X. In which people lose their heads

Kili started up from his sleep with a yelp. His hands clenched the sheets, his breath was rasping.

"Are you alright?" Tauriel sat up.

He blinked as if he didn't know where he was and had to adjust to his surroundings. Then he ran his fingers through his wild locks. "Oh, God. Sure. Sorry for waking you up. Go back to sleep."

"Bad dream?"

Stupid question. He was still trembling. She thought once again that someone like him, someone so young, so radiantly full of life and laughter, shouldn't be so deeply troubled. He had a lot of nightmares. Some made him whimper quietly, some had him struggling with the duvet, others awoke him with a start. Her heart constricted every time.

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm such a baby."

She touched his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

His gaze wandered somewhere that was not here or now; his eyes were dark like the sea in a storm. Her hand stroked his shoulder, but what was intended to be comforting turned into something else entirely. Her fingers sneaked under his hair, traced the slope of his neck, explored his soft skin and rejoiced in his slight shiver. He was suddenly so close she could count each black, long eyelash.

And then her lips were on his, the tip of her tongue swept over his soft lower lip and flicked into his mouth. He drew her closer and reciprocated her kiss, deep and intense, so that she was gasping for breath before she could capture his lips again. Her body pressed closer to his, her hands found the way under his T-shirt. Her fingers explored the hot skin while his lips wandered over her neck and his teeth nibbled at the sensitive skin.

A shrill beep made them jump. Tauriel cursed slightly and grabbed her pager.

"What is it?" Kili's eyes burned with longing that slowly was replaced by confusion when she kept staring at her pager.

"Tauriel?"

"They found a corpse. I have to go."

"What? A corpse?"

"In front of the Senator's office."

"It's dead. It's not going anywhere. It can wait."

She chuckled. "It can't. I have to be there and monitor the investigation. And try to assure the Senator that we will catch the killer asap. Thranduil will be furious."

He sighed and got up. "I'll make some coffee."

She couldn't help but notice the bulge in his boxers and cursed the killer for their bad timing.

X

When she entered the building and crossed the police cordon in front of the Senator's office, Legolas was already there. Flawless as ever, looking like a GQ model in his dark jeans and Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie. She frowned and gave him a tight-lipped smile, irritated that he always arrived at a crime scene before she did, looking way more attractive and sophisticated than she could ever hope to.

He nodded to where Haldir was kneeling next to the body. He blocked most of it but Tauriel could see legs in jeans and black biker boots. When she approached, Haldir looked up and revealed the rest of the dead man. He seemed to be of middle height, slim and wiry, and wore a jumper and a leather jacket. So far, so ordinary. Hadn't it been for the fact that his head was missing.

"Any idea what the cause of death may be?"

"Funny, Captain." Haldir smiled grimly and offered her a pair of latex gloves.

She put them on and patted down the body. The pockets seemed to be empty. She let her hands move to the remains of the neck.

"Has the photographer taken all the pictures we need?" The last thing she needed was to ruin the murder scene while she explored the edges of the wound.

"Yes, Captain. The wound is smooth, the skin just slightly frazzled. The killer used a really sharp blade."

"And they didn't do it here," she said. "There is not enough blood."

"Yes. He was brought here. The forensic team reckons he has been dead for several hours, probably has been killed in the late afternoon. The Senator left his office at 7.30 pm, shortly after his porter didn't see any out of the ordinary."

"The corpse wasn't beamed here. There's loads of security cams in this building. Have you got the footage?"

"Of course."

"Who found him?"

"The cleansing woman. She went in shock and had to be treated. There wasn't much to get out of her except for screaming and weeping."

"We'll try again tomorrow." She continued to examine the dead man's body. When she put aside the collar of the leather jacket, a tattoo was sitting on the dead man's neck, partly covered in blood.

She whistled. "Look at that."

Haldir drew a sharp breath. "Dammit. A Spider!"

The black inked spider was clearly visible against the bloodied and lightly tanned skin that had started to turn grey. The man had been a gang member. As if the missing head wasn't evidence enough that this was no ordinary murder. She couldn't help the feeling that there was more to it. A beheaded orc had been placed in front of Thranduil's office. Clearly that was a message. But what did it say? Who was the dead man? And where was his bloody head?

She searched the corpse again. His jacket's pockets were still empty. Her fingers wandered to his jeans and made a find in one of the back pockets. A folded sheet of paper that turned out to be release papers from the hospital. But the patient's name and date of release had been torn off. She called one of the officers in their white scene of crime suits to secure the paper in a plastic bag.

"We need a photograph of the tattoo as well." The man nodded and she got up, gesturing to the undertakers that they were done. She watched the men put the corpse into a body bag and zip it.

"I want the results on my desk first thing in the morning," she said to the head forensic.

The man sighed. "The autopsy is going take several hours."

"Then you better get started. I want to know who he is and what exactly happened. When he was killed, with what and where. You have until seven o'clock."

"No way. I need more time. Ten o'clock. The earliest. My assistant called in sick yesterday."

She glared at him. "Do I look as if I care? Seven o'clock. If you don't want to end up with a tag on your toe as well, you should do as I say."

The forensic scowled but kept silent. Legolas frowned slightly.

"You are in a good mood tonight."

"A beheaded Spider is put in front of the Senator's office and you want me to sing and tap-dance?"

"I thought you like a good case. Something out of the ordinary."

"Yes, I do. Not necessarily involving Thranduil and a headless corpse at his door, though. Did you speak to your father yet?"

"Just briefly. He told me when he left his office. He wasn't very sociable. He is expecting our report in the morning."

"Of course. I better head home then."

"I thought we might go for a drink. Sharing the same fate of being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and so forth. The Prancing Pony is still open. Fancy a Gin Tonic?"

She shook her head. "I fancy getting back into my bed." Where a certain dark-haired man was waiting whose lips one simply had to devour.

Legolas' face fell ever so slightly. "Of course. See you in the morning, then."

She patted his arm as a good-night and got into her car. It was strange not to go to the bar with him. They usually went to the Prancing Pony after being called to a nightly crime scene. They shared some drinks, they talked. It felt good not be alone. They had known each other since childhood, and Legolas was the closest she had to a family. But she hadn't told him that Killian Durinson had been brought to her flat with an infection from his bullet wound. She hadn't told him that she had nursed the young man back to health. And she definitely didn't want him to know that Kili occupied most of her thoughts.

She parked her Toyota in front of her apartment building and silently opened the door to her flat. The lights in her bedroom at the end of the hall were on. She slipped into the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. When she checked her looks in the mirror she made a face. She looked a lot like Beetlejuice with a wig. Furiously she combed her hair, put on a little make-up and blush, glossed her lips and used mascara.

Now she looked like a transvestite Beetlejuice.

She shot her reflection in the mirror an irritated look and left. When she entered her bedroom, she realised she needn't have worried. All her pathetic efforts to look beautiful and irresistible were for naught.

Kili was fast asleep. His head rested on the keyboard of his laptop and he snored softly. Carefully she extracted the laptop from under his cheek, killed the lights and got under the duvet. Her arm around his chest, her face against his shoulder blade, his warmth heating up her body, she fell asleep without even worrying about having to face Thranduil in the morning.

The alarm went off and she hit the button. When it pestered her again, she merely growled and pressed her face deeper into the cushion. Only when the delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee caught her nose, she was able to open one eye.

"Hi, sleepy."

Kili was sitting at her bedside and offering her a mug.

She sat up and blinked. He placed the mug in her hand and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Was it very late?"

"About fourish." She took a sip and sighed with delight. "You should be canonised for this coffee. Did you really get up at six a.m. to wake me up with probably the best coffee that's ever been made?"

"Anything to make you smile, love."

"Can you find me ahead, then?"

"Nah. I like the one you've got. Although you look a little like a panda with all that smudged Mascara." He grinned at her horrified expression. "Pandas are cute."

She bared her teeth. "I need to find a man's head. White, middle-aged. An orc's head."

"You want an orc's head? I'm not sure I approve. I very much enjoyed kissing your head last night."

She smiled. "I enjoyed that too. But the corpse I was called to see? It was headless."

"Oh. Wow. How do you know it was an orc?"

"Spider's tattoo."

"Wow again. Any ideas who did it?"

"Some. But none that make sense so far. And I have to report to the Senator in…" She looked at the alarm clock. "Shit. 30 minutes!"

She finished the coffee and got out of bed.

"Would you save my life and get me another coffee?"

When he returned she had dressed and just finished braiding her hair. She grabbed the steaming mug from his hands and squeezed past him towards the door, picking up her bag on the way.

He tugged at her shirt. "You forgot something."

Shoes, handbag, car keys, coffee. She even had a quick shower and had brushed her teeth.

"No, I don't think so."

He kissed her, tenderly yet resolutely. His tongue parted her lips and caught hers, his body pressed her against the wall, his teeth nibbled at her lower lip and tugged gently before letting go. Tauriel blinked, catching her breath. It wasn't even seven o'clock in the morning, and he was kissing her senseless.

Kili smiled cheekily. "Good-bye, sweetheart. Have a nice day at the office while I will busy myself in the kitchen and cook."

"You're going to cook? You're joking, right?"

"Nope. I am full of surprises."

She chuckled. "Yeah. We can agree on that one." Before shutting the door behind her, she grabbed the front of his tee and pulled him towards her for a quick, hard kiss.

"But so am I."

X

She got into her car, started the engine and dialled the forensics' number. With her phone tucked between shoulder and chin she drove to the Senator's office, listening to what the head forensic had to say. The full report would be on her desk later that morning, but she needed something to report to Thranduil now.

"The man had been killed about five hours before his body was detected by the cleansing woman in front of the Senator's office. The cause of death was a severing of the cervical spine and the carotid caused by cutting off his head. They used a very sharp blade, maybe a Samurai sword. There were no other injuries. But," The man paused dramatically. "He had been shot recently. And he had had surgery to remove the bullet."

"He had hospital release papers in his back pocket," she said. "Did you send fingerprints and DNA to the laboratory for an analysis?"

Just when the forensic confirmed that he did, her phone indicated there was another call waiting.

"I've got to go. There's someone on the other line. Thank you so far." She took the waiting call and flinched when Thranduil's cool voice spoke without a greeting.

"I believed I asked you to report to me in the morning."

"I'm nearly there."

"I have a question you need to answer. Captain." She didn't like the way he stressed her rank.

"Go ahead."

"Did you come to my office building last night?"

"Of course, Senator."

"You saw the corpse?"

"Of course, Senator."

"Did you look for the head?"

"Pardon me?"

"The head, Tauriel. I believe I make perfect sense. Have you been looking for the head? Have you found it yet?"

"Err. I am afraid not, Senator. But I believe we have a clue to where it may be."

"I do not share your optimism, Captain."

"Why is that?"

"It is sitting on my desk."

"What?" She dropped her phone and fumbled for it while steering the car into the private parking lot of the Senator's office building.

"Do not waste my time with unintelligible mutterings. I would appreciate it if you came and saw for yourself. Now. Legolas is already here."

She clenched her teeth. Of course he was. "I'll be right there, Senator."

She ended the call and got out of the car, already dialling Haldir's number.

"Captain," he greeted almost breathlessly. "I've just run the fingerprints through the computer to crosscheck the lab results that came in a few minutes ago. The corpse is an old acquaintance, it seems. Fingerprints and DNA identify him as Mitchell Narzug. The same orc who had been involved in the speed boat race with the Durinsons on the Anduin. The one that had been shot and who the Senator had released from hospital some days ago."

"The release papers that were in his pocket," she said flatly.

"Yes. They wanted us to draw the conclusion. I was wondering whether we should check the hospital for any clues. We still haven't found the bloody head."

"Don't bother. It is in the Senator's office. On his desk. He just called."

"Shit!"

"Big time. Get the forensics, will you?"

Haldir growled in agreement and ended the call. Tauriel was taking the last pair of steps in a hurry and knocked at the mighty door before entering. And there it was. Sitting in the middle of the Senator's desk, the features grotesquely contorted in something like a smile, was the head of Mitchell Narzug. A little blood had spilled on the Persian rug and the papers on Thranduil's desk but other than that the severed head was shockingly clean. Its dark hair even seemed to be combed.

Tauriel realised that her mouth had fallen open and shut it. She looked up and into the cool blue eyes of the man who had raised her. And who now was watching her in cold anger.

"Well?" Thranduil raised one eyebrow.

"That's the head of Mitchell Narzug."

"You don't say."

"When did you discover it?"

"I had the privilege of seeing it this morning before I had my first cup of tea, since neither you nor one of your officers saw the need of looking into my office yesterday night."

"I am very sorry, Senator. The door of your office didn't look broken open."

"It is not. But someone had been in here and put the head on my desk, obviously. And no, Captain, that someone wasn't me."

"Of course not. I need to speak to your assistant. And I need to know who else has a key to your office." She exchanged a glance with Legolas. "Have you seen Mr. Narzug since you told him he was free to go? Did you have contact with him, Senator?"

"Of course not. What would I want with the likes of him?"

"Routine questioning. You know the procedures."

"I would very much appreciate it if you would put more effort in searching a crime scene. That is routine as well, I gather?"

"Yes, Senator." She ground her teeth.

X

It was 10.30 p.m. when she eventually dragged herself up the stairs to her flat. She needed a glass of wine, a shower and most of all, she needed sleep. She felt worn-out and frustrated. That case had all the traits of a real bastard. The forensic had discovered a USB-drive in Narzug's mouth that had been sent to the lab for investigation. They still hadn't informed her what was on it. She had double- and cross-checked all the other pieces of evidence, interviewed the usual suspects, talked to the doctors at the hospital and threatened the people at the lab to make them speed up but she had found out nothing of relevance. Mitchell Narzug had disappeared after being released from the hospital and hadn't been seen or heard of again until he had turned up at the Senator's office in two pieces. It was bad enough not to have a clue but with Thranduil watching her every move?

When she unlocked her door and entered the hall, a delicious smell got into her nose and made her mouth water. Kili obviously had not been joking about spending his time in the kitchen. He could cook?

But instead of a well-laid table all she could see was him in the kitchen-doorway doing chin ups. He was wearing tracksuit trousers and a tank top and his fingers were hooked at the doorframe. He obviously had been at it quite a while, he was puffing, the light grey of his shirt was already dark with sweat.

She stopped dead in her tracks, totally baffled. "What are you doing?"

"Working out."

His drew his body up, his arms held the weight for some time and then slowly allowed his body down again.

"Why are you using my kitchen-door?"

"Can't go to the gym."

"Right." She was still irritated. Whether it was because of his unorthodox use of her doorframe as a high bar, the lack of dinner, or the shimmer of his sweaty skin in the light of her kitchen lamp she couldn't say. It was hard to avert her eyes, and that irritated her even more.

She tried to squeeze past him and get the white wine out of the fridge that her suddenly much too dry throat craved for. But he blocked her way and continued his exercise in a maddening slow rhythm.

"I need to go into the kitchen."

"You're never using the kitchen."

"Pardon me?"

"You never cook."

"So what? You promised me dinner, and there is none."

"Fridge."

"What?"

"You're late."

"I have a hell of a job. And a corpse without a head." Not to mention the head sitting on Thranduil's desk that brought the Senator close to biting hers off.

"I know."

"My life, my flat. Don't you try making me feel bad about coming home late."

"Am not."

"Of course you are. Stop doing that…" ridiculous thing, she wanted to say. But it wasn't ridiculous. It was sexy like hell. She could see how his biceps worked under his sweaty skin, how the veins at his neck popped out. And that strip of skin that was exposed between his tracksuit trousers and tank top whenever he stretched made her fingers itch with the desire to touch.

"Stop that while I am talking to you. Why don't you tell me straight away that you are pissed off with me?"

"Because I'm not." He dropped to his feet, panting. "Not everything is revolving around you."

"I never thought so. I just wanted to get to my fridge."

"Well, go then."

He didn't move an inch, just stood in the doorframe, feet set apart, and she had to brush against his body to squeeze through. Damn. He even smelled good. Musky, damp, and totally like Kili. A very angry Kili. He had always been easy, friendly, fun. Now anger was radiating from him like a heat wave.

"If you're not pissed off with me what is it then?"

He ground his teeth. "Fili was here," he finally said.

"And?"

"Brought me some things. Wanted to know how I was. And told me that Thorin no longer wants me to take part in his operation."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently he thinks opening the sluice gate was a bad idea."

She guffawed. "He would have been trapped without you. There was no way of escaping the orcs or the police."

"On that the opinions differ. He thinks I was reckless, and stupid, and that I endangered his quest. And to avoid happening anything like that again, he kicked me out. Fili had to pass it on to me that I should stay wherever I was and lay low. According to Fili Thorin is worried that I was injured and got sick. He said uncle wants me to heal. But I know he is just mad at me."

"No way." She put her hand reassuringly on his arm. "Surely your uncle is just protective."

"I know he thinks I'm nothing but trouble. I'm not like Fili." Kili shrugged free without looking at her. "I need a shower."

The bathroom door slammed shut.

Tauriel flinched. Thorin Durinson really was an idiot. No matter what his motives were, he had hurt his nephew. She stared at the bathroom door and listened to the sound of the shower. Then she sighed and helped herself to a glass of wine. There was lasagne sitting on the middle shelf of the fridge and she pid some with her fingers. Even cold it was delicious. Maybe Arwen was right, maybe Kili really was boyfriend material. When she closed the fridge, her eyes fell on the pile of dirty pots in the sink and the splatters of tomato soup on the tiles. Then again, maybe he wasn't.

She was still lingering in the doorway to her kitchen, cradling her glass of wine and pondering whether she should do the washing-up and what she could say to comfort Kili, when the bathroom door opened and he came out with nothing more than a towel wrapped around his hips. His wet hair touched his shoulders, drops of water were running over his chest and glistened on his tanned skin. A fine line of dark hair meandered over his abs and vanished seductively where the towel hid his privates.

She knew her jaw had dropped. She knew she was staring. She knew she was positively drooling. And yet she couldn't help it. She had to delight in each exquisite detail of his body.

He stopped still. And let his towel drop.