I feel as if I needed to add this disclaimer: I am in no way an EXPERT in Forensics.

My name's Stephanie Plum, 26 years old, and I've been working for the forensic team at Trenton Police Department since graduating 3 years ago. I'm 5'6, brunette curls and an addiction to heels. I live currently on the outskirts of the "Burg" a little neighborhood in Trenton, NJ. I'd like to think of it as a small town because everyone knew your business. Growing up I was always interested in things most girls drooled over and to my mom that made me the enemy. So one eventful day, when I was little, my dad caught my mom trying to push me out the upstairs window in a ruse to play superman. Let's just say the divorce was talked about until I reached high school. After she was committed, I grew up in a loving home with my dad, his wife Regina, my sister Valerie, and little brothers Zaiden and Sebastian.

I'm always sent the more difficult cases because I always found evidence sometimes overlooked by over eager cops in this town. The unrecognizable dead body laid before me was Dark haired female with a large hole where her heart used to be. My glasses tilted a little as I bent over the body, resisting the urge to push them back up. The smell emerging from the body did not help the meatball sub I had 30 minutes ago. Thankfully the air conditioning was working overtime through this current June heat wave. The air seriously kept the smell manageable.

I like to work alone and in silence, Bose headphones providing me with solitude. I did have a partner when I first started, but he botched a case and got canned. Fortunately I was promoted, unfortunately I was given my own office in the old morgue in the basement. No one but myself to keep me company. And you can imagine the shit I get from ghost stories to finding fake hands during Halloween.

The large wound on the body was jagged and in the shape of a letter X almost as if the suspect was performing an autopsy. The skin around the incisions were charred as if the suspect used a hot knife. On her temple was a crescent shaped wound similar to the bottom of a gun. Red flickers reflecting from the lamp, little bits of glasses scattered through her hair as if her head was shoved into a mosaic window pane. I move to grab the clips to separate the skin to look inside, the inside where the heart should be, but it was coated in dried blood. It looks as if the suspect cauterize the blood vessels connected to the heart. The chest area was a little swollen, possibly from the blood trying to pump to the heart. I did another scan of the body, and came across more red colored glass likely from the window. The more I examined the body the more red glass I found. I had to reread the report, no one had mention anywhere in the case about the glass.

I took a sample of the tiny pieces of glass through out her hair, and bagged it. I recited some of my findings on my recorder. I had to set them aside because inside the wound was a bigger piece of glass set in the bottom. It looked as if there was some writing on it. I was knuckles deep in the victim's chest trying to pry out the bloodied glass when I felt the tingle on the back of my neck. The silence from the headphones muting any sound of people approaching.

"Let the record show that 3x2 inch glass was found inside the chest cavity, some writing, looks like a poem. Cross my heart and hope to die, my heart is open for tonight." I quickly logged the information into the computer, and leaned again my desk.

I slowly repeated the words in my head, holding the glass up to the light. I remember this poem, it sounded almost as if it was out of order. Out of the corner of my eye stood a tall man leaning against the door I thought I locked.

I jumped back in surprise and placed the glass in a sterile pan nearby. I quickly tore off the gloves and pushed the headphones off.

"oh my god, who are you? what are you doing here?"

I didn't really play attention to how he looked but boy did he look good. My throat dried as I glanced at him from head to toe. His dark skin glowing under black button down with his hair slicked back into a ponytail. A diamond in his left ear lobe. His arm muscles had a light dusting of hair peeking out from his cuffed sleeves. His black slack fitting him oh so right, and his stance eluded power.

"I'm Special Agent Manoso."

He held his hand out, and I stumbled forward to accept his handshake. I got the familiar tingle on the back of my neck, but also a jolt as his hand connected to mines. I could only stand and stare into his dark eyes.

"Are you the Forensic Expert on the Jane Doe case?" I nodded my head, while still having my hand in his.

"I've been assigned to this case."

"But I thought..."

"Some people downtown believe you're the one I need in order to solve this case."

"I...I'm..yeah..yeah sure I could help, but won't this piss the boys in blue upstairs?"

"Babe"

I moved my hand in a circular motion to get him to continue, "Babe what?"

"So tell me about the body." He had a little smirk on his face and my heart skipped a beat.

I explained to him what type of condition the victim's body was when it came to me. Also what the detective on the case found at the scene of the crime.

"OK, so I started to go over the notes just so I can make sure I was not being repetitive. But what they guys seem to miss that there was a large piece of glass inside the wound where the suspect cut out her heart. Also there was a broken poem craved into the glass. I mean they could have missed it because the glass matched the dried blood. But the wound was shaped into a X with what looks like a hot knife."

"Cross my heart and hope to die, Stick a needle in my eye, Wait a moment; I spoke a lie, never really wanted to die. But if I may and if I might, My heart is open for tonight, Though my lips are sealed and a promise is true, I won't break my word, my word to you."

"Wow, how?" I was stunned, I for sure thought I wasn't saying it aloud. But dammit he had an accent.

"I heard you earlier," he explained, "Do you think we're looking at a serial killer?"

"From my experience and the note left inside the body, it's mostly likely a serial killer. And If we are looking at a next victim then the body could possibly show up with a needle in its eye."

We stared at each other until I heard the buzz from the door, "Uh let me get that."

I walked to the door and literally tripped on air. I could only just close my eyes as I braced myself for the fall.

His hand reached out and caught me, twirling in his arms before I was held against him chest to chest. My head went straight for the side of his neck. The smell of his neck was heavenly, felt almost like, no it felt like home.

I was so into smelling his neck that I didn't the person come through the door. And definitely didn't hear them when the person cleared their throat to get my attention.

"CUPCAKE!"

Now that I did hear.

Author's note:

Thank you for those who have read my other stories. I've caught the writing bug and for sure will complete my other stories. But I feel as if this story will be my main focus. Thank you in advance for reading, I have a feeling this is going to be a good one.

Also no copyright here! All Janet's character's are hers and the OC characters are mines.