Page 112 of Rules of Engagement

"Could go either way," I decided.

"That's what Traci and I keep saying. She's worried as hell right now. She wonders what he might have recorded on it."

I held back a laugh as I retrieved the dinosaur, but before I handed it over, I examined it. Hidden in the mouth was a very small camera. "This is pure genius," I said. "What did you use your nannycam for?"

"Usual stuff. Checking to make sure they're breathing, keeping an eye on them when they're suspiciously quiet, working out how they climbed out of their cribs so I could build a gigantic pen to cage them in so I got to snuggle with my wife on a Saturday morning."

"Is that how Traci works the nannycam?"

"Mostly. What's the puzzled face for?"

"I just realized I need to examine everything Sam ever gave me, just in case!"

"Good plan. Listen, I have to get back to the police station. I'll keep you updated when I can."

"Garrett?"

"Yeah?"

I hugged him, saying, "Thank you, for everything." I returned to Solomon's room and picked up my magazine, flicking through it but I couldn't concentrate. All I could think about was how close I'd come to losing Solomon. Being in the room with him was strangely comforting, even if it now smelled strongly of cleaning products.

"Hey," said Solomon sleepily. "Did Garrett have any news?"

"Some, but we can talk about it later. I thought you were trying to sleep."

"I can't decide if I'm tired or wired. You didn't tell me how Maddox fitted into all this."

"He knocked out Damien." I decided to skip the part about Damien holding a gun on me or how Maddox claimed the bag that Damien carried was his, so no one ever checked what it contained. I returned all the weapons Damien planned to sell from Solomon's hidden closet but that conversation would also have to be postponed.

"Good," was all Solomon said.

"Maddox was with me when we were being shot at and he came with me to Fort Charles and put me in touch with Special Agent Miller. He helped track down the motorcycle driven by the guy who shot you. He did everything he could to help you and me."

"I thought he would. He's a good man."

"I need to tell you something."

"About Maddox?"

I nodded but he must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he said, "You can’t quite meet my eyes whenever his name comes up. I've been thinking about how to ask you but I'm not sure I want to know. It's strange, you know. I fully understand now how he felt when you and I first got together. It's painful. "

"We didn't sleep together," I blurted out defensively.

Solomon's chest deflated like all the air had been knocked out of him. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, I thought he drifted back to sleep. "I'm glad to hear that," he said, softly. "Tell me what happened."

"We kissed but it didn't go any further. We were half asleep and the moment we realized, we stopped."

"I want to ask if you felt any attraction or passion, but I really don't want to know. I know you loved him. I know he loved you. I've suspected all this time that he still does. That's why I wanted you to go to him. I knew he would look after you if the worst happened to me. I knew he would make you happy, and always love you, if I didn't make it."

I gulped, stunned at Solomon's selflessness. "Was I being offered a choice in any of that?"

"Neither of us chose for me to get shot," he pointed out. "I thought I..."

"You didn't die," I said.

Solomon cracked a smile. "I'm almost impossible to kill. Almost, but not completely." He reached for my hand, rubbing his thumb over the engagement ring he once placed there. "I need to know one thing."

"Yes?"

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