'I hate to stop this little gab fest, but the computer's found something.'

'Found something?' Alexis repeated, abandoning her conversation with Bug and leaning over Nigel's shoulder. 'What?'

Nigel turned his chair around to look at her and started, 'See, I scanned the picture into the computer and it compared facial structure, like the width between the eyes, the cheekbones – '

'Nigel. Nigel. Stop. No offence, but why do I care how you got it? What did you find? Is she alive?' She was picking at her nails and biting her lip nervously.

'Sorry. Habit. Anyways, yes, she's alive – '

'Thank goodness.'

'And she has a record with the state.'

There was a short pause as he pulled up Jessica's record.

'Jessica was arrested in the red-light district. Soliciting.'

'What did he do to her?' Alexis asked herself quietly.

'Who?'

Shaking herself out of a sort of reverie, she stared at the scowling, sunken face of her once plump and smiling best friend. 'Johnathan. Her brother. He was supposed to protect her. Instead, he got her involved with… withthis. God knows what she's been through. She may have been a right bitch to me, but this all started with him.' She stopped again, took a deep breath, and continued, calmer. 'When was she arrested?'

'Well…' he pressed a few keys, 'she was picked up four months ago.'

'Four months. She was alive four months ago… if she's still in the trade, what are the chances she's still alive?'

Nigel fidgeted slightly.

'Wow. You've done the impossible. He's speechless.' Bug stepped up beside Alexis and put his arm around her shoulders, trying to make her smile.

Ignoring him, she repeated, 'What are the chances?'

'Well, considering she was still alive after almost eight years, I'd say pretty good. Maybe she was just the wrong place, wrong time. She was turned out twenty-four hours later, after she sobered up.'

'She was drunk?'

'High.'

'Oh.'

'You okay?' Bug asked, rubbing her shoulder (as Nigel looked jealously on).

'I expected as much. That's what made me hate Johnathan so much. He and his suburban 'wangster' buddies got her hooked. That, and… we even saw some bruises on her arm once. We didn't thin anything of it, because that was long after we stopped talking to her – we didn't run in the same crowds anymore… and she was a backstabbing bitch, but we don't talk about that – but I always wondered if it was just me, or did they look like… handprints.'

'There's nothing you could have done, Alexis. Nothing.' Nigel stood up and put his arm around her other side. 'You're doing something now, though. We're going to find her and bring her home and she'll be alright.'

'Yeah,' Bug said, looking oddly at Nigel, 'She's going to be fine.'

'Thanks.' She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she found in her pocket. 'Is there a washroom I could use for a minute?'

'Down the hall, luv.' When she had left, Bug gave Nigel a look of pure death. 'What? It is.'

'Not that, you moron, she's barely been here, what, a few hours, and you've already tried to kiss her! God, do you have a proper, patient bone in your body?!'

'Bug, what are you talking about?' Nigel countered, laughing.

'You! You're unbelievable! How is it you can just… jump in whenever you think a girl is pretty? And she's delicate at the moment! What are you thinking?'

'Bug! It's not like I was forcing her. If she didn't want me to kiss her, she could have stopped me. Not that she wanted to. Stop, that is. She was willing, Bug.'

'That's not the point, Nigel! That point is she's not just some woman you met in a club! She's come here for your help in finding the murderer of her best friend's brother, and her best friend. –'

'Ex.'

'What?'

'Ex best friend. There was an animosity between the two. Weren't you listening?'

'That's not the point!'

'Look, Bug, I'm not going to… to... have a one night stand or anything, that would be unprofessional. And besides, why do you care? You're perfectly happy with Lily, aren't you? Or is there trouble in paradise already?'

'You-!'

'Guys!'

A sharp, light voice ran over them.

'Lily. Hi.' Bug backed up to Nigel's side, who cowered at her scowl.

'What is wrong with you both? I have grieving families out there, and all I can hear if you two arguing. What's going on? Wait. I don't want to know. Just, stop, okay? Bug, you've got a body in Autopsy one. Go. And Nigel, get back to your special assignment. And if I hear you two arguing again, I'm going to Dr Macy. Got it?'

'Yeah. Sorry, luv.' Nigel murmured, as Bug said in a like tone, 'Sorry, Lily.'

Before he was out the door, though, Bug told him, 'I'm watching you.'

Left alone, Nigel muttered to himself, 'Not a proper bone in my body? Pah. Ridiculous.'

'So, what do we do now? I'm a lawyer, I'm not usually involved in crime-fighting by any means – that is, unless, we're talking some sleezy businessmen.' Alexis had returned, calm and collected, ready and eager to start looking for Jessica.

Nigel picked a piece of paper off the printer and replied, 'Well, I've printed out the corner where she was found.' Thinking of Jordan's tactics, he continued, 'We could drive down there and ask around. See if anyone's seen her.'

'Sounds good to me. Shall I drive?' She stood by the door, hand outstretched to check the map.

'What car do you have?'

'Rental. Mini Cooper.'

'I'll drive.' As Nigel stood, he donned his jacket and pulled out a rather large keychain.

'What do you drive that makes it better?'

'Yours is more likely to get stolen than my bike. Not to mention it's faster.'

'A… bike? As in, a motorcycle? Are you nuts?'

'You'll be fine,' he told her, dismissing the loose skirt she wore because of the stockings underneath, 'Plus, it's equipped with a very good GPS and there's a tracker on it, so Woody – Detective Hoyt, rather – can find us quickly. Don't worry. All you have to do is hold on to me. You'll be fine.' He didn't mention that them being that physically close would be rather interesting.

'Fine. But I'm changing first – never mind the fact my skirt would fly up abysmally on motorcycle, no one would talk to us with me dressed like this... you know, lawyer and everything.'

'Slipping into something more comfortable?'

'Something like that. Give me ten minutes.'

While Alexis changed, Nigel informed Dr Macy of where the two were going, and called Woody to give him a heads up just in case they needed backup. He also printed out the latest photo of Jessica, but cropped off the identifying police lines and billboard so no one would think they were cops.

When she was done, she strode, slightly self-consciously, into the morgue. Nigel, like a few of the men in the room, couldn't help but do a double take.

'Where is Alexis Edwards, and what have you done with her?' he asked, half joking, half in amazement.

'What are you talking about? Don't tell me you didn't know women had alter-egos from who they are at work!' She smiled shyly, and gestured to her new outfit. From conservative black and ocean blue, she had changed into deep blue jeans and a smokey blue jean jacket. Underneath, she wore a white blouse and olive-green camisole. Poking out from under her jeans was a pair of brown leather semi-stiletto boots, making her look seductive, playful, and terribly attractive.

'Of course I did,' he laughed, watching her earrings tickle the base of her neck, 'but I'm always amazed at the difference.' Holding out his arm, he added, 'Shall we?'

'Lo! and forward into the cold, heartless streets of Boston, then,' she said, taking his arm and being led into the freight elevator.

'What?' he asked, laughing and choosing the appropriate floor.

'Sorry. Habit. I speak as if I were writing a novel sometimes.' She shrugged apologetically, and cast her eyes down, blushing.

'That is the single most bizarre character quirk I have ever come across.'

'I don't know if I should be insulted by that. Especially since… well…' Looking back up, she gestured at him, smiling mischievously.

'And what is that supposed to mean?' he asked, holding her small hand on his arm.

'Just that, you seem the type to have met a fair few people in your line of work, that's all.' She glanced down again, but this time, he was pleased (and rather encouraged) to see that she had looked at his hand covering hers.

'You're sure that's what you meant?' Again, he was contemplating leaning in.

'Perhaps. Or perhaps I was going to say I'm not the only one with odd little quirks. But you'll never know, will you?' Her smile was open and challenging, but what was odd, Nigel could have sworn that he saw restraint and fear in her chocolate eyes.

Of course, as fate would have it, they came to the basement where Nigel's bike was parked.

'Are you ready?' he asked, waking Alexis up to his bike, placing a helmet on her head, and tightening it for her.

'No, but I'll do it.' She smiled weakly, and looked down at the vehicle she would be riding on. 'I suppose if a coroner isn't put off by the number of deaths on these things, then I shouldn't be, right?'

'It's never the bike, luv, it's the driver behind the handlebars. Now, you just have to climb on like this…' he helped her reach her short legs over the seat, and showed her how to grip the bike with her legs. Then, he sat in front of her, grabbed her hands, and told her, 'Now, just hold on tight to my chest like this, and try and get as close as possible so no wind can get in between us. You ready?' He looked back at the small figure whose hands were clutched, knuckles white, around his midriff.

He barely heard her voice when she squeaked, 'Yes.'

As the motor roared into life, he heard her squeak, and felt her grip tighten.

Smiling to himself, Nigel Townsend pulled his motorcycle out of the parking space, and into the busy Boston street.