Once Jenny had argued enough with herself she decides the best plan was to simple get on with her morning ritual. Once showered and dressed she opened the back door and the front to let the morning breeze into the house. Welcoming its sweetness into the old building. It wasn't that she disliked the smell of old beams and brickwork but in the summer a heavier scent always seemed to fill her home, one that reminded her she kept herself locked away far too much. Once the doors were open it meant that Bud took the opportunity to exit and do his own morning ritual. Grabbing her sunglasses and putting them on she sipped her coffee as she watched him shooting from each side of the sparse garden before heading out towards the beach. She followed at a leisurely pace until finally reaching the water's edge she sat, tilting her head back for a moment to enjoy the rays on her face. She knew she should be back inside and trying to work through the questions that were now raised, but for some reason today she wanted to be outside more than anything.

Bud's low “ rwoff.” Alerted her to the fact that the detective was heading back along the beach towards her. Instead of rising she waited, clicking her tongue at the dog to silence him.

Shannon slowed her pace as she realized Jenny was sitting about hundred yards in front of her. For a moment she considered veering off to the right and heading around the back of the house to enter, not really wanting to continue the scene from last night.

“ Morning.” Jenny kept her eyes locked on the horizon.

Deciding the option for retreat was gone Shannon kept her pace going until she drew to a halt next to the blonde. “ Um… morning.”

“ Good run?”

“Yea… better views here then at home” Her eyes scanned the horizon.

Jenny nodded.

Unsure of what to say or do, Shannon dropped down onto the sand, stretching out her legs, feeling very uncomfortable with the whole thing.

Jenny took the last sip of coffee, her face looking into the now empty cup.

“ I'm sorry for what happened last night.”

Shannon hand stilled on rubbing her muscles, taking a sideways peek at the woman. “ No problem.”

Jenny looked across, seeing the tension in the detective for some reason made her sad. “ Are you always so forgiving of people that bite your head off?”

Shannon chuckled and relaxed back to lean on her hands, stretching out the rest of her tall frame. “ No, not really.”

For a breath Jenny let her eyes travel over the detective, then blushing slightly at what she felt she concentrated on her empty cup again. After a silence she spoke her voice low. “ It wasn't you I was mad at you know?”

Shannon 's brow frowned slightly. “ It wasn't?”

Jenny shook her head. “ No… you kinda got the backlash of a thousand triggers of things by arseholes in the past, concerning what I can do…. I haven't been around people much in the last couple of years…” she looked up briefly then turned her attention to the sea. Pausing for a moment to form her words. For the first time she wanted someone to understand. Wanted Shannon to understand. “… I wasn't ready for someone actually trying to have a normal conversation and be curious, I mean I did tell you to ask things…” Her eyes went back to the detective. “ I truly am sorry.”

At first Shannon was about to shrug it off, but there was something in the psychic's tone, a venerability that wasn't there before. “ Jenny I'm not saying I won't put my foot in it when I'm around you but I won't ever just say something to hurt. I'd rather you told me when I'm treading on your toes so to speak, then…. Well before a … another…. Another …um.' Shannon scratched her temple, trying to find a better way of putting it.

Jenny interjected, smiling. “ Tearing your head off happens?”

Shannon grinned. “ Well yea, anything to avoid that.”

Their gaze held for a moment and both had a sense of relief in them. Shannon 's tenseness vanished, she relaxed, and she kept the gaze. “ If I do say or do something Jenny, I really would prefer you talking to me about it. “

Jenny had to grin back. “I will try.”

Both their gazes held for a moment longer becoming uncomfortable, two sets of eyes turned away to find something else to look at.

Jenny rose, brushing the excess sand off her legs, then looked down at the detective. “ Are you up for some questions I have?”

Shannon was up at once. “ Yes… can I … um. Take a shower first?”

Jenny nodded, flashing a white teeth grin. “ Actually I insist on it.” Turning she headed back to the house.

Shannon stood for a moment, wondering how someone one minute could be as cold as ice and another have a temper to match a waking volcano. Slowly she followed, her thoughts filled with questions of when did she actually turn into a babbling idiot when it came to women.

The shower hadn't taken long, when she came out of the bedroom, she went straight into the study, towel drying the last moisture from her hair. Jenny's head rose briefly from the laptop and gave her a small smile, before returning her gaze to the notes she was going through. Shannon took the silence to wait, so she combed out her wet hair with her fingers and sat in the corner chair.

Jenny after about five minutes finished and sat back, laying her glasses down, her eyes for a moment took in the sight of the detective bent forward brushing out her wet hair, she inhaled and cleared her throat.

Shannon looked up.

“ I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt on something Shannon .”

Shannon sat back frowning in question. “ You are?”

Jenny nodded, relaxing back in the chair, crossing her legs. “ Yes.”

“ Ok…. I think.” Her face dropped to the table and the evidence laid out.

“ Was it your idea or the captains to keep some of the evidence back as a test?”

Shannon 's eyes widened, then jumped to the contents laid out on the desk.

“ What?”

Jenny's hand dipped to the evidence list and tossed it across the table, Shannon reached across turning it, her eyes going over the list then to the tagged bags on the table. But as she read she realized although the evidence list matched what was on the table, it didn't match what she knew should have been there, but now wasn't. Her eyes jumped to Jenny's face her jaw tensing. “ It wasn't me… As far as I knew the evidence was intact.”

Jenny studied her for a long minute, trying to gauge if she was lying. When she was sure her instincts had been right, she relaxed and lent forward. “ So you admit that it isn't all here?”

Shannon nodded, her jaw clenching again.

“ Which now rises two questions… one, where is it? And two what the hell was it?”

Shannon was heading into the bedroom by the time Jenny was asking the second question, when she came out her voice was already raised as she yelled down the phone.

“Pete! What the hell did you do with it? Don't give me that shit, you were the only person near the damn files. Fine I'll calm down…. Now tell me why… god damn it…. No I didn't notice it she did… your way out of line on this… just fix it… I want it here in two hours… Don't push it Peter…”

Jenny tried to relax as she quickly erected a wall feeling the anger radiating off the detective and invade the whole room as she argued on the phone.

Then just as suddenly as the outburst had begun it stopped along with the cell phone being snapped shut.

Shannon took a few deep breaths before turning. “ Pete took it.”

Jenny just nodded, she had figured as much.

“ He put it back into the lock up... He wanted to make sure you didn't have anything to do with this case…” taking a longer breath blue eyes looked over to Jenny. “ I'm sorry I honestly didn't know about it. I‘ll report it to the captain tomorrow.”

Jenny chewed the inside of her mouth for a moment, then walked back over to sit at the desk. “ Don't bother, just tell me what is was... and how soon I can have it here?”

Shannon let out a breath. She really didn't want to rat out her partner no matter how much he had stepped over the line. “ Thanks… he won't pull anything like that again ok.”

Jenny waved her off. “ Just tell me what it was?”

“ A coin.”

Jenny looked up from the sheet. “ A coin?”

Shannon nodded. “ Each victim had a coin placed in their mouth.”

Jenny sat back, she turned the chair around to study the photo wall for a moment. Then she rose moving slowly in front of each. Turning she looked at the paper from the day before. Suddenly the headline name made a lot more sense to her. “ Tooth fairy… so that where he got the name.”

When green eyes came up to meet blue, Shannon simply nodded.

“They didn't mention the coin in the press?”

Shannon shook her head. “ No… my guess is they found out about the tooth being removed from each victim and some smartass thought of the name…not realizing how close to the truth it was.”

Jenny scratched her neck a second, then returned her gaze to the pictures.

“ Or you have a leak, and the press is just biding its time to hit the real headlines with the info.” She left unsaid the part about if that was true her name would be on the same headline.

Shannon took a large inhale, the thought had already come to her on that point. “ Maybe.”

Jenny stopped in front of the third victim. Her back to the detective as she talked. “ What type of coin was it?”

“ A nickel.”

Jenny glanced over at her. “ In all of them?”

Shannon nodded. “ Yes… None of the coins are the same date, none of them pressed at the same time, no forensic on it, in fact if anything it was too clean… like most of the unusable DNA in this case… but yes all of them a nickel.”

“ Placed in the mouth? At the same place?”

“ Yes under the tongue post mortem.”

Silence filled the room, Jenny moved from each victim then over to the notes, the detective sat back onto the chair and just waited, taking the time to just study the blonde at work; each frown, each movement. She found it fascinating to watch the woman in front of her, the way she moved from one point to another as if following some unseen thread. The fact Pete had taken evidence from the files and Jenny had noticed impressed Shannon , and as she watched now a new respect was forming.

Finally Jenny paused and sat down. “ I need the coins…”

Shannon nodded as she rose. “ They are on their way here now. I'll go meet them at the dock and bring them back.” She paused at the door.

Jenny looked up at her as she felt herself being watched. “What?”

Shannon looked nervous for a second. “ Don't take this the wrong way… but how did you know something was missing?”

Jenny tried to hide the smile as she sat back, instead she chewed the end of the pen. “ If I said I used my amazing magical powers would that answer you?”

For a second Shannon was about to take it as the answer and move on, then she caught the sparkle in the green eyes looking across at her. “ Well. I might but somehow I think your yanking my chain. Besides I get the feeling right about now you are just puffing up your chest at good ole Pete and saying bite me…”

Jenny scoffed and threw the pen down as she rose. “ I knew because none of what you showed me told me anything…'' She hit the photos on the wall each of them in turn. “ Each of these is just a calling card from this killer. To get attention, he has used the sheet and the pose to make sure you get it that it's the same killer each time. Nothing more then that, all the forensic work means nothing to him, that is his way of laughing at you.”

She turned so suddenly that Shannon actually stepped back.

“ This guy is good very good, and he is a puzzle maker, all of these are his clues but there weren't any… all the rest is for show. The sheet, the tooth, the sexual assaults, the killings… he wants to be noticed. In fact he wants to be so invincible he beats the system, the police, the CSI, the whole lot … but most of all he wants to beat whoever is called in on this… “ She swallowed to compose herself for a moment then looked over to the files and evidence box nodding her head at it. “Nothing in there showed me.”

Shannon eyes went to the victims, the evidence but she still couldn't see what Jenny was getting at. “Showed you what?”

Jenny looked up, her face serious. “ Who he wants to be.”

Shannon didn't understand, her eyes flicking from the pictures back to the psychic again. “ Who?” she resisted the urge to scratch her head like an idiot. “ Jenny, stop speaking code.” It was getting hard now to hold back her frustration.

Jenny sighed, rubbing her temples for a moment suddenly feeling very tired.

“ Each serial killer has an M.O… Whether it's psycho in nature or just plain come and catch me…an agenda. You know that even the basic cop does.”

Shannon nodded.

Jenny's eyes trailed to the wall of victims. “ But someone…” she paused, her eyes returning to the detective. “… Someone like this, that goes to all the trouble of moving bodies, killing with virtually no trace, performing post mortem injuries… or in three out of six cases rape. Taking such care and performance.” She swallowed. “ He hasn't just gone out and done this on the spur of the moment, it's all planned to every single detail and I mean every single one. Every inevitability, every scenario… for him to do this he needs to be known.” Her voice lost the emotion that had been building as she took in a long breath, turning back to the pictures. “ He sees himself as invincible, above laws, above getting caught. The fact he dumped two of the bodies in plain sight shows me that.” She turned her face to the detective.

“Someone that egotistical has to leave a calling card, it's in their nature, their only flaw if you want…” her eyes went sadly this time to the pictures. “They were nothing to him Shannon, nothing more than game pieces. Pawns on a board of life that he is creating…he controls their moves, he controls who is sacrificed….” She looked back over at the detective. Her eyes now almost transparent. “ So you see that's how I knew… there wasn't any bait laid out for all to see, a bait that said…. Here I am come and get me.”

Shannon had listened, and as she had, she slowly understood. She looked over the pictures again finally breaking her eyes from Jenny's, her stomach flipping at the thought that the victims had died for no reason other than a laid out plan. She let her eyes settle on the green ones looking at her sadly. “ Jesus.” She swallowed deeply getting under control at the disgust she suddenly felt. Her focus returned. “ You keep saying him?”

Jenny took along deep breath. “ Yes it's a he… there is just too much about all the things for it to be a female… this is a male physique. Surely even your profilers came up with that?” a wry smile pulled at her lips as she looked over at the detective.

Shannon answered it. “ Yes… we managed to come up with that on our own.”

Jenny let the smile hold on her mouth for a while longer in answer to the detectives. Then she looked away focusing on the faces on each picture again. “ You won't find a connection between the victims, because their isn't any… He choose them because of him … It could have been anything from a phone book to just sitting and watching them for weeks. The way they died is something that he probably tested, most likely on animals that couldn't be traced, maybe even a victim before, that either he let go afterwards, or he killed and deposed of the body not to be found… When he had the method that was the easiest to him to meet his plan he stayed with it.”

“ Forensic seems to think it was the pc3. Does that tie in with his profile?”

Jenny thought for a moment. “ Date rape drug?''

Shannon nodded. ‘'Amongst other things yes.''

‘' Yes that makes sense. Easiest thing to use for him. But he wouldn't have gone to clubs to use it. That's to open, he can't control the scenario there. But I wouldn't rule that area out as a testing place. I assume you've checked their food and drinks at their homes?''

Shannon nodded. ‘'We've checked into to it. Nothing so far.''

‘'The fact it's usual used for date rating, don't look anything into that, as I said he isn't into the mutilation it's just his calling card… it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't administer it after he had taken them. Another thing I'm getting about him is he doesn't really care if they feel pain either, why in two of the victims the tooth was removed while they were alive, he works to a timetable. The fact that the drug didn't work as quickly on those two meant nothing to him…and I doubt your going to find a reason why it didn't either. It was at his whim as to when he tortured them.”

Shannon exhaled, she really was finding it hard keeping her angry in about this killer. “ We have looked into the pharmacy and online outlets for the drug… so far there is a long list for us to check.” Shannon let out an exasperated sigh, what she was hearing wasn't meeting with any type of criminal she had ever come across before.

Jenny nodded again. “ I would imagine… look Shannon I'm not going to tell you how to run the investigation. Or even where to go and start for the forensic side… that's not what I do… you have very able bodied people on CSI team to break that down… what I do…” she paused. Then looked right at the detective to the point Shannon shivered. “ I'm here to get into his mind and show you him.”

Shannon looked up at the tone Jenny's voice fell to on the last part. It seemed strange to her, almost as if Jenny had just stepped out of the room and had whispered it from outside. “ You're talking about a main profile?”

“ Of sorts Yes… “ They looked at each other for a long moment both of them silently understanding that it was much more then that. Jenny broke eye contact first. “ Now, if you could get the coins. I can get to work.”

Shannon was about to ask more, but as Jenny turned away and walked towards the bedroom she realized she had just been dismissed.

…

Shannon took her time walking to the ferry port she knew it would take at least an hour for the evidence to arrive. She took the long route around checking out the beaches and finally she headed over to the safe house, making sure she wasn't followed. When she entered a six-foot amazon of woman met her as she closed the door.

“ Hey.” The dark haired mammoth put her gun back into the nape of her jeans at the back, flashing a big smile in recognition.

Shannon had to smile. “ Hey yourself… sorry to spook ya Jane.”

Jane shrugged, “ no probs boss, just wasn't expecting you this morning. Everything's all clear, Richard is down at the marine making himself known and checking out two boats that came in at five this morning… you want coffee?”

Shannon nodded as she followed her into the kitchen, she glanced over the living room seeing the surveillance equipment laid out on the coffee table.

“ Did you manage to set up the night cameras on the ridge above the house ok?”

Jane poured out two mugs and slid one over. “ Yea no problem at all. You were right the old tree up there is perfect, we now have full view of the guestroom exit, back of the house, kitchen, bathroom windows and the beach up to two hundred yards to the east. And a about one hundred yards to the north.”

Shannon sipped the coffee nodding as she pulled out the stool and sat. “ What about the west side.” She didn't have to ask about the south side, she already figured out that the sea was there best defense and at the same time their worst. At least with the back covered now with the camera she would only have to worry about someone coming in the beach way and front way unnoticed.

Jane added a dash of sweetener to the coffee. “ That's more of a problem there isn't anything there not even a phone pole to attach too. Richard came up with the bright idea to erect a tent there and just leave the camera hanging to it, what you think?”

“ Not very undercover, anyone could come across it.” Shannon smiled.

“ Yea that's what I told him, his answer was so what… could be someone bird watching.”

Shannon snorted.” On this place the only feathered friend I've seen is gulls.”

“ My point exactly,” she grinned. “ So tell me what she like?”

“ Who?” Shannon bit back the smile as Jane rolled her eyes.

“ Oh please spare me the innocent look… miss psychic… that's who.”

For a moment Shannon felt a surge of anger at the use of the word, then looking up she realized Jane didn't mean anything by it.

“ Intense.” Shannon sipped her coffee.

“ Oh I bet she is… so did she put the spooky on ya?”

Shannon answer was to pick up cracker from the plate and walk away into the living room.

“ Geesh, I hate it when you go all silent on me… have you any idea what it's like doing stake out with a guy who's idea of fun is sitting and picking his toes.”

As Shannon sat she let out a laugh, remembering Richards habits from old stakeouts. “ Come on Jane he isn't that bad compared to some.”

Jane looked sideways at her as she sat. “ Yea name one?”

“ Phillip.” Shannon bit into the remaining bit of cracker crunching it to nothing with a smug look on her face.

Jane cringed.” Oh god I'd forgotten him, what you have to remind me for…”

“ So I'd say picking toe nails, is a whole lot better then bad breath and breaking wind every time he moved.”

“Maybe.” Jane just grumbled as she sipped her coffee. Then she sat forward. “ So, what do you make of her? Is she psychic?”

Thinking for a moment Shannon paused, then looked over. “ I don't know, all I do know is she has had this case less then thirty six hours and already she has come up with a semi profile that makes sense on this guy.”

“ Do you believe in that stuff?” Jane shifted uncomfortably.

Shannon fixed her eyes on her. “ Do you?” suddenly she was curious to know.

Jane shrugged sitting back.” Can't say I do, and can't say I don't. I had an aunt who swore she could read tea leaves, and sometimes she would see things that did happen… But that just could have been her working stuff out and seeing where it was going end… to be honest Shan, I find this whole spooky shit to say the least a little unsettling…”

Both of them looked up when the door opened and Richard came in with an armful of bags. Jane rose to take them from him, he walked into the living room grinning as he caught sight of Shannon . “ Hey boss.”

“ Hey… What's the news on the boats?”

His face fell serious, he pulled a notebook from his back pocket, flicking it open as he spoke. “ One of them is a resident returning from a week trip, Mr. landaus, and his wife, everyone recognized them and no unknown passengers. The other one is a cruise boat it makes the trip once a week stays over until the afternoon then continues. Five passengers on board, and three crew. I faxed the list to prescient for checking, but it leaves at two this afternoon and I'll check to make sure all passengers are on board, Simon is watching at the moment, under the guise of getting his board waxed.” He laughed, a laugh, which turned his forty-year-old face back for a moment into a teenager.

Shannon chuckled at the image. “ Any other new arrivals?”

Richard nodded his thanks to Jane as she brought him a coffee then he turned back to Shannon . “ Nope. So how is it staying with some one that can read your mind?”

Shannon felt her hackles rise again. “ She doesn't read minds.”

Richard looked up sharply as he caught the tone. “ Ok… “ He looked over at Jane in question, who just shrugged at him.

Shannon finished the last of her coffee. Walking to the door, placing the empty mug on the bar as she passed. “ I'll check in at four, if anything comes up let me know.”

With that she nodded and head out the door, leaving two detectives looking after her then each other in surprise.

Shannon wasn't sure why she was so mad as she stomped along the beach, maybe it was the fact Jenny had explained, people formed opinions on her. As she took the path down towards the port she realized the reason she was anger was she didn't like it. Now what was on her mind as she made her way through the small dock area was, why the hell should she care? She had known the woman less then three days.

When she reached the ferry port she leant back against the railing and turned her mind over to the policewoman inside, looking around at each of the inhabitances as they passed along the key. Most were dressed in full summer attire of people on vacation, as she turned her head she spotted Simon along the edge of the quayside of the far side, his surf board laid out in front of him. She had to smile at the sight of the thirty-year-old dressed out in a ridiculous yellow palm tree shirt and shorts. But she had to admit his sandy hair and tousled look made him the perfect beach bum. They made eye contact briefly, but to anyone passing no one would have noticed.

Once she was sure she had the lay of the land, she made her way to the market to shop, her stomach was already complaining in the fact she hadn't eaten properly in two days. After about twenty minutes she came out three bags in hand, stopping at then bakery briefly to pick up a few anish as an after thought she made her way back to the ferry port to wait. Shannon turned her head as she heard the ferry horn sound, rising to meet it, she suddenly got the feeling someone was watching her. She stopped, turning her head fully right to gaze at the beachfront. When she couldn't see anyone she looked to the left, watching three or four people just going on their business, after a few minutes of scanning the area she shrugged walking now to meet the ferry.

…

Jenny was falling, that was the only way she could explain it to the sane part of her brain. She took long gulps of air as she sat on the edge of her bed, calming all the torrents battering her thoughts. Everything turned inward, each memory flash robbed her sane mind of its defense, its understanding, none of it reminded, all that stood was fear. Inside she whimpered at the bombardment of everything, she tried to close down her external senses, locking out the world, after about ten minutes she got her breathing under control. Slowly bit by bit she began to reform the walls that had just crashed around her. Time and space returned to normal, leaving the vapor trail haze of the past in her mind.

The panic attack had caught her by surprise one minute she was closing the door on the detective and moving to sort through some clothes that needed washing, the next she was on bed, and then crashed to the floor in a corner curled into a ball. Finally into her brain the faint scratch of Buddy at the door told her she would have to move. Using all her mental strength she pulled herself up, with shaking steps she opened the door letting the upset dog into the room. Almost at once her senses locked onto the unconditional love that radiated off of him as he came over sniffing around her hands for attention. His whimpers and whines filtered into the noise of rushing of blood in her ears, until that too began to fade.

“ Shh, it's ok boy… I'm ok.”

He whimpered unsure, still making a fuss around her legs, rubbing his long coat against her. Making her way to the bed she sat and welcomed his presence as he sat in front of her, brown eyes gazing up in question.

“ Scared ya did I?” The hoarseness in her voice surprised her for a second. She rubbed the side of his ear.

“ Arwooff.” His head moved into the caress.

“ Me too.” Her voice was an almost whisper, but he heard it and he made sure to snuggle closer.

…

Shannon had picked up the package and was headed back along the beach, she couldn't shake the feeling as she drew nearer the beach house that something was wrong, she increased her strides till she was now almost at a light jog. As the house came into view noticed that the dog was no where to be seen. A sudden feeling of high anxiety took over, she dropped the bags by the fence and pulled her gun running into the house, only to find herself falling backwards with a mass of squirming growling dog on her chest. She landed with a crack and a curse. “ God damn it Bud it's me… Jesus.”

Almost at once the weight left her chest, she sat up to see the wagging tail of the dog disappear back into the house.

Jenny appeared at the door. “ You ok?”

Shannon was about to yell the fact that she certainly was not, when she looked up and her words froze, concern replaced the anger she felt. Taking a breath she rose, replacing her gun back into the holster on her sock. Rising she brushed the sand from her back and butt. “ Think I should be asking you that question.” She watched as Jenny pushed herself away from the door frame, noting for the first time that Jenny hadn't been leaning against it, more like holding on to it. When she didn't answer and simple turned and walked back into the house. Shannon concern began to rise. She followed. “ Hey... did something happen while I was gone?” she didn't make the same mistake twice by reaching for her as she walked away, instead she lent against the doorframe. Well aware that Bud was watching her every move. When no answer came she tried again. “ Jenny did something happen?”

Jenny was bent over the fridge pulling out a coke. “ No.”

Shannon took a long deep breath realizing the psychic had fallen back into the ice maiden and one word answer girl. “ Right.” She let the word hang on her tongue as she exhaled.

Jenny popped the tab and took a long sip. “ Right what?”

“ So mind explaining to me why Bud knocked me on my arse when I tried to come in here?” she looked over to the dog, who once again was giving her the innocent look, of who me.

Jenny gazed over at the dog and smiled. “ He was protecting me, you were running in here with a gun…” as an after thought she looked over to the detective. “ Why were you running in here with a gun drawn? Is there something I should be worried about? “ she bit back the panic that was filtering back.

Shannon shifted for a moment realizing Jenny had turned the tables on her again with the questions. “ That's really annoying you know?”

“ What is?” Jenny took another sip of the coke and choose the chair nearest to Buddy. She needed to be grounded right now, and the emotions that were cascading off the detective where starting to give her a headache on top of the one she already had.

“ Never mind… I got worried when I came close to the house, the door was wide open and no sign of the hell hound.”

Bud looked up at the name and “ arrrofffed.” At it.

Shannon just sent him over a smirk.

Jenny studied her for a long moment, suddenly feeling as if the detective wasn't telling the truth, noticing that the woman avoided looking at her.

“ Well Bud is trained to disarm anyone with a gun near me.”

Shannon raised an eyebrow, then looked at the dog again. “ Well that could be a problem because at some point if there is threat to you I will have to be armed, and I can't see that helping when every time I draw my weapon I'm getting treated to my butt hitting the ground and my eyes seeing stars.”

The laugh that came to Shannon 's ears made her look away from the dog she was trying to out stare. Looking over at Jenny actually laughing melted any anger still left in her.

Jenny cleared her throat of the laugh, looking over to see the detective eyebrows raised. “ Sorry, I just got this image of him flattening you every time you reach for your sock.” She relaxed slightly welcoming the warmth that laughter brought to her.

Shannon scratched her head, half laughing at the image herself. “ Yea well we are going to have to work on that.” Her eyes softened. “ You have a beautiful laugh.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth she could have kicked herself.

Jenny just looked over at her somewhat shyly. “ Thank you.” The comment hadn't caught her off guard, the emotions off the detective had warned her what was coming, but still she wasn't prepared for the emotions it started inside of her. She blushed slightly then turned her attention to the coke can in her hand.

Blue eyes studied her for a moment then looked away. “ Damn I left the groceries outside be right back.”

Jenny just smiled, her eyes following the retreating form of the detective, she took the excuse for what it was, a simple breathing space for the exiting woman to regroup her emotions. She didn't need to be a psychic to know that Shannon had just given away something with the comment she hadn't meant too. As she watched the figure disappear, her smile changed suddenly liking the fact that the detective could get unsettled so quickly, in fact she was being to find it endearing.

Shannon virtually ran out of the house, mentally she was slapping her forehead, muttering to herself as she walked to retrieve the bags. “ Stupid, stupid, stupid.” Taking a deep breath as she bent to pick the bags up, checking the evidence bag was still safely tucked inside the third one. Mentally smacking her self again at the fact she had just let the evidence out of her sight. Closing her eyes she calmed herself, moving now back towards the house. “ Get a grip Shannon .” Was the last thing muttered under her breath before she put on a smile and went back inside.

When the detective handed over the evidence bag, Jenny at once began looking over it. After five minutes of standing there being ignored Shannon realized this was one of those times the psychic wouldn't have noticed a bomb going off around her. Once again Shannon found herself watching the psychic work, fascinated as the blonde unwrapped the new clues as if they were precious gems.

Shannon 's gaze shifted, this time taking in the woman herself. As her eyes ran over the figure before her a thought entered her head, the report on the attack had said Jennifer had been badly scarred. Her focus changed to the long sleeved shirt that was rolled neatly at each elbow. Her gaze shifted again, taking in the tanned skin there, arms muscular but feminine, her eyes dipped following one prominent vein that ran down to the right hand that held an evidence bag. Nimble hands she thought. Beautiful hands, hands of an artist. Her eyes moved up again, to the bowed head, watched as Jenny tucked a loose hair behind her ear, noticing the psychic was so engrossed she didn't even notice she had done it. A smile pulled at the corner of the detective's mouth. Shannon 's eyes shifted this time to the pulse point on the psychics neck, watching it for a few heartbeats as is rippled the skin into movement. Shannon blinked as she felt her own heart rate pick up. Refocusing she let her eyes dip until they hit the collar of the blue shirt and travel over the high ridge of the fabric down to the V of the opening, until she caught the edge of the twin curve of breasts. Shannon blinked, her eyes snapping up as she suddenly realized what she was doing. She swallowed slightly, then decided she really needed something to do, and now.

“ I'm … I'm going to unpack the bags ok?”

Jenny nodded without even looking up.

Shannon moved quickly towards to the kitchen stopping when she realized the dog had been watching her the whole time, and now was sitting up panting at her. He tilted his head almost in question.

Shannon narrowed her eyes at him. “ Oh shut up… smartass.”

His answer was to snort and shake himself out, sending drool in all directions.

Shannon grimaced. “ That's so gross.” Then she busied her self-unpacking the groceries, taking the time to get the layout of the kitchen and cupboards and where things belonged.

Only when the detective was out of sight did Jenny allow herself to look up. Taking a long breath as she unclenched her hand from the corner of the desk. At first she had missed the fact the detective was looking at her, she was too engrossed in the evidence, it was only the jolt of something else that had smashed into her senses, arousal. It had taken a lot to stop herself looking up. But she didn't, she knew for one that that would cause a situation she was no where near ready to confront, and two it would have embarrassed the hell out of the detective. Her eyes flicked to the kitchen, when she was sure that Shannon wasn't going to come back in she calmed once again with a breath, just as she was about to turn her attention back to the evidence she noticed Bud sitting up and almost smirking over at her.

Jenny narrowed her eyes. “ She's right… you are a smartass.”

“Arroff.” Bud sneezed.

Jenny decided silence was her best defense and picked up the first labeled evidence bag.

After twenty minutes Shannon had finished and poked her head into the living room, only to find the psychic totally engrossed in tag bag under the micro scanner. Shannon decided to let her be and get down to some work of her own. Food.

Jenny looked up as she felt the table nudge, blinking her eyes into normal focus as she removed the magnify goggles.

“ Here drink this.” Shannon stood holding out a coffee.

As the psychic moved to take it she winced, realizing her back was stiff from bending. She stretched it out then took the coffee. “ Thanks.” She took a sip, then sniffed, then again this time her attention went to the air around, she drew in deeper long inhale . “ Oh my god what is that?” Her face lit up.

Shannon grinned as she sat in the rocker by the window. “ Food.”

Jenny looked over at her in surprise. “ You cooked?”

“ Yes I cooked.” The detective smirked as she took a sip of wine.

“ How? When?” Jenny looked over at the clock above the fire, her eyes widening slightly, turning back to the detective after she checked with her wristwatch. “ Four hours, I've been working for four hours?”

Shannon gave a slow nod, she was dying of curiosity and her first thought when she brought the coffee was to find out how the psychic was doing. But as soon as the blonde looked up she realized how tired she looked, she put her questions away for now.

Taking a long sigh, Jenny stretched out her back again then sat back, cradling the coffee cup in both hands. “ Thank you for cooking.”

“ Who said I did any for you.” Shannon bit her lip as the blondes' head snapped up in alarm. She couldn't hold it so she laughed. “ Yes I'm feeding you geesh.” She started to rise then looked over a little embarrassed. “ You didn't mind that I cooked do you… maybe I should have asked first?”

Jenny shook her head. “ Don't be silly… I think you've learnt by now that when I'm into something time doesn't exist, and if you want to survive you got to fend for yourself.”

Shannon smiled, as she headed to the kitchen. “ Ok you go take a bath and soak your back for a while and I'll have it ready when you are ok?”

Finishing the coffee Jenny nodded. “ God it could use it, I hate it when I hunch…” her eyes looked over to the detective. “ You sure? Isn't there anything I can help with?”

Shannon shook her head. “ Nope go, it's ok I got to check in anyway… make sure everything's ok. Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes… go soak.” She motioned her head to the bathroom.

Jenny let out a long sigh, pausing for a moment before heading towards the bathroom, she stopped at the door, peeking her head around into the kitchen. “ I really could get used to having a cook around you know.” Her voice was teasing.

Shannon 's answer was to throw a Tea towel at the now empty space of the doorway, hearing the chuckle fade away as the bathroom door was closed.

While Jenny took her bath, Shannon slipped out of the house, first she did a long perimeter walk of the area, noting in her mind again any boats off shore. Last she checked in with the safe house. Relieved that no new visitors had come to the island and all on board the cruise had left on it when it departed.

By the time she had returned the timer on the oven was beeping for attention. Walking past the bathroom door Shannon smiled as she heard the sounds of humming. “ Dinner in five.” She moved back to the kitchen, hearing the muffled. “ Ok.”

Ten minutes later found them both sat down to dinner. Shannon watched the psychics eyes nearly pop out of her head she unveiled the two main dishes.

“ I remembered the no meat policy, so this one is stuffed peppers, celery rice and tomatoes.” She tapped the other dish. “ And this is aubergine with carrots and wild mushrooms… I should have checked first that you liked most of this, but I took a chance… I … well I hope I was right.”

Jenny's answer was to scoop one spoon full of each onto her plate and send a big grin over.

Shannon let out a mental sigh of relief. Then began filling her plate.

Taking her first bite Jenny savored it before sipping the white wine. “ Thank you… its … well its delicious.”

Shannon nodded, shrugging.” I like to cook and like you having someone to cook for makes a difference.”

Jenny's eyes came up, the wineglass pausing for only an instant on the way to her mouth before she took a drink.” You don't have anyone to cook for?”

Shannon for a second stopped chewing, then continued. “ Nope. I live alone.”

“Ah.” Jenny took another mouthful.

Blue eyes twinkled as she looked over at the bowed head, slowly she sipped her drink before dropping her eyes to her own plate and continued to eat.

For a while nothing was said, just the sound of two people enjoying a meal.

Eyes met occasionally and then dropped.

Shannon sat back, wondering if now was a good time to bring up the coins, but she was weary she knew what happened the night before when she broached the question. After thinking for a moment she chose a different track. “ If I say I'd like to ask a question are you going to yell at me again?”

Jenny looked right at her as she cleared the food in her mouth with a last chew. “ Depends on the question?”

Shannon ran her tongue over her teeth, thinking. “ Ok lets say it's a question about your talent… is that off limits?”

Jenny's head tilted slightly as she studied the detective, trying to gauge where this was going. “ No… not off limits but I may decided not to answer.”

“Ok... Fair enough… how old were you when you knew there was something there?” blue eyes looked at her in genuine question.

Jenny felt herself relax, as she realized Shannon was curious, rather then trying to figure her out. “ Nine.”

Shannon 's eyes shot up from her plate. “ Nine!”

“ Yep.” The psychic popped a slice of aubergine in her mouth.

“Wow…”

Jenny chuckled.

“ How did you? I mean what?” Shannon shut up, sitting back. “ ok this is harder than I thought here.”

Jenny placed her fork down and took up the glass, also sitting back, actually liking the fact the detective was once again at a loss for words. Then she decided to lend the woman a hand. “ I think the words you are looking for are, when did you start seeing and feeling things that no body else did Jenny, and how did those things manifest themselves to a nine year old.” Jenny couldn't help the smirk.

Shannon quickly realized she was being teased yet again, she relaxed back. “ Yep to what you said.”

Jenny laughed, she pushed the plate forward then wiped her mouth onto the napkin. “ If this is going to be a question sessions I want a chair that doesn't make my ass go numb, lets do this in the living room ok.” She rose taking her glass of wine with her.

Shannon eyes at that moment dropped to the numb part of the departing anatomy, briefly wondering when thick cotton bathroom robes that had seen better days became alluring. Her eyes snapped up when she realized the psychic had stopped and was just smiling at her.

“ Sorry what?” Shannon pushed the chair back to rise.

“ I said do you want a brandy, I have some around here somewhere?”

“ No I'll stick to wine, technically I'm on duty.”

Jenny shrugged then made her self comfortable on the leather couch by the unset fire. Shannon chose the chair opposite.

“So?” the detective waited.

“ When I was nine years old I saw my best friend killed by a car.”

Shannon 's eyes shot over to her, she total wasn't expecting that. “ Shit.”

“ Yea shit…” taking a sip of wine Jenny continued. “ The thing is I saw it when I was twenty miles away playing in the back yard with my brother.” She tentivly looked across to see the reaction.

Shannon blinked for a moment, her eyes not focused anywhere as she thought. Finally they came back to focus on her.” You saw it as it happened?”

Jenny slowly nodded, her eyes were still locked on the blue ones opposite.

Shannon shifted, then scratched her head. “ Damn that must have been hard to see and understand…What happened, I mean when you told someone?”

Jenny stiffened slightly, but made herself relax. “ I was told not to talk about it, especially around my friends parents or outside of the house.”

“Just like that.”

Jenny took a longer sip of wine, leaning forward to pour some more. “ Yep just like that.”

“ So they didn't believe you or what?”

Jenny shrugged. “ Actually I think they did, they just didn't know how to handle it…”

“ Were there others things like that?”

“ Small things, finding lost jewelry, seeing my grandmother fall in town one day when I was a school… nothing as big as the accident though.”

“ How did you handle it?”

Jenny looked across suddenly curious. “ Do you believe I saw those things?”

Blues eyes jumped up. “ Me?… I… I … I didn't know you then.”

Jenny didn't realize how much the detective not believing her would actually hurt. Taking a deep breath she smiled over. “ Don't worry its no biggy.”

But as soon as Shannon had said the words she saw that it was a biggy, in fact she watched as the green eyes that had been open to her all evening got the vacant look again. “ I'm a doubting Thomas remember.” Shannon added a small smile, relieved when the psychics eyes focused on her again and returned the smile.

“ So you are… ok next question?”

Relieved Shannon sat back again. “ What did your parents do about it?”

“ Mostly they ignored it, they made it plain to me that I wasn't to discuss it outside of the house or talk to anyone else about it… which I didn't for a very long time.”

Shannon just nodded, her lips formed the next question when Jenny sat forward interrupting.

“ I think its only fair if I get a question here too?”

Shannon raised one eyebrow. “ Sure?”

“ Why the police department?”

Shannon relaxed almost scoffing. “ No big secret on that one. My dads a cop, my older brother is, we are all descendent from my great grandfather the original officer of the law. Our family is either fire or police. It's the logical way for our Irish blood to go, it keeps us out of trouble working within the law.”

Jenny laughed, feeling the warmth come off the detective as she spoke of her family. For a moment she felt a tinge of sadness at not having that growing up, she mentally shook it off. “ And you didn't want to do something else other than follow tradition?”

The detective shook her head. “ Nope for as long as I can remember I've wanted to be one. I like it and I'm very good at what I do.”

“ Oh I bet you are.” Although the words were an almost whisper Jenny realized they were heard as two blue orbs jumped to her, Jenny flushed and quickly took another drink, lowering her eyes.

Shannon decided to let that one go. Although a smile tugged at her mouth as she too took a drink. The beeping from her pocket broke the silence, Shannon rose pulling the handset free. “ Rhimes.”

“ Hey boss, just checking in, clear on all points. Simon is doing the West Side tonight and Tully is over on the east.”

“ Ok I'm here if there's any problems before next call in at eleven contact me.”

“ Will do. Nite boss.”

“ Night Jane.”

Shannon placed the set back in her pocket, smiling apologetically as she sat.

“ where were we?”

“ Your question.” Jenny nodded at the detective.

“ What does it feel like?”

Jenny paused on putting her glass down on the coffee table, looking up, surprise on her face showing the fact she totally wasn't expecting that. “ Back then or now?” she sat back, pulling the robe over her bare legs.

“ Then?” Shannon deliberately kept her eyes from dropping to the sudden flash of skin.

“ It scared the living crap out of me.”

Shannon was about to laugh when she saw that the psychic wasn't kidding. “ Really?”

Jenny exhaled. “ How the hell do you think it felt, one minute I'm playing in the sand pit with my brother the next I'm looking through my best friends eyes as she watches her father go through the windscreen of the damn car. Then watch as the back seat smashed into my face.”

Shannon sat back caught off guard by the anger, she waited, expecting the woman opposite to jump up and head off to the bedroom. Instead she watched as the psychic got herself under control and look up at her with old memories of tears in the corner of her eyes.

“ It fucking sucked Shannon believe me, there wasn't anything nice or good about it to a nine year old. In fact there still isn't at times.”

Shannon wanted to say something that would make a difference right then, but all she came up with was. “ I'm sorry.”

“ For?” Jenny looked at her hard, expecting to find pity.

“ Having to go through it.”

Green eyes studied her for a moment, then Jenny simply nodded. “ I've gotten used to it… it took along time for me to control what I see, but I can now, I can virtually choose the where and how. At the beginning I couldn't, and believe me that was worse.”

Shannon stayed silent. Then took a drink. “ Your question?”

“What?”

The detective grinned. “ Your turn.”

Jenny relaxed again, looking right at the detective till the point the woman shifted in her seat. “ Why do you live alone?”

This time it was Shannon who blinked in surprise. “ Well… I have a demanding job.”

Jenny frowned, not believing that for one minute.

“ Okayyyy… I guess I don't make time for relationships… and I'm a bitch to be around.”

Jenny scowled.

Shannon laughed. “ Geesh ok.. Ok… I haven't met the right person to settle on or to really try in a relationship with. Will that do?”

Jenny grinned. “ For now yes.”

Shannon snorted. Still grinning she looked over. “ So why aren't you in one?”

Jenny's smile faltered, her voice dropping. “ Its very hard to be that close to someone.”

This time Shannon frowned. “ Why?”

Jenny looked up. “ That's two questions.”

“Humor me you can have the next two… so why?”

Sighing Jenny shifted. “ Being that close to someone can be very … well very annoying for the other person.”

Shannon shook her head not understanding.

“ When I'm around people I can pick up on emotions… strong emotions.”

Jenny waited, when she saw Shannon begin to figure it out, she waited.

“ You… you can read what I'm feeling?” Shannon shifted, suddenly nervous.

Jenny closed her eyes preparing herself for what she knew always came next. “ Yes… especially people who have very open emotions… like now, you're nervous and uncomfortable.”

Shannon jumped up. “ Don't do that.”

“Now you are getting angry at Me.” The psychics voice now had fallen into total non-emotion.

Shannon spun back. “ I asked you to stop that.”

Jenny closed herself down to the emotions around. She stood and walked past the detective heading towards the bedroom, pausing just before she entered the doorway. Her back to the detective as she spoke. “ Now you have your answer to the question… People don't like to know that I can feel what they feel. Try being in a relationship when you can sense the person you love has just been unfaithful to you, or lied to your face.” She paused as her voice broke, her head turning over her shoulder, her eyes staring right at the pacing detective who had now stopped to face her. “ Try being around someone like me… even if they don't cheat or lie, every time they are wondering if I'm intruding into their emotions detective, even when you tell them you didn't. Just like you are, right this minute, feeling like I have just violated you.” With one last sad look, she walked into the room and closed the door.

Shannon just stared at the door, underneath she was angry as hell that the whole time she had been in the psychic's company she was being read like a damn book. On the surface she realized Jenny had been right she did feel like her mind had been violated. She lifted the half glass of wine and drained it. Her eyes flicking to the door as she started to pace again. Buds whining drew her attention away, he had at some point moved to sit next to her. She stared at him for a long moment then finally sat, letting her hand move up and across his fur.

“ She shouldn't have done that.”

He “wrufft.” Up at her.

“ Was that a yes or a no?”

He nudged her with his nose. His eyes went over to the door then back up to her, letting out a small whines again.

Shannon let out a long drawn out sigh, her eyes this time flicking to the door. “ Yea.” Her gaze dipped to the dog again.

Finally she rose heading to the kitchen, to keep herself busy she started to wash up the mess in the sink. The whole time her brain was consumed with questions. The first one was, why wasn't she walking out the door right now?

Jenny sat in darkness, her legs pulled under her as she listened for the slamming door telling her that the detective had left. When after ten minutes it still hadn't come, Jenny convinced herself the woman had left via the guesthouse after packing her things. She didn't blame her, how could she. It was a violation of sorts to read some ones private emotions. She wiped the tears off her cheek with the palm of her hand and sat back, pulling the old bed cover over her. It had long ago lost the scent of her childhood and mother but it still held a different kind of safety. At first when she entered her room she was surprised buddy hadn't followed, but she realized that her dog had sensed the detectives distress was where he was needed. She wished she could have gone back a half an hour and simply refused the questions, but that only meant this moment would have been put off. Sighing she rolled over, her eyes focused on the line at the bottom of the door. When the gentle tap came she sat bolt right up.

“ Yea… yes?” her heart started thumping in her chest as she realized Shannon had stayed.

“ I…. I know I'm not allowed in there, so to save my butt hitting the ground and Bud taking a piece out of me, I … well could you come back out here so we can… well I'd like to talk.” The detective's voice was unsure.

Jenny swallowed the huge lump in her throat.

“ Jenny?”

“ Ok... Give me a minute.”

“ Kay.”

Jenny's eyes dipped to the light at the bottom of the door again seeing the shadow move away. It took move then a few minutes to calm her self she was still reeling that the detective hadn't just walked out on her. Finally she willed her legs to move, when she opened the door she had to blink to get used to the light. Shannon was sitting by the rocker at the window her eyes gazing outside at the beach. Jenny wasn't quite sure where to sit so she took leather couch again, noticing as she pasted the kitchen that it was clean.

“ Thank you washing up… I should have done it you cooked.” It was lame and Jenny knew it.

Finally Shannon turned her gaze to her. “ I needed to think.”

“Oh.” Jenny sat.

Silence hung in the air like an anvil of lead. Shannon 's gaze was fixed out at the beach again. “ Do you read my emotions all the time?” she didn't turn her head as she asked, and her voice was low.

Jenny looked up from her hands. “ No.”

This time Shannon 's eyes moved to her and held the stare. Then they went back to the sea. “ How can you not?”

Jenny swallowed, part of her couldn't believe the fact Shannon was actually giving her a chance to explain and understand. “ I have learnt over the years to mentally erect walls around myself… it's hard to explain… but it shuts out all the vibes as it were.”

Shannon 's eyes lowered from the sea to the floor. “ You said some are easier to read…like me right?”

“ Yes.” Jenny swallowed.

“ What do you mean by that?” Shannon answered defensively, feeling her hackles rise again.

“ You control what you show people, keep your emotions out of facial expressions, you don't react without thinking. But to me that means you… well it means you make your internal emotions stronger, so when you do react it comes out fast and intense… and when you do. “ She swallowed. “ Well when you do open, it's totally.”

Shannon returned her eyes to the sea, but she really wasn't looking at it, her mind was still caught up in the information she was hearing. It some small place she actually thought it funny that Jenny called her an open book. She could hear the voices now of all the partners in her life calling her an ice bitch that showed nothing.

Jenny eyes never left the detective, watching for any sign of what the stilled figure was thinking. She waited.

“ So when you read me you didn't mean too?”

Jenny let out a held breath. “ Yes exactly… I wasn't prepared for it. But as soon as I realized I had I erected the walls… but being around you more and more catches me off guard… I … well…. You.” She paused.

Two crystal chips of blue eyes swung around. “ I what?”

Jenny's answer a whisper. “ I didn't expect you to be this open with me.”

Shannon frowned, as she thought. “ That makes it harder?”

“ Gods yes… I lose the wall around me because I let it down…I don't know that I am… it happens then boom its too late when I realize I've just picked up on your emotions.”

Again silence reined, only the ticking clock merging with the sound of the distant sea.

“ So your saying it was a mistake?”

Jenny took a small breath. “ Yes.” All her insides were saying was. “ Please don't leave.”

Shannon returned her eyes outside. Silence again followed, then into the silence a low voice broke. “ So how can that be a violation?”

Jenny's eyes jumped over to the almost silhouetted figure in the rocker. “ It's how you feel isn't it?”

Shannon gave a long sigh as she rose, moving back into the light of the now lit candles, for a breath she hovered on the other side of the room, then making her mind up she strided to the couch and sat. “ Yea I did… but I thought about It.” Her face was looking at the floor.

Jenny studied her, her eyes searching. “ And truthfully you don't now?”

Shannon took another breath. “ I can't say I like it, but no I don't feel like you violated me Jenny. Just, well your right I keep my emotions closed, I have to in my work and I guess it filtered over into my personal life…” her eyes rose. “ You asked me why I was alone… I guess the simply answer is I don't know how to show someone how I feel…”

Jenny widened in surprise. “ You're kidding?”

Shannon smiled self-consciously. “ No… and when you kinda read me like an open book it scared the crap out of me, so I guess your magic ain't up to scratch…” Jenny dipped her face, Shannon lowered her head to look at it. “ Or did you pick up on that?”

Jenny finally looked up with a busted look on her face.

This time Shannon laughed. “ Well I take back the part about your magic needing repairs.”

Jenny sat back, needing for a moment to distance herself, she erected a full wall. Well aware the hurt child of the past inside her was gleaming at the fact Shannon called what she had magic. No one had before.

The detective blinked as she felt something touch her skin for a moment, looking down she noticed the hairs on her arms standing. Intrigued she focused back on the woman in front her, looking at her more closely. “ You're doing the wall thingy now right.” Her voice was curious now.

Jenny nodded, her eyes coming up to meet the blue ones now studying her, “ Yes…” she paused. “ Answer me this… You don't find this at all uncomfortable now you know I can do this? Read your emotions.”

Shannon scratched her neck. “ Hell ya...'but to be honest I've been thinking and it could be a hell of a lot worse… Jesus you could read my mind.” Her eyes darted to the psychics sharply. “ You can't do that right? Just to clarify.”

Jenny snorted. “ No... I have enough problems with the extra senses I do have thank you very much.”

Shannon sat back with dramatic effect wiped her brow. “ Phew.”

Jenny couldn't help but smile. “ Thank you for trying to understand Shannon .”

Shannon sat forward. “ I can't promise I'm not going to react the way I did if it… well when it happens again but yea I think I understand it better now… actually after I got over the, well the um, main reaction.” She grinned. “ I started to think about it, I mean you keep asking me if I believe what you do and here I was reacting like I believed you. So kinda makes that point slightly mute doesn't.” she gave a lopsided grin.

Jenny smiled as she watched the detective scratch her neck again, noting that down on the list of endearing things that was growing. Realizing the woman was nervous again she nodded. “ Well you believe I can read emotions so I guess that's a good start on the other things.”

“ Are you reading me again?” Shannon 's tone wasn't angry, just curious.

Jenny exhaled. “No. And to save you asking all the time I promise I won't and I mean it. So as hard as it is to believe. Please try.” She swallowed, it suddenly became very important that Shannon did.

“ That's what you meant on the relationship thing wasn't it, the non trust thing?” Shannon rubbed her hands together, needing something to focus on.

“ Yes.”

“ Is that…. Is that how you saw things with those cases?”

Jenny stiffened, she didn't want to do this now. “ No.”

Shannon looked over at her. “ How?”

Letting out a long sigh Jenny sat back rubbing at her temple. “ You really want to do this now?”

The detective was dying with curiosity, but she saw the blank look coming into the psychic's eyes. “ Can I take a rain check on it?” she added a hopeful smile. When Jenny didn't answer she decided on something she did know, seeing the psychic needed a break and if truth be told so did she. Not waiting for an answer she rose clearing her throat. “ Well I think I've been pretty patience on the coins, how about you tell me what you found out?”

Jenny let the lead weight of dread go that had encircled her lungs from the moment she had stepped over the line with the detective, totally relieved things were back to semi normal she stood, gratefully aware the woman in front of her had just backed off. “ Ok, and yes you have… come on.”

With that she headed into the den, with a detective fast on her heels.

Shannon waited, pulling one of the side chair closer to the desk so she now faced the psychic. Jenny was sorting out three of her torn pages of notes, taking a pencil from the pen pot she started chewing the edge, when she was sure had everything in the order, she sat. Pushing her reading glasses higher up her nose she faced the waiting detective. “ Your lab isn't going to find anything on these, no hidden scratched messages, no invisible ink, and no useable forensic, no matter how long they go over it.”

Shannon stayed silent, waiting.

“ That's not how this guy works. As I said he is a puzzle maker.” Taking a breath Jenny passed over all of the six bags containing the coins. “ Tell me what you see?”

Shannon took them looking over each in turn, then frowning she looked up. “ Six nickels.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “ I know that… what do all of them have in common?”

This time Shannon let her gaze fall onto each of them. Still not sure she just said what she saw. “ Six nickels, Thomas Jefferson's head, in god we serve, the year of make… Liberty .” She looked over unsure, Jenny just nodded her head to continue. She turned the bags over to see the other side of the coins. Letting out an exasperated sigh she continued. “ Monticello his residence.. United States of America . Five cents.” She squinted so see better through the plastic bag. “ E… E Plur … Pluribus.. Unum…whatever the hell that is…” she looked up briefly. “ Damn never noticed that before what is that Latin?”

Jenny grinned, then sat forward. “ Yep.. Wanna know what it means.”

Shannon just rolled her eyes. “ Well as your dying to tell me.”

“ Out of many, one.”

Shannon frowned, feeling like that should mean something. “ Ok.”

The blonde laughed. “ Don't worry I didn't know it either I did a google.”

Shannon just looked at her, then back at the bags, before looking looked up with total confusion on her face. “ So?”

Jenny taped the bags with the edge of the chewed pencil end. “ That my dear detective is what was missing from all the other evidence… that is his calling card.”

Shannon blinked then looked down at each coin again. “ So the leaving the money after the tooth was taken has nothing to do with the tooth fairy fable?”

Jenny shook her head. “ No, and if anything he is laughing at the whole connection the press have made…” when Jenny looked up to meet the blue eyes study her, her face grew serious. “ He's dangerous Shannon , very dangerous, and I don't just mean because of the six he has killed, he thinks he has been picked. If you like, chosen…”

“ By god?” Shannon swallowed as the image of another religious nut entered her head.

“ No… there is nothing to say he is a nut.”

Shannon 's eyes snapped up suddenly angry. For a second Jenny didn't understand why, then it dawned on her, she kept her voice calm. “ I didn't read your thoughts Shannon , I can't do that remember.”

Shannon 's anger quickly vanished. Taking a deep breath she turned her attention to the coins again, but not before mumbling. “ Sorry.”

“ Excepted… I know it will take time for you to trust what I said.” Jenny kept the small smile on her face for as long as it took the detective to finally look up at her with her own sheepish smile on her face. Then the psychic turned her attention back to the coins. “ As I was saying he's dangerous for so many reasons. He thinks he's invincible for one, but the main one he thinks he is smarter then anyone on this earth.”

“ If he thinks that then why bother playing with us like this.” Shannon threw down the bags in disgust.

Jenny shrugged. “ Because he needs to know he is… as much this is test of us this is a test for him… to see if he passes.”

Shannon looked sideways at her. “ You sure he isn't into religion, because they sure sounds like cult bullshit?”

“ No… he is above that.”

Shannon blinked, suddenly getting an uneasy feeling. “ Above god?”

“ Yep… he thinks he is.” Jenny's eyes dipped to the coins again. “ What else do you see?”

Shannon once again went back to the coins. “ Coins… um nickel… date… star…” finally she shrugged looking up. “ Sorry that's it.”

Jenny nodded. “ That's all I could see, was driving me nuts, well till you saved me and brought coffee.” She smiled.

Shannon returned it, then sat back. “ So what does it tell you?

Jenny pushed her glasses back up. Looking over to Shannon sadly. ‘'That he hasn't finished killing yet… because this is only the first pieces of the puzzle.”

“ I knew that Jenny… now tell me something I don't know?” Shannon was starting to find it hard to hold in her temper.

Jenny inhaled sharply, catching as the anger and frustration crackled in the air. “ I have some ideas to work on about the coins…. I ruled out the dates, non of the pressing dates have anything to do with the victims… also the nickel itself isn't part of it.” She caught the detectives puzzled look. Jenny flicked over one of her notes. “ Nickel, the metal. NI symbol. 28 atomic number… I was looking for a hidden code, but there isn't one.”

“ Oh.” Shannon shifted uncomfortably wondering if anyone in the department had even thought of looking into that.

Jenny kept her smile to herself, she knew how good she was, and she didn't need to rub people's noses in it. She cleared her throat. “ The same with the actual reference to them all being Thomas Jefferson nickels and not the commemorative ones that were issued…. I looked at the history of it too. Do you know who Felix Schlag was?”

“The guy from the odd couple?'' Shannon was really starting to feel stupid.

Jenny gave her a bemused smile. “ No. Felix Schlag is the man who did the sculpture imprint for the nickel… He won a prize for it in 1938. They used his plate design for the nickel press.”

Shannon gave a smirk, crossing her arms. “ Let me guess google again?”

Jenny laughed. “ Guilty… but you see that coin holds so many different things in it… so many…” she searched for the word. “…. Maybes. Does that make sense?”

Shannon looked at her, mentally the woman was going up notches on her I'm impressed list. “ Yea I'm getting it now… I didn't think on those lines.” Her eyes dipped to the coins again. “ So when you say you got ideas you mean there is a lot there to shift through….” She looked up. “ Right?”

Jenny nodded slowly, glad that the detective was finally seeing that these things take time.

“ So have you got anything at all?” suddenly Shannon felt very tired, knowing that the time was against all of them in this case, knowing that the tooth fairy wasn't going to wait around for someone to figure out his clues. He would be making a target now of some innocent person to be a chess piece on his puzzle board.

Jenny didn't need her walls down to see the detective had just figured out what she had upon taking the case. This wasn't going to be a quick result.

“ I'd like to say yes I have… I mean other than the information I've found. No. I'm sorry I haven't.”

Shannon forced a smile. “ Ok… Look, put together what you do have and email it to captain. Maybe we will get lucky…” she rose.

“ Shannon ?”

The detective turned at the door.

“ There is something I do want… it isn't in the evidence.” She saw the woman stiffen. “ No wait… I don't think its missing, I just don't think it was checked.”

Shannon relaxed. “ What?”

“ The CCTV camera footage from the mall and library if it had it.”

The detective moved closer, suddenly suspicious.” You have that?”

“ No not from the date the body was found, he made sure that was no use. I mean from the .… “ She paused, thinking. “…. I want the ones from at least a month before if not more…” her eyes rose meeting the blue ones watching her. “ He's a perfectionist Shannon he would have wanted to go over that area step by step till the point he could have found it in the dark blindfolded…” she shrugged. “ We … we could get lucky.”

Shannon starred at her wondering if the psychic could sense emotions off of video footage. “ You… you can do that?”

Jenny tilted her head in question. “ What?”

“ Sense him like that.”

Jenny would have scoffed if it weren't for the totally serious expression the detective had directed at her that moment. She cleared her throat. “ No…” she scratched her temple. “ It's hard to explain… but I would know… I mean if I saw him.”

“ Oh… well ok I'll get on to that right now…” she moved back to the doorway pausing again. “ Thanks Jenny for agreeing to help on this care… I … know it took a lot.”

Then she was gone before the starring blonde could reply.

True to her word Jenny laid out what she'd found out, which when she finished, wasn't really a lot. But it was a start. She added a personal note to the end of the document.

Tooth Fairy will appear to be the pillar of the community he lives and works in, going out of his way to be helpful. Away from this community he will more then likely have problems with people. There would be no need for him to maintain a façade.

He has two sides he keeps in balance at no point would anyone see the side of him that thinks he is invincible and way above anyone. However, away from his community, his emotion of anger would be more open. To maintain a hold on his emotions he will have a secret life. Maybe even an identity set up for this. He will visit places outside of where he lives and works to release the need inside him.

He has more than likely done something similar to this before. But, not to the degree he wanted to be noticed. He would have experiment to get the right result of death.

He would have watched the victims. Not because of a way to take them, but because he had to make sure they were the right ones. In a timeline this would have happened quickly. In my opinion checking the victims timeline beyond two weeks would be a waste of time. He would have kept a tight surveillance and would have known right away within a two day timeline if they were going to become his victim.

As for the abduction of the victims, it would have been done very simply.

Various serial killers of the past have adopted some form of disability to make the victim feel safer. Donnar…. Broken arm. Duperre. Blindness.

Our killer would have infused something very similar to make himself less threatening. Also, it would not be above believe if he took on the role of some sort of official persona. E.g.… police officer.

His intelligence level is way above normal. Which means he can adapt quickly to changing scenarios. He will be able to judge his victims from the beginning of picking them. By watching them and their habits he will find their weakness, and he will exploit it and use it to get to them

I would check into the victims and find out what their weakness would be?

Why would they trust him and go with him?

As for the use of PC3, this would not have been used to subdue them for him to kidnap. This is used afterwards to keep them quiet and manageable until he had them in a safe environment where he could continue with them. He would not have entered clubs or bars or dance halls. The changes of being discovered or seen would have been too high for him.

He wants his plans on his terms.

The use of the PC3 is because it was easy to obtain and virtually untraceable. It would have also been used because of the effects on the victims system. As I said before he would have tried and tested this in various methods before hand.

The effects of PC3 give the effect of euphoria.

He wants his victims to feel what he feels……

/ The cursor blinked waiting.

Even as Jenny glanced down at the screen and reread it, she knew it was a poor profile at best. In fact it probably matched 2 per cent of the male population. As her knowledge of the clues grew she knew so would the profile. She glanced up as Shannon came in talking on the cell.

“ Yes sir. Miss Newton is sending it through now. “

Jenny nodded, closing the file she attached it to the email and sent it.

Shannon glanced over her shoulder. “ Should be there soon…” she waited. “ Ok… can you have the CCTV files sent down tomorrow, yes sir she wants what we can get…. No sir I don't think we missed anything but she…. “ Shannon sighed. “ Sir I think this falls under the…. Miss Newton needs something without the bullshit.” She winced and pulled the phone away from her ear, grinning at Jenny as she stifled a snort. Shannon placed the phone back.” Sorry, I was just quoting…. Understand. Bye.”

She clicked it shut. “ The discs will be here tomorrow… we have a problem with the mall footage they usual went over their recording at the end of each month if it wasn't needed. The library is better we have the security footage, also there is a bank on the corner the cash machine we original checked the footage and ruled it out because the area covered isn't the area the body was left, but…. Well it shows people walking past in front of it and also covers the road. So maybe that will help.”

Jenny nodded, sitting back she stifled a yawn. “ Been a long day.”

Shannon just nodded, silently her gaze fell on the coins.

Jenny watched her, noting that the detectives jaw was clenched. “ Hey you ok?” with out thinking Jenny lent forward and her fingers brushed across the hand placed on the desktop. Her breath hitched as she got the hit of pained emotions. Saw the gunfire… haze of colors smashed into her senses throwing blood into her vision. Snatching her hand away she gasped looking at the detective as she realized she had just witnessed a moment of her past.

Shannon looked down at her hand, feeling the tingle slowly her eyes turned. “ What just happened?”

Jenny was already up, rubbing her fingers trying to get rid of the pins and needles that had settled there. “ I shouldn't…. I shouldn't have touched you… god I can't believe I just did that?”

Shannon was still standing there looking at her in surprise, suddenly unsure. “ Jenny? I felt?”

Jenny spun around, caught between trying to distance her emotions and the pull of the voice next to her. “ You felt what?”

“ I… I don't know.” Shannon still stared at her hand in wonderment.

“ Pins and needles?” Jenny eyes widened. Realizing something was defiantly different. Suddenly the detective's presence became over bearing to be around.

“Kinda… So what was that?” Shannon wasn't sure why but she was getting anger.

“ That detective is why I wouldn't let you touch me… or why I don't just touch… Jesus.” She swallowed, running a shaking hand through her hair. Taking a long breath trying to figure out why she had touched, when her first response to anything psychically since DC was to run and to never touch anyone before rising a guard. Feeling her head start to spin she moved to the door. Looking over to the detective, seeing total confusion in the blue looking at her. “ I need to go to my room ok…I need you to go to yours… I know you have question and I know I…. Please Shannon .”

Shannon moved forward, stopping when the psychic suddenly backed up fast. She had no idea what had just happened, the one thing she did understand was fear, and she saw it radiating off green eyes that wouldn't look at her. She backed up warily, giving the blonde plenty of room. “ Ok…go. “

Jenny turned, calling buddy straight into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Hearing the slam Shannon jumped, thinking sadly the wooden one being shut wasn't the only door that had just been closed to her.

Shannon fell back into what she knew, fighting the impulse to check on the small woman when she heard crying in the early hours. But it came down to, she didn't want to make it worse. As she sat at the small table stripping and cleaning her service gun, she let the familiar action calm her. She had no clue what had happened to the psychic, she'd been totally surprised when she felt the warm heat of touch on the back of her hand. What had that to be like? Not being able to touch someone? To be that isolated?

The more she thought about it, the more she didn't think she could do it and still be sane. As she clicked the magazine back into place on the glock, wiping her hands and the gun form excess oil. Her head came up pausing as she caught the click of the psychics bedroom door, listening she heard the tell tale signs of dogs paws on the wooden boards, followed by the front door being opened. Rising she wiped the last of the oil from her palms, replacing the gun into the holster at the hip. Waiting at the door for a breath she finally opened it and peeked out, then stepped into the hallway, the old floorboards creaking. As she walked her eyes went to the closed door of the bedroom. Frowning, her eyes searched the interior of the house, when she was sure the psychic wasn't there she continued to the front door as she reached it she slowed. Inhaling sharply, her feet froze to a stop. Her eyes fell on the figure at the edge of the surf.

Jenny stood there in the moonlight like a pale statue, half thrown into the shaded darkness, while the other was perfectly caught in the illumination of the night globe itself. The wind was caressing the sheet the psychic wore around her, rippling it into gentle movement. Causing it at times to stick to the skin, bellowing out behind like a train of a fairy tale cape when the wind picked up.

Shannon was frozen, she didn't think she had seen anything as beautiful in her entire life, Jenny looked like a goddess. The movement of bud out of the corner of her eye broke the spell. He came bounding over wagging his tail, she knelt smiling, ruffling his fur.

“ Hey boy.” Her head was down, when she felt the hairs on her arms stand, looking up, her eyes met with the psychic. Her heart stopped as she caught the reflection of the moon in each of the strange orbs. Her mouth went dry as she felt something stir inside, want, need, hunger.

Jenny fought with her hair as the wind threw it into her face, she watched the detective for a moment longer, feeling her pulse pick up as the stare continued, blinking and inhaling sharply at what she could feel radiating from the crouched figure. The wind blew her hair in her eyes breaking the spell, she returned her gaze back to the sea.

Giving bud one last ruffle behind the ears, she soothed her hand over his body, using the break from the vision not far from her to compose herself and her body's betrayal. She finally rose pushing her hands deep into her jeans pockets moving towards the psychic, glad that she still had her pony tail in as she felt the loose tendrils of hair whip at her face. “ You shouldn't be out here alone, you know?” she spoke as she drew level.

“ I heard the wind, it's one of the reasons I like it here so much… bud's near, if there was anyone around he wouldn't have let me outside.”

They still hadn't looked at each other. Shannon just nodded.

Jenny looked down at her feet submerged in the surf, playing with a stone with her toes. She pulling her bangs out of her eyes again, tightening the sheet around her. Giving the detective a sideways glance. “ Couldn't you sleep?”

“ Not really… I … was worried about you?” embarrassment came into her voice.

“Oh.” Jenny stepped back as a larger wave broke the surf.

Shannon 's head tilted up to the sky. Watching as ghost clouds flew across the moon, looking every bit like Odens maidens from legend. “ Looks like a storms coming.” She felt the wind pick up in response.

“ There usual is about this time of year.” Jenny pulled the sheet closer, watching the detective out of the corner of her eye, noticing the fact she now wore the gun on her hip. She darted her eyes back to the sea as Shannon 's head turned to her.

“ Couldn't you…. Sleep?”

“ I did, I got a couple of hours…”

“ So the wind woke you?”

“No… I had to check something.”

“What?”

“ Something I missed,” this time she did turn her head to the detectives. “ The coins…. They have another meaning, a simpler one. So simple I missed it because I was looking too hard for something else.”

Shannon felt uneasiness spread over her as she waited.

“ It's a taunt from him…”

Shannon still waited.

“ He's telling us to put our money where our mouth is.”

Shannon eyes went back to the sea, her jaw clenching. “ He really is a cocky basterd isn't he.”

“ Yes… but that could help us.”

“ Yeah… over confident people make mistakes.” She couldn't help the bitterness that came out.

Jenny shook her head. “ No Shannon, not him… it means he doesn't like to be wrong, or make mistakes. He thinks he is above that, which means if he does make one, a small thing. He wouldn't even notice. It would unimportant to him. But to us…. It could make all the difference.”

Shannon turned fully to face her. “ You saying he has?”

Jenny shrugged before starting to walk back towards the house as she felt the first drops of rain touch her skin. Pausing she turned back. “ No, not yet. CSI is just to good now to miss something that would trace him. I'm talking more of something else… maybe someone he talked too in the past. Anything really.” She gazed out to sea again, her eyes briefly going to the sky before finally turning and heading back.

Shannon didn't follow at first, she let her gaze track the psychic until she entered the house, tipping her head back she let the tiny droplets hit her face, holding it there as she welcomed the clean feeling it brought. When she got back into the house the empty living room and den told her Jenny had gone into her room. Making sure the house was secure she finally let herself undress and go to bed, lying there for a while listening as the storm started to pick up, until finally not even the rumbling thunder kept her tired mind and body from sleep.

….

The summer storm grew, tempest rain came down fast, turning roads into new streams and splashing puddles of heavy droplets. While the wind became a howling banshee of sound, tossing the sea into a dance of white stallions of surf. The clear sky now nothing more than a gray blanket of tendril lightning flashes of energy, as the moon was consumed in angry clouds. The light show grew as the deep belly of the storm rumbled and grumbled its way towards morning.

….

When the hooker stepped from the car she cursed as she was immediately bombarded, the rain already soaking her silk shirt to a second clinging skin. Shrieking slightly she turned back, but the man had already slammed the door shut and was pulling away. She kicked out, holding her bag over her head.

“ DICKHEAD!”

Glancing up and down the now empty street she ran as quickly as she could in high heels towards the alley, seeing the only protection from the storm was under a fire escape. She slowed nervously, as the buildings cut the streetlights, changing the alley into nothing more than outlines and shadows. Moving her way around the Dumpster, her foot caught something before she could steady herself she fell hard. Dazed for a moment she lay there in the dirt and puddles the rain had now complete soaked her. When the daze wore off her emotions came back in gusto.

“ Shit… fuck… god damn it.” Pulling her leather skirt up so that she could bend her knees she turned onto all fours still cursing. Searching with her hand for her bag. Finding it she pulled it open and found the lighter, clicking it a few times sparks caused for a moment the darkened area to light up. The hooker blinked, her eyes catching something to the right, shaking now from the chill of wet clothes she edged closer, rising a now shaking left hand to protect the lighter from the rain as she flicked it again. Once again briefly the area sprung into light, Illuminating the whole scene like some macabre flick show theatre in the brief flash of light, revealing the scene of death. The hooker screamed. Scrabbling away like a retreating crab. She was still screaming when the police arrived.

….

Shannon groaned and rolled over her hand searching for the buzzing cell phone, finding it she clicked it open without opening her eyes. “ Yea?”

“ Boss… we got another one.”

Shannon shot up her brain still fuzzy but the rest of her coming awake. “ Where? You sure?” as she listened she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her hand already moving to pull on her jeans.

“ Matheson street , alleyway. She was found about twenty minutes ago… Pete is already on the scene, he called us, yea it's him… coin in the mouth and matching M.O.”

“ Shit…Ok, I want you and Richard up here patrolling the outside, don't come in, but I don't want you to let her leave the house, or anyone coming anywhere near her… you got me?” She rose, cradling the cell phone under her chin, pulling the jeans over her hips doing the buttons up, dipping to pull on her socks and boots.

“ Yes boss… um… boss?” Jane's voice suddenly got nervous. “ How you going to get out there? I'm sure no ones going to take their boat out in this storm.”

Shannon paused realizing the storm was still going strong, running her hand through her hair she exhaled. Remembering her job wasn't the crime scene anymore. “ Yea... Ok forget it. I'll contact Pete.” She hung up. At that second she hated the fact she was babysitting. “God damn it.” Her hand flew out knocking the paperback from the nightstand with a bang across the room.

Jenny sat blot upright, blinking as she heard the loud rumble of thunder and the guest bedroom door slam, seeing the light go on through the crack of the door. Rising she pulled on her bathrobe, bud was already at the door sniffing at the bottom, she gently pushed him aside. As she opened the door the anger that hit her caused her to step back. Taking a breath she moved into the candlelit room, watching as the detective slammed the coffeepot into its base.

“ Shannon ?”

The detective spun almost loosing the mug from her hand. “ Jesus, don't do that.”

Jenny scratched her bed hair, yawning as she moved into the kitchen. “ Um ok… if you stop banging everything. What time is it?”

The detective pulled out an extra mug, grumbling. “ Five thirty.”

Jenny sat. “ And is there a reason you're up and angry as hell in my kitchen taking it out on my coffee pot?” She yawned again.

“ I asked you not to read my emotions.” Shannon bit back the anger almost speaking through clenched teeth.

Jenny's eyes finally focused on her. “ I apologize. But when I opened the door the room was full of it… it wasn't intentional and to be honest it wouldn't have taken a psychic to know you are pissed at something.”

The detective mumbled as she pulled the chiller open to take out the milk.

“ So, what wrong?”

“ They found another one.”

The milk carton hitting the top caused both bud and Jenny to jump. When Shannon turned to her the pain in the blue eyes nearly sent her running for the bedroom again, but just as soon as she saw it the detective had covered it.

“ About half an hour ago. Pete is on the scene, I left a message to get back to me.”

“ You… You sure it's one of his?” Jenny swallowed the queasiness.

“ Yea.”

“ I'm sorry.”

Shannon 's eyes snapped up. “ Sorry?”

Tiredly Jenny rose, “ yea… because you're not where you want to be… and no I didn't read your mind. “ She poured a coffee aware that the detective was starring, then she moved towards the den. “ I'll get back to work.” She picked up the envelope with the surveillance discs inside.

Taking a long cleansing breath, Shannon lent back against the unit, turning she ran the cold facet and cupped both hands throwing the water over her face and rubbing it around the back of her neck. Twisting the facet off she took the towel and wiped most of the excess off. Running her damp hand through her hair, pulling it free of her face, her eyes slowly coming up to the doorway of the den. Taking another breath to calm she moved towards it. Stopping and leaning on the doorframe, crossing her arms. “ Sorry… it's not your fault I'm here.”

The blonde looked up from the powering up laptop. “ Isn't it?”

Shannon shifted uncomfortably finding the strange green eyes suddenly unsettling. “ No it's his.”

Jenny held her gaze. Her eyes filled with a stern look “ Then let's catch him.” Then she lowered them back to the laptop.

Shannon was about to speak when the cell in the other room drew her attention, she quickly turned and left to answer. Only then did Jenny's eyes leave the laptop screen to stare sadly at the door.

….

When the sun finally rose, the storm was no more than fading grays in the sky, giving the dome of the earth a sunrise of purples and dashes of burnt orange streaks. The aftermath was apparent as soon as you walked on the beach, drift wood was thrown like white scars across the rich sand. Trees bent and broken, fences torn and scattered. While the roads and tracks were for once clean and almost shining, as the puddles reflected their aura rainbows, mirroring the now crisp blue of the sky above. The last change of a world getting back to a summer's day were the boats bobbing in the now calming swells.

Newspaper headlines were once again filled with the information on the Tooth Fairies latest victim, while the news teams were already at the scene giving their live reports. CSI teams came and retrieved their samples, and crime labs began the task of finding and matching any evidence, police canvassed the area hoping for a lead or any sort of break. By midday the crowd and news teams that had gathered at Matheson drifted away. Leaving the tented area and police taped line alone, now the only sign something wrong had happened there, Life and the day continued.

Shannon looked like hell, she was bent over the table talking into speaker phone. “ So you're saying there is no useable DNA again… Jesus Christ Pete what is this guy doing living in a god damn vacuum.”

Peters voice echoed around the room. “ Don't yell at me ok, I know. CSI says this guy is totally clean… they have a hair sample not from the victim or any of the others, but his DNA isn't on record anywhere. All they can do is break down what he did to them and cause of death. He's not killing them at the crime scene and he isn't doing it anywhere where they live.”

Shannon threw her pen down standing tall. “ Well the hair will help when we do catch him, but Jesus… ok what about the drug used the same?”

“Yea. Pc3… they gotta new lead on the deaths though the drug isn't what killed them.”

Shannon stopped her full attention going to the speaker. “ What?”

“ Can you believe this, he injected them with an air bubble.”

“ Air?” her eyes widened, now she was sure had heard everything. “ AIR?”

“ Yeah I know. Creepy isn't it that air can do that, but I got a lesson about an hour ago from Tucker at the CSI all it takes is 200ml of air in the blood stream, that's what he did. Injected it direct.”

Shannon pulled her hair back off her face. “ Jesus.” Her insides twisted realizing there was no way to trace air, part of her was holding out on the fact a drug was used, at least that they could track. “How?”

There was a pause as papers ruffled over the speaker. “ Into a vein at the left arm on the last victim, they checked on the others and five of them had the point of entry on the same arm, number two had it at the ankle. If you inject the air into a vein, it's carried to the heart and lungs where it obstructs blood flow and causes heart failure…thing is they can only detect this via x-ray the air bubbles show up. Once the autopsy is started the air bubbles can dissipate. It's why they haven't come up with it before now. Someone on the CSI team got curious and ordered one done on this one. But they have matched it to the rest of the victims.”

“ Well at least they got it now. So why the pc3? Do they think he used it to pick them up?”

“ No they don't think so it wasn't in any of the stomach contents, it wasn't ingested in any form. Again they think it was an injection of the drug to subdue them… you do know that one of the main drugs in pc3 is muscle relaxant right?”

She ignored his arrogant tone. “ Yea Pete I did….” She thought for a moment. “ Ok this means he's got another way of getting them to go with him. Anything else on the drugs used? “

“ No…” he exhaled noisily in her earpiece. “ Forensic is still working on it.”

“Ok, anything else?”

“ Not really, just the fact it was pissing down last night didn't help the CSI team when they got there this morning.”

“ Yeah…”

“ Shan, has… has that woman come up with anything yet?”

Shannon bit back her retort. “ Just the profile and some info on the coins.”

“ What info?”

“ The Latin inscription, this guy is a right smartass. He thinks he's above god.”

“ For fuck sake coins? She messing around with coins. “

Shannon cringed as the voice rose in volume.

“ She should never have been brought in on this case, I don't need my partner babysitting some weirdo I need you here.”

“ Pete shut up… you think I like it… she is coming up with some good info ok, I didn't see the crime lab come up with it... or you.” She swallowed.

“ Yeah… well. I'll call if any thing comes up. I need a partner not a fucking babysitter to report too.”

Before she could answer the loud click vibrated in room, she resisted the urge to throw the speakerphone across the room, inside she clicked it off. “Shit.”

“You ok?”

The soft voice from the doorway made Shannon jump slightly, with a guilty expression she looked up, meeting the eyes of the concerned green ones. Wondering how much she'd heard. “ Yea… that was Peter.”

The psychic stiffened. “Oh…”

Shannon curiosity rose. “ Why does he hate you?”

Jenny gave a bitter laugh as she moved towards the kitchen. “ Does he have to have a reason, he doesn't exactly hide the fact he thinks what I do is a joke or worse.”

Shannon followed, pausing to lean against the doorframe. “ No that isn't it… this is personnel.” She caught the psychic's pause as she bent to pull Buds food from the cupboard under the sink.

Jenny shrugged. “ He doesn't like me can't you leave it at that.” Somewhat angrily she poured the chow into buds bowl.

“ I could, but I don't want it to become a problem that will come up later. I'd rather know about it now.” Shannon 's eyes drifted down to Bud's wagging tail as he dug into his food, then they came back up, watching the psychic carefully.

Wiping her hand's Jenny wheeled around. “ Well that's not going to happen because I have no intention of being anywhere around him.”

Before Shannon could ask another question, Jenny moved past her going to the table studying the new information. Shannon clenched her jaw, took a long breath and followed, making sure to go to the other side of the table.

Jenny looked up slowly after she finished reading a stunned expression replacing the tired one. “ Air bubble? You can do that? Kill some one?”

Shannon just nodded solemnly. It never surprised her anymore how man could work out ways of killing another.

“ God.” Jenny pulled the chair over and sat, pushing her hair back off her face, then running a hand over her neck she looked up again. “ Tell me the truth, you don't have anything on him at all do you?”

Blue eyes jumped up, anger flaring.” No we don't.”

Jenny let out a long tired filled sigh, she knew what was coming, what always had to come in the end, her gift. She was getting nowhere fast on the coins, for the last hours she had been going around in circles hoping for some clue that she had missed the first time. Now this. Her eyes dipped to the fax picture of the latest victim. “ She was younger than the others.”

Shannon eyes followed the psychics to the page. “ Yes she was… nineteen. Law student, Amanda Burton.”

“ Did he,” her voice faltered, then she steeled herself. “ Did he rape her?”

“Yes.” Shannon 's answer was a sad whisper.

Jenny swallowed and suddenly she was somewhere else, two years in the past looking through her eyes, pain, fear, inevitability, sorrow, then nothing. She inhaled sharply.

“Jenny?” Shannon couldn't help herself stepping forward, when she saw the blonde suddenly shiver and almost gasp.

“Don't.”

The one word stopped Shannon in her tracks, shifting uncomfortably she instead changed direction to the living room. “ Why didn't he rape all of them?”

Jenny took the space and used it, calming herself before turning in the chair. “ Mainly because the ones he did rape he found attractive… the others he didn't. This isn't about sex to him or power over woman in that way… he simple wanted it so he took it. He doesn't get off on the killing if that is what you were asking.”

Shannon suddenly wished she wasn't on duty and could go and get drunk somewhere. The more she heard about this man the more she wanted to find him and deal out her own justice. “ Did you find anything on the coins we can use? Or the discs?”

Jenny watched her curiously, seeing the detective battle with her emotions.” Some yes… but nothing that ties in with anything yet. I've watched enough footage to make my eyes bleed, but there's no one on it that grabs my attention, I'm beginning to think he has been planning this a lot longer than I first thought.”

Shannon just nodded, but Jenny saw the disappointment. Making a decision she stood, suddenly finding her legs like jelly she pushed up with her hand to stand. “ I'm not going to be quick enough finding the clue he left Shannon … I'm… I'm already too late for her. His timeline is changing… I think he has already picked out all his victims… not just the ones that are dead already… if I'm right on that… well… he…. “ Her eyes fell on the fax again. “ The next one is going to be soon.”

Shannon clenched both fists, she had hoped she had been wrong on that feeling. “ So what do you want to do?”

“ I don't want too, but I have to… I need to see…” she stuttered, her fear trying to tell her to shut up. “ I need to see where they were found.”

Shannon eyes widened. “ Leave the island?”

Jenny scoffed a laugh but there was no humor in it. “ Well unless you can bring those places here.”

Shannon ignored it.” When?”

“Later today, I need sleep first.” Her eyes came up actually seeing the woman in front of her. “ So do you.” Her voice softened.

Again blue eyes met green and nothing was said, until Shannon broke eye contact. “ We… we will have to stay on the mainland tonight you do not that right?”

Jenny bowed her head nodding. “ Yes.”

Shannon was torn, she knew just by looking at the woman in front of her the toll of what she was saying. Torn, between keeping this woman safe and wanting the killer caught. Her mind whirled going through a plan to at least make sure the first was completely honored. “ Ok how about we leave at five, that will give me time to prepare my team and clear it with the captain.”

Jenny was already walking to her bedroom. “ Fine, wake me at four.”

“Jenny.”

She paused upon hearing her name. “ Yes.”

“ I wish there were…” Shannon cleared her throat. “ Well I wish there were another way.”

“ So do I.” Jenny sighed. “ Get some sleep Shannon , I mean it.”

“Ok.” Shannon didn't know why she suddenly felt so sad, but she did. When she looked up the door was already closed.

Shannon set up her team for the trip; she had Jane and Richard as backup while leaving Tully and Simon on the island to maintain surveillance. After clearing it with a surprised Captain, Shannon now had an itinerary for visiting whichever murder scene Jenny wanted to go too. After making sure her own equipment was set and ready she gave over for her body's need for sleep, setting the alarm for three hours. Her last thought as the darkness of dreams took her, was her promise to the psychic and she hoped to god, she could keep it.

…

Part 3

Return to the Academy

Author's Page