Moonlight – Virtual Season 2
Episode Five – What Goes Around
Rating: R
Writer: Photosue
Beta'd: Writers Group
VS2 Writers Group includes PhotoSue, CIChen, Sunny, Misfit, Evilous, mxwwmickd, Night Owl, PhantomPhoenix and Candomom.
Disclaimer: Moonlight and its characters are owned by CBS and Warner Brothers. All use of Moonlight and its characters in this venue are for entertainment purposes and completed solely for the pleasure of Moonlight lovers. The original storylines and episodes have been created by the VS2 Writers and Discussion Group. We hope you enjoy.
Mick stepped out of his car, closing the door and reaching for his large maroon golf bag. He turned sharply as a cart came flying around the corner, Ted behind the wheel and James holding on tight. The small tires screeched to a halt at Mick's feet.
"Hey man, glad you could finally make it." Ted said waving at Mick, James nodded his agreement.
"Where's Josef?"
"He's waiting at the first tee."
Mick secured his bag on the back of the cart, and took a seat, holding on tight to the railing. The course was pitch black, at Josef's request, he said it gave a different edge to the game. They rode up and over the perfectly manicured landscape until they reached the first tee. Six giggling freshies stood around Josef, eyes wide and fumbling in the darkness. Josef was moving around between them enjoying his advantage over them. Pinching, whispering, nipping, moving the girls together to watch them fumble their way around. Games, Josef declared, were always more interesting in the dark.
"Mick!" Josef grabbed a very familiar freshie and walked towards him.
"Freshie Golf?" Mick raised his eyebrow in agitation.
"Well, since you're here, you might as well play." Josef kissed Simone on the cheek. Mick sighed, tonight eternity would seem like a very long time.
"Hi Mick," she peered into the darkness trying to focus on his face, but ended up facing Ted.
"Hello again." Mick smiled at her, then turned to glare at Josef.
"Relax, it's not like I brought you any freshies," Josef eyed a tall blond bending down, and in a low tone added, "C'mon be a sport," Josef clapped Mick on his shoulder. Mick rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag.
The night carried on with Cuban Cigars burning and MacAllen Scotch flowing. Josef was surprisingly well behaved, given that Simone was there. She couldn't see, but she could hear, and that kept most of Josef's attention on her. It also gave Mick someone intelligent to talk to.
Ted was thoroughly enjoying himself, more than once he had grabbed one of the girls and proceeded to play rock the cart with her. James played Freshie golf with a little more finesse, at least he pulled them out of sight, when he wanted more than blood. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it all before. In fact that was the problem, he had seen this all too many times before. It made it a very long game, if you could even still call it a game. Mick was the only one keeping score, and Josef was still beating him. Simone walked over to Mick, using one of Josef's putter as a walking cane.
"Hey, Mick?" She said, stepping a little too close to him. He could smell the actions and boundaries of her relationship with Josef.
"Hi," he responded, causing her to startle at their closeness, and quickly move back a step.
"I was just wondering, where Beth is?"
"Well, Josef had me under the impression that tonight, we would be playing a gentlemen's game."
"No gentlemen has even played this game, I can assure you!" Josef barked back, then began feeding again.
"I was talking about the Golf." Mick replied.
"So was I." Josef answered.
Simone was giggling at their exchange. Mick guided Simone back to Josef, "he's going to need that club soon," Simone nodded in his approximate direction.
The game was quickly loosing it's players, and Mick was surprised that they had actually made it to the 9th hole before half the team had started playing "Hunt the Freshie" and "Seek n' Sex" around the course. As much as the women giggled and squealed there was always an element of real fear and the requirement that they trust Josef to control his friends. This set Mick on edge until he finally packed up his bag and drove back to his car. At least he got a little practice.
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It was a quiet neighborhood, full grown trees and cared for lawns. The kind of place you would want to buy a home and start a family, except for all the crime scene tap and police cars. Beth pulled her car across the street and walked up to one of the officers fending off the press and nosey neighbors. She flashed her badge and he lifted the tape. The Coroners were wheeling the body out the front door when Carl walked up to her.
So working alone again, where's your friend?" Carl asked.
"Who, Mick?" she asked, on guard.
"Yeah, Mick, seems like you two have been joined at the hip lately." Beth thought, God, Carl is in a mood.
"He's busy." She tersely replied.
"Yeah, right. When he's not all over our crime scenes the master P.I. must be in high demand for finding cheating spouses, and false insurance claims." He replied, "I thought I warned you about that guy, I hear he is still around. Ever think that you're dating a guy who's an expert on infidelity."
"C'mon, Carl, why should I listen to your advice."
"Yeah, well, I just had my annual review and a comment was made about the number of times you and St. John appeared in my reports. If you like your job, you should distance yourself. Do the job on your own."
She ignored his bitter comment, pulling out her note pad and walked away. Carl wanted to push buttons, and she wasn't going to give him any satisfaction. "So are you gonna give me the grand tour, or should I call Ben to explain my authorized appearance in your report?" she crossed her arms, "We're on the same side."
"Right this way… Miss Turner." He motioned her towards the door. Beth pulled some booties over her shoes and put on a pair gloves. Carl escorted her through the front door stopping just inside.
"Victim was found laying here," he motioned towards a large brown spot on the carpet just inside the door, "gardener found her and then called it in."
Beth looked around the house, everything seemed to be intact. Shelves of figurines, small tea sets, and doilies adorned every square inch of usable space. Lacy pillows were neatly aligned along the couch and matching chairs.
"No sign of a struggle." She commented. Carl nodded.
"Yeah, wait till you see the bedroom." He walked her through to the back of the house.
The crime scene investigators were working the room. The mattress of the bed was leaned up against the wall, ripped open. Stuffing and bits of fabric littered the floor, blankets from the bed piled in the corner.
"Wow." Was all she could say.
"Yeah, the killer seems to of had an agenda."
"Did she keep her money in the mattress?"
"Good guess, it's not uncommon for children of the depression to do that and CSI found a money wrap on the floor. They bagged it for prints." Carl motioned her back down the hall.
"We think the victims name was Vida Ingles, according to neighbors she lived alone, no known relatives, age around mid eighties. I need you to help the officers interview the neighbors."
They walked out of the house, Beth pulled off her gloves and booties sticking them in an evidence bag.
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Beth walks down the familiar corridors of the LA County morgue, Oscar close behind, texting on his Blackberry. She smiles at Guillermo as she walks into the exam room. He gives her a friendly smile and walks her over to the body of Vida Ingles.
"Hey, where's Mick? I thought you two were joined at the hips?" his waggles his eyebrows at her.
"He was doing some male bonding with Josef last night on the golf course." She chuckled. "He's sleeping in."
"Ah, oh, ok." Guillermo nods and sighs as he pulls the report. "She was stabbed up close and personal, looks like a steak knife," he chuckles at the pun.
"Is this a… vampire crime?" she whispers the last part, Oscar briefly looks up from his phone.
"No way, besides, you know I'd drag Mick's frozen ass down here if it was." He points back at the body, "she died of blunt force trauma, even before she bled out. The rest is in the report. Shame, really."
"Wow, I didn't know you had such a soft spot for little old ladies?"
"No, I just don't like wasting food." He gives her a fanged smile and she giggles.
Oscar shifts to stand alert just before Terrance walks into the room,
"Hey, Beth. Didn't think you'd be among the living today."
"Why would you say that?" She cocks her head to one side.
Guillermo is shaking his head trying to shut Terrance up, but he's not getting the hint.
"You and Mick, golfing with Josef last night, heard it was really wild! James had this chick, oh, man, Par Four! Do you guys even play golf?" Terrance was laughing and his face fell slowly as he looked at a very curious Beth and a stunned Guillermo.
"Um, what's up?" He asks in a shallow voice.
Beth crosses her arms, "Wild huh?"
"Uh, you are his freshie, right?" Beth shakes her head. Terrance swallows hard, "I'm gonna… go do something." he vamps speeds out of the room.
Beth turns on Guillermo, "Did you know?"
"Beth…"
"Just give me the damn report." She snatches it out of his hands and leaves the room. Oscar walks silently behind her.
Beth stops before she gets to her car, turning on Oscar, "Did you know?"
Oscar folds his arms and takes a defensive stance.
"Of course you did! You all fucking knew!" She slams the car door and jams the key in the ignition.
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Mick stepped out of his freezer, scratching frost off of his face and out of his hair. He grabbed his robe and headed downstairs, tying the strings on his pants. He had slept much longer then he intended, grabbed his phone on the way to his kitchen. Beth had called, and left a message. "Hey, I'm working late at the office, I'll talk to you tomorrow." It was quick and cold. He played it again. Working late? Since when did that make a difference? He ran upstairs to dress, and then go see Beth.
Files and notes were spread all over the large conference table. Photos in one pile and the various notes from officers in another. Ben walked in carrying take out bags from a Chinese restaurant, placing them on the table. He looked at Beth, she was absently picking at her fingernail, holding a statement but not reading it.
"Hey, are you OK? You seem a little distracted?" Ben asked, handing Beth her styrofoam box dinner.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just focused on the case," She lied. Images of Mick and orgy golf had been clouding her thoughts since the morgue. She didn't want to think that anything had happened, she trusted him, but then again, she was just too angry to talk to him about it without overreacting.
"Sure... Well, did you get any leads so far?" he opened his own dinner and dug in, taking a huge bite of noodles. Beth watched him, transfixed.
When had it become strange to see another person eating? She wondered.
Ben stopped chewing. "Do I have something on my face?" he asked.
"What? …Oh, no, sorry, just used to eating alone." She smiled and began eating, flipping through reports.
"Mick doesn't eat with you?"
She swallowed. Hot needles prickled their way down her spine. God! Why did I say that? Her mind filled with a dozen stupid answers and none of them sounded even remotely plausible. "Of course he does," she said casually "We eat together... when we have time," she bit her lip, "Here's something," changing the subject, she pulled the page up, "Carla Johnson, neighbor three doors down, says that Vida tried to poison Tim Carson's dog, Tim lives behind Vida."
"Yeah, well, Tim is currently out of town on business." He rolled his eyes. "Another neighbor ratted him out already. But a Cyndi Lewis says that Vida was having sex with the UPS driver, the mailman, and her gardener. There's a few jealous lovers." He took a bite of his spicy orange chicken, and let out a moan,
"Damn that's good! How's the kung pow?"
"Mmmm, it never disappoints." Continuing to make satisfied eating noises, she stops to say. "Yea, well, the same Cyndi Lewis says that Vida would walk around on her roof at night in the nude." They both let out a laugh.
Mick could hear Beth and Talbot laughing as soon as the elevator doors opened. Certainly didn't match the abrupt tone of her voicemail. The lobby doors were open, and he could see the lone office light on, and it's occupants. Oscar hovering nearby in the darkness. Beth was eating and flipping through papers. Talbot was sitting there, watching her, fondling her with his eyes. Mick walked closer, then stopped just before the doorway, still in the darkness.
"Here, try the chicken. You'll love it." Ben spears a piece with his fork and holds it up to her. She hesitates, then grabs the fork, pulling the piece off with her own fork, then handing the utensil back to him. She almost thought for a moment that Ben had intended to feed her. It was odd, but she smiled and tried to stay polite. She was just beginning to wonder if staying late was such a good idea when she noticed that Mick was standing in the doorway. Arms crossed, brow furrowed and staring straight at Talbot. Ben was still looking at Beth when his eyes also moved to the doorway.
"Mick?" Beth breathed. Her heart skipped and she wondered if he noticed. She stood up to hide her sudden, unfounded embarrassment.
His look softened and he walked over to her, placing his hand possessively on her back. "I got your message and thought I'd come down to see if you needed any help." He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. Did she pull away?
Trying to remain professional, Beth grabbed Mick's wandering hand, and took a step back. "yeah, well, I think we have things under control here… just paperwork." She gives him a half hearted smile.
Talbot leans back in his chair, and folds his arms. "You know, Mick, she's perfectly capable of doing her job." he smiles sarcastically. Mick lets out a deep breath slowly, and thinks about throwing Talbot into the next zip code.
Beth squeezes his hand, pulling him out of the office, glaring at Ben as she passes him.
She turns to him when they are far down the hall, "Why are you here?" dropping his hand.
He reaches out to touch her arm, "you sounded upset in your message."
"I told you I'd talk to you tomorrow."
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He reaches out to caress her shoulder.
"Look, I have a lot of work to do," she stands unresponsive in front of him.
"Really?" He cocks his head, and pulls his touch away.
"…and I have to get up early tomorrow," she continued.
He puts his hands on his hips. "What the hell is going on?"
She crosses her arms and adjusts her stance, "Just be honest with me, what exactly does golfing with Josef really entail?"
His expression dropped from concern to dread. She noticed the change, a secret revealed, and he looked shocked that she knew. Before he could answer her, Beth put her hand up shaking her head, "I have to get back to work."
She turned and started to walk away, "Beth... wait... Call me." he pleaded.
She nods turning the corner to the office. Mick runs his hand through his hair, Fuck!