Doc Part VII

"It was like a scene out of Psycho," Eliza told her husband and the others back at the station. "Only it was Norman Bates in the shower! I don't believe it."

"I believe it. Do you know what Luna's real name was?" Doc scoffed. "Lewis Bronsky."

"Lewis? You mean that she was really a…?" Zach did a double take.

"Uh huh," Doc remarked. "And here's some more information. Check out this copy I found in the files."

"Well I'll be damned," Chang snorted. "This is very interesting indeed. I think we should have a talk with this Phyllis LaMore and see if we can get the truth outta her."

"She's still missing?" Niko was surprised. "That's not good."

"If you don't mind Sheriff I think we should keep this information to ourselves for now," Doc thought aloud.

"You mean the fewer people who know that Luna was a Lewis the more likely one of them bumped her…I mean him off?" Chang thought. "I have no problem with that."

"Here's the report on what killed him boss," An officer walked in with a piece of paper. "They just confirmed it. Same blaster that killed Tom Banes."

"Then Giselle couldn't have done it," Niko said.

"Sheriff!" Another officer ran in. "There's been another death at the Bankerton Place! This time one of the maids bit it!"

"What?" Chang yelled.

"The bodies are really piling up aren't they?" Doc sighed.

"Hartford usually we only have three homicides a year!" Chang yelled. "Since you got here we've had three in two days!"

"You really think this one was a murder too?" Eliza asked.

"At the rate this case is going, yes!" Chang snapped.

It wasn't long before the gang made it to the Bankerton's house. "I can't believe she's dead!" One maid sobbed profusely. "She was only twenty seven years old! She couldn't have had a heart attack!"

"So what's the story?" Chang asked Mina as they went into the kitchen. The body of a young woman was on the floor, a broken teapot and a broken tea cup by her side.

"Her name was Sarah Maiden," Mina was stunned. "She…She's worked for me for years. She was my most trusted servant. How could she have just had a heart attack?"

"She didn't," Shane sniffed. "I smell almonds."

"That's impossible," Mina said. "She was allergic to nuts."

"She was probably more allergic to poison," Shane remarked. "Some poisons smell like almonds and give their victim the exact same reactions as a heart attack."

"Get me a toxicology scan," Chang told an officer.

An officer took out a strange looking device and scanned the woman's body. "Cyanide. Definitely. Seems to be in the tea."

"All right everyone in the living room," Chang said. "We're all gonna figure out why there are two bodies here in two days!"

"Actually three if you count LaMore," An officer said. Chang glared at him.

"That hussy Luna LaMore is dead?" Mina asked. "Well I can't say I'm sorry. She got what she deserved."

"What about Sarah? Did she deserve this?" Another maid shouted. "She must have heard something and was killed because of it!"

"It's all about that conservator thing isn't it?" A chef shouted. "You all trying to get Ms. Banes committed so you can take her money!"

"What's this?" Chang asked.

"Nothing!" Mina glared at her staff.

"The hell it is! You and your husband were plotting to get that poor girl committed so you could take her money! We all knew about it! The whole household! Not just her!" The chef said.

"You really screwed up there!" Another maid yelled. "Sarah was the only one here on your side and now she's dead!"

"Look what I just found in the maid's room," A detective walked in with a blaster in a plastic container.

"Well it looks like your brother owes me a hundred," Chang smiled. "Of course maybe that's because we arrested the wrong sister."

"HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF MURDER!" Mina yelled. "I'll have your badge for this!"

"Darling what the devil is going on here?" Carlton walked in. "I was at the club all day and I come home to find complete pandemonium on my doorstep!"

"Sarah's dead and your wife bumped her off!" The chef shouted.

"What?" Carlton startled.

"Only you and Sarah liked that brand of tea and you refused to have your usual cup today!" The chef glared at Mina. "It had to be you!"

"I don't believe it," Carlton stared at the body. "Wait if she's dead who is going to serve breakfast?"

"Out!" Chang snapped and had his people shove Mina, Carlton and their people out of the kitchen. "What a bunch! This case is driving me batty!"

"Let me take a look at this blaster," Shane asked. Chang handed him a pair of plastic gloves so he could examine it without getting his fingerprints on it. "S Class High Frequency Mark Fifteen. I knew it."

"Yeah and all the serial numbers are burned off so we don't know who owns it," Chang grunted.

"Not necessarily," Doc smiled. "Anybody got a screwdriver?"

"Kind of early to be drinking isn't it?" Chang asked.

"No, a mini screwdriver as in a tool," Doc said.

"I've got one," Shane took it out of his belt component. "I always carry a small one in case I want to screw Bubblehead's beak off."

"Go to it my Gooseman," Doc smiled. "If anyone can find it it's you."

"Find what?" Chang asked. "What is he looking for?"

"The one thing about this series of blasters is there are two sets of ID numbers," Shane grinned as he went to work dismantling the blaster. "One on the outside and one set inside the cartridge here."

"Inside the cartridge?" Chang asked as Shane carefully removed the outer cover. "Why?"

"This particular type of blaster is heavily favored by mobsters," Shane said. "But the makers had trouble with some people counterfeiting them and the counterfeit weapons tended to blow up. So to keep their clientele from blaming them they used precautions."

"It's not exactly something they advertise," Zach explained. "Only a gun enthusiast or someone in our line of work would know about it."

"Here they are," Shane removed another component. "This set is hidden from sight so it's hard to remove the serial numbers."

"Good work, let's run the numbers of this sucker," Chang smiled.

"One thing about a murder case," Doc frowned. "Sooner or later someone will make a slip. And I think we just found it. But I need a couple more things to be sure. Sheriff will you indulge me in one more little favor?"

"Why not?" Chang sighed.

"I need you to round up all the suspects and have them come over here in about an hour," Doc said taking out a piece of paper. "Oh and call this guy too and say that I want to see him."

"Him?" Chang blinked when he read it. "Okay."

"Niko I want you to try and use your powers one more time," Doc said. "I know it's a lot to ask without your badge but try."

"All right," Niko focused as she held her hands over the weapon. She patiently delved into it's past.

"You mean she can tell who used that thing by…?" Chang asked.

"Usually," Zach nodded.

"The psychic vibrations are strong…I know who did it!" Niko gasped. "You won't believe it! It's…"

Who is it? Find out next time in the conclusion!