Calpernia is pretty happy with this story so far. Adurna doesn't seem to like it that much. No one's reviewed it so far. (Tear)Here is chapter 2 for your reading pleasure.
Chapter 2
October 26, 1995
Thursday
New York City
12th Precinct
The next morning I sat at my desk, staring blankly at a huge stack of papers that I needed to review. My lunch sat next to me, cold and uneaten. The one thing I hated about being a cop was paperwork. But that would have gotten me no matter what. With a longing glance at my lunch I sighed and picked up the top-most file; an autopsy report for the first body found. I skimmed through most of it. I really couldn't concentrate because of the reporters buzzing around outside the window behind me. I really needed some curtains or something. Finally, I found something of interest. The piece of blue glass, though common, was broken for the same larger piece of glass as the ones form the kidnapping scene.
That's not going to help much.
"Hmmm…" Then I turned a page and something caught my eye. Something about how they I.D.'d the body. Turns out, the finger I saw was used to get her prints. They had a perfect match to the girl who was kidnapped first.
"Poor girl." I muttered.
"Truly an unfortunate way to die. Wouldn't you agree, Lieutenant?" I must have jumped three feet in the air. I turned around. There stood Agent Pendergast, looking like an undertaker in his black suit.
"How did you get in here?" I demanded. My door had not opened. I was sure of it.
"Magic." He was really getting on my nerves.
"Ok, then. What do you want?" But I got no response. All of Pendergast's attention was seemingly directed at my lunch, which had congealed.
"What's up? Is my uneaten lunch that interesting?" I peered at the plate. It looked like ambergris, a mix of macaroni & cheese and browned hamburger.
"What is it?" He asked.
"That is an old family recipe called ambergris." His look said it all. Too late I remembered that ambergris is a whale product. "It's hamburger mixed with mac-and-cheese." I clarified.
"Ah." Stupid gourmand.
"You want some?"
"No, thank you."
"Sucks for you." I took a bit of it for show. It actually wasn't that bad cold. "So what did you want? I don't think this is a social visit. But if it is, I'm really busy."
He opened his mouth to say something. I held up a hand to shut him up. He gave me a questioning stare.
"They can read lips. Watch what you say." I said quietly and nodded towards the window. A reporter was sneaking around my window. "Fuging reporters." I stood up and opened the window. "GET LOST YOU LEECHES!" I then slammed the window closed and sat back down. "I'm thinking of getting some drapes."
"I see."
"What were we talking about?" I grinned and took another bite of my lunch. Let them photograph that.
"I wanted to inform you that a second, ah, body has been found." My left eye twitched.
"Alright." I stood up and walked to the door. "Are you going to stand there all day?"
"Are you going to put your lunch away?"
"No." I said with the air of favoring a small child. "I have to let it ripen." And, smiling because of the look on the FBI agent's face, I picked up my coat and strolled out the door.
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"Hey, Nell." I stepped out of my car to see Dan standing right in front of me.
"Were you waiting for me?" I asked.
"No…Yes…Maybe…"
"Decide. Now what's this all about? Ultra Cracker here says they found another body." Several officers nearby started laughing. Pendergast, who had just gotten out of my car, looked around unruffled. What's with this guy? Must people would be really upset with that comment. Whatever.
"Yeah. But wait! There's more!"
"Spit it out."
"It's a whole body. Well, not whole-whole, but mostly there."
"What does that mean?"
"Come see." I looked at Pendergast and shrugged. We followed Dan back behind the barrier. Yup. This wasn't as bad as yesterday. But I still had never seen anything quite like this.
The body had absolutely no skin.
"Wow." I said and patted my jeans pockets, looking for another pair of gloves. I didn't have any. Pendergast reached into his suit and took a pair out and handed them to me. I put them on and glared at his suit before asking, "How much do you have in that thing? Is there a sink?"
"Don't be absurd, Lieutenant." He then knelt down next to the body. He pulled a pair of gloves of his suit and put them on, before he began to examine the skin, or lack-there-for-of. I watched him, after asking if they were done with the body; roll it onto its stomach. He may look as skinny as hell but he seemed pretty strong. And he wasn't that bad looking either. After I realized the direction my thoughts were heading in, I shook me head in disgust and walked back over to the barrier to find Dan.
"Nell! Hey, Nell!" I turned to see who was calling my name. It was Allie Craven, one of my friends. She looked the same as ever, tall, chubby, with long blonde hair, glasses, and was wearing a shirt that said- 'Top 20 Things to Say to Get People to Leave You Alone.' I walked over to her.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her. She better not have joined the Post.
"Relax ya ho. I'm not a reporter. I know you've got a phobia when it comes to them."
"Yeah… So why are you here?"
"I saw the commotion and thought, 'Nell's the cause of this.' And boy, when I'm right, I'm right."
"This isn't a social gathering, Lieutenant." The familiar molasses voice said form behind me. I turned around.
"And I'm just about done here." I said, almost defensively. Dude. I never act like this. I must be getting sick. Pendergast looked at me for a bit. His eyes seemed to be trying to read my mind. Then he turned around and walked back over to the body.
"Who's the freak?" Allie asked me as soon as he was out of earshot.
"He's this FBI agent that's been making a nuisance out of himself. He also told me something interesting."
"And what's that?"
"Bara's dead, Allie."
"Serves her right. She was always to nice."
"Ha. That's true."
"What a ho." Allie calls everyone a ho. She has for years. That's just how she is.
"Anyway, I got to get back to work. Unless you want another run-in with the F.B.I. Agent of DOOM." I would later become a big fan of Invader Zim. I wonder why?
"Hey, how 'bout lunch tomorrow? Semi my treat."
"Ok." Allie turned to leave. Then she turned around. "Yes?"
"Bring your 'Friend'."
"Allie!" She vanished among the hordes of reporters and rubberneckers. Frowning darkly, I returned to looking for Dan. He found me about a second later. "Yes?" I snapped. He looked taken aback. I immediately felt bad. Dan hadn't done anything wrong. "Sorry. What did you want, Dan?"
"They found another piece of blue glass in the victim's mouth." So it wasn't another coincidence. I knew it.
"Ha! I knew it! Pendergast was wrong!" For some reason I felt really elated about this. I really must be sick.
"Calm down, Nell." Dan said, eyeing me worriedly. "It's no big deal."
"Yeah…" Wow. Did I feel like an idiot or what. It must have been the news of Bara's death. I was still in shock or something. That's it. I think…
"Oh, and Agent Pendergast wanted to talk at you." My eye twitched.
"What did he want?"
"He didn't tell me and I didn't ask."
"Great." I shrugged and headed over to Pendergast, he was deep in conversation with the first officer on the scene.
"I see, I see…" He said vaguely. I came up behind him and started making faces. Who said that law enforcement had to be serious all the time? The officer was trying his best not to start laughing. "Miss Nemissen, would you be so kind as to stop that?"
I frowned. "You're no fun." I thought for a moment. "HEY! You didn't call me lieutenant that time. I'm so proud…" I pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. "Anyways… What did you want?"
"The autopsy is in half an hour."
"Ok."
"Aren't you going to go?"
"Yeah, sure, why not."
"Then would you be so kind as to give me a ride?"
"I knew there was a catch. There's always a catch…" This guy was something. Something else. "Why not. But I get to stop at my apartment. I'm sorta hungry." I stopped talking and we looked at the body bag. He gave me a look as if to ask, 'How could you be hungry after seeing that?' I shrugged. I used to watch really gory horror movies when I was little. That and my job sort of desensitized me from gore.
"Then let us go."
"I don't know where you're from but these New York guys are gonna eat you alive."
"I'm out of the New Orleans office." He turned around. New Orleans? He's a long way from home. Suddenly he turned back to me. "You know, I've been told that before." He had a pensive look on his face. I sighed. Why do I always end up with the weird people?
So do you love it or what? Isn't it much better then Jack-O-Lantern? As before, Nell's life is like my own. So anything about her is most likely the same with me. Like her hate of jounalists. Leave a review and maybe I won't set Lamar The Moose on you.
Enjoy your preview to chapter 3. Review and I may type it up faster.
I opened the door and got out. Pendergast stayed where he was. He looked dead.
"You alive over there?" I asked.
"Possibly." Wise-ass.
"You can come up with me, you know. I made soup. I'd feel bad if I didn't feed you. You're skinnier than me!" He opened one eye to look at me.
"I suppose."
"Cool. I made soup yesterday."
"Is it an old family recipe?" Defiantly a wise-ass.
"Don't make me put garlic in yours." He gave me an odd look. I seem to get a lot of those. "You sorta look like a vampire so I figured you'd be terrified of garlic." For once, he actually looked amused, and I could see the faint impression of a smile on his face. He had a nice semi-smile. Yeah. I'm totally overtired. "Oh yeah. Allie invited you to lunch with us tomorrow at 12:30."
