It was just before noon when Andy sank into her bath tub. The water was hot and the bubbles were high. She let her head sink below the surface and stayed there for as long as her need for breath would allow. When she finally broke the surface she let her head fall back and closed her eyes. The replay of what happened the night before went over and over in her head and she chuckled.

"Why did he have to be called Sam!" she muttered. "What are the chances?" She chuckled again but it turned into a laugh when she thought about how she had left. She had slid out from under his arm. Gathered her clothes from the end of his bed and dressed haphazardly by the door. She walked out of his apartment barefoot and put her shoes on in the elevator. She hadn't left her number or other contact details on the pillow. Just slinked away in the dawn light.

When she got home she changed, went for a run, and picked up a smoothie on the way home. She collapsed on the couch and finished her smoothie then ran a bath to sooth her aching muscles. Not all aches originating from the run. She smiled again and lathered up the soap before washing herself down. She washed her hair and climbed out of the water then drained and wrapped her hair in a towel. She patted herself dry and went into the bedroom to lie on her bed. She lay on top of the sheets and let the cool summer air breezing in from the open window dry her damp skin as she cuddled into her pillow and tried to get some rest. But before she could fall asleep her phone rang on the bedside table beside her.

With a moan she picked it up and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"McNally!" she sat up in bed at the sound of Oliver Shaw's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Sir? I'm not on today, do you need me to come in?"

"What? No. no, I'm not even on today."

"Oh, ok," she said with relief flooding through her body.

"I'm calling you to invite you to a party."

"A party?"

"Yeah a BBQ party at my house. Zoe said I have to invite at least three females from the division or she thinks it will turn into a guy's night."

"Ok," Andy said laughing. "When and where?"

"Excellent, I'll text you my address. Kick-off is at about 6…wait."

She heard Oliver talking to someone else on his side of the call and after a moment he came back to her. "Zoe said if you want to bring someone you are more than welcome."

"Oh…ok, thanks."

"Great McNally, see you then."

She tossed the phone back onto the table and snuggled back into her pillow and fell into a soft light sleep.

Gerry and Sam stood in line at the café across from the division. They placed their orders and came round to the till and paid. They stood aside and waited to pick up their orders then took them out into the hot sun. Sam guided them away from the division and over to a small park that was around the corner. They ate in companionable silence but neither of them moved when they were finished.

"Can't get a break with this one," Gerry muttered as he scrunched up the wrapper from his sandwich and tossed it to the trashcan. It hit the rim and bounced back onto the floor. "Or anything it would seem."

"Lab found nothing?"

"Worse… found a print on a coin. One print, on one side of a coin."

"Got a name?"

"Jules Holland."

"I know that name…" Sam said as he tried to capture the elusive memory

"Convicted of vehicular manslaughter in 1984."

"What?"

"Died in prison of a heart attack in 1988."

"Shit…what the hell is happening with this case?"

"I dunno, I'm stumped. I've never been so confused or run in around in more circles with a case than I have with this one."

"Still no connection found with the victims?"

"No. Nothing."

They both fell into another silence but this time it was filled with tension.

"Hey, you going to Oliver's BBQ Later?" Gerry asked and Sam recognised the need to change subjects.

"Yeah I have to. He said he would clear my slip for what I lost in the last poker game if I go."

"How much are you in the hole for?" Sam spoke but he muffled his voice with a cough and covered his mouth. "How much?" Gerry persisted.

"Three hundred and seventy dollars."

"Jesus Sam," he laughed as he tossed his drink towards the trashcan. It hit the rim and bounced out to fall beside his sandwich wrapper. "You have to learn how to bluff better." He stood and picked up his trash then tossed it into the bin.

"I know."

"You bringing Emma?"

"I dunno if she's working. I'll call her later and ask."

"How's that going?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?" Gerry laughed and slapped his friend shoulder as they started to walk back to the division. "Not better than fine? Because she is pretty-"

"Alright I get it." Sam smiled and waved his hands at his friend to get him to stop talking. "Its fine, she's great. She's pretty amazing actually."

"But?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm sensing a "but" coming."

"No, no but. Just…"

"Just what?"

"She deserves better than me." Sam spoke softly and Gerry wasn't sure he heard him but it wasn't often Sam opened up like this so he wasn't about to let this moment pass.

"Whoa there brother." Gerry tugged on his arm and stopped him from walking. "What makes you say that?"

Sam couldn't meet his friend's eyes. He looked up at the sky and squinted into the sun. "I hooked up with McNally."

Gerry couldn't have hidden his surprise even if he tried. He slapped Sam on the shoulder again. "Really? You slept with her?"

"No! No I just…I just kissed her. But I would have slept with her if…if we weren't interrupted."

"Oh god, don't tell me…" Gerry slipped his arm over Sam's shoulders and smiled. "Phone rang…and it was Emma?" The look of stone in Sam's eyes told Gerry he was right and he covered his smile with the back of his hand. "Oh brother, that is one fine mess you got yourself into."

"I know."

"And you are thinking of telling Emma?"

"I have to, I can't lie to her. I can't lie to myself." He added softly and immediately Gerry felt bad for making fun.

"Look Sammy, once you figure out what you want then you should go for it. Don't settle, don't try and hide from what you want." Gerry patted Sam on the back. "So you just need to decide. Which one do you want?"

Sam nodded. He didn't reply, he didn't think the question warranted a reply, and even if it did, he didn't have one. They walked into the division and went their separate ways.

Oliver Shaw sat in a sun lounger in his back garden and sipped a beer. Zoe had put out salads, chips and dips on a large picnic bench and she was busy sorting out the drinks table when she noticed her husband lounging back half asleep.

"Oliver!" She called out to him but when he didn't respond, she picked up a cube of ice from the bucket and tossed it over at him.

Oliver jumped up and pushed his shades up onto his forehead.

"What!" he called out, brushed down the front of his top where he had spilled his beer.

"The meat! You're burning the meat."

Oliver sauntered over to the large BBQ and lifted the lid. The steaks were a little more done than he would have liked, but everything else was cooking nicely. He reached over for the marinade brush and doused the meat in his secret sauce again, then flipped it over and doused it some more. He picked up the small remote on the shelf at the side of the BBQ and aimed it at the radio on the table. He pressed play and the music started as the side gate opened and Gerry walked in with Sam in tow.

"Hey brother!" Gerry called out. He had a case of beer in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other. He was wearing a pair of combat shorts and sneakers and a plain grey tee. Sam was wearing jeans and a dark red tee and with a pair of shades covering his eyes he looked the part of BBQ guest, even if he didn't feel it.

"Hey!" Oliver went over to greet them with two freshly opened bottles of beer. "You brought me flowers?"

"No, they are for the lovely Mrs. Shaw." Gerry handed him the case of beer then when he spotted Zoe walking out of the back door he walked over to her and handed her the flowers with a hug.

"He's such a kiss ass," Oliver said as he sipped his drink and watched his wife blush from Gerry's attention.

"Hey at least he brought something."

"Yeah, where is your gift?"

"She's working. She'll be here in a couple of hours."

"Come help me with the grill, I've no idea what I'm doing."

Within an hour the back garden was teaming with people. The music was playing loud enough to be heard over the sound of chatter but not so loud that it was intrusive. Sam helped Oliver on the grill more for something to do than his actual need for assistance.

Gerry sat at the picnic table with Zoe and he had been coerced into chopping vegetables for the salads. Dov, Gail and Chris were playing some game with horseshoes against three people from Zoe's work. While Traci joined Andy in the corner on a couple of lounge chairs. Andy had a short sarong wrapped around a pair of short shorts with a light blue spaghetti strapped camisole.

"So…heard you went clubbing last night."

Andy pulled her shades down her nose to look at Traci over the rim. "Who told you that?"

"Chris. He told me you left with some guy?" Traci teased.

"Maybe I did."

"Spill."

"What, it was nothing."

"Did you or did you not go home with some hottie from the bar?" Traci said louder than Andy would have liked.

"Shhhh!"

"Spill McNally," Traci persevered. "Tell me, did you or did you not go home with some hottie from the bar?" After she spoke she froze. Andy looked at her friend and saw her looking past her shoulder. She turned around to see Sam standing there with a plate for food for them.

"Ladies," he passed the plate to Andy and smiled. "Oliver asked me to bring this over."

Andy was frozen in place. She stared at him as he held out the plate to her. When she didn't take it, he lowered it onto the lounger beside her then winked and walked away.

"Oh god, do you think he heard?" Andy asked.

"Yeah pretty sure he did." Traci was laughing, enjoying her friend's discomfort. "Don't think I have forgotten, spill."

"Oh Traci!" And chuckled along with her then passed her the plate of food and watched Traci took into a burger. "Okay…I met him in the club and I went home with him!"

"Oh you harlot! What did he look like?"

"He was about 6'4". Huge shoulders, lived in an apartment in Rosedale. Gorgeous apartment, beautiful views of the city."

"Shut up about his apartment! Who cares! What was he like in bed?"

"He was good."

"Just good?"

"I dunno Traci I was just trying to blow off some steam."

"Scratch an itch?"

"Yeah."

"What was his name?" Andy shrugged and took a hot dog off the plate. And bit into it. She shrugged under Traci's examination. "Are you going to see him again?"

"No, no I don't think so."

"So he satisfied your itch?"

Andy shrugged again and looked away.

"I have this distinct feeling that you aren't telling me something. You are hiding something from me McNally and I will find it out."

Andy smiled at her and finished her hot dog.

Sam came back to the BBQ and helped Oliver with the food. He was standing beside his friend with his mind a million miles away until Oliver poked him in the ribs with a spatula.

"Hey didn't the girls want anything?"

"Huh?"

"Nash and McNally, you were supposed to give the food to my wife and ask them what they wanted."

"Oh, sorry, I must have gotten it all mixed up."

"What's going on? You ok?" Oliver looked over his shoulder to see Traci and Andy laughing and eating the food that was meant for Zoe.

"Yeah, yeah, just tired. Been a long week."

"Well it looks like your serum is here." Oliver gestured behind Sam towards the side gate where Emma was walking through as if unsure if she was in the right place. Sam turned and waved at her then crossed the garden to greet her. He put his arms around her tightly and buried his face into her neck.

"Hey Em. Glad you came."

"Wow, helluva greeting Sammy."

He leaned back and smiled at her then kissed her softly before taking her hand and guiding her through the considerable crowd to the table where Gerry and Zoe were sitting.

"Gerry, Zoe, this is Emma. Emma this is Gerry, a detective from the division and Zoe. It's her house and she is married to Oliver over there who is manning the grill." He was babbling. He knew it so he shut up and let them make their own greetings.

Gerry stood up and shook her hand then gestured for her to sit down next to him.

"Are you a police officer too Emma?" Zoe asked.

"No, I'm a firefighter. I work out of the 322."

"Oh! A firefighter? I thought you guys were rivals!"

"Well there is a healthy rivalry but it just makes us all better at our jobs." Sam was standing behind her with one hand on her shoulder, rubbing soft circles into her skin.

"Have you been a firefighter for long?"

"About 6 years. But I'm hoping to be an investigator soon."

"You mean like a private investigator?"

Emma chuckled. "No, an arson investigator. I have my exam on Tuesday."

"Wow! How exciting!"

"It's something I've always wanted to do. I've been working so hard for it and now that it's here I'm so ready."

"And if you pass then you immediately become an arson investigator?" Gerry asked as he passed her a beer but she refused and asked for a soda instead.

"Well no, I'm put onto a list of applicants, then when an opening comes up I have to go for it, like the rest."

"Sounds intense."

"I guess when you work with fire you don't feel the intensity of a job interview."

Zoe nodded her head then stood up and grabbed the bowl of vegetables Gerry had been slicing up. "I better go get this into a salad before everyone thinks this is a caveman's BBQ. Pleasure meeting you Emma." She smiled and walked off.

Gerry who stood when Zoe did, sat back down and turned his attention back to Emma. She was sipping her soda and watching him with a crooked smile.

"So, you're Gerry."

"And you're Emma."

"And if I know Sam as well as I think I do, we'll have heard next to nothing about each other."

"You have him pegged pretty well."

"He's a tough man to read but once you get in…"

"He's all heart."

"I'm standing right here guys." They both laughed and looked up at Sam who was waving his hands as if to get their attention but the sound of Oliver calling his name made him turn. "I'll be right back."

Andy watched from her corner with more interest than she wanted to display. She saw their greeting, watched how he brought her over to the host to introduce her and all the while kept a hand on her shoulder. She instantly remembered the feel of his hand on her skin and it burned a craving right to her core. She sat up and busied herself with nothing but she wasn't fooling Traci.

"Let's go over and say hi."

"What?! No!"

"C'mon McNally…aren't you curious?"

Andy looked back to where Gerry and Emma were talking and had to admit, she was incredibly curious. She nodded at her friend and they both stood up. They went to the cooler next to the table and grabbed a couple of beers then walked to the table where Traci came over to Gerry to kiss him gently.

"Hey guys," Gerry said after pulling Traci down to sit on his lap. "This is Emma."

"Hey Emma," Traci said and reached out her hand to shake it.

"Hi!" Andy shook her hand too and hoped the smile she was wearing wasn't plastered and fake looking.

"Emma this is Traci and Andy, both coppers from 15."

"Wow it's like a regular family BBQ here."

"So tell us all the gossip…how did you guys meet?" Traci asked, knowing it was the one question everyone was dying to ask.

"Oh, Sam hasn't told you?" She looked over her shoulder to see where Sam was but he was still talking with Oliver at the BBQ.

"You know Sam, as tight lipped as an undercover spy."

"We met at a fire in Moore Park. It was a 2 engine fire. We were there with the 321."

"I remember that call out. It was a midnight rave at the brickworks." Traci said.

"Yeah that's the one." She sipped her soda but they all watched her waiting for more info so she continued. "So Sam was the OIC at the scene, and I was the FIC at the scene, we clashed heads over who was in charge, of course I won."

"Naturally!" Gerry added.

"Once we put the fire out, we let them take over with the scene, then we stepped in again for the arson investigation. Next thing I know, we're eating breakfast on a bench in Chorley Park."

"Cool story!" Gerry said and he lifted his beer for her to clink her soda against.

"Next question?" Emma asked and she looked around the table at them with a smile. "I'm ready. I knew I was coming to a BBQ with mainly coppers so I prepared myself for this interrogation."

Traci laughed and waved her off. "Not at all Emma, we wouldn't put you through anything like that."

"Besides…" Gerry added as he saw Sam and Oliver coming over with a large plate of food. "The food is ready now so we can pick this up later!"

They made room in the centre of the table for a large plate of BBQ'd meat then made more room around the edges for the dishes of salad Zoe brought out. Oliver called everyone round and passed out some paper plates then asked everyone to tuck in. In the melee to get to the food table and then grab seats, Andy found herself sitting on the steps up to the back door with a bowl of salad and some chicken skewers and next to her, sat Emma.

"This is some crowd," Emma said as she ate some potato salad.

"Well us coppers can smell a division BBQ for miles," Andy replied with a smile.

"How long have you been at the division?"

"Only a couple of years. I'm still seen as a rookie. At least until the next wave joins."

"It's the same at the 322. Takes ages to be counted. Longer if you are a woman."

"Ah the 15 isn't too bad for that. They are a great bunch." They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Andy spoke up. "Did you always want to be a firefighter?"

"Yes. Always. Without a doubt."

"In the family?"

"Yeah. You too?"

"Yeah." They shared a knowing smile.

"Are you going to go for detective?"

"Oh no, I dunno. I'm enjoying the streets. I feel like I'm actually making a difference. On a personal level."

"I get that. Nothing quite like getting your hands on the front hose and seeing the flames be engulfed by your power." Emma smiled and started to nod. "It's a huge rush. It's also a huge aphrodisiac."

Andy almost choked on the chicken she was eating when she heard what Emma said. And just as she was recovering Sam cam over.

"Smaller bites McNally, and try to chew your food."

She was still coughing and couldn't reply. Sam took their empty plates and left them onto the table then came back and took Emma's hand to help her stand. He tucked her under his arm and guided her over to the BBQ where Oliver was roasting pineapple rings. Andy watched them leave and took a sip of her beer to clear her throat completely as Traci came over and sat on the step Emma had just vacated.

"Well?" she asked when Andy placed her drink back on the ground between her feet.

"What?"

"What do you think of her?"

"She was really nice." Andy watched them across the garden talking to Oliver. Her arm had snaked up under his tee and his arm was around her shoulders, holding her close. "Dammit."

Traci nudged her friend and smiled. "Let's get another beer."

The BBQ started to wind down and Andy went over to Oliver to offer to help clean up. But she was shooed away by Zoe. She gathered her jacket and said her goodbyes then jumped into a taxi to go home. Half way home she asked the driver to change the destination to Rosedale.

Sam approached Zoe to offer thanks for the invite and even offered to help clean up. But Zoe wouldn't hear of it, asked them to come over for dinner some time, and then shooed them away also.

Sam drove them home through the late night traffic and Emma couldn't help but think he was distracted. When they got to his flat, she followed him in and then the kitchen where she switched on the kettle to make tea.

"Hey, Sam, you ok?" she asked as he fell onto the couch and switched on the TV.

"Hmm? Yeah I'm fine."

"You seem distracted." She walked up behind the couch and bent down on her haunches to rest her head beside where his was. She reached out to rake her fingers through his hair.

"Do I?"

She realised she wasn't going to get anything out of him so she tried a different tact. "I had a lovely time today."

"Great."

"It was nice to meet your friends, and colleagues."

"Yeah, it was." He was flicking through the channels only half listening to what she was saying.

"I think one of your colleagues has a crush on you."

"You do?" Sam looked over at her suddenly all ears.

"Yeah, she couldn't keep her eyes off you all night."

"Who?"

"Traci I think her name is. I thought she was dating Gerry but…"

"She is! They've been dating for a while." Sam smiled and turned his attention back to the TV. "They are one of the few couples that I think are actually going to make it."

His comment was flippant, meant to be a compliment to Gerry and Traci's relationship but as soon as he said it he realised the connotations it carried to the flourishing relationship he had with Emma. He turned his head to her and saw the look of hurt wash over her face then sat up and turned to her fully.

"Oh Emma, sorry, I didn't mean us."

"No, you didn't, that's becoming blatantly obvious." She stood up from the couch and walked over to the door where her jacket was draped on a hook.

"No Emma wait, I'm an asshole!" He grabbed her before she could open the door and turned her into his arms. "I'm sorry I meant that I thought that Gerry and Traci were amazing and I know they will make it!"

"And you don't think we will?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "We've only just started seeing each other, and it's new and fun and amazing …but it's new. I don't know where we're going yet."

Emma looked at him for a moment and opened her mouth to speak but he had other ideas. He bent down and kissed her instead. He held her face between his hands and kissed her roughly, trying his best to instil his desire into her. Then a flash of inspiration hit him and he released her. He stepped back and held her at arm's length.

"He's a photographer."

"What?"

"The killer… Gerry's Case. He's a photographer." He let her go and reached into his pocket for his phone. He opened his contacts and dialled for Gerry. No answer. He tried Oliver but again no answer so with only a moment's hesitation, he dialled for Andy.

Andy knocked on the door and waited for a response. Suddenly realising that he might not be home, or worse, might be home and avoiding her after the quick escape she had made she got the urge to run. She turned and took the first steps off the porch when the intercom buzzed her in. She hesitated for a moment then pushed the heavy door open and got into the elevator. He was standing in the hallway, wearing only a pair of red and black check cotton PJ bottoms, as he waited for her to she stepped off on the 12th floor.

"Did you forget something?"

She smiled as she approached and he held the door open for her.

"You ran off very quietly this morning."

"I didn't run."

"I forgive you though because you came back."

He leaned down and kissed her and she let him. This was what she came for, the oblivion, if she could find it. He walked backwards with her and got to the couch then sat down and pulled her with him. He lowered the straps of her camisole top down her arms so it was circling her waist. His hands came up her back and pressed her against his chest as he kissed her neck. Andy just held on. She straddled his lap, rotated her hips against his erection and just held on.

He untied her sarong and dropped it to the floor then tugged on her bra to pull it low with her camisole. He suckled one breast with his mouth as he massaged the other one with his hand.

"Oh…" she arched her back, pushed her breasts into him. "Sam…"

"Heh, so you remembered my name…"

His words shook her out of her haze of pleasure and she looked down at the man whose lips were making her squirm. Then as if on cue, her phone rang. She ignored it for a while but the buzzing in her pocket was more distracting than the lips on her breasts.

"Sorry…" she leaned over to grab her phone from her pocket and answered it without checking. "Hello?" the lips moved across her chest and a tongue came out to flick her already taut nipple making her gasp.

"Andy?"

"Yeah, yeah… Sam?"

"I think I know what's happening with this case. I think the killer is a photographer. It all makes sense!"

"What? Oh…" the Sam between her legs was making her moan into the phone at the Sam in her ear. His hands circled her waist and pulled her tighter against his groin.

"You okay Andy?" he asked but there were fingers working on the clasp to her shorts that were more alluring than the voice on the other side of the phone.

"Yep. Yeah, ok, I'll call you back!" She tossed her phone across the sofa and stood up to shimmy out of her shorts at the same time as he lifted his ass and pulled his PJ bottoms down. He rolled over to the coffee table and pulled out a small hidden drawer then before she knew it he was wearing a condom and pulled her down onto him.

Andy gasped with the force and realised this was going to be better than last time. She balanced herself on his shoulders and used her knees to move against him in a fast hard rhythm.

"I think I know what's happening with this case. I think the killer is a photographer. It all makes sense!" he said into the phone as he paced the living room. Andy was making strange sounds on the other end of the phone. She was breathless and seemed to be jumping or running from the sound of her rustling clothes. "You okay Andy?" he thought maybe she was distracted by the TV or something and wondered why she wasn't paying him her full attention. Then before he could say anything else she said she would call him back and the phone hit the floor, or so he thought.

He looked down at his phone and was about to hang up when he realised the call was still live so he put it up to his ear again. "Hello? Andy?"

On the other end of the line Sam heard the unmistakable sounds of sex. Rustling clothes, soft moans, skin slapping skin and heavy breathing. Sam couldn't put the phone down. He listened to more, to her moans and had a flashback to that time in her apartment when he made her moan like that. No, not like that he realised, better.

"Sam?"

He turned to see Emma standing behind him watching him with interest. He hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket.

"What's goin on Sam?"

"Sorry Emma…it's this damn case." He took her in his arms and hugged her again. "That and I'm so tired. I'm gonna crash."

"Ok, I think I'll head home."

"No, you should stay." He kissed her and hugged her tighter.

"No Sam, I better go. You're tired, I have work tomorrow." She kissed him back then released him and grabbed her jacket. She waved goodbye and closed the door softly behind her. Sam went to bed. He undressed in the dark and lay on the sheets his limbs spread-eagled and all he could hear was her moans. Her soft, raspy, ecstatic moans and it was driving him crazy. He pushed the heel of his hands into his eyes in an effort to rid himself of the images he was seeing but they all showed up so much clearer without the distraction of passing traffic lighting up his room.

He tried to turn his thoughts to Emma. Her soft curly blonde hair. Her magnificent plump lips and mobile tongue. Her nails as they raked along his skin, oh and her ass. Oh god he loved her ass. He was hard as a rock now and all of a sudden he wished he hadn't let Emma go home.

He reached down to grab himself and imagined it was her. Her fingers touching his hot skin. His other hand joined in and pressed the top of his pubic bone to simulate her weight and he clenched his ass and lifted his hips to push into his hands.

And then he heard her moan.

Sam's eyes flew open and he hoped to see blonde hair but instead he saw nothing. He turned over onto his side and tried to think about Emma. But it wasn't Emma's moan he heard.

And he heard it again. "Oh…" that was all it took. His hands moved in a frenzy of motion. Squeezing on the upstroke, just enough pressure on the down stroke and his thumb caressing the tip when he could reach. He buried his head into his pillow. It was no longer about holding on, making it last. All he could hear was her moan and his hand moving against his own cock. His hips moved in time with his hands and he pressed himself into the mattress. Now he just needed this to end. Needed to stop hearing her voice, feeling her skin and seeing her face, her lips parted in ecstasy.

Then almost as quick as it had started, it was over. He lay face down in bed, spent. And started to laugh. He rolled over onto his back and kept laughing. Only after it subsided did he get up and go to the shower. He turned it on and waited for the water to heat up then took a moment to look at himself in the mirror.

"You are one sorry son of a bitch…" he muttered at his reflection. "And you are knee deep in shit and sinking."

Andy sat on the bench in front of her locker and tied up her boots. Everything she was doing seemed to be slower than normal as her brain struggled to catch up with the rest of her. She didn't notice when Traci came into the room until she banged her locker door open off the next locker.

"Andy!" Traci was rummaging through her bag. "Where have you been?"

"What? I'm not late!" she checked her watch and saw it was only twenty passed two in the afternoon. "I'm on lates today."

"Oh man you are missing it!"

"Missing what? What's happening?" Andy hurried to finish putting on her uniform then noticed that Traci was taking hers off.

"We got a break in the case. Or Sam did. They are out there in the bullpen right now planning a sting."

"What?" Andy had a vague recollection of talking to Sam last night on the phone but her mind had been elsewhere and she couldn't quite recall what he had been talking about.

"Go see for yourself."

Andy grabbed her stab vest and rushed out to the bullpen where Sam and Gerry were standing beside a whiteboard that was completely full of names, two thirds of which were crossed off.

"Hey," she said, non-chalantly. "What's goin on?"

"Ah McNally!" Gerry turned to her and pulled her in closer to see the board. Andy looked over at Sam but he was avoiding her eyes. "Are you interested in taking part in the biggest sting this division has seen since 2003?"

"Yeah! What do I need to do?"

"Go back into the changing room and change into whatever skimpy clothes you have in there."

"What?"

"He's a photographer." It was the first time Sam has spoken since she arrived but he still wasn't looking at her. He passed her the bundle of pages he was holding and she looked down to see the photos from the crash scene the other day. Then as she flicked through she saw more photos, only this time it was a similar scene, too similar. "He is recreating deaths from previous killers. He sets them up, takes photos cuts their throat and leaves them to be found."

"What about the finger prints?"

"We already know how he has been doing that. Also, based on this evidence we did a cold case check. Unsolved murders and checked for similarities with other cases."

"Did you find any?"

"Fifteen." Gerry said and he pointed at the desk behind them that had them all lined up.

"What?" Andy walked over to the desk and examined all the photos side by side.

"Going back as far as 1995."

"Jesus..."

"And out of those fifteen, plus the two we have now, we found tripod marks on nine of the scenes."

"How did you figure this out?" she turned on her heel to face Sam and as if he wasn't ready for her rapid scrutiny, he took a step back and busied himself with a folder from the deck beside him.

"It just made sense."

She eyed him for a moment and Gerry looked between them.

"So tell me again why I have to go change into my skimpy clothes?"

"Okay, skimpy clothing is optional. See these names?" Gerry rapped his knuckle on the white board behind him. "These are all the photographers working in the city and outlying areas. All the ones that have been crossed off have been vetted which leaves the rest."

"How many is that?"

"Sixty seven." Sam answered.

"And what is the sting?"

"We have three apartments set up in town. We have invited about 30 photographers to each one to audition for a shoot."

"And you need me to…?"

"Entice the photographer." Sam spoke up again and his short sharp answers were beginning to annoy her.

"No one is gonna show up to take pictures of us." Gerry smiled as he gestured between himself and Sam, then turned her on her heel and pushed her back towards the locker rooms.

She changed into the only clothes she had at with her. A knee length black pleated skirt and a light blue short sleeved blouse. She turned to see Traci wearing a low cut red blouse over a pair of navy shorts.

"This ok?"

"Yeah its fine. C'mon."

She took her friends arm and led her back out to the parade room where Gerry and Sam were still talking but this time they had been joined by Oliver and Gail. They took seats at the front of the room and watched as Gerry took his place at the front beside the podium. Behind him on the wall was a map of three different apartments.

"Each apartment is in a different building in the same complex. Gail and Oliver will be in Gilford building. Traci and I in Watterson and Sam and McNally in Granby. Detective Reilly and his team will be in Watterson in a different apartment keeping an eye on everything."

"What do we need to do?" Traci asked.

"We sent invites out to all the suspects to get them to audition for a photo shoot. Each one has a profile and you need to study it before they arrive to know what they are interested in. Then you get them talking."

"What are we looking for?" said Gail.

"First and foremost I need you to check alibis. The most recent ones first and if you have to go back further. Your pack will show you the dates you need to ask about."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"Work it into the conversation. Ask them about interests, get them talking, they will slip up."

"What if he doesn't show up?" Andy was looking over the list of names she was going to be very familiar with by the end of the day.

"Let's worry about the ones that do show up first, then come back around to snare the rest."

"Okay, guys, this is not a net casting snare. This is not a chance to grab as many creeps as you can." Oliver paced the room in front of the desks where the girls sat. "We are looking for one guy. And one guy only. When you have him, keep him there. Signal for the team and he'll be taken away. Under no circumstances should you be revealing your true identity to him. Got it?"

They all nodded in unison. Oliver nodded back then clapped his hands together. "Okay, let's get this done. First appointment for all three of you is in 45 minutes.

A/N: I know some of you guys are gonna HATE this chapter. But it was so much fun to write!

**I can feel this story coming to an end. " maybe 3 more chapters should do it.""