Karen Rose - Count to Ten

Lauren took the picture and put it back on the mantel with fond precision. "We did." She smiled over at Solliday. "We still do." She gave Mia an assessing sweep, head to toe and back again. Then her lips twitched. "It's very good to meet you, Mia Mitchell."

"Lauren." It sounded like a warning but Lauren just grinned at him. "Let's watch the news." He sat at one end of the sofa and Lauren quickly took the other end. leaving Mia with the middle, uncomfortably close to Solliday. She was certain she'd been manipulated, but her attention was diverted when Hill's charred house came into view.

A pert reporter stood on the curb, Hill's house in the background and Mia's pulse spiked. "Holly Wheaton," Mia said in disgust. She truly hated that woman.

"She drove me nuts last year when I was working an apartment fire. She doesn't like me very much."

"That makes two of us. Was this live at six, Lauren?" Mia asked. "Or at ten?"

"I know it was live at six. This looks like that same segment, rebroadcasted."

Holly Wheaton aimed an earnest face toward the camera. "Behind me is what's left of the home that belonged to Penny

Hill, a social worker with DCFS. Last night this house was ablaze, the work of an arsonist. But not only did this arsonist steal Ms. Hill's home, witnesses say police believe he also stole Ms. Hill's life."

The picture sliced to a home video of the fire. "This is what the scene looked like last night when flames consumed this house," Wheaton voiced-over. "A quick-thinking neighbor shot this video, all the while terrified the fire would spread to his own home."

One of Penny Hill's oh-so-caring neighbors had taken video and sold it to the press. Mia gritted her teeth. "Sonof-abitch."

Beside her on the sofa, Solliday blew out a breath. "On that we agree."

"This is the second suspicious blaze in less than a week," the reporter went on as the home video ended and the picture cut back to the ruins. "Both fires resulted in fatalities. We're told the police are treating both deaths as homicides."

The camera panned back as the reporter continued, showing Hill's house draped with yellow crime scene tape, then farther back to show the houses on either side and the neighbors who'd turned out to observe the cameras. Mia jerked forward. A woman stood at the edge of the picture next to her car, looking up at the house. There was something in the way she held her body as she stared up at the blackened house. The camera had picked up on a fine tension that went beyond simple curiosity.

"Look," Mia said.

"I see her," Solliday returned tightly.

"Police Lieutenant Marc Spinnelli issued a 'no comment' statement earlier this afternoon, but has since scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning. We'll keep you informed as news breaks. This is Holly Wheaton, Action News ."

Mia was staring at the screen. "Rewind."

Solliday already was. He slowed the tape, then took it frame by frame. "We can't see the license number on her car. It's a blue… Hyundai. Four or five years old."

"She could just be a bystander or a sensation seeker," Lauren said doubtfully.

Mia's skin was tingling, her fatigue chased away. "I don't think so. You want to pay Holly Wheaton a visit tomorrow? Maybe they caught more on tape."

Solliday smiled, a sharp feral smile that told her his instincts had bpen awakened as well. "She might still be at the station. Let's call her now."

Mia shook her head. "It's almost eleven. Nobody's going to be answering the phones."

His expression shifted. "I have her direct line and cell," he admitted. "And home."

A twinge of annoyance had her brows crunching. "I thought she didn't like you."

"I thought she drove you crazy last year," Lauren added more glibly and he glared at her. Lauren just grinned. "I'll wrap up your dinner so you can take it with you."

When Lauren had left the room he turned his glare on Mia. "Five people died in that apartment fire last year." Pain flashed in his dark eyes. "Three of them were kids. One baby still in a crib. Wheaton didn't care about that, about any of them. She just tried to cuddle up for an exclusive. I wasn't interested. Even if I had been, I sure as hell wouldn't have been after that. I'm not that kind of man, Mia." He stopped abruptly, his eyes locked on hers. "I only kept her card because I never throw anything away."

It was one of those moments, Mia thought, when the depth of a person was truly revealed. He wouldn't be interested in a woman whose only care was camera angle and her number of minutes on air. That wasn't the kind of man he was. The annoyance vanished, replaced with a deep respect and with it a resurgence of desire, deeper than before. Dangerous ground. Mentally she edged back. "Then let's call her now."

He nodded once, hard. "Okay."

Tuesday, November 28, 11:15 P.M.

W heaton was waiting for him at the front door of the studio smiling-until Mitchell walked in. Wheaton's mouth pursed hard, and lines marred her famous face.

Wheaton's face was classically beautiful. And her body… Well, Reed wasn't dead. She disgusted him personally, but his hormones apparently had no ethics. They hadn't when she'd sidled up to him while he investigated that apartment fire last year, either. Her blouse had been unbuttoned so that he could see the lace of her bra and the swell of her breast. Then she'd opened her mouth and that had been the end of that.

"We saw your piece on the fire at Penny Hill's house," he said.

She preened. "It was good, wasn't it?"

"Yes, very. We want the tape. All the tape you took while you were there tonight."

Wheaton studied his face. "What's in it for me?"

"You won't be broadcasting from a jail cell," Mia said acidly.

Wheaton's eyes narrowed. "I don't respond to threats, Detective."

Mia smiled then, and it wasn't nice. "I haven't yet begun, Miss Wheaton. We're specifically interested in the video the neighbor took. Which neighbor was it?"

"You know I won't tell you that. I protect my sources."

"This is a homicide investigation. Miss Wheaton," Mia snapped. "Two innocent people are dead. Cooperate or I'll have a court order tomorrow morning banning any more show of that tape. I want the tape you shot and the neighbor's tape. Now."

"Holly, it's been a very long day," Reed said, making his voice soothing. "We've been on this case nonstop for twenty-four hours. We could get a court order, but nobody here wants to do that."

"I do," Mia muttered and Holly's chin went up and her mouth opened.

"We don't," Reed said before either woman could speak. "Truly. We're trying to put a killer behind bars, Holly. You can help us do that."

She jutted her jaw to one side. "In return for?"

Reed glanced at Mia from the corner of his eye. "An interview when it's all over."

Wheaton's eyes went sly. "It could be weeks. How about a chat every morning?"

"How about once a week?" Reed countered. He wanted a killer off the street. He wanted that tape.

"Two times a week, days and locations to be determined by me."

Reed swallowed his sigh. "Fine," he said wearily. "Can we have the tape now?"

Her smile was feline. "I'll send it tomorrow if I have time. Thursday at the latest."

Beside him, Mia opened her mouth. "Fu-"

Reed cleared his throat, cutting off the rest of Mia's curse. "Tonight. Now. Or the deal's off and Detective Mitchell gets her court order." He lifted his hand when Wheaton started to talk. "And I'll personally see that every engine company in town bars you from any and all fire scenes and," he added softly, "your boss will know why."

Wheaton's mouth went grim and Reed knew they had a deal. "Wait here."

When she was gone he turned to Mia. "I'm sorry," he murmured.