"Knock, knock!" a voice called out.

Laurie glanced up to find herself looking at the smiling face of Detective Lieutenant Lou Soldano. He appeared particularly dapper with a clean, pressed shirt and a new tie. "Hey, Laur," he said cheerfully. Laur was a nickname that Lou's son, Joey, had given Laurie back when Laurie and Lou had briefly dated. At that time, Joey was five. Now he was seventeen.

Laurie and Lou had not had a falling out but rather a mutual understanding that a romantic relationship wasn't appropriate. Although they continued to have great respect, understanding, and admiration for each other, the passion part didn't work. Instead of romance, a close friendship developed and blossomed over the years.

"What's the matter?" Lou asked. Laurie had started to talk, but instead of saying anything, her eyes filled up with tears. She'd slapped a hand over her forehead, pressing in on her temples with her thumb and index finger.

Lou closed the door. He pulled Riva's chair over and sat down, then put his hand on Laurie's shoulder.

"Hey, come on! Tell me what's going on here!"

Laurie took her hand away. Her eyes were still brimming, but no tears had spilled out. She puffed up her cheeks then smiled weakly. "Sorry," she managed.

"Sorry? What are you talking about? There's nothing to be sorry for. Come on! Tell me what's cookin'? But wait! I think I know."

"You do?" Laurie questioned. She opened one of her desk drawers and took out a tissue to blot her eyes. Once she had the watery eyes under control, she looked back at Lou. "What makes you think you know what's bothering me?"

"I've gotten to know you over the years: both you and Jack. I also know you and him are on the outs. I mean it's not like it's a secret."

Laurie started to protest, but Lou took his hand off her shoulder and held it up to shush her. "I know it's none of my business, but it is my business, since I'm crazy for both you guys. I know you've been seeing some other doctor, but I think you and Jack should patch things up. You guys were meant for each other."

Laurie had to smile in spite of herself. She gazed at Lou with loving eyes. The man was a dear. Back when she and Jack started to be romantically involved, she'd been concerned that he'd be jealous, since the three had become fast friends. Instead, he'd been generously supportive right from the beginning. Now it was Laurie's turn to put her hand on Lou's shoulder. "I appreciate your thoughts," she said sincerely. If he wanted to think her little bout of emotionalism was due to her relationship with Jack, that was fine with her. The last thing she wanted to do was get into a discussion of the BRCA1 problem with Lou.

"I know for a fact that your seeing this other guy is driving Jack crazy."

"Really," Laurie said. "Well, you know something, Lou: I'm actually surprised about that. I didn't think Jack would care one way or the other."

"How could you think that?" Lou questioned with an expression of total disbelief. "Did you forget about the way he acted when you almost got engaged to that arms dealer, Sutherland? Jack was a basket case."

"I thought that was because both you guys didn't think Paul was the right man, which he wasn't. I didn't think it was jealousy on Jack's part."

"Mark my words: It was jealousy, loud and clear."

"Well, we'll see what we can do. I would like to talk to Jack if he'll let me."

"Let you?" Lou questioned with equal disbelief. "Hey, I'll box him around the ears if he doesn't."

"I hardly think that would help," Laurie said with another smile. She blew her nose with the tissue she had in her hand. "But be that as it may, to what do I owe this mid-morning visit, especially as decked out as you are? I know you didn't come here solely as Jack's advocate."

"That's for damn sure," Lou said. He straightened up in his seat. "I got a problem, and I need some help."

"I'm all ears."

"The reason I'm spiffed up is because I had to head out to Jersey with Michael O'Rourke, my captain. Unfortunately, his wife's sister was murdered this morning here in the city, and we went out to tell the husband. Needless to say, I'm under a ton of pressure to come up with a suspect. The body's already downstairs in the cooler. What I'm hoping is that either you or Jack could do the case. I need a break, and between the two of you, you always seem to come up with the unexpected."

"Gosh, I'm sorry, Lou. I can't do it now. If it can wait until later this afternoon, I'm sure I can help."

"What time?"

"I don't know for sure. I have an appointment over at the Manhattan General."

"Really," Lou commented with a wry smile. "That's where Michael's sister-in-law got mugged: right in the parking garage."

"That's terrible. Was she on the hospital staff?"

"Yeah, for years. She was a head nurse who worked nights. She got whacked getting into her car on her way home. It's a crying shame. Two young kids, too, ten and eleven."

"Was she robbed or raped or both?"

"Just robbed, or so it seems. Her credit cards were strewn about the car. Her husband guesses she had less than fifty bucks, and for that she loses her life."

"I'm sorry."

"Not as sorry as I'm going to be unless I make some headway. What about Jack? He wasn't in his office when I went by."

"He's down in the pit, or he was when I left about a half hour ago."

Lou stood up and rolled Riva's chair over to her desk.

"Wait, Lou," Laurie said. "As long as you're here, there's something I want to mention to you."

"Oh, yeah? What?"

Laurie briefly told Lou about her series of six cases. She touched on only the highlights, but it was enough for Lou to pull Riva's chair back so he could sit down again.

"So you really think these cases are homicides?" Lou questioned when Laurie fell silent.

Laurie chuckled mostly at herself. "You know, I'm not sure," she admitted.

"But you just said you thought someone was doing this to these patients. That's homicide."

"I know," Laurie said. "The problem is, I don't know how much I believe it myself. Let me explain. Starting this morning, I've been on a self-honesty gig that's making me rethink a lot of things. I've been stressed emotionally over the last month and a half with Jack, with my mother, and other things, and I know I've been looking for a diversion. This series of mine certainly falls into that category."

Lou nodded in understanding. "So you think you might be making a mountain out of a molehill."

Laurie shrugged.

"Have you run this serial-killer idea by anybody else here at the OCME?"

"Just about everybody who will listen, including Calvin."

"And?"

"Everybody thinks I'm jumping to conclusions, because toxicology can't find anything remotely suspicious, like insulin or digitalis, which was used in documented healthcare institution serial murders in the past. Well, it's not completely accurate to say that everybody has disagreed. The doctor I've been seeing socially, whose name, by the way, is Roger and who works at the General, has supported me, but this morning I've found myself questioning his motives. But that's another issue entirely. Anyway, that's the whole story about the serial-killer idea."

"You've run it by Jack?"

"Certainly. He thinks I'm off the wall."

Lou stood back up and returned Riva's chair. "Well, keep me informed. After that corneal-cocaine conspiracy you ferreted out ten years ago, I probably would give your intuition more credit than you."

"That was twelve years ago," Laurie said.

Lou laughed. "That just shows to go you that time flies when you're having fun."