Chapter 6 the Long Day
6:35 A.M.
Having gone into professional mode Dana was more aware of what was going on. After calling Carter she'd gone about ascertaining all she could about the victims without actually touching him. There was a great deal, he'd died of what looked to be strangulation wounds, his arms were also covered in defense wounds so he'd put up a good fight. The die was the same she guessed but for the fact that it had turned the cadaver a silver color.
"And you didn't see anyone?" Leo asked Kelsey as he sat beside her on rock. She had her arms around her middle as if to keep something in.
"No, the forest was pretty quiet, not eerie quiet but not exceedingly
Disturbed." She replied as she saw Ryan arrive. She'd heard Carter call him.
***
"What happened?" The titanium ranger asked Kelsey where she now stood her arms wrapped tightly about herself.
"We just wanted to go for a run." The yellow ranger replied, her voice sounding to Ryan as if she'd just drunk a gallon of lemon extract. He didn't think, just pulled her into a hug. She was freezing; he noted and felt his heart sink.
"It was almost like old times, you know racing, jumping obstacles like one of the old training courses." Kelsey managed shakily and he just held on to her tightly. He didn't know the whole story but he would.
"Then we decided to stop for a break, that's when Dana nearly stumbled over the body." Kelsey told him and he stiffened, they'd found a body? Glancing ar0ound he spotted his sister talking to some of the police officers.
"Yeah," Carter said joining them. "Dana was about to take a seat on the log over there." He indicated the fallen tree with a hand adding, "That's when she saw it."
"Look," Mike walked over after speaking to Kai who was to take Dana to the morgue in the city so she could do an autopsy. "Why don't you take them back to the complex?
There's nothing more they have to do here." The vice president
Of Terra City said and Carter pulled Ryan aside.
"Dana is going to go to the station to answer some more questions." Carter said pulling Ryan aside before he could move to take either of the girls back to the housing complex.
"Yeah so I see." The titanium ranger nodded in his sister's
Direction, then glanced back at the other woman who still
Sat stiffly on a tree stump.
"She's not so shaky now, you know since she's used to seeing dead bodies." Carter saw the other man flinch at the reminder of his sister's past plight and future job. Still it was more important that Ryan knew just what he was dealing with, even if not the whole situation.
"She told you?"
"No, but I know."
"I'd ask how but right now I'm more worried about Kelsey. She's not making any sense." With that admission from his friend Carter quickly outlined the situation.
***
9:45 A.M.
"Well?" Carter asked and Dana looked up at him once more wondering why she'd been selected over the normal coroner. She hadn't thought even Mike could do that. Yet she'd just finished the autopsy on the killer's sixth victim and the samples of the die were due out in minutes.
"Same MO, as the others." She told him solemnly, hating that it was true. If this was a cereal killer, let alone an old enemy…
"No variation?" Leo asked and she shook her head. She knew it was odd for carter to be aloud to be there but since he was a former ranger it kind of made sense.
At the sound of a timer's bell she walked back inside leaving Carter and Leo in the hall to watch and wait. She picked up a small tube and a scanner and nodded as if confirming her suspicion.
"It's what you suspected?"
"Yes, a coloring agent used on metals when their being melted down."
"Why didn't our people find it?" Leo asked and Dana shrugged.
"Pxj9315 is rather a new dye on the market. At current it is used only by the plants which make weapons and other things for the military." She explained and waited for any more questions.
"Good thing you took that course." Carter commented and Dana nodded.
"I'm going to put him on ice and then Leo would it be plausible for me to have a look at the rest of the case files?" Dana asked and he thought a long minute. Mike might help with this, he was the vice Mayer anyway.
"Not until later, the judge who would have to grant that permission was off world and won't be back until then." He said at last.
"Fine, I'll be waiting."
***
11:56 A.M.
Back at the complex Dana played up their story, that she'd just had to answer questions. It was a good cover she really didn't want to upset nay of the others, especially not Kendrix. She'd already been through enough.
Kelsey was sitting on a chair in the common room of the Corbett house, her hands clutching a mug of sweet tea. It was good Ryan had given her that. The sugar would keep her from going into deeper shock. Still Dana knew that her friend hadn't eaten anything since the night before and that she'd lost that at the crime scene. Without a thought for her own needs she headed into the kitchen to find Kelsey something healthy.
***
"You ok?" Ryan asked, he'd seen her arrive there, seen her watching Kelsey, talking to her briefly and had known he should talk to her. She hadn't said two words to him about what had happened. All he thought now when he saw her like this was that she was doing it again. She was shutting off again.
"Yes fine." Dana said and Ryan came further into the room.
"You're sure?" He asked knowing that she was not; she was coping the only way she knew how, but at what cost? He'd seen his sister shaken up, back when they were rangers and had the insane urge to shake her up again. "You found a dead body; you didn't go shopping for a new dress." He said coolly slipping into bad guy mode.
"Yes, and now I'm going to make sure Kelsey eats." She said in her perfectly toned voice.
"Damn it! Dana will you just stop." He crossed the room and grabbed the plate from her hand, slamming it down on the counter. "for once will you just stop acting like everything's great!?"
"How do you want me to act Ryan? Would you like me to fall apart? Want me to throw up my guts? Well guess what I puked up everything I've ever eaten when I got back here. Just because you don't see everything I say or do. I'm not like you I don't need everyone to see what I'm feeling. I…"
"Is that what you think?" He broke in quietly letting her go.
"Shouldn't I? You're the big time actor, everything you do is public knowledge, isn't that why your in here now? So your adoring fans will think you're the perfect brother?"
"OK, so you are effected." He said and she saw the little upturning of his lips.
"You just…"
"Got a real reaction from my little sister."
"Fine, well," She couldn't believe he'd managed to make her so angry, angry enough to shout, pulling herself back inward, she chided herself for not seeing his goal. "I have to take care of Kelsey. She's been through a lot today." She said once again slipping into her professional mode,
"And who takes care of you?" She glanced up at her big brother and knew it was a big mistake. She saw concern, understanding, strength and something else there in his silver eyes.
"I do." She said simply. He continued to look down at her for another long minute then nodded as if agreeing.
"Just remember that there are others of us who would like to try and help, Ok?" This time she was the one to nod and then he left the room again, as fast as he'd come.
***
12:26 P.M.
"How are you feeling?" Dana asked sitting down beside Kelsey with a plate of food. The dark haired gild glanced up, she looked horrible. Her face was pale, cheeks almost sallow and eyes haunted. Dana knew that look; she'd woke up just like that every morning since the accident.
"I'm ok. I just keep seeing that body, all that blood and…" The brunette trailed off as if seeing it all over again.
Knowing she couldn't get close but still hating to see her old friend like this, Dana hugged the ex-yellow ranger.
"I know." She then pulled back a little. "I um brought you something to eat." Dana handed her the plate.
"Thanks. I'll try to finish it all." The girl smiled weakly.
"Good. If you need anything come get me." Dana said getting up.
"What about you?" Chad asked quietly coming up to stand on the patio.
"Oh, I'm used to dead bodies." Dana shrugged it off. "You know what, have you seen Kendrix?" Dana asked.
"She's in the second bedroom with Angela and Maya. "Leo called from where he was putting a tape on.
"Thanks." Dana said and went to find them. "There you are." Dana said wanly. "I think I'm going to head home." Dana informed her friends.
"Leo can walk you if you like." Kendrix suggested.
"Oh, I think he's busy with something downstairs. I'll see you guys later." Dana said and as she turned to go she found the ex-red galaxy ranger standing right behind her.
"Hay I never mind escorting a pretty lady home." He smiled.
***
1:16 P.M.
Sliding her cardkey into the slot above the door she was just about
To push it open when a voice stopped her.
"I thought that was you." Dana turned to see Carter on his patio. He looked tired she noticed, tired and worried. She'd not seen him since arriving back there from the morgue. Knowing Carter he was probably pouring over the files again.
"Carter, is everything ok?"
"It's just been a long day." He said adding, "come over and I'll make some tea." Carter offered and she shrugged relocking her door.
"Was there news from the judge?" Dana asked leaning against the counter as Carter turned the coffee pot on.
"Yes." He said retrieving two mugs from the over head cabinet.
"What did he say?" Dana asked as Carter handed her a tea bag.
"He'd have Mike bring them over when they were available." Carter said pouring some steaming water into Dana's cup then into his own.
"That at least is a plus." Dana murmured quietly following Carter into the living room.
"Yes, but I can't see anything we've actually missed." The red sweatshirt clad young man said as he sat down beside her on the couch.
"I'm not sure I just have this feeling…" He murmured thoughtfully as he took a sip of his drink.
"I've learned one thing in my line of work, other than not to throw up on a corpse," she said a slight glint of humor in her blue eyes.
"What's that?" He asked a brow raised in question.
"When you're dealing with a killer, anything at all is possible." Nodding Carter pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Leo, it's me, listen I need a favor." He said and with in thirty minutes the Corbett brother's were there two boxes in hand.
"Just got them as the phone rang." Mike said after a minute and then entered boxes in
Hand.
Within minutes they had the folders spread out and Dana sat going
Over the medical reports.
*****
2:08 P.M.
Ryan crossed the floor to where Kelsey sat staring into space. He didn't like how she looked, her usually tanned skin looked as thin as paper, there was no color and even her usually unmanageable hair seemed somehow limp and faded. In all of the time he'd known her she'd never looked like this. It was frightening.
"Hay there." Ryan sat down beside Kelsey his eyes dark with concern.
"Hi." Kelsey looked up and immediately Ryan knew that she was reliving all of their encounters with the demons, the last no doubt the worst.
"How about a walk." He suggested.
"I think I'd like that." She smiled knowing that just being with Ryan would chase all of the ghosts away. They walked out of the gate and down to the water.
"I know it was horrible finding that body." Ryan said stopping and pulling the girl into his arms. She clung to him as they stood there and his warm strength slowly seemed to seep
Into Kelsey's body.
"I'm just glad your here." Kelsey said looking up into Ryan's grey eyes.
"Me too." He said and bent to kiss her. The gesture so surprised the part-time Yellow lightspeed ranger that she found herself kissing him back.
"Ryan?" Kelsey breathed when they finally broke apart. Where had that come from? They'd never kissed before; sure they were close but...
"I know," he murmured smiling a little. "Guess after this morning I don't want to put off the things I really want to do." He said and she frowned a little.
"You've wanted to kiss me?"
"Since you got here, maybe for a long time now." He admitted and she found herself smiling. Maybe this was right, it felt right, good and the timing…
"Good, so have I." She said the episode of that morning all but forgotten as she leaned up and kissed him again.
*****
4:10 P.M.
"Any luck?" Carter asked after they'd been working for over what felt like mere minute but had actually been hours.
"Nothing." Mike sighed leaning back in his seat.
"Me neither." Leo nodded wondering if they were just grasping at straws. "You know I've already been over these time and time again, I can't see what more there is…"
"Check on the toxicology reports for a substance called irocolon." Dana said and all three men were doing as she bid, not even questioning her motive.
"I'd say another link but what is it?" Mike asked frowning as he scanned a file.
"An amphetamine, it mixed with the dye can cause a nasty little reaction." Dana expounded as she waited for their results.
"How do you know that?" Leo asked and it was Carter who answered for her.
"She took a special seminar in the newest on and off world drugs back on earth."
"And I thought we were dedicated." Leo half smiled over at his brother.
"If you're going to work to save lives every little bit helps."
"True." Carter agreed and As Dana hit a few numbers on a calculator she waited a minute.
"From what I gather they were injected with the drugs?" Mike asked and Dana shook her head.
"but there was only a single puncture wound wasn't' there?" Leo asked frowning as he moved to look at his files once more.
"The amphetamine is oral." Dana said thumbing a folder she'd had Carter get from her room. It was funny but none said a word that she carried all of her stuff with her even just to a friends wedding.
"What so they ate it?" Leo asked and Dana didn't bother looking up.
"Looks like it." After a few seconds Dana looked over to where the ex-magna-defender sat. "Mike is there anyway I can get back in tonight? I need to check something."
"Sure, the morgue's open twenty four-seven." He shrugged glad to have a chance at cracking this before it got any worse.
"Ok well I want to get down there and…" She was moving, gathering up her current file. She did, she wanted to check the stomach lining of the victims and see if it had been turned to a slightly lighter shade of silver than the rest of the bodies. Since there was only this fresh body she'd have to work fast.
"I'll drive you." Carter offered but Mike shook his head saying.
"I better; I'll have to talk to the night man."
"Right." The part time red ranger nodded seeing the wisdom.
***
6:01 P.M.
Working diligently Dana cut free the black thread she'd only hours ago used to sew up the remains of this last murdered victims.
She'd not thought to look for the discoloration and if not looking for it specifically she'd not have even noticed it. Now though she did and knew she needed to be sure and calculate the amounts of each drug used. The color should be able to tell her.
***
The spectator saw the scalpel cutting into the figure on the table, it's wielder using only the figure on the table, it's wielder using only expert incisions.
It was why the observer was there. If this doctor was as good at her job as it appeared she'd have to be taken out. Not that she should be there anyway. The little snot should have died in that accident. It was the whole reason it had been perpetrated. Yet now the watcher would have to take her out, and oh it would be fun.
***
6:11 P.M.
The room was as quiet as a crypt but she was used to it. She'd learned fast to adjust to things, hadn't she? Now though she didn't wander when Mike would be back. She knew his job was as important as any one else. Besides if it was another one, it meant that this killer was escalating his game. And that's what she felt it was a game. So many of them thought of it like that. She didn't want to think of it like that but if they were going to catch him they had to try and think like this guy.
Perhaps it was her thought that had her spinning just then or a sound she'd not been aware of hearing but that second saved her life.