"The cheque is in the mail...No...really....it was mailed out yesterday....yes....If you don't have it by next week please call me back...Thanks." The redhead hung up the phone and sighed, turning to face her desk. She was surprised by the two people standing there. Mutt and Jeff, she thought to herself as she surveyed the two standing in front of her.

"Hi," the large, stocky man said. He was dark, solidly built and handsome...and a full foot taller than the small raven-haired woman by his side.

"Can I help you?" Kim asked.

"Yes," the man answered. "My name is Gage and this is my partner Sydney Cooke. I was wondering if we could speak to Trent Malloy."

"I'm Trent Malloy." All three turned to face the back office where the blond man stood. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, Mr. Malloy. We're..."

"Texas Rangers. Yeah, I've seen you guys around. You work with Walker, don't you?"

"Yes," Sydney answered. "Is there someplace we can talk?"

"Sure. Up here." Trent led them up to the loft in the Thunder Investigations office. When all three had climbed the stairs, Trent motioned towards two leather chairs. He sat in an exact duplicate across from the Rangers.

"How long have you known Walker?" Gage asked.

"Most of my life," Trent answered. "He taught me martial arts. Why isn't he here? Is everything okay?"

"To be truthful, Mr. Malloy..."

"Trent."

"Trent, the governor asked us to investigate a matter and he wanted Walker to stay away from it."

"Eric Carter," Trent said, matter-of-factly.

"You know him?" Sydney asked.

"Sort of."

"How?"

"My wife used to work for him."

"Your wife?" Gage looked puzzled. "Where is she now?"

A look of pain came in to Trent's eyes as he looked down at his hands. "She was killed 6 months ago in an explosion."

"So Samantha Baker was your wife?" Gage asked, trying to straighten out the relationship in his own mind.

"She was my wife when she died. She was my girlfriend when she worked for Carter.' Trent took a deep breath. "If you know who she is, why are you asking me about this?"

"We just want to hear your side of the story," Sydney told him. "What did Samantha do?"

"She was a waitress. She had a friend, Casey, who had gotten involved with Carter and drugs. Samantha went into the job trying to get Casey out."

"She testified against him."

"Yes. Carter wanted her to..." Trent searched for the right words. "Show some of the customers a good time. And, he tried to kill her and Casey."

"Is her death the reason Alex has elected not to pursue this?" Sydney asked.

"Not just that. Casey wouldn't testify again. Actually, I think Alex did want to pursue it but the DA himself put the brakes on it."

"How do you feel about that?" Gage asked, trying to judge the look in Trent's eyes.

"Pissed, I guess. The man was absolute slime and got away with it. But not mad enough to kill him, if that is what you are asking."

Gage smiled and sat back in his chair. "Trent, we don't think you did it but we have to follow all leads. When did you see him last?"

"Three weeks ago, shortly after he got out of prison. He came to the office, well actually the bar downstairs."

"Why?"

"He said he wanted to offer his condolences about Sam but the truth was he was looking for Casey."

"Do you know where she is? Did you tell him?" Sydney asked.

Trent stared at her. "I'm not stupid. With Sam gone, Casey is the only real witness against him. If they convinced her to testify, he was as good as in prison again. He wanted to kill her."

"Do you know where she is?" Gage asked again.

"All I know is she changed her name to Laura. I don't know her last name but she was working as a nurse at Methodist."

What do you know about the drug digoxin?"

"It's a heart drug, isn't it? I think Sam said something about a case in Canada where someone got away with killing people in a hospital using it. Is that what was used on Carter?"

"They think so. He was injected on the Tuesday night and died Wednesday morning. So," Gage told him, "Just give us your alibi for Tuesday and we'll be on our way."

Trent got up and walked over to the edge of the loft, looking down at Kim. "Well, that's where it gets complicated." He turned to face the two Rangers. "I was at Methodist Hospital."

**

Jessie smiled at the woman at the end of the bar. Walking up to her she asked, the dark-haired woman asked, "Can I get you another?"

The woman smiled and looked at her watch. "Oh, what the hell. I think I've been stood up, anyways."

As Jessie came back with the glass of white wine, she asked, "Meeting?"

The woman laughed. "No, blind date." She took a drink of her wine and smiled at Jessie. "Gosh, I hate them!"

"Well, then, it's on the house," Jess told her. "I've been there before."

"Thank you for taking pity on me."

"Have we met before?" Jess asked. "I swear you look very familiar."

"I don't think so. I have lived here for almost thirteen years but this is the first time I've been in this bar. I don't know why I even agreed to this. I really don't like sports."

"The things we do for love."

"No kidding. Why are the men our age either married, hung up on their last wife or gay?"

Jessie laughed. "I don't know."

"So which is it for you?" the woman asked. Jessie thought about the blond man upstairs, the one she was in love with.

"I guess hooked on the last wife," Jess said quietly.

"Maybe it's just an excuse."

"No...she died rather suddenly," Jess said, her eyes lowered.

"Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean that. I guess I am just pissed off at all of them seeing as I am sitting here alone. Forgive me." She extended her hand. "I'm Rachel, and I don't usually run off at the mouth like this."

"Hi Rachel. I'm Jessie." Jessie took her hand.

"I'm sure he'll get over it."

"Thanks," Jess said, as another customer sat down at the other end of the bar. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she had seen this woman...or at least her picture somewhere before. She got a beer for the new customer, the whole time stealing glances at Rachel. As she took the money and when to the cash register it hit her like a lightening bolt. She looked again and she was sure. She had just been talking to Samantha Malloy.