of taking a walk down memory lane."

"Huh," she mused, and then she winked at us and wandered over to Alex's office.

"I'm sorry…Captain?" I heard her say as she stood in the doorway.

I knew I liked her for a reason.

Logan cast me a quick glance and then watched as Jacobs faked her way through a conversation.

After a minute, she came back to our desks.

"You're right about his motive," she said. "When I got there, I heard him saying flat-out that he wants his job back, and with the attitude as if he expects her to hand it to him."

"What did she say?"

"I don't know, but she didn't look intimidated. She was even sitting behind her desk, and you know she hardly ever does that."

"Hey, she's got her press conference in ten minutes," Logan pointed out. "You think he's trying to make her late?"

"I don't know," I said as I got up from my desk. "But I think it's my turn to interrupt."

I picked up the pictures that she'd need for her media session and then I headed for her office.

I got to the door at the same time they did.

"Captain, I've got those pictures," I said, purposely ignoring Ross.

"Thank you."

"And you've got…" I reminded her in shorthand because I knew it would annoy Ross. He always used to hate it when we had conversations that he couldn't grasp. Not that I thought he wouldn't know about her press conference, but still…I just felt the need to get on his nerves.

Alex gave me a nod and held my gaze for just a moment and then I turned and went back to my desk. I could hear Ross mumbling to her, but I couldn't make it out, and then the sprinkler system went off.

Of all times.

Ross made a hasty departure, looking all too pleased with himself as though the malfunctioning pipes had something to do with Alex's ability to run the department.

Alex stood, staring upwards at the origin of the downpour, and then she pulled her office door shut and headed in my direction while Logan and I each opened our desk drawers and cleared off the paperwork from the top, shoving it into the waiting dry space.

"I've got an outfit in the locker room, so I'm going to change and get downstairs," she told us.

"You okay?" Logan asked her, and to his credit, he kept his eyes on hers.

Me, I was having trouble.

Because her white blouse was by now soaking wet.

And I tried not to look.

Really.

Because we were still in the squad room.

But other detectives were rushing around in the chaos created by the unexpected shower, so no one was paying attention to the fact that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the way her now-sheer blouse was clinging to her.

"I don't remember him being such a douche," she replied in annoyance.

"Really?" Logan asked. "Because I remember him being exactly that."

"Okay, yeah, he was. Let's just say now he's even more of a douche. He actually told me that when he takes over my job, he'll let me be your partner again, Bobby," she said as she turned to look at me, catching my inappropriate stare.

"He'll let you?" I asked, slowly dragging my eyes upward.

She shifted the file folder so that it was in front of her and then she smiled at me.

"That's what he said. And Logan…your traveling papers are in the works."

"I'm sure I'm not his favorite person now that he knows about me and Liz."

"So he's going to transfer him out because of who he's dating?" I asked quietly. "Alex…"

"It's not going to happen," she said firmly. "I need to get cleaned up, but we'll talk about this more later, okay? In the meantime…"

"I know. Find the killer," I said.

She hustled towards the locker room as the sprinklers finally cut off.

"You know," I began thoughtfully as I took off my suit jacket and squeezed it out before hanging it on the back of my chair. "If we're looking for internet lurkers…where's the place where more people meet than anywhere else?"

"Facebook," he answered quickly, giving me a nod. "Shit, why didn't I think of that?"

"Let's see if our known victims have accounts."

"Assuming our computers haven't shorted out," he joked.

After nearly an hour of cruising through Facebook, not only had we found the accounts of all four girls, but we were also able to start comparing their friends.

And they each had a lot of friends.

Now if we could only that our victims had at least one friend in common...

"Hey, Goren!" Meeks called out. "The tip line got my desk by mistake, but it looks like you might have a name for one of your Jane Does!"

"Already?" I asked in surprise as I got up from my chair and went over to Meeks' desk. I glanced at the clock and realized that Alex was probably done with her press conference, but she hadn't come back upstairs yet.

"Yeah," Meeks replied as he handed me a piece of paper where he'd taken the message. "The caller thinks the brunette is her next door neighbor."

"The brunette," Logan said, having come up behind me. "Number five. Where?"

"An address on Staten Island," I remarked as I looked over the paper.

"I guess he really is hitting all five boroughs, huh?"

We thanked Meeks and headed for the elevator. The doors opened just as we arrived, and there was Alex.

"You guys got a lead?" she asked, not making any move to get off.

And she looked upset.

"Yeah, ride down with us," I said as I got on.

The doors closed and I quickly moved closer to her. Logan pushed the button and then stood unobtrusively off to one side.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"What isn't?" she retorted.

"The press conference?"

"And the subsequent phone calls. You know what they like most about me?" she asked as her mood shifted from upset to ticked off. "The way I look on camera. It doesn't seem to matter whether or not I'm a good cop or a good boss…"

"You are," Logan spoke up. "Both."

"Tell it to the mayor. He wants me to be the new media liaison so badly he can taste it, and as far as he's concerned, Ross' timing is perfect because then there won't be any lag time for Major Case."

"That's what the mayor wants?" I asked in surprise. "What about Zaring?"

"He's okay with the fact that I'm willing to fight for it, but he didn't sound hopeful," she said in annoyance. "And I didn't even do very well today, but supposedly I look like a badass chick with a gun, so that makes it all okay. God, Bobby, what the hell is wrong with these people? Is image so important to them that they're willing to overlook everything else?"

"It's a phase," I said. And then I glanced at Logan and added, "If we can catch our killer and get you out of the limelight, maybe things will settle down."

"I don't know if that can happen fast enough. This meeting on Monday…"

"It'll have to outline some things that Ross has to do to be reinstated. He can't just walk right in and act like he never left."

"Huh," she scoffed.

By this time, the elevator was in the parking garage, but Logan stepped in the way of the opened doors so that they couldn't close, keeping the elevator where it was.

"Oh, and Logan…the rumor's back out that I'm sleeping with you," she added with heavy sarcasm. "I actually had a reporter ask me that today."

"Alonzo?" I questioned. "Or Ross? Did he ask you why Logan was hugging you or did he just pretend like it never happened?"

"He didn't mention it. And it might be him who threw it to the reporters, but my money's on Alonzo."

"They have been asking a lot about Yuille," Logan pointed out. "It would make sense."

"I'm going to have to call her. Or maybe have a face-to-face. With her, and with that Channel 7 viper."

"Did Zaring comment on that?"

"No, but Moran did. He asked me point-blank, off the record," she said, and then she smiled and added, "Which did allow me get in a plug about the new policy."

"We'll take the positives where we can get them," I replied, matching her smile.

"Uh huh. Okay, so…a lead?"

"We have a possible identity on number five. We're going out to Staten Island. Oh, and we might be on to something with a Facebook connection."

"Common friends?" she asked hopefully.

"We're plowing through it," I promised.

"Alright, I'm going to get the car," Logan announced. He stepped away and let the doors close and I took advantage of the brief moment of privacy.

"You're okay?" I asked, stroking my fingers along her cheek.

"Yeah, just…worked up…and wondering if I'm biting off more than I can chew."

"You belong in that office, Alex. Don't ever doubt that. Logan and I will snag the FBK and you'll be the hero, okay? And then the mayor will look like an idiot for even considering moving you somewhere else."

"I don't know, Bobby…"

"And then," I continued, gently interrupting her. "Moran will sign off on the new regs, and I'll be able to make an honest woman out of you."

She laughed, as I'd hoped she would, and then gave me a steady nod.

"You're right. Thanks, I just needed…"

"A little confidence boost?"

"No. You."

TBC...