When they got to Joe's place, he dropped Miranda off, then he drove to her place to get her some clothes. When he came back she had some dinner cooking.
"Hey, you are supposed to be resting," he told her.
"I know, but you were kind enough to let me stay," she told him.
"Let me help you," he told her. He took over the cooking of hamburger. She told him she was making tacos and he finished them while she sat at the table talking to him about what had been going on. After they had eaten, Joe sent Miranda to bed, seeing how exhausted she was. She didn't argue. She headed to his spare room and collapsed into bed without even changing her clothes.
When Joe got up in the morning, he smelled bacon. He walked into the kitchen, pulling on his police polo shirt.
"Good morning," he told her.
"Hi Joe," she said, "I figured we should have breakfast before we left," she told him.
He nodded at her and sat at the table. She grabbed the pan from the stovetop, but a searing pain tore through her shoulders and she dropped the pan.
Joe was instantly by her side. "Miranda, are you all right?" he asked her.
"The doctor didn't tell me that both sides would hurt," she complained, as she knelt to clean up her mess.
"Don't you even dare," he told her and pushed her into a chair.
"I'm sorry Joe I made such a mess."
"Hey, it's not a problem," he told her, cleaning it up. He then put the salvaged pieces of bacon onto a plate next to the eggs and toast.
"So both shoulders hurt?" he asked her.
"Yes, but only when I pick up something," she said, feeling dumb.
"I'm sorry Miranda, maybe we should stay home another day," he suggested to her.
"No way Joe," she told him.
He shook his head at her. "I thought you would say that," then he sat to eat.
He glanced her way. "You know if I didn't know that was my partner under that wig and brown contacts, I wouldn't even know who you were."
"That is what I am planning on Joe," she told him.
"Do you have money?" he then asked her.
"Yes, and in that account Tyrone gave me, speaking of which," she brightened.
"You know Joe, I might know where there is a billion dollars stashed," she grinned.
"A billion dollars?"
"Yes. Tyrone sold that chip for a billion dollars to the mafia in China. I will bet you anything his account number is hidden somewhere."
"Like where?" Joe asked.
"I was thinking he might have put it in my account," she mused. "If he thought I wasn't going to need that account, he probably stashed the other money into it."
"We need that account number," he told her.
"Yes, we do," she told him and jumped up. "I think we had better get a move on it, Joe."
He nodded, and hurriedly washing their dishes, she then looked at Joe as they headed out the door.
"Joe, does the boss have my necklace still?" he asked.
"Yes, why?"
"Can we go get it? I am having another hunch," she grinned.
"Sure thing, it is in evidence, but I am sure the boss will let us get it out."
She nodded and headed to the car. She let him carry her luggage.
When they got to the precinct, Betty looked up.
"Where is Miranda?" she asked Joe.
"She's home," he told her, then walked back to the Chief's office.
He looked up as they walked in "Joe?" he asked looking at Miranda.
"This is my new partner, Brandy," he grinned.
The Chief smiled. "Aren't you two supposed to be leaving?"
"Not yet," Miranda told him, "Where is that necklace?"
"The one Tyrone gave you?"
"Yes."
"It's in the evidence room, why?"
"I need it, and how did you get it anyway?"
"Tyler sent all the evidence here. He figured I would be doing the prosecuting of Tyrone's men, and since it was part of the evidence from you, he thought I might want it."
"Smart man," she said. The Chief nodded and took the two to the evidence room. He opened the cage and pulled out a box. Inside was a baggy with her crushed earrings in it, and bloody clothing, then her necklace. She reached in and pulled it out.
"What do you need it for?" he asked her.
"A hunch," she grinned, as they left the room.
When they had reached the Chief's office again, and Joe had closed the door the Chief said, "Tyler called this morning. It seems the Chinese government is missing one billion dollars. The mafia there stole it to buy that chip of Tyrone's and since the mafia boss was killed in the deal, the government is looking for the money. If you can think of any place that Tyrone stashed that money, let me know," he told her.
Miranda nodded and put the necklace in her pocket. "I will let you know," she promised, then, "come on Joe or we will miss our flight."
Joe nodded and followed her out the door and to his car once again.
When they arrived at the airport and had checked their luggage, and showed their badges to the security, a woman smiled behind them. "It will be nice to have officers on the flight, last time I flew there were hijackers aboard. If it hadn't been for that lovely young lady that saved everyone, we all would have died, I wonder what happened to her," she mused.
"What did she look like?" Joe asked her as they headed to their terminal.
"She was a beautiful young thing, brown hair and green eyes, I wondered if she was a cop, she sure acted like one. She was hurt though, and when someone asked for her, she was gone, like she was an angel, sent to save us."
Joe looked down at the elderly lady. "She is an angel," he agreed, "but she died a few weeks ago."
"You knew her?"
"Yes, she was an officer, a friend of ours."
"Oh dear, she was such a sweet thing," she sighed.
"Yes, she was," Joe agreed.
"So, where are you headed?" the woman asked.
"San Francisco," Joe told her as they sat to wait for their flight.
"Are you headed there for your honeymoon?" she asked, eyeing the two of them.
Joe grinned. "No ma'am, we are on a case. We are just police partners."
"Oh, that is too bad, you are a nice looking couple," she told them.
Miranda grinned at her. "Thank you, ma'am," she drawled.
The woman smiled at her. "Are you from Texas?"
"Originally, yes, but I work here now."
"How nice," she told Miranda.
Their flight was called then and they stood to board.
"How did you hurt your arm?" the woman asked, eyeing Miranda's sling.
"She was shot," Joe informed her.
"Oh my, but I guess it comes with the job," she sighed.
"Yes, it does," Miranda said, and followed the woman onto the plane after handing the agent her ticket.
Miranda was grateful that Joe had gotten them first-class seats, she wasn't sure she could handle being jostled, with her arm being so sore.
Thank goodness their flight was quiet, it gave Miranda an opportunity to rest.
When they got off the flight, Joe went to rent a nice car for them, and they headed to the hotel. They decided to check in first, and then head to the precinct. As soon they were checked in, Miranda called her Chief.
"Got there okay?" he asked her.
"Yes, no hijackings," she laughed.
"That is good news. So are you headed to the precinct?"
"Yes, in a minute, we had to check in first," she told him.
"Good, call me when you are ready to head home."
"Will do," she promised then met Joe outside her room.
"Ready Brandy?" he grinned.
"Ready as ever," she told him.
He nodded at her and they headed back out to his car and to the precinct.
When they walked in the dispatcher looked up at them. "Hi Joe, nice to see you again," she smiled at him.
He nodded at her, and they headed back to Chief Stratton's office.
Joe knocked, and the two walked in after he told them to enter.
The Chief looked up in surprise to see Joe and a beautiful blonde.
"Joe, what brings you here?" he asked.
"I just stopped by to introduce my new partner," he grinned, "This is Brandy VanTassel."
"You flew all the way out here to introduce me to your new partner Joe?" Stratton frowned.
"Yes, she is special, this one. Comes with all kinds of accolades," Joe grinned.
"I thought you would mourn for her a bit longer," the Chief said in surprise.
"My Chief thought I could get over Miranda sooner if I had a new partner."
"That's a laugh," said a voice.
The two turned around to see Cole walk in. Miranda's heart about stopped.
"Hey Joe, nice to see you," Cole said and shook his hand.
"Same here Cole," Joe said, then, "I would like to you both to meet my new partner, Captain Detective Brandy VanTassel."
"Hi y'all," she drawled, shaking Cole's hand. He looked worn out and she could tell he wasn't doing well like he hadn't slept in a month.
"Captain, you must be good," the chief said.
"Yes, sir."
"You must be awfully good."
"I'd like to think so sir, Joe here told me I had nine lives," she said.
"Why the sling?" he asked her.
"Oh, a gunshot wound. Some dude shot me in the collar bone, breaking it."
"So, what brings you two here?" the Chief asked.
"We need to find agent Hinton," Miranda drawled, "there is a billion dollars of the Chinese government's money out there, and we want to help find it."
"So why do you need Tyler's help?" he asked.
"We think he might be able to help us find Tyrone's account number," Miranda said.
"I will call him right now," the Chief told her and dialed his number.
"Hey, it's Stratton," when Tyler answered, "Joe is here with his new partner, yes I told him that also, look, they need your help, something to do with Tyrone's account."
He hung up. "He is on his way, he wants to meet Joe's new partner, he is angry," the Chief said.
"I wasn't happy about it either," Joe said, "but my chief insisted."
"I think that he should have waited," Cole ground out.
"I do too," Miranda said, "no one has had time to grieve."
The Chief looked at her in surprise.
"Did you know her Brandy?"
"I did, we went to the academy together, did you know she was really good at disguises?" she grinned at the Chief.
He felt as if the air had been knocked out of him. He stared at Miranda. She winked at him.
He recovered after a moment. "So Brandy, what were you saying about that gunshot wound?"
"Oh, you know some drug lord shot me, then I escaped and wrecked my car, I was in a hospital for a week, I think everyone thought I was dead. But here I am," she grinned.
He grinned ear to ear, then stood. "Well, nice to meet you, Captain, it looks like Tyler is here, so I will let you get to work," he dismissed them and the two of them headed out into the other room.
"Why are you grinning?" Cole asked his chief as he watched Brandy head over to Tyler.
"She just seemed familiar, that's all," the Chief said.
Cole hadn't even been paying attention to the conversation, he had only been thinking about Miranda.
He watched as Tyler walked up to the two and then he watched a huge grin spread across Tyler's face.
"New partner Joe?" he grinned at Miranda, "she is beautiful," he said.
"You aren't so bad looking yourself," she flirted. "What was your last name again?" she asked.
"Hinton."
"Hinton, yes, I knew a Hinton once. His brother was killed in some shoot out with the police, shot by some redhead," she grinned.
Tyler burst out laughing, hugged her softly and kissed her cheek. "Welcome back," he whispered.
"Thanks," she whispered back.
He then straightened, "So, come to my desk, you have some information for me?" he asked.
The two nodded and headed to his desk.
Cole watched them. Tyler had taken an instant liking to the new detective. He had even kissed her. What was so special about her? He couldn't figure that out.
"So," Tyler said, sitting down, "what do you have?"
"I think we need to find Tyrone's account," Miranda said, "I believe it has the missing billion in it."
"You don't think it's in Miranda's account do you?" he looked at her.
"I think so, but it might be in another account, that is why I wanted you here to help us check."
"I have my van outside, maybe we can go check into some possibilities," he said.
"Good idea," she told him.
He grinned and standing, he helped her up.
"What happened?" he asked her as they headed outside, his arm about her waist.
"Some creep shot me in the collar bone, the doctor says I have to keep the sling on for a week."
"Did they catch the guy?"
"I killed him," she stated as they went outside, Cole watching them. Tyler had his arm about 'Brandy's' waist.
"Man, he sure got over Miranda fast," he muttered. "They haven't even found her body."
"One day, Cole, you know, perhaps you should go help them. That Brandy seemed to be quite enamored with you."
"No, she is enamored with Tyler, not me. He walked out with his arm about her waist."
The Chief grinned, so Tyler had figured it out also, why couldn't Cole?
"I think you should ask her out while she is here," the Chief pushed.
"No, I can't put my finger on it, but that accent seemed fake."
"Perhaps it was," the Chief said, and walked away.