"You're fine, Charlie," Jack said, his voice warm. Settling down in his chair, he looked at the couple whose fingers appeared to be itching to continue their work. Chuckling, he continued, "I've got no problem with you working down here, Charlie. In fact, I suppose we need to talk about compensation."

"Jack, I'm not doing this for money," Charlie said quickly.

He lifted his hand in protest before continuing. "I know you're invested in this case for personal reasons, and it's safer for you to be here while you're working...but essentially you are investigating for the Saints now on this case."

Smiling, she replied, "I'm just glad to have your trust."

The discussion was interrupted with the noise of others coming down the stairs, soon filling the room. Charlie threw a nervous glance toward Luke, who placed his hand on her shoulder as he leaned over.

"You're fine, sweetheart. They all accept you down here."

Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded and turned back to her computer to continue to sift through the messages that had come in while Luke shifted his seat over to the table.

After working alone for so many years, she was surprised to discover how easy it was to ignore the talk and banter at the table as she focused on her task at hand.

She continued to create a database of the clinics that some of the homeless had visited, including their comments, thoughts, complaints, and even praises. It did not take long to see a pattern of the clinics in the area that offered some free services, from the ones that appeared to be used more often to the ones that had the greatest concerns.

After sorting through most of the messages, she turned her attention to the database and began investigating the clinics individually. Tuning out the Saints' meeting, she tucked her legs up under her in the small chair, only breaking to sip her coffee.

After another hour, she rubbed her eyes, blinking several times. Leaning back in the chair, she felt her back pop as she shifted her stiff muscles. She glanced toward the table as she heard chairs sc.r.a.ping on the floor, not realizing Jack's meeting had ended.

Luke walked over as her hands were raised over her head in a stretch. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned over placing a kiss on her forehead. "You need to move around," he advised, his fingers digging into the deep muscle tissue, eliciting a moan from her lips. The sound jolted straight to his c.o.c.k and he shot a glance out in the room to ensure no one else was paying attention to them.

Whispering in her ear, he said, "Keep moaning like that and we'll need to finish our work at home."

Sitting up straight, her face flaming, Charlie sent him a reproving glare, although she was unable to keep her lips from curving in a smile.

"Okay, sweetheart," he said, sliding into the chair next to her, "what have you found?"

"So far, there are only about six clinics in the D.C. and Baltimore area that advertise as having free services, but there are a lot more that are run on a sliding scale, which for some patients would mean free or almost free. I'm pulling up the info on those now, then I'll start looking for any consistencies."

"Well, let me know when you are finished, 'cause I've got a surprise for you."

Twisting around, eyes wide, she repeated, "Surprise?"

His smile was the only answer, so she looked back at her computer screen. "The screen is blurry and I forgot my eye drops at your place."

Sliding his hand down her arm, he linked fingers with hers and gently pulled her from the chair. As her knees buckled from having been tucked for so long, he grabbed her waist and supported her tightly until she held her own weight.

Glancing down, he asked, "Why do you always tuck your legs up under you when you sit?" Her brow crinkled adorably and he chuckled. "You don't even realize you're doing it, do you?"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "I guess I don't."

"Come on, let's get out of here. Your eyes and your legs need a break."

Thirty minutes later, they were on the road. Two hours later they pulled into the driveway of a neat, small Colonial in an older neighborhood. Charlie turned to see the smile on Luke's face as he viewed the home in front of him before glancing to the house next door.

Eyes wide, she gasped, "Did you bring me to your parents' house? Without preparing me?"

"Yep," he said, getting out and walking around to the pa.s.senger side. As soon as he opened the door, she was already fussing.

"But why?"

Leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips, he said, "Sweetheart, if I had told you where we were going you would have made yourself sick with worry. Now, you can relax."

She knew his explanation sounded reasonable to him as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans before taking his proffered hand. Oh G.o.d, I'm in jeans. Shouldn't I be wearing a dress or something fancier?

Before she could protest further, he was guiding her to the front door. Opening it, he ushered her in with his hand on the small of her back.

"Mom? Dad? I've got someone I want you to meet," he called out.

Her eyes bugged out further as she twisted around. "You didn't tell them we were coming?" she hissed.

Continuing to guide her forward, he said, "They would have probably forgotten...believe me, this is better."

Uncertainty flashed through her eyes as they rounded the corner from the living room and walked into a study. At least Charlie thought it was a study. Two walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookcases, filled to capacity. Another wall sported two long, narrow wooden tables, covered in yellowed pieces of paper. The floor contained an equal amount of open books and papers as it did exposed wood. A tall, silver-haired man was standing at a desk, bent from the waist, peering at an old parchment through a magnifying gla.s.s. A delicate looking woman sat at an opposing desk, tapping energetically on a laptop. Her hair was still dark with only hints of silver threads running through it. Both looked up, their faces blank for a few seconds until they suddenly morphed into huge smiles.

"Luke!" they both cried out at the same time, moving faster than the clutter would allow. His father tripped over a book but quickly righted himself. By the time he made it to his son's embrace, Luke's mother was already wrapped around her son.

Luke kissed his mother's smooth cheek before moving to hug his father. "Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend, Charlotte Trivett. Charlie, these are my parents, Corban and Phoebe Costas."

Phoebe's eye widened at Luke's introduction and she immediately wrapped Charlie in a hug. "Oh, my dear, how nice to meet you!" Looking back at Luke, she wrinkled her brow as she asked, "Had you already told me about her?"

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No, mom. This is the first you're hearing about it."

Her pretty face smoothed out the concern as she smiled back at Charlie. "Oh, thank goodness. Sometimes I get a little forgetful, but I hoped that I had not forgotten something as important as this."

"Trivett? A Saxon name, I believe. Originally from the-"

"Dad," Luke interrupted. "I don't think that Charlie needs a genealogy lesson at the moment."

"Oh, it's fine," Charlie rushed to say, hoping to spare Luke's father any embarra.s.sment. He did not seem fazed though, as he pushed his gla.s.ses up on his nose and smiled at her.

"I wish you had told us you were coming," Phoebe said. "I would have lunch prepared."

Luke grinned, knowing his mother would have forgotten all about trying to fix lunch anyway. "It's all good, mom. I talked to Chris and Tina the other day and they invited us over so that you didn't have to worry about fixing anything."

"Oh, that's perfect," Phoebe said, clapping her hands. "If you two want to run on over, we'll be there in just a few minutes."

"I'll come back over and get you," Luke promised, his hand now resting on Charlie's back again as he maneuvered out of the room.

Walking through the rather bland kitchen, Charlie's gaze shot sideways toward Luke, her eyes full of questions. "Luke," she hissed in a whisper. "Wasn't that rude to tell your neighbors and not your parents?"

As they stepped out onto the neglected back deck, their senses were a.s.saulted with the smell of grilled steaks. Looking over, Charlie saw a handsome man at the grill with a beautiful woman next to him holding a platter.

Stepping down into the yard, Luke explained. "Sweetheart, my parents are wonderful people, but they are so into their books and studies that everything else gets forgotten. I love them, but believe me, if it wasn't for Chris and Tina...my upbringing would have been very different. Come on, come meet them."

Without giving her a choice, he linked fingers with her and they walked over to the neighbors' yard. The man at the grill was just as handsome up close as he was from a distance. Charlie could see the beginnings of crow's feet coming from his eyes and a few silver hairs amongst the sandy blond, but his muscles were well defined on his arms, tattoos peeking out from his t-shirt. The pretty woman set the plate down and rushed over, throwing her arms around Luke.

"Oh, honey, we were so glad to get your call." Stepping back, she grabbed Charlie's hands in her own and smiled warmly. "And you must be Charlie. We're so excited to meet you."

Returning the warm greeting, Charlie was introduced to Chris and Tina. "Come on," Tina said, "you can help me in the kitchen. I'm almost finished, but you can help carry things out."

As Charlie left Chris and Luke out by the grill to catch up, she found herself in a delightfully decorated kitchen. "Your house is lovely," she said, looking around and realizing it was a carbon copy of Luke's parents' house. Well, a decorated version of their house.

"Thank you," Tina smiled, carefully observing Charlie. "I can't tell you how excited we were to find out that Luke had someone special in his life."

"He's told me how good you and your husband were to him when he was growing up," Charlie said.

Shrugging, Tina responded, "He was always such a good kid." Her eyes glazed for a moment, lost in memories. "I have to tell you that when we first moved in, I was ready to call social services, thinking his parents neglected him. But they didn't. They were loving, but honest to G.o.d, I've never met two more absent-minded people in my life. So Luke hung out at our house all the time and we loved having him. He and Chris really bonded."

Outside, Chris smiled at his friend and protege. "She's beautiful, man."

Luke grinned, nodding. "Smart, tenacious, resilient, h.e.l.l...she even knows karate. Can't figure out what she's doing with me."

Chuckling, Chris was visibly impressed. "d.a.m.n, then you really did hook a good one. But, gotta say, she's one lucky woman to have you. Tina always said that when you settled down, it would be with someone worthy. Glad to see she was right."

Inside the house, Tina moved over to the stove while Charlie turned her head to look into the back yard, seeing the two men laughing and talking as only old friends can do. Old friends. A sudden longing pang shot through her as she realized that with Hai out of the country, Eli deceased, and Tim with his family in Boston, she had no old friends to hang with.

A touch on her arm brought her back to the present and she startled. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized. "Lost in thought."

Laughing, Tina handed her a platter of vegetables and the two walked out to the picnic table. A few minutes later, after Luke had gone to retrieve his parents, the six sat down to a friendly lunch.

It did not take long for Charlie to see that Luke's parents were very proud of their son, if a bit forgetful as to who he worked for. And the friendship with his former neighbors had made all the difference in the world to what he had once described as the childhood of a very nerdy little boy.

On the drive back home, Luke looked over at the thoughtful expression on Charlie's face. Nervously he asked, "You okay, sweetheart? Was this too much?"

Still leaning on the headrest, she rolled around to smile at him. "No, it was great. I was nervous at first, but it was a small group and they were all delightful. You have sweet parents and really nice friends."

Luke was pleased she liked them but heard the wistful note in her voice. "You're thinking about your friends aren't you?"

Nodding slowly, she rolled her head back to face the windshield. "Yeah. I look back and understand how much I kept to myself and how, now that those friends are gone, I have been very alone."

The reflective silence blanketed the two for a few minutes, each to their own thoughts. Luke realized with the Saints and their women, he now had a large group of friends to work with and rely on, even though most of his work was sitting at a computer. His focus shot down as her hand squeeze his leg, before looking back at her.

"I can tell your mind is working overtime," she accused lightly. "I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I'm learning to step outside of myself...slowly but surely."

His fingers laced with hers before he lifted her hand to place a kiss on the back. "Sweetheart, you're part of the Saints now. You're part of my family. You're part of me."

With a smile, she accepted his promise.

Chapter 22.

Nick Stone hated what he was about to do. His face matched his surname as he threw open the door to the bar harder than he intended, but he never flinched as it bounced on its hinges. Looking around in the dim light, he saw a man sitting alone at one of the back booths. Catching the eye of the waitress chatting with the bartender, he jerked his head toward the back. By the time he slid into the opposite seat of the booth, she appeared at his side, her gaze eagerly roaming over his body.

"What can I getcha?"

"Beer. Whatever's on tap," he replied, not looking at her.

As she sauntered away, Nick studied the man sitting in front of him as much as he knew he was being evaluated. His tablemate was medium build with fair hair that was beginning to show a little more white than blond. He also gave off the appearance of being an agent that was near retirement and less likely to be a go-getter. Sighing, Nick finally broke the silence. "Don, I'm gonna be upfront. I hate what I'm about to ask."

The other man took a long swig from his beer and said nothing as the waitress brought Nick's drink over to him. Waving her away, Nick said, "But I appreciate you coming to meet me like this."

"You've got a good reputation, Nick," Don said, "so I've gotta admit, you've got my curiosity up."

"I need to ask a couple of questions about a murder investigation and, I can let you know, I've been sanctioned by my superiors to ask, but it's being handled...carefully."

Don's eyebrows raised, but he said nothing.

"The case was Eli Frederick. You were on a team that was working the case and he ended up dead."

Nodding, Don agreed. "Yeah, and I heard his body was fished out recently. I'm not on that case now though, if you're asking about that."

"No, no. I'm seeking information on the original meeting. I know that once Eli's complaint was finally a.s.signed to an agent, it went to Lin w.a.n.g. What I need from you is your info on how the meeting was to take place and what happened leading up to discovering him missing in his home."

"You gonna give me a reason for this unofficial-official inquiry?" Don asked as his fingers made air quotes.

Shaking his head, Nick replied, "Nope. At least, not until I've heard more from you."

Pinching his lips together, Don finally nodded. "Okay, fine by me. I've got nothing to hide and it's all in the report." He thought for a moment and said, "I was serving as a partner with Agent w.a.n.g when she came to see me about Eli. Said he had been in contact with her over something he had discovered. It had been already a.s.signed to her, but she was arranging a meeting with him and would need backup." Shrugging, he added, "She set the meeting up and made the arrangements. When he didn't show up, she called me to say she was at his home and told me to meet her there. She said that when she got there, he didn't open the door. She walked around to the back and could see inside a window leading into the kitchen. There was blood on the floor and that's when she called me. By the time the Baltimore Police got there, we had ascertained that Eli was not in the house. We had the Baltimore office of the FBI do the investigation."

"Since he lived in Baltimore, why weren't they given the a.s.signment to meet with him to begin with?"

"I a.s.sumed it was because Agent w.a.n.g was the one he first talked with. I got the feeling the man was real suspicious and non-trusting." Don shifted uncomfortably before adding, "I didn't really get into it too much. Nick, I've got less than a year to retirement and, honestly, it was Lin's case so I was just along for the ride."

"Speaking of that, tell me about the ride." Seeing Don's confusion, Nick asked, "Did the two of you go together?"

"No, not in the same vehicle. We didn't leave from headquarters."

"Why was that?"

"She said she had an appointment on the east side of town and it would be easier if she didn't have to come all the way back to get me. So we drove separately to Baltimore."

"How long have you worked with Lin?"

Rearing back, Don responded, "Lin? You're asking about Lin?" Seeing Nick's hard face, Don sighed and continued, "About two years. She was transferred here. She's smart, driven, and a real ball-buster when she wants to be." As soon as those words left his mouth, he immediately tried to backpedal. "I don't mean that in a s.e.xist way-"

"Forget about it." Nick waved his hand dismissively as he digested the information for a moment, leaving Don to sip his beer in silence.

The older man eyed Nick before asking, "Now you gonna tell me what you're after?"