Mike and Lenny took the O'Connor file back to their own desks. Lenny got both of them coffee while
   Mike sat down in his chair. He pulled out his notes on the visit to the O'Connor's.

   "Holy shit."
   "What is it Mike?"
   "We meantioned to the O'Connors about Charlie Collins."
   "What of it Mike?"
   "Well don't you think they got a bit up set when we told them that Christine may have been involved in
   the murder."
   "Yeah, you're right."
   "You know maybe we should check out the O'Connors and see where this Charlie Collins fits into their
   lives."
   "Sounds good Mike, but let's get to it tomorrow. It's getting late."
   "Okay Lenny, I'll see you in the morning.I'm going to stick around for awhile and work on this some."
   "Suit yourself Mike,but pal get some sleep tonight." Mike gave his partner a nod. Sleep was the furthest
   thing from his mind. Even though exhustion had been taking it's tole on him, he hated to sleep. He
   couldn't erase the demon that would visit him in his sleep.

   It was almost 2 am before Mike decided to pack it in for the night. Instead of going home he went into
   the locker room upstairs and crashed on the cot. At least it wasn't home and maybe he could sleep
   there.
   It wasn't long before Mike had him in his dreams again. The Hotel, Father Joe, the despicable acts
   were all there as well as him, a 12 year old boy.

   Father Joe was holding Mike's nude body close to his chest. He stroked Mike's hair as he spoke.
   "You're going to be okay Mikey. I will never let anything happen to you. I promise. I love you son. You
   do know that don't you?"
   The tears rolled down Mike's face. He couldn't make a sound, all he could muster was a nod. He was
   too terrified to do anything else. This was the man his parents cherrished and loved and until now, this
   moment in Mike's life, so did he.
   "Now son, wipe away your tears. I promise it won't hurt so much the next time. Now you go into the
   bathroom, get cleaned up and dressed."
   Mike got off the bed and on shakey legs he entered the bathroom and locked the door. He looked at his
   reflection in the mirror. Shock and horror stared back at him along with his pal Billy.
   "See, Mikey." Billy laughed.
   "It wasn't that bad now was it? Just think of all the things that Father Joe can do for us ..."
   Mike awoke with a start at the sound of the locker room door opening.
   "Are you Okay Pal? You look like hell." Came the sound of Lenny's voice. Mike sat on the edge of the
   cot with sweat dripping from his body.
 

   Lenny was right about his decision to turn around and check up on his partner. He was silently debating
   between going home and minding his own business or returning to the 2-7 to talk with Mike.

   It was EADA Jack McCoy of all people that made him decide to extend help to Logan. Jack was in the
   middle of his fourth scotch when Lenny entered the pub. "How's it going counselor?", he greeted the
   obviously tipsy DA.

   "Lenny Briscoe, nice of you to join me. Can I buy you a scotch?", McCoy asked. When Briscoe
   declined and asked for ginger ale instead he remarked, "Thought so. Is Det. Logan coming?"

   "Nah, he's burning the midnight oil at the precinct as we speak. We got this case that doesnt want to go
   away." Briscoe answered.

   "Ahh....The O'Connor/Collins Homicide. Any chance the case will be on my desk soon?"

   Humorlessly he answered, "Well, if Logan keeps working late, you'd have your suspect at the end of
   this week."

   McCoy nodded. With a far away look in his eyes he told Briscoe, "When I was a kid, I used to pray for
   my old man to work late every day so he wouldn't come home and beat the crap out of me and my
   mother. Even now, everytime I go home, I could almost see him coming in my room with that big belt."

   Briscoe knew then Mike's reason for working late is the same reason why the man beside him is
   drinking himself to a stupor. With one swig, he finished his ale, placed a hand on McCoy's shoulder to
   bid him goodbye. It was 2 a.m., he took a chance that Logan was still at the station.

   Back at the 2-7, the sound of pained moaning was emanating from locker room. Lenny rushed in and
   found Logan in the throes of his nightmare. The sound of the locker room door opening woke him.

   "Are you Okay Pal? You look like hell." Came the sound of Lenny's voice. Mike sat on the edge of the
   cot with sweat dripping from his body. He looked at Lenny with pained eyes, brimming with tears. He
   still felt like he was 12 years old and very scared. Mike couldn't stop his body from shuddering.

   Lenny picked up a towel and gave his partner his jacket. "Hey, its okay, Mike. Breath deeply. you got
   to stop working so late. Come on, I'll take you home."

   "I don't want to go home, Lenny. I'm afraid...", Logan admitted with shame.

   "My sofa is a lot better than this bench, Mike. You can crash at my place tonight."
 

   The drive to Lenny's apartment was quiet. Mike never spoke a word and just stared out the window.
   Lenny knew what the problem was, it was Krolinsky's. Ever since he and Mike arrested the man and
   he was tried and convicted. Mike wasn't the same. Lenny had believed during the investigation that
   Mike was one of the boy's Krolinsky had abused, but Mike never admitted it to anyone. Lenny knew
   the pain ran deep inside of Mike and it would have to be Mike that faced the evil beast in order to begin
   to heal.
   Lenny looked over at Mike just as he pulled into his spot at the apartment building.
   "We're here Pal." Mike shook his head at the sound of Lenny's voice.
   "What did you say Lenny?"
   "Come on Mike. Lets get inside. It's cold outside." Mike offered a nod and followed his partner inside.

   The apartment was about the size of a shoe box, but it suited Lenny considering he was only here to
   sleep.
   "Well you know where everything is Mike. Just help yourself and if you need anything and can't find it,
   just ask." Again Mike nodded to Lenny, then he headed into the bathroom.
   Closing the door behind him, Mike looked at the stranger in the mirror. The memories, the scene in the
   Hotel room were still there in his head, just like an ongoing movie that wouldn't stop playing over and
   over again. He couldn't make them go away. Mike dropped to the floor and began to weep. He pulled
   himself up into a ball and hugged his legs as tight as he could.

   Out side Lenny called the station and left a message for the LT. He and Mike would be late getting to
   the office and he would explain in person when he arrived. Just as he placed the phone in the craddle
   he could hear the wimpers coming from the bathroom.
    Lenny decided not to intrude at that moment. He would bring it up at a later date when he thought Mike
   would me better rested and able to talk about it.

   They arrived at the office around 10:00 the next morning. Van Buren was waiting for them. They had
   dusted the Charlies room for prints, but instead of Christine's prints they found.......
 

   "......her sister's". Van Buren announced.

   "Say what?," Mike said, dumbfounded.

   Without batting an eyelash she continued to relay the new informations she got.

   "CSU found 5 sets of prints in that room. Two were from the previous occupants, Collin's and Charlotte
   O'Connor's. The fifth fingerprint, Christine's, was lifted off a radio tuner. But CSU said it was convered
   by some light dust, could indicate it must have been there way before the time of the murder, probably a
   couple of days."

   "Let's go pick her up then," Briscoe said.

   "I'm one step ahead of you,", Van Buren retorted. "Profaci and his partner are picking her up as we
   speak. I want you and Logan to study the missing person case on her sister, and see if you could find a
   connection between Charlotte and Charlie. Start with their conflicting statements about the last place
   they said Charlotte was seen."

   She handed the folder with all the new evidence to Briscoe. "Collins said it was at a Guns n Roses
   concert."

   And with a raised eyebrow she remarked, "My boys wanted to go to see Axle Rose. I'm sure as hell
   know he wasn't from Julliard's."
 

   After making a few phone calls, Mike obtained a file on Charlie Collins and his investment dealings.
   Mike skimmed through the file. He suddenly stopped, pulled out a piece of paper and placed a huge grin
   on his face. Lenny looked over at his partner.
   "Well are you going to fill me in on what has got your attention or are you just going to sit there and
   grin?"
   "Guess who Charlie had some investment dealings with?"
   "How about an O'Connor?"
   "You get the gold star Lenny. You wouldn't believe which one. The old man himself. Joseph O'Connor.
   Would you believe they did business in commodities. In particular property. In fact according to this
   little piece of paper Martha was her husbands silent partner. "
   "Now isn't that interesting. So the family did know Charlie Collins. The meation of his name came as no
   surprize to them."
   "You know Lenny maybe we had better dig a little more up on the O'Connors."

   "Okay guy's Profaci has Charlotte in the interrigation room. Now have you got anything yet?"
   "We sure do LT. We made a connection between Collins and the O'Connors."
 

   One hour later, Briscoe and Logan were at the Bumbry meat-packing factory in Queens. They found
   Barney Collins--Charlie's older brother--wearing a blood-spattered apron.

   "Charlie wasn't into concerts," Barney said. "He was into reading smut and porn...well, not really.
   What's to read with all the pictures!"

   The detectives returned to headquarters. By that time, Profaci and Kurtz had brought in Christine, who
   had uttered the L-word.

   The four detectives conferred with their boss beside the interrogation room window. Logan said,
   "There's one other Collins brother we should talk to. His name is Silas and he's doing time in Attica.
   Why don't Lennie and I go up there and chat."

   In the silence that followed, even old Lennie could hear the footfalls of a cockroach as it scuttled along
   the floor. Everyone knew who else was in Attica.

   After a moment Anita said, "Okay, go. But watch yourselves." Her gaze was fixed firmly on Mike.
 

   Before Mike and Lenny left the 2-7, Lt. Vanbruen pulled Lenny aside and had a few words with him.
   "How's he doing anyway Lenny?"
   "So long as he doesn't have to sleep, he's fine."
   "Well I want you to keep an eye on your partner while your up at Attica. I don't want him wondering
   off by himself and getting into trouble."
   "Don't worry LT. if I have to I'll connect a leash to him to keep him in my sights."

   ***********************************************
   The drive up to Attica was taken up with small talk between Mike and Lenny. They conferred some
   about the new info they had learned about Charlie Collins. One thing both of them avoided was
   speaking directly about Krolinsky.

   "So what did the LT. want to see you about, as if I didn't already know."
   "She is just concerned about one of her best Detective's Mike, that's all." Mike gave a little nod of
   acknowledgement and discontinued the conversation.
   *********************************************

   Inside, Mike and Lenny was waiting inside an interrigation room for the guards to bring Silas Collins to
   them. While they waited another guard was escorting a prisoner back to his cells. It was none other
   than Krolinsky.
   Krolinsky instantly noticed Mike. Joe thought he would get a little dig in at Mike by pasteing a smug
   smile on his face as he walked by. Mike just glowered at him.
   He was the last person Mike wanted to see, especially since the man was always invading his head
   while he slept.
    As Mike and Lenny sat patiently waiting for Silas Collins, the door slowly opened. In came a small little
   man with a balding head glasses so thick you could barely see the color of his eyes.

   The detectives told him about the murder of his brother and offered their condolences. When they ask
   him if he knew a girl named Christine O'Connor, his face turned completely white and he said "Who do
   you think put me in this wheel chair?"
    Silas told the detectives that Christine had shot him 18 months ago, for no reason. He'd told the ER
   personnel that it was an accident, but a hotshot detective named LaMotte had discovered his
   outstanding warrant for rape.

   "It was a bum rap. Bitch said 'no' when she meant 'yes.'"

   Logan said, "What about Christine?" Did she say 'no,' too?"
 

   "The bitch is a fu**ing liar",Silas exploded."Her father used to bring her with him at Charlie's everytime
   he talks business with my him.Then she started coming by herself."

   Silas let out a snicker as he continued to talk about Christine's exploits. "She was all over Charlie,
   always trying to get him all alone and finding every excuse to stay a bit longer. Once I even told
   Charlie, "Just do her man and get it over with" but he always treated her like a kid sister. So she was
   trying to make him jealous or something, she started coming on to me."

   "She slept with me and deliberately left the the door to my room open so Charlie could 'accidentaly'
   walk by and see us!"

   "She is some piece of work, that O'Connor. She acts like some whore at one time then like the freaking
   Virgin Mary the next. The next time I tried coming on to her,she acted outraged and slapped me.", Silas
   shook his head in amazement.

   Logan found himself believing Silas for some reason. He took out a picture of Christine from his breast
   pocket and asked, " This Christine O'Connor?"

   Silas took one look and said, "That's the bitch"

   "Are you sure? Or is this her?", he took out another picture, this time of Charlotte.

   With a bewildered look Silas asked, "You fu**ing with me? Thats the same girl."

   "Christine has a twin named Charlotte, Mr. Collins. Your brother never told you?", Lenny asked.

   Logan and Briscoe looked at each other."So which one did you sleep with, Mr. Collins?"
 

   After talking to Salis, Mike and Lenny proceeded to the front desk to sign out of Attica and to retreive
   their guns.

   "So Lenny what do you make of all this anyway?"

   "You got me Mike. The man couldn't even be sure which girl it was he slept with."

   "Yeah I know." Giving Lenny a strange look.

   As Mike and Lenny started to leave the facility, the guard at the desk gave Mike a note.
   "What's this?"
   "Don't know Detective. I was told to make sure you got it." A shudder suddenly traveled up Mike's
   spine as he opened it up and read it.
   "Until we meet again." Joe.
   Mike quickly placed the note in his pocket and hurried out of the place. Lenny had a hard time keeping
   up to Mike's pace.
   "Wait up Mike." Shouted Lenny. Mike ignored his partner and just continued until he reached the car.
   "What's up Mike? What was in the note?"
   "Nothing Lenny. It's personal." Lenny felt for now it was best to let it go and the two Detectives got in
   the car and headed back to the City.

   ***********************************************
 

   "Look Detective, my client already told you she doesn't know nor never met Silas or Charlie Collins.
   Asking the same question a hundred different ways isn't going to change her answer," Charlotte's
   attorney stressed the claim with sarcasm.

   Lenny ignored her and proceeded to talk, throwing bits and pieces of information to Charlotte, hoping to
   rile her up to a confession. " Come off it, Charlotte, your fingerprints were all over the murder scene
   where Collins was shot, it was even on the shirt he was wearing.", he stepped closer to her as he
   continued to barage her with info. "His brother could verify your father brought you along to Charlie's
   apartment when he talked business."

   Lenny place his hands on the table and leaned forward so that he could almost see the whites of her
   eyes. "We also know that you got this huge crush on Charlie and when he wouldnt give you the time of
   day, you slept with Silas to make him jealous."

   "That wasn't me!! My father never wanted to take me to Charlie's place. He always took Chrisie!",
   Charlotte yelled back at Lenny, her eyes burning with rage.

   As soon as she spoke the last word, it dawned on her that she let loose more than she wanted and now,
   Briscoe has got her where he wants. Briscoe's persistence paid off. He signaled to his partner to finish
   the interrogation but Logan's mind was somewhere else at that moment.

   With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the distraught Charlotte, "Ready to talk, Ms. Collins?"

   "Give us a minute, Detective.", her lawyer requested.

   Van Buren was outside the room waiting with salutations for her detectives. "Nice going, Lenny", she
   said with a smile. "Think we can get some answers now from her. Why don't you take 5 and grab
   something to eat, I'll take it from here."

   Van Buren hardly made them take breaks, especially in the middle of an interrogation and possible
   break. But Lenny has worked long enough with his Lieutenant to recognize her signals.

   He certainly wasn't looking forward to this particular request. He could scare the beejezus out of perps
   but he couldn't scramble enough words to ask his partner a simple question.

   Logan was out of earshot when Lenny was about to plead. Van Buren stopped him and said, "Better
   you talk to him now, Lenny, than wait till you take a bullet because his mind was someplace else."
 

   Mike and Lenny walked out of the precinct towards the Crown Vic. on their way for a belated supper.

   "So, Mike, How about we talk?"
   "About what?"
   "About, what's been going on with you lately."
   Mike started to get defensive as his tone changed.
   "There's nothing to talk about." Lenny leaned over the roof of the car on the passengers side.
   "Get off of it Mike. This is me you're talking too. You don't sleep and when you do, you have
   nightmares. When you're awake your mind is god knows where, as if I didn't know." Mike's temper
   started to stiffen.
   "Lenny, stay to hell out of it. It's personal and I'll deal with it."
   "You haven't been dealing with anything Mike and that's the problem. Are you just going to wait until I
   get blown away because your head..." Mike cut Lenny off and the level in the tone of his voice
   increased.

   "That's a low blow Lenny. I've alwayed covered your back."
   "Yes Mike, up until a few months ago I could alway's depend on you. But now I'm not so sure." I think
   it's about time you leveled with yourself about Krolinsky." Mike hammered his fists on the roof of the
   car.
   "Krolinski! He has nothing to do with any of this." Lenny now started to raise his voice. Uniformed
   officers passing by casually looked at the Detectives auguring.
   "Mike, I was there today if you don't happen to remember right off. I saw the look Krolinsky gave to
   you and I saw the look you gave in return. Then there was that note. It was from him wasn't it? It's not
   going to go away, Mike, not until you admit it to yourself."
   "Go to hell Lenny."
   "Mike, you don't need me to spell it out for you, but, I know, I was there when we nailed the bastard. I
   know how the whole case affected you. Mike, I know even if you don't want to admit it, that you were
   on of the boy's Krolinsky abused."
   "F**K you, Lenny! F**k you." Mike hurled the keys acrossed the roof top of the car and walked away.
   "Where are you going Mike?" Mike through his hand in the air behind him not saying aword.

   *********************************************

   Mike found himself, after walking for several blocks, back in front of the church. He stood staring at it
   for several minutes before he decided to go inside. He had to talk to Father Tom McGovern again.
 

   Mike walked inside St. Augustine's and headed right towards Fr. Tom's office. Like before organ music
   played in the background from somewhere inside the church. The sound was so serene unlike when he
   was a kid and forced to go to this church.
   Mike was just about to knock on Tom's door, when a nun approched him.
   "Hello, may I help you."
   "I just wanted to talk to Fr. Tom."
   "I'm sorry sir, but he's not here now. He had to make a housecall to see one of our elderly parishioner.
   Would you like me to let him know you were here."
   " No that's okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow." Mike thanked the Nun and left quickly before she could get
   his name. He really didn't want to stay and talk.
   Out side the church Mike stood in the cold shivering as he thought about earilier in the day when he
   saw Krolinsky again and that note. Mike reached into his coat pocket and discovered he still had the
   note. He pulled it out and read it again.
   *Until next time. Joe*
   "Not if I can help it you bastard." Mike thought.
   Looking up from the note, he started to walk in the direction of the Hotel. It was four block away and
   the memories of his past returned. Each step he took, he remembered everything Krolinsky had said to
   him that night. It was like a tape recorder in his head, that was forever on.
   "So Mikey, How was school today."
   " Okay I guess." Mike never answered too many of his question , he was more concerned where
   Krolinsky was taking him. Mike's Dad had alwayed warned him never to go to this particular of town.
   Before Mike realized it he was once again standing outside that Hotel, looking at it. He took a deep
   breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Even though he trembled, Mike felt
   maybe if he went inside once again, maybe he could some how rid himself of this man. Fr. Tom told
   him " Mike you have to take back whatever it was he stole from you."
   Mike walked ever so careful towards the room. Again he wasn't sure what to expect once he opened
   the door. The lump returned to his throat and he started to shake a little as he placed his hand on the
   door knob. He slowly turned the knob and the door gradually swung open. He was astonished to see
   who was inside.
 

   Logan was looking straight into Christine O'Connor's startled eyes.

   She was stooped behind the bed as if looking for something when Mike entered the room. Caught off
   guard, she bolted and attempted to barrel through Logan and into the empty hallway.

   Quickly regaining his composure, Logan held her by the shoulders, turned her around and cuffed her
   behind her back.

   "Where have you been, Christine?", Logan whispered behind her ear. "Everyone's been looking for
   you."

   Christine wouldn't stop struggling. "Let me go!! You're hurting me! I didn't do anything wrong!" Once
   again, she attempted to escape the detective's iron hold and bolt.

   "It won't hurt if you stop wriggling.", Logan responded. He proceeded to lead her out of the room.
   "Why did you come back here? Did you forget your shoes?"

   Christine didn't respond. But the icy glare she gave Logan was enough to freeze hell twice over.
 

   "or something else?" Logan asked, his voice just casual enough. "Like a dress?"

   "Go to hell," Christine snapped, beginning to struggle against him again.

   Unmoved, Mike jerked her out the door into the bright daylight. "Let's go," he said tersely, almost
   dragging her toward the car. "We have a few questions we'd like answered." He paused for a moment,
   grinning. "And I think your mother would like to see you again, too."
 

   "No, no not my mother. Please don't call my mother. I don't want to see her." After helping her into the
   back of the squad car, Mike took a long look at Christine. She was shaking and seemed terrified. The
   sight of this peeked his curiosity as to why. But before he could inquire further, he was interrupted.

   "Nice job, Mike." Lenny said. "Maybe now with her back in our hands, we can finish the puzzle and
   close this case. Mike nodded his head in reply. He was still a little pissed off at Lenny for his eariler
   remarks and he didn't feel much like talking to him. Mike turned and walked around to the other side of
   the car. He got into the back beside Christine for the ride back to the precinct.
 

   ******************************************

   Go to Part 4