October 2008

"Darnell Brent." A young black male introduced himself to a blonde detective.

"I'm Detective Rush." Lilly smiled, shaking his hand.

"I think I have evidence on Laura McKinney's murder." Darnell confessed. "She was my teacher at Reeves High - got shot outside the school in 1991. They said it was a carjacking gone wrong."

"You know different?" Lilly questioned, taking a seat and watching as Darnell followed.

"Just got my teaching credentials - started at Reeves last week." Darnell said.

"Coincidence?" Lilly smiled lightly.

"She's the reason I'm doing it." Darnell sighed. "Always challenged us to make a difference. I figured it's about time I try it."

"Well, what'd you find, Darnell?" Lilly relaxed in her seat.

"So, I'm there this weekend, getting my classroom ready. Found this old, sturdy desk in storage they used to have when I was a student. I was going through the drawers and I find these." Darnell produced a set of keys, one keychain being a bright white word spelling 'Laura'. He handed the keys to Lilly, who inspected them.

"They're her keys, including her car keys. Miss McKinney wouldn't have left the classroom without them, let alone the building." Darnell continued.

"People forget their keys all the time." Lilly excused.

"I worked at the school two days - first thing you learn: don't go anywhere without your keys." Darnell shrugged.

"School's locked down?" Lilly asked, writing down the details of the interview.

"Especially at night. Can't get through one door without them. Miss McKinney would've known that." Darnell said. "She wasn't going to her car."

"So, if she wasn't headed to her car, where was she going?" Lilly said in confusion.

"I don't know." Darnell shook his head.

- True Calling -

"Laura McKinney." Lilly started, talking to her colleague Nick Vera as she rummaged through a white box. "Twenty-two. Just out of college. Killed in front of the school at ten at night."

"Last to see was Margaret Trudlow." Nick added. "Another teacher hours earlier."

"She was in Teach For America." Lilly said as she scanned the evidence papers.

"Cousin of mine did that. It's like the Peace Corps. Teachers spend a couple years in the worst public schools." Nick informed his colleague.

"Shot once in the back with a .22." Lilly kept reading. "Shooter left the shell casing."

"Not to mention the car." Nick nodded.

"She's found just steps from her vehicle but no keys." Lilly said in disbelief. "Witnesses?"

"We got a Mrs Harris who lives across from the school." Nick scanned the text. "Sees two people standing over the body. Black male and female. The woman is heavily pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Lilly raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Nick nodded once again. "After almost ten minutes, she hears loud screaming. Possibly the girl going into labor."

"Wow." Lilly laughed humorlessly. "That's quite a place to go into labor."

"Sure is." Nick smirked.

- True Calling -

So, this is possibly the fastest I have ever updated a fanfiction but it's sorta easy to, with Cold Case. So, I did decide to include Darnell's introduction into the case and all the case details that were at the start of the episode. I won't be including Laura's father's flashback or Mrs Trudlow's flashback, as Alycia wasn't part of either. Also, Alycia will be getting her own personal flashbacks with Renaldo which I'm happy to write. Thanks for reading!