A/N: I'm saying this only because I'm a little paranoid and I need to be as specific as possible: The chapter happens before the prologue.

Chapter 01: A routine call

RIING! RIING!

A hand crept from under the covers to grab the cell phone on the bedside table. The alarm was lazily flashing the hour: 02:45 a.m. The bedroom was pitch dark.

"Flack", the man gruffly answered.

"Good morning, detective!", Vera, from the night shift, was always cheerful and energetic, "One of our patrol car, the Fifteenth, has just discovered a dead body near a garbage can on the Fifth. They're waiting for you"

"My world will be a far better place if the first words I heard the moment I open my eyes wouldn't be patrol car, dead body, garbage can"

"Detective... it's your job!", she half giggled.

"Okay, okay... be there in ten minutes"

Without wasting more time, Flack got up and get ready quickly. While going downstairs, he texted: "Jess, so much better being awaken by you. Another body. When the killers will learn that even detectives need time to sleep? D."

Flack smiled: A text first thing in the morning when they weren't together has become their routine. Just a cute gesture to say I'm thinking at you. Flack's smile grew wider: Only a couple of months and then they'll be living under the same roof. If one of us don't kill the baker or the photographer or the florist... no, wait, flower designer as he stresses out every time we talk to him.

The traffic wasn't too congested despite the flow of people leaving the closing clubs. Flack couldn't really recall a night when he had gone to sleep after long partying. In his mind, three am was the hour when most crimes happened. But he was okay with that: As Vera had commented earlier, it was his life, a life he loved.

The scene was exactly how he had expected it: Flashing blue and red lights, an ambulance parked in a corner and the well-known yellow tape reading Police Line: Do Not Cross. Young officer Tom Grady was moving around with uncertainty. Flack knew it was his first homicide since he had graduated from the Academy few weeks prior. He moved closer and lightly touched his shoulder: "Officer..."

Grady's hazel eyes blinked at him and Flack noticed the young man's mouth open and close a couple of times before producing any sounds.

"Detective Flack... the... the body is right there... Officer Smith has told me to look for eye-witnesses..."

Flack bit his lips to avoid smirking: Ted remembered him Adam Ross, the nerdy tech from the lab.

"Perfect. Thank you", leaving Grady behind, he walked toward the victim. He wasn't surprised to see Mac Taylor crouched next to the corpse. He was looking for invisible details using his torch.

"How can you already be there?"

"I was in the lab consulting some old files so I answered the call"

"You're right: Sleep is so overrated..."

Mac didn't reply. He knew he was a workaholic and he also knew that Flack's comment was nothing more than a friendly form of greeting.

"What can you tell me?", The detective had stepped closer without kneeling down. He was wearing a new coat and he hadn't any intention to ruin it. Just call me vain, if you like. I just don't care.

"Gunshot. Probable entrance hole here", the CSI replied, pointing to the victim's chest, "I still don't know if there's an exit wound, I'm waiting for the coroner to give it a check"

"Of course"

The two men smiled silently, knowingly. Needles to say: Don wasn't' going to help Mac turning the body. He didn't like corpses.

"Something else I need to know?"

"Right now, that's all. The COD seems to be the gunshot"

Flack looked around, searching the concrete.

"Okay... let's say he wasn't killed here since there's no blood. Our killer just discharged him there, even if...", Don nodded towards the bin, "... he was wrong: This isn't the organic waste bin...", Smith's giggles reached his ears, "... by the way, any ID?"

Mac checked the dead man's pockets and the surrounding perimeter.

"Nothing on him and nothing on the street"

"Okay. Mister John Doe needs a name... Hey, Messer!"

The young CSI had just arrived and was quickly walking in their direction carrying his kit and camera.

He eyed Mac: "How..."

"You know, he's like the terrible killer in the horror movies: He never sleeps..."

Danny yawned: "We, normal people, on the contrary..."

Mac turned slightly raising an eyebrow. It was enough.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'"

"Well, gentlemen, I'll let you do your job. I have mine: Eye-witnesses"

Without waiting for a reply, Don moved towards the small crowd full of curious people. Getting closer he heard the usual comments – Manhattan is just hell; the police is able to do a single thing? Probably, it's a latino gang – Don sighed deeply: It was going to be a very long day.