It had been raining again. Not a good thing in early February in
Washington. It
made the roads even slicker then usual. It did manage to get rid of some
of the dirty
snow that had piled up from the many winter storms but it didn't help out
an
investigation any. If there was any evidence left outside of a crime
scene, it would
be washed away.
Mulder, Scully, and Skinner knew this all to well as they pulled up to the small Washington suburb home of Shanda Smith. She had been the latest victim in a string of 'valentine's killings', as vice liked to call them. Some had finally got there head out of there asses and decided, after the third murder, that it might be smart to call in the feds.
The whole property had been marked off with yellow tape and police cars lined the sleepy neighborhood street on either side. There was a uniformed officer guarding the entrance of the crime scene. He stopped the trio as they approached.
"Sorry, no one inside without the officer in charges permission." He held out his hand, as if to stop traffic.
Skinner took the lead and said, "I'm Assistant Director Skinner. These are my agents. Mulder and Scully."
The officer looked over the three of them and then sighed. "Ok. Officer Scott is in the living room, gathering evidence." He stepped out of the way and let them in.
Skinner led the way into the living room, looking around for the officer in charge. There were so many people in the room, doing various things that he sighed and called out, "I'm looking for an Officer Scott."
Everyone in the room stopped and looked at the trio. Mulder glanced over at Scully with a smirk and raised brow.
A woman, wearing a business suit like what Scully usually wears, approached them. She was petite, about Scully's age, with bright flowing red curls that fell down past her shoulders to her middle back. She had a look of determination on her face.
She held out her hand to Skinner to shake and said, "I'm Officer Samantha Scott. And you might be?"
Skinner caught the contempt in her voice. This was her crime scene and she didn't like intruders. "I'm AD Skinner with the FBI. This is Agents Mulder and Scully. Our unit has been assigned to help you out on this case."
Officer Scott shook Mulder and then Scully's hand. She sighed and said. "I'm assuming you don't know much about what's going on so, I'll start at the beginning."
She led them into the living room, where a woman's body was laying out on the couch. The woman was stunning in her petite beauty. Dressed in a red dress, red roses strewn on the floor around her. Her red hair laid beautifully against the cream colored couch that was her last resting place.
Both Mulder and Skinner couldn't believe how beautiful the woman looked, even in death. Scully was to busy studying the crime scene to consider the woman's beauty. She noticed the redness around her neck. Like rub marks.
Officer Scott said, "This was Shanda Smith, a 34 year old Journalist. She's single, no known family. Neighbors say she didn't go out much. Her job was her life. She got home about 5:30 this evening. Soon after that a neighbor said he noticed a delivery truck pulling into her drive. The neighbor, a James Franklin, was just getting home from work. His wife asked him to go check on Smith, she had been feeling kind of down lately. So, after his supper, he came over and found the door ajar. He came into the house and found her like this."
Mulder goes and looks at the door. "No sign of forced entry?"
Scott shook her head. "No, however it was either knew her or knows how to pick a lock very well."
Scully continued to look at the body. "Do you know what the murder weapon was?"
"As far as the forensic reports say in the other two cases, it was strangulation. But not with a rope or hands. The coroner said that it had to be done with something soft. That's why the redness and bruising is so faint."
Skinner looked at the roses and champagne. "It looks like she had company. A romantic evening?"
Scott looked at him and shook her head. "No, the scene is the same in all three crime scenes. Red dress, champagne and glasses, and red roses. I think it's kind of the killers calling card."
Scully said, "I'd like to do the autopsy on this body and I'd also like to look at the autopsy reports on the last two victims."
Scott gave a nod. "No problem. Officer Jenkins can help you out there. Hey Jenkins..."
A uniformed officer walked up to the group, "Yeah Sam?"
Scott smiled at the young officer and said, "Take Agent Scully to the medical examiners and get her copies of the last two cases."
Jenkins smiled and said, "Yes ma'am."
Mulder, Scully, and Skinner knew this all to well as they pulled up to the small Washington suburb home of Shanda Smith. She had been the latest victim in a string of 'valentine's killings', as vice liked to call them. Some had finally got there head out of there asses and decided, after the third murder, that it might be smart to call in the feds.
The whole property had been marked off with yellow tape and police cars lined the sleepy neighborhood street on either side. There was a uniformed officer guarding the entrance of the crime scene. He stopped the trio as they approached.
"Sorry, no one inside without the officer in charges permission." He held out his hand, as if to stop traffic.
Skinner took the lead and said, "I'm Assistant Director Skinner. These are my agents. Mulder and Scully."
The officer looked over the three of them and then sighed. "Ok. Officer Scott is in the living room, gathering evidence." He stepped out of the way and let them in.
Skinner led the way into the living room, looking around for the officer in charge. There were so many people in the room, doing various things that he sighed and called out, "I'm looking for an Officer Scott."
Everyone in the room stopped and looked at the trio. Mulder glanced over at Scully with a smirk and raised brow.
A woman, wearing a business suit like what Scully usually wears, approached them. She was petite, about Scully's age, with bright flowing red curls that fell down past her shoulders to her middle back. She had a look of determination on her face.
She held out her hand to Skinner to shake and said, "I'm Officer Samantha Scott. And you might be?"
Skinner caught the contempt in her voice. This was her crime scene and she didn't like intruders. "I'm AD Skinner with the FBI. This is Agents Mulder and Scully. Our unit has been assigned to help you out on this case."
Officer Scott shook Mulder and then Scully's hand. She sighed and said. "I'm assuming you don't know much about what's going on so, I'll start at the beginning."
She led them into the living room, where a woman's body was laying out on the couch. The woman was stunning in her petite beauty. Dressed in a red dress, red roses strewn on the floor around her. Her red hair laid beautifully against the cream colored couch that was her last resting place.
Both Mulder and Skinner couldn't believe how beautiful the woman looked, even in death. Scully was to busy studying the crime scene to consider the woman's beauty. She noticed the redness around her neck. Like rub marks.
Officer Scott said, "This was Shanda Smith, a 34 year old Journalist. She's single, no known family. Neighbors say she didn't go out much. Her job was her life. She got home about 5:30 this evening. Soon after that a neighbor said he noticed a delivery truck pulling into her drive. The neighbor, a James Franklin, was just getting home from work. His wife asked him to go check on Smith, she had been feeling kind of down lately. So, after his supper, he came over and found the door ajar. He came into the house and found her like this."
Mulder goes and looks at the door. "No sign of forced entry?"
Scott shook her head. "No, however it was either knew her or knows how to pick a lock very well."
Scully continued to look at the body. "Do you know what the murder weapon was?"
"As far as the forensic reports say in the other two cases, it was strangulation. But not with a rope or hands. The coroner said that it had to be done with something soft. That's why the redness and bruising is so faint."
Skinner looked at the roses and champagne. "It looks like she had company. A romantic evening?"
Scott looked at him and shook her head. "No, the scene is the same in all three crime scenes. Red dress, champagne and glasses, and red roses. I think it's kind of the killers calling card."
Scully said, "I'd like to do the autopsy on this body and I'd also like to look at the autopsy reports on the last two victims."
Scott gave a nod. "No problem. Officer Jenkins can help you out there. Hey Jenkins..."
A uniformed officer walked up to the group, "Yeah Sam?"
Scott smiled at the young officer and said, "Take Agent Scully to the medical examiners and get her copies of the last two cases."
Jenkins smiled and said, "Yes ma'am."