Count to Ten

Ma

Hearing the boy's panicked tone. Reed stepped back and the chair flew to the floor, but it was too late as Ma

It was a good thing they had more copies of the photos. It was a better thing that Reed had an extra pair of shoes in his SUV. The boy sank to his hands and knees, heaving, sobbing. Grimacing, Reed went into the anteroom to talk to the others.

Mia shot him a wince. "Sorry. If I'd known he'd do that…"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You still would have asked me to go in."

She nodded philosophically. "Probably. I gotta say though, not bad, Solliday. Especially the part about the electric chair. I'll have to remember that."

"I didn't know if he'd know we hadn't used the chair in years," Reed said absently as he watched. The advocate was trying to help him. Ma

"No," Mia murmured. "He's scared. Listen to him." She turned up the volume.

"Can't tell." Ma

Everyone turned to Patrick. "Well?" Spi

Patrick huffed in frustration. "What do you have, exactly?"

"We've got missing eggs and lots of fingerprints," Mia said. "Jack found more than twenty different prints in the art and science rooms. He's cross-checking all the prints against the teachers and inmates." She lifted her brows. "I mean children."

Patrick looked unhappy. "That's all?"

Mia smiled at Reed. "You found it," she said. "You get to share the best part."

It was the plum. "We also found remnants of chemicals used in the devices."

This caught Patrick's interest. "Explain."

That Mia's eyes held respect and admiration shouldn't make him feel as good as it did. But it did. "We checked out the science class lab. Under the hood I found evidence of hydrocarbon vapors and on the countertop remnants of gunpowder and sugar."

"Used for?" Spi

"What's a hood?" Patrick asked at the same time.

"A hood's a contained area with a ventilation shaft. I'm betting the samples Jack took today will show traces of kerosene-our analysis of the solid showed our guy mixed it with the ammonium nitrate. Mixed with liquid fuel, fertilizer becomes explosive."

Patrick looked appropriately impressed. "And the gunpowder and sugar?"

"Homemade fuses. He would have used the gunpowder and sugar to coat regular shoelaces." Reed shrugged. "I've seen it done before. Terrifyingly simple to find on the Internet. One of the pages Ma

Spi

"Not alone," Mia said. "Just listen to him. Unless he's a really good actor…"

Behind the glass, Ma

"Patrick, is this enough to hold him?" Spi

"Hell, yeah. I'll petition a new trial with family court based on what you found. That'll give you a few days to figure out what he knows and who else is involved."

"One night in holding will be all Ma

"We'll see," Westphalen said quietly still watching the boy. "I hope you're right."

"And next?" Spi

"Jack's got Latent analyzing prints and the lab analyzing the powder Solliday found in the lab. And we're back to the files, to see if we can find a co

"I'll add it to my list," Patrick said dryly. "Call me tomorrow with an update."

"I'll set up time tomorrow for a formal exam for Ma

Spi

Behind the glass an officer escorted Ma

And then, they were alone in the dim anteroom. Mia sighed. "Now we hit the files."

"First I change my shoes."

Her lips twitched. "I'm really sorry about that."

Reed had to chuckle. "No, you're not."

She gri

He met her eyes, intending to raise her one better, but he stopped. And really looked. The laughter faded from her eyes, uncertainty taking its place. And as he watched, her uncertainty mixed with awareness and his throat grew thick. Once again they were co

She wasn't a classically beautiful woman, but there was something about her face that drew him. He knew it wasn't wise. He told himself to let her go, but he didn't seem able. No, that wasn't true. He just didn't want to. And that was something that hadn't happened in too many years to remember. His thumb grazed her jaw and he watched the awareness in her eyes treble.

"You should have gone to a doctor. You might have a scar."

"I don't scar easily," she murmured, so low he almost didn't hear it. "I guess I'm lucky that way." She pulled away, took a step back, both physically and emotionally. "I've got to get to those files." And she was gone before he could open the door for her.

Wednesday, November 29, 5:00 p.m.

Brooke paused, trembling as she stood before Dr. Bixby's office door. She'd been summoned. It didn't sound good. Drawing a breath, she made a fist and rapped hard.

"Come." Dr. Bixby looked up from his desk, his expression forbidding. "Sit."

She did, as quickly as her knocking knees would carry her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bixby waved his hand. "Let's cut to the chase, Miss Adler. You did a stupid thing. Now the police are crawling all over my school and this will not sit well with the advisory board. You have jeopardized my work. I should fire you right now."

Her mouth slightly agape, Brooke could only stare. Bixby's lips curled in a sneer.

"But I won't," he continued. "Because my lawyers have advised against it. Seems like your Detective Mitchell spoke to the attorney while she was searching the premises this afternoon. Said you were worried about getting fired. Said any move to terminate you would look bad in the event of a lawsuit. Are you pla

Brooke somehow found her voice. "No, sir. I had no idea Detective Mitchell had spoken to anyone about me."

"We're compiling your file, Miss Adler. We'll be able to terminate you with just cause very soon. It would be better for all concerned if you resigned. Immediately."

Brooke fought back a wave of hysterical nausea. Thoughts of rent and bills and student loans charged through her mind. "I-I can't do that. Sir. I have responsibilities."

"You should have thought about that before you went on an unauthorized jaunt. I'll give you two weeks. At the end of that time I'll have enough in your file to let you go."

He leaned back in his chair, looking powerful, and something in Brooke snapped.

She surged to her feet, her face hot. "I did nothing wrong, and anything you manage to gather against me will be lies." She opened the door, then paused, her hand clenching the knob. "If you try to fire me, I'll go to the press so fast your head will swim."

His lips thi