Karen watched her. "I've never pushed you because I realized you needed time. Some people are like that, but I'm seeing some wonderful changes in you." Karen paused. "Do you want to talk?"

Sarah smiled. "Maybe later. Right now I'm feeling pretty wonderful and I've got a client waiting."

"I do, too, but we'll have to take an evening and celebrate." Karen glanced at her date book. "Seems as if we're both going to be very busy for the next few days."

"I hope you got some rest while you were away."

"Oh, yes, even though it was a psychology conference, Harmon and I made time for each other." Karen's husband was also a psychologist, but they didn't practice together. They felt that would be too much togetherness.

They went over the weekend cases and Sarah explained in detail about Brooke. Karen left for the hospital to visit with Brooke and an elderly woman who'd been beaten during a robbery.

Sarah was booked for the day and she spent the next few hours listening to people's problems. She realized that's what she did best-listen. Her first patient was a woman, Mrs. Carter, who was in her sixties and wanted to leave her husband of forty years. She said she wasn't happy and didn't love him anymore, but the more Mrs. Carter talked, Sarah could hear that she did. The couple had stopped talking to each other so Sarah asked her to invite her husband to a session.

She had a young mother of two whose husband had left her for another woman. Her parents were paying for the sessions and all the woman needed was for someone to listen to her. Soon she'd have confidence in herself again because she had great family support.

Sarah wasn't so sure about the sixteen-year-old boy she saw. He had so much anger in him and at times he refused to talk. Dwayne had told a friend in school that he'd dreamed of killing his father and that boy had relayed the information to a teacher who had reported it to the princ.i.p.al. The princ.i.p.al had called Dwayne's mother, who'd insisted he get counseling before the boy did anything foolish. When Dwayne wouldn't talk, Sarah'd get out the cards and they'd play. It was the only way she could get him to relax and to open up. After a few sessions Sarah discovered Dwayne was not a bad kid. He was just incredibly hurt by a father who had remarried and had another son. Dwayne didn't feel as if his father loved him anymore. Sarah was very pleased when Dwayne's father agreed to attend some sessions. That helped tremendously.

And her day went on...

DANIEL STOPPED BY Drew's apartment on the way to work. Even though his brother functioned at the level of a child, he insisted on having his own place. His parents in turn agreed only if Drew had a caretaker. Claude was a real find and he lived with Drew and drove him wherever he wanted to go. He'd been a nurse and he enjoyed the freedom of working in a home atmosphere. Drew was well taken care of and he felt independent.

In the past Drew had had problems getting along with his caretakers and in anger he'd run away and disappeared for a couple of days. He hadn't done that since his parents had hired Claude. It was a good arrangement-Daniel's parents didn't worry and neither did Daniel.

He rang the doorbell several times before Claude opened it in a bathrobe, yawning. It was clear that Daniel had woken him up.

Claude's hair was sheared close to his head. In his fifties, he was heavy-set with muscles. He worked out all the time and took Drew with him to the gym. As of yet, Claude hadn't talked Drew into exercising.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Claude said, scratching his head. "We watched movies until two this morning."

"I just wanted to check on Drew."

Drew came out of his bedroom in baggy pajamas, his dark hair tousled. His eyes were glazed and Daniel knew it was from the medication he took for seizures-a result of brain damage. As long as Drew stayed on the medicine, he would be fine.

"Dan-iel, Dan-iel," he said in surprise and ran to him.

Daniel embraced him. "How you doing, buddy?"

"'kay. W-w-we w-watched movies."

"Yeah. I heard," Daniel replied. "I got a call from Mom and she wanted me to see if you were okay."

Drew frowned. "You t-t-treat me like a baby."

Daniel put his arm around Drew's shoulder, noticing how thin he was. Drew never ate much but the doctor had said that Drew was fine so Daniel had tried not to let his anxieties get the best of him. "We worry-that's all."

"Yeah." Drew yawned.

"I'll let you two get back to sleep and I'll talk to you later."

"You c-c-catching any bad guys?"

"I'm trying."

Drew suddenly hugged him. "I-I-I love you."

Daniel's breath burned in his throat. It was so hard to see Drew like this and for a moment he wanted to rant and rave at what life and drugs had done to his brother. Instead he hugged Drew firmly. "Love you, too, buddy."

Outside he had to take a couple of deep breaths. He didn't tell Drew about his plans to fly to France to be with their parents. He'd tell him when it was time to leave. That way he wouldn't be sitting around waiting. Now he had to talk to the lieutenant.

DANIEL WALKED INTO Bill Tolin's office and laid a letter on his desk. Bill didn't even raise his head. He kept writing in a file.

"What is it, Daniel?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "I'm resigning from my job, sir."

Bill still didn't look up. He was a cop who'd been around the block and was only a few years away from retirement. It was known around the department that Lieutenant Tolin was a hard but fair man. He was also known for his sharp tongue.

"Get your a.s.s out of my office, Daniel. I don't have time for this today."

Daniel took a breath. "Sorry, sir. I'm serious about this."

Bill closed the folder and leaned back in his chair. "Why?" His blue eyes demanded a straight answer.

"I've had a lot of discontentment lately and the other night I stepped over the line. When I start doing stupid things, it's time to back away."

"I see," Bill said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you kill someone?"

"No, sir."

"Did you break the law?"

"No, sir."

"Then get your a.s.s back to work."

"I have to do what's best for me, sir."

"I don't give a rat's a.s.s for what's best for you. I run the narcotics squads and I do what's best for everyone. Right now we have a rapist on the loose and somehow he's tied to narcotics. You're the best man I've got and until this creep is off the streets, you're not going anywhere."

"Are you refusing my resignation?"

"You got it."

"Well, sir, that's going to be difficult when Russ is..."

Bill waved a hand. "I'm aware of what happened the other night and I've spoken with Lieutenant Bauer from homicide and we're in agreement. It's kind of hard not to step on Russ's ego, so apologize, forget it and get on with this case. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Daniel moved toward the door.

"Daniel?"

He looked back.

Bill had the resignation in his hand. "Take this and I don't want to see it again. At least not until I retire."

Daniel took the letter.

"You know, Daniel, it's been my experience that when a man your age is experiencing discontentment, it has something to do with a woman. So get her out of your system before I really lose my temper."

Daniel saluted with the letter and Bill nodded.

He sank down at his desk and took out the airline tickets that had been faxed to him. What am I thinking? Spend time with his parents? His mother would start her matchmaking schemes and his father would constantly bombard him with reasons he needed to be at Garrett Enterprises. That sounded like his own private h.e.l.l. The thought of Yvette wasn't even appealing anymore. That s.e.xy voice had a whine to it-like a cat clawing at a screen door. Now he was glad he hadn't mentioned anything to Drew. He didn't want to disappoint him.

Leaving in the middle of a case. What was he thinking? Once he'd gotten to France, he'd have been back here in a flash. No way was he going to leave a rapist on the street-not as long as he could help.

Thanks, Bill. Thanks for the wake-up call.

And he was right. Sarah Welch was in his system like a virus and he wasn't sure how to alleviate the problem. A round of antibodies wouldn't help. He had to do this cold-turkey.

He'd told Sarah he'd stay away from her. Maybe that wasn't going to be possible-yet. But he'd keep their contact to a minimum. He wouldn't ask how she was. He wouldn't care how she was. He would do his job and keep Sarah at a distance.

That's the way she wanted it. That's the way he needed their relationship to be.

He was lying to himself.

TOM HUDSON, a narcotics cop on Daniel's squad, walked in.

"Anything?" Daniel asked.

"Not a d.a.m.n thing." Tom removed his jacket. "Jack and I tried to locate Freddie Frye, but he's hiding somewhere. He's got to come out sometime and we'll get him."

"Keep looking," Daniel said. "He supplies a lot of college parties and we need to talk to him. Where's Jack?"

"Talking to his wife. Marital problems again."

Daniel sighed as Jack Meades walked in. Before Daniel could speak, he said, "I know, Daniel, keep my personal life at home."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "That would be nice. Now get back out there and find Freddie."

Jack frowned. "We've been searching for four d.a.m.n hours. I need a break."

Daniel nodded. "Take a break, but remember that Brooke Wallace would like a break, too."

Jack said a foul word and swung away.

Tom grabbed his jacket. "I'll talk to him. He's just having a hard time at home. Some days this job stinks."

"Find Freddie," Daniel shouted after him.

Russ flopped into a chair across from Daniel's desk. "Cracking the whip?"

"Trying to keep everyone focused."

Russ clasped his hands behind his head. "Looks like you're still on the case."

"Yes. I was told."

"Lieutenant Bauer informed me, too, so don't give me orders and don't interfere in my investigation."

Daniel bit back a retort. "That goes both ways."

Russ nodded.

"I'm willing to work together to catch this b.a.s.t.a.r.d," Daniel added.

"Me, too," Russ replied, and got down to business. "I went to see Miss Wallace yesterday and I believe you're right. She doesn't know the rapist. I gave her a list of the men who were at the party and I watched her face closely. There wasn't a flicker of recognition or revulsion as she read the names."

Russ threw out the olive branch by admitting that Daniel was right and Daniel realized it took a lot for him to do that. Now they could focus on the case.

Daniel pulled his chair forward. "There's something I'm missing with this heroin needle left in the arm. It reeks of Rudy Boyd so I'm going back to do more checking on the pimps and dealers a.s.sociated with him. And hopefully Jack and Tom can locate Freddie. If he didn't supply that party, he knows who did."

Russ propped his feet on Daniel's desk. "Speaking of Boyd, Sarah Welch was at the hospital while we spoke to Miss Wallace. It took a moment for me to recognize her."

"Why?"

"Ever since I've known her she's worn these business suits with blouses b.u.t.toned to the neck and her hair pulled back so tight it gave her a pained look. Yesterday her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders and she had on a sweater that was low-cut. h.e.l.l, she has b.r.e.a.s.t.s-nice b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She's actually beautiful. Never thought that before. I've been divorced a year now and I just might ask her out."

Daniel's pulse hummed louder and louder with each word out of Russ's mouth. He'd been upset with Russ a lot of times over the years because of his att.i.tude, and now was no exception. He wanted to reach across the desk and hit him hard for daring to talk about Sarah in that tone of voice. Realizing he'd reached the point where he was no longer objective about Sarah, he swallowed back emotions he wasn't ready to acknowledge and tried to act as blase as Russ.

"You want to date Colder Than Ice?"

"Yeah. I'd like to warm her up."

I'd like to drive my fist into your face.

With that thought, blase went right out the window.

Daniel stood. "Sarah's been through a great deal, so if you are even slightly familiar with the word tact, I'd suggest you use it when dealing with her."

"Hey." Russ removed his feet from the desk. "Am I stepping on toes here? I notice you're always talking to her."

"No. She's hates my guts." Daniel felt a stab in his stomach. It was the truth. "But I got to know her pretty well during Boyd's trial and she's very vulnerable. Now, I've got work to do and so do you. I'll call you later."

Daniel walked away thinking Russ could date whomever he wanted-even Sarah.