So I haven't updated this in ages, and it took me a while to write this, as no idea any more where I was going with this story, but I think I'm back on track.
Hope you enjoy and please R&R.
Scully and Mulder entered the dark, smoky establishment known as The Rabbit Hole. Scully immediately grimaced, at the smells of the bar. As they entered further, they passed the male toilets, and their noses were assaulted further by the smell of urine.
They held out their badges as the bar man approached them. Scully was aware of the eyes of most of the men in the bar, on her, eyeing her up. She stiffened, trying to resist from fidgeting.
"We are Agents Mulder and Scully, from the FBI, investigating a series of disappearances."
"Aye, Graham said you'd be in." The barman said, voice like gravel.
"Do you recognize any of these people?" Scully asked, taking out a collage of twenty pictures, 14 men and 6 women, from a file.
The barman stared intently, as a blonde man approached the bar, resting an empty glass on the bar.
"I recognize him, and her." He said pointing, he then noticed, the man, and nodded to him. "Excuse me a sec." he said and filled the man's glass without even asking what he wanted.
"A drink, for the two agents." The blonde man, smiled, sidling up to Scully. "I'm Dr Whale." He said extending a hand.
Neither of them took it.
"Thanks, but no thanks on the drinks." Mulder smiled
"Fine, suit yourself. What's all this about disappearances? Might you need a medical doctor?" He smiled, using all his charm possible.
"I am a medical doctor." Scully nodded, clenching her jaw.
"Haven't you got work to attend to, Dr Whale?" Graham interrupted the awkward pause in the conversation.
Whale sidled away, looking disappointed. Graham joined the two agents at the bar.
"The bartender recognised these two." Mulder said showing Graham.
Graham nodded, but was not really interested.
"I need to talk to you both outside." He tilted his head to the door.
"Thank you for your time." Mulder smiled at the bartender, as the three of them left, the icy silence that had befallen the bar since their arrival.
Graham waited till the door closed, then turned back to the agents.
"A body has been found in the woods." Graham said quietly
"One of the missing people?" Mulder asked
"I believe so."
"Who found the body?" Scully asked
"It was uncovered by Gold, about an hour ago." Graham sighed "This is a small town, we aren't used to these things,"
"We understand." Mulder smiled out of forced sympathy, he didn't believe this town was innocent in any way shape or form. "Will you take us to the body?"
"It's at the morgue." Graham nodded, and headed back towards his car.
"Wait! Scully will go to the morgue, I want to see where the body was found." Mulder said quickly
"Of course, Agent Scully, Mayor Mills will take you to the morgue, and give you a key."
"Right…" Scully said, and began to walk towards the mayor's office.
Mulder and Graham headed in the car towards the forest. Mulder making awkward chat, that Graham ignored.
Regina Mills sat at her desk, writing furiously, when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Yes?" she said coldly
Agent Dana Scully walked in.
"Sheriff Graham informed me, you had the keys to the morgue."
"Of course." Regina smiled "The morgue is in the hospital, I'll take you."
Scully gave a slight smile, and left with the mayor. She disliked being separated from Mulder in this town.
The two women walked together heels clicking.
"How long have you been mayor?" Scully asked trying to sound merely curious
"A good few years now." Regina smiled "In a small town, time just seems to stand still."
"No time for family then?" Scully kicked herself mentally the moment the question came out, it was far too personal. She hoped Regina might reveal something about the young boy, who fled the town.
"No, not yet." Regina said sharply "What about yourself? You and agent Mulder have any…?"
"Oh, no, Mulder and I aren't together." Scully blushed
"Of course not." Regina smiled,
The two travelled the rest of the way in silence, till they found themselves in a basic morgue. The body lay covered in a sheet.
Scully pulled back the sheet to reveal an elderly man. Regina leaned forward, looking at the man's face carefully.
"I don't recognise him." She said, voice clipped.
"Do you know of anyone who might be living in the woods?" Scully asked delicately
"No one that I am aware of." Regina said "I must be getting back to work, Graham will inform me when you have any evidence."
Regina nodded and left the room.
Scully sighed, and looked at the ligature mark around the man's throat, he had been strangled. He hadn't died quickly he had put up a fight, his body was covered in bruises, cuts and dirt from an obvious struggle. He was dressed in hiking gear.
Scully prepared for the autopsy, and was just about to make a Y incision, when she noticed the necklace in the man's clenched fist.
It was a plain gold chain, with a gold tree pendant.