So, here's chapter three
Let me know what you think, I'm always open to ideas :)
Anyway, enjoy :)
Disclaimer: Seriously? Do I really need to? I don't own this show or the characters.
Melinda was going over the case in the conference when a knock at the door made her look up from her seat. Maria walked in and sat down across from her, putting a file down on the table and sliding it across "Donnie's financial's came up clean," she said "But I looked at his phone records and found a number that called him every week, each call lasting less than a minute,"
"Were you able to get a trace on it?" Melinda asked her, opening the file and looking through it herself, seeing the highlighted calls.
Maria shook her head and leaned back in her seat, looking at their case on the glass board next to the table "No, it's a burner, Trip and Hunter are going to every prepaid dealer within a five mile radius, hopefully something pops up,"
"That could take hours," Melinda frowned, looking up at her "Can't we identify a serial number or anything?"
"Doesn't work like that," Maria said, leaning forward on her elbows "Prepaid cells are designed to be anonymous, that's why they're prepaid, there's no bills sent, there's no need for a name or identification because the dealer's already got the money in hand, they don't care what people do with the phone, as long as they sell," she sighed "And unfortunately, they do,"
Melinda sighed and shook her head "Okay, were looking at this wrong, we're not gonna get a name by scouring the streets, so let's take another approach," she said and stood up, starting to pace the length of the table slowly, thinking "Calls that last less than a minute, made from a burner cell, what does that suggest?" she asked, Maria shook her head, not knowing "Well the calls were all one-sided,"
"Blackmail," Maria caught on, sitting up straighter "You think he was being blackmailed,"
"Think about it," Melinda said as she stopped walking "Someone calls you, they tell you they know what you've done or whatever and then they say that you need to pay up or else," she explained "Then, bang, end of call,"
Maria rose from her seat and stood next to her in front of the board "And the next calls gave him instructions, a drop place, a bank account in the Cayman Islands, a bin to put it under,"
"Exactly,"
"But like I said," Maria shook her head "His financials were clean. There were no transfers, no withdrawals and no out of place purchases anywhere,"
Melinda thought for a moment before responding "So he wasn't being blackmailed with money, but something else,"
"Coulson said that he was a brilliant student, he was one of the smartest ones there, double majoring in Astrophysics and Engineering," Maria explained "Maybe it was academic,"
"Like a paper?" Melinda raised an eyebrow at her.
Maria shrugged "Could be, college students are under a lot of stress," she said "Or it could be something bigger, something he discovered and shared with someone else, not knowing what to do with it,"
Melinda nodded and sighed "Alright, if this is what got Donnie killed, then we find out what he was working on, who he told and we find our killer," she said and grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair before putting it on "I'll take a trip to the college, see if his friends knew anything about a project he'd been working on," Maria nodded and watched as she walked out the door, grabbing her keys, badge and gun from her desk on the way out of the bullpen.
Making her way down to the black bureau issued Chevy Camaro, she pulled out her phone and held it up to her ear as she called the person she needed "Trip," she greeted "Hill and I have a theory," she said, stepping out of the elevator and making her way to the car, unlocking it when it was in view.
"Yeah? What's that?"
"Blackmail,"
"Blackmail? By who?"
"That's what we're tryin' to find out," she said, opening the car door and getting inside "I'm heading over to the university now, I'll let you know if I find anything,"
"Yeah, likewise,"
And with that, they both hung up.
The twenty-five minute drive was faster than usual, due to the fact she was driving way too fast. Pulling up out the front of the main building of the university, she made her way to the dorms, going off the names Maria had given her. Considering it was a Saturday, no one had classes, especially after yesterday.
As she found the dorm she wanted, she knocked twice on the door. When it opened, a teenager with sandy blonde, curly hair and puffy red eyes opened the door "Leo Fitz?" she asked softly.
"Yes?" he replied, his Scottish accent clear in the syllable.
Pulling out her badge, she flashed it to him "I'm SSA May, FBI," she said. She held it up for him to glance at it and then put it away again "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Donnie?"
The boy nodded before stepping aside and letting her in is dorm. The dorm was clean, the the exception of the unmade bed and a bin full of tissues. Fitz gestured to the chair that sat at the end of the bed, and sat down cross legged on his bed "What would you like to know, Agent May?" he asked.
Sitting down, she leaned forward on her elbows "You were close with Donnie?" she asked, earning a nod in return "Did he tell you about any problems he may have been having?"
"Like what?"
"Was someone harassing him? Someone who didn't like him?" she asked cautiously.
Fitz shook his head "Everyone liked Donnie," he replied "I mean, he didn't have a lot of friends, but no one had a problem with him,"
Melinda nodded before asking "Do you know if he was working on anything? A project or a thesis?"
Fitz thought for a second before nodding "Yeah, he was working off the basis that if you use hydroxide and monoxide to power a fully turbined-"
"I majored in Criminalistics," she cut him off, not knowing a word he was saying, making him smile slightly.
"About a year ago I built an Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device," he explained "It could turn all moisture around it into ice. I think Donnie was trying to recreate it in his own way,"
"Did he tell anyone about this?" Melinda asked.
Fitz shook his head before shrugging "I don't know," he replied "I found some plans for it and I think he was having problems with the power, but he didn't come to me for help, which he usually does,"
Melinda nodded "Is there anyone else you think Donnie would feel comfortable asking to help with the problem?"
"Jemma, but she's BioChem and wouldn't do much good," he replied "So no,"
Melinda nodded and put her notepad away "I'm sorry for your loss," she said softly.
Fitz nodded "Thank you,"
She patted his knee before sanding up "Thank you for your time,"
"Anything I can do to help," Fitz replied, earning a grateful smile in return before headed for the door "Agent May?" he stopped her, making her turn back to face him "He was also in Professor Coulson's class, if anyone around here needed to talk to someone, it'd be him,"
Melinda nodded "Thanks, I'll check it out," she replied, earning a nod from Fitz in return, before she left, making her way back down to the car, pulling out her phone in the process "Maria, I need an address,"
The Saturday morning had been low-key so far, Phil had eventually dragged himself out of bed and made them all French Toast before he went to his office to get some grading done, whilst the girls went up to her room to do God-knows-what.
A knock at the door made him groan until he heard Skye yell out "I got it!" Opening the door, Skye found a woman, dressed in black, aviators in the V of her shirt, black jeans, black boots and a black leather jacket, a gun attached to her hip "Hey," Skye said, smiling slightly.
"Uh, yeah, I'm SSA Melinda May with the-" before she could finish, Skye's smile grew over her face and she turned around, yelling.
"Dad!" she yelled "Get out here and look presentable! The hot FBI agent is here!" Skye turned back to herand stepped aside "Come on in,"
Melinda reluctantly stepped into the apartment and watched as Phil came running around the corner, barefoot, in jeans and a Captain America shirt. She had to hide the smirk at the sight. It was actually quite adorable.
"Melinda," he said.
"Dad!" Skye all but yelled at her father "I said look presentable, not Fanboy Frankie,"
"What?" Phil asked her in confusion.
Skye rolled her eyes before turning back to Melinda "I'm Skye, by the way," she said "Excuse him, he really does clean up nice once you get rid of the-"
"Skye." Phil said, giving her a look.
Raising her hands in surrender, she took a few steps back "Fine, I'm going," she said then leaned in close to Phil and whispered harshly "Don't you dare blow this!" and walked off back to Jemma.
They stood in silence for a moment, wondering what just happened, before Melinda broke the silence "Your daughter, I'm guessing?"
Phil chuckled "Yeah, that's Skye, she's a little outgoing,"
"I bet," she smirked and Phil gestured to the couch.
"Uh, can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" he asked as she sat down.
"No, thank you," she replied with a small smile "I'm good,"
Nodding, he sat down next to her "So what can I do for you?"
"I just spoke to Leo Fitz," she said "He told me that Donnie was working on some freezing device,"
"Like the one Fitz built last year?" Phil asked, leaning forward on his elbows.
Melinda nodded "He said that if Donnie would talk to anyone about his problems it'd be you,"
Phil gave her a small, sad smile "I guess," he said "But like I told Agent Hill, I didn't know that he had any problems,"
"Fitz said that he was having a power problem with the device, but didn't go to him about it," she explained "Can you think of anyone he would go to?"
"Not really," Phil shook his head, then furrowed his eyebrows "But I did see him talking to another Astrophysics student the other day, Seth Dormer,"
"Is that unusual?" Melinda asked.
Phil contemplated it before responding "Yes and no," he said "Yes because they were in the same class, but no because they didn't get along very well," he said, and seeing her quizzical expression, he elaborated "Seth's one of the 'cool' smart kids, Donnie didn't associate with those kinds of people,"
Nodding, Melinda replied "Right,"
"Do you think this device is the reason he was killed?" he asked.
"To be honest, we're not sure yet," she replied "I can't really talk about it, but as soon as we confirm anything, I'll let you know,"
Phil nodded "Thank you,"
"Of course,"
As Melinda stood to leave, Phil followed her to the door, opening it for her. But before she could walk away, he stopped her "Hey, thank you," he said again "For everything,"
"Sure," she replied "Hang in there, it'll be okay,"
"So, did you ask her out?" Skye asked as the two girls bounded back into the living room.
Phil sighed "No, Skye, I didn't ask her out," he replied.
"What? Why not?" Skye almost whined.
"Because she wasn't here for me, she was here for Donnie," he replied.
"On a Saturday?" Jemma asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Yes, on a Saturday," Phil replied "She wanted to know about one of Donnies projects,"
"The Atmospheric Moisture Freezing Device?" Jemma asked, earning a nod in return "He was so close with that,"
"It doesn't amtter what she was here for!" Skye exclaimed, changing the subject "You need to take this opportunity,"
"Not right no-"
"It's been two years, Dad!" Skye responded, getting frustrated before huffing "Just promise me you'll call her when the case is over,"
Phil sighed deeply before responding "I promise,"
"What'd you find out?" Maria asked as Melinda walked back into the conference room.
Taking off her jacket, Melinda replied "Well, Donnie was working on some freezing device, and apparently he was talking to some kid he wouldn't usually talk to,"
"What's the kid's name?"
"Seth Dormer," she replied "I already checked with campus security, Seth's not there,"
"So where would he go?" Maria asked "What kind of kid was he?"
"Apparently one of the cool kids," she replied "Had lots of friends, no problems, why run now?"
Maria scoffed "Because he killed someone,"
"We don't know that yet," Melinda said "Maybe he's not running from us, what if he's running from someone else?"
"Donnie's killer," said Maria, then sighed, starting to walk out "I'll get a sepina for Dormer's phone records,"
"Why are we doing this again?" Jemma whispered as they crept down the stairs and into the basement of the dorm block.
"Because Donnie once told me that he used to come down here," Skye whispered back, shining the toch in front of them "There might be something down here,"
"Any what if someone catches us?" Jemma asked, look around paranoid.
"Relax, pretty much no one knows this place exists," she replied "We'll be fine,"
As they reached the bottom step, the found a light switch on the wall. Turning it on, the globes flickered on.
"What the hell is that?" Skye asked.
"You shouldn't be down here," a voice growled, and before either of them could turn around, everything went black.
And boom.
So? Whattaya think?
I know, I know. MAJOR CLIFFHANGER!
Anyway, lemme know what you think :)
