May 13, 2006, 9:30 am
Sam, Dean, and Nic arrived at the hotel Marie Gabel had been staying at. The lobby had been a buzz with people still talking about, 'that poor woman in room 67.' The hotel was so busy with the people from the convention, which was holding some of it's smaller events in the Inn's reception room. Plus people from the Brown family reunion, as Marie Gabel had been, the staff really didn't notice who came and went. They couldn't even if they tried, so it was rather easy for the trio to walk right on in and up to the second floor.
Dean had located a maid's cart and managed to swipe a key card off it, unlock the room and then had Nic return the key while the maid was busy in room 80. Sam stayed outside in the hall, not too far from the room, but not too close, and tried to appear like he was just leaving a room and checking he had everything. He figured he could pull it off until the maid went into another room and came out again. Dean and Nic went inside to look around. The room was no longer taped up as a crime scene, but clearly maid service hadn't been in yet. The sheets were strewn about and all bloody. They looked around, there seemed to still be a few odd personal items that were left, such as her toothbrush and hair brush and some other items in her toiletries bag. A casual dress was also hanging in the closet. But it looked as though most of the stuff had been removed, probably either as evidence, or by her family.
"It looks like every other scene. Not much has ever turned up besides a lot of blood and questions." Nic didn't really think they'd find much here, but she went along because Dean had seemed insistent on checking anyway. She poked around though, figuring perhaps there was something to be gained just from being inside the space, since she hadn't gotten to walk into to many of these places herself. She'd only read a lot of notes her father had made about the ones he'd checked out.
"Yeah, it's starting to look that way. But we can still see if it's got the tell tale demon signs." Dean suggested, opening a couple more drawers before spotting a small sulfur remnant near the foot of the bed. "Here, sulfur."
Nic moved over to have a look and nodded, "you know, I haven't actually gotten to see it, just heard about it from my dad's notes." She knelt down next to Dean to look a little closer. Even if it didn't really tell them anything other than confirming what they had already figured, that it was a demon, she wanted to have a look at it for herself.
After looking at the little sulfur remnant and glancing for others, they peeked out the door and Sam motioned it was safe for them to slip out. The maid was still in the same room as before. Once they started down the hall Nic made her first suggestion, "I say we seek out some of her family. I bet a lot of them are staying here, maybe check out the talk in the lobby and dinning room. See if we over hear anything."
The guys nodded and they walked into the little lobby where people were sitting all around, talking. Dean spotted a man and woman looking upset and heard the woman say, "I still can't believe she's gone. My little Marie."
Dean glanced at Sam and nodded toward them. He'd come prepared. He had an FBI ID, he'd claim they got involved because they suspected a serial killer. He'd checked the police statements before coming to town and the husband had been so shocked all he'd managed to say was that someone attacked his wife, but he didn't get a good look at them. "Hello, are you the family of Marie Gabel? I'm Agent Smith, this is my partner Agent Jones, of the FBI."
"Yes, I'm her mother, Margaret. This is my brother, Daniel. Why is the FBI interested in my daughter?" She asked, wiping her eyes with a tissue the man handed her.
"Well, there have been several cases that sounded like your daughter's, and the bureau is concerned that we may be looking at a serial killer. So we are here to look into it." Dean spoke without missing a beat. Sam stood by silent, hoping that he wouldn't have to jump in and soothe any angry, grieving relatives if Dean rubbed them the wrong way. "I wondered if you could tell me a little about your daughter. It would help in determining if she fits the profile we're building."
"I already said all I can say to the local police, can't you just ask them." The woman shook her head, tears returning.
"I'm sorry, but my sister is still very upset. Marie was a lovely, caring, sweet young woman. But I'm afraid that's all we can tell you right now. Please, excuse us." The man lead the woman upstairs as she began sobbing, again.
Dean and Sam looked at each other, then turned to realize Nic had vanished. "Where did she go?" Sam looked at his brother, and then around the room.
"I don't know, you were the one just standing there." Dean looked a little amused, then annoyed when he spotted her in the dinning area talking to some guy. And at least from here she looked like she was flirting. "She's flirting with some guy in the dining room. What the hell."
Sam found where his brother was looking, and was a little surprised. She did look like she was flirting, and it made him wonder what she was up to. They were supposed to be working on this demon thing, and she hadn't seemed the type to just blow it off, especially since she had a personal stake in this demon. Sam figured she had an angle on something. Then Sam noticed Dean was walking off toward where Nic was, and hurried after him. Dean was about ready to just ask what the hell she was doing, but then he stopped when he got close enough to hear the conversation.
"So, your sister was basically the picture of a good girl. That's such a shame. There's so few truly good people out there anymore. I heard someone say once 'only the good die young'. It seems sadly true sometimes." Nic said to the young man, who was round about her age. She was trying to get a little information while just seeming like a friendly stranger.
"Yeah, you may be right about that. Marie was one of the good ones. She and Charlie just married about a year and a half ago. College sweet hearts. He was her first love. She was always involved in community service and in high school and college spoke to teens about abstinence and saying no to drugs and alcohol. And she and her husband were talking about having one baby of their own, and then adopting children. She was completely self less. I've never known anyone else like her. And now she's just gone. It's not fair, it doesn't make sense." The young man said, sniffling, and trying to hold back the tears.
Sam looked at Dean and poked him. He smiled at his older brother with a look that said, 'see, she's helpful.' "Apparently she decided your plan wasn't very good and went with her own." He whispered to Dean. Dean just gave him a sort of dirty look. "And try and not look like someone just smacked you, would ya?"
Dean gave him a nastier look, "shut up."
"I'm so sorry." Nic gently touched the guy's arm, "it's so sad. I guess at least everyone got to spend a little bit of time with her before..."
"Yeah, we had a good long talk with my other sister, and our cousins yesterday. I'll always remember it as my last memory of her. So vibrant and happy. At least she knew she was loved, and she'll be with me forever, in my heart. It's just still pretty raw. The reunion has turned into a funeral. We're burying her next week after the police finish their reports." He shook his head when a girl, maybe a few years older than Alex, came in.
"Hey, Johnny, mom could really use us upstairs right now." The girl said gently, trying to give Nic a little smile.
"Okay. It was nice meeting you, Nicki." He fished in his pockets and pulled out a card. "If you're gonna be in town a few more days, I'd like to talk again. My cell number in on there. Thanks for listening."
"Sure, I'll try and give you a call before I have to leave." She waved and gave him a gentle smile as he left with his sister. Nic then let her gaze land on the guys who were looking a little surprised. She stood and walked by them, when they didn't follow right away she said, "don't just stand there, people will start to wonder what you're up to."
After they all exited the hotel and got to the car Sam spoke up, "you got something didn't you?"
"Well, I got more than you guys and your fake badges probably got. Those things never endear people like that to talk to you." Nic said getting in the car. "So, where to now?"
Sam laughed and Dean looked more than a little bothered. He slammed the car door shut and pulled out. He wasn't sure where they were going next, but he wasn't going to say that now.
"What did you get, besides the guy's phone number? Are you really going to call him?" Sam asked, turning around in his seat, to look at her.
"His sister was like the perfect child and most loving person. Full of good deeds and compassion. She never slept with anyone except her husband. Never touched alcohol till she turned twenty-one, and even then she never had more than a single glass of wine at a celebration. Basically one of those people you wonder if they even exist, they are so good. Which fits the last couple women who I've really been able to look into. And actually, my mother probably fit that mold also, at least close enough. Which was something my father started wondering about toward the end. It fits most of the victims he or I could find anything on. But there's still the why, if there is a why. But it seems like this demon is up to something, it has a purpose beyond just reaping havoc." Nic hadn't intended to ignore Sam's second question, but she had, just by way of getting wrapped up in trying to connect pieces.
Sam was still turned looking at her, and Nic could see Dean glancing at her in the rear view as she spoke. Sam waited a moment to see if she was going to say anything else and then spoke, "Your mom was like that?"
"Yeah, pretty much. She and my father were high school sweethearts, he was her only boyfriend. She was a light drinker, only at parties. She volunteered at a soup kitchen at least twice a month. She was the kind of mom who was happy to have all my friends over, and often helped them with their problems more than their own parents did." Nic leaned back and spoke fondly, sighing softly.
"I'm hungry." Dean declared and started looking for someplace to eat.
