Chapter Three
"Seriously Mac, spit it out. You look like someone just punched you in the stomach. What did Webb tell you?" Harm frowned.
"Well, uh, it's not exactly the brightest of revelations, Flyboy." she admitted.
"I can tell that much from the look on your face." He grimaced. "Answer the question."
"You remember the bartender, don't you?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, so?" he asked, an irritated look on his face.
"Well, Harm, the bartender is a woman. A thirty one year old single mother..not an old man. I remember an old man last night, don't you?" she asked him.
"Yeah." He agreed. "But what does that mean?"
"Harm, it means that the real bartender is missing. What if she is one of the murder victims?" Mac thought worriedly. "And the old man's there thinking we don't know that he's not supposed to be there, and it's a trap or something? Or what if.."
"Colonel, you're rambling again." Smiled Harm. "And you're forgetting something key. This is a murder case, right?"
She nodded and glared at him. "We already know that!" she yelped.
"And we also know that the last woman to go in there was one of Webb's agents, and in fact, was not a murder victim, but a survivor.." He reminded her.
"And you think that this guy doesn't know that his latest attempt is on medical leave at Bethesda right now?" Mac smirked. "The murders are all over the news down here. He'd be bound to notice."
"Have you even looked through this file yet?" Harm grinned, tossing her the manila folder. "Read it. Miranda Hawthorne's case was not broadcast on the news. Webb got her out of there and had the whole incident covered up. Whoever is behind all this is probably one hundred percent certain that Hawthorne's on a table at the city morgue." He reported, a glint in his eye.
"Which means," finished Mac, "that we will be able to talk to her about the suspect description, and the possible whereabouts of the missing bartender! Why didn't I think of it? Harm, you're a genius!" she smiled, wrapping him in a hug.
That night, Harm made the phone call to Webb. Only a few minutes later, he was on the phone with Miranda Hawthorne, the third almost-victim of the illusive killer.
"Hello Commander." She whispered. "I was told you'd be calling."
"Then you know what I'm calling about?" he asked.
"Yes. I can't help you with the description." She admitted. "I couldn't see.blurred vision.I don't know why..." she remembered.
"That's okay. We might have a general idea if you can tell us about the missing bartender. Webb told us the bartender was a woman. The bartender at Sporty's right now is a man."
"We? Who else is with you, Commander?" she asked.
"My partner Colonel Mackenzie. That's all." He replied.
"Oh.." After a long pause, the woman took a deep breath, and continued to talk. "Well, I can't tell you much about that lady. She was pretty quiet, just like everyone else. She was there the whole time I worked there.." Another long pause. "There was an old man there sometimes, too. Her father, I think..." she told him. "You don't think he could have..?"
"We have reason to believe he could, yes." Harm told her.
"Oh no." she assured him. "Oh no, that's not right. The old man was Sam's father, Commander. I know him. And besides, my vision may have been blurred, but I know it wasn't him that beat me. Nope." She repeated.
"And how do you know that exactly?" Harm asked, his curiosity aroused.
"Because, Commander. I wasn't attacked by a man. I was attacked by a woman." She answered. "That's the only thing I can tell you."
"A woman?" he repeated. "You're absolutely sure?" he asked her. "Why didn't you say something a minute ago?"
"Oh, yes." She assured him. "If you've been looking for a man, that won't work. That's what I thought until after it happened. I didn't think to mention it.sorry.." She revealed.
"I understand." Harm nodded.
"Oh, and Commander, warn your partner, okay?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I have to go now, Commander. My doctor's here." She hung the phone up.
Harm shot off towards Mac's room, nearly knocking the door down. "Uh Mac, you're not going to believe this."
Harm stepped back as Mac nearly broke off her bathroom door. "A woman?!" she almost shrieked. "Harm, it just doesn't fit.." She analyzed. "All the victims were female..the stereotype would be that the killer was male.it's always worked that way.."
"Not this time, Mac." He shook his head.
"But, what's the motive? Why only women?" Mac asked herself.
The phone rang. Harm picked it up. The voice on the other end belonged to Webb.
"Have you talked to Hawthorne yet?" he asked.
"Yes." Harm nodded. "Apparently, the suspect is female. That is what Hawthorne told me."
"Odd.." Webb whispered.
"What's so odd about it?" asked Harm.
"Harm, I just got out the autopsies for the other two agents. The reason I've been sending you after a guy is because on both the victims, there was partial finger print evidence. We were able to piece it together a few weeks ago, right after Hawthorne was attacked, and the prints appear to belong to a." he paused.
"Who?" demanded Harm. "Don't play games with me, Webb."
"Harm, the prints belonged to a Samuel Lastring : male, 42, 145 lbs, black hair, brown eyes..." Webb read the description.
"Wait a minute!" Harm objected. "So are you saying that your agent is not credible?" he asked.
"No. I believe her." He assured Harm.
"So what are you saying?" Harm growled.
"I'm saying that this whole thing is a team effort, Harm. There's no other way to explain it with the evidence right here in front of me."
"So we're looking for a male and a female?" he asked.
"Yes." Webb agreed. "I'll see the two of you in a couple days. Be safe until then, okay?" again, he hung up the phone before Harm could get in another word.
A/N: Next chapter is a real doozie! Some of you may be bored, but read and review anyway, k?
"Seriously Mac, spit it out. You look like someone just punched you in the stomach. What did Webb tell you?" Harm frowned.
"Well, uh, it's not exactly the brightest of revelations, Flyboy." she admitted.
"I can tell that much from the look on your face." He grimaced. "Answer the question."
"You remember the bartender, don't you?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, so?" he asked, an irritated look on his face.
"Well, Harm, the bartender is a woman. A thirty one year old single mother..not an old man. I remember an old man last night, don't you?" she asked him.
"Yeah." He agreed. "But what does that mean?"
"Harm, it means that the real bartender is missing. What if she is one of the murder victims?" Mac thought worriedly. "And the old man's there thinking we don't know that he's not supposed to be there, and it's a trap or something? Or what if.."
"Colonel, you're rambling again." Smiled Harm. "And you're forgetting something key. This is a murder case, right?"
She nodded and glared at him. "We already know that!" she yelped.
"And we also know that the last woman to go in there was one of Webb's agents, and in fact, was not a murder victim, but a survivor.." He reminded her.
"And you think that this guy doesn't know that his latest attempt is on medical leave at Bethesda right now?" Mac smirked. "The murders are all over the news down here. He'd be bound to notice."
"Have you even looked through this file yet?" Harm grinned, tossing her the manila folder. "Read it. Miranda Hawthorne's case was not broadcast on the news. Webb got her out of there and had the whole incident covered up. Whoever is behind all this is probably one hundred percent certain that Hawthorne's on a table at the city morgue." He reported, a glint in his eye.
"Which means," finished Mac, "that we will be able to talk to her about the suspect description, and the possible whereabouts of the missing bartender! Why didn't I think of it? Harm, you're a genius!" she smiled, wrapping him in a hug.
That night, Harm made the phone call to Webb. Only a few minutes later, he was on the phone with Miranda Hawthorne, the third almost-victim of the illusive killer.
"Hello Commander." She whispered. "I was told you'd be calling."
"Then you know what I'm calling about?" he asked.
"Yes. I can't help you with the description." She admitted. "I couldn't see.blurred vision.I don't know why..." she remembered.
"That's okay. We might have a general idea if you can tell us about the missing bartender. Webb told us the bartender was a woman. The bartender at Sporty's right now is a man."
"We? Who else is with you, Commander?" she asked.
"My partner Colonel Mackenzie. That's all." He replied.
"Oh.." After a long pause, the woman took a deep breath, and continued to talk. "Well, I can't tell you much about that lady. She was pretty quiet, just like everyone else. She was there the whole time I worked there.." Another long pause. "There was an old man there sometimes, too. Her father, I think..." she told him. "You don't think he could have..?"
"We have reason to believe he could, yes." Harm told her.
"Oh no." she assured him. "Oh no, that's not right. The old man was Sam's father, Commander. I know him. And besides, my vision may have been blurred, but I know it wasn't him that beat me. Nope." She repeated.
"And how do you know that exactly?" Harm asked, his curiosity aroused.
"Because, Commander. I wasn't attacked by a man. I was attacked by a woman." She answered. "That's the only thing I can tell you."
"A woman?" he repeated. "You're absolutely sure?" he asked her. "Why didn't you say something a minute ago?"
"Oh, yes." She assured him. "If you've been looking for a man, that won't work. That's what I thought until after it happened. I didn't think to mention it.sorry.." She revealed.
"I understand." Harm nodded.
"Oh, and Commander, warn your partner, okay?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I have to go now, Commander. My doctor's here." She hung the phone up.
Harm shot off towards Mac's room, nearly knocking the door down. "Uh Mac, you're not going to believe this."
Harm stepped back as Mac nearly broke off her bathroom door. "A woman?!" she almost shrieked. "Harm, it just doesn't fit.." She analyzed. "All the victims were female..the stereotype would be that the killer was male.it's always worked that way.."
"Not this time, Mac." He shook his head.
"But, what's the motive? Why only women?" Mac asked herself.
The phone rang. Harm picked it up. The voice on the other end belonged to Webb.
"Have you talked to Hawthorne yet?" he asked.
"Yes." Harm nodded. "Apparently, the suspect is female. That is what Hawthorne told me."
"Odd.." Webb whispered.
"What's so odd about it?" asked Harm.
"Harm, I just got out the autopsies for the other two agents. The reason I've been sending you after a guy is because on both the victims, there was partial finger print evidence. We were able to piece it together a few weeks ago, right after Hawthorne was attacked, and the prints appear to belong to a." he paused.
"Who?" demanded Harm. "Don't play games with me, Webb."
"Harm, the prints belonged to a Samuel Lastring : male, 42, 145 lbs, black hair, brown eyes..." Webb read the description.
"Wait a minute!" Harm objected. "So are you saying that your agent is not credible?" he asked.
"No. I believe her." He assured Harm.
"So what are you saying?" Harm growled.
"I'm saying that this whole thing is a team effort, Harm. There's no other way to explain it with the evidence right here in front of me."
"So we're looking for a male and a female?" he asked.
"Yes." Webb agreed. "I'll see the two of you in a couple days. Be safe until then, okay?" again, he hung up the phone before Harm could get in another word.
A/N: Next chapter is a real doozie! Some of you may be bored, but read and review anyway, k?