My apologies for being incommunicado for a while. It's been crazy busy on the farm with very little backup. Hope y'all are doing good and can finally read these chapters without technical difficulties.

5th Street was buzzing with traffic early that morning; commuters late for work mixed in with tourists crammed into busses on their way to visit local sights and museums.

Without an exact purpose other than feeling out the neighborhood around the Hyde & Eddy corridor; Steve didn't mind the slower pace for once. Instead, he used it to think about the points Mike had made the night prior.

Amber had been singled out, that much even his gut told him.

But had it really been a bar patron doing the deed? Or was it just as conceivable that a neighbor did it, somebody who was well aware of her work schedule when closing at night? What all went on during that lost hour after Amber said her goodbyes to the chef and the murder happening?

Had she been dragged into a nearby apartment building, then dragged back out? It was possible. Or had she been lured into a taxi, raped and killed, then dropped back off in time for the rain to wash away any evidence?

"Headquarters to Inspectors 8-1, please come in."

The radio springing to life pulled him out of his daydreams and Steve reached for the receiver just as he was crossing Market Street heading east.

"This is Inspector 8-1, go ahead."

"Inspectors Simon and Montgomery have asked that you call them at the office at your earliest convenience."

Simon and Montgomery…both were robbery detectives. This was going to be interesting.

"10-4 headquarters, will do."

Putting the receiver back down, Steve pulled the tan Galaxie into a parking spot along a BART station where two open phone booths were awaiting him.

Braving the brisk morning wind, he got out and dug a dime out of his black dress pants, then proceeded to call the Hall of Justice main line before letting the clerk transfer him over to the robbery department.

Much to his surprise, Montgomery picked up on the first ring.

"This is Inspector Keller returning your dispatch request for a call."

"Yes, thank you very much for your speedy response, Inspector. We have something here that might interest you."

Absent-mindedly straightening out his belt buckle, Steve looked back over at the nearby bus station where a group of school-aged children were waiting impatiently.

"You see, one of our stoolies was approached by a man fencing some jewelry…", the other inspector explained, his voice quivering with excitement, "It was just a few pieces and normally he wouldn't bat an eye over it, but he said that it was nice stuff, a silver necklace and a ring that had the initials AW on it. Our guy doesn't like stuff that has names on it, so he rejected it, but he said that the necklace also had a small blood spot on the pendant which was a teardrop, about an inch long."

The news made him tense up instantly and Steve ran a hand through his sandy hair, the other one holding the receiver with a death grip.

"Did he get a description of the guy?"

Amber was found without any jewelry. The autopsy report hadn't noted any signs of struggle from a ring or a necklace being yanked off somebody's body. But this sure didn't feel like a coincidence.

"Tall. Strong but kinda skinny. Dark hair. Late 50's. Wore a bomber jacket. Said his name was Bob."

"Bob…", the young inspector repeated as he felt a shiver running down his spine, "Anything else? The vehicle he drove? The place he came from?"

If the name hadn't set off several alarm bells in his mind, the bomber jacket sure did. So much for coincidences on this busy morning.

"Nothing else, sorry. I told our guy to keep an eye out for this Bob and get a hold of us if he sees him again."

"Thanks. I appreciate the tip."

Feeling a bitter taste in his mouth when he hung up the receiver, Steve bit his lip, struggling with the best way to approach this situation.

If Bobbie Parker was indeed somehow connected to the Wagoner killing, what was he doing fencing her jewelry? Trying to make some money on the side? Move incriminating evidence? But why take the chance of being seen like this?

Drawing in a ragged breath, Steve left the phone booth behind and headed back to the waiting Galaxie, hoping that Aaron Hayes or any of his employees could positively identify Bobbie from hanging out around the bar. But even if that were the case, breaking the news to Mike would prove to be a completely different issue.