His next interview was uptown and he was optimistic. The voice had sounded younger, in great need of assistance and with a certain quality. He was hoping she would be what he needed. As he came up the walkway to the house, he noticed a woman holding her back in pain slightly as she bent over, and kneeled, picking up another flower from its pack and planting it in a row she was making in the flower border.

He walked up to her, gazing down at the long, brown hair dangling over her shoulders as she worked. Further down now, he could see she was pregnant, around six months and he smiled;

"Hello, Mrs. Davenport? I am Tony Alvarez…" he greeted her and instantly helped her to her feet as she smiled attractively at him.

"Oh my, whew- am I tired!" she answered pushing back her hair, and pulling off her gardening gloves.

"Let’s go inside, okay? With my husband at sea for the next six months, well- I am just at wits end with me being like this and this big old house to take care of…you have done repair work, dry wall and painting?"

"I am the number one dry wall and paint specialist!" Tony replied, smiling as he guided her elbow as she stepped gingerly around her flower border and let him assist her toward the steps to the porch.

Tony grinned. Oh, she would do nicely!

The afternoon was fading into twilight as Lucinda, after watching yet another dozen security films of daily life in the loft reviewed the most recent days and watched carefully, for the fake Tony Alvarez to touch something that wasn’t touched by the rest of the household so much. She felt like part of a gaffe squad as she yawned and fed Aidan at the workbench.

"Come on, you creep…touch something so I can get this stuff to Marvin!" she said out loud as she grinned down at Aidan. He was watching her intently, she thought as he took his warm bottle and made small, grunts and moved his little hands back and forth.

As she put the bottle down and pulled Aidan up on her shoulder to burp him, she thought she caught Tony reaching up and adjusting something. It had been quick, what was that? She rewound the tape back a bit and in slow motion, watched again, squinting at the screen. She looked up above her and smiled. In the monitoring tape, Tony had reached up and grabbed a tool kit from the shelf over the workbench. It was small and gray. She could see it now, resting on the shelf. She stopped the tape and put Aidan in his carrier as she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a gallon size baggie from the shelf. By inverting it carefully and not touching the inside except at the very corners, she went over to the tool kit and grabbed it through the baggie on her hand. Holding it securely then, she gingerly took the tips of the top of the bag and pulled the inverted bag over the kit and covered it. Once that was secured and she held the top of the outside of the baggie, she released the kit and held before her a bagged specimen!

"Alright! Fingerprints coming right up!" she said out loud as she grabbed the phone. She was calling Vanduran at the precinct with this right now. She looked down and made a face, seeing the flash of messages and decided once she had called him, she would play them back.

A fruitful conversation with Vanduran ensued and he told her by all means to bring it down and he would have his ‘boys’ look it over and dust for prints. She hung up the phone, her mind focused on one thing- getting Tony Alvarez, whoever the hell he really was!

With a sigh then, she pushed the play back button and immediately went into a panic. Angie’s voice was telling her they were arriving today and Lucinda looked up at the clock, seeing that Angie and Rollie would be at the airport shortly.

"Damn!" she said, in a spastic moment, "when it rains, it pours!"

By the time the plane touched down on the runway, Angie could feel the excitement of seeing her son soon in her stomach and in her racing heart. Rollie held her hand, kissing her forehead as he knew how much she had missed him. He would have to take this blindness one day at a time, he told himself. He would have to keep up the hope for Angie and his son. He was not going to get himself buried in a deep depression over this but as he stumbled slightly on the ramp going into the airport from the plane, he heard the way Angie was telling him to step up and guide him. It only reinforced his enabled station in life with her now.

"Okay, so where in the heck is Luce?" Angie said, stopping as they drifted through the returning crowd, as she scanned the sea of faces for that very familiar expression or even the Lucinda Scott squeal would help right now.

"Oh wait, I hear her!" Rollie remarked as Angie frowned. She didn’t hear a thing except a crowded airport full of people.

But Rollie was right, as Angie finally heard Luce calling out to them from the rear of a crowded escalator of people. Angie was impressed with Rollie’s hearing. She knew it had sharpened considerably since he had become blind. As she finally could see more of Lucinda, she could see Aidan in his carrier as well and she almost forgot and left Rollie behind as she pulled him along in a jerked, rapid motion going for her son.

"Oh God! Luce- how wonderful to see you and my little man!" Angie cried out, releasing Rollie and scooping Aidan out of the carrier as she held him tightly against her, taking in his scent and the feel of him against her.

Lucinda looked at Rollie’s blank expression and could see that the trip had not been a success. She came over and hugged Rollie as he startled slightly and then hugged her tightly; "Been busy, Luce?"

"Oh, you know…the daily grind of substitute motherhood, that kind of thing…" Luce replied as Angie smiled at her and looked up at Rollie. She had forgotten about him in her moment of reunion with Aidan and felt badly.

"Oh Rol, jeez, I am sorry- say hello to your son!" and she handed him Aidan as she watched his eyes close, taking his son in his arms, placing him on his shoulder and rubbing his back softly. He kissed his neck and cheek softly as Lucinda watched and smiled. Oh, she thought to herself, I can’t spoil the mood of this with that crazy Tony stuff right now.

The ride back in the cab was a time to go over the events of the past few days both in Germany and at the loft. For her part, Angie took a back seat to the conversation. She began to feed Aidan naturally as the release of milk was welcomed. The feel of him feeding so well released her doubts that he would not want her but a bottle. She watched him contentedly as her mind then drifted off from the conversations being held, not remembering the rest of the trip back to the loft as she shut down completely. She had fallen asleep while feeding him.

"Oh, I wish you could see this, Rollie," Lucinda said with a smile, "Angie has fallen asleep while feeding Aidan and he’s asleep with his mouth half on and half off…"

He smiled, wishing he could see that as well; "She’s had a rough go of it, Luce. She missed him terribly and I was no help, in fact- a grouch as well. Why does she put up with this?"

Lucinda giggled and touched his cheek as she hugged him; "Because she loves you, silly! And because she is Angie- your Angie! Don’t let her forget how much you love her, Rollie. Okay?"

He smiled, wrapping his arm around Angie’s sleeping form as she stirred slightly and her head came to rest against him. He kissed the top of her head as Lucinda smiled again.

"Oops, we better get her covered up here. We’re almost home and you never know if that Tony is in the loft!" Luce remarked with a quick snap in her voice as she quickly flipped up the nursing bra flap and buttoned Angie’s shirt.

"Do I detect a less than glowing admiration for our gopher boy?" asked Rollie, who didn’t miss a thing.

"Yeah, you do. I really do need to talk to you Rollie about him…" but Angie stirred, her eyes fluttering open and Lucinda stopped talking.

"We here?" Angie asked, yawning and looking over at Rollie who was holding Aidan in his arms, their son very much in a deep slumber.

"Yes love, I hear Bluey!" Rollie replied. Both women looked at each other. The cab stopped and finally, Bluey’s bark rang out in the warm night’s air as they smiled at each other.

"Welcome home, guys!" Lucinda told them, extending her arms out in front of the Brewery. I kept it just like you left it!"

As the door opened under some duress, they found an angry robotic dog placed in a box with a lid tightly fastened, unable to get out. Lucinda frowned and quickly looked around. Rollie’s workbench was scattered with junk and a mess! The kitchen was a disaster with food lying out and the refrigerator door left open.

"Great, just like we left it?" Angie asked, dropping her bags and frowning as Lucinda’s mouth dropped open. Angie walked further inside and was preparing to put Aidan down in his day crib when she looked inside it and winced.

"Lucinda!"

Rollie stood perplexed at the doorway still, reaching out and prying open the box that he could hear Bluey scratching to get out of so angrily.

Lucinda looked down in the crib and gasped. It was filled with a mess from what appeared and smelled like Aidan’s soiled diapers.

"What’s this? You left him in this kind of mess?" Angie cried out, her voice accusing as Lucinda stood there flabbergasted.

"No! No way! This place was clean. I would never put Aidan in something like this. I’ve been gaslighted here, you hear me! This is the work of that little creep!" Lucinda retorted as the loft door opened and Tony Alvarez stepped inside and registered a surprise as well at the sights in the loft.

"Holy cow! Lucinda, I thought you would have cleaned up before they got home! You told me you would, now I feel really bad because I offered twice today to do it and you said you would!" Tony exclaimed, shaking his head, acting ashamed and embarrassed as Angie’s face grew more hardened.

"You shut up, you son of a bitch! You know exactly what is going on here! This is your doing!" Lucinda replied, and then to Angie; "Angie, you know me. I did not do this. I would never! I need to talk to you in private about this, away from him!"

Rollie stumbled forward and called out to Tony; "What are you doing here, anyway- Tony?"

"That’s a nice hello! I just got back from the set. I’ve been there most of the day, dropped off the masks and did some work on the gag lists. I warned Lucinda about the condition of this place. She was too busy calling her friends and eating. I knew she was your best friend, so I didn’t get into it with her until today. I knew you were coming back and tried to get her to straighten up, but-"

"You’re lying!" Lucinda said, shaking slightly as Rollie caught the tremor in her voice. He also caught the sarcastic edge to Tony’s.

"I’m just so angry that you can’t own up to this!" Angie replied, as Lucinda thought she was saying it to Tony but realized she was looking at her directly, her eyes hurt and accusing her.

"No! Angie, I would never do this. You know me!" Lucinda protested.

"Just leave…now, while I am still talking civil to you. Get your things and get out!" Angie ordered as Rollie came over to Lucinda who was crying now.

"Angie! Stop this, obviously something went on here! You’re not going to throw Lucinda out, you hear. If anyone goes, then he goes!" Rollie said, talking about Tony.

"Rollie, stay out of this!" Angie warned him.

"Hey, I am sorry about the difficulty here right now, I think I will leave because I don’t want to stay and take this kind of abuse, not after all I have done for your wife!" Tony said, indignant and he turned around and walked out the door.

Angie ran after him, as Lucinda wiped her face and grabbed Rollie’s hand; "Rollie, I didn’t do this, you gotta believe me!"

"I do Luce, take me toward the door," he told her as she assisted him forward.

Angie had run outside in the street to chase after Tony. She caught up to him, out of breath;

"Tony, please. I am sorry for everything that has happened. Rollie is just tired from the trip and well, the operation didn’t go well. As far as Lucinda and you, obviously the two of you didn’t get along. Don’t worry, she will be going back to L.A. soon and you can work in peace. I am so grateful to you for getting everything done while I was gone, really!"

Angie looked up at his face, seeing his hurt disappear as she smiled and then hugged him. Tony Alvarez felt her against him and knew that very soon, he would receive his reward. He almost was ready now, as his hunger, though abated for the moment would be intense with her but the two people standing at the door, watching- well, one actually, reminded him that he needed to keep in control.

"Thanks, Angie- I appreciate it. See you in the morning?" he replied, smiling down at her.

"You bet," she replied and kissed him on the cheek as Lucinda groaned beside Rollie.

"Oh, why’d she go and do that? That’s like adding fuel to the fire!"

"What, what did she do?" Rollie asked, oblivious to what Lucinda had witnessed.

"Come inside, I need to talk to you now! This won’t wait!" Lucinda replied, as she pulled him back in and waited for Angie.

Angie walked back inside, arms crossed against her chest as she saw Rollie sitting with Lucinda on the couch.

"I thought I told you to leave," Angie said, her resolve still intact.

"Angie, Lucinda is not leaving! Get a grip here! That guy is trouble. I have felt it since the first day I heard him," Rollie told her as Lucinda looked up at Angie, seeing her conflict. She knew that Tony had been with her during her most vulnerable time with Rollie gone. But she also knew, that it was how he got her wrapped around his little finger.

"You know, I am not listening to this anymore tonight! I have a business to run right now, and that guy that you just insulted, is my only salvation right now. He and I have kept Tyler F/X afloat now for the past five months, Rollie. You weren’t HERE!" Angie had yelled the last sentence out and then looked down at Lucinda; "and you, don’t think I haven’t seen the way you scheme and lie about things. Anything to save your hide, so as I said before, I want you out."

Lucinda was mortified as Rollie stood up, angered; "Angie! You’re not throwing Luce out on the street tonight because of a simple messed up loft, here! Think about it, okay?"

"I have, and nothing has changed. Unless, yeah- you can go too if you want!" Angie added, and stormed out of the room, going upstairs to the bedroom with Aidan in her arms again.

Lucinda stood up and went to the guest room. She was packing, hurt and angered at the same time. She knew that Angie was in some sort of melt-down but her words had hurt so much. Rollie was left in the middle of the battleground. He went slowly and with minor bumps into things as he found the guest room door.

"Luce, don’t go…she’ll come to her senses," Rollie told her softly.

"Yeah, I know she will, but Rollie, right now- I have to tell you- things are not as they seem, okay? For one thing, that guy is not Tony Alvarez! I checked with NYU and the real Tony Alvarez is a graduate student there and teaching acting classes! I met him!"

"What?"

"Yeah, and what’s more, this creep who is using his name and his credentials, he’s also going around and gaslighting me and you. Watch your step, he’s sick! I already have contacted Mira and Vanduran. I even dropped off a tool kit of yours with his prints on it for Marvin. He is going to dust it for prints."

"Luce! Can you prove anything else?" he asked, stepping inside the room and listening to her finish her packing.

"Yeah, there’s a tape! Oh, I put it here in my bag…" and she reached over and felt the contents of her bag, only to come up empty.

"Great, he has been in here and taken it!" she continued, as she shrugged her shoulders and came over, carrying her suitcase in her hand and her bag. Rollie felt her brush against him and he grabbed her and held her in his arms as she began to cry again.

"Aah Luce, don’t worry. We can get this little guttersnipe! Angie, now- she’s got to work this through in her own time. She was so dependent on him and can’t see the forest for the trees right now, eh? Come on, stay!"

She looked up at him and smiled as he touched her face.

"Nope, think I want some peace and quiet at the Plaza. I’m going to treat myself to a nice Jacuzzi and champagne and not care about a thing in the world tonight!" she added, as he chuckled and kissed her on the cheek.

Angie watched from the stairs, having come down to offer Lucinda a somewhat stilted apology but seeing her with Rollie brought up an old injury, his ease and flirtatious manner with her. She knew he was just being friendly and it was his nature around Luce but tonight, it only sparked her fire further that they were conspiring together against Tony. She marched back upstairs and shut the door loudly.

"You’d better go and see what you can do," Lucinda told him as she moved away from him and assisted him toward the stairs.

"Hey, I will be in touch with what Vanduran finds out, okay? Until then, just keep an eye on him!" Lucinda warned him but then immediately regretted it as she thought about what she had just told him

"Oh great! Sorry Rollie!" she muttered as he smiled and waved at her.

"Not a problem…I do have that internal eye thing going, Luce. It’s been telling me that Tony Alvarez was not my cuppa for some time!"

"Night then, and tell Angie the same for me!" Lucinda told him and he heard the loft door close behind her.

"Doors secure, Bluey!" he told the freed robotic dog and then with a worry, walked over to his workbench and felt the key pad for the security system. He voice activated it with his password and then changed the entry codes and made them only for his voice only. It took some doing and fumbling but finally, his system was Tony proofed. Bluey sounded his approval at Rollie’s feet.

"Now," Rollie said, biting his lip and feeling for the stairs, "I have to face the music from above!"

"Lights out, Bluey!" he called out and heard the power surge go down in the lower loft. He climbed the stairs slowly and opened the door.

"Angie…" but there was no answer. He walked toward the nursery door and found it shut. As he opened it, surprised to find it unlocked, based on Angie’s anger with Luce and him; he heard her with Aidan, rocking in the chair.

"Angela, what’s going on?" he asked, hearing her sniffling, soft sobs.

"I’m sleeping in here tonight with Aidan, okay. I just want to be close to him tonight. God knows what he’s been through!" she said, her voice cracking.

Rollie sighed and felt for the day bed in the small room. He sat down and ran his hand through his hair. He knew she had gone through such a time with him gone. He knew how she must have depended on this man to help her through some terrible times. He had never told her the entire truth about the room and the light. He had told her about the size and the point of his sight leaving- but not about the way it made him feel…he really had not admitted it to anyone.

"I lost you when I was in that room, Angie. I felt you slip away, the baby too. I couldn’t remember what you looked like, the memories were gone and I had nothing. I can only feel the walls, I could only see the white light that was burning into me-through me. I sat in that hole for weeks at a time, I guess now. I sat in there, with no food, in my own… waste," he said, haltingly and in the end stopped as he became overwhelmed with the smell and feel of the room again, "Oh God, I can’t stand it!"

He was violently shaking as she came over and spread her arms around him, having put Aidan down in his crib. She rocked him back and forth in her arms, having moved in behind him. She was telling him something, what? He felt her arms around him, trying to see in his mind what his eyes used to find so comforting- was it her voice? Yes…but it was her eyes, being able to look into the depth of her blue-green pools of her soul.

"I lost you too, Rollie. I felt you go right here in this room over a month ago. I felt it so strongly, it hurt so badly! I’m so sorry, baby," she said, her endearment to him a whisper in his ear and he started to sob. She pulled him down against her, holding him in her arms as they lay in the small bed until he had exhausted himself with the entire gamut of emotions he had pent up inside himself since being released from his prison by Mira and Michael.

"Sleep now…" she told him as she lay awake, hearing him breathe, hearing her son breathe peacefully from his crib as well. She fought the sleep that was trying to take over her body. She was trying to piece together the events of just the last few hours and she knew that she had overreacted. She would try and talk with Luce in the morning. She would sort this out later…as her mind drifted then, and she finally let sleep win over her troubled mind.

Mira Sanchez covered her nose and mouth as she and Francis walked through the small, neatly decorated house. On the wall, were pictures of a happy couple, the husband in a Naval uniform. As she had approached the homicide scene, she had noticed the freshly planted flowers in the border…the gardening tools still lying where the woman had left them.

"In here," called out Francis as she followed him to the bedroom and looked. Her eyes couldn’t leave the body she saw for a moment but then her legs were giving way as she braced herself in the doorframe.

Francis himself, came back over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Francis, I can’t believe how sick I am- this is not me! But God, the maniac that did this…I have never seen anything like this in my life," she replied, and then left the door for the hallway and out into the yard.

Francis looked back at the woman’s body on the bed, lying across it, her head hanging over the edge. He couldn’t look at the weapon of death that still protruded from the woman’s body in heinous fashion. He focused instead on her long, brown hair, which draped the floor like a fan. Sarah’s hair was that color…and he shivered and joined Mira outside.

"It’s very much like the other four except this time, the victim was still pregnant," Mira remarked, getting a grip as she fought her stomach, "that must account for the increase in blood!"

"Yeah, almost as if he was rushed, like the compulsion was there for someone else and he rushed and took it out on this woman…before he was supposed to…" Francis added, rubbing his mouth slightly as he took a deep breath, his eyes watering.

She looked at him and nodded, "The forensic team is in there now. Let’s hope he got sloppy and left a print. It would be the first time but it’s the break I’ve been waiting for on this one!"

"Jeez, five women in two years- all having or going to have a baby, all with their husbands gone and what? They had to know this guy, huh? These women don’t go out to bars and pick up men, so what? What are we missing here?"

Tony Alvarez was furious. That son-of-a bitch had changed the security code on the loft door. He was livid as he went back to his car and without thinking drove his hand straight through the window glass. He stared down at the bleeding, dripping mess he had made and smiled. At least it would hide the scratches that had been there from last evening.