Okay! My Second (Well, alright, technically my first multi-chapter fanfiction for Law and Order) Wish me luck okay? Critics are appreciated-particularly from longtime writers/fans. I hope you guys enjoy it!
This is especially hard since I'm used to writing Resident Evil/Star Wars/Major stuff. Yeah, anyway on with the show!
Disclaimer: I am not Dick Wolf, if I was-you can bet you'd be seeing this, and a whole new season! You can also bet, that it would take a more X-files turn. Aren't you glad I don't own it?
Title: Voyeur
Characters: Law: Briscoe/Curtis/LT Order: Jack/Claire/Adam
Summery: Someone is killing people, mimicking the style of the popular movie (The Ring) that has just come out. Evidence points to a human killer, but could it be something more?
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New York
Apartment Complex
5:30
Day One
" Mr. Montague?"
Silence.
Evelyn sighed and knocked again patiently. Charles Montague was a recluse, especially since his discharge from Columbia, where he'd taught as a professor of film.
"Mr. Montague? It's Monday, Time for the rent."
The silence remained, deeper this time-darker as well.
Eve sighed and removed a master set of keys from her pocket. Grimly, she twisted one in the lock and pushed inward.
The Apartment was in shambles. Pictures hung askew on the walls and books were strewn about on the floors. Eve frowned as she studied one image, Charlie and his son David. David's face had been scribbled out, covered by long black hair that was poorly drawn. Surprisingly, Charlie's face had also been scribbled out-by that same technique.
"Oh my god…"
The further she drifted in, the greater the carnage seemed. Blankets were strewn everywhere-Charlie's editing equipment was spread out across the floor like it had been flung by a child. She covered her mouth when she realized that the TV was on-twisted over-like it had been flung.
"Oh…"
Squish.
She frowned and raised her foot. Puddles of water were everywhere-some seeping into the carpet. She growled to herself, following the trails of water to the bathroom door that was wide open.
"Mr. Montague-if you think-"
The image within was so terrifying, that she fainted dead away.
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6:30
Day One
Nobody had been allowed in the room where the body was found.
To Briscoe, that spoke of a bad stiff.
"What do we have?" He addressed the nearest officer, who looked vaguely sick. The police moved without their usual enthusiasm, each perceiving some nameless threat or fear that was just beyond the horizon, stare at them with dead eyes.
"Well, we've got a stiff in the bathroom-at least we think it's a stiff-you're going to have to take a look at it, this one…its pretty bad sir."
"Any stiff is bad." Curtis came in from the bedroom, "Nothing in there-it looks like this was the only room that was trashed."
Briscoe nodded, "We have any egress?"
"Not so far." Curtis pulled out a tiny battered notebook, "The land lady discovered the body."
Briscoe frowned, "Have we talked to her yet?"
"We…um…can't."
Briscoe looked pained, "Why the hell not?"
Curtis sighed, "Chief…we had to sedate her."
Two EMTS came by with a stretcher, a prone middle age woman laying back-eyes glazed-staring at the ceiling with the expression of a fish. Briscoe frowned, then glared at the bathroom with a will
"Lenny-"
He walked foreward and pushed in on the revolving door.
The body curled inside the bathtub was rank. Almost mummified, its face was twisted in an expression of utter terror-a stab wound through its heart seemed to be the only real injury. Its hair was pure white-and its eyes-
Lenny stumbled back out of the bathroom and onto the couch. He swore violently as the patrolmen nodded solemnly.
There was no shame in terror today.
A few minutes later Lenny stood shakily. The EMT stood helpless, holding a body bag.
"Give me that." Lenny grabbed the bag from her hands, "You can't be scared of something like that, hear me?" He strode into the bathroom-and turned back.
"Curtis."
"Lenny, what the-"
"Come here and help me."
Curtis closed his eyes, mustering his courage. He walked straight into the bathroom and assisted in bagging the body-carefully-with the aid of gloves.
The EMT looked around at the patrolmen. A loud knock announcing the arrival of CSI.
"Let them in." she said quietly, her voice soft, "Lets get back to work."
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Precinct
Day Two
"Well." LT dropped the paper on her desk and stared carefully at Briscoe and Curtis, "What the hell were you two thinking?"
The papers had been eating up the story. Ravenous press hounds were barking at their door, calling it the "Ring" killer.
"Did you see it?"
"The body?" Curtis was walking around, "LT, if you had been there-half the crime scene was scared shitless and the lady had to be fucking sedated-"
"No, did you see the movie?" LT leaned back in her chair, "My son got so scared I found him covering our TV with a blanket. I had to take him aside and explain that if anybody came through the TV I'd shoot them."
Curtis and Briscoe wondered if their Lieutenant had lost it.
"I haven't seen it."
"Well go see it then." Lt. Threw up her hands, "I want you guys to understand what might be the killer's MO. The ME stated-" here the Lieutenant paused, "Before she had to go home, that the cause of death was a heart attack, then a stab wound. Therefore-the killer has to be human."
"So it's a psychopath?"
"Well you'll have to talk to Dr. Skoda about that, but yeah, Lenny-I'd say it's a psychopath."
"Really Lenny?" Curtis said sarcastically, "What was your first clue? The water, or the Ring references?"
The Lieutenant sighed as they left, picking up the paper to continue reading.
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Columbia University
Day 2
Curtis opened the door and walked into a room full of zombies.
"Can I help you?" A short, Japanese woman turned away from the gigantic projection screen which-oddly enough was showing scenes from Day of the Dead.
"We're here to ask you some questions about professor Montague…"
"Oh." The woman looked bored. She addressed the zombies in the classroom-who's eyes remained glued to the screen.
"Class, I'll only be a moment okay?"
"Sheesh." Curtis studied the room; "I've seen livelier faces at a parole hearing."
"Hey, you weren't in a liberal arts college. I'm amazed they aren't all dead yet." Lenny motioned for the woman to step outside, as the students remained motionless-not that different from their counterparts on the screen.
"Is this going to take long?" the woman said, snappishly, "I've got that class to teach-"
"We just wanted to ask you about professor Montague, is it true you're taking over his classes?"
"Yeah." She sighed, "Montague went off the deep end a while ago." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "Do you mind if I smoke?"
Care if I die? Lenny thought, but he shook his head. Curtis continued with the questioning. The woman didn't seem perturbed that a colleague-and perhaps a friend had perished recently.
"Montague was babbling about a video tape last time I saw him." She said, taking a long drag on her cigarette, "He kept saying, "I found it, I found it." Over and over again. I was glad I'd taken over his film appreciation class." She sighed, "Poor guy, it happens to the best of us huh?"
"Can you think of anyone he might have offended? Maybe a student who wasn't satisfied with his or her grade?"
She barked out a laugh, "Detective, these are liberal arts majors-they spend the day preaching about how great a movie is, and how terrible reality is."
"You sound like you don't like your job."
The woman sighed, "I studied to be a photographer for film-Director of photography? You heard of the position?"
Curtis nodded.
"Yeah, well this is only a day job-get it?"
"Yeah I get it." Lenny hated bitter people, "So, where were you last night?"
The woman smiled mysteriously, "If you must know…I was with my lover."
"Your lover." Lenny raised an eyebrow, "He married."
"She." The woman took another drag, "And yes, she happens to. Which is why I'm not going to give her your name unless it's absolutely necessary."
"It might become absolutely necessary ma'am." Curtis folded up his notebook, "If we find you had any connection to this case."
"Don't you watch the movies detective?" The woman turned away from them, "The first person who's a suspect almost never, ever did it."
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Outside
"Man…" Curtis glanced back at the college façade, "That lady was a piece of work huh?"
"Yeah," Briscoe said, taking another sip of his coffee, "You're telling me. Her little comment does nothing about ruling her out of the list of suspects."
"Right." Curtis looked ahead. Around them the busy day that was typical of New York was already beginning.
"Well let's think," Lenny paused, "Who would have motive to kill Montague in that particular manner?"
"A disgruntled student?" Curtis said, his brow furrowed, "Somebody who maybe didn't like the way Montague was teaching-maybe flunked the class?"
"Jesus." Briscoe nodded, "When I was in college, if I flunked a class I went to my councilor-I didn't go bananas and murder somebody…"
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Fish Market
Day Two Con.
"Robert Rodriguez?"
A young Mexican man looked up. His eyes widened, his fingers loosing their grip on the crate that he'd been holding. He glanced back once more terrified and bolted.
"Shit." Curtis took off after him, Lenny following behind.
Rodriguez moved like he had something to hide leaping over crates and barrels like an Olympic champion. Finally, just before he dove into the public section of the fish market-Curtis caught him by the arm and brought him crashing down hard onto an ice filled tray containing wide-eyed mackerel.
"Lego man!" Rodriguez twisted like an eel, "I didn't do nothing! Nothing!"
"You know," Lenny came up behind him as Curtis pushed him up, the crowd backing away instinctively, "I've watched so many movies-somehow I figured you'd say that."
Rodriguez's eyes widened, "Shit man, I didn't have nothing to do with Charlie's murder!"
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Interrogation Room
The same scene played itself out yet again, in the same place. By now, the Director must have been tired of its making.
Rodriguez glared at Lenny with dejected fish eyes, "I didn't do nothing."
"Like we said Rodriguez." Lenny leaned back, "That's what they all say."
"Man…" Curtis came foreward this time, instinctually backing up his partner's moves, "Why'd you run? We figured you'd have seen enough movies Robert-whenever you run that's bad news man."
"Yeah, and whenever a loco cop comes looking for you in real life you run." Robert muttered, "That's why I bolted man. I ain't no fool."
"Well, that must be true." Curtis continued, "I mean, after all you knew why we wanted to talk to you right?"
Rodriguez said nothing.
"You knew we wanted to talk to you about Professor Montague. That's what you said. You were, " He stood slowly, "So Vehement in denying it too."
"The Paper-"
"Yeah? What about the paper?"
"Man," Rodriguez looked tired, "If you spent as much time around newspaper as I do, you'd remember stories too." He sighed, "I don't have anything to say until I see a lawyer."
"See…that's just the problem." Curtis sighed and leaned foreward, "To me, to the guy who might be arresting you-that doesn't say, "This poor guy's just wrong place, wrong time…that says that maybe you've got something to hide."
"I ain't got nothing to hide!"
"Sure you don't." Curtis said, "See, we're your friends-my partner here doesn't believe you-" Curtis's eyes met Lenny's, "But I do. So come on man, give me something to work with to convince him-at least."
"Fuck this." Lenny stood, an actor on cue, "I'm gonna go get some coffee while you get this joker to talk."
Lenny stood and walked to the door, glancing back for a moment at Rodriguez who flinched-before leaving.
"Man oh man." Lt had her arms folded, watching the scene, "You guys are some seriously masterful actors."
"Hey, I was in my school play." Lenny took a place beside LT, "What's your take?"
LT frowned, staring back at the kid, "He knows something." She said softly, "Something important, something's got him spooked."
"So we lean on him?"
"Yeah…" Lt said, "But let Curtis start off with it." She handed him a cup of stale coffee, "The Toxicology report came back."
"Oh Really?"
Lt nodded. Here she looked troubled, "The ME found high traces of nicotine in his system." She shook her head, "But all evidence points to Professor Montague not being a smoker."
"No Shit?" Lenny raised his eyebrows, "Man…large amounts are supposed to be lethal huh?"
"Yeah…" here LT looked troubled, "Apparently, he had enough in his system to match an equivalent of a life of pack a day smoking."
Lenny gave a low whistle, "Wow. Guess that clears that up."
LT frowned, "What do you mean?"
Lenny chuckled lightly, "I was beginning to think that chick crawled out of the TV and killed him."
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Inside the Interrogation Room
"Shandra."
Curtis looked up, "What about Shandra?"
"Shandra flunked too, you should check her out."
Curtis shook his head, "Robert…see that's the kind of corporation we want to see! What happened with Shandra?"
"Man, she wanted to be a Director but because he failed her…"
Curtis looked up before Robert could finish. Lenny came back in with a somber expression.
"What?" Curtis stood slowly, "What is it?"
"There's been another one."
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A/N: Wow! This is turning out great! If you're familiar with the Ring (not the American Version, the Japanese one…although the American borrowed a lot of stuff) you'll recognize the Japanese lady-who's name happens to be Mai. There are a lot of similarities (As people will see with later chapters) between some of the suspects and some of the movie characters. This is a lot of fun! I hope you guys enjoy!