It was a tense atmosphere when Sharon reached the latest crime scene. Chief Pope himself had MC set on this case. It was the second of what seemed to become a series. Sharon knew from Provenza's and Flynn's gaze that this one was bad. Even worse was the grumpy attitude of the Colleagues from Hollywood division who had worked the case so far. The press was on it since the first victim. People tend to suddenly care for prostitutes when they turn up dead. Normally she wouldn't have come herself but Provenza had called her since he lacked rank to order everyone around and it seemed like Hollywood, or more Dt. Lieutenant Kerby wasn't going to give up the case easily. When he saw the Captain approaching he sneered to one of his Sergeants "Who need's her!"
"Lieutenant Kerby", Sharon greeted in her best FID-tone reserved for uncooperative Policemen "still difficulties in following orders?" she asked with her usual smirk and clipped tone.
"This is our case Captain. We worked the last one and this one isn't different", he spat while Sharon drew nearer, keeping her hands in her black trench. She stopped right in front of Kerby who was about Flynn's age and height albeit broader built and less fit. "You better listen. Chief Pope ordered us to take over, do you really want to piss off the boss?" she had very pointedly drawn out Pope's name. And when Kerby turned with a huff and took his detectives with him, leaving the officers to assist MC in blocking the crime scene behind.
"Is it a coincidence or has the good Lieutenant crossed your path before," Lt. Flynn asked following Kerby's departing entourage with his glance.
"It's more like we crossed swords" Sharon answered following Kerby's departure into the early morning light. Flynn shrugged "Hey he's gone! Don't worry he seemed pretty impressed when you mentioned Pope."
"You should ask yourself how much trouble Kerby means when I need to rely on Pope's order to make him surrender."
"Gee. Do you always mention a superiors name to get your way?" Provenza chipped in.
"I learned a thing or two from a certain former deputy chief", Sharon gave back the ghost of a smile gracing her lips before she turned towards the crime scene, face grimm once more.
"Kendal what can you tell us so far?" she asked the coroner looking down at the bloodied victim. She looked like a well groomed hooker in her late forties and was wearing some Victorian costume. Her legs were drawn up and turned outwards and Sharon didn't need Kendal to tell her that the victim was severely mutilated cause she saw the intestines draped around the woman's neck herself.
"Cause of death?"
"Throat was cut down to the neck that's what killed her."
"Please tell me she was already dead when she was sliced open", she said quietly. "Probably Captain", Kendal answered. She stood up straight again and walked over to Buzz "Please make sure you get these gawkers on camera", she whispered.
Flynn and Provenza where still looking at the victim "This is going to be one hell of an investigation", Flynn said. His partner only grunted in approval and they continued working.
Two weeks later they were none the wiser but media attention had Taylor breathing down on their necks. Since it was the killers second victim Taylor asked for the help of the FBI's BAU. They were swamped and recommended a professor for behavioural analysis from the east coast. Taylor contacted Norton Phillips and got a call back within the hour.
"Chief Taylor?! This is Norton Phillips you wanted to talk to me."
"Yes Professor SSA Strauss recommended you. The BAU isn't able to help us with a gruesome case, but we need a profiler here. My Major Crimes unit is still in the dark about a double homicide."
"It's the courtesan murders isn't it?" Phillips answered leaning back in his chair in Boston. "Yeah that would be the case", Taylor admitted a headache forming behind his eyes. He knew the news had spread but to the east coast? Pope would go ballistic.
"Chief while I agree you need a profiler I can't help you myself but I have just the right person for you. She is one of my post-docs."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to send someone who's still wet behind their ears?" Taylor shot back.
"Well perhaps it's a comfort that you'll only have to pay for her flight. Her other expenses are covered by the university."
Chief Taylor, always wary of the budget agreed to have the professors post-doc as a consultant for the investigation. They negotiated the young doctor's arrival and Taylor let the captain know they'd have a profiler on their team the day tomorrow.
Sharon was relieved Taylor had finally given in to her request of additional help so she sent the whole squad home on regular time to have them all fresh and rested there tomorrow. She was about leaving herself when Flynn appeared in the frame of her office's door.
"So we're getting a profiler?" he said.
Sharon shook her head in disbelief "How do you know?"
"Met Taylor in the break room."
The captain smirked "I still don't get why Chief Taylor is such a tattletale."
"But the FBI?" Flynn grimaced "Do we really need them?" he emphasized the last word.
"You have to admit we need help with this one and at this point I'm willing to take every help I can get", she said and he sighed running a hand through his ruffled silvery hair "Well you're probably right."
She grabbed her purse "Let's hope Provenza think's the same", she said heading towards Flynn and the door. She had taken off her glasses and he could see just how tired her eyes looked. He snatched the folder she carried from her "You need some sleep", he said seriously. She was about to remind him she was old enough to know just how much sleep she needed when she saw the concern in his eyes. The fury melted away and exhaustion recaptured her body. "I'm just trying to find what we missed."
"Perhaps we didn't miss anything, why don't you try to clear your head and give it a fresh start tomorrow like you wanted us to do?" he said knowing it'd be more likely she'd yield to a reasonable arguments than a good old "You don't have to better than the boys"- lecture.
"I want to be prepared for this profiler", she said reaching for the file he held out of her reach. "I hate to do this but I'm going to tell Provenza right now what's about to happen if you don't go home and get a good night's sleep Captain. You know we can't have you tired out tomorrow."
She finally gave up and allowed him to place the file on her desk before they haded for the parking garage. The ride in the elevator was spent in silence and just before she got into her car she called after him over her shoulder "If sleep won't find me I'm going to wake you up!"
"If you wake me up I'm coming over and read you a bedtime story!" he called back. She smiled "That's tempting you know!" and got into her car.
"If you only knew" Flynn mumbled to himself getting into his own car.