It was shaping up to be a very good morning for Agent Scully. Her plane arrived at the airport twenty minutes early, so she had time to grab a strong cup of coffee. The rental company had lost her papers, so she ended up with a sporty red convertible. The top was down, the breeze was warm, and "Town Without Pity" was playing on the radio. Best of all, her partner, Agent Mulder, was uncharacteristically quiet. He even let her drive.
Mulder was hunched in the passenger seat. The car, being the perfect size for Scully, was a bit too small for him. He shuffled through papers in a manilla folder on his lap, engulfed in the case of the day.
Scully broke the silence between them. "I hate to ruin a perfect morning, but would you mind telling me why we had to fly out to Wisconsin so early on a Saturday?"
Mulder handed her a picture. "The Smith family. George, Sue Anne, Scott, and Peter. Seen there standing in front of a quaint little house in Door County. I think the white picket fence is a nice touch." The family in the picture was all smiles. A handsome man, a pretty woman, and two energetic looking sons. They were neatly groomed, the males in white shirts and penny loafers, the woman in a sunny yellow dress.
Scully smirked. "They looked like the Cleavers. Does anyone still dress like that?"
"Not anymore," Mulder took the picture and handed her another. This one was black and white, and instead of standing and smiling, the family was on the floor, covered in blood. "The bodies were found last night by a neighbor, Beatrice Mead. Apparently, Mrs. Smith didn't show up to her weekly bridge game. They're covered in what look like surgical cuts." Scully shivered, but only very slightly. She had seen many things as a med student and FBI agent, but child murder still caught her attention.
Mulder continued. "If you'll notice the location of the incisions: abdomen, pelvis, chest and nasal cavities, over the left ear. All places frequently reported by abductees as the location of implants or alien experiments."
"Did you check the family medical records?" Scully handed back the photo, her eyes not straying from the road.
Mulder winced slightly. "No record of abnormalities" Scully turned to look at hm, and he could feel the skepticism of her gaze.
"But you don't believe the records."
Mulder gave a sly smile. "Trust no one, Scully. Make a left here."