Karen Rose - Count to Ten

Mia swallowed hard, a wave of relief and gratitude overwhelming her. "A lot of people wouldn't have done that much."

"You've sacrificed for this department, this city countless times. I'll be damned if I let Wheaton or anybody else use this department to threaten you or your family."

She closed her eyes, moved. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he said softly.

His voice returned to its normal briskness. "Murphy's still sweeping the area where they found the car White used to get away from Brooke Adler's apartment, but he hasn't turned anything up yet. They'll keep canvassing for the next hour, then resume in the morning. I had math teacher White's picture faxed to the local news teams and the newspapers. It's the best way to find him."

"I know."

"You guys find the real White at any of those Atlantic City hotels?"

"Not yet. We'll keep going until we do."

Spinnelli tilted her head, studying her. "Where are you going to stay tonight?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What?" He couldn't possibly know about her and Solliday. The words "it was just a supportive hug" were on the tip of her tongue.

"Your address was in the paper, Mia. Find another place to live. That's an order."

"You can't tell me where to live. Last I looked, I'm a cop. 1 can take care of myself."

"Last I looked, you were a cop and I was your boss. Find another place, Mia. I don't want to worry about you all night." When her mouth set stubbornly, he exploded. "Goddammit, Mia. For days I sat next to Abe's bedside wondering where the hell you were. 1 thought I might lose two of my best people. Don't put me through that again."

She looked down, feeling suddenly small. "Well, when you put it like that."

He sighed. "It's just for a little while. Howard and Brooks are close to pulling Getts in. They've closed off about all the rat holes he can crawl down."

"He already knew my address."

"True, but now every punk wannabe does, too. You worry about Kelsey on the inside. There are a lot more on the outside that would love bragging rights to you."

"I have a gun. Kelsey doesn't."

"And you both have to sleep sometime."

She ran her tongue across her teeth. "I don't want to admit that you have a point. But," she hurried on before he could say more, "who would you have me put in danger? Dana? She's got kids. Abe? He's got Kristen and the baby."

Spinnelli's door opened and Solliday filled the doorway. "She can stay at my house."

Mia's mouth dropped open. " What ?"

Spinnelli just blinked. "What?"

He shrugged his wide shoulders. "It makes sense. I've got a duplex. My sister rents the other side. Lauren's on my side taking care of my daughter more than she's on her own side, anyway. Detective Mitchell can stay in the other side, have her own place."

Mia found her voice. "You were spying on me. Again ."

He shrugged. "I was waiting to talk to Spinnelli. It's not my fault I have good ears."

She glared at him. "I'm not staying with you."

"Not me." He smiled innocently. "At Lauren's. It makes sense, Mia. And we can keep going through Burnette's and Hill's files after dinner. That should speed things up."

She just bet it would. The very thought of what would speed up sent new color to her cheeks. And Solliday just stood there, smiling like a damn choirboy.

But if Spinnelli had any inkling of Solliday's ulterior motives, he gave no indication. "It does make sense, Mia. And you never have time to study those files during the day."

She drew a breath. "I want to formally stare my opposition to this stupid plan."

Spinnelli nodded. "Formally noted. Do it anyway."

"What about Solliday's kid? I'm putting her in danger, too. They'll follow me."

"Mia, if you can't lose a tail by now…" Spinnelli gently pushed her out the door. "Finish calling hotels, then break for dinner. After you eat, you can get back to the files."

"Aren't you kind?"

His mustache bunched and his eyes darkened, a sure sign his patience was spent. "We have to get a connection between White, Burnette, and Hill or we have nothing more than circumstantial evidence. We can't place him at any of the three scenes, so we have to at least have a strong motive. Find one. Stop worrying about your apartment and concentrate on what matters. Find White before he kills again."

She knew when she was beaten. "All right. You'll make sure they move Kelsey."

"You have my word."

"Fine. Then I'll stay on Lauren's side of the duplex."

Spinnelli's chest moved in a small sigh of relief. "Thank you. And thanks to you also, Reed," Spinnelli said. "I appreciate you offering up the house."

Mia looked at Solliday, her jaw cocked. "Yeah. Thanks a lot, Solliday."

Something flickered in Solliday's dark eyes and she knew he knew she was pissed. "You're welcome," he told Spinnelli. Then he muttered under his breath, "I think."

Thursday, November 30, 6:15 p.m.

He'd nearly finished his dinner when the face on the TV screen threatened to bring it all back up. The face was his. In horror his eyes froze to the screen. He knew they'd be looking for him. Somehow he never thought they'd put his face on TV.

As he fought to control his shock, his temper began to boil. The bitch. This was the work of the Mitchell woman. Now he couldn't move around the city without people knowing who he was. Today it was Chicago. Tomorrow, CNN? He'd be recognized wherever he went from sea to goddamn shining sea.

He had to get out of this restaurant. Now . With a casual-ness that came only through superior self-control, he rose, threw the contents of his tray in the trash, strolled through the restaurant door and to his car.

She had to go. He patted his pocket where he still carried pretty Caitlin's gun. Mitchell had to go. With her gone, the focus would be shifted to the gunman who'd tried to kill her once before. Melvin Getts was his name. It would be Getts's face on the news.

A cop killer trumped an arsonist any damn day of the week.

Thursday, November 30, 6:45 P.M.

Reed hung up the phone. "Found him."

Both Mia and Aidan quickly hung up. "Where?" Mia demanded.

"The Willow Inn in Atlantic City. Their computer shows Devin White checked in on June first and checked out June third. Paid cash. Guy at the desk didn't remember him."

"We don't know if it was the real Devin or Math Boy," Mia said. "Now we know where he stayed, but we still don't know which casino he went to. So many people go through the casinos. It's hard to think anybody would remember a college kid."

"But all the casinos have cameras," Reed said. "We know the days he was there. We should be able to find him on video. At least to know if it's Devin White or…" He winced a little. "Or Math Boy. Can't we find a different pet name for him?"

"It works for now." She frowned. "There are dozen casinos. Where do we start?"

"You familiar with Atlantic City?" Aidan asked.

"Never been there," Reed answered and Mia shook her head as well.

"Tess and I went to the Jersey shore on our honeymoon just a few weeks ago. One of the days we drove to Atlantic City and did some of the casinos, so it's still fresh in my mind." Aidan brought a map to their desks and the three of them stood, studying it. "Willow Inn is down here, close to the Silver Casino. Harrah's and Trump's Marina are way up here and all the other big casinos are way over here, on the beach."

"He probably went to the Silver Casino, at least once or twice since it was close." Mia said.

"And it's one of the smaller casinos, so it should be easier for them to locate him."

Reed looked at the grainy picture. "The university has a better photo of the real Devin. We could ask Atlantic City PD to search tonight with this, or wait until tomorrow morning."