Kermit scowled at the screen, left fist clenched in impotent fury. "Serenity park killers claim 1 more victim," "Clinician found dead in bizarre Murder," "Satanist Cultists Kill Again!! "The headlines and their respective stories scrolled past his unseeing gaze, turned inward as he remembered Haiti.. The voodoo cults that had enslaved entire towns, the stinking corpses and animal carcasses they used in their rituals. The true believers that died in agony for offending some witch doctor or high?ranking cult priest. Their atrocities had burned their own special place among equally dark memories. Now, finding bodies mutilated with the same disregard for pain and life enraged him. "I'm coming after you" he growled, voice whisper soft and deadly, green shaded eyes fixed on a static picture of mental health worker Laura Fowler, 28 yrs old, found two days before with her throat cut. She smiled back at him, laughing at some joke he would never hear, "and when I find you, you'll pay."

Karen Simms crumpled the newspaper accounts of the latest murders, the wadded ball of newsprint landing beside the files on her desk. The press was howling at her door, the families of the dead were crying for justice, and her detectives were grim and silent, blaming themselves for not finding what wasn't there.

In desperation, though she would never have called it that, she had contacted Caine, with his uncanny way of knowing everything that happened in Chinatown. To her surprise, he had said, he did not know, but that he knew of someone who could help. He had given her a phone number and a name, and now Captain Simms, determined to catch these killers by any means available to her, drew the phone to her and dialed.

"Salem Investigations" Julia Adams put her steaming mug of tea down and reached for a notepad. "Yes, this is she. Who may I.. oh... Captain Simms, the 101st, of course, right here in Chinatown. What can I.. Caine? The priest? Yes, we've spoken.." she made notes in a quick, neat hand "No, that's correct.. there is a need for specialists unfortunately, and I've.. Caine didn't tell you? Well, of course... Contact Deputy Chief Skinner at the FBI headquarters in Washington, he can advise you about my credentials. While you're doing that, I'll do a little research on the case and see what I can dig up.. .right, OK. I'll speak to you then, Captain. Goodbye."

She'd followed them in the papers of course, had ignored the more sensational speculations, and assumed the police were following leads. She had felt no need to check it out for herself, much less visit the sites...Jewel swung her keyboard down and pulled out a stack of blank CDs, sliding the first into the hard drive and began downloading her data sort program. Just in case...

Simms had prepared her task force for an outside expert in ritual murder, an FBI consultant. Jewel Adams, in her jeans and sneakers, was not what they expected. She bounded confidently into their midst, all 5'6" of her, laptop in its black nylon case over her shoulder. Peter Caine smiled appreciatively at her trim figure and she grinned impudently at him before presenting herself to the elegant, mature blonde with the French twist and commanding air at the front of the room. "Captain Simms?"> she held out a small hand with a hard palm and short nails, "I'm Jewel Adams."

Simms looked at the young woman, vibrant and smiling and mentally revised her idea of a hard bitten private eye once again." Ms. Adams, thank you for clearing your schedule to work with us on this."

"Not at all, Captain. This is far too important, and I thank you for asking me in on it."

Simms nodded, pleased with the woman's manners .Her people wouldn't stand for some cocky, hot shot private eye coming in to upstage them. "Our task force: Detectives Peter Caine and Mary Margaret Skalany, our computer expert, Detectives. Kermit Griffin, and Dr. Nick Elders, forensic science."

She shook hands all around, aware that everyone was taller than she was, then spoke up quickly. "Look, I'm not a cop, I'm new on this case, and I have no intention of coming in here trying to be a gloryhound, a hot dog, or any other star canine type. If I step on any toes, tell me, ok? And I'll do likewise." She grinned at them and everyone subtly relaxed. She hefted the laptop, "so, where can I plug this baby in?"

Kermit stepped forward, took the case from her in a swift maneuver she assumed was meant courteously, she hadn't been able to stop him if it wasn't. "You'll be in my office" he told her, "I've set up an limited access for you into the files," and he began walking, so she followed.

"Swell, actually, I'll need a way to tap into the city wide police files for at least the last few months, say, six maybe, we'll need.." He had stopped, and was staring at her.

Her mouth twisted, and she found herself backing up, assisted by a hard glare from eyes she couldn't even seen. When she hit the wall, his hand flashed at her throat and gripped. a small silver charm, a star set in a circle. She tried to pull back, but there was no where to go.
Kermit could hear the eerie wails of the voodoo, the screams of the dying. "An expert? I'll just bet you are." Not yelling, his voice soft and deadly, he held her there, listening to the horror soundtrack in his mind, ignoring the shouts around him, until Peter pulled him away, pushing him to the wall.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Kermit?" the younger man shouted and the ex mercenary shoved him off, grabbed Jewel by the arm, his other hand beating her evasion and snapping the thong holding the pendant.

He brandished it in Peter's face, shaking her and it with the same rhythm. "It's a pentagram.kid." His voice was still low, vicious. "Our so called expert is one of them."

Simms stepped forward. "Let go of her, Kermit!"

"Karen."

"Now, Detective!" Their eyes locked through the green glass, and after a long minute, he dropped the arm he held, threw the pentagram to the floor and slammed the door to his office. Simms was on his heels, slamming the door as well.

Peter had moved to Jewel, Mary Margaret on her other side. She stooped for the necklace, cradling it gently in her hands. She looked at their concerned faces and sat down, they dropped into chairs across from her. Drawing a shaky breath, she nonetheless smiled and said "Do I know how to make an entrance or what?" then A I don t think the popular prejudice against witchcraft would be enough to provoke that kind of a reaction." Involuntarily, she touched the welt on her throat where the thong had ripped free. "Or does he do this a lot?"

"Oh, no" Peter drawled, glancing over at his partner, "sometimes he's in a bad mood."

Jewel rolled her eyes. "Terrific."

THWAP! Simms, to her credit, didn't flinch as Kermit slammed his hand into the desk, nor as he turned around and shouted, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Her eyes blazed and narrowed, her lips opened to deliver a scathing retort, then closed. He was truly upset, and their brief association, and longer friendship, demanded more of her than a reprimand. "Kermit, she is an expert, and we need that expertise. If she isn't a Christian, maybe that gives her an edge in sorting out these cases." She took the few steps to place her hand on his shoulder, as he stood turned away from her, the muscles under the dark suit were hard and knotted with tension. Then, even more quietly, "Caine gave me her number, Kermit. He knows Julia Adams, and he trusts her. Can I do any less, knowing Caine as I do?"

The ex mercenary trusted few people. He liked and respected Kwai Chang Caine, and he trusted him implicitly. If Caine, with his unusual insight into people, said that this consultant was all right... ."I'll go apologize to her, Captain, and get her set up in here."

"Good" her manner regained some of it's usual briskness, "You'll make sure she has all the access she needs."

It wasn't a question, but he answered her retreating back anyway. "Access? Oh, yeah.."

The private investigator was talking to Dr. Elders when Kermit returned. "So, I'll be able to pull up the complete forensics reports on the box?" She tapped Skalany's monitor affectionately. "Outstanding. This is a very well organized department."

"Yeah, it's heaven on earth. Doc, you want to excuse us?" Kermit growled over her shoulder. Nicky actually paled a little, mumbled something about his work never being done, and scattered.

She glanced up at the man who had attacked her from under thick lashes, a wry smile in place. "People always do what you tell them around here?" she asked, and he answered, simply and straightforward.

"Yes." then, "C'mon, I have your laptop set up in my office." She hopped off the desk and followed the dark suited detective, a little warily.

She closed the door quietly behind her, noticing that her laptop was open on a table in the back corner. When she flinched as he moved too close in the limited office space, Kermit was torn, like a triumphant bully. "The captain says you know Kwai Chang Caine."

She turned to look at him, her gaze level "Yes. He's an apothecary in my neighborhood, and I'm an amateur herbalist. We've spent a lot of time talking at his shop."

Kermit nodded. "I trust Caine, Ms. Adams, and I've agreed to work with you on this task force. But, I'll be keeping an eye on you, lady."

Her eyes flashed, but she said, mildly enough, "You do that, Detective. You might learn something." She touched her keyboard, pulling up her data sort program.

Jewel worked quietly at her computer, accessing different sections of the citywide files and downloading them into the program for comparison. It was a little early for a pattern to assert itself, but the tell tale signs of cult activity were not, so far, making themselves known. "The likelihood of this being some kind of Satanist cult is actually very low" she remarked to Kermit at one point, "most of these groups would never be so sloppy as to leave a complete body behind like that."

>Well, isn't that a relief?" he replied sardonically, "Not a Satanist, just your ordinary garden variety psycho killer then, huh? I'm really impressed, consultant." His sarcasm flicked her on the raw.

"That's why they pay me the big bucks, Detective" she snapped, digging a pair of feather light headphones and an Mp3 player out of her knapsack, effectively tuning him out.

He had to admit, grudgingly, that she was a dedicated researcher. She had called her office machine for messages twice, broke for takeout with Caine and Skalaney around six PM, and then headed back to her computer. She also was taking notes by hand on a pink legal pad, and Kermit resisted the urge to jibe at her any more. Instead, he checked out the data sort program she was using. "Not too bad" he thought, going over it from the bottom up "Detailed, neat and user friendly." He glanced at Jewel over his glasses. She was in profile, long hair caught back in a braid, lips moving slightly. He was certain that she was singing along with the music, rather than reading aloud. And Caine Senior trusted her... Kermit felt his antipathy lessen. He'd still keep an eye on her, but he suspected that he might start enjoying it.

Jewel leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, thumbing up the volume and letting sound fill the darkness. Something Kwai Chang had said, about letting her traditions serve her best...PLOP! Her eyes flew open and she stared, first at the wadded paper ball that had smacked her on the nose and interrupted her train of thought, then at the man who had tossed it. "Just making sure you were still alive, kiddo." and he grinned at her. She bristled, having taken all she could from this particular irritant. "I'M busy working, and an adult, so don t call me 'kiddo', Frogface!"

The schoolyard insult slipped out before she could stop it and Kermit chuckled. He had been annoyed with the serene confidence she projected, this spitting kitten was much more fun, and put him back in the driver's seat. "That, sweetcakes, sounded like a challenge," he drawled, " and I haven't backed down from one of those in years."

She glared at him, too irked and tired for her customary restraint, and was about to retort when Peter stuck his head in. "They've found the married victim's car. Skalany and I are enroute to check it out."

The blue Stealth sped to the address Skalany had been given. "Pete, why do you figure Kermit went ballistic earlier? I know Simms talked him down, but I thought for a minute there he was going to take our fine young consultant's head off."

"Or drive her screaming from the precinct." Peter agreed. " I don t know, but knowing Kermit, he had his reasons. She seemed ok to me, though. Pop seems to like her."

"Yeah, well, we'll see I guess.. right here, Peter." He swung the car in a neat U?turn, pulling in behind the cordoned off area where the vehicle sat. The wind hit them as they emerged and Mary Margaret snuggled her hands in deep pockets as her boot crunched on something white. "Snow?" she thought, before her forebrain took over, "too warm for snow." Carefully, she knelt, scraping some of the white stuff into a plastic evidence bag. It looked like sugar, or salt. She snagged a passing police photographer and , pointing to the residue," Get some shots of this and check around the perimeter, see if there's any more, OK?"

"Will do, Detective."

"Important?" Peter asked, coming up behind her.

She shrugged. "Not sure yet. Anything?"

"Nothing so far, except that the car is spotless, inside and out."

"You think the killer did it?"

He held up a bagged scrap of paper. "Receipt from Simon's Hot Wax and Wash, while U wait. Tomorrow, let's go see what Simon says."

When Kermit walked into the precinct the next morning, he found his co workers in an unusually good mood. His friends grinned broadly as he came into the squad room, and he knew something was up. He was right. The something was a small stuffed frog in a rakish pair of sunglasses, sitting on the doorknob to his office and holding an envelope. He snatched the toy up, unlocked the door and slammed it behind him as the room exploded with laughter. The ex mercenary tossed the frog onto his desk and tore open the envelope, unfolded the single sheet of creamy notepaper inside. A faint scent of roses and spice drifted to him as he read, "Dear Kermit, This is the last guy who gave me grief on an assignment. Take notice! Seriously, I'm 'vetting the crime scenes this morning, the computer is still on download and sort, if it stops, please, please, please page me! (Number taped to the lid!) Back soon, Thanks! J." Jet black ink, clear neat handwriting, and after her signature, a tiny sketched frog with it's tongue sticking out. Behind his closed door, unwillingly, Kermit grinned.

"Sure, I remember them" the short, bubbly blonde with the nametag reading ' HI, my name is: Buffi!" "They were so sweet, she was in her wedding dress and he was still in his tux," she sighed dreamily, "you could tell they were really in love, too,,"

"Was there anyone else with them?" Peter asked, and Buffi wrinkled her little nose.

"On their honeymoon?" she asked incredulously, then her big brown eyes got bigger and she asked, "they aren't, I mean, they're ok, right?" The look on their faces was enough. "Oh, no." she said, in a small voice, "They were so sweet, she was teasing him about not being able to handle a dirty car, having to get all that writing off it.." A tear slipped down her cheek.

Caine sat crosslegged on the sunny patch of grass, inside the yellow police tape, eyes closed. An older man with long gray hair and a sensitive face, Jewel watched him, standing nearby, until he finally opened her eyes and rose, in a practiced, graceful move, to his feet. She looked a question at her and he shook his head ."There is...pain here, and hate, but…" "Nothing to indicate that these are cult killings." she finished Caine's sentence." I think, myself, that this is one guy, who is getting more confident with each death." She frowned, thinking, "Almost as if, it were justified?" She stepped over the barricade, taking his hand, and not releasing it as they walked through the park. "I appreciate you coming out with me to the sites, Caine." Jewel said softly, squeezing his hand, "I didn't know what I was going to find."

"Your chi is..strong.. very pure. There is little you could not ..handle yourself. But I was pleased to come."

"You sound like my dad now. He always encouraged me to be strong for myself, even while he was backing me up." She was quiet a moment, then she straightened, moving away from Caine slightly, hands in her pockets. They walked on and she shrugged, shaking off the moment. "I should get back to the precinct, let Peter and Mary Margaret know what's up, see what's been happening with my computer.."

"And?"

Jewel laughed, amused at her own transparency. "Alright, Caine, you know the dirt on everyone. What's with this Kermit guy?"

"What.. do you mean?"

She took his arm chummily. "Oh, you know.. is he involved, is he straight, is
he likely to murder me in my sleep?"

"Why do you not ask him?"

"He doesn't seem to like me much. The pagan thing really freaked him out and I don't know how to.. get through to him."

"Why would you wish to, if he does not like you?"

A short, frustrated blast of air. "Because I think he would if he would give me a shot! She stopped walking, looking up at him, needed him to understand what she was saying. "Caine, I can tell how much darkness he carries, and I don't know him at all. But when I look at him, all I see is this diamond white light, shining in that darkness." A defiant note had crept into her soft voice, daring him to contradict her.

He didn't , only patted the hand on his arm and began walking again. "You must trust that light then, Julia. If you want Kermit to see who you are, you must trust that light enough to show him."

"Easy for you to say" she muttered and Caine chuckled.

"Yes."

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