Title: My Heart Will Go On

Author: moonshot

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

*** Smash to: Street in front of an apartment building.

SARA and BRASS are standing on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building. BRASS is looking at his notebook.

BRASS: This looks like it's the place. Apartment 2B.

SARA (looking around): This is right around the corner from where Mikey was found.

BRASS: Well, let's see what he has to say for himself.

BRASS steps up to the front door and rings the bell.

CHRISTIANSON (from the speaker on the box): Hello?

BRASS: David Christianson?

CHRISTIANSON: Yes.

BRASS: Mr. Christianson, I'm Jim Brass with the Las Vegas Police Department. May I speak to you a moment?

CHRISTIANSON: Sure, come on up. It's the second apartment on the left on the second landing.

BRASS: Thanks.

There is a buzz of the door lock opening, and BRASS pushes the door, letting SARA enter first.

SARA: Thank you, sir.

Smash to: Hallway

SARA and BRASS walk down the hallway and up the stairs. The hallway has shaggy carpet, once red, now faded to a washed out color. The paint is peeling and the banister has several chunks.

SARA: Nice place.

BRASS: Yeah. a real fixer-upper.

They quickly traverse the two flights of stairs. BRASS knocks on the door of apartment 2B. The door swings open revealing Christianson. David Christianson is in his late 20's. He is dressed in faded, baggy jeans with holes in the knees and paint spots everywhere. He is also wearing a washed out Western Las Vegas University t-shirt, also with paint spots.

CHRISTIANSON: Detective Brass, I presume. Please come in.

BRASS (entering the apartment): Mr. Christianson, this is Sara Sidle from the Las Vegas Crime Lab.

CHRISTIANSON (acknowledging Sara): Miss Sidle. (Shutting the door behind her and turning his attention back to Brass) How can I help you?

BRASS: How well do you know James Donovan?

CHRISTIANSON: I know him. I do work for him from time to time.

BRASS: When's the last time you worked for him?

CHRISTIANSON (thinking a moment): Last week, actually. He wanted me to paint his living room.

SARA: And what did you do with the leftover paint?

CHRISTIANSON (gesturing to a painting on the wall): I colored the white paint, and made that.

SARA walks over to the painting and looks at it. It is a painting of a white cross, smothered in blood.

SARA: What did you use to color the paint?

CHRISTIANSON: I had some leftover dye from the job at the factory. James usually lets me bring home the extra paint and stuff 'cause he knows I paint art in my free time. The paint isn't artist paint, but I get it for free, so it's what I use.

SARA (looking around): Do you paint in here? The floor looks pretty clean.

CHRISTIANSON: Yeah, I lay plastic wrap down most of the time so my landlord won't get mad.

SARA: And you throw out your plastic out when you're done?

CHRISTIANSON: Yeah, after each finished painting. I only finished that one two days ago.

BRASS (cutting in): What do you do with your garbage?

CHRISTIANSON: The building has a dumpster in the alley around the corner. I put the drop cloth in there on my way to work Thursday morning.

BRASS: What time was that?

CHRISTIANSON: I am a waiter at the coffee shop in the Mirage. My Thursday shift starts at noon and I usually leave home around 11 or 11:30. (checks his watch) And if you folks will excuse me, I have to go to work. I've got a paint job downtown.

SARA: Sure. We'll be in touch.

CHRISTIANSON escorts SARA and BRASS to the door and shuts it behind them.

Smash to: LVPD Narcotics Squad office.

WARRICK enters the expansive room of the Narcotics Squad. The room has pairs and triplets of desks facing one another, creating several islands. Some file cabinets line one wall, and there are several whiteboards floating around.

The Squad room is busy, with several people on phones at their desks, a couple of people surrounding a whiteboard, as well as some people just milling around.

WARRICK quickly scans the room before walking up to the group surrounding the whiteboard and tapping one of the cops on the shoulder.

STEVENS turns around. Milton Stevens is an attractive black man in his late 20's. He is dressed in basketball shorts and a Nike sweatshirt with a backwards baseball cap, sporting the logo of the Los Angeles Lakers. The badge on the chain around his neck and the gun on his hip are oddly out of place.

STEVENS: Warrick? (grabs Warrick's hand and gives him a half-hug) What's up, bro?

WARRICK: Not much. I'm working the Davidson case. How's Narc?

STEVENS: It was better 3 days ago before our best undercover cop got shot.

WARRICK: Yeah, I hear you man. I'm sorry. How are you guys holding up?

STEVENS: We're doing okay considering. Mikey's kinda like everyone's kid sister, you know? The one that everyone looks after cause she's the young'n. (pause) But I should be asking you the same question. It was your boss's kid, right?

WARRICK: Kinda. Goddaughter and her only living family.

STEVENS: Must be really rough.

WARRICK: Yeah, he's is taking in pretty hard. (pausing and looking Stevens squarely in the eye) We're gonna find the guy who did this.

STEVENS: Yeah, I know. It's just hard so see someone so young die.

WARRICK: I know. Especially when she's one of your own.

STEVENS: Exactly. but you didn't come down here to see how we are doing. What info do you need?

WARRICK: I'm actually interested in one of your colleagues, McDaniels.

STEVENS: Mikey's super?

WARRICK: Yeah, what can you tell me about him?

STEVENS: Well. he used to be a good guy.

WARRICK: Used to?

STEVENS (sighing): McDaniels' wife and younger daughter were killed in a drunk driving accident some 10 years ago. A couple of years ago, McDaniels' elder daughter was killed by a drug dealer. It was one of those "wrong place, wrong time" killings that went down at her school. Ever since then, McDaniels has been trying to take down drug dealers at high schools and colleges all over Las Vegas.

WARRICK: So he took over the undercover narcotics unit.

STEVENS: Yeah, and made it kind of a personal vendetta. He's one of those cops that is more likely to bend the law then follow it. After his kid's murderer was acquitted, I think he just lost faith in the justice system.

WARRICK: What do you know about the case?

STEVENS: Not much. Only that the drug dealer was a guy named James Donovan. McDaniel's goes on and on about how he's gonna get him one of these days.

WARRICK looks at Stevens stunned.

***

TBC