A/N: Thanks for the reviews, Virtute and Leya! I'm glad you like Collig. He's so fun to write! And yes, Heather isn't quite as dumb as she looks. She picked up on what Joe and Emily are missing. LOL And I'm sure she'll make someone a lovely trophy wife someday. Just not Joe. ;-) Also, apologies to the readers for the chapter heading typo on the last installment. It was indeed chapter 15 even though it said 14. Hope that wasn't too confusing. Anyway, on with the mystery! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 16

Joe groaned as the sunlight streamed through his window the next morning and came to rest on his pillow. He reached blindly toward his nightstand for his clock, finally closed his hand around it and lifted it to his face. He cracked open one eye. Eight-sixteen. Crap. I've got to get down to the hospital and get Frank. He's going to be ticked I'm not there already.

He sighed and pushing his covers aside, hauled himself up and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stripped off his boxers. Today had better be a hell of lot better than yesterday or I'm finished with detective work and changing my major to accounting.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Frank was finishing his hospital breakfast of runny eggs and dried out sausage when he heard a soft knocking on his door. "Come in."

Emily slipped inside and smiled at him. "You're awake."

"Yeah, they tend not to let you sleep too much around here."

"I'm sorry," she said, moving toward his bed. "Are you feeling okay?"

Frank noticed the anxious look in green eyes and smiled. "I'm fine. How's Duncan?"

"He's doing better." She sat down in the chair next to the bed. "He's still kind of doped up, but the doctor who came in to check him this morning said he thought he could be released in two or three days."

"Wow, that's great."

"Yeah, they're examining him now, so I thought I'd come see how you were. I feel terrible about what happened."

Frank chuckled as he tried to boost himself up and banged his knees against his breakfast tray. "It's not your fault."

"No, but I invited you and Joe to the banquet." Emily stood and moved the rolling tray table away from the bed. She lifted his pillows so he could sit up more fully. "I feel responsible."

"Well, you're not." Frank smiled. "I'm just glad we could be there to help. And really, I'm okay. I'm leaving as soon as Joe arrives and the doctor releases me."

"That's good." She handed him his orange juice from his tray. "Here, finish this. It's good for you."

Frank grinned at her as he took it. "So, when are you going to let my brother ask you out?"

She seemed startled. "What? Joe doesn't want to ask me out. He already has a girlfriend."

Before Frank could answer, the door flew open and Joe, freshly showered and wearing jeans and waffle-knit, long sleeved t-shirt, bounced in. "Morning, bro!" He stopped short when he saw Emily. "I didn't know you were here."

"I was visiting Duncan, and thought I'd better see how your brother was feeling, too."

Her smile was warm and open and Joe lost his train of thought for a moment as her surveyed her. Her hair was long and loose around her shoulders and she had on yet another pair of body-hugging jeans, this time paired with a tailored shirt.

"Um, how's Duncan? Does he remember anything about last night?" Joe finally managed to get out.

Emily's eyes clouded. "Not really. He said he could hear the glass in the display cases being broken and he ran over there hoping to stop the guy. He got shot instead."

"Swell...another dead end." Joe walked over to his brother and paused near the edge of the bed next to Emily. Her clean, floral scent reached him and he had to restrain himself from putting his arms around her and pulling her into him. Instead he looked down at Frank who was staring up at him with an amused expression on his face. "You ready to go?"

"Just waiting for the doctor's okay. Oh, and when we're done, Collig wants us to head over to the museum. Although I think I want to head home first. All I have is the tux I wore here last night."

Joe held up a plastic bag he'd been carrying. "Never fear. I have your clothes. No sense losing all the money we put down on renting those penguin suits. Mine has a huge blood stain on it from Duncan's sucking chest wound, but I thought we could at least recover the cost of yours."

Frank grinned. "Well, since mine is smoky and possibly torn in a place or two, I've definitely lost the cleaning deposit, but maybe I won't have to pay to replace it." He reached for the bag and peered inside. "Thanks."

"No problem. I still live by that old Boy Scout motto...be prepared."

Frank rolled his eyes and Emily giggled.

"I could have used some Boy Scout training last night. I wasn't prepared at all. I forgot I rode here in the ambulance. I ended up having to walk home." She looked at Frank. "I'll bet my high heels look worse than your tux."

Joe touched her arm. "You walked home?"

Emily looked sheepish. "Yeah, it wasn't bad though. But like I said, it ruined my shoes. Probably took me a little longer than it normally would have, too."

"You walked home? After everything that's been going on? After what happened at the museum last night, after someone vandalized your office and your locker and left you pink roses as some sort of sick message, you walked home? Late at night? Alone?" Joe's voice rose and anger flashed in his eyes. Emily took a step backwards.

"Joe," Frank warned.

"Why on earth didn't you come back and get me, Emily? I would have driven you home."

"Y-you were on a date. And your brother was hurt. I didn't want to interfere. It wasn't a big deal."

"It wasn't a big deal?" Joe took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Even if there wasn't some psycho on the loose, it's stupid for you to walk alone that late at night. You should've known that."

Tears filled Emily's eyes. She turned quickly and grabbed her purse. "I need to go," she whispered. "I hope you feel better, Frank." She hurried to the door and opened it as Joe ran toward her.

"Emily, wait!"

She flew down the hall and around the corner as fast as she could. Spying a linen closet, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. The tears began to flow and Emily felt sobs welling up from deep within her. All of the stress of the past week bubbled up and out of her body as she grabbed a towel and cried into it, unable to stop or control the flood of emotions that overwhelmed her.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"She disappeared," Joe said, slamming his fist against Frank's door.

"What the hell was that?" Frank swung his feet over the side of the bed. "I thought you liked her."

"I do." He shook his head. "She walked home. At midnight. Alone. With a nutcase on the loose." He struck the metal railing of his brother's bed. "Do you know what could have happened to her?" He clenched his jaw. "I can't even think about it. It scares the hell out of me."

"Yeah, well that's what you just did to her." Frank stood up. "You made her cry. Way to go." He reached in his bag and pulled out his clothes. "If that's your technique for getting a date, no wonder you're striking out."

Joe scrubbed his hand over his face. "I don't know. She makes me crazy. I feel too much when I'm around her. I don't know how to explain it."

Frank paused as he pulled on his jeans. "I think you'd better go find her and straighten this out. We have a case to solve and this thing you have for Emily is distracting you."

"This case is about Emily."

"Yeah, and you can't think of anything else except her." Frank reached for his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. "Do us both a favor. Ask her out. Kiss her. Whatever it takes so you can focus on what we need to do, okay?"

"Yeah." Joe headed for the door. "Hey, don't go anywhere."

Frank rolled his eyes.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Joe mentally kicked himself as he headed down the corridor in search of Emily. I'm such an ass. Her liquid green eyes staring up at him filled his mind as he went around the corner. Frank's right. I scared her. I yelled at her. She isn't going to want to have anything to do with me now, that's for sure. He walked past several closed doors and paused. He took a few steps backwards. What was that noise? He leaned his ear against the door of a supply closet. Sounds like crying.

A sinking feeling filled Joe's heart as he slowly turned the doorknob. Emily. Sobbing. The sound of it about killed him. He closed his eyes and sighed. I'm not just an ordinary ass, I'm the biggest ass on the planet. He stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him. He reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "Emily?"

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

She jumped and turned around, startled. Seeing it was Joe, she began moving toward the door. He stepped in front of it and stopped her. "No. Please. Stay here."

She shook her head.

"Emily, please." Joe hung his head and stared at the floor. "Please."

She paused.

He reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"It's okay," she said flatly as she tried to move past him. "Um, I need to go and see if Duncan is awake."

Joe held her hand tightly. "It's not okay." He sighed. "I'm a jerk. I talk before I think, and say things I don't mean to say. Can you forgive me?"

She looked up at him and felt herself melting at the concern she saw in his eyes. She took a deep breath, hoping her voice wouldn't shake as she spoke. "There's nothing to forgive. You were absolutely right. Walking home on my own was stupid. I should have called a cab."

"No, you should have gotten me." He stepped closer to her. "Why won't you let me help you? Why do you keep pushing me away?"

She bit her lip and turned her head to stare at the opposite wall, while that feeling of lightheadedness she always had when she was next to him, washed over her. "Joe, I wasn't about to interrupt your evening with your girlfriend and ask you for a ride home, okay? Three's a crowd and all."

"My girlfriend?" He looked baffled. "Where on earth did you get the idea that Heather was my girlfriend?"

Oh, maybe it was the fact that she was stuck to you like a bottle of Superglue. Maybe the "he's mine" look she had in her eyes all evening. Or, it could have been the repeated evil stares she kept shooting in my direction...all screaming, "Stay away from my boyfriend". "Um, I don't know. You two just looked like a couple."

He furrowed his brow. "Well, we're not. I only asked Heather to the banquet because I was told the girl I really wanted to ask already had a date."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Emily wiped the lingering tears out of her eyes and tried hard not to sniffle. Or snort. She held the towel she'd been sobbing into up to her nose, doubting it looked as delicate as she would have liked. A bath towel really just couldn't pull off looking like a lace handkerchief. "Maybe she'll be able to go out with you another time."

Joe gave her an odd smile. "Yeah, I hope so. I was really disappointed I couldn't take her to the banquet."

Emily lowered the towel from her face and tried to look dignified. I can't believe he's standing here telling me how much he wants to go out with some other girl. Frank is nuts. Joe isn't interested in me at all. "Well, it was probably for the best. After what happened in the museum last night, it wouldn't exactly have made for a wonderful evening."

Joe seemed confused and Emily took advantage of it to pull her hand away from his. His strong hand. With the grip that made her feel safe. Like he was in charge and would take care of everything. Oh my gosh, now I'm daydreaming about his hand, for crying out loud. I need to get some caffeine or something.

"Listen Joe, I really do have to get going. I need to ask Duncan what he wants me to do while he's out of commission, and I have to get over to the museum and see about filing insurance reports on the stolen artifacts." She moved towards the door. "I'm sorry again about everything that happened last night. Thank you for being there and for wanting to help. You really were terrific."

"Okaaaay," Joe said. "Um, and I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Truly."

She gave him a little smile. "It's all right. Honest. And, I, uh, hope everything works out with the girl you want to go out with."

Joe smiled at her. "I hope it will, too. Once she figures out how much I like her."

Emily laughed. "How could she not know that?" She dropped her towel into the canvas laundry hamper and opened the door.

"I don't know. But for some reason, no matter what I do or say, she doesn't seem to get it."

"Maybe you'd better look for someone else, then. She doesn't sound all that smart to me." Emily adjusted her purse over her shoulder.

"She's very smart. Smarter than any girl I've ever met," he said with a smile. "I just think she underestimates herself. She doesn't realize how amazing she is. How beautiful. How kind and sweet."

Emily gritted her teeth as she interrupted him. "Well, what are you waiting for? She sounds perfect." She stepped outside. "See you later." She let the door to the linen closet close behind her and then jogged towards the women's restroom before the tears that were threatening behind her eyes started flowing down her cheeks again.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

After being given a clean bill of health by the doctor, Frank and Joe headed straight for the Bayport Art Museum. Joe gave a low whistle as he slipped under the crime scene tape and through the museum's main entrance. "Wow, what a mess."

"No kidding." Frank surveyed the room. Tables and chairs were overturned, food was on the floor, glass was still everywhere and it looked like the entire Bayport police force was collecting evidence, taking photos or standing around keeping guard.

Joe hit his brother on the arm. "I want to go down to the basement. We need to check out that passageway to the third floor."

"You sure you don't want to examine things here first?"

"Not with these guys hanging around." Joe gestured to the uniformed officers. "Besides, they've already taken most of this apart. Looks like they're ready to begin the cleanup anyway."

Frank nodded as they both moved towards the stairwell. "After you."

They moved quickly down the stairs and around the corner, where Joe skidded to a halt. Frank slammed into the back of him. "What are you doing?"

Joe pointed to the team of fire investigators crowding the corridor. "More men in blue."

"Crap," Frank muttered. He pulled his brother back. "Wait a minute. These guys are only investigating the fire, not the passageway. They just see that as my escape route."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, let's start at the other end of the staircase."

"Perriton's office?"

"Yep."

"Age before beauty," Joe said with a grin as he followed Frank towards the elevator.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Emily sighed as the insurance company put her on hold yet again. She shifted nervously as Chief Collig entered the conference room she was using and made his way toward her.

"I need your statement from last night."

She put her hand over the receiver. "Can I do it after I'm finished talking with the insurance company?"

He nodded briefly. "Just don't go home without talking to one of my men. Oh, and I'll need a detailed description on the stolen items as well. And, when's your boss coming back to work?"

"Um, he gets released from the hospital in a couple of days, I think."

Collig sighed and walked out of the office without another word.

Emily frowned. Is that man ever in a good mood?

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Frank and Joe got off the elevator on the third floor and entered the reception area for the museum's administrative offices.

"This place is like a tomb," Joe commented.

"Well, I guess with the museum being closed and the police barricade downstairs, not too many people are getting by."

"What about Perriton?" Joe moved across the reception area with his brother right behind him.

"I thought I saw him in the lobby." Frank reached for the door handle to Perriton's office, then turned and raised his eyebrows at Joe.

"Hey, I didn't have time to waste looking for a key last night."

Frank grinned as he touched the broken doorknob. It fell to the floor with clatter. "Not a very sturdy dead bolt." He touched the splintered wood as he walked inside. "Not a very sturdy doorframe either."

They both moved quickly over to Perriton's private restroom and slipped inside.

"I don't think Collig will be up here anytime soon, since it's not the actual crime scene," Frank said, "but let's keep it down."

Joe patted his pocket. "That's what these badges are for, bro. They allow us to snoop around legally."

They walked into the rest room and approached the tall closet that covered the entrance to the old staircase and began examining it. Joe walked through to the other side to start his investigation from that angle. As he moved along, checking out the drywall, Frank called to him softly.

"Yeah?" Joe reappeared at the back side of the closet.

"Look." Frank gestured to a small latch on the vanity. "We missed this last night." He pulled it and heard a clicking noise. Joe saw a mechanism pop out on the other side near the place where Frank had removed the drywall.

"That would have opened it." Joe ran his fingers up and down the panel. "The back of the closet slid to one side and this drywall was hinged."

"Yep, you smashed it down for nothing," Frank said with a grin.

"I didn't exactly think I had time to be looking for hidden switches," Joe remarked dryly. "Not with you sounding like you were at death's door."

Frank clapped him on the shoulder. "And I appreciate that. I just like giving you a hard time."

"So what do you think this means?" Joe didn't want to turn the subject to Frank's close call and the desperation he felt trying to reach him. Too much emotion for so early in the morning.

Frank sighed. "I think it means we need to look at Mr. Perriton a little more closely."

Joe leaned his hand against the drywall in frustration. "You know, that's the problem with this whole case. All we're doing is 'looking at people more closely'. When are we going to get some real evidence? Everything right now is circumstantial."

"I don't know." Frank shook his head. "But why don't we go talk to Perriton? If he's guilty, maybe we'll be able to at least pick up on something that will give us a good lead. If he's not, maybe he can point us in the right direction."

"Well, finding out who knew about this little trap door might be a good place to start."

"Definitely."