Count to Ten

Solliday pushed his way around the crowd and met her along the side. "The woman on the tape had brown hair. Why did you chase a blonde?" he demanded.

"I honestly don't know. But getting mad at me won't help, that I can guarantee."

"Look, we're in this investigation together, Detective," he said, his voice tense and too controlled. "Don't ever tell me to 'cover you' then slip away again. What if it had been someone we needed to follow? I had no way of knowing if you needed backup."

"It was personal, all right? I don't think it had anything to do with this case."

Solliday"s eyes flickered. "You walked away from a press conference we threw to draw out a killer because of something personal!"

Put that way, she could see his point. "Yeah."

Spi

Mia pursed her lips. "I… I'll explain."

"Damn straight you will," Spi

Mia watched him walk away, managing to control her wince. Solliday still stood staring at her, dark eyes flashing. "I'm sorry," she said. "It won't happen again."

"To paraphrase your leader, damn straight it won't." Then he walked away.

"Goddammit." But Mia wasn't sure who she was swearing at. After a minute, she went inside the precinct, deciding she was swearing at herself.

Chapter Eleven

Wednesday, November 29, 10:45 a.m.

All eyes were on her when she walked into the conference room. Spi

"Did the woman from the news video show?" Spi

Solliday cleared his throat. "No. Mia thought she saw somebody she recognized, but it turned out not to be the video woman. We got some more amateur video taken yesterday evening. We're hoping to find a lead there."

He was covering for her. Mia bit down on the inside of her cheek. As angry as he'd been, he was covering for her. He was acting like a partner. But I didn't.

Spi

Mia met Spi

Spi

Mia laced her fingers together, hard. "It was a personal matter."

Spi

Her churning stomach turned upside down. Now everyone would know. "I don't know her name. I saw her for the first time three weeks ago. She's popped up a few more times in the last few weeks. Then again today."

Spi

"Yeah." Mia swallowed hard, but the bile still burned the back of her throat.

"What does she say, Mia?" Solliday asked, very quietly.

"Nothing. She just looks at me. Then runs before I can find out what she wants."

"She saluted you today," Solliday said.

She saw it in her mind. That little salute with that small reluctant smile. "I know."

Miles leaned back, his eyes sharp. "You do know who she is."

"I know who I think she is. But she has nothing to do with this case. Sir."

Spi

Mia frowned quickly. "That was different. That was Getts."

Spi

It was not a request. "All right. I found out the day of my father's burial that he'd had a son with… with a woman not my mother. The boy is buried in the plot right next to his. The woman who's been following me was there, at the burial. She looks just like my father." She lifted her chin. "I assume she's his daughter, too."

There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence. Then Jack reached over and covered her hands with one of his. She hadn't realized how cold she was until she felt his warmth. "You're going to pull your fingers out of their sockets," he murmured, loosening the death grip she had on her hands.

Spi

"No, sir. But that's not really important. The fact remains that I diverted my attention from a stakeout for personal reasons. I'll accept the consequences."

Spi

When the door was shut, she closed her eyes. "Just get it over with, Marc."

She could hear his footsteps as he paced the length of the room. Then he stopped. "Look at me, Mia." Bracing herself, she did. He stood on the other side of the table, his fists on his hips, his mustache bunched in a frown. "Hell, Mia. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Abe said you told him you were distracted that night. Now I guess it all makes sense." He sighed. "I'm not sure I'd have done anything differently."

Her heart thumped hard in her chest. "Sir?"

"Mia, we've know each other too long for this shit. You have a personal problem, you take personal time, okay? But under the circumstances, I would have followed her, too. You think she's a danger?"

Mia drew her first easy breath in an hour. "I don't think so. Like Solliday said, today she saluted me. It was almost… respect. All I could think was that we were watching for suspicious faces and there she was. But she showed up before the arson started."

"She just gives you the creeps."

"Yeah. Makes me wonder how many more there are out there."

"Well, figure it out on your own time," he said, but gently. "Now, get back to work. I want to know who that woman in the news video is, ASAP You're dismissed."

Mia made it to the door, then paused, her hand on the doorknob. "Thanks, Marc."

He just grunted. "Get out of those monkey shoes, Mitchell."

Mia got back to the bullpen and stopped. Dana stood next to her desk, a small cardboard box clutched in her hand. "What's up?" she asked, dropping to her chair.

Dana lifted her brows. "I've come to report a homicide." She set the box on Mia's desk and pulled out a crab, its claws wrapped with rubber bands. It wasn't moving.

Mia wrinkled her nose. "Jeez, Dana, what the hell is that?"

"It was a Maryland crab. I caught it with my own hands. It was alive and would have been alive if you'd come last night. Now it's dead and you're to blame. I want justice."

"I can't believe people eat those. They look like giant bugs from a bad fifties flick."

Dana dropped the dead crab back in the box. "They're pretty tasty, which you would have found out if we could have cooked this one for you. I heard there was a press conference, so I figured you'd be here. I've been worried. How's your shoulder?"

"Good as new."

"And now you've got a new owie. What did you do to yourself now?"

"Dodged a bullet," she said carelessly and Dana's eyes narrowed.

"This new case?"

"No."

"You'll tell me later. For now, I need to know what's happening on this arson case."

"You know I can't tell you specifics, Dana."

Pain flashed in Dana's brown eyes. "I knew Pe

"Yes." Now if they had a lead or two, she'd feel better about that promise.

"Good." Dana tilted her head. "And everything else? How's all that?"

"I had to tell Spi

Dana blinked in surprise. "Damn."

"She got away again, but I got half her license plate this time."