Everything seemed to slow down as I watched Billy fall to the ground. No! I felt dizzy and if I hadn't been tied to a chair, I probably would have fallen over.

Connor put his gun away and looked down at Billy, then looked questioningly at me. "He called you...Babydoll?" Two other men tied Billy up and left him on the floor. I felt tears coming on and shook my head angrily, then jumped as the phone rang.

"Answer it," Connor told one of his men.

"Who's calling?" I heard the man say. "She ain't here." He glanced back at Connor, who was tapping his foot on the floor. "She ain't here," he repeated as he hung up the phone. "Someone was calling for her."

Connor snapped his fingers. "We're moving them. Bring McCarty." He untied me and pushed me out the door, keeping a tight grip on my arm. We stopped when we reached a car by the side of the road. Connor tied my hands behind my back and pushed me inside the trunk. Someone tossed Billy in a minute later. I heard car doors slamming and then the engine started.

I wiggled around until I found Billy's hand and held it tightly. Please don't die. The car came to a stop and I waited breathlessly. Connor opened the trunk and pulled me out. I recognized Neil's flat. We went inside to the bedroom and Connor pushed me onto the bed, undoing the gag. Billy was dumped on the floor at my feet.

"Don't let him bleed to death, Connor. Please?"

"He's not dead, Annie." Connor's lip curled. "And if you do what I tell you, he'll stay alive."

"What do you want me to do?" I stared down at Billy. His shirtsleeve was stained red, and a trickle of blood ran down from the top of his head.

"You told me those notes of yours were for the Pillar Times."

I nodded. "Yes..."

"Your notes about Smith...they're going into the article?"

I started to shake my head, but the way Connor was frowning at me made me stop. "Why?"

"C'mon, Doll, you know I can't let that get out to the public. We'll have the feds breathing down our backs worse than they already are."

"Don't call me Doll!" I decided to make up something and blurted, "Yes, I'm publishing those notes. Billy and I found proof that the police force is corrupt!"

Connor raised one eyebrow. "Proof? What's in your notebook isn't proof. It's a speculation."

"I know. That's why we went snooping and made sure we had proof before I sent the article to Caroline Grace."

Connor drew in a harsh breath. "You're telling me that you sent two articles to the Times? One about the NoLuks and one about the police?"

I nodded fervently. "They'll be in tomorrow's paper." I crossed my fingers behind my back.

Connor swore. "Look here, Annie, I can't have this. You find some way to stop those articles from being published!"

I laughed shakily. "I can't stop them. And you can't either."

"No?" Connor raised his eyebrow again. "How do you think we stopped the Spanish Mob boss? A little dynamite...and boom! It would be so easy...no printing press, no newspaper office, and no Caroline Grace."

My eyes got big. "You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can. And I will, if you don't figure out how to undo this mess."

Now that I had started this, I had to finish it. "Let the paper run tomorrow. You can't stop it. There's only one way I know of to undo a published article. Someone can write a statement that contradicts the article or proves it false. It can be published in a subsequent paper."

Connor eyed me for a long minute. I held his gaze, trying not to look at Billy's body lying on the floor. Finally Connor spoke. "You write the statement, saying your evidence was false. Complete bushwa, understand? You do that, I'll keep you out of jail."

"Jail?"

"Yes, jail. You and McCarty are both going to jail for being involved with the mob."

He can do that. If the rest of the force is on the take, they can easily frame us. I pursed my lips as Billy stirred at my feet. "If I write the statement?"

"There won't be any consequences except that the whole city will know you published false information."

"But...that's my whole career! My reputation!"

Connor smiled. "Your reputation is full of holes already. Think how much worse it would be in prison. You know what the mobsters say about you?" He leaned closer. "You know what they call you?"

"I can imagine."

"They say you're a quiff."

I winced. Even though I already knew what the men thought about me, it still hurt to hear it said aloud. Connor put his hands on my shoulders and leaned toward my face. I pulled back. "Stop it, Connor."

Connor snorted. "Make me." I lifted my foot and dragged the heel of my shoe down Connor's leg. He stumbled back, swearing, and tripped over Billy's legs. I tried hard not to laugh as Connor's backside hit the ground with a thump.

"I'll write the statement if you let us both go," I said hurriedly.

Connor limped over to lean against the wall and shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. That statement only gets you out of trouble. Not McCarty, too."

"Then I won't write it!"

Connor moved towards the door, shaking his head. "That's a dumb move, Annie. I'd hoped you'd have more sense than that. But you're too much like Neil...always caring about the other guy. Neil had an overactive conscience...didn't want McCarty to get what was coming to him." He nudged Billy with his foot. "That's why Shamus had me make the deal with the NoLuks."

"You? You were the one?" I stared, my mouth falling open.

"No, you dumb Dora, I didn't actually kill him. I just set everything up - the chink who did it was more than happy to oblige." Connor paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I'll give you 'til tomorrow to think about it. You write the article, you go free. You don't, you go in the cooler. McCarty's going there either way." The door closed and I heard it lock.

I slid off the bed and over to Billy. "Billy? Billy, please wake up!"

He grunted and pushed himself up against the edge of the bed. "I am. Where are we?"

"In Neil's old apartment." I snuggled up to him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to trip him after he tried to kiss you." Suddenly our situation seemed absurdly funny and I tried to stifle a giggle. Billy smiled, but he sobered quickly. "How did you end up in your flat with O'Shea? They told me you stopped by the station."

"I did. I was...sticking my nose where it shouldn't have been. Connor recognized me and my notebook was proof enough that I'd been snooping. Somebody created a distraction and they hustled me out to the car. Then they drove to my flat and we waited." I didn't tell him how worried I'd been and how hard I'd tried to get free so I could warn him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you stopped by. It's been a long day." Billy sighed and rested his head against the bed. "I think I've got a knife in my pocket, Annie." He started to reach into his pocket with his bound hands, but stopped with a wince.

"Your arm?" He nodded, gritting his teeth. "Let me try," I said after a minute. I stuck my hands in his pocket and felt the cool metal of a keyring. Biting my lip in concentration, I pulled my hands out and found the knife. "I don't know how to open it."

Billy sighed. "Give it here." There was a tiny click and he pushed the knife handle back into my hands. "Try to cut me loose."

"B-but what if I cut you?" He didn't answer, so I gulped and found the rope, then tried sawing back and forth with the knife. I felt a few strands breaking, and sawed harder.

"What did O'Shea want you to write?" Billy asked suddenly.

"I told him - I was publishing an article - about the corruption in the police force." My words came out jerkily as I moved the knife back and forth. "He told me if - I'd write a statement that - proved the article false - he wouldn't send me to jail."

"And you told him no?" Billy sounded surprised.

"Mh-hm. I was bluffing - the only article I've written is - one about the hospital victims. But - I told him I'd only write it if you let us both go." It seemed like an eternity before I felt the last bit of rope snap. I let out a loud sigh and let the knife drop onto the floor.

"Good work, Doll." I glanced over my shoulder as Billy stretched, wincing again as he moved his arm. He picked up the knife and set to work cutting me free.

The minute I was loose, I flung myself at him, planting kisses all over his face. "Oh, Billy, I'm so sorry! I thought...I thought they'd killed you!" My voice broke and I buried my face in his shirt.

He wrapped one arm around me and put one hand to my cheek. "No, Doll. O'Shea knew he had to stop me from getting to my gun. He did what he had to do. Now let's get out of here." We stood and walked over to the door. Billy frowned at the doorknob. "Locked?" I nodded. "They've probably got men in the living room. Let's try the window."

"Billy, we're two stories up!" I gripped his arm as we stared out the window.

"And? There's a fire escape." Billy opened the window and pointed at the metal ladder. "You first."

I hesitated, then swung out of the window. "You're sure you don't want to go first? I'm sure you'd find the view lovely."

He grinned down at me as he swung one leg out the window. "Can it, Doll." We climbed down the ladder, going slowly because of my high heels and Billy's arm.

When we reached the ground, Billy flagged down a taxi. We drove to a nicer part of town and got out. "We'll be doing a little bit of walking, Doll. I don't want that cabby to know where we're going."

"Where are we going?" I linked my arm through his.

He was quiet for a minute. "We're going to my place. Lulu is there with one of her men."

"Oh. Why?"

"One of her men tried to shoot her earlier today. She needed a safe place, so I brought her here." We turned a corner and mounted the steps of an apartment. "I also need to know how many of the officers are on the payroll. Annie...she's had just as much of a rough day as you have." Be nice. That's what he was saying. I nodded my understanding, and he kissed my forehead before opening the door.