Connor stepped out of the car, hazel eyes blinking as he took in the large barn-like structure. He'd never been to a battery farm before. He breathed in slowly, analysing the stale, decaying air. There was a lot of bird faeces and a certain amount of decomposition lingering in the area. He believed a human would find the aroma unpleasant. The thought was soon confirmed as Hank exited the car to join him. His face was a picture of disgust as he wrinkled his nose and raised an arm over his face.
"Jesus Christ!" he cursed with a cough, though he knew he'd get used to the smell in a few minutes. He was almost envious of Connor and his android senses. So far, androids didn't smell the same way humans did. Even if they were given the ability, it was likely that Kamski would fit them with the option of turning it on and off. Colin was already waiting by the open barn door. The barn itself seemed empty from the outside. The chickens were either caged up or running loose as workers tried to wrangle them. They looked terrible. Patches of feathers were missing on many, the skin beneath swollen, sore, and unhealthy. Their wings were crooked and misshapen from constant crowding and lack of use. The feathers of their wings were kept short, so they couldn't even try to fly anyway. Connor reflected that it was cruel. However, the poor treatment chickens weren't the reason they'd been invited.
"Lieutenant Anderson, Detective. Good of you to join us," Perkins greeted as he waited by the entrance. He was wearing a set of blue surgical gloves, and he'd clearly been inside. His expensive looking shoes were caked in feathers and white excrement from the captive birds. Connor greeted him politely while Hank did his best to hold back his amusement at Perkins' shoes being covered in shit. His own would soon be no better, but his were also nowhere near as expensive. Hank had no idea why he'd agreed to come along, but he may as well take a look since he'd driven all the way there.
"What have you got this time?" he asked curiously as he looked inside the darkened barn. There were lights, but they were really old and dim. Poor chickens were probably blinded when the door opened…This is why I only buy free range. Hank took in the dilapidated state of the barn. The chickens had been kept in one big open area with barely enough space to move by the looks of it. There must have been at least two inches of matted feathers and shit on the hay strewn floor. Connor stepped inside without a second thought, wading across the filth to the small figure lying on the ground.
"Like many of the previous copycat victims, this young woman was killed with a high dose of tranquilliser before being placed here. She was dropped off sometime during the night. When workers arrived this morning, they found the barn doors open and the body inside. The killer left enough feed scattered outside that the chickens largely ignored the victim's body…He also left a sizable amount of feed within this clock," Colin explained as he led Hank over to what he'd assumed to be a long trough. In reality, it was a broken grandfather clock. The door had been ripped off, and the innards filled with birdseed. The face of the clock had been wound to show six o'clock. Certainly seems to carry on from the last verse…Hank recalled Connor telling him about body number five.
"What's the verse this time?" he asked as they stepped away from the clock. The clock itself was likely just a side piece, something symbolic but not overly telling. It was there simply because it needed to be to keep the Hickory Killer theme consistent. Hank watched Colin's LED blink yellow as he opened the sound file. Hank cringed as Colin began to speak with the sing-song voice of the distorted child recording.
"Hickory Dickory Dock, The hens pecked at the clock, The clock struck six, Oh, fiddle-sticks! Hickory Dickory Dock, Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock," Colin recited eerily, which explained the grain in the clock. There was no other way the killer would get the hens to peck at the wood. Without Reed there to fill in the blanks, they couldn't say for sure what had happened last time. Hank remembered vaguely that a body had been found inside a beat-up old clock, but besides that he was uncertain. Something about…chicken heads in the victim's throat? And I think…she got pecked?
"It seems the victim was simply discarded here, but not for artistic effect this time…" Connor reasoned as he crouched beside the body. Forensics hadn't arrived yet, so Hank and Connor were getting to examine everything up close. Any footprints had been mostly destroyed by the chickens scrabbling to escape or fighting over the extra space they now had. Connor could make out bits of boot print, but that would only give him the size and brand, which he knew would likely match the prints found near the second body at the park. From what little spacing he could make out, he thought it likely the copycat was human at least. The strides he could see seemed a little uneven.
"What makes you say that?" Hank asked as he joined Connor and looked down at the young woman. She was blonde. Pretty. Young. It seemed their killer had developed a preference for younger women. She was wearing a sort of long flowing negligee made of a transparent material, but with white feathers stitched into it. She was naked beneath. It would be a first for this guy if he sexually assaulted her. Probably worth having it checked out though.
"There is nothing that makes her stand out besides the gown…The last two murders have made the victim the centre of attention, but this time she was left inside, lying in a pile of…excrement." Hank huffing at Connor's polite word use. You could have just said shit. He wasn't wrong though. The last two women had been treated with a certain level of care and reverence. This one felt discarded in comparison. Definitely the same guy though, if we go by the verse. "Is it possible that he had a personal connection to this victim? A certain level of disdain perhaps?" Connor continued, his tone questioning as he looked at Hank for confirmation.
"It's certainly possible…Wouldn't be the first time a serial killer swapped to people they knew…Maybe she was the real target all along, or one on a list," Hank replied thoughtfully as he turned over the possibilities. Perkins swiftly joined them, having heard Connor's reasoning. They were thoughts he'd had himself, and Hank was right. It wasn't uncommon. He doubted she was the most important if the killer did know her. If that were the case, he would have saved her for the final kill. She might be special though. We're officially at the halfway point now…
"Killers choosing victims they know happens more often than you'd think. After a while, they get more confident and think they won't get caught. This could well be an example of that. After all, he's already gotten away with five. He could be getting bored or frustrated with the lack of attention. Maybe he thinks leaving a breadcrumb will make things more exciting." Perkins knew that some killers got off on the thrill of the chase. The original Hickory Killer had done something similar, though with him, it had been less about the thrill of the chase and more about the thrill of control and superiority. He'd enjoyed having control of the investigation, of leading Reed and his old partner exactly where he'd wanted them to go.
"I will look into this victim and their social circles thoroughly." Colin's yellow LED suggested that he'd already started the hunt. It would take hours. He would begin with familial links and then extend into family friends. Her own friend group and social media would be his next targets, along with work or university friends. Then would come friends of friends, concluding with any dating apps or networking sites.
"Once you've completed that, it may be wise to cross reference this victim's social habits with the previous victims. There may be a bar, store, or other such place they all have in common. It would be prudent to do the same with her acquaintances." Connor's suggestion was logical, as always. Colin nodded his agreement. It was something he'd already considered. He'd already done something similar with all of their previous victims. He'd tracked not only their friends, but the friends of everyone within their friend group. The FBI board was filled with strings connecting friend to friend to victim, but so far there had been little crossover. He'd also cleared everyone on their list so far as a potential suspect.
"If he doesn't know her, then maybe it's her background…Maybe she has a different social class to the others," Hank suggested thoughtfully. Back in the day, it had been quite common to find prostitutes used up and tossed out like this. Like they were garbage. If this woman was in a different financial or social class to the others, then that could be why she'd been treated differently. There were plenty of ways the body could have been displayed to catch attention in a classier way. He'd chosen to toss her inside the barn on the shit and waste. The choice of a negligee also said something about him. Until now, the bodies had been dressed in relatively nice clothing. The first couple had even been left in their own clothes. The change to such a revealing piece was telling. It was more sexual. "Think he was attracted to this one?" Hank grumbled as he looked across at Perkins.
"Could be…She's been stripped…Stripped of her identity? Her agency?" Perkins countered thoughtfully. Some victims had still had their identification with them. Bags, jackets, purses, phones. The killer hadn't seen the need to remove them. So this woman is different…Maybe he wanted to erase her somehow…It certainly wasn't a forensic countermeasure. They knew that much. Her face and fingers had been left intact, so finding out her identity would be a simple matter for the RK series. They'd take a thorough look into her background once they got back to the agency. Colin probably already has her name, employment history, and educational background by now. Perkins looked at his teammate with a certain amount of fondness. It was hard to believe he'd disliked Colin so much when he'd first been assigned to the team. He didn't know what he'd do without him now. He was convenient to have around, and he worked harder than a lot of human agents.
Colin's LED was spinning yellow as he looked at his twin, the two of them ambling away from the body as they spoke internally. He'd never say it out loud, but Perkins was a little grateful to Connor for adopting Colin with his timid nature. He'd gained more confidence around his human co-workers. He interacted more openly, and he wasn't so afraid of speaking his mind. He was also somewhat relieved to hear he actually had a life outside of work. He'd visited the Anderson residence more than once, and would often meet Connor on his day off. Until he'd met Connor, he'd simply returned to his small Jericho owned apartment in the evenings. Colin was actually thinking of moving to a bigger place now. Somewhere more human, where he'd have space to keep things and have guests. A real home.
"It's something to think about," Hank agreed as he joined Perkins in watching the two androids. Connor had that soft look on his face as he regarded Colin. It was a look he always got when he was talking to his brothers or Niles. It was a look that reflected the affection he felt for them. Colin was a little more uncertain, still getting used to the idea of having a family. He wasn't used to people caring about him. Before he'd met Connor and Nines, he'd been quite friendless. Perkins had tolerated him on a professional level, but that was all. Since meeting Connor and seeing how he behaved with Lieutenant Anderson, he felt his relationship with his own superior had started to improve. It was perhaps his imagination, but Perkins seemed somewhat kinder.
Excuse me a moment, I have another call coming in. Connor's brow furrowed slightly at the unfamiliar number. He took a second to check it in the database and immediately received the details for Marlborough Elementary School. That's Niles' school! He answered with a frown. Hello, this is Detective Anderson with the Detroit Police Department. He was unsure why the school would contact him. He thought Markus or Simon had been registered as the school's daytime contacts.
"Mr Anderson, I'm so sorry to disturb you while you're working, only we were unable to get in contact with Mr Manfred. I'm afraid there's been an incident of sorts. Would you be able to join us for a meeting?" the woman's matronly voice asked politely. An incident? What could have happened that would make them call me? Where was Markus? Was there a meeting he didn't know about? It wasn't impossible. A lot of things were going on at Jericho right now. Their rights were being expanded upon every day, and Markus was often needed personally to hash out the finer details, as was Simon.
Right now? I'm on a crime scene. What's this about? His tone was a little firmer this time.
"We would rather go into the details in person, but…there was a fight between two students. A rather violent one," the woman replied worriedly. Connor's thirium pump stuttered at the news. Was Niles one of the children? He had to be. Was he hurt? Had he hurt someone else? Why? What could have happened to move him to violence when he was usually so affectionate? That doesn't sound like Niles…Something must have shown on his face. As Connor looked up, he noticed that Hank had moved to stand at his side, and Colin was giving him a worried look.
I'll be there as soon as possible. Connor disconnected the line and turned to Hank, his LED spinning red. "Niles got into a fight at school. I have to go…They couldn't get hold of Markus." His whole body feeling a little shaky. He didn't exactly feel afraid, but it was similar. He felt more stressed than when dealing with suspects at the precinct. It wasn't entirely rational. It was unusual for Niles to be in trouble, but if it had been really serious, they would have called an ambulance or technician. Hank seemed to have some level of understanding as his hand landed comfortingly on Connor's shoulder. His LED lowered to a yellow spin with the occasional blip of red mixed in as he looked around. He almost seemed dazed.
"Let's go then. We'll stop there on our way back to the precinct. Did you get everything you need?" Hank asked as he looked across at Colin, who was more than understanding as he assured Connor that he'd be able to handle everything. He also promised to keep him informed and send a message if he needed any further assistance. Hank ran a hand through Colin's hair affectionately as he grumbled that he was welcome to call or visit if he needed anything. He even called out a less than biting farewell to Perkins. He felt a lot less hostile towards him now that he'd stopped being an insufferable asshole. He was actually working with an android and treated him well. He'd even started getting on with Connor.
"They give you any details about this fight?" Hank asked curiously as he started the car. Connor shook his head anxiously in response. How he handled this would be important. He knew that. He had to balance disciplining Niles with understanding his feelings and the situation. He wouldn't be able to do that without hearing all the details. He took a breath. He didn't want to come across as angry, and he wasn't angry. He was worried. Something had upset Niles. Possibly enough to move him to violence. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. Still, fighting in school is hardly appropriate…"I could come in with you, if you like? It's not my first rodeo." Hank remembered a time he'd gotten a similar call for Cole. He'd had a bad falling out with his friend and it had gotten a little heated. Nothing serious. The parents had spoken, the kids had shaken hands, and they'd been back to best friends two days later.
"I'd appreciate that…Thank you, Hank," Connor replied warmly as he looked across at him, quietly feeling reassured. He'd have to be the one to deal with the situation, but having Hank there to lean on for support would be reassuring. The nervousness continued to follow him, even as Hank parked outside the school. It was a relatively old building that had likely been built sometime in the seventies. It was like a grey cement block with long windows on the lower floors. Classes were still in session. If it interrupted their classes, it must be serious…They approached the main doors to the offices. Connor took a breath before opening the door and stepping through with Hank on his heels.
"Excuse me, I'm Detective Anderson. I was called about Niles?" Connor greeted in a quiet voice as he approached the secretary, using his polite office tone and keeping his voice soft in the echoing corridor. The old lady looked up with an equally polite smile as she picked up her phone and made a call. The woman invited Connor to take a seat, though she needn't have bothered. A middle-aged woman in a smart suit stepped out of the back office a few moments later and approached.
"Mr Anderson? Principal Myers. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances," she greeted, her brunette hair bouncing in a sharp-looking bob. It was Cleopatra styled. Clean-cut and rigid. It brought out her fierce brown eyes that somehow captured Connor's attention. Despite her sharp demeanour, she seemed kind as Connor took her hand and shook with a measured grip. Connor put on his best unassuming expression. His soft hazel eyes made him seem docile and non-confrontational. His interrogation protocols had flagged this as the best approach. Myers was clearly a dominant personality. She'd likely appreciate a more submissive approach.
"Connor, please. Would you be able to give me further details? I'm not really clear on what happened," he replied softly, his LED flickering between yellow and blue with worry. Ms Myers seemed to understand his feelings as she nodded and led the way towards her office. Hank followed behind quietly, not waiting for an invitation. Myers either didn't notice or didn't care as she held the door and waved Connor towards the comfortable-looking chairs in front of her desk. She shut the door with a click and sat. Niles' school file was already open and waiting on her desk.
"It shocked all of us, believe me. Niles has no history of this sort of behaviour, so it's troubling." Connor nodded his agreement. He hadn't thought Niles had a violent circuit in his small body. He still didn't. He remained quiet, waiting for Myers to continue. She seemed a little surprised, perhaps more used to parents jumping to their child's defence. Connor was nothing if not fair. He wanted to hear both sides. "The counsellor has been talking to him for the past half hour, but she's made little progress so far. From what I can tell, he was being teased by one of his classmates and lashed out…You understand, of course, we had to call you in. The boy in question has a bruise on his face. Even child androids are…sturdier than human children. If this becomes a habit…" Myers continued with a regretful tone. Connor winced at the unspoken suggestion. It was true Niles could do a lot of damage to a human child with his plastic casing, but he refused to believe he would do so without good reason.
"I understand…May I speak to Niles? He may be willing to tell me more than he will the counsellor," Connor suggested gently. Myers voiced her warm agreement as she got to her feet. She left the room for a few moments, allowing Hank and Connor to share a look. Connor was doing fine so far. He hadn't tried to justify Niles' actions or defend him, but he also hadn't sided with the school. He was waiting for more details. The door clicked open a few moments later to reveal two new people. His scans confirmed one to be the counsellor, Dr Blake. The other was Niles.
"Connor!" he cried in relief, dropping his schoolbag and rushing to him. Connor accepted the weight that dove onto his lap without question. He wrapped his arms around him awkwardly as Niles buried his face in his shoulder and sobbed quietly. He was clearly distraught. Connor gave Hank an almost panicked look before shifting his gaze to the two women, who were sharing a look of something between worry and surprise. It seemed that, whatever had happened, Niles had been keeping it together until Connor's arrival.
"Niles? What is it? What happened?" Connor asked gently, speaking quietly beside his small ear. It was unlikely that the humans had heard as he rocked and soothed him. They probably thought he was hushing him as he stroked his back. Connor's LED flickered yellow as Niles requested an interface, the skin of their cheeks turning white where they'd pressed together. Connor accepted without question, immediately being assaulted with feelings of hurt and bitterness, but not guilt. Whatever had happened, Niles felt justified in his actions. Connor requested further details.
It was strange seeing the world through Niles' small eyes. Everything seemed so much bigger. He'd been walking through the corridor at lunchtime. He'd already eaten earlier with his friends and he'd been on his way to meet them at the baseball field after stopping by his locker. He'd felt unsettled as one of his other classmates had approached. His name was Jimmy Yates, someone he didn't get on with and tried to stay away from. Jimmy was on the football team, so he was quite strong for his age. He'd knocked Niles' shoulder, using it as an excuse to stop and confront him. Niles had apologised, even though it hadn't been his fault.
Jimmy had stepped closer, telling him he was lying. Androids didn't feel anything, so he couldn't be sorry. Niles had stepped back, insisting that wasn't the case, that he was alive. Jimmy had shoved him and said he was just a machine that should learn its place. Jimmy had shoved him again, right back into the lockers, and Connor could feel how Niles' smaller thirium pump had been racing in his chest, full of hurt and indignation. Niles had refused, telling Jimmy to leave him alone. Jimmy had laughed, saying that his father had told him that androids couldn't even bruise. He'd asked if that was true. Niles had tried to evade answering. Jimmy had asked how many times he'd have to hit him before a bruise stayed. Niles had pressed himself back into the lockers, trying to make himself smaller.
"You're nothing but a pile of plastic and wires! It's gross that you think you can go around pretending you're a real person and have a real family! You're just a useless machine that can't even do what it was made for!" Jimmy had jeered, shoving Niles against the lockers a second time. Niles had pushed back, both of them surprised at his strength. Jimmy had taken that as an invitation to start a real fight, yelling as he hit Niles with his small fists. He'd regretted it almost instantly as he'd hit Niles' smooth plastic casing. Connor couldn't help feeling a certain amount of pride that Niles had thought about retracting his synthetic skin layer to make it hurt more and deter Jimmy. That had just made him angrier, and Niles had finally swung a firm punch at his cheek in retaliation.
A teacher had interrupted them after that, having seen Niles take the swing. Niles had tried to defend himself, but the teacher had refused to listen as she'd scolded him about how dangerous it was for an android to hit a human. Jimmy, of course, had played into the victim role perfectly. His tears almost had Connor convinced, and Connor had watched the ordeal through Niles' own eyes. The teacher had looked at the sore swelling skin on Jimmy's cheek and the lack of damage to Niles and jumped to her own conclusions. The encounter had obviously inspired distrust in Niles, and he'd refused to speak to anyone. Principal Myers had scolded him about fighting in the corridors and sent him to the counsellor until his guardian arrived. The counsellor had tried her best to gently pry the story out, but Niles had been afraid of being ignored or being told that he was still wrong.
"Where is it? Where's the Cabbage Patch Doll that did this to my boy?" a booming voice yelled from reception. Niles' arms tightening around Connor fearfully as he buried himself further into his shoulder. The door burst open moments later to admit a portly man in his early forties. His face was red with fury. A smaller boy followed meekly behind. Connor recognised him as Jimmy even without the purpling mark on his cheek. "I'll send it to the scrap yard myself!" Mr Yates added as he stormed in, sparking Connor to get to his feet and place Niles on the chair behind him while he stood firmly in front. He scanned the man. Andrew Yates. Forty-three years old. Local businessman and member of the AAL. He'd been arrested in his youth for disorderly conduct, and more recently for minor android hate crimes.
"I'd reconsider that if I were you," Hank piped up from his place against the wall, though Yates was currently too busy taking in the flickering red and yellow of Connor's LED to notice. He wasn't much to look at. Connor was well aware of that. It was what had made both Hank and Reed feel comfortable pushing him around before the revolution. The difference was that he didn't have to be. He chose to put on a docile and unassuming front, but he was more than capable of intimidation.
"What were you thinking? Letting a dangerous machine like that into the school? Letting it interact with our children? I want that thing out of here, and I'll be coming after you for compensation! Look at my boy's face!" Yates continued as he gestured towards his son, who was maintaining his butter-wouldn't-melt façade. Connor's LED span red as he stepped into Yates' personal space. He straightened to his full height, which actually made him a couple of inches taller than the other man. His soft hazel eyes sharpened as he looked down at him, hands held uniformly behind his back.
"Mr Yates, please!" Myers urged, stepping in diplomatically to gesture to the seats. Connor shifted Niles and sent him over to stand with Hank out of harm's way as he resumed his seat, sitting stiffly. Yates sat resentfully, his son standing close. Jimmy eyed Connor almost fearfully. He knew it was never a good sign when an android's light ring was spinning red. The other humans seemed to share that notion as they eyed Connor more than once. "I'm sure Mr Anderson will make sure that Niles knows his behaviour was unacceptable," Myers added calmly, pausing as Connor's eyes snapped up.
"I am more concerned by the anti-android sentiments that are being allowed to fester within the school. Were you aware of such bias?" Connor asked calmly, and Hank had the feeling that this calm was taking a lot of effort to maintain. Myers seemed taken aback by the comment. Hank could understand why. Connor had that soft puppy eyed look that suggested he'd be easy to push around. It must be unpleasant to realise the puppy was really a wolf, and right now that wolf was protecting its cub. "When Niles came in, he shared his memories of the encounter with me, and the later handling of it by your staff. While it is certainly true that androids are sturdier than humans, I am curious to know why it was assumed that Niles was the instigator and why he was not given a fair opportunity to defend himself." Connor's tone was one that Hank had gotten used to hearing at work during interrogations.
"Mr Anderson, I'm sure everything was handled within regulations, and there certainly isn't an anti-android bias at this school," Myers insisted defensively. She was surprised as Connor got to his feet and tucked the chair beneath the desk.
"It's Detective Anderson, and that being the case, I'm sure Mr Yates' anti-android stance will be taken into consideration when dealing with this incident. As for his son, I believe it would be appropriate for the counsellor to assist him in dealing with his increasingly poor behaviour. Curiosity over whether an android can bruise is not adequate reason to antagonise and bully his classmates…I will not contact the Superintendent on this occasion, however if I become aware of further anti-android incidents within the school I will have no choice but to suggest a formal review take place." His warning was firm, his tone leaving no room for arguments. Yates was fuming in his seat with indignation, which seemed to die on his lips as he shifted his gaze to Connor and met his firm eyes. Hank tried his best not to grin with pride as he watched Connor expertly handle one of the more difficult areas of parenting. Niles looked up at Hank worriedly, still unsure how much trouble he was in. "Rest assured, I will speak to Niles about this incident and ensure he knows how to handle such violence more appropriately in the future," Connor added with a note of finality. He shifted his sharp gaze to Jimmy in warning. Jimmy shuffled closer to his father before Connor's gaze returned to Myers, almost daring her to disagree. She seemed tense and uneasy as she looked between the two fathers.
"I was…unaware of these circumstances. Of course, the issue will be dealt with thoroughly," she replied somewhat stiffly, likely embarrassed by her lack of context. Connor understood, to an extent. As the principal, and someone not directly involved, she could only consider what she'd been told and what she'd seen. Connor nodded politely, taking his leave with his usual grace and poise. He brought Niles with him. There was no way he was letting the distraught boy return to classes that day, though he'd need to contact Chloe to pick him up after they'd had their talk. He took Niles' small hand assuringly as they left the building and headed to Hank's car.
"Well, I think we've earned a stop for ice cream on the way back," Hank declared as he took the wheel. Connor pushed down his amusement as Niles eagerly agreed, though he was still worried as he looked at Connor. Connor remained thoughtful as he reviewed different ways of handling the situation. Niles hadn't been entirely wrong in defending himself, but it was inappropriate to rely on physical altercations. He needed to ensure he taught Niles how to handle such discrimination with words and de-escalation tactics, and to only resort to physical defence when it was entirely necessary.