Quietly, and more thoughtful than usual, Peter passed in to Kermit’s 
office. Closing the door softly, he waited for the older detective to awnser 
his unspoken question.  
     Without a word, Kermit threw a brown manila file before him on the desk. 
Peter sat down and opened it.
     "So this is him? Shaun Rowe. The question is now why did he let 
himself be identified?"
     Kermit leaned back in his chair. "I think he feels confident that we 
won’t be able to locate him. Just from rereading the file, he has a reason 
for wanting revenge, you put him away for murder."
     Peter leaned back into his chair, "I remember him now, I put him away 
what, six years ago?"
     Kermit nodded, "you also cost him about forty million dollars."
     He smiled, "yeah, the man’s a genuis, was embezzling money from the 
law firm he belonged to. Unfortunately, someone found out and tried to 
blackmail him, so he had him killed."  
     "Right now, the current address is unknown. His mother lives on Mickey 
Inn Road. Jody and I will go later today to talk to her. Then we’ll talk to 
old law buddies. You can go check out his banking records to see if he owns 
any property."
     Standing, Peter nodded. "Did he give any reference to when he might 
strike again?"
     "No,so watch your back."
     "I always do."

     The suited man hung up the phone as he swiveled his chair around to 
greet his visitors. As he faced the two detectives in front of him, he 
leaned back as if exhausted.
     "Let me guess, you let Rowe out" he said.
     Kermit nodded. "He was released on good behavior a few weeks ago. Has 
he made any contact with you?"
     The man sighed, "no, thankfully. If he came to see me in person, I’d 
shoot him. After what he did, he’d have to be stupid to, and he’s not a 
stupid man, just greedy. And just in case he tried to do what he did before, 
we here at the firm have made protective measures against him."
     Jody nodded at the statement, "Mr. Patterson, do you know of any place 
he might go or stay at once free?"
     "He must be up to something if he has you two trying to locate him. 
Neither of you look like parole officers."  The man scratched his chin. 
"He has his mother’s house, his old girlfriend dumped him long ago, he was 
never one for the gym, but he does like his booze and having a good time.  
In fact, there was a club down on Maple that he would sometimes visit. The 
Island Cove, I think."
     Jody and Kermit stood. "Thank you for your time." Kermit handed over 
his business card, "please call me if he shows up or makes any contact with 
you or your firm."
     The man dully nodded as he accepted the card. The two detectives 
walked back out into the reception area. Kermit glanced over at the
receptionist. She was a young woman in her mid to late twenties, and dressed 
in a short skirt and tight shirt. He walked over to her desk. "Did you work 
here when Shaun Rowe worked here?" he asked.
     The young woman shook her head. "No, I have only been working here for 
about a year."
     "Does Mr. Patterson get any strange messages or visitors?" 
     "No, just the regular clients. Do you think Mr. Rowe might try to 
contact Mr. Patterson?"
     "I don’t know." Kermit gave her his card, "but he may. Give me a call 
if anything suspicious happens."
     The woman nodded.
     Kermit and Jody walked to the elevator in silence. Once in, Jody 
finally spoke. "What was that all about? Trying to get a date for Saturday 
night?"
     "No, I think I’ve seen her before, and not working as a
receptionist. Besides, with the way she dressed, any other law firm would 
have fired her long ago. She just seemed suspicious. Anyway, if Patterson 
does get any calls, and doesn’t tell us, if she answered the phone, she 
might say something. Now are you ready to go dancing?"
     "Can’t you see my enthusiasm?"
    
     A twenty-four hour span had gone by with nothing interesting happening. 
The information they had gathered held nothing to hint at the perp’s exact 
whereabouts. Word on the street was silent as well. Kermit was engrossed 
into to numerous datafiles, hoping some clue would help him out. Frustrated, 
he sat back.  
     The computer beeped ominously as a new mail file called for attention 
at the bottom of the screen.  Clicking on it, Kermit knew only a few select 
people could contact him this way.  
     A small box appeared on the screen. The words ‘Nice try, froggie’ 
appeared.
     "What the..." Kermit stared at the words.  Before he could even 
begin to comprehend them, the computer went berserk. The screen started 
flashing as the computer was hit by the virus.
     "No!" screamed Kermit as he tried typing in different codes to slow 
the takeover. Failing at this, he scrambled for the wall outlet and 
pulled the plug, cutting the life from his surrogate child. Leaning against 
the wall, he felt with sick certainty that everything on his precious 
computer was lost.
     Hearing the noise from the office, Peter and Jody rushed in with the 
other detectives at their heels. Seeing Kermit with the plug in his hands, 
they stared at him wordlessly.
     "Oh, am I ever gonna get this bastard. No one messes with my computer 
and lives." Looking at them, Kermit shook the cord at them. "This means war."
	
     Mary Margaret arrived at Caine’s loft. She had been thinking a great 
deal about the other night, why they had done it and what the consequences 
would be. She knew that talking about it would be the only way to resolve 
the issue. Kwai Chang was a very private person, but even he knew that 
they needed to discuss what the future would hold for them.
     She sighed, honestly, she had wanted to move the relationship to a 
more physical level. She had waited, hoping he would get some hint at her 
desires. But, despite all his Shaolin powers, he had yet to make any move 
indicating that he wanted a physical relationship as well. Mary Margaret 
wondered if he now even wanted a relationship.
     She was halfway up the first flight of stairs when she noticed it had 
a glittery look to it. "What the..." she said to herself as she lifted her 
shoe. 
     Hearing a bang in front of her, she looked up to see a large trash can 
crashing down on her. It struck her full in the chest, she grabbed the 
railing as she flew back, but the slippery stairs caused her to lose her 
grip and fall the rest of the way down. 
     Mary Margaret landed awkwardly on her side and moaned softly as she 
moved her arm to get up. Something didn’t feel right. As if the pain wasn’t 
enough, the lights went out. Hearing another noise above her, she thought 
she felt someone walk past her, chuckling softly.
     "Who’s there?" she cried out. "I’m a police detective, and you’re under 
arrest." She knew the threat was empty, but she had to yell something. Being 
hurt and vulnerable was every policewoman’s nightmare.  
     She heard another noise, soft footsteps. "Who’s there?" she yelled 
again, and attempted to pull her gun with the arm that didn’t hurt.
     "Mary Margaret, are you alright?" The voice of Caine brought her relief.
     She heard him quickly descend towards her. She winced as she sat up. 
The slippery stairs popped into her head again. "Caine,watch the stairs!"
     The warning came to late as she heard a loud thud as he slipped on the 
stairs she had. A sharp intake of breath from him made her wince at herself 
for not saying anything sooner.
     "Are you alright?" was all she could say.
     Instead of an answer, she heard him come down the rest of the steps and 
sit next to her. She leaned against him as he put his arms around her.
     "Sorry, are you hurt?" she asked him.  
     "I am fine. Are you hurt, do you need an ambulance?" he asked back.
     She sighed, "my arm and sides feel sore, but I think I can make it up 
the stairs. I’m not hurt that badly, just bruised. Can you help me up?"
     He stood and pulled her up after. Using the hand rail, the two made it 
up the stairs to the apartment. Sitting down on the windowbed that patients 
used, she felt tired. A reaction from the fear, she told herself.
     "Which arm hurts?  And does anything else hurt?" He asked while getting 
bandages from a small table.
     "My left arm, and side, and head, and pride, and heart." 
     He tilted his head at her. She smiled back at him. He shook his head as 
he took her arm. She winced as his hands felt along it.
     "Well Dr. Caine?" she asked as he let go of her arm to examine her side.
     "You are lucky. It is not broken, but it will still be very sore for a 
few days. Your ribs are not broken either. I will put a healing salve and 
some ice on them. Then you will drink some tea and sleep."
     "What about you? I saw you limping up the stairs."
     He turned and walked toward the kitchen, noticeable limp. While he was 
in the kitchen, Mary Margaret pulled out her cell phone and called Peter. 
She told them that they were fine, but the perp was getting more dangerous. 
Peter said he would be by to examine the stairs.  
     Caine came back a few minutes later bringing two tea cups, three packs 
of ice, and a small jar with some sort of mixture in it. Setting them next 
to her he seemed slightly uncomfortable.
     Mary Margaret knew what he was going to ask. With the fall and her 
sudden tiredness, she remembered why she had come in the first place.  
     "Would you like me to take off my shirt?" she asked him.
     He nodded. She was in her work clothes, a silk blouse tucked into a 
black skirt. She slowly unbuttoned her blouse and slid it off. She watched 
him take some of the goop in the jar and lather it on her arm.
     "I enjoyed the other night, Kwai Chang." She felt him pause. "I came to 
say that I hope its not over because of what some twisted pervert had done." 
She stared at him as she said the last part. She had hoped to read something 
on his face, but it remained blank as he finished wrapping her arm in a 
bandage.
     He reached up and traced her jawline, "I too hope it is not
over."  
     Mary Margaret smiled, "sing something." She didn’t know why she asked 
that, maybe just to get him talking. But she felt relieved, he had felt 
something too and wanted to continue the relationship.
     He smirked, "what would you like to hear?"
     "Hmm, I don’t know, something by Elvis, a love song."
     He laughed softly as he wrapped her side. "One song and then you need 
to rest and get some strength back."
     "Do I get to sleep in your bed?"
     "If you would like. I will sleep out here if you want."
     She shook her head as she pulled him to her. She rested her head 
against his chest. "No, I want you to sleep right next to me."
     He put his arms around her. "What may seem" he began in a deep voice, 
"only fools were ashamed, but I can’t help, falling in love with you...."
	She started drifting off to sleep as he sang softly to her. 
And that was her favorite song.    
	    

     Kermit was in a melancholy mood. He sighed and stood up. Gently patting 
his beloved computer on its monitor, he turned and walked out of his office 
to the coffeee brewer.  
     "In need of a coffee break?" Asked a female voice.
     "No Jody," he replied, purposely avoiding eye contact with her. 
"Sometimes a man needs a moment to himself. The coffee is only an added 
bonus."  He poured himself a cup.
     "I think bonus is to strong of a word for the coffee. Skalaney and 
Caine are ok. Forensics think it was just common grease spread on the 
stairs." The blonde-haired detective poured herself a cup of the coffee too.  
"Peter thinks the guy is going to do something big soon. So we should all 
be on extra alert. He’s hoping the guy will mess up somewhere."
      Kermit took a sip and grimaced, "thats a slim possibility. I think 
he’s going to do something big to, but its not going to be a simple prank."  
Kermit took another sip. "I think he’s going to make his final move. Where’s 
Pete now?"
     Jody shook her head. "Not sure. I think he was checking out something 
on another case, then he’s going to have supper with his father."
     "I think I might join them."

     The smell of cooking vegetables greeted his nose as Kermit entered 
Caine’s living quarters. Coming in closer to the kitchen/eating area, he saw 
the man standing over the stove.
     Caine turned and gave a short bow. "Welcome Kermit. To what do I owe 
the honor of your visit?"
     Kermit walked over to the stove and studied what was cooking. "It 
smells good Caine. But what’s the spagettio’s for?"
     Caine smiled. "Peter does not care for rice and vegetables. So I 
suggested he bring over some food he will like."
     Kermit smirked. "That’s Peter."
     "You are welcome to join us for supper if you wish. But that is not the 
reason you are here though is it?"
     Kermit shook his head, "no. I think Rowe is planning his final move. 
I’m just keeping an extra eye on Peter." He walked out of the small kitchen 
and sat down at the table.  
     Caine went back to the stove.
     "Mmm, that smells good," came a voice from the hallway, "I hope you 
made me spagettio’s too." Peter waltzed in the room, breaking the silence. 
"Oh, hi Kermit, didn’t know you were here."
     "Even old mercs get hungry. Also, I wanted to get away from the carnage 
in my office."
     Peter smirked, "it’s like losing a child."
     "Got that right."
     Caine only looked at the two men, "nothing can replace the loss of a 
child."
     The two men just remained silent as the food cooked. Caine brought over 
the dishes as Kermit’s cell phone rang.
     "Yeah? He left a note, what did it say?...I’m still at Caine’s so just 
stop by...ok, bye."  Kermit put away his cell phone. "That was Jody, she 
said the perp had a note delivered. She’ll be buy any minute with it."
     "What did it say?" Peter asked.
     "She wouldn’t tell me on the phone, said I had to read it myself."
     Caine brought a bowl full of rice and veggies over.  
     "Hey Pop, do you have any milk left?" Caine nodded yes and brought a 
bowl of spagettio’s over. "You want a glass?" He shook his head no. "Kermit?" 
He asked while walking out to he kitchen.
     "Only in my coffee."
     "Don’t you two know the importance of calcium?  Milk helps fight 
osteoporosis" Peter sat down a glass and began eating.
     "Hey kid, veggies are packed full of calcium too. I don’t see you 
eating any of them."
     "The spagettios have extra calcium in them. The label said so."
     "Peter," Caine began, "just eat."
     Peter sighed, "when’s Jody getting here?"
     Kermit shook his head, "she should be here by now. She called me from 
along the street." Kermit took one last bite of his food and then stood up. 
"I’m going to go down and see where she is."  With that, he left.  
     Peter took a fork full of his food and followed suit. As soon as Peter 
reached the bottom of the steps he heard Kermit cursing. "Kermit, what 
happened?"
     The older detective just pointed at a vacant parking space. "First he 
destroyed my computer and now this!"
     In the parking spot was a small toy car, a green courvair, with a note 
underneath.
     Peter sighed and retrieved the note. Reading it to himself, he froze. 
     "It wasn’t funny with your car being stolen, but now he has gone beyond 
the point of no return. That son-of-a.."
     "Kermit," Peter interrupted, "he has Jody and Mary Margaret." Peter 
handed the note over.
     Kermit silently read it. "We better get back up to your father’s."
     The two men raced back up the stairs. Halfway up, Kermit stopped and 
leaned against the rail. Grabbing his stomach, he sat down on the stairs.
     "Kermit, what’s wrong?" Peter asked, coming down a few stairs.
     Kermit shook his head and leaned against the railing. "My stomach. 
The food must have been poisoned. Peter, go and see if your father’s ok."
     Peter paused, unsure.
     "Go!" yelled Kermit.
     With that Peter raced up the last flight of stairs. "Pop! Pop! where 
are you?" Peter yelled as he searched the apartment. Coming back into the 
hallway, he shook his head. Turning, he went back down the stairs to check 
on Kermit.
     He was halfway down the stairs when it suddenly went black. A loud 
clang was heard, starting from the top. "Kermit, are you alright?"  Peter 
yelled as he felt something crash into him. He grabbed the railing to keep 
from falling. Something else then crashed into him again, causing him to 
fall the rest of the way. 
     As Peter felt the cool concrete of the landing, an even
blacker darkness claimed him.