HIGHER LOVE

Hi All... Okay, this is my first attempt at Due South fanfic. I started on it whilst heavy in the midst of DSWS. It's more along the lines of a traditional case. Anyway, these folks don't belong to me, except, of course, the ones you don't recognize. They belong to Alliance and associated rights holders or whatever... Feedback appreciated! I'd love to hear from you (yes YOU! ...good, bad or indifferent! I'm Jackeec@aol.com <---original disclaimer...from a year ago...couldn't bring myself to change it... I was so young...so idealistic...:-)

Added note: This story was actually written like over a year ago (4/96). It was my very first attempt at writing dueSOUTH. I thought it was a poor attempt, so I never shared. I only had a very little left to write but left it off. Well, now, I've decided to share it. Let me know what you think.

Also, sorry, there's MORE notes. Despite the title, trust me this isn't a love story...at least not between people..or wolves... This story is rated, hmmm, that's a tuffy...well, cause of one inferred peice of violence I'm gonna say PG-13. Better safe than sorry.

HIGHER LOVE

by Jackee C.

A phone rang in a darkened room.

"Hello?" a soft female voice spoke into the handset of a garfield phone, remnants of sleep obvious in the lazy drawl.

"Pick up the shipment today. Drop it off at the duck pond. You'll not be contacted again."

It took a second for her sleep-fogged brain to catch onto the conversation. "Wait! I don't th--" she began, but was too late. The click of the disconnect sounded with finality. With a sigh of resignation, she brushed her dark blonde hair behind an ear and retrieved the book from beneath her side where she'd lost it some time during the night. The numbers on the bedside clock mocked her--it would be time to get up anyway in 30 minutes. As she crawled out from beneath the warm covers, she kicked herself for having become involved in what had at first seemed like a worthwhile cause.

She nearly fell of the bed when the phone rang again...

*****

When Detective Ray Vecchio pulled the green Riviera in front of the apartment of Constable Benton Fraser, the Mountie was down on one knee, speaking earnestly to his wolf. Fraser stood when he caught sight of the Riviera approaching. With one last stern look toward the wolf, he opened the door to let him in.

"What's with him?" Ray asked pointing toward a very depressed looking Diefenbaker. The wolf lay across the back seat, head resting on its paws.

"I've just informed him that we're on our way to his veterinary appointment. No matter how much I try to explain to him the importance of regular checkups, he still gets nervous about going. That's why I waited until today to tell him; I knew he'd mope around until the appointment arrived."

"Afraid of being neutered, eh, old boy?" Ray asked over the seat toward the wolf, who covered his head with his paws and whimpered.

"Ray, you're not helping," Fraser chided.

Ray chuckled. "Okay, Benny, whatever. Maybe some music'll make him feel better." He turned up the volume on the Riviera's ancient radio.

"He's deaf, Ray."

"...find love with Moonstruck Dating Services where we guarantee the love bug will strike you with our exclusive love..." the sultry voice of a female announcer spilled from the speakers.

Ray punched one of the preset station buttons only to find the same commercial on the next station and the one after that as well. Finally on the fourth preset he found a bit of classic rock-n-roll playing. "I was about to think that there really *was* a love bug and that it had taken over the airways..." Ray muttered as he relaxed back into the driver's seat.

"Actually Ray, there is a love bug. Well, it isn't actually called the love bug. The Inuit call it the L'mnegerga which roughly translated means 'the dark lover'. You see, once two L'mnegerga bugs developed an attraction, they become imprinted somehow and the two remain together for life which is actually only about an additional 3 weeks or so..." Fraser was just getting into his story when Ray interrupted.

"That's not so bad," he said. "Why is it called a dark lover if it just mates for life...wouldn't this be a good thing?"

"Well," Fraser continued. "If the attraction wasn't reciprocated the one that was imprinted alone becomes increasingly violent as the time for mating nears. All L'mnegerga mate once a lifetime during specific times, I don't remember when they were. But, in any case, it's during the mating season that the shunned L'mnegerga would attack and devour the bug to which it was attracted. This attack actually resulted in a form of suicide because at

death the L'mnegerga secrete a poison and so the shunned lover dies as well."

Ray took a deep breath as he tried to digest the story Fraser had told. "And these are bugs?" he asked finally. "CANADIAN bugs?"

Fraser gave Ray a confused look and was about to make a reply when a voice came over Ray's police radio. "Detective Vecchio, this is dispatch, come in please...

"Vecchio, here." Ray spoke into the hand held unit.

"Detective Vecchio, is Constable Fraser with you?" the dispatcher asked.

Ray gave Ben an amazed look. "Good guessing. What's going on?"

"He's wanted at the station, pronto. You too, by the way."

*****

When Ben and Ray entered into the police station, Elaine gestured toward Lt. Welsh's closed office door and shuttered blinds. "Thank you kindly, Elaine," Fraser spoke as they passed her. She turned and gave him a smile over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes at Ray.

"Can you think of anything specific that we've done wrong lately?" Ray whispered as they approached Welsh's office.

"No, nothing, Ray. At least not...not the both of us." Fraser replied with a straight face.

Ray feigned a wounded expression, "What's that supposed to mean? What have *I* done wrong, lately? No, on second thought," he shook his head, "don't answer that. I'm sure with that Mountie mind of yours you could--"

The door opened while they were still a few feet away, effectively ending their conversation. Lt. Welsh stood in the doorway and urged them into the room. Fraser and Ray noticed right away that this was no ordinary summons because Inspector Margaret Thatcher stood to one side of Lt. Welsh's desk.

"Gentlemen..." Welsh said, urging them to enter the room as they'd both stopped in the doorway when they recognized Welsh's visitor.

"Ma'am." Fraser acknowledged his superior officer as he entered the room proper. Ray gave her a short nod in greeting. His eyes were alert as he waited to find out what was going on here.

Thatcher began speaking as Welsh sat behind his desk. "There's been an incident," she announced. "The body of a young woman was found near the warehouse district early this morning. The medical examiner's report isn't in yet, but to this time there is no discernible cause of death. That young woman was a Canadian citizen *and* the daughter of an important member of the Canadian community. She was in this country visiting with relatives. Fraser, you are to act as liaison during this investigation. I want regular reports of your progress. Ottawa is watching." With that Thatcher handed Fraser a file containing pertinent information.

"Thank you, Ma'am. Understood," Fraser answered politely as he took the file.

Welsh turned to Ray. "Vecchio, you're a part of this investigation as well. This case is to have top priority. And considering the potential...repercussions, I'll expect you to do this strictly by the book. Here's your copy of the files. This is everything we have so far."

"Not that I'm complaining..." Ray paused for a second as he looked between his and Fraser's superior officers, before finishing, "sirs. But why haven't federal authorities been called in on this case?"

Welsh folded his arms and looked toward the Inspector, obviously passing this one on to her.

"It's a matter of some...delicacy," Thatcher began. "The parties involved wish to keep a low profile and," she looked toward Welsh, "WE feel that the two of you have worked well together in unofficial capacities in the past and thus can work officially without making too much...noise."

A look passed between Fraser and Ray before Ray opened his mouth to speak again. "Thank you, we'll keep you informed," Fraser spoke up quickly.

"Thank you, constable," Welsh responded with a wry expression.

"Dismissed."

"Benny! Why'd you do that?" Ray asked as soon as Welsh's door closed behind them. "I was trying to find out--"

"Ray, I have to go home and change." Fraser said calmly, cutting his friend off.

"Why?" Ray asked, distracted for the moment. He looked the Mountie over, seeing nothing wrong with his Levi's and leather jacket.

"I'm working in an official capacity, Ray. I should be in uniform."

Ray nodded. He should have guessed. "Okay," he sighed. "We can go over the file on the way, then."

"According to her cousin," Ray said from Fraser's table, "she was out on a date. I think we need to talk to the cousin again...her statement is practically useless."

"Agreed." Fraser called from elsewhere in the apartment. "I'd also suggest reviewing the location in which the crime took place. Perhaps we might be provided with clues as to motive."

"Yeah," Ray sighed, looking at the picture of the pretty young woman. Elenore Sheridan. She'd been nineteen years old, just a kid.

The door of a medium sized house in a middle class section of town opened

to reveal a teary eyed young woman.

"Miss Sarah Jacobsen?" Fraser questioned quietly, glancing at his notepad.

"Yes?" Sarah answered, pushing a lock of dark blonde hair behind an ear with a shaking hand.

"I'm Constable Benton Fraser, and this is Detective Ray Vecchio, we'd like to ask you a few questions concerning Miss Elenore Sheridan. Could we come in?"

"Y-yes, please do," Sarah said as she stepped away from the door to allow the two men to enter. She led them along an entry hall which contained several color and black and white stills of insects in their natural habitats.

Ray's eye was caught by a photo of a large fuzzy-looking tarantula crawling among brown underbrush. He shuddered involuntarily, glad that Sarah hadn't caught the gesture.

"We know that this may be difficult for you, but these questions are necessary to further our investigation," Fraser was saying as he and Ray seated themselves on the sofa.

"Yes, I understand." Sarah nodded as she took her own seat across the room in an easy chair and focused out of an open window.

Ben's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in her behavior. After a thoughtful moment he began. "According to your statement, Elenore was on a date. Do you happen to know the name of the man she was dating?"

"No...We really didn't talk much. I think she might have told me but I was probably too busy...not paying attention," Sarah focused on the Mountie as she answered his question. A few moments of silence passed before Sarah realized that she was staring. Clearing her throat, she dropped her eyes. "Um...she may have left something in her room, though."

"Thank you," said Fraser, with a gentle smile. "We'd like to take a look if we may, afterward." At Sarah's nod he continued the questioning. "How long had Elenore been here in Chicago? Or might the young man have been an acquaintance from a previous visit?"

"She'd been here about a week. And I really don't think she'd ever met him before because this was her first time in Chicago. You see, Elenore was a bit...adventurous and so her father sent her to spend some time with me while he's away in Japan. He feels that I'm more...serious-minded. I guess he thought I'd rub off on her."

"I see," Fraser said, closing his notebook. He felt sure that he'd gotten all the information he needed from Sarah. He turned to Ray, silently asking if he had any questions. At Ray's negative gesture, he informed Sarah that he was ready to see Elenore's room.

*****

"So, what do you think?" Ray asked as he went through a small bedside table drawer.

"I think that for someone who's only been in town a week, Elenore's managed to make her room look remarkably...lived in," Fraser said with a quick glance around. Various articles of clothing were scattered over the unmade bed and every available surface. The bed comforter lay in a corner of the room beneath a pile of shoes.

"Yeah..." Ray said distractedly. "Benny, take a look at this." Ray held what appeared to be a small, laminated business card. It contained the Moonstruck Dating Logo of a brilliant blue butterfly against a luminous yellow moon. Across the bottom was the word 'identi-number' followed by a series of numbers and dashes.

Fraser stepped over for a closer look. "Perhaps Miss Sheridan, upon arriving in an unfamiliar town, choose to look into a professional service for companionship."

"Yeah, that or --" There was a knock at the front door. Fraser held up a hand to silence his friend as he stepped closer to the slightly open door. Soft voices could be heard from the front of the apartment.

"Can you hear anything?" Ray whispered.

"Only barely," Fraser said, opening the door a little wider.

The voices grew in intensity. A male voice could be heard speaking loudly in French. Sarah said a few broken words before the man cut her off. The voices were coming closer.

"Come on," Fraser told Ray. He opened the door completely and walked to meet the two approaching figures. Sarah walked a few feet behind the man and appeared to be crying openly. The man's entire stance was angry.

Fraser stopped short as the man's face came fully into view. Ray gave him an odd look but continued forward.

"Good morning, Sir. I'm detective Ray Vecchio and this is Constable Benton--"

"Fraser," the man finished for Ray.

Ray's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Fraser in askance. The look the man was giving his friend was not a good sign. "Uh...I assume you're Elenore Sheridan's father?" Ray asked to fill the building silence.

"Yes, I am, Detective," the man responded, but his eyes remained on Fraser. Fraser came out of his shocked state and stepped forward. "Hello, Sir. I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. Detective Vecchio and I have been assigned to this case and have given it our top priority."

Fraser cleared his throat and turned to Sarah when the man remained stonily silent. "Thank you, Miss Jacobsen, we appreciate your help. We'll contact you if you have any further questions. And if you think of anything else, please feel free to contact either myself or Detective Vecchio through the Chicago police department."

Ray passed Sarah a card with the appropriate phone numbers.

"So where to now?" Ray asked once they were back in the Riviera.

"Ray, aren't you going to even ask about that man in Miss Jacobsen's apartment?" Fraser asked. It wasn't like Ray to let such a thing just slip by.

Ray glanced at the Mountie before he pulled out of the complex parking lot. "Nope," he said with apparent disinterest.

"Aren't you even slightly interested?" Fraser asked.

"No, not slightly." Ray answered honestly. In truth he was dying to know. He was just trying a little reverse psychology on his friend in hopes of getting the story.

"Ray, your reverse psychology isn't going to work," Ben said.

"What reverse psychology? Benny, you make no sense." Ray said careful to hide the gleam in his eyes. He'd hated it when Fraser had used that line on him...even was even.

"Fine, if you don't want to know about the scandal that was caused due to an alleged affair with me..."

"What?!" Ray said.

"I though you weren't interested, Ray." Fraser replied, crossing his arms and facing forward.

"I'm interested! I'm interested! Now tell me what happened!" Ray exclaimed. Fraser nodded. "Okay, Ray. It was really all rather embarrassing for Mr. Levioux.'

"Levioux?" Ray chimed in. "You mean he's not Sheridan? Was Elenore his step-daughter?"

"No, Ray. I believe that she's really his daughter. You see, Mr. Levioux had been married to Mrs. Levioux for seven years when she became suspicious of his fidelity. She hired a private investigator to find out if her fears were true.

"The investigator was able to provide her with rather telling photos of Mr. Levioux with another woman. She was to pick up the documents at a p.o. box and pay the detective discreetly on her way out. They met on two consecutive Tuesday's. Well, it seems that Mr. Levioux was also suspicious and followed Mrs. Levioux to the post office. I happened to be there as I was every Tuesday. Mrs. Levioux was usually such a friendly woman. This particular day she was agitated and asked if I would deliver a packet to the detective. Well, I obliged, wanting only to be of help. You see, I knew she was meeting with him. Mr. Levioux saw the exchange and thought, mistakenly, that *I* was black mailing his wife. To make matters worse, Ray, when she saw her husband coming, she kissed me. Unfortunately, the private detective had the presence of mind to snap the picture. And while I was recovering from the flash, Mr. Levioux punched me, of course the detective snapped that photograph as well. It was all in the next issue of the Moosejaw Connection. Of course, I had to clear my name but this became difficult when the detective denied all knowledge of the incident, bought a boat and left. Mrs. Levioux suddenly got 'amnesia' and two weeks later I was transferred. They said I couldn't adjust to big city life. But during the time I remained in the area, I learned that Mr. Levioux had an on-going relationship with an Anna Sheridan. Although, I wasn't aware of the child. Ms. Sheridan must have kept her hidden."

Ray nodded as Fraser finished his tale. "And so now Levioux has it in for you, because you know the truth. Do you think the wife knows about the daughter?"

"I really don't know, Ray. But I do know that Levioux doesn't want publicity. And that's why he was so angry with Ms. Jacobsen."

*

Inspector Margaret Thatcher sat behind her desk busily tapping away at her laptop when there was a light tap at her door.

"Yes, who is it?" she called absently.

"The door opened slightly as a salt and pepper head poked around the door. "Lil Meg?" a voice called.

"Claude? Is that you?" Margaret called, getting up from her desk, computer forgotten.

The tall form of Claude Levioux stepped fully into the office, gently closing the door behind him. He greeted the Inspector with a wide grin and widespread arms.

"Lil Meg! How long has it been?" he asked as she stepped into his arms for a friendly hug.

"Too long, Claude. Far too long." Margaret replied, stepping back to get a good look at the man. He'd aged considerably since she last remembered...nearly 9 years earlier. "I'm terribly sorry to hear about your step-daughter. Jacob told me when you remarried. He also told me when Anne died."

Claude nodded wordlessly. Then with a heavy sigh, he continued. "Yeah, that brother of yours did always talk too much. What else did he say?" Claude managed a playful smile.

Margaret returned Claude's smile. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" she said as she directed him to a seat before her desk. "Coffee?" she gestured toward the machine.

Claude shook his head to the offer as he took a seat.

"So, why all the secrecy?" Margaret asked the question she hadn't asked earlier when Claude Levouix had called her in-flight from Japan.

Claude regarded the Inspector for a few moments before speaking. "I've got a secret Meg," he finally said.

It was obvious to Margaret that he was fighting some internal battle when he suddenly got up from his seat and went to stand before the window. She let him have the space and simply turned her chair in his direction.

Gazing out the window, he began his story. "Anne and I fell in love years ago...in college, before I ever even met Jeannie. But then one day, for no apparent reason, she just...disappeared. I was crushed, but in time I graduated and then I met Jean and we were married. Several years later, I ran into Anne again. Purely coincidental. Twist of fate. We'd had a child...I hadn't known.

After I found out, I couldn't stay away from her, Meg. I found that I still loved her after all that time. I found a way to take care of our child discretely and continue to see Anne. Even little Elenore hadn't known. Well, in time, Jeannie became suspicious and hired an investigator. He took some pictures. I managed to pay him off and get the negatives...but things were never right between Jeannie and I after that. She closed herself off. It wasn't much longer before we divorced.

Well, it seems that photographer had a son. Gil Abrams. And like father, like son, he wanted to make a little money. You see, his father left him an 'insurance policy' of sorts...he'd made a double set of all the pictures he'd taken. Unfortunately, the father died rather suddenly and had neglected to tell him who was in the pictures. Well, turns out, Elenore was dating him and he showed her the pictures as a joke. She of course, knew her own mother and put two and two together and figured it out. She got Gil, this young man, to let her keep the pictures and she threw it all up in my face. I'd never been able to tell her that I was really the father she'd believed had abandoned her.

Anyway, she told Gil the entire ironic story and he got a little greedy. He's after her and the pictures and wants to blackmail me. He's harassed her several times back home. That's why I sent her here and told her to contact you. I was going to come down myself this weekend to introduce you two personally."

Margaret sat staring at Claude, not sure what to think of his story, but trying very hard not to be judgmental. "Hmmm," she breathed. "Um...well," she brushed an errant lock behind her ear. "Do you think Gil Abrams wanted the negatives enough to kill for them?"

"I don't know, Meg. It's all so confused, now. Sometimes I think he did and I want to strangle him and sometimes I think that any minute she's just gonna walk in the door." Claude's voice caught as he whispered the last word.

Margaret blinked as she tried to decide what to do to offer the man comfort. "Why don't I see how the case is coming," she said and picked up the phone. "The ME's report should be in by now, that should tell us something..."

*****

Ray stood before a rather large framed picture in the waiting room of Moonstruck Dating Services staring confusedly at the magic eye image framed there.

"Amazing..." Fraser spoke from beside him.

"What? Don't tell me you see anything, already. You barely glanced at it." "Of course I can, Ray. It's a butterfly. A rather rare variety of Monarch, I might add."

"Nah!" Ray waved off Fraser's reply. "I have NEVER seen anything in these things. I think it's all a hoax."

"Ray, just because you can't see the embedded image, doesn't mean that the entire concept is a hoax. Perhaps if you--"

"Are you gentlemen here to register?" A female voice spoke from behind them. Both officers turned immediately to face her. Ray was preparing to show her his badge when Fraser spoke up.

"Yes."

Ray froze in motion before eyeing him with a dumb founded expression. That hadn't been a part of the plan.

"Are you both applying?" the woman asked.

"No way," Ray spoke emphatically. "Just the Mountie."

"You know, Sir, dating services are the wave of the future."

Ray returned her smile with a touch of sarcasm. "I'm sure they are."

The woman shrugged, knowing a lost cause when she saw one. "Follow me then, please."

As the woman walked ahead of them, Ray whispered to Ben. "This wasn't part of the plan."

"Actually, Ray," Fraser whispered back. "There was no plan."

"You would have to bring that up, wouldn't you?" Ray replied.

The receptionist led them to a brightly lit room containing

several computer terminals. "Your application is completely confidential," she told Fraser. "Once you become a part of the Moonstruck family, you will receive an identification number. With this number you can call our automated service and find information on pending dates and other services provided by Moonstruck. The automated system is protected by a password that only you know."

"What if I should happen to *forget* my password? Does that mean that all of my information is just gone?" Ray asked.

"Oh, have you changed your mind about registering?" The receptionist brightened.

"Um...no," Ray answered with a saccharine smile. "Just curious."

The receptionist sighed. "Well, if you *loose* your password you can come into Moonstruck and use any of our terminals as all you need is name, address and account number."

"Well, what if the police wanted into my account?" Ray added, throwing in a smile at the last second.

The receptionist gave Ray a strange look before she answered. "Well, they'd need a warrant...and your identification number..." When both men only smiled when she was done speaking, she continued with a slight shake of her head. "There will be a $50.00 registration fee. You pay on your way out." With that she left the room.

"Fifty bucks!? Benny, Mrs. Lugucci will set you up for a six pack! This place is a scam! If Mrs. Lugucci ever found out she could charge like this--"

"Ray," Fraser cut in on his friend's rant. "Do you have the card?"

"Yeah," Ray answered pulling the card from his inner overcoat pocket. He pulled a chair over from a neighboring terminal so he could look on as Ben clicked his way through the opening menu. After a few minutes of going no where with the program they came to the conclusion that the terminal at which they were working was *not* going to allow them access to the main dating directory.

"You know, we could get a warrant," Ray offered.

"Yes, but we'd only reasonably be allowed access to Ms. Sheridan's file. I seem to recall reading in the obituaries that someone died on a date. The name of the dating service was Moonstruck, but the next day the paper printed an apology as the name of the service was unnecessarily linked to a death. For this reason, Ray, I'd like to have access to Moonstruck's terminals."

"All right," Ray said. "I'm not going to even *ask* why you were reading the obituaries, but it's your money..."

There was a bit of silence as Fraser stared at the screen for a few moments. "Uh...Ray, could you...?"

"Aw Fraser!" Ray exclaimed as he pulled out his wallet. "But this better lead someplace!"

"Thanks, Ray." Fraser cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles in preparation for the dating profile. "Oh, and by the way," he added as he began typing. "You'd be surprised what kinds of helpful information you could find in the newspaper..."

1 hour later...

"Benny, I don't think they require answers in essay form for this thing," Ray complained. He sat with his head down on his crossed arms on the side of the table.

"Yes, Ray, but they requested 'thoughtful completion of all questions to help provide factual information about the quality and location of the people you are seeking' furthermore they suggested that I be 'specific in all my answers'."

Ray sighed and moved up into a position with his head propped on a fist as he read Ben's latest entry. "Move over," he said.

"Move over?"

"Yes, move over or we'll never get out of here."

Fraser obliged.

"Hmmm...appearance? Babe." Ray clicked the appropriate block.

"Babe? Ray...what are you doing? I wouldn't wish to judge by physical appearance alone."

"Too late. You're getting a babe. Marital status...expectations..."

"Ray!"

"Just a sec, Benny. I'm almost done." With that and a final click of the mouse Ray exited the profile. A small slip of paper printed out of the bottom of the terminal. A nine digit number was shown. Ray snatched it out and handed it to his stunned friend. "There's your identification number and your secret code is muffin."

"Muffin? Ray, I don't think--"

"What's the worse that could happen? You might just get a couple of interesting dates for *my* fifty bucks! Come on, let's go find a real terminal so we can try this thing out."

Fraser and Ray left the profile room and were heading in the opposite direction of the reception area when the receptionist, while leaving a nearby office, spotted them. "Good, you're finished," she smiled and murmured 'finally' under her breath.

"Come this way and well shoot your video."

"Video?" Both men asked in surprise.

"Yes, the woman said. "It'll only take a few minutes."

When she had Fraser before the camera she told him to state his name, age, date and place of birth and say a little about himself.

Ray sighed as Fraser began. A little would mean another hour in the video room. But to Ray's surprise Fraser stated the basics and that he worked at the Canadian Consulate.

Ray was still stunned when Fraser had gotten up from the chair in front of the camera and was moving toward the receptionist.

"Is there any place I might be able to...try this out?" Fraser asked when the woman handed him a small plastic card with his identi-number on it along with a small gift-wrapped package.

"Yes, the terminal room is off the reception area."

"Thank you, kindly," Fraser said and took his receipt as well.

Ray took the receipt from his hand as they left the room. "I'll take that. What's in the box?"

"I don't know, Ray..."

Fraser glanced through a bottle of gold colored liquid while Ray drove. He opened the bottle and took a whiff.

"Well? Is it any good?" Ray asked.

"Hmmm..." Fraser said and took another sniff before reading the name across the side of the bottle. "Love potion for men."

"Let me smell," Ray said.

Fraser placed the open bottle beneath his friends' nose.

"It smells kinda like Brut," Ray said, wrinkling his nose.

Fraser shrugged and placed the bottle back into its packaging when he saw that they'd neared their destination. He glanced out the window at the run-down building which loomed to the right.

"This is the place," Ray said as they got out of the car.

Fraser stopped to tell Dief to stay in the car before they headed toward the building.

The halls were quiet as they walked along the staircase. They stopped in front of 3D and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice yelled from the opposite side of the door.

"Chicago P.D," Ray said. "We'd like to have a word with you."

There was a brief pause before the man called back. "Just a sec."

Fraser and Ray glanced at each other, before, through some silent communication, Ray headed silently down the stairs. Fraser knocked again. "Mr. Dunn, this is Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It's extremely important that I speak with you."

There was the sound of pottery breaking and a window being raised from the other side of the door. Ben took a step back and kicked the door. With a bang it slammed back on it's hinges and hit the side wall.

After a moment, Fraser'd determined that Jonathan Dunn was no longer in the apartment. A window near the fire escape was open and a broken planter lay on the floor beneath it.

Fraser reached the window in time to see the fire escape lowering to street level and a young man jumping off at the bottom. He hurriedly climbed through the window and down the fire escape, jumping the last few feet to the ground. Ray rounded the corner with his gun drawn.

"Get the car!" Fraser yelled in his direction and ran off after young Jonathan Dunn.

The young man ran down the street dodging the few pedestrians that were out. He ran along an alley and over a wall and through the back parking lot of a hair salon. The green Riviera pulled around a corner just as he dashed into an open doorway.

Ray pulled the car to a stop in front of the Simply Sudsy Laundromat. He didn't see Fraser on the street so he cautiously stepped toward the open doors. Ray quickly scanned the place, seeing only an elderly woman getting change from a machine. A second later Fraser came into view from the back of the establishment.

Ray tucked his gun to his side as both men began a slow circuit of the room glancing behind the huge dryers and machines and into the arcade room. The woman turned from the change machine and smiled at each of them before going toward a dryer with a large wire basket nearby. Painstakingly, she loaded her money.

Ray glanced at her for a few seconds and put his gun away. Dunn was gone. Ray signaled to Fraser, but noticed that his friend was staring strangely at the elderly woman. When Ben began to move slowly in the woman's direction, Ray did as well.

The woman finally loaded her last quarter and pushed the start button as the men drew up to her. Before either could question her concerning the young man who'd run through the building, muffled cries began to be heard from within her dryer.

"Oh, dear," the woman said.

*****

"Now, Mr. DONAHUE," Ray began questioning the young man who sat before him. "We know you have two prior's for assault under your *other* name. But all we want is the truth. Just tell us what happened last night."

Jonathan Dunn was a slight, blonde-headed young man with longish hair. His dating service video still that had been attached to Elenore's account, had done more justice than Ray would have thought possible. He figured Elenore must have had quite a surprise when she met him. Perhaps that would explain the angry red scratches down one side of his face.

Dunn gave Ray a belligerent look across the interrogation table. "I don't know what you're talking about, man and the name's Dunn."

"Yeah? So someone stole your fingerprints? Aside from the fact that you ran. Care to explain that?" Ray shot back.

"Cops were at my door. Ain't that enough?"

"Elenore Sheridan do that?" Ray asked, pointing toward the scratches. His eyes never strayed from Dunn's face. The boy flinched.

"Who?" he asked, voice belying the reaction that Ray'd caught.

Ray lowered his voice companionably. "What'd you do, man? I mean, a woman does something like that to you..."

Dunn stared hard at Ray for a few seconds. "Man, this place is wacked! I don't have to talk to you without my lawyer!"

"All right," Ray nodded, raising his hands in defeat. "You thirsty?" he asked, directing the question over his shoulder toward a silent Fraser, who lounged against the far wall.

"Yes, Ray. Water, please."

When Ray'd left the little room, Fraser strolled casually over to the recently vacated seat. "Do you mind if I sit?" he asked the young man.

Dunn shrugged. "Do what you want."

"Thank you," Fraser said as he sat. He silently watched Dunn for a few seconds before he began speaking. "I'm interested in the truth."

"Oh yeah, which truth is that, Mountie?" Dunn smirked.

"Yours. I'd like to hear your story."

Dunn's smirk faded to an expression of confusion as he looked back at the Mountie. He scratched his head thoughtfully and then opened his mouth as if to speak. Then something hardened behind his eyes and the moment was gone.

"What is this?" Dunn laughed. " You're playing good cop, bad cop. Right?" "No. I wasn't aware of playing anything," Fraser replied.

Dunn's brows raised fractionally before he sighed in resignation. "Okay, whatever. You're gonna pin this on me, anyway. It's like this: we met up like we were supposed to because she didn't want me to pick her up. But she was acting kinda strange, you know...moody. It was like one second she couldn't keep her hands off me and the next... she was really...angry. She threw her food at me at the restaurant, made a *big* scene. Look, if you don't believe me, check with the restaurant. They should remember, we got kicked out."

Fraser considered Dunn for a second. "I believe you," he said. "So, how'd you get the scratch on your face?"

"She did it." Dunn admitted. "We went for a walk and while we were walking I said something about Canadian men or something and she went ballistic and clawed me. I smacked her. Once. And then I left her there and that's the last time I ever saw her."

At that moment, Ray poked his head into the door. "Benny, could I see you out here a moment?"

"Sure, Ray," Fraser said, excusing himself before he left the room.

"We gotta cut him loose," Ray said as soon as the door was shut. "The ME's report came back a few minutes ago. Seems the cause of death was an allergic reaction."

"An allergic reaction?" Fraser asked, surprised. "To what?"

"Don't know. They haven't figured that part out, yet. In any case our part is over."

"No, Ray. I don't think so."

"How do you figure that?" Ray asked, knowing he'd regret it.

"Well, since the cause of death has yet to be clearly defined. We should continue our investigation until that time. Someone might have poisoned her."

"So are you saying we should hold on to our boy, Dunn?" Ray quizzed.

"No," Ben said matter of factly. "He didn't do it, Ray. Of course, she *did* scratch him and he was one of the last people to see her alive, aside from the killer, of course. He suggested that she was behaving strangely."

"How do you know when a perfect stranger is behaving strangely?" Ray asked with raised brows. "Look, Benny, The point is moot. We really have no reason to hold on to him and the investigation is in the hands of the doctors, now. We should have a full report and toxicology by tomorrow, they said."

"Constable Fraser!" a voice yelled in the direction of the two men. The officer held a phone over his head indicating that someone was waiting on the other end of the line.

As Ben went off to answer his call, Ray gestured to a uniformed officer to cut the young man in the interrogation room loose.

Diefenbaker sat solemnly gazing up at a jar of jelly beans that sat near the edge of Ray's desk. Ray glanced over at the wolf from his news article and moved the jar to the opposite side of the desk.

"I paid extortion rates to my niece's school for those. Paws off," Ray said with a suspicious look at the animal. He'd lost more than one snack to the wolf. He didn't plan on loosing another. At the pitiful little whine, Ray sighed and removed a handful of the colorful treats from the jar and slipped them to the wolf. "No telling Fraser," he ordered. With that, he turned back

to his paper.

Moments later, Dief now eyed Ray, licking his chops, obviously waiting for another nibble of his most recent tasty treat.

Ray studiously ignored the look. "Yeah, lots of interesting things here," Ray muttered. I don't know about you boy, but I know *I'm* happy to learn that," Ray glanced at the headline on page 31F, "Chicago's own Rhys-Isman Bio-Chem is the only U.S. company allowed to import..." Ray gave the excessively long, likely Latin, word a second of consideration before continuing. "...some *bug* from Brazil." After staring at the wolf a few seconds, Ray went back to the paper with a wave, "ahh, what do you know, anyway?" Before he turned to the comics though, Ray gave that unbelievable word another once over...

"Ray, what are you reading?" Fraser asked as he peered down unto his friends desk.

"Uh, nothing. Just killing time," Ray said a bit too quickly, refolding the newspaper and stuffing it in the trash can. "What was the phone call about?" "Inspector Thatcher," Fraser answered.

"I figured as much," Ray said. "And..."

"She says that as far as she's concerned our investigation is complete, that the Chicago Police Department can handle the rest."

"So...?" Ray prompted when Fraser continued to stand before his desk deep in thought.

"So, I need you to look up a case, Ray." Fraser continued.

"Why, Benny?" Ray asked, as if the weight of the world had just fell upon his shoulders. "Can't we just let this one go?"

"Ray, there are just a few loose ends I need to check into. If you don't want to join me, that's fine. I'll understand."

Ray put his head into his hands and muttered to himself, "Why do I do this to myself?" Then aloud he said, "Okay, we'll follow up on 'a few loose ends'. It's better than seeing you pout."

"I don't pout, Ray."

"Ah, yes you do."

"I do not."

"You do," Ray nodded "Ask anybody." he said over his shoulder as he headed off toward the computer area..

"All right, I will." Fraser stopped to ask Huey as they passed. "Detective Huey, do I 'pout'?"

Huey gave him an odd look and turned back to his desk, deciding that if he ignored the Mountie, he'd go away.

Undeterred Fraser asked Elaine.

"Oh, yes, in the most adorable way," Elaine answered and turned back to her work. A nearby female officer shot Elaine the right-on signal and giggled into her word processor.

Fraser blushed and silently followed Ray toward the computer area.

Ray's cell-phone chirped as the information concerning the death of the young man who'd been a member of Moonlighting Dating Services was printing out. The stated cause of death was an allergic reaction to an unknown allergen.

"Vecchio," Ray said into the phone. Then after a second he handed the instrument to Fraser. "It's for you..."

Fraser took the phone. "Yes, this is Constable Fraser." Fraser's eyes widened in surprise as he listened for a few seconds. "Really?... uh...yes." He reached into his pocket for a pen and pad and began writing hurriedly. "I have it, yes. I will. Thank you...Good bye."

Ray watched him in expectation when he deactivated the phone and handed it back.

"It would seem, Ray, that I have a date. The receptionist told me that I can access her video file over the internet if I use this address and code." He handed ray his notepad.

"Cool," said Ray with childish glee. "Let's go check her out."

Fraser paused in midstep, "Diefenbaker! Is that jelly beans I smell?"

Ray turned silently in his chair and gave an unnecessary amount of attention to accessing the computer's communications software.

Sarah ran her identi-card through the slot at the entrance of the Rhys-Isman Bio-Chem buildings. The arm lifted, allowing her car entry into the parking facilities. She parked in the slot marked: S. Jacobsen.

It was far beyond her usual reporting time, but her supervisor had been understanding and given her the customary 3 days off generally granted for a death in the immediate family. Even though Elenore wasn't truly a blood relative, she had been living with Sarah.

It was late afternoon and the lab would be empty at this time of day. Now was as good a time as any for her to pick up the final shipment.

Once in the lab, she removed the small wire mesh cage from her handbag. After a quick glance around the area, she approached the holding habitat for the L'ensueruvius amextus. She captured a healthy specimen and placed them within the wire mesh cage. She'd just gotten the cage back into her handbag when the sound of the lab doors sliding open caused her to startle.

"Sarah?" a man asked. "I didn't mean to scare you, but what are you doing here? I thought you were going to take a couple of days off."

Sarah put a hand over her heart. "It's okay," she said breathing heavily. "I

just couldn't sit around home. I'd rather be working."

"I understand," the man said, softly. Then after taking a deep breath, he gestured over his shoulder. "I was looking for Davis, that tour is coming through and they're probably gonna want to see our 'love bugs'. I just wanted to make sure someone would be here to answer questions."

Sarah groaned under her voice. "I completely forgot about the tours! I haven't seen Davis; she's probably off someplace puking her guts out. You know how she gets in front of a crowd." Passing a pensive look around the room, she continued, "Look, I'll do the tour. I just need to put my purse away.

* A bell tinkled as Ray and Ben entered the 'Coif Shoppe'. Four middle-aged women sitting beneath dryers all turned toward the pair. "Why do I feel like I'm gonna see my mother any second?" Ray murmured.

"Perhaps the prevalence of...," Fraser began, but was cut off when Ray simply sighed and walked on into the establishment.

A tall, curly haired gentleman sashed toward them. "May I help you boys?" "Yeah, we're looking for Tiffany Evans, she in?" Ray flashed his badge, while Ben nodded politely. The man sniffed disdainfully and yelled for 'Tiff' before he sashed back toward the washing bowl.

"Tiffany Evans?" Ray asked when the girl appeared.

"Cop, right?" She asked.

"Right," Ray admitted. "We need to ask you a few more questions about your date with Andrew Meyers. Can we step outside?"

"Why? I told you everything I knew two months ago." Tiffany headed back to the rear of the shop. "I got nothing else to say."

"Excuse me. Ms. Evans," Ben spoke up politely. "It's very important that we speak with you. I promise it'll only take a minute of your time."

Tiffany turned consideringly toward the Mountie. "Okay. One minute."

"Ms. Evans, the Medical Examiner's report states that Mr. Meyers died of an extreme allergic reaction. And according to your statement, the two of you went to dinner and for a walk. Could you tell us where you had dinner and what Mr. Meyers ordered?"

Tiffany stared off over the men's shoulders as she thought back. "We ate at Harper House and I think Andrew had some kind of pasta. I remember it was something with peppercorns."

"Peppercorns?" Ray asked curious that she'd recall that detail.

"Yeah. I remember cause he kept talking about bugs," Tiffany explained. "He was a creepy dude."

"Creepy how?" Ray asked.

"Well he kept telling me about all of his allergies. Some were stuff I never even heard of. Then he told me how he worked with bugs all day and..." Tiffany shuddered. "Way gross."

*****

"She has something to do with it," Ray insisted as he pulled the Riv out into traffic and headed toward Rhys-Isman Bio-Chem. "They both worked at the same place."

"Ray, while it does appear somewhat curious that Sarah Jacobsen and Andrew Meyer worked at the same company," Ben admitted. "It doesn't necessarily follow that she killed either Mr. Meyer or Ms. Sheridan."

"Benny, this is a no-brainer. She's got all those spiders and stuff on her wall. That just isn't normal, first of all. Second of all, she's probably up to some scheme that involved exotic poisons or something. Somehow in this she ends up killing Andrew. Elenore finds out and so she has to kill her, too. End of story." "Ray, you're forgetting the other connection." Fraser spoke up in the ensuing silence.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"The dating service. Both Elenore and Andrew used the same dating service, AND Andrew died nearly two months before Elenore arrived here in Chicago."

"Okay," Ray conceded the point. "So we got 2 allergic people with a dating service and Sarah Jacobsen in common."

"Yes," Ben agreed. "And a company Rhys-Isman Bio-Chem."

"Yeah," Ray murmured, chewing his lip a bit in thought. "That reminds me...I read something about them in the paper today..." In a sudden movement, not completely out of character, Ray made an illegal maneuver in the middle of the street and headed in the opposite direction.

" Rhys-Isman Bio-Chem?" Ben queried.

"How'd you guess?" Ray wondered. Did the Mountie have to know EVERYTHING?

"I saw you reading the paper..."

"Are you here for the tour?" a cheery receptionist greeted Ben and Ray as they approached the entry desk.

"Yes," Ray smiled dashingly as Ben said 'no'.

The young woman smiled from one to the other.

"Yes," Ben amended.

"Okay," the woman laughed. "Come with me, I'll take you to them. It's only just started."

"And here we have the L'ensueruvius amextus..." the guide continued along as they passed through double doors. Ray fought the urge to scratch visibly.

The sensation of creepy things crawling over his arms was forgotten as he caught the expression of outright panic cross the face of the familiar blonde-headed doctor in the center of the room.

] "...Dr. Sarah Jacobsen is one our specialists with the "love bugs" as we affectionately call them. L'ensueruvius amextus is *more* than a mouthful. Sarah..."

"Uh...G-Good afternoon," Sarah greeted the crowd, finally pulling herself together. "If you'll all step this way..."

The crowd followed obediently as Sarah led them toward the enclosures housing the 'love bugs'. The enclosure's had been designed to mimic the tropical environment from which the bugs had originated. The male and female of the species were kept separate in an attempt to control the production of the potent chemical secreted by the creatures.

The close proximity of the enclosures caused each of the sexes to produce similar, but slightly different types of the chemical compound, useful in certain medicinal applications. The act of mating caused a reaction between the two creating yet another compound that Rys-Isman found useful in controlling certain types of cell abnormality.

Sarah was very knowledgeable about her subject. "Questions?" she asked when she was done with her presentation.

When all of the questions were answered and the group continued on, Ray and Ben left with the group. Sarah watched them go warily before heading toward a back room.

As the tour guide led the group along the hall, Ben pulled Ray out of the line to follow the figure fleeing through a side door.

"...I don't know about you, Benny, but she sure looks guilty to me," Ray murmured as they moved in pursuit.

Ray was several cars behind when she pulled out of the parking area.

"What do you think she's doing?" he asked when she turned into a park near the Industrial Zone.

"I don't know," Ben answered thoughtfully. They both sat silently as Sarah got out of her car and moved to sit on a bench near a duck pond.

After she sat, she pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. Within moments of hanging up she was furiously wiping at her eyes.

Ben frowned and puckered his lips a moment, deep in thought.

"What are you doing?" Ray demanded when he opened the door.

"I'm going to go talk to her before she does something she's going to regret."

"Benny!" Ray demanded. When the Mountie simply waved back to ensure him that everything was under control, he ground his teeth and called in a stage whisper, "Five minutes! You got five minutes to tell your Inuit story and I'm comin' in!"

When Ben approached the bench, Sarah was still visibly fighting for control of her emotions. "May I sit," he asked, gesturing toward the empty seat beside her.

For a moment she looked as if she might run, but then all the fight left her and she simply shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"But it does," Ben insisted, taking the seat. Sarah looked at him oddly, waiting for him to finish. "Many years ago an old man told me a story. It was the story of an old woman and her friend the great bird. The great bird and the woman were the best of friends, but they could only be together during the summer. In the fall the great bird had to fly away. One day when the great bird was in the forest the woman took his wings and decided to learn to fly. So she went to a high mountain and jumped. But she was not a bird and she did not know how to soar. She broke one of his wings.

"When the great bird learned that his wings were lost, he was very sad. He went into the forest for many days and would not come out. The woman knew that she had to tell her friend that it was she who had broken his wings, but she was afraid. So she went to the foot of the mountain and buried the wings.

"When fall approached, the great bird came out of the forest to say good bye to his friend. When the woman saw that he had his full span of wings she began to laugh and she told him of her attempt to fly. When he heard this, the great bird became very sad. He told the woman that she should have told him sooner. He had made the wings for her, so that he could teach her to soar."

When Ben finished speaking, Sarah looked at him expectantly. "So what happened? Did the great bird stay and teach her to fly? Did he forgive her for stealing the wings?"

"No," Ben answered. "She had to spend the long winter alone, and time forgave her. But the next year, the great bird returned and taught her to soar."

"Oh, okay," Sarah said thoughtfully. "This has something to do with me, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Ben answered.

Sarah looked down at her oversized purse. "I think I need to go back to Rhys-Isman; there's a little something I gotta do."

Ben nodded his agreement and they both rose from the bench. Just as they did, someone large and heavy shoved into the two of them. Ben's Stetson went flying.

A man dressed in a dark suit elbowed Ben, and snatched Sarah's purse.

"Hey!" Sarah yelled after the man. "No!"

Ben felt something wet and potent spilling across his chest. Then he remembered the vial of cologne from the dating service. Pushing the thought

aside, he rushed after the escaping purse snatcher. Sarah followed right behind, just ahead of Ray who'd leapt out of the car when the man had approached.

The man ran between a stand of trees into a picnic area. Near a wooden bridge, Ben took stepped up onto one of the wooden tables and dove on the man. Purse snatcher and Mountie and purse were a tangled mass in the grass for a few moments before Ben dragged the man to his feet and presented him to Ray for handcuffing.

Sarah was at his side and was attempting to salvage the contents of her purse. The small bug holder had opened and dozens of the L'ensueruvius amextus were spilling out over the grass. Ben who'd moved to help her noticed that they were all over his hands. In fact they seemed to be very much attracted to him.

" L'ensueruvius amextus?" he asked, curiously. "Are these by chance related to the L'Mnergus Amori?"

To Ben's eyes, Sarah seemed to blur a bit before she responded. "Yes, quite similar actually," she looked at him in admiration. "What do you know about the...what's that smell?"

"Love bug...the cologne actually," Ben responded, getting unsteadily to his feet. "Are these bugs supposed to bite?" Tiny red welts were beginning to appear all over Ben's hands.

"Only if they like..." Sarah's voice trailed off as her eyes widened with growing horror.

She looked around distractedly, focusing on something black and lethal looking at Ray's waist. She made a grab for it.

*****

Fraser opened his eyes to look into Ray's worried ones. His eyes tracked around the room; he was lying on a gurney. "What happened?" he asked.

"She Tasered you," Ray answered.

"Pardon?"

"She shot you with my Taser," Ray repeated with a sigh as the object of discussion entered the room.

"Wonderful," Sarah smiled. "You're awake. I'm sorry I had to shock you, but it's the quickest way to neutralize the poison."

"Poison?"

"From the cologne," Sarah told him. "'Love Bug' cologne is one of the industrial uses for the pre-mating compound."

"Aaah," Fraser murmured with an incline of his head. "So the compound in the cologne attracted the L'ensueruvius amextus and consequently they began biting me, thus injecting the other compound which started the reaction."

"Exactly," Sarah confirmed.

"And that's what happened to Elenore and Andrew. They were both bitten, perhaps day's prior to their dates. Then, when they put on the cologne the compound was still in their systems, but in much smaller amounts. That's why it took so long for their symptoms to show."

"So, case closed," Ben said, moving to sit up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sarah asked.

"I feeling much better," Ben answered.

"No, no, no, no. You have to stay here for the sake of every woman within a square mile. With all those pheromones in your system, you're a walking woman magnet."

"Trust me," Ray grinned. "This would be nothing new."

~End. Comments?