CH4

Kate pulled a new board into place and started adding what she knew and drew in a time line. Then made a call to see if there were any street cameras pointed this way, and what businesses are in the area, and if they were open in the time frame Lanie gave her.

It was after lunch time when Ryan and Espo arrived and headed for Kate's desk.

Holding up a baggie, Espo tells her "Uniforms found it in a dumpster a few blocks away from the site."

Kate just crinkles up her nose and tells Espo "Take it down to Lanie. I don't want it!"

Espo just smiles and heads for the elevator thinking 'payback is a bitch'.

Ryan adds, "No one saw or heard anything. The streets in that area are generally quiet. Not much happening. There were some homeless a few blocks over, but they didn't give us anything. There was one guy with what looked like some new shoes on. Recently acquired maybe? There are some uniforms bringing him to question."

'Thanks Ryan, I asked for any camera footage near the area, see if it has arrived yet. And use the businesses list on my desk and make some calls. See if they had any activity during our time frame."

"On it boss!" replies Ryan.

Espo steps off the elevator and heads for Kate. "Lanie got some prints off our vic. I'm going to run them thru the system and see if we get a hit. She also said she would be done with the autopsy in a few hours."

"Thanks Javi, we get a name and we will have something to start with."

Kate hears, "Beckett, my office." Not really sounding like a question.

Stepping into Montgomery's office, "Sir?"

"Eaten anything for lunch Beckett?" he asks

"I'm fine sir."

"Uh-huh? Anything yet on the new case?"

"Not much yet sir, just getting started."

"I hear he was missing, something?"

"Yes sir. Someone had removed his …. Jewels, sir." What was it with men and their 'Equipment' anyway?

Roy just mumbled something she didn't make out, and he waved her back out of his office. As she turned to go. "And Beckett, I find out that you slept on that thing, they call a couch in the break room tonight, and I'll cuff you, put duct tape over your mouth, and drop you at your Apt., PERSONALLY! Are we clear, Beckett?"

"Yes sir, crystal sir."

"Good, now get out of my office and get back to work."

A short time later Espo approaches Beckett with a folder. "Prints got us an ID on the guy. He's got a record." And hands her the folder.

"Rob Matterson, Assault, charges dropped. Assault, charges dropped. Felony assault with a weapon, charges dropped, possession of an illegal substance, charges dropped. Who the hell is this guy?"

The phone on Beckett's desk rings. "Beckett, ….. Thanks, I'll be right down. Lanie has got something. You two keep digging. Find out all you can on this guy. Where does he live, who is next of kin is, who he is friends with, where does he work. Anything on those video cameras?"

"Nothing yet." Ryan responds.

"I'm going to go see what Lanie has for us."

Entering the Morgue, Beckett spots Lanie next to the table with her Vic still on it. "Hey, Lanie."

"Hey, girlfriend." After looking up at Kate after she gets closer asks, "When did you last get any sleep?"

"What day is it?"

"You look like death warmed over. And down here, that's saying something."

"Well, for your information, Roy practically ordered me to go home and get some sleep. He threatened to cuff me and dump me at my Apt. tonight if I didn't."

"At least someone is looking out for you. Are you going to go?"

"Yes."

"Don't look so glum girlfriend. Life is not all about work. There are some gorgeous men out there you know. Or at least some cute ones. When was the last time you got any?"

"LANIE", Kate wines.

"I'm just saying."

"What have you got on our Vic?" Kate asks changing the subject.

"Fine, but this is not over Kate. Cause of death is due to blood lose. Time of death is between midnight and 1:00 am. His 'Jewels' were hacked off with some kind of blade. Something heavy and sharp."

She moves them over to the body where his 'Equipment' used to be. "See this wound here, and these two here. They are serious but not very deep. Whoever made them, either didn't have the strength to cause them to be deeper or was to cautious in the strikes. There are also multiple softer slashes all over the area. And the marks on his 'Jewels' that Javi brought show the same kind of sloppyness."

"It's as if someone was standing or kneeling over this area and just hacking away randomly in order to remove them."

"Oh, and I found this on his back. Help me role him over. See these two marks here on his upper back?"

"Tazer!" Kate responds.

"Looks like. They are too far apart for a stun gun, but just right for a tazer. I think he was tazered to subdue him, then had his pants and shoes removed to get to the prize, then went to town."

"So he was alive when this was done?"

"Yup. Possibly even awake, for part of it at least. He probably got to watch what someone was doing to him. Until he passed out. Due to the shock possibly. Then when done, left him to bleed out and die."

"Any guesses on the type of weapon used?"

"Well, based on the numerous wounds and the type, it would need to be something with the weight to it, and short enough to use to hack with. Meat clever, perhaps. Like a from a butcher shop or Deli."

"Maybe a Machete?" Kate asks

"Yea, a machete could do the trick. Based on some of the strikes looking like someone was hesitant to go about how to remove it. It would need to be very sharp."

"Oh, and this type of hacking on a live victim would have had blood splatter all over who was doing it. Very messy."

"Thanks Lanie, let me know if you find anything else." Kate leaves and heads back to her murder board.

At the murder board she is approached by Javi, "I've got our Vics address and his work address."

Just as Kate is about to tell him something, Ryan sticks his head out the door of the room he is in and calls out "Beckett, you have to see this."

While they all get ready to watch the tape Ryan has found, he starts "There are no cameras pointing down the alley our Vic was in. But, there is a camera pointing down an adjoining street. Now this women here comes into view, walking away from the alley our Vic was in, doesn't appear to be looking in any direction, continues on and steps into the pizza place."

"Fasting forward to about 5 minutes later we see this guy here walk into the store, and walk back out with our lady in question about a minute later. He hails down a cab. They both get in and leave."

"Can we get a better picture of these two?"

"No, this is as good as it gets. It's just a low grade security camera. Not one of the better ones you find at intersections to get idiots that run red lights."

"Call the taxi company and see …." But is interrupted by Ryan.

"Already have. I've got an address." As he holds up a piece of paper, that Kate snatches from him.

"And I called the pizza place and they said some young women walked in last night badly beaten and used their phone to call someone. Some good looking guy showed up and took her away in a cab he called while inside."

"Nice work you two! Ryan you go with Espo to our Vic's Apt . and his place of work. See what you can find. I'll take a uniform and go to the address our young lady friend here was taken to. Call me if you find something."