Chapter 4

"Joe! How is everything?" Edward Buchan cried joyfully. It had been a few weeks since he had heard from the detective and he was getting a little nervous he had been forgotten about.

"I was wondering what you could tell me about suffocation."

They met in a small crowded coffee house. A little too small and crowded for Joe's taste but is was the closest place to both of them.

"Now," Buchan started, "What kind of suffocation are we talking about?" He placed his briefcase between his leg opened it and took out a very large file folder.

"We've found two women suffocated in their apartments and it looks as if someone was trying to remove their bone marrow." Chandler sat back rubbing his eyes. Something about this sounded too familiar to him.

"Ah, are you talking about "'burking' "

"Come again? Chandler sat up straight at this, this term was familiar to him.

"Burking, named after William Burke of Edinburgh. He and his partner William Hare, would kill by suffocating their victims, one would hold the victim down while the other would hold close the mouth and nose. They amassed quite a body count. They ran a popular local in. They sold their victim's bodies to a one Dr. Robert Knox who would then use the body for teachings of anatomy to his class. Through their dastardly deeds lead to the Anatomy Act of 1832, which forbid-" Chandler stopped listening and started to get up.

"Where are you going, I've only just begun?" Buchan questioned.

"Thanks but for now this is what I need."

"But you have only half the information, plus there could other information we haven't even scratched the surface."

"I'll call you if I need you again." He left the coffee shop in a rush. He had one simple thought in his mind, he had information that Basen didn't have and couldn't have counted on, he was going to get to her and give her a piece of evidence she didn't have already. Show her what for. He doubted this would be a copycat case and didn't think Buchan would be of any further use to him. Currently he was consumed by one thought showing up the American.

Megan Riley and Vivi Basen begrudgingly walked up the steps to Gretchen Mellon's flat. The stairway was unbearably hot. The landlord explained the boiler had stopped working properly and wouldn't shut off. He had a workman down in the basement attempting to fix it but they weren't having much success.

Vivi was tempted to remove her gray sweater but remembered what she had on underneath and kept it on. Riley removed her own jacket however.

"How are you finding out city?" she asked. It was good to see a follow female officer and she was determined to make the best of it. Plus she had admired the fact the fact that the American had found clues that took everyone a little longer to come to, maybe she had a trick or two up her sleeve.

"I'm not," Vivi replied. "I get lost getting the mail." Riley laughed at this.

"Here we are 314," they stopped in front of the door. A police sticker and a deadbolt guarded entry into the crime scene. Riley took out a key and opened the deadbolt. As Riley turned the handle Vivi's hand immediately went to her hip, her right hip where she used to carry her gun. No such luxury now, she was issued a baton but hadn't gotten the hang of it yet and so far refused to carry it. She put her hand back down by her side and entered the apartment with Riley.

It was equally hot in the flat. The two woman went in opposite directions upon entering the flat instinctively taking up flanking positions. Vivi's hand again went to her hip again. It didn't feel right in the apartment. The air was hot and stuffy. It reminded her of a bathroom you went into after someone had taken a shower, used the toilet and had a smoke. There was also a faint reminiscent smell of cigarette smoke. She had supposed it could be from another tenant in the building. Heavy smokers had tendency to ruin clear air that way.

"It's too stuffy in here."

"Yeah, it's kinda gross," Vivi agreed. "Let me look around real quick then we can be on our way."

The apartment door opened up directly into the living room. A small rectangle of tile acted as the entryway. A small table off to one side Vivi assumed acted as a catchall, coins, mail and other bric-a-brac cluttered the small table top. Vivi took a quick inventory and noted no keys. She didn't recall if it was inventoried in the report, she would need to reread it when they got back.

Riley continued into the kitchen and checked the cupboards and the refrigerator to confirm Vivi's observations. Vivi walked into the living room then into the first bedroom she came too. She wasn't 100% sure what she was looking for but felt better since this scene was cleaner than the one they just escaped from.

There was something odd about the room but Vivi couldn't quite put her finger on it. It held a queen size bed, an ugly wardrobe was kitty corner to the right of the bed. Basen gave a cursory glance to an old wooden vanity littered with assorted make up and jewelry. She was about to leave when a picture on the wall caught her attention. It was a simple landscape, not a very good one either, however someone had taken the time to mat this picture in a nice frame. It showed to figures walking in a park or forest. Vivi scrutinized it for a moment more then realized what was off about it when she heard a noise behind her. It was barely audible, just a few clicks, most would have chalked it up to house noises but Vivi instead widened her stance, moving her left foot about 5 inches away from her right. She tried to relax her shoulders so whoever was behind her would be as surprised as he was expecting her to be. She bent suddenly, her knees and swept her leg out behind her in a low roundhouse kick. It didn't work the man standing behind had anticipated this move and avoided it easily.

Vivi's hand again went to her empty hip.

"Dammit!" she screamed. She swing wide trying to catch him with a right but he again avoided her swing. His left arm swept up in a back swing that he brought down in what she could only describe as a "Judo Chop" The ridiculousness of it surprised her. She stepped back and the small cushioned stool in front of the vanity caught her at the back of her knee and she stumbled. His hand caught mostly air but managed to tip her nose with his fingers. This brought tears to her eyes as she fell.

"Riley will hear the scuffle and call for back up," she thought to herself. The assailant stepped up to her and grabbed her arm. He brought her up and swung her around pinning her arm behind her.

"Todas as garotas bonitas deve cheirar esse doce." he stepped up close behind her. He crushed up against her pinning her against the wall. His leaned his entire body weight against her and brought her arm up further up her back as her pressed. She tried to cry out, she tried to scream but couldn't find her voice. Panic started to close her throat as he grabbed her other arm and brought it behind her as well.

"You're a right pretty bird." He pressed up against her, nestling his nose into her neck and behind her ear. Now, in this room with this man pushing up against her, breathing on her brought on a panic attack that threatened to bubble over. He was compressing her lungs, pushing the air out of her, making it more and more difficult to breathe.

"What the-"Riley walked into the room. The attacker stepped back from Basen and ran to Riley who was stood stuck in the doorway. He struck her first in the face, a direct hit to her nose. Blood exploded and ran down her face. Her hands instinctively rushed to her injured nose. Her knees buckled underneath her and she went down. He clamped his hands together and brought his hands up and then down at the base of her neck. She collapsed unconscious.

Vivi had managed to step away from the wall and took a huge breath trying to fill her panicked lungs. She turned in time to see his blow to the back of Riley's head. She tried to scream and lunged at him. He turned and caught her wrists and spun her around again. The speed at which he had her trapped and crushed again brought the cold feel of panic again into her blood. He grew a third arm, somehow entrapping both arms behind her back and using another hand that crawled over her face. He pinched her nose and covered her mouth. Hysteria set in. She tried to fight against him, he only held tighter, pinching her arms behind her back. Black spots swam before her eyes. She tried again to fight against him and felt her shoulder dislocate. The pain was excruciating. As she fought for air the blackness enveloped her and she lost consciousness.

Chandler pulled up to the building, running through his mind what he would say to her. How exactly was he going to approach this? Not too smugly he decided. He would just let her know what he found out. Give her the news and see where it took them.

The temperature in the building was still stifling. Chandler walked quickly up the stairwell to the 3rd floor. When he reached apartment 314, the door was slightly ajar. This struck Chandler odd, protocol dictated the door be closed, preventing any looky loos.

"Riley, Basen"